From the spectacle of Warbirds Over Wanaka to the quiet power of a shared purpose, the July/August edition of Australian Flying spans the full breadth of what makes general aviation worth pursuing.
We begin at Wanaka, where Phil Hosking reports on Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 in Wow'd again in 2026, one of the southern hemisphere's great airshows that delivered exactly what its loyal crowd has come to expect.
Technology is reshaping how we train. In Reality in flight, Steve Hitchen flies a mixed reality simulator that blends multiple technologies to produce an experience rivalling full-motion sims, and explores its potential to complement flight training at every level.
In A jet with a purpose, Kreisha Ballantyne crosses paths with Angel Flight pilot Patrick Machado and discovers the joy of giving back.
What does professionalism look like in general aviation? In 10 practices of professional pilots, Steve Hitchen explores the concept and finds that a professional attitude is available to licence holders at every level, not just the ones flying for a living.
Gender equity is often framed as a diversity issue. In Gender equity in aviation, Kristian Constantinides and Samantha O'Connor argue it is more fundamentally a capability challenge, and one Australia's aviation workforce cannot afford to sidestep.
The FAA's MOSAIC rule has rewritten the rulebook for the world's largest aviation market. In Mosaic or miss out, Stephen Limkin examines what Australia stands to gain by aligning with the changes, and what it risks by hesitating.
Paper charts have largely given way to glass and GPS, but Brian Bigg has never quite let them go. In A case for paper charts?, he makes the argument for keeping them in the bag, even when you haven't needed them in 25 years.
On the flight test front, Benn Marks puts the Piper Cheyenne 400 through its paces in The turboprop that thought it was a jet: a machine with a 351-knot top speed, a 41,000-foot ceiling and Chuck Yeager's name in its record books.
And in From backyard dreams to American skies, Michael Young traces the journey from a country town in Australia to a grass airstrip in New Hampshire, and the flying magazine that set it all in motion.
As always, these features are supported by our regular columns including Editorial, News, Rotors, Fly-ins, Lessons from a Logbook, Reports from the Regions, Safety Matters, Fit to Fly, Up to Speed, What Can We Learn, and Short Final.
Across airshow spectacle, emerging technology, professional standards and the stories that remind us why we fly, this issue is a reminder that general aviation contains multitudes. Get it here!