Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Plane Crazy Down Under
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Drone Racing to Military Operations | 08 Sep 2026 | 02:41:11 | |
Did you hear a *THUD* when this episode arrived in your player? Weighing in at two hours and fourty one minutes, this episode is packed with content recorded at the Military International Drone Racing Tournament in Sydney back in March 2026, along with a great chat with WGCDR Keirin Joyce, one of the people organising the event. Unless you're going on a long journey, we suspect you'll need your pause button a few times on this episode, but it's worth listening all the way through to the end, and not just because the Australian Defence Force Drone Racing Team are the reigning champions following back-to-back victories in the Australian and Sydney events this year. The enormous stack of interviews in this episode unfold as: 0:00:50 – We kick it off with an overview of what this episode is about. 0:02:53 – Our discussion starts with WGCDR Keirin Joyce of the RAAF talking about the growth of military drone racing, Australia’s winning record, international competition, technology development and lessons from Ukraine. 0:16:11 – CAPT Tom Gash discusses the Richmond tactical events including payload delivery, aerial interception, scoring, equipment and safety. 0:24:14 – FSGT Justin Galbraith talks about the autonomous fixed-wing targets being used at the tactical events, covering interception tactics and the importance of the drone team’s spotter. 0:28:18 – Sid from CubePilot talks about their Cube Orange+ product, using the ArduPilot system, and autonomous target aircraft operations. 0:32:43 – LTCOL Raymond Brin, CO of the 9th Regiment Royal Army Artillery, talks about the use of UAS in Army UAS for ISR, along with operational drone capability and careers. 0:39:38 – We present a promotion for our latest podcast production: A History of the Future, then tell you a little about it. 0:40:34 – WGCDR Joyce returns to talk about the different groups involved in Military Drone Racing, including cadets and veterans, along with international teams, and the Defence and Industry careers that many young FPV pilots progress towards. 0:45:18 – We then move on to discussing the ADF’s top-down innovation units and disruptive experimentation to assess the application of new innovative concepts to Defence. 0:47:40 – This includes the use of an autonomous Jabiru light sport aircraft under Project Camel Train, and the Aladdin capability which is providing a precision logistics delivery system via drones. 0:52:25 – Payu and Angus are from the Australian Cadet Drone Racing Team and they talk about the importance of STEM, being in cadets, the fun and development they’re experiencing with drone racing, and their potential Defence pathways ahead of them. 0:58:59 – PTE Hamish Glover returns to the show to talk about the Army Drone Racing Team and the experiences he’s had racing, older versus newer technology, and tactical challenges. 1:06:56 – LAC Nelson White from the Air Force Drone Racing Team talks about being at the MIDRT competition, international camaraderie, and conducting tactical intercepts. 1:12:19 – Ben Boller is a member of the Veterans Drone Racing Team who talks about the Australian veteran community, his experiences racing and how it contributes to mental wellbeing, along with his experiences flying the tactical events. 1:21:04 – Rodney from Team USA provides an overview of building the US military drone racing presence, its links to the AUKUS program, the importance of STEM, and conducting the tactical events. 1:25:23 – Grant talks with Air Commodore Migdiawan from the Indonesian military about the growth of Indonesian military drone racing and its contribution to international cooperation. 1:27:51 – Marlon from the Philippine Army Drone Racing Team talks about developing the Philippine team, their experiences in international competition, and the tactical skills they are developing. 1:30:26 – MWO Blake Bergeron talks about the rapid formation of the Canadian military team, learning their new drones, and building Canadian FPV capability. 1:36:52 – WGCDR Joyce returns to talk about the military drone racing teams being integrated with civilian drone racing groups, sponsorship and support from civilian organisations, and the importance of drones to many areas of civilian life. 1:46:32 – Aaron Bell is the General Manager of KJR and also one of the members of the ADF’s UAS Events team. He steps us through KRJ’s history and services, discusses AI-enabled remote drone operations, environmental applications and the efforts that have gone into organising the tournament. 1:52:23 – Michael Oborne from CubePilot tells us about programming the autonomous target missions using Mission Planner, ArduPilot and civilian survey applications. 1:57:14 – Charles at SYPAQ tells us about the company’s sponsorship of the event, STEM engagement, veterans and autonomous systems. 1:59:36 – Tim Croft, aka Timmytron, from FPVBits steps us through their live-streaming of drone racing, how race timing works, providing FPV feeds and broadcasting events. 2:06:59 – Philip Rouse, co-CEO of CubePilot, steps us through CubePilot’s history, the development of ArduPilot and autonomous systems, including defence applications and supply-chain issues. 2:21:49 – WGCDR Joyce returns to discuss the Australian uncrewed systems sector and future growth for the tournament. 2:23:42 – We start wrapping the episode, including a discussion of Steve’s new Tesla (yes, he’s gone electric). 2:27:21 – We’ve got listener mail including feedback on our E190-E2 episode (we got something wrong – DOH!), a shout-out to Nilma at Embraer, and feedback from some listeners, and Steve’s tribute to his flying instructor and aviation mentor Gary Biddle. We also ask our audience’s help to spread the word that PCDU is back as we’ve encountered people who didn’t realise we were producing episodes once again. We also talk about upcoming events where we can be found, including Grant’s work for ADM and Steve’s news bulletins being produced for AIR News. Links:
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| Australian Beechcraft Society's Pilot Proficiency Program 2026 | 26 Feb 2026 | 01:46:57 | |
The Australian Beechcraft Society is holding their Pilot Proficiency Program for 2026 at Cowra from the 19th to 22nd of March, so if you own, fly or maintain Bonanzas and/or Barons, you're going to want to be there. There will be a comprehensive flying program, detailed maintenance reviews, and two days of presentations from specialists on the Bonanza and Baron, plus other speakers including Airservices, CASA, and Stralis Engineering. We caught up with representatives from the Australian Beechcraft Society along with two very experienced members of the American Bonanza Society who will be coming to Australia for the event. It's a great chat with something to learn even if you don't fly a Beechcraft. 0:01:07 - We kick off the episode and oh wow, it's 2026 already. How did that happen? 0:04:25 - We chat with Dave Porter and David Young from the Australian Beechcraft Society about their flying experience and how they became part of the Beechcraft world. The conversation includes how Textron Aviation now owns both Cessna and Beechcraft, an overview of the Society, and the importance of aircraft type clubs for operational and maintenance knowledge, plus lobbying with regulators on your behalf. We also touch on the range of Beechcraft types, including the aerobatic Bonanzas and T-34 Mentor, then discuss what to expect from the 2026 Pilot Proficiency Program, the importance of attending, and how to sign up for it. 0:47:32 - We present a promotion for our latest podcast production: A History of the Future, then tell you a little about it. 0:51:20 - We're joined by Bob Ripley & Tom Turner from the American Bonanza Society and, after the inevitable discussion about the weather, we talk about their backgrounds and aviation experience, the number of Bonanzas and Barons still flying, and the benefits the Society provides to members. We also talk about some of the things pilots and maintainers should be aware of with these aircraft and that there are specific items for not only different models, but also specific to serial number ranges. We wrap our chat by learning the specifics of what they're bringing to the Australian event, including a detailed walk-around specific to your aircraft's model and serial number, and what unique aspects they've identified about flying and maintaining these aircraft in Australia. 1:30:26 - We talk briefly about Grant's trip to Singapore and introduce the next segment. 1:32:24 - Grant talks with Jimmy Beeson, Textron's Vice President for Product Development, about identifying opportunities for updates and new developments, working with customers to assess their needs and obtain feedback on new ideas, the latest developments, and the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality when working with customers. The conversation also touches on Textron's recent closure of the Bonanza and Baron production lines, plus what to expect from the new Denali aircraft and when it's going to be in production. 1:43:42 - We wrap up with summary of the Singapore Air Show, catching up with Brian Coleman while there, and then close out the episode. Links:
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Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Talking E2 with Embraer & Virgin Australia | 26 Oct 2025 | 01:04:31 | |
Many in Australia will have flown the Embraer E190 as there are a few flying here with Airnorth, Alliance Airlines (as QantasLink) and National Jet, plus the ones Virgin Australia used to operate back prior to COVID. The E190 and E195 include such wonderful features as large, well positioned windows (no bending down to look out horizontally), no middle seats, and good economics for the operators. The E190 and E195 are already impressive aircraft but Embraer have made them even better with their E2 versions, providing even more comfort and improved economics. It seems only fitting that Virgin Australia, in the form of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), are the first to operate the new E2s in Australian skies. This episode we talk to Embraer to learn more about the E2 and to VARA to learn why they selected it and how they're bringing the new airframe into operations. 0:01:25 - We introduce the episode. 0:03:49 - Raul Villaron, Vice President of Asia Pacific for Embraer Commercial Aviation joins us from Singapore to discuss all things E2. He explains the external differences between the original series and the E2s, the new technologies incorporated in their design, their improved passenger experience, and their operating economics that are allowing them to even replace older turboprops while also opening up routes that otherwise couldn't support a larger aircraft. Raul also provides a comparison of the E2s vs the Airbus A220 models, gives us an overview of the other E2 operators in the Asia/Pacific region, and talks about the support network already in place. 0:32:31 - We introduce the next segment 0:34:00 - Nathan Miller, Executive General Manager of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines in Western Australia steps us through VARA's need to replace its Fokker 100s, their assessment of available aircraft, and selection of the E190-E2. He also steps us through the unique aspects of operating Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) operations to the resources companies in Western Australia while also needing to cover airline operations, and the demands they place on aircraft in the region. We also get an insight to Nathan's love of aviation and his experiences when being on the delivery flight of the first aircraft, VH-E2A (how fitting is that rego? :) ). 0:59:42 - We wrap up the episode and hint at what may be coming next. Links:
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Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Staying Cool at AusFly 2025 | 23 Sep 2025 | 01:24:53 | |
It was a baking hot 42 Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) under the scorching Australian sun when the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia held its AusFly 2025 event at Wentworth, New South Wales, during the middle of March. Grant was on the commentary team but Steve couldn't make it due to a scheduling conflict, so Grant recorded a stack of interviews at the event to give those who missed it a chance to catch up with the vendors and people who were there. There was camaraderie and enthusiasm despite the heat with the celebration of flying and the aviation community on display for everyone to enjoy. The interviews in this episode give a remarkable glimpse into the heart of Australia’s aviation scene, filled with lessons, laughter, and a shared love for the skies: 0:04:33 - Matilda Mendham from the Freedom Formation talks about being the newest lady on the team, how she was introduced to flying, and her experiences so far in obtaining her license and subsequent ratings. She also covers her progression with the team from Smokey to now flying as Number Two on lead's right wing, along with the all important mantra: Fly good, don't suck! 0:11:06 - Josh Larven from OzRunways' Customer Support team talks about new features, working with users, and the insights gained from watching people use the system. He also talks about the importance of developers learning to fly to help them appreciate how the system is used. 0:18:22 - Every team needs a manager and Eddie Sieve holds down that role for the Freedom Formation while also flying as number three in the team's aerobatic element. He talks about how he got into flying, building his first aircraft, and discovering the Vans RV series of kit built aircraft. The discussion also includes how he obtained his aerobatic endorsement plus being with the Freedom Formation since it was just four them and they called themselves the Four Stooges (Grant did commentary for them at a number of their events). Eddie also tells us how the Freedom Formation wound up flying at the Pacific Air Show Gold Coast event in 2023, the fun they had at last year's event (pilot briefings were a favourite), what the team manager actually does, the importance of promoting the SAAA, and the team's sponsors who help make it all possible. 0:35:59 - Paul McVitty from Flyleds talks us about the incredible landing light kits his company provides for home builders, especially those making RV series aircraft. His products are certainly bright, making Grant think he was back on a dance floor, while even air traffic controllers have commented on how far away they can see aircraft using his lights. Paul also explains how his products generate such intense light beams without wasting light, and the special versions designed for tailwheel configurations. 0:47:11 - FLTLT Larissa "Laz" Stephens originally thought that RAAF pilots were really smart, like astronauts, then she met one and immediately applied to join. Laz opens up about her career, her motivations behind pursuing aviation, and her experiences instructing on the PC-21. Larissa reflects on her journey from her first trial flight to now having flown multiple platforms, and what it's like teaching the next generation of pilots. She also talks about the aerobatic aircraft she owns with her husband and how much she enjoys the very different style of civilian flying as well as the military. 0:58:29 - Ever thought about flying the P-51 Mustang? Chris Tulk and Frank Deeth get to do that and they were taking turns operating joy flights in VH-BOB, a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation variant of the P-51D made in Melbourne back in 1947. The two share their extensive experiences with warbirds, military, airlines and general aviation. Chris recounts his diverse background in aviation, from his career flying military aircraft with the RAAF to the commercial airline sector and the beauty of flying historical planes. Frank reminisces about his early inspiration from his father who flew for the airlines, his passion for constructing home-built aircraft, and the unique opportunities he’s had flying various vintage airplanes, including the iconic Mustang and Spitfire. 1:19:43 - It wouldn't be an airshow episode without chatting to Andrew Temby and Grant managed to grab a few minutes with him as he waited to refill his Extra 300 before flying home. Links:
Credits:
Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| To the Stratosphere & Beyond | 12 Feb 2025 | 01:08:11 | |
It's our first episode for 2025 so we're allowed to say Happy New Year, right? Even though it's February, right? We may be Australia's longest running aviation podcast but we're taking a very long time to get to episode 200 :) This episode we follow our dreams into the stratosphere and beyond, featuring a great chat with the Monash High Powered Rocketry team from Monash University. These amazing students are building and fuelling rockets that get up well above the cruising altitudes of airliners and even most corporate jets. We also get even higher beyond 100,000 feet with High Altitude Balloons. It's heady, rarified stuff in this one, so strap in and get ready to go sky high as the episode starts with Steve & Grant catching you up on what's new in their worlds before it unfolds as: 0:06:05 - We chat with Megan Robinson, Oliver Lancaster and Redmond Henry from the Monash HPR team about the program, their rockets, recent results, future directions and even a hint of more content to come during 2025. These folks are amazing and its no wonder that many of the HPR alumni wind up working with Rocket Lab, Gilmour Space, Space X and other legendary aerospace companies. Thanks to Rachelle Patturajan from the team for helping to coordinate everyone's schedules. 0:26:53 - We play some promos for other shows and organisations that we like and want to help spread the word about. 0:29:01 - When Grant flies a hot air balloon, he thinks 10,000' is sky high, but Robert Brand and the team from Flight Design go well over ten times higher than that. We chat with Robert about High Altitude Balloons in general, the company's experiences to date working with the Australian Defence Force and local universities, plus some of the payloads they're working with and how these balloons could be used to provide services like a satellite at greatly reduced time and cost. 1:01:28 - Steve and Grant wrap up the show with a reminder that you can drop us a line via contact@planecrazydownunder.com to say Hi, tell us about your latest adventures, or even suggest a potential guest we should chat with. We also shout out to:
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Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2024 | 16 Oct 2024 | 01:37:07 | |
We've been a little busy lately and it's been a while since our last episode, so to make up for it we've released this rather chunky episode of aviation goodness covering the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2024 event. It's just like the old days when our episodes were long and the pause button was your friend... The episode unfolds as per the details below. Enjoy! 0:01:11 - Steve & Grant chat about what's been happening, why it's taken so long to get this episode produced, Steve's new radio show (yes, radio!) called The Clear Signal, our fun at the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast with Brian Coleman (from the Journey is the Reward show and the Airplane Geeks) who joined us from California, despite immigration's best efforts, and what to expect from the interviews we collected. Oh yes, did we mention the beers? 0:06:15 - Jeff Boerboon updates us about what's been happening since last year, the Yak-110's appearance at Shellharbour, and how air shows can inspire the next generation of pilots. 0:12:17 - Air Commodore Micka Gray talks to Grant about his career since Pitch Black 2014 when he was last on the show, the RAAF's approach to air shows (both their own as well others they display at), and the benefits RAAF receives from their displays at last year's Gold Coast show in particular as well as their other appearances in general. 0:19:05 - Gary Cooper, a former RAAF pilot who has been awarded the USAF's Air Force Cross twice, and the Australian Defence Force's ground combat medal, talks to us on Vietnam Veterans' Day about his career and the situations he was in that lead to those three medals. From flying Norsemans and Junkers 52s in Papua New Guinea to joining the RAAF, the multitude of aircraft he flew and then becoming a Forward Air Controller until he left the RAAF after Vietnam and returned to flying with various airlines around the world. Gary's story is amazing and it was an honour and privilege to talk with him. 0:31:37 - Steve introduces the next block of interviews. 0:32:16 - We talk with Craig Hobart, the President of the Southport Flying Club, about the history of the club and the airport, the club's structure, the types of operations conducted at the airport (including medivac and rescue services), its importance to the area, and its involvement with the Pacific Airshows Gold Coast event. He also gives us a look at what the future holds for the airport and the club. 0:47:20 - Steve catches up with Mark Newton and Angela Garvey from the Freedom Formation Display Team about their displays at this year's and last year's air show, the changes that have happened since last year, Angela's career and how she joined the team, women in aviation, the team's sponsors & supporters, and how the team trains and conducts their display. 1:04:54 - Grant introduces the final block of interviews. 1:05:51 - Mandy Henschel from the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service returns to the show and gives us an update on the amazing developments in their community service and taking on the Police Air contract. 1:10:30 - Scott Andrews is one of the rescue crew members in the back of the Westpac helicopter who talks to us about his career, the efforts involved in becoming a crew member, the training they undertake, and what it's like to be on the end of the hoist when performing a rescue. 1:17:21 - Kurt and Matt from SydSquad, who provide a livestream of aircraft movements at Sydney's Kingsford Smith international airport (YSSY). The guys talk about their show, how it came to be, spotting at Sydney, their audience engagement, and their fund raising for the Little Wings charity. 1:21:34 - Steve & Grant wrap up the episode chatting about SydSquad, the amazing Gary Cooper and how he and the other Vietnam veterans were poorly treated by the government, and what to expect from our next show, some of which we've already recorded. Links:
Credits:
Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Getting Wired with the Ace Maker | 15 Aug 2024 | 01:10:13 | |
We're on the Gold Coast and getting ready for the Pacific Airshow once again. This year's line-up is bigger and even more packed with amazing aircraft, including a T-33 Shooting Star which is the first of it's kind to ever fly in Australia. Its pilot is Greg "Wired" Colyer from Ace Maker Airshows and we caught up with him before he came out to Australia. This episode also includes the third & final part of the Steve Padgett interview we recorded back in 2019. 4:56 - We talk to Greg "Wired" Colyer about getting the T-33 out to Australia, originally for the 2022 show but, thanks to some government requirements, it didn't get shipped until after that show finished. Greg then steps us through the development of the T-33 from the P-80, its use in the Korean War and how it became the main jet trainer for the USA. We then step through Greg's career, from learning to fly while in the US Army through to becoming an air traffic controller and getting into flying jets. Eventually, he was introduced to the T-33 and fell in love with the aircraft, buying one to fly then displaying it at airshows. The discussion also covers setting up his Ace Maker Airshows business, where his "Wired" callsign comes from, and what its like to fly the T-33 in displays. We even touch on his love of motorcycles before wrapping up by discussing the display he'll perform at the Gold Coast and his plans for visiting while he's down under. 34:31 - We run the final part of our Steve Padgett interview from 2019, which talks about buying Flight West with its two Fokker 100s when it went under following the Ansett collapse, renaming it to Alliance Airlines, and building it up from there. He tells us the amazing story of how he got his next seven Fokker 100s, his methods for establishing solid aviation businesses, and the special livery they painted on two of their aircraft to commemorate Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's flight to Australia and the Smith brothers who flew a Vickers Vimy from the UK to Australia in 1919. We then move on to Steve's businesses conducting flight training for airlines, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the RAAF, the Royal Malaysian Police, and many other operators of King Airs and Citation Mustangs. We then discuss his involvement with the Air Training Corps that became the Air Force Cadets, and the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame. We wrap up by mentioning his recent Order of Australia Medal, his continuing work and love of meeting people, plus how he still picks up a broom to help clean out the hangar, just like he used to when he first started. 1:04:46 - We wrap up the episode and remind everyone to get in touch if you'll be at the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast as it'd be great to catch up and say HI. Links:
Credits:
Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Aerobatics & Goal Setting with Aarron Deliu | 22 Jul 2024 | 00:44:45 | |
With the Pacific Airshow returning to the Gold Coast in August, Steve and Grant caught up with Aarron Deliu, an Australian aerobatics pilot who is now based in Florida and performing at airshows and events in the USA, Europe and South Africa. Aarron put on a spectacular display at last year's show on the Gold Coast and will be performing again at this year's show.
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Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Tyabb Airshow 2024 | 28 Mar 2024 | 00:56:32 | |
The Peninsula Aero Club at Tyabb Airport near Melbourne puts on an epic air show every two years, although everyone's really been looking forward to this year's event as the last one was in 2020 thanks to COVID. The waiting was certainly worth it, as the Tyabb Airshow 2024 was another cracker with plenty of warbirds, aerobatic displays, a car vs aircraft race, and handling displays from many other aircraft. Naturally, Steve and Grant were at the show once again and recording interviews with some of the people there. It was almost 40 degrees Celsius (about 100 Fahrenheit) but the show went on, the huge crowd enjoyed it, and Steve hung in there despite the sunscreen running off his forehead & into his left eye. DOH! We start with our own recollections of the day, and then get stuck into the interviews, which include:
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This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Tibbsy the Aussie Airboss and a Day Trip to Tocumwal | 04 Mar 2024 | 01:05:31 | |
Setting up and running the air display component of an airshow takes a lot of effort, awareness of pilot and aircraft capabilities, an understanding of what makes a display interesting to the public, and the ability to deal with variables such as weather and aircraft availability. To find out more about this topic, we caught up with Chris "Tibbsy" Tibbetts, the Aussie Airboss. Grant also crossed over to the other side of the air display and spoke to a couple of warbird display pilots, one of whom also owns the excellent Drome Cafe and Tocumwal Aviation Museum at Tocumwal airport in southern New South Wales. This episode contains:
Links to check out:
We'd also like to help spread the word about some great organisations and people we think are worth supporting, including:
Credits:
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Exclusive: OzRunways Acquired by Boeing | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:30:08 | |
It's big news down under as Bas Scheffers, CEO of OzRunways, joins us to announce that Boeing have purchased the company. It's a massive validation of the efforts put in by the OzRunways team over the past 10+ years and provides the opportunity for the OzRunways, ForeFlight and Jeppesen teams to work close together to help improve their respective products. In this exclusive interview, Bas talks about the history of OzRunways' interactions with ForeFlight, confirms for us that OzRunways will continue and not be subsumed into ForeFlight, and answer's the question of whether VH-EFB could be transferred to a new aircraft, We've known Bas for many years and have worked and socialised with him, Rowan and the OzRunways team since they started. It's a fantastic step forward for the product and the company, so we're looking forward to seeing how this progresses over the coming years. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Bush Flying 737s in Alaska, a long-haul Gipsy Moth, & more of the Steve Padgett Story | 22 Jan 2024 | 01:16:39 | |
Welcome to our first episode for 2024 with this episode featuring a great set of interviews to kick off the new year. From Grant recording chats with Jerry & Jan Chisum in their incredible hangar home over in New Zealand to the next part in the Steve Padgett story, this episode covers flying from the UK to NZ in a Gipsy Moth back in 1934, bush flying 737s in Alaska, setting up Sunshine Express Airlines, and so much more. If you're wondering where Bridge Pa is, it's just outside Hastings which is near Napier on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island. The easiest way to find it is to use Google Maps and look for Hastings Aerodrome at Bridge Pa (or click that link :) ). The episode unfolds as: 06:16 - Grant chats with Jerry Chishum about learning to fly with his father while growing up in Alaska, how eventually his father got into helicopters while he went on to larger aircraft. This lead to him flying civilian Hercules aircraft from Fairbanks, then proceeding on to 737-200s with gravel kits on some less than brilliant runways that were frequently covered in snow, ice and slush. Bush flying a 737... who knew? Jerry also flew the MD-11 and compares flying that to flying the Hercules (like a big Super Cub) and the 737. Suffice to say, he wasn't a fan of the MD-11. Jerry steps us through the history of the Gipsy Moth aircraft, his visits to New Zealand, how he met Jan, and flying WW1 replicas such as the Fokker Triplane, Fokker D.VII and the S.E.5. 31:52 - We then bring Jan onto the show, introducing her by her maiden name of Jan White. She tells us how she learnt to fly, getting into tail draggers like the Piper Cub, and then transitioning to flying Tiger Moths. Jan also talks about flying in the UK before returning to New Zealand, where she flew the Tiger Moth in competitions, eventually meeting Jerry at one. Jan also talks about her father buying a 1929 Gipsy Moth when he was living in the UK in the early 1930s, then how he flew it to Sydney, Australia in 1934. She discusses his trip, the adventures he had, and that the most difficult flights were getting from Darwin to Sydney. Jan also talks about the memorabilia her father kept that she now has, including his maps, a letter from Nancy Bird Walton, and even the receipt from buying the aircraft. 52:04 - Our second part of our interview with Steve Padgett OAM covers purchasing Red Baron at Noosa Airport, which had a Grumman AgCat biplane for tourist flights, and setting up Sunshine Express Airlines, initially with Bandierante aircraft, to fly passengers on routes to and from the Sunshine Coast. Steve talks about dealing with the Civil Aviation Authority of the time and how the process was a lot different back in the 1990s with much less red tape. Sunshine Express also flew Fairchild Metros and worked closely with Ansett Airlines, flying passengers for them until that airline went into liquidation, owing Steve's company a large amount of money. Fortunately, Steve got a call from Qantas who wanted to work with them, although Qantas were able to dictate much tighter terms. Steve also talks about helping to set up Bangkok Airways in Thailand and his experience acquiring & operating Austin Aero in Texas. He wraps up this part of the interview by giving us a comparison between the aviation environment in the USA versus here in Australia. The next part of this interview will include Steve starting, along with Don Kendell and Max Hazelton, the organisation that became the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA). It will also cover Alliance Airlines and his work with the RAAF Cadets. 1:13:43 - We wrap up the episode. --------------- You can hear more of Jan & Jerry's stories on a recent episode of the Warbird Radio Down Under series by Grant with Dave Homewood in New Zealand. It's one of the segments on the Warbird Radio show, a great podcast run by Matt Jolley in the USA. So if you're listening to us, you should give his show a go too. We'd also like to help spread the word about some great organisations and people we think are worth supporting, including: Thanks also to Terry Daniel for our intro & outro voice overs. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Flying with Angels & the Padgett Story Begins | 09 Dec 2023 | 01:01:20 | |
Steve's back in the studio after his heart attack and subsequent surgery. As you'd expect, it was a major experience for him and he's very appreciative of the support he's received from our audience. He's now a member of the zipper club, has been cleared to drive cars again, and is working towards his Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) medical so he can drive trains once again. You can read more about Steve's unexpected journey on his Proceed Aspect site, but for now, he's back and we're producing episodes once again. This one unfolds with:
Steve's career in aviation started in the 1960s during the heyday of Australian aviation, but it all began as Canterbury Boys High School where he joined the Air Training Corps and discovered he had a passion for flying. This led to a scholarship with the RAAF that allowed him to obtain his private pilot certificate. From there, he worked as a driver in airfeight and swept hangar floors to fund his commercial and instructor ratings, before eventually getting into marketing and working for Hawker de Havilland selling aircraft. This allowed him to work with people such as Sir Joh Bjelke-Peterson (premier of QLD) and his regular pilot, Beryl Young, along with WW2 fighter pilots such as Brian "Blackjack" Walker. Eventually in 1979, he started his own company, partnering with Bib Stilwell selling Learjets and the Embraer Bandierante and Brasilia, before creating Aeromil Pacific in Queensland. We wrap up this first part with a hint from Steve about starting, along with Don Kendell and Max Hazelton, the organisation that became the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA). As to Alliance Airlines and his work with the RAAF Cadets, well, they will also be covered in a later episode. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Pacific Airshow Vibes | 13 Oct 2023 | 01:16:13 | |
It's been a while between episodes but Steve's been in hospital for a major operation plus Grant's been travelling for airshows and also getting current in hot air balloons once again (yup, there's a new danger area being declared for operations in the vicinity of YBLA, YWGT & YILA :) ). With Steve in hospital, Grant turns to ATC Ben for help with the intro and outro on this episode which is packed full of content, including:
Links: Leave your message for the crew of Dumptruck 11: pacificairshowaus.com/memorial Watch the RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet display from on-board the aircraft: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LDjhO_gq1Y&t=122s More information about the Queensland Westpac Lifesaver rescue helicopter service, including how you can help keep them operating: www.lifesaving.com.au/about/what-we-do/westpac-lifesaver-rescue-helicopter-service Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service have a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/westpacheliqld/ Credits: Episode title image by Grant McHerron, Southern Skies Media. Voiceovers: Terry Daniel from Your Voice Over. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Test Flying the F-35 | 30 Aug 2023 | 01:01:46 | |
Way back in June 2014 we released Series 1 Episode 119 about the RAAF bringing the F-35A into service, including the first two pilots selected to learn how to fly it, discussions with Lockheed Martin representatives (including test pilot Billie Flynn) and an hour long discussion with AVM Kym "Koz" Osley about the infrastructure work, staffing build up, training and logistics preparations that were in progress. At almost 2 1/2 hours in duration, it was one of our longer episodes from Series 1. It seems only fitting then that our longest episode so far of Series 2 should once again be all about the F-35. This time we catch up with F-35 Test Pilot Tony "Brick" Wilson, Lockheed Martin's Chief of Fighter Flight Operations, and also bring you an update from Steven Over, Lockheed Martin's Director, Combat Air INDOPACOM and CENTCOM Business Capture. You can find these two discussions in this episode at:
Credits: Image from Lockheed Martin. Thanks to Australian Defence Magazine for allowing us to use excerpts from their interview with Steven Over. Voiceovers: Terry Daniel from Your Voice Over This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Gold Coast Dreaming | 14 Aug 2023 | 00:51:15 | |
The team from the Pacific Airshow at Huntington Beach in California have come down under to stage the first Pacific Airshow Gold Coast event at Surfers Paradise in August, right around the corner as we release this episode. Steve and Grant will be attending the event to gather more content from the performers who will be displaying there, but in advance of the event, they've scored a couple of interviews for you to enjoy:
Credits: Voiceovers: Terry Daniel from Your Voice Over This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Reaching Skyward | 20 Jul 2023 | 00:49:40 | |
They say that if you can't see it, you can't be it and that certainly seems to be the case with getting more women into aviation. The recently released documentary Touch the Sky seeks to help encourage more women to consider flying for fun and/or employment, particularly looking at the "soft" (aka "human") issues that are part of the answer to the question: "Why are there so few female pilots?". We also take a look at drone racing which was featured at the recent Avalon Airshow back in March. The Australian Defence Force is running racing events to encourage more young people to consider doing STEM training and also the potential for a career in Defence. This episode consists of:
Credits: Image by: Light Studios Voiceovers: Terry Daniel from Your Voice Over Thanks to Australian Defence Magazine for allowing us to include the two drone racing interviews in this episode. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Traffic Sighted | 25 Jun 2023 | 00:44:44 | |
There are plenty of beaches in Australia and many cities have an "Eye in the Sky" traffic reporter giving commuters updates on where the bottlenecks are, but what if you could provide traffic reports plus beach reports, all while logging hours? Our voice-over guy, Terry Daniel, steps out of the recording booth and into the studio to chat with Steve & Grant about doing just that in the skies over Coffs Harbour, a beautiful tourist city on the New South Wales North Coast. Terry talks about his experiences flying twice a day, every day, in all types of weather to bring Radio2CS listeners the latest info on which beaches had the best breaks, which to avoid due to sharks or bluebottles, and how the roads were looking. He also tells about some of his more interesting experiences with passengers, folks on the beach, weather and a low flying RAAF F-111. We wrap up the chat with a discussion about Terry's AIR News Media organisation that provides news headlines for radio stations around Australia. It's also where you can occasionally hear Steve's dulcet tones reading the news. As if all that wasn't enough, we also have a mailbag item from Mark Newton and a shout-out to Redhome Aviation's Instagram page which features photography of military traffic around Tinker AFB in Oklahoma, USA. Cover art images for this episode were supplied by Rob Cleary (Seen Australia - http://seenaustralia.com.au), Bruce Linwood and Terry Daniel. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Leaning Into It | 09 Jun 2023 | 00:47:46 | |
We recorded so much content at Avalon 2023 that it's going to take a few more episodes to get it all released. This episode brings us the Scandanavian wing walker team, the return of Timbo's Tarmac and a chat with UK aerobatic pilot Mark Jefferies and Dee Ebeling from Perth, so lets lean into the slipstream and have a listen. This episode flies past with:
As we wrap up this episode, we'd like to give a shout out to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and their need for donations to help cover their fuel bill, which is a major part of their costs, especially as fuel prices keep going up. If you have a few shekels and want to support a very worthy cause, please go to their site and help out. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| All Change for the Defence Strategic Review | 16 May 2023 | 00:57:39 | |
It's time to dig into the recently released Defence Strategic Review to assess its impacts on the Australian Defence Force from an aviation perspective. For this episode we're joined by award winning defence and aerospace journalist Andrew McLaughlin, who helps assess the changes we can expect to see over the next few years. A big change is the focus on long range strike and missiles for RAAF, Navy and Army to help keep potential adversaries at a distance. We also touch on the lack of news regarding additional F-35s or MQ-4C Tritons, the B-21 Raider being ruled out (for now) and Army's transition from ARH Tiger and MRH-90 Taipan to AH-64 Apache and UH-60M Blackhawk. We also ask where we'll get enough people from to crew all the platforms, look at the types of drones we're likely to have and the focus on hypersonics and other advanced technologies under AUKUS Pillar 2. There's a lot to dig into so this episode is a double-length special, running for almost an hour, but that's what the pause/resume button is for, right? :) Cover image thanks to Seth Jaworski. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Extended Ranges | 09 May 2023 | 00:33:09 | |
With the recent release of the Defence Strategic Review by the Australian Federal Government, a major focus has been put on long range missiles for use by Army, Navy and Air Force to deter a potential adversary from approaching our island continent and/or blockading our ocean supply routes. With this in mind, we release an interview recorded at Avalon 2023 with John Fry, general manager of Kongsberg Defence Australia, covering their National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, their Naval Strike Missile, its Coastal Defence System variant, and the Joint Strike Missile for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Following Kongsberg, we present a discussion with Mark Robinson, head of Air Traffic Management at Frequentis Australasia. We cover their latest remote digital tower technology and its applications in civilian and military markets. It's certainly a technology that could be of great use to Airservices here in Australia as well as to the RAAF's 44WG who provide Air Traffic Control at military air fields and bases. The two discussions can be found at the following points in the episode:
Cover image thanks to Stefan Kalm via AP This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| The Sound of Freedom | 24 Apr 2023 | 00:43:22 | |
Imagine a hoard of RV-6s & RV-7s flying in close formation and performing solo & pair aerobatics. Sounds intense? Well, wait for the Pacific Airshow at the Gold Coast to find out how it looks & sounds. Meanwhile, Mark Newton is one of the pilots in the Freedom Formation and he talks us through his aviation history, his aircraft and the genesis of the show. All this plus a flying car and our Maine Man Micah sends through some audio to include. Check out how it unwinds below :)
Cover image thanks to the Freedom Formation This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| The Commentators | 10 Apr 2023 | 00:41:20 | |
The Australian International Airshow in 2023 (aka Avalon 2023) saw not only huge crowds and amazing displays in the air, but also the end of an era as Peter Meehan performed his last show as "The Voice of Avalon," handing over the reigns to Tony Moclair. It also saw Grant join Angela Stevenson as part of the commentary team for the show.
Cover image credit: Steven Pam This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Owen Zupp on Resilience | 27 Mar 2023 | 00:39:04 | |
We recently caught up with our friend Owen Zupp to talk with him about the many ups and downs he's experienced in his career and, most importantly, his current grounding for medical reasons (starts at 1:20 into the episode). We touch on the importance of resilience and how many of the traits that make a good pilot can also help a person get through adversity. In the second half of the show, we also chat with Owen about the final flight of Qantas' last 747-400 that drew a flying kangaroo as it departed Australian skies (from 22:16 into the episode). The discussion covers the flight path, the planning, how it was loaded into the flight management system and what it was like being in California during the height of COVID lockdowns. Cover image credit: Kirrily Zupp This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| Pushback & Start | 15 Mar 2023 | 00:35:04 | |
The new series has officially launched with the release of this episode and, what better way to come back to the world than at the Australian International Airshow (aka Avalon 2023) where we caught up with plenty of old friends and made lots of new contacts. It seems only fitting that our first released content should be chats with Matt Hall, Bas Scheffers and Bob Carlton so lets get into the show.
Cover image credit : Wayne Nugent - Australian Motorsport Images This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 131: Reflections | 27 Feb 2023 | 00:51:40 | |
Rumours of our demise have, sadly, been accurate ... well, until now that is! We're back and looking to give PCDU another whirl with a new series coming out shortly, but we thought a good way to get back in the groove would be to do that "Farewell" episode we'd planned to do *way* back in 2018. We are indebted to those who sent in the amazing farewell messages you're going to hear in this episode, but don't forget to stick around to the end and hear what's coming up. Meanwhile, here's how this episode's farewell messages unfold around our chatting:
We wrap up the episode with a discussion of what's coming next. Stay tuned! This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 130: Avalon 2017 – Alpha | 14 Apr 2017 | 01:22:50 | |
Steve, Grant and Maikha were on-site at Avalon recording plenty of content and this episode is our first collection of audio content covering some of the companies, people and aircraft we encountered while there. Steve & Grant have already started editing the next batch of content for Episode 131 and Maikha’s starting to wade through all the video he collected so we can show you a few of the sights from the event (and there were many!). For now, enjoy Episode 130 (Avalon 2017 – Alpha) which unfolds as:
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| PCDU Episode 129: Going Back to School | 27 Feb 2017 | 00:49:42 | |
Steve & Grant have both been back to school in the past week with Steve revisiting his old high school (Brentwood Secondary College and yes, it’s still standing) where they have a great aviation curriculum. Meanwhile, Grant’s been out to Bacchus Marsh airport to the TVSA flying school’s open day. This one’s a short episode as we’re trying to get some topical information out before Avalon Air Show 2017 starts this week. The episode starts with Steve & Grant catching up on their adventures and unfolds as:
Remember, if you’re not listening to Adam Knight’s Go Flying Australia podcast, you’re missing out. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 128: Unprecedented | 29 Oct 2016 | 03:15:06 | |
From Grant's collection of ballooning interviews to a chat with Owen Zupp about his latest book and our tribute to Hannes Arch, this episode is our biggest yet (yes, even bigger than Episode 51, our tribute to the RAAF's F-111s!). We've even captured Anthony "The Infrequent Flyer" Simmons' first ever viewing of the movie TopGun (in IMAX 3D no less :) ). The episode unfolds as:
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| PCDU Episode 127: From the Vault | 17 Jul 2016 | 02:31:23 | |
We've gone back into our archives to pull out some great content that we never got around to releasing before. We have some more interviews from Avalon 2015 (yes, we recorded lots didn't we? :) ) and we also have WGCDR Tim Alsop (now a GPCAPT :) ) walking us through planning & implementing an F-18 Hornet handling display and doing a pre-flight walk-around. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Maikha (the king of the aviation selfie stick), the collection of content has been edited and put together ready for Steve to finalise and Grant to make the show notes. Send your thanks his way for having the time & energy to get it put together :) The episode unfolds as:
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| PCDU Episode 126: Emirates Wants You! | 10 Mar 2016 | 02:05:08 | |
They say patience is a virtue and hopefully our audience has plenty of it because it's been a while since our last episode was released. Fortunately we've been able to make some time available to record content, edit it and get this episode into the feed. For this one Steve & Grant are joined by Maikha Ly for interviews with guests on topics including Emirates recruiting, photography at Melbourne Airport, the inaugural Womens' World Hot Air Balloon champion and breaking an ATC simulator (no, really, Maikha somehow managed to do it!). This episode unfolds as:
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| PCDU Episode 125: Avalon Charlie (The Avalon Airshow Goodness Continues) | 02 Aug 2015 | 01:25:50 | |
Welcome back to our coverage of the 2015 Australian International Air Show (aka Avalon Airshow) with our third release of content recorded at show. It's been a while since the last episode and we're sorry for that but as with many labours of love & fun, life gets in the way and paying the rent, keeping the family happy, doing airshow commentaries and producing the weekly Australia Desk for the Airplane Geeks often wind up taking priority over producing an episode. For this episode, we have:
Thanks to everyone for your patience with our delays and thanks also to those who have been contacting us to check that we're still alive and asking when the next episode would be out. We've not pod faded yet & there's still a big backlog of content for us to edit & get into the feed. Meanwhile, you can usually hear us each week on the Airplane Geeks podcast and Grant is helping out Dave Homewood with the Wings Over New Zealand Live show that comes up monthly on Warbird Radio. He's also recently appeared on Adam Knight's great podcast called Go Flying Australia as well as turning up as a guest on the Plane Talking UK podcast We've also been mentioned on Global Pilot Life and Airport Spotting as both sites have included us in their lists of "Favourite Aviation Shows." Thanks to both sites for including us despite the gaps between episodes of late :) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 124: Avalon15 Bravo (Yet more Avalon Airshow Goodness) | 11 Mar 2015 | 01:11:39 | |
The Australian International Airshow (aka Avalon Airshow) may well be over for 2015 but our collection of content recorded at the show is still being worked on. Here's another hour of interviews & discussions and we suspect there may be another two episodes before we're through with all of it. This is what happens when you let Steve, Grant & Maikha run loose with audio recorders at an airshow :) Steve kicks us off with an overview of the episode which unfolds as:
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| PCDU Episode 123: Avalon15 Alpha (It’s Avalon Airshow Time :) ) | 27 Feb 2015 | 01:30:54 | |
The Australian International Airshow (aka Avalon Airshow) is held every two years and runs for 6 days with the first 3 being trade-only. The 4th day of the show is always on a Friday and the public start coming in around midday then stay for the night show, a feature of Avalon for well over 15 years. The final two days are the weekend and, as you might expect, are packed with public enjoying the action and static displays.T Once again Team PCDU are at Avalon every day gathering plenty of content for your listening pleasure. This episode holds the first block of interviews we've prepared while the show is still going. At the rate we're going we'll have another two episodes of Avalon content but for now, here's how this one unfolds:
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 122: Farewell 2014 | 31 Dec 2014 | 02:13:22 | |
As the final hours of 2014 draw to a close, we're getting our last episode for 2014 out the door. The boys have been kept pretty busy with their day jobs lately but, despite this, they've managed to do some flying:
After the hangar talk settles down, we get into the episode itself which includes the recent Avalon Airshow Media Launch, Steve's time at the Red Bull Air Race in Las Vegas and Grant's trip to Auckland in New Zealand for the Wings Over New Zealand Forum meet up. The episode stacks up in the following list:
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| PCDU Episode 121: Exercise Pitch Black 2014 | 01 Oct 2014 | 02:27:18 | |
During August, Grant spent a week in Darwin covering Exercise Pitch Black 2014, a major multinational "war game" exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force. Australia's version of the Red Flag training exercises held in the USA and in 2014 the RAAF was joined by forces from the US, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, France and the United Arab Emirates. Grant joined Andrew McLaughlin, Nigel Pittaway, Mike Yeo and Eng Tiong Ow to experience fantastic access to the local & visiting forces thanks to the efforts of FLTLT Eamon Hamilton. From meeting with representatives from each group attending Pitch Black to being beside the runways & taxiways at Darwin & Tindal, we were able to capture some fantastic photos, videos & interviews. In addition to Grant's collection of Pitch Black 2014 content, Steve & ATC Ben recorded a chat with Ryan Campbell about his new book and his ideas for future projects. At the time we recorded the wrappers for this episode, Steve was about to head to the USA for a family holiday and to cover the Red Bull Air Race in Las Vegas while Grant was geting ready to go to Auckland for the Wings Over New Zealand forum gathering. Unfortunately there were delays in getting everything finished so the episode didn't come out until after the boys had left on their flights. Go figure :) The episode's details are:
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| PCDU Episode 120: History & Records | 31 Jul 2014 | 02:21:21 | |
Steve’s very happy to have finally started converting currency into currency as he’s logging hours in a Flysynthesis Texan and progressing towards getting his RA-Aus license. Grant’s been too busy with work to get many hours but did finally get to log some “special shape” time in his balloon logbook. Naturally, both Steve & Grant are VERY happy to have finally released another episode. This episode the boys are joined by Kathy Mexted and Maikha Ly so you know the blooper reel at the end will be “interesting” to say the least. Kathy & her hubby have been flying their Piper Cub while Maikha’s been flying for work but, thanks to Adelaide’s weather lately and a recent house purchase, he’s not been able to do any personal flying. For this episode we’re bringing you a mixed bag of content from the RAAF’s Pt Cook Centenary of Military Aviation airshow (including Steve’s chat with AIRMSHL Geoff Brown), Kathy’s chat with Kingsley Just about his new world record, catching up with John Fisher to talk L39s & USAF and Grant’s recent visit to the B24 restoration project in Werribee for their heritage recognition award ceremony.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 119: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: The RAAF Approach | 03 Jun 2014 | 02:18:31 | |
With Australia’s confirmed purchase of a total of 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Steve & Grant are joined by Andrew McLaughlin from COMINT (Communications Intelligence) to discuss the F-35 and its operation within the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). We also feature a number of great interviews with Lockheed Martin staff and an in-depth discussion with Air Vice Marshall Kym “Koz” Osley regarding the work required to integrate the F35 into the RAAF. After an introductory discussion on the F35 between Andrew, Steve & Grant, this episode features:
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| PCDU Episode 118: Can you fly to NatFly 2014? | 26 Apr 2014 | 00:50:07 | |
Just to be different, this episode Steve joins ATC Ben on a BenAir flight from Essendon (YMEN) to Temora (YTEM) to attend the NatFly 2014 event. With the Cirrus SR20’s autopilot keeping them on track, Captain Ben & FO Steve introduce the show before opening up their packed lunches. Sadly, Sierra Juliette Alpha (VH-SJA) did not include a flight attendant so they had to arrange their own drinks. Meanwhile, as you may have heard on a recent Australia Desk Segment, Grant was flying hot air balloons in Leeton, about 60 nautical miles south west of Temora. While Steve & Ben were at NatFly & recording a few interviews, Grant managed to corner a pilot for a chat in Leeton.This episode unfolds with the following content:
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 117: Holler for a Marshall, an AIR Marshal | 26 Feb 2014 | 01:54:34 | |
With the RAAF’s Centenary of Military Aviation air show only a couple of days away, we thought we’d mix up some content that promotes the event as well as some chats Grant recorded with a number of past & present members of the RAAF at the Temora Aviation Museum’s “Warbirds Down Under” event back in November. To round the whole thing off, we’ve also got Steve’s chat with Tammy Augostin about the Women of Aviation Worldwide Week event that will be running from March 3rd to 9th around the world. The episode’s content run is:
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| PCDU Episode 116: High Performances | 15 Feb 2014 | 01:28:46 | |
After a break due to injuries, surgery & a wedding, we’re back on deck and our first episode for 2014 is packed with Down Under aviation goodness :) From Matt Hall and the long awaited return of the Red Bull Air Race to our media flight in a pair of C130Js over Melbourne to promote the RAAF’s Centenary of Military Aviation air show, this episode really got us exited for the year ahead.Our first episode for 2014 unfolds as:
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| PCDU Episode 115: Farewell 2013 | 31 Dec 2013 | 02:25:52 | |
It’s been an amazing year but as 2013 draws to a close, we’re squeezing one more episode out for you. We’ve combined some content not yet published from Avalon & AusFly with some great reports supplied by other members of the PCDU team. We’ve also got a competition running to win one of five copies of Owen Zupp’s new book.In keeping with our trend for 2013, this is yet another 2+ hour episode packed with great avation content, including:
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| PCDU Episode 114: AusFly 2013 – Back Together Under One Sky | 09 Dec 2013 | 02:13:20 | |
September 2013 rolled around and it was time for the second AusFly event at Narromine in New South Wales. Team PCDU squeezed into a bus that was loaded with Analog Al’s airshow PA system, our gear and a certain trade stand then drove over 800km in a day to get there. Whew! Once there we cleared out the studio, set up the sound system & got ready to run AusFly Radio & do the air display commentary. We applied the lessons we learned from AusFly 2012 and, over the course of the event, wound up learning all new lessons so AusFly 2014 will be even better. We also recorded a stack of content and have packaged some of it up into this first AusFly 2013 episode. Even though it’s over 2 hours long, there’s still more yet to come but we’ll save that for later episodes. For now, here’s the AusFly 2013 content we have for you in this episode:
Don’t forget to go & support Steven Pam’s Airheads documentary, a movie that desperately needs to be made. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 113: Fleeting Dreams | 21 Oct 2013 | 02:04:52 | |
The past month has included a number of events related to the Royal Australian Navy’s International Fleet Review 2013 as well as the arrival of Jetstar’s new 787-8. Grant’s been visiting a few ships & interviewing their aircrew while Kathy’s had a flight on Australia’s brand new MRH-90 Taipan transport helicopters. Not long after that, Grant was in Sydney to watch the mass-flypast of aircraft as the fleet steamed into Sydney harbour then both Steve & Grant were on the tarmac in Melbourne for the new Jetstar 787 arrival celebrations. Naturally this generated lots of great new content and we’ve packaged it all up as follows:
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| PCDU Episode 112: Federal Election 2013 | 06 Sep 2013 | 00:59:57 | |
It’s time for Australians to vote for their favourite (or least disliked :) ) politicians and, once again, we’ve gone into bat for our audience to present information about the transportation policies of the main parties. Unfortunately, our cunning plan to wait for the parties to have revealed their policies has not been as successful as we’d like as a) some parties are still holding their cards close to their chest and b) all the candidates are running around frantically to shore up support & win voters to their side. Oh well, on with the show :) At 0:03:40, we start with Anthony Albanese from the Australian Labor Party. Anthony is the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure & Transport, Minister for Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy and the Leader of the House. While unable to come on the show, Anthony was able to provide written answers to our questions (which we’ve listed below) so we provide some commentary on his answers: 1. How important do you consider aviation to be to Australia’s economic growth, especially with respect to foreign earnings through training and the production & export of aircraft & components? If so, how will your policies help aviation boost economic growth? (eg: Carbon Tax subsidies as per other forms of transport, easier access to VET FEE Help for pilot training, employment legislation changes, boosts for trainee/apprentice programs, reduced user fee costs, etc) Last year was another record year for aviation in Australia with more than 86 million passengers flying domestically and internationally. This is a 4.5 per cent increase on 2011. Passenger growth in Australia was more than three times the rate of the United States, which registered a 1.3 per cent increase in passenger numbers in 2012. We're committed to working with the sector to build Australia's aviation industry. Over $120 million in assistance has been provided for students undertaking aviation-related studies. This assistance has provided more than 12,000 places for students to gain the qualifications necessary to build Australia's aviation industry. Federal Labor has announced we're abolishing the carbon tax and moving to an Emissions Trading Scheme next year, which will reduce the cost for the sector further. 2. Do you consider aviation to be important to the development & prosperity of country Australia? If so, how will your policies help boost aviation for rural areas? (eg: route subsidies, rural airport development, etc) Absolutely. That's why Federal Labor has injected more than $261 million of assistance into regional and remote aviation - more than five times that spent by the former Coalition Government in the preceding six years. We are upgrading:
There is more money and support going into regional aviation than ever before. Growth in total passenger movements at regional airports continues to be higher than at airports in major cities, growing at 4.6 per cent versus 3.5 per cent respectively. In addition, the number of regional airports receiving services increased by 31 airports to 171 last year - the highest in almost a decade. 3. Will Aviation have its own minister? Or even a dedicated full-time Transport minister? If aviation (& transport in general) are important factors in the economic growth of Australia, does it not make sense to have a dedicated portfolio managed by a single minister? I'm not pre-empting future decisions about portfolios – my focus is on securing another term for the Rudd Labor Government. 4. Will the issues relating to CASA & the ATSB that were raised by the recent Senate inquiry into the PelAir accident be addressed? If the two months between the report being produced & parliament going into caretaker mode was insufficient for a response to be generated it would indicate significant issues have been raised & need to be addressed. What priority will this have after the election? A re-elected Labor Government will provide a response to the Inquiry once the findings have been given full consideration. In the meantime, the ATSB has invited the Canadian Transportation Safety Bureau to undertake an independent review of the ATSB investigation methodologies and processes. 5. Will a decision on Sydney’s second airport be made in the first year of the new government or will still more studies & delays be incurred? I have consistently said Sydney needs a second airport sooner rather than later. 6. What steps will be taken to reduce the impact of residential encroachment on airports, eg: Bankstown, Archerfield, Moorabbin, etc. The Federal Labor Government has championed the National Airports Safeguarding Framework to guide land use planning reform around Australian airports. The Framework will help ensure that in the future both airports and residents of suburbs around airports are safeguarded from inappropriate off-airport development. Airports are important transport, economic and employment hubs, significantly contributing to our social connections and economic productivity. The framework was adopted by the Standing Committee on Transport and Infrastructure (SCOTI) and each state and territory government will now apply the framework in a manner appropriate to their own planning rules. The Government wants to see more sensible planning decisions are made around airports - that is why we established the Planning Coordination Forums (PCFs) at each federally leased airport. These forums enable the airport and the federal Government agencies to engage the state government and local councils in regard to planning decisions around the airport. Then, at 0:23:40 we have a chat with Senator Lee Rhiannon, the Transport spokesperson for The Greens. We asked her the same set of questions as those above but (as you might expect), her answers were quite different to those from Anthony Albanese. Finally, at 0:41:38 we review the Coalition’s aviation policy document. We had tried to arrange a chat with Warren Truss from the Liberal National Party as we did during the last Federal Election in 2010 but, unfortunately, at the times he was available to chat with us, we were stuck away from the studio :( Warren is the Leader of the Nationals and the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and it was his department that released the Coalition’s aviation policy document. If you want to get all the details the Coalition have released about this policy, you should read their PDF format document. Of interest, the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) have issued a media release stating that the Coalition’s aviation policies are a “good start and show that the Coalition has at least been listening to industry concerns, concerns that have been shared with the Shadow Minister over a number of years.” So there you go. While we didn’t get to chat with all the politicians we were chasing, we did at least get sufficient information from them to review and discuss for this episode. Perhaps next election we’ll be able to arrange our times more in advance to ensure we can bring you their commentary. Hopefully by then, we won’t also still be wondering if there’ll ever be a second airport in Sydney :) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 111: Radio Killed the Podcast Star (Almost :) ) | 25 Aug 2013 | 01:58:37 | |
As the F111 was late & delayed by all sorts of issues, so too has our Episode 111 been late in arriving. Our big excuse has been discovering that the PCDU Radio Show has taken a LOT more effort than we expected. All this plus our day jobs, families AND our PCDU Commentary & Announcing gigs have, in turn, made it almost impossible to get an episode out. Suffice to say, we’re parking the radio show production for a while as we try to find a new way of working that lets us produce radio shows AND episodes. It’s very much a learning experience! Meanwhile, we have managed to get this episode out and it’s packed with lots of great content, including:
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| PCDU Episode 110: A Basket Full of Flight | 07 Jul 2013 | 02:38:38 | |
All good things take time & so do our episodes, with this one taking perhaps the longest to produce of any of them. It’s also packed full of great content covering magazine editors, wing walkers, AOPA, another give-away competition, antique aircraft, solo trips around the world & even hot air balloons. Make use of the pause button where you need to but be sure to listen right through to the very end of the episode for another set of classic “Kathy Mexted Bloopers” :) This episode is indeed a basket full of flight & it unfolds as:
As noted, the Kathy Mexted driven bloopers can be found at 2:34:25 – definitely worth checking out :) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| TeenWorldFlight: Update #1 with Ryan Campbell | 05 Jul 2013 | 00:07:03 | |
Ryan Campbell is a 19 year old pilot from Australia who’s currently flying solo around the world to grab the record as the youngest pilot yet to make the epic journey. Steve caught up with Ryan just a couple of hours after he had arrived in Hilo, Hawaii to discuss the experience of island-hopped his way across the Pacific. You can follow Ryan’s flight & get more information about him on his TeenWorldFlight website. NOTE: If you check out Ryan’s sponsor list, you’ll see “Plane Crazy Down Under Podcast – Listeners and Crew.” We’re proud to have helped raise some money for Ryan’s journey and, thanks to the generosity of our audience, we were able to exceed our goal of putting $500 towards his flight. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||
| PCDU Episode 109: Dave’s Cambridge Airforce | 26 May 2013 | 01:54:37 | |
We’re joined by Dave Homewood from the Wings Over New Zealand forum & podcast to talk about his time with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), the warbird scene over there and the comprehensive forum he established. We also discuss his excellent Wings Over New Zealand podcast which has a large number of fascinating interviews & recordings covering the Kiwi scene. You can follow Dave’s latest updates on his Wings Over New Zealand Facebook page. After our chat with Dave we feature more Avalon 2013 content including our KC-30A interview, a chat about the Heron Remotely Piloted Vehicle’s operations in Afghanistan and part two of Grant’s chat with Charles Cheeseman from Eco 2000. As if all that wasn’t enough, we introduce Maikha Ly who is joining the team as a roving reporter covering regional aviation events. We’ve also got a new competition where the first 5 people who email us the correct answer to Owen Zupp’s question will win a copy of his “50 Tales of Flight” eBook. After that, it’s time for listener mail, shout outs and the wrap up. Whew, no wonder it’s almost 2 hours long :) The show unfolds as:
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| PCDU Episode 108: On a Wing & a Chair | 27 Apr 2013 | 01:35:06 | |
Flying solo around Australia is a challenging & amazing experience, even today (just ask Owen Zupp :) ). It’s even more mind-blowing when you’re a quadriplegic! This episode Steve & Grant talk to Dave Jacka who is setting out to be the first quadriplegic person to fly solo around Australia! We also include a chat Steve recorded with Laurie Jones from Adventure Wings about his role as a fire-bomber and the Nanchang adventure flights they operate from Tooradin (YTDN) plus a new View from the Lounge and even a competition!
All this AND we appeared in Episode 46 of the Stuck Mic AvCast when Len Costa came down under for a quick holiday. Don’t forget that our new email address is contact@planecrazydownunder.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy | |||