From a beachside airshow comeback to a junior world gliding champion, the November/December edition of Australian Flying rounds out the year with stories of persistence, precision and the sheer joy of flying.
We open on the sand. Tropical Cyclone Alfred forced the cancellation of the 2025 Pacific Airshow, but the team at Code Four has bounced back. In Pacific Airshow makes its comeback, Grant McHerron is on the Gold Coast as Australia's only beach airshow returns in style.
Every year, the world's aviators descend on Wisconsin for EAA AirVenture. In Golly gosh, Oshkosh, Phil Hosking reports from Wittman Regional Airport, where the angels and their wings were out in force.
Choosing a simulator is a big investment for any flying school. In Simulation with precision, Steve Hitchen visits the Royal Victorian Aero Club to find out why it chose two CRX Max simulators tailored to its training program, and what it got for its money.
David Green built his Carbon Cub UL himself, and putting it in a shipping container was never seriously on the table. In Destinations: The long way home, Kreisha Ballantyne follows the flight that completed the build.
In less than two years, Max Scutchings went from his first solo cross-country flight to Junior World Gliding Champion. In The best 100 hours, Kreisha Ballantyne charts his remarkable rise.
"Spy glasses" are being banned in venues around the world, but they may have a place in the cockpit. In Banned at the bar, cleared for flight, Michael Smith explores how they can be used safely and courteously.
Sling Aircraft has aimed its high-wing Sling 4 kit squarely at a GA icon, using the upcoming MOSAIC regulations as a launch platform. In Slingshot at the crown, Steve Hitchen flies this very capable aeroplane and gets a glimpse of GA's future.
Is a 20-year-old aeroplane really more dangerous than one that's 19 years and 11 months old? In Fit to Fly: How old is too old?, Brian Bigg looks at CASA's rethink of ageing aircraft and asks the harder question about ageing pilots.
And in The NXT big thing, Benn Marks examines how General Atomics AeroTec Systems has reimagined the Dornier 228, four decades after the German STOL stalwart first flew, as the Do228 NXT.
As always, these features are supported by our regular columns including Editorial, News, Products and Innovations, Lessons from a Logbook, Rotors, What Can We Learn?, For the Love of Flying, Reports from the Regions and Touch and Go.
From a reborn classic to a young pilot already at the top of his sport, this issue is a reminder that general aviation never stops finding new ways to inspire. Get it here!