Innholdsfortegnelse for November-December 2025 i Australian Flying

When Josh Hobart took to the skies on his first Angel Flight mission in April 2025, it wasn’t just the start of a new chapter; it was the continuation of a proud family legacy. Josh’s father, Craig Hobart, has been flying for Angel Flight since 2006, clocking up 61 missions and serving as president of the Southport Flying Club. For Josh, watching his dad volunteer his flying skills to help rural Australians was not only inspiring, it helped shape his future. “I’ve always been in the right-hand seat watching Dad fly,” Josh reflects. “We even used to incorporate Angel Flights into our family holidays. It’s always been part of our life.” Now 23 years old, Josh has completed 11 missions of his own and flies a Beechcraft Bonanza with over…

Automation and robotics have obsoleted many job roles since human understanding about the capability of electronics has exploded. Car bodies used to be welded by hand, bank tellers used to be the dispensers of cash money and cutting tools were once crafted by hand. Automation has triggered the demise of these occupations and a lot more along the way. And it seems that the next target of the automation proliferation could be pilots. With auto throttle, flight management systems, warning systems and even autoland performing roles once assigned to the flight crew, the reasons for humans in the cockpit are evaporating. Not so fast. Although automation in the form of autopilots has been around since 1912–only nine years after the first heavier-than-air flights–research into automation such as auto throttle and…

I had this aircraft on my radar for quite some time. Friends from both Poland and the UK had mentioned it to me as a model they were considering to improve their fleets for aerobatics and UPRT training, so it’s clearly generating a lot of interest. The aircraft makes a strong impression both in terms of design and aesthetics, and after my first aerobatic flight in this model, I was even more convinced of its potential… but let’s take a closer look, step by step. Integral R in Poland At the beginning of this year, the aircraft received full EASA certification, and the first production unit was delivered in May 2025 to a private owner in France. At the same time, the aircraft began gaining more and more popularity, and thanks…

In life, and in aviation, something will eventually ground us - permanently. None of us live or fly forever. Some threats are in the lap of the gods: a brain haemorrhage, a rare cancer or an accident beyond our control. There is no use worrying about what we can’t predict or prevent. However, the good news is that the majority of threats to our medical certification are predictable and preventable. By understanding and recognising these threats, we can apply countermeasures, correct course and keep ourselves healthy, certified and fit-to-fly. Do you know how to avoid a STALL? In aviation, we all know the dangers of a stall: it creeps up as our airspeed bleeds away, and by the time you feel the buffet, recovery requires urgent, decisive action. The same…

No Turning Back CAA ACCIDENT REPORT SUMMARY: This report is to advance safety, not to assign fault or liability INCIDENT DETAILS A/C: C 150B, C-GFFG with tailwheel conversion Place: Alexandria Aerodrome, Ontario Date: 26 July 2023 HISTORY OF FLIGHT On the morning of 26 July 2023, the pilots met at Lachute Aerodrome, Quebec, to conduct a day VFR flight to familiarise one pilot with tailwheel flying. There was a delay at the refuelling station, so they did not add fuel. They flew to Hawkesbury, Ontario, where the 2nd pilot practiced take offs and landings. At about 11.30 local time they landed and shut down. About an hour later they took off and headed to Alexandria Aerodrome, Ontario. They arrived at 12.55 and completed 2 circuits on runway 25. They then…

Flight Options, a leading Flight Simulator and Advanced Training Centre based on the Sunshine Coast, has reached a major milestone in aviation training with the launch of its Mechtronix Ascent Airbus A320 Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD). Now fully operational and available for bookings, this state-of-the-art simulator enhances Flight Options’ advanced pilot and flight instructor training programs. It plays a vital role in supporting the aviation industry’s efforts to address ongoing workforce deficiencies in training aircrew. The introduction of refreshed, future-ready Professional Pilot Training Programs, including the region’s best Multi Crew Cooperation (MCC) Course available, further strengthens Flight Options’ commitment to training excellence. In aviation for over half a century and with over 15 years of delivering high-quality, industry-recognised training, Flight Options has built a strong reputation for launching graduates…

The Federal Government has published a consultation paper that proposes to mandate Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) for aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). Currently, ADS-B Out is mandated only for IFR aircraft, and fitment for VFR has been encouraged through a subsidy scheme in operation since 2022 and extended through to 2027. However, the Federal Government is now proposing to make fitment for VFR mandatory from 2028, after the current subsidy is set to expire. It also proposed to mandate ADS-B In for IFR aircraft. "Overall, the model proposes a staged introduction of ADS-B Out capability for all aircraft operating under VFR, including the use of approved electronic conspicuity (EC) device in some circumstances," the consultation paper explains. "The model would see aircraft operating under…

Memory lane reveals an evolution and trend towards automation and artificial intelligence (AI). In the early days, GA pilots would remember what they needed to in their heads, or use a pocket pen to write it on their hands. This was before laptops, computers, tablets, social media, mobile phones, digital cameras and glass cockpits. Pilot operating handbooks (POHs) were big, bulky volumes, stored and consulted as required. Difficult to store and refold maps, as well as charts, were all in printed form. As flying became more complicated and regulated, notes would be taken with a pen or pencil on pieces of paper. Lines would be plotted and followed on printed paper maps. Those pieces of paper used to record things, slowly developed into standard logs or record sheets, often positioned…

DAT’s mission is “to make private air travel easy, flexible, and affordable. Whether planning a special lunch in Mudgee, a business trip to Canberra, or a once-in-a-lifetime gift for a loved one, DAT offers a seamless and unique travel experience that redefines the convenience of flying. Just type in your dates and destination, find a flight time that works for you, and leave the rest to us. It’s like ordering a taxi for the air, booked from the comfort of your couch.” How it works At the core of DAT is a proprietary booking system, commissioned and under continual improvement by Boyd. It streamlines private air travel, allowing customers to effortlessly choose departure and arrival locations, specify passenger and baggage details, and request a return trip. The system checks weather…

Some surprising facts will reveal that more than 900 of these highly reliable machines have been delivered, and that 467 operators use them globally; also, they’ve accumulated 3.5 million flight hours (as of at the end of 2024), so it’s safe to say a few more hours have been added to that impressive tally since then! The H130 has, and continues to, offer outstanding performance, reliability, plus a multi-mission capability that’s second to none. Officially classed by Airbus Helicopters (AH) as an “intermediate single-engine helicopter”, the H130 can and has availed itself to a multitude of ops since its introduction into service; ranging from tourism/sightseeing, VIP/corporate and standard passenger transport, to HEMS/aeromedical airlift, plus aerial/utility and firefighting work; a comprehensive suite of services in anyone’s books. Being the Jack of…

TTL; DR: It’s about time we stopped bullshitting. Recently, a plane went missing. Somewhere between Tasmania and NSW. No trace of where it is (maybe it’s been found by now? The odds? Spectacularly low). Roughlyquotedinanarticle in the ABC news website, was this old chestnut: ‘It’s more dangerous to drive to the airport than to go flying’ *cough* Bullshit *cough* Richard Feynman said it best, ‘The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.’ I’m not sorry for quoting one of the greatest minds of the last century. Any instructor who reads this, should read his articles on teaching. Really. Now. You can thank me later. Broaden your mind, sausage factory ‘graduate’. Now to address that quote, or at least give it…

It’s not often a regulator gifts an industry more than the industry was asking for, but with several factors, that’s what the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has done with the new rules surrounding light sport aircraft (LSA). New rules, known as the MOSAIC rules (an acronym for Modernisation of Special Airworthiness Category), will bring sweeping changes to LSAs and how they are governed in the USA. Desperately needed to update 20-year-old regulations, MOSAIC will make LSAs larger, faster, more capable and enhance them with modern technology. Much of the new tide in the USA will splash over to Australia, most spectacularly in the form of new aircraft, but the extent of the inflow will depend on CASA and their attitudes toward the capability of LSAs and what safety mitigators,…

CHC Helicopter recently announced the introduction of three new, upgraded AW139 helicopters, known as RAC Rescue, into service in Western Australia. Specially modified to deliver all-hazards rescue and advanced aeromedical care, these aircraft represent a significant enhancement to the state’s emergency response capability. Operated by CHC, the RAC Rescue helicopters are funded by the State Government, managed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), and sponsored by RAC. This AUS $26.7 million investment by the WA Government strengthens the state’s emergency response capability, delivering faster response times, greater range, and enhanced onboard care for people in need across the state. Capable of reaching speeds of 309 km/h and flying longer distances without refuelling, the new aircraft can respond to more all-hazards incidents and deliver critical care within the…

Education is a major plank of CASA’s approach to boosting safety and in our 30th year we have more resources than ever to help you fly safely. A key innovation over the past 4 years has been our pilot safety campaign, ‘Your Safety is in Your hands’, which is continuing to have strong engagement. Nine out of 10 pilots are aware of it, with many saying it prompted them to reflect on how they plan and fly, speak to others about safety or adopt safer practices. It is regularly updated and as we head into the northern wet season, we are focussing on the important subject of weather and forecasting. Hazards during the hot, humid Top End wet season include poor visibility, severe turbulence, icing and lightning. It can be…

CASA’s GA Workplan 2.0 landed back in July, outlining what the regulator believes it can do to help reduce burden on general aviation. The GA workplans are not lightweight documents; they outline initiatives and provide supporting detail and scheduled timelines. But it is a plan, and one thing aviators understand is that plans are just the datum from which to measure the deviation of what really happened. Whilst that axiom is generally applied to in-flight scenarios, it is equally appropriate for trying to introduce regulatory reform as well. Despite best efforts, sometimes the plan just doesn't work. So it is pleasing to note in the latest workplan that CASA intends to knuckle down again to sort a couple of long-standing regulatory thorns that continue to irritate our sides. Some of…