CONSTABLE PC PLOD JUMPS ON THE BANDWAGON - Recently, Perth Airport was shut down whilst the ‘authorities’ investigated a serious package or packages on a Malaysian Airline aircraft for 12 hours.
HI FLYER: THE FERRARI OF THE SKIES - The weather on the Sunshine Coast is truly spectacular in Autumn. Vivid blue skies, mild days, fabulous. It was my day to play hookie from a family holiday on the river at Noosa to fly ...
FLIGHT FILES: LIGHT WING SPEED - Here’s another range of aircraft we can be proud to call our own. The LightWing Speed represents the blood, sweat and tears of a few Aussie aviation lovers, namely Nick...
MAINTENANCE, REPAIR & OVERHAUL - The vibe around the general aviation industry is that a category of aviation fondly referred to as MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) is in a volatile state and in need of some new blood and...
USED CRAFT: AESL CT/4 - Often confused with the Victa Airtourer or more justly the Aircruiser, the CT4B is in fact a faster, heavier and more powerful relative of both. The origins of the CT4 start with Henry Millicer and Victa, who came up with the fundamentals for ...

A WING AND A PRAYER - Pilots are a mad lot. Logical, totally committed to safety, but mad. Most of us will do anything for a truly unique experience that has to do with wings and I’ll put up my hand as the epitome of this contagion.
AROUND THE WORLD - Curiosity is a wonderful thing. It guides your attention to that which most interests you. Inevitably they are the things you’re most invested in. You’ve all experienced...
DOWN AND DIRTY - They are sometimes called unsung heroes, mythical creatures, life savers or just crazy cowboys. Sometimes we laugh at them, other times we beg for them but...
FLIGHT FILES: AIRBORNE XT-912 TUNDRA - To someone brought up to fly in a strictly aluminium saturated GA environment, a trike could initially seem a little ‘alternative’. But unleash that adventurous spirit you’ve been hiding away...
LEGAL: WHERE TO NOW FOR CIVIL AVIATION? - We have a new fearless leader in Canberra. Kevin 07 and his treasurer offsider have flagged a skinflint approach to Federal spending. “It’s inflation, stupid”. Kevin and Wayne have foreshadowed a five part plan to...

TRAINING THE TRAINERS - Flying training is a key sector of the aviation industry from both an economic and safety point of view. With the demand for pilots growing at a rapid rate...
OLD VERSUS NEW - With an ageing fleet spectacularly failing to attract young blood into aviation, isn’t it time to let go of the old and bring in the new?
OVER THE MOONEY - It was the perfect day for it. Miserable. Grey, wet and with the damp heaviness of a sponge waiting to be squeezed. Perfect for my introduction to Mooney’s latest high performance girl...
SUPERMAN OR SUPERSAFE? - To fly or not to fly, that is the question. Our high flying aviator, Rod Douglas, navigates cross-country and assesses whether his safety or his demanding schedule is more important. Safety first in a world without margins.
THE PASHA BULKER RESCUE - On June 8th, 2007, the bulk carrier Pasha Bulker grounded in severe storms on Nobby’s Beach in New South Wales. The following is an account of the helicopter rescue of 22 crew members off the stranded ship.

FLIGHT TEST: ROBIN R2160 - The Robin is a French designed aircraft originally manufactured in France as one of the Avio’ns Robin family.
FLIGHT FILES: THE SPARROWHAWK - The wonderful thing about aviation is that every look into the future is also a look into the past and the Sparrowhawk is a fine Australian example of when these two elements, past and future, merge together and create something special.
HIFLYER: THE NEXT GENERATION CIRRUS SR22 G3 - When a revolution washes through an industry it rarely emerges from its leading lights. Almost every real change comes from the very edge, a genuine innovation.
STUDENT: DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO TIPPERARY? - As this series is approaching a length that Tolstoy would envy, and as Ali constantly reminds me that she is not getting any younger...
TRASH OR TREASURE? - I find shopping for a used aircraft about as exciting as shopping for socks in a second hand market. Old aircraft generally aren’t appealing to the eye, you’re never sure exactly what you are getting and they smell just a bit funky.

FLIGHT TEST: BOOMERANG - The Whitney Boomerang launch aircraft has recently arrived at its first home in WA and is creating much interest for its proud new owner, Min Stokes operator of Minovation Flight Training.
HI FLYER: THE HIGH END TBM - As I drove closer it became clear: there was not one, not two, but three majestic personal time machines sitting together on an Essendon ramp that’s usually reserved for the big iron...
LEGAL: FOOD FOR LEGAL THOUGHT - Some years ago I had a client who was a farmer who owned 25,000 acres on the Darling Downs in Queensland. The farmer was growing a good crop of weeds...
THE RUNAWAY BUYER - Leather interior, airbag seatbelts and metallic paint. With manufacturers struggling for pole position in new aircraft sales there is an unusual similarity emerging between the new aircraft market and the new car market.
STUDENT: FLYING BLIND BUT NOT MUTE - My long-suffering instructor Ali, has learnt long ago never to pre-empt my next flying lesson with any advice or pre-warnings should that lesson involve anything out of the ordinary.

FORCE FED-UP - It is my fervent belief (and no one else’s) that the more times you repeat something, the funnier it becomes.
JUST THE TICKET - She’s determined, always meets her deadlines for scant reward and was born into aviation. But, thus far, she’s restricted herself to GA.
OH THE FREEDOM OF FLYING - I never imagined I’d see the day. Fourteen captains of industry with responsibility for a couple of billion dollars in turnover, mouths agape at the thought. “Fly to Townsville in a light aircraft?” What a ludicrous proposition.
THE SNAZZY TASSIE SAFARI - After months of organisation and a few last minute changes, 11 helicopters in total were getting ready to depart from Helibiz at Moorabbin Airport and descend on Tasmania: nine R44’s and two AS350 Squirrels in all.
WASH ‘N GO - Go At first glance, it may sound like teaching your nana to suck eggs, but there is a right way and a wrong way to hose down your beloved machine. A recent CASA bulletin outlined the dangers of not following certain procedures, so read on and discover the correct way to wash an aircraft!

TEST FLIGHT - THE CESSNA CARAVAN - Aviation is a field that one doesn’t get into without the passion to fly. There are numerous easier options to take career wise, both intellectually and financially...
SKY ARROW - THE INSIDE ON THE ITALIAN JOB - Ever since I first saw pictures of the sleek (and, dare I say it, supersexy) Sky Arrow over 10 years ago now, I knew this machine looked like the aircraft I would want to own one day...
JUST ADD WATER - If you’re into boats, quite frankly you’re reading the wrong magazine. Or are you? Most aviators are not only blessed with the insatiable desire to fly aircraft, but also cars...
ATC EMERGENCY RESPONSE - A typical Saturday morning has woken the air traffic and it is gradually building. The peak morning rush, typical of a weekday malaise, is nowhere to be seen...
THE BOATS THAT FLEW - Flying boats occupy a special place in Australian maritime and aviation history and in the general public’s imagination. Warwick Abadee writes about an enduring infatuation...

A LIFE IN THE DAY OF . . .- It’s 4 am; it’s dark; the alarm clock has shattered the pre-dawn peace for the second time and you know that it is not going to get any easier to get up...
HAVING A GOOD ATTITUDE - With the Red Bull Air Race once again visiting our far-flung shores, it is perhaps timely to revisit the distinct advantages of aerobatics for the man in the street (well, the man in the air)...
A GREAT TIME TO BE INVOLVED - How do you think it is for kids these days? Is it the same? I suspect, these days, the impact of aviation on kids is different. Not as much exposure. Fewer aerodromes and air shows. There’s a much wider range of things to stir the young imagination.
A PRIVILEGE AND A PASSION - A 40 year love affair with aviation started for Bernard as a young boy when he visited a model aircraft field. ..
TEST FLIGHT - CESSNA 182 - The Cessna 182 has long been my absolute favourite single engine aeroplane for very many reasons and I have spent many happy hours enjoying its great combination of power, speed and carrying capability...

A SLICE OF THE DREAM- ‘Never mix business with pleasure’. Whoever made that statement obviously wasn’t into aviation, as any half intelligent aviator knows, the ultimate goal is to mix business and pleasure as much as possible...
100 YEARS OF HELICOPTER FLIGHT - Celebrating its centenary, the helicopter industry has grown from strength to strength. Rosemary McRae, President of the Helicopter Association of Australia, reflects on what they have achieved by working together...
ANSETT AIR PASSENGER TICKET LEVY - There are three regular commercial lies uttered. They are: 1. My cheque is in the mail. 2. Yes, my dear, I will love you in the morning. 3. I am from the government and I am here to help you...
KEYWORDS AND THE STUDENT PILOT - The previous training articles have concentrated upon broader topics written with the aim of getting student pilots to think about preparation for...

EDITORS NOTE- It’s refreshing to get out of the office now and again and meet our readership face to face so we didn’t hesitate in jetting off to Queensland last month for the Wide Bay Airshow...
LIVING HISTORY - The past meets the present as our intrepid SAAA pilot makes the trek down to Temora to view the dazzling displays of vintage planes...
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE REGINAL AIRPORT - In the midst of a flourishing economy and massive urban sprawl, most regional airports are faced with the decision – go or grow...
AVIATION SECURITY - Like most Australians, I expect our elected representatives and the attendant bureaucracies to work for the betterment of all Australians in their respective spheres...
LIBERTY XL2 - The Liberty XL2 is the sole aircraft produced by US company Liberty Aerospace who, since gaining full production certification for the aircraft in May 2006...

EDITORS NOTE- Certain sectors of the aviation community have always been slow to embrace new technology...
FERRY TALES - Flying aircraft on a one-way trip is often called a ferry flight and calls for a ferry pilot...
TEST FLIGHT: THE GA8 AIRVAN - Remember in those far off days when Land Rovers were the only four wheel drive vehicles in existence?
SIM-PLY FLYING - Simulator training is recognised as being important for larger aircraft but has been previously uneconomic for general aviation...
ON THE JOB : Bruce Byron, CASA Chief Executive Officer - What lead you to become involved in Aviation?
OUR AGING FLEET- Last month I discussed aircraft corrosion, only one aspect of aircraft maintenance faced daily by our Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers - LAMEs for short...

EDITORS NOTE - There are many disparate parts to the aviation industry...
THE GREAT DIVIDING RAGE - Once again, the powers that be will increase the distance between sectors of Aviation in Australia as regulations regarding charter operations are re-written...
WEATHER CASA LEARNS - It was said by a wise old aviator that when a pilot first qualifies or gets a professional licence he is given two bags...
WORKCYCLES AND THE STUDENT PILOT - Our first in a regular series on valuable training techniques for the student pilot, Using a methodical process or ‘workcycle’...
MAGNA CHARTER - Anyone involved in aviation knows about charter. Right? Right? Yeah, it’s a bit elusive isn’t it?
TEST FLIGHT: THE JABIRU - The past decade has seen the emergence, in large numbers, of the new breed of light aircraft in both the RAA and VH registered categories...