Plane Crazy Down Under

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 130 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: . Kimberley Turner, Aerosafe . Patrick Coleman, Garmin . Associate Professor Andrew Kornberg, Fly for the Kids . Matt Hall, Red Bull Air Race . Reminder to leave a review on iTunes or sponsor us via Patreon . Kurt Lyall, Rocket Route . Alan Wilson, AirBP . Steve's F-35A news bulletins for AIR News . Kreisha Ballentyne-Dickes, Cirrus Australia . Heidi Fedak, Gulfstream

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.

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 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 :) ).

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 […]

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!).

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, […]

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 :) This episode contains: . Richard Woodward and Coax Helicopters . Peta Denham Harvey from the Australian Women Pilots' Association . GPCPT Guy Adams covers UAS within the ADF . Craig Duncan from the Airline Academy of Australia now at Wellcamp Airport . Ray Horton from ConAir covers the RJ85 fire bomber . Jodi Davis talks aerobatics, Matt Hall Racing and Belmont Airport . Timbo's Tarmac

Our first episode of Avalon 2015 content (also known as the Australian International Airshow) includes: . Sergeant Xavier "X" Sheriff is a loadmaster on the C130J and he's recently returned from Red Flag at Nellis . Flying Officer "Guns" was also at Red Flag but while he is command rated on the C130J, he spent the duration of Red Flag performing the tactical planning for each mission . Steve caught up with Simon Hackett in his PC12 (VH-TCP) and they talk about gliding, the Cirrus SR22, the PC12 and Simon's next aircraft, the Pilatus PC24 jet . Maikha Ly caught up with Graeme Horne from Cirrus and they review the Cirrus Jet, the market for Cirrus aircraft in Australia and the "Australis" version of the SR22 . Steve talks to Basil Lenzo about Evektor Aircraft's Sportstar & Harmony aircraft, the scene at their home base in Perth and their new operation at Moorabbin . Grant & Steve ran into Matt Hall and had a good chat about his recent podium finish in the Red Bull Air Race, his new winglets & aircraft handling, developments at Belmont airport (YPEC) that Matt & a consortium recently purchased and QBE's Airmanship program . Following on from his chat with Simon in the PC12, Steve caught up with Andre Zimmerman to discuss the Pilatus PC24 . We wrap up the episode and talk about the Airbus A400M transport. We also mention that in addition to Steven Pam taking lots of amazing images, Maikha's running around with his selfie-stick & distinctive hat. If you get your photo taken with Maikha, you'll be in the running to get some prizes :)

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: Grant’s been taking friends on their first balloon flights including Evan Schoo and Darren […]

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. Held every two years, Pitch Black is 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 Pitch Black 2014 coverage includes: . GPCAPT "Micka" Gray gives an overview of the exercise . FLTLT Ben Daly talks about the roles of Air Combat Officer (ACO) and Fighter Combat Controller (FCC) . FLGOFF Kathryn Koslowicz talks about the day to day tasks of an Air Combat Officer (ACO) and being deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) . FLTLT Ben Daly takes us through No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit's operations cabins and how they're used to deploy & manage operations in remote locations . SQNLDR Tim Main reviews the RAAF's new E7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft . Lt Col Scott Arbogast is the commander of the US ANG F16s & he tells us about their role in the exercise . CMSgt Joseph Smiley discusses the logistics behind getting the US ANG F16s to Australia, keeping them running here and then getting them back home afterwards . WGCDR Ben Sleeman, CO of 77 SQN, tells us about being the defender . SQNLDR Rob Crawford talks about the 37SQN C130J he brought up to Tindal . WOFF Kyle Lovett is a refuelling operator (aka "boomer") on 33SQN's KC30A MRTTs and he walks us through a typical mission they've been flying . FLTLT Adam Rouessart & FLGOFF Matthew Bleach were the crew for the F18F Super Hornet handling display during the week . CASA CN235 crew from the French Armed Forces of New Caledonia . RTAF WGCDR Titan on flying the SAAB Jas 39 Gripen . Mick Gablonski is the CHC base manager for the S61 SAR helicopter at Tindal . Nobby has been part of the team restoring Graham Hosking's F4U-5N Corsair & he lets us in on some of the effort required to bring it to flight status

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 […]

With Australia's confirmed purchase of a total of 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Steve & Grant are joined by Andrew McLaughlin from COMINT to discuss the F-35 and its operation within the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). We also feature the following content: . Press conference in March 2014 where AVM Kym Osley discussed the F35 purchase and DCAF AVM Leo Davies introduced the first two RAAF pilots to go to the USA for F35 training: SQN LDR David "Belly" Bell & SQN LDR Andrew "Jacko" Jackson. . Lockheed Martin test pilot Billie Flynn has flown Canadian F18s in combat in Kosovo, been a test pilot on the Eurofighter Typhoon and is now test flying the F35 . Graham Bentley, Lockheed Martin Australia's Business Development Manager is ex-RAAF . Steven L Over, Lockheed Martin's Director of F-35 International Business Development, talks about component manufacturing within Australia . Billie Flynn returns to talk in detail about the F-35's high-tech new helmet . AVM Kym "Koz" Osley discusses the effort required to integrate the F-35 into the RAAF . We wrap up with a further discussion on the F-35 aircraft, the program and the potential for Australia to operate the F-35B on our new Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships (gotta use that ski-ramp, right?)

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 […]

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. . AIRMSHL Binskin . AVM (ret) Skidmore . AVM Davies . Keith Webb & the "Unsung Heroes" . Captain Jack Curtis . Dick Simms . Mick Haxel DFC . Tammy Augostin

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 RedBull AirRace to our media flight in a pair of C130Js over Melbourne to promote the RAAF's Centenary of Military Aviation airshow, this episode really got us exited for the year ahead. . Steve & Grant talk about surgery, a wedding & some recent media publicity after a couple of unusual hot air balloon landings in Melbourne . We chat with Matt Hall about his preparations for this year's Red Bull Air Race . Our C130J Media Ride interviews .. AIRCDRE Phil Byrne (RAAF Head of Special Events) .. David Gardner (Director, RAAF Museum) .. Flt Lt Matt Fleet (Pilot, RAF) .. SGT Greg Milne (Loadmaster, RAAF) . Tyabb Airshow 2014 is coming up on March 9th