If you’ve recently stumbled onto Plane Crazy Down Under, you may want to listen to our previous episodes as most of them have some great content. In fact, we recommend that you do listen to all of them so you can catch the great content and also hear how we’ve progressed as we’ve learned about producing podcasts.
Of course, not all of you are so crazy dedicated or obssessed loyal as that, so here’s a list of our favourite episodes that we think you should listen to. If an episode is not listed here it’s still worth listening to but contains our opinionated reviews of aviation news around the time it was released, no guests or interviews, etc.
| Good | #6: Plugcast | Our first guest (Max Flight) and our first interview (Carlo from Flight Experience Melbourne) |
| Essential | # 7: Matt Hall, we’re not worthy! | What can we say? A whole episode of us chatting with Matt Hall. You must listen to this one as he gives us some amazing insights into military and RedBull AirRace flying |
| Good | # 8: Riding our Segways | This episode features an interview with Karla Courtney from QANTAS Travel Insider and Shashank Nigram from SimpliFlying |
| Great | 9: Airplane Geeks Down Under | Dan, David & Rob from the Airplane Geeks podcast join us to talk about airline news & ATC issues plus we have interviews with Dr Bruce Searle from the Australian Centre for Mission Aviation and Andrew Temby, an aerobatic pilot and Yak52 owner |
| Essential | 10: On the Podium with Matt Hall | Another great chat with Matt Hall about flying RedBull AirRaces, how visualisation is a key part of his success and flying the P51 Mustang | Good | 11: Recreationally Yours | We introduce Bas Scheffers and have a great chat with him about RA-Aus and flying from Parafield in Adelaide |
| Essential | 13: The Only Way is Zupp | We have a great chat with Owen Zupp about his aviation history, flying with Ansett Airlines and his pending journey around Australia to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service |
| Great | 14: Lang’s Great Journeys | We were allowed to record Lang Kidby’s presentation on his re-enactment flights of a Vickers Vimy and Avro Avian between the UK & Australia. He certainly had an amazing adventure on both flights and his stories are great fun to hear. |
| Essential | 17: The Ipanator says “Rivet Shower? Not on *my* watch!” | We have an amusing discussion with Ben & Jeremy, a pair of recent graduates from Air Traffic Controller school. We discuss the selection process, training and how their first few months have been on the job. One of our most popular episodes ever, it even pipped out Matt Hall’s first chat with us. |
| Essential | 18: Tally Ho, it’s the Red Baron | We spend the whole episode hanging out with Joel Haski, the owner of Red Baron Scenic & Aerobatic Flights in Sydney. We talk about aerobatics over Sydney, flying the Red Bull aircraft and GA in general. |
| Great | 19: Interview with a Vampire Pilot & Other Stories | This episode includes interviews with Matt Hall & Nigel Lamb together, an update from Carlo @ Flight Experience Melbourne and a discussion with Nick Brau about flying commercial balloons over Melbourne |
| Essential | 20: A Tribute to Pip Borman | We attended a tribute dinner for the late Pip Borman and recorded the speaches and Matt Hall’s presentation where he provided even more great insight into the differences between combat jet flying and RedBull AirRace flying. |
| Great | 21: London Calling | We chat with Saj Ahmad in London who runs FleetBuzzEditorial.com, discussing the recent Dubai Airshow, middle eastern airlines flying to Australia, aircraft orders and the pending first flight of the 787. |
| Good | 22: Farewell 2009 | We interview Michael Gilmour from Downwind.com.au. It’s a great discussion about his flying background and why he setup Downwind.com.au although it’s in the middle of news and our big “Thank you all” we thought was fitting for the end of our first year of operation. |
| Good | 23: Australia: A TSA Free Zone (for now) | In addition to the usual news reviews, we also have a chat with Shashank from SimpliFlying about what he sees coming up in 2010. |
| Good | 24: Misuse of Accents | We have a chat with Saj Ahmad about re-engining the 737 & A320 as well as a few other topics. |
| Great | 25: Fan Boys | We chat with Matt Hall again and also spend some time at Flight Experience Melbourne having some fun in their 737 simulator & interviewing their staff & guests |
| Great | 26: Enjoying the Views | We have a great chat with Owen Zupp about his preparations for his around Australia journey, his recent flight tests of the DA20 & DA40, ADSB in Australia & flying RNP approaches and his recent flight with Matt Hall. We also listener David Optimal, introduce the “View from the Lounge” segment and have an excellent discussion with Bas & John about a recent fly-in they were involved with. |
| Great | 27: Trans World Adventures | We have an awesome discussion with Saj Ahmad and Ben Sandilands from the Plane Talking blog on Crikey about financial reports from QANTAS, Virgin & Tiger as well as the future of airlines in Australia. We also talk to Ken & Tim from the Millions Against Malaria around-the-world flight. |
| Essential | 28: Save the Liberator | There’s a group of guys just outside Melbourne who are restoring a B24 Liberator from the RAAF. We visit the project and record a couple of interviews with the president of the project and one of the B24 pilots from WWII. |
| Great | 29: What’s in a Checklist? | In amongst some opinionated news reviews and other discussions, we have some interviews recorded at the recent Pt Cook air pageant, including warbird pilots Jim Whalley and Jim & Jenny Wickham and Murray Colquhoun, the chief experimental test pilot for Pilatus who was there with the PC21. |
| Essential | 30: Antarctica: The Last True Wilderness | We focus on flying in Antarctica, from the pilots who fly the A319 to the Wilkins Blue Ice Runway to the preparation & operation of the QANTAS sight seeing flights. Definitely one of our most informative shows to date. |
| Essential | 31: Red Bull all the Way | Steve was at Perth on a media pass, collecting interviews and materials. We provide his summary of the race and then follow up with interviews with Nigel Lamb, Lenny Raulson & David Lyall |
| Great | 32: Switch to Plan Delta | We discuss the pending GAAP to Class Delta airspace changes with Peter Gibson from CASA, Owen Zupp before & during his There And Back trip and Ken & Tim before they left on their Millions Against Malaria trip |
| Good | 33: Four Degrees of Separation from Ben Sandilands | Ben Sandilands joins us to review the latest news and ponder the future of the Virgin Blue group then we chat with the guys from EmptyJets |
| Essential | 34: Arching over the Swamp | We chat with Hannes Arch about his extreme sports, his initial forays into aviation and how he approaches being a Red Bull Air Race pilot. We also chat with Gary Clarke, the creator of the Swamp cartoon series, as well as Angie Morino from Aus Air Aviation and Richard Turnbull, a balloon pilot from the UK. |
| Essential | 35: Perseverance & Persistence | We chat with Deborah Lawrie, the first female pilot with Ansett back in the 70’s & 80’s. An amazing discussion about what she went through, her career and the adventures she’s had. |
| Essential | 36: Incidentally, Matt… | We chat with Matt Hall about *that* incident in Windsor, including how it happened, how he recovered, the physics of a G-Stall and what he’s learned from it. |
| Essential | 37: It’s “Flight Attendant,” Grant | We’re joined by three ladies who were/are flight attendants covering the 70’s/80’s, 90’s and current times. A great discussion about the differences between then & now. |
| Essential | 38: Dick Smith: Around the World in Many Ways | Dick Smith is well known within Australia and around the world as an entrepreneur, pilot, adventurer and past chairman of the CAA & CASA. We talk with him about his learning to fly, his adventuring and the aircraft he’s owned. |
| Good | 39: Warren Truss (Coalition) 40: Ken Hill & Tim Sheen (Australian Sex Party) 41: Commentary (Greens & Labour) |
Episodes 39, 40 & 41 were “Federal Election Quick Casts” that featured interviews & discussions with Australian politicians regarding aviation issues. As far as we’re aware, we were the first aviation podcast in the world to arrange interviews with current politicians regarding their party’s position on aviation related matters. Even if you’re not from Australia you may find these episodes of interest. |
| Good | 42: Wings Down Under | Will Horton from the Wings Down Under blog on FlightGlobal.com joins us to review the latest regional news |
| Great | 43: Back to the Airshow | In addition to interviews recorded at the Melton “Centenary of Powered Flight” airshow, we also have a chat with Owen Zupp about life following his “Around Australia” fund raising flight |
| Great | 44: Hannes, Bas and the Rhino | Our longest episode yet and it’s packed! We have a chat with Red Bull Race pilot Hannes Arch, bring Bas Scheffers back on to chat about RA-Aus and flying at Parafield plus throw in a Controller’s Corner piece, the latest View from the Lounge and an interview with an F18F pilot that David Vanderhoof recorded |