The Sunshine Coast Daily reports that GA businesses at Sunshine Coast Airport fear they will be “sacrificed” if a proposed $250 million redevelopment of the facility goes ahead. Already forking out ever-increasing amounts in rent, the businesses, such as Aero Dynamic Flight Academy and Becker Helicopters, believe the upgrade – which includes a new runway to entice airlines from Asia – would result in higher operating costs and severely impact on airspace. Should that happened, several tenants believe it would be very tough for them to continue operating at the airport. The local Council says it has allocated a significant area of land for GA tenants as part of the redevelopment, but it’s claimed that that wouldn’t suffice. Read the full story here.
From November 27 to February 13 the Ipswich Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition focussing on the recently decommissioned RAAF F-111, or ‘the Pig’, as the aircraft has come to be known. The exhibit offers the general public the rare privilege of getting up close and personal with the aircraft, which has served the RAAF for the last 37 years. An entire wing and a cockpit module will be exhibited alongside rare footage, training modules, cutaway sections, as well as the Wing Sweep Actuator. The Bomb Release Units and the Gyroscope at the centre of the Inertial Navigation System will also be on display. And a special feature will be the Pave Tack, an infrared target detector and laser designator which is the key to the F-111’s precision strike capability. Ipswich Art Gallery Director Michael Beckmann says, “The gallery is bound to be a hub for aircraft enthusiasts and engineering buffs alike as the show is principally focused on the technical aspects of the aircraft that made it so ahead of its time in terms of design and avionics.” For more info click here.
News.com.au reported earlier this week that, according to a researcher cited in The Independent, two French pilots beat Charles Lindbergh in making the first full-length crossing of the Atlantic by plane. The key difference is, Lindbergh lived to tell the tale. The evidence suggests that World War I French air force pilots Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli reached the Canadian coast in their seaplane 10 days before Lindbergh made it from New York to Le Bourget in May of 1927. The pair are believed to have landed their plane, the L'Oiseau Blanc (White Bird), off the coast of the French islands of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon near Newfoundland, but were killed when the aircraft broke up on the water. It is understood they were attempting to make it to New York but had run out of fuel. Read the full story here.
Any Bankstown Airport user would be well aware of the recent – and, as some have suggested, dubious – closure of Tower Rd and the impact this has had on getting to the airport if for anyone used to taking that route. Well, the good news now is that, following the calling of submissions from both Bankstown operators and the community, Tower Rd has been reopened, albeit on a three-month trial basis. Over that period Sydney Metro Airport Bankstown says it will closely monitor and enforce weight limits to ensure the road is operated in a safe manner. If at the end of three months the airport operator is satisfied that the road surface can withstand the traffic flows and that the non-aviation related traffic is not impacting adversely on the amenity of the airport users, then it will consider keeping Tower Rd open on a permanent basis. Here’s hoping….
Camden Airport is set to undergo intense airside maintenance activity during the second week of December. The work to be done includes repainting of markings on RWY 06/24; repainting of taxiway and apron markings; refurbishment of the RWY designators on the grass RWY 10/28; replacement of gables and cone markers as required; and refurbishment of the main helipad. The airport’s operator expects the work to take three days and says it will make every effort to minimise flying downtime. Any pilots planning using Camden at that time should check the NOTAMs.
Keen to work for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau? The ATSB is seeking to recruit an analytical person with an interest in safety to join the Research Investigations & Data Analysis branch. Based in Canberra, the position primarily involves interrogating Australia’s official aviation safety occurrence database, undertaking data analyses and generating statistics, and producing concise reports for publication. Applicants must have developed research, analysis and database skills, and be able to independently write concise, accurate and meaningful technical reports. For more information click here.
Daher Socata has launched an Exclusive Maintenance Program for newly-purchased TBM 850 turboprops. The program includes five years (including five free annual inspections) or 1000 flight hours with free scheduled maintenance costs. In addition, warranties are extended to five years for avionics, five years for systems and seven years for the airframe. The offer is valid for the purchase of new TBM 850s until December 31.
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer has delivered its first Phenom 100 entry level jet in India. The aircraft (flight tested here) was delivered to Invision Air Services, a Mumbai-based on-demand air charter company. The aircraft is the first of 18 Phenom 100s that Invision Air ordered three years ago, along with two Embraer Phenom 300 jets.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has elected John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon and executive vice president of civil aircraft for Dassault Aviation, as its chairman for 2011. Rosanvallon previously served as GAMA’s vice chairman of the board and chairman of GAMA’s Security Issues Committee and its Communications Committee. Caroline Daniels, CEO of Aircraft Technical Publishers, has been selected as GAMA’s vice chairman.
Piper Aircraft, Inc. has named Simon Caldecott as its new vice president of Operations, responsible for Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Sustaining Engineering and Supply Chain. With 36 years’ experience in the aviation game, Caldecott joined Piper in 2009 as chief of Production for the PiperJet Altaire, Piper’s new personal jet, and was extensively involved in preliminary design and manufacturing processes. Prior to joining Piper, Caldecott was vice president Assembly Integration and Testing with Raytheon Aircraft and more recently vice president assembly operations with that company’s successor, Hawker Beechcraft. He’s also previously worked for British Aerospace.