Tabla de contenidos para July-August 2024 en Australian Flying

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is considering recognising overseas engineer qualifications to combat skills shortages in Australia. CASA Director of Aviation Safety and CEO Pip Spence said in the April CASA Briefing newsletter published yesterday that the regulator was looking at several methods of assisting foreign holders of Part 66 licences to gain Australian qualifications. “Our rules already allow us to recognise qualifications and licences from other countries but some applicants consider this too complex, expensive and time-consuming,” Spence said. “We’re looking at how we can safely recognise qualifications more easily and expect to consult on details later this year. “One way we might do this is through direct recognition of foreign states via an amendment of the Part 66 manual of standards, while another is a streamlined assessment framework…

Aerial Application Association of Australia (AAAA) CEO Matt Harper has welcomed the announcement that the government will spend $35 million over the next two years supporting aerial firefighting through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) The funding will go towards establishing a sovereign aerial capability, which was a key recommendation in the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, and is expected to ease pressure on defence force personnel and aerial firefighting aircraft. “Our members invest heavily in their helicopters and SEAT [single-engined air tankers], as well as employ and train pilots, ground support and mechanics,” Harper said. “Our members’ (and Australia’s) firefighting expertise is internationally recognised, with a significant portion of our dedicated firefighting fleet now making their way to the northern hemisphere for the summer fire season “Any…

A range of forces are coming together that both demand change and offer opportunities for growth and new services for regional aviation in Australia. These forces are at work across aviation, not just in Australia, but around the world. New aviation technology is being developed at a rapid rate and decarbonisation cannot be ignored. For some it might be surprising, however it is regional aviation that is poised to be at the cutting edge of change, due to the scale of our operations, our flexibility and willingness to adapt and improve. While traditional aircraft will be working regional skies for years to come, the days are not far off when they will be joined by advanced air mobility aircraft and aircraft powered by alternative fuels and electricity. This reality was…

AAHOF’s biggest handicap is that no-one in the general public arena knows it’s there. Almost secreted upstairs at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) building at Shellharbour Airport, the hall of fame has no external signage, getting its visitors as hand-offs from those touring the HARS building. It wasn’t even open during Airshows Downunder, and if you check Wikipedia’s list of Australian halls of fame, you’ll be disappointed to find no mention of aviation. It’s almost as if the aviation community doesn’t want to share the stories of its heroes. But perhaps that’s over-simplifying the issue. AAHOF existed for several years as only an online presence and an annual dinner; bricks-and-mortar didn’t come until HARS made the space available, so there was nothing for anyone to actually visit. Things are…

Barry Bell was the founder of this group, forming a voice to the government for all antique and classic aircraft owner-operators. The collective consider themselves the custodians of many historically significant aircraft throughout Australia. They are the guardians of Australia’s aviation history. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the association. To celebrate this auspicious occasion the National Fly-In was held at Corowa, New South Wales from the 18th through to the 21st of April. Pilot and craft ventured from near and far. The Kevin Bailey award went to Allan Chinn for the longest distance travelled, flying in from Airlie Beach, Queensland in his Piper Cub. The variety of participating aircraft was extensive: Auster; Beechcraft; Boeing Stearman; Cessnas; De Havilland Tiger Moth; Pipers; Ryans; CA-25 Winjeel. There were a few…

Both the Remote Airstrips Upgrade Program (RAUP) and the Regional Airports Program (RAP) are set to continue after the government allocated more funding from the Federal Budget. Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King detailed the funding in an announcement made yesterday. “The Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program will be extended with an additional $50 million over three years, to improve safety of remote airstrips and accessibility for people with disability,” King said. “The Regional Airports Program will be extended with an additional $40 million in competitive grant funding over three years from 2024-25.” King also said the Federal Government would fund an inspection program for airstrips serving remote communities. “The government will also provide $500,000 in funding per year to the Remote Aerodrome Inspection Programme, to…

The Naked Racer is a unique cafe; you get to have burgers and chicken salads served to you whilst you sit surrounded by motorcycles and flying instructors. It’s an odd mix that comes from the cafe being sited only a few metres from the western boundary of Moorabbin Airport. And it’s a spot that new Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) CEO Rob Walker likes to haunt when he’s on one of his hit-and-run visits to Melbourne. It was over a burger here that Australian Flying caught him during a break in a busy schedule, self-inflicted by his many ambitions for the RAAA. Walker, a former senior manager at both Airservices and CASA, stepped into the RAAA job after then CEO Steve Campbell vacated the seat and returned to the regulator.…

It is said that the night is darkest right before the dawn, that the break of day brings new hope and opportunity. General aviation in Australia was in a dark place in 2014, and for the community the dawn came when then Safeskies chairman David Forsyth handed the government a review of Australia’s safety regulation regime. It was effectively a report card on the way the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) handled safety regulation, and the recommendations caused some serious ripples in the aviation industry. Known as the Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR), but known colloquially as the Forsyth Report, the review was the work of Forsyth, Don Spruston from Canada and Roger Whitefield from the UK. It handed Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss 37 recommendations, of which the government…

Dave Soderstrom brings us an update from the world of helicopters. The development of Airbus Helicopters’ Racer compound demonstrator has made some significant progress in its development program. The aircraft’s flight envelope fully opened up to 165 knots after just four flights. Having only completed its first flight on April 25, 2024, the recorded speed of 165 knots was done on its second flight. Brice Makinadjian, Racer’s chief engineer, said the team was particularly impressed with the aircraft’s stability at such an early stage of flight testing. “The aircraft was stable without the autopilot,” he said. “The crew is very happy with the behaviour of the aircraft and its handling qualities.. Without the autopilot, they’ve been able to do this speed without big work for the pilot.” The Racer is equipped…

Textron Aviation announced this week that CASA had issued a type certificate for the C408 SkyCourier, paving the way for the aircraft to be delivered to Australian customers. CASA approval comes only three months after Cairns-based Hinterland Aviation became the first Australian customer for the twin turbo-prop utility. “The SkyCourier’s incredible performance makes it a reliable business tool for customers all over the world,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, Global Sales and Flight Operations. “This certification marks yet another milestone in the SkyCourier program. With the ability to load, fly, unload and repeat–along with low operating costs and maximum cabin flexibility–the SkyCourier is a game-changer in reaching remote destinations.” The SkyCourier is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turbo-prop engines swinging McCauley C779 279 cm propellers, giving the…

It’s a two-edged sword being the market leader. No matter what you do, or how innovative you are, some people still want more. You can’t please all the people all the time. In aviation this would be a recipe for disaster. It’s important to distinguish commentary that came from Cirrus owners, or buyers, from the plethora of one hour as a student pilot keyboard warriors and haters. The connection to genuine buyers is something that Cirrus has done successfully for nearly a quarter of a century, keeping the SR22 as the world’s most popular general aviation (GA) aircraft. Cirrus pleases most of its target group, most of the time. That’s definitely not by accident. There were several items high on G7 wish lists. Some were small improvements, and others giant…

The all-wood, rotary-engine powered Avro 504 of 1913 was developed into the Avro 504K by the close of World War One. Several hundred 504s came on to the British civil register postwar as joyride and training aircraft. A small number of these found their way to Australia and saw service with fledgling aviation companies such as Qantas and others. A 3-cylinder air-cooled Lucifer radial engine was fitted to a 504K as early as 1919. Further modifications to the 504 were made in 1923 incorporating the fitment of a 215 Armstrong Siddeley Lynx 7-cylinder air-cooled radial engine and new oleo compression undercarriage struts. This model, known as the 504N, became the progenitor of the whole Tutor/Cadet/Prefect series biplanes. 1931 saw the first Avro 631 Cadet fly and it was specifically designed…

About six months ago I managed to score myself a new Lightspeed Delta Zulu headset, if you must know, from Oshkosh. I paid my own hard-earned for it – no sponsorship or freebies here. My boss was in the States and he grabbed one for me from their stand at a show special price, which saved a few bucks. So, what’s this headset all about? It’s essentially a fancied-up Lightspeed Zulu. You can read all the marketing fluff online. If you spend a lot of time in light singles, and you have to be able to talk to the person in the left-hand seat (ie: instructing all day) you know the importance of a good headset and active noise reduction. It’s worth it. I’m on to my third ANR headset…