It’s our first episode for 2025 so we’re allowed to say Happy New Year, right? Even though it’s February, right? We may be Australia’s longest running aviation podcast but we’re taking a very long time to get to episode 200 :) This episode we follow our dreams into the stratosphere and beyond, featuring a great […]
We’ve been a little busy lately and it’s been a while since our last episode, so to make up for it we’ve released this rather chunky episode of aviation goodness covering the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2024 event. It’s just like the old days when our episodes were long and the pause button was […]
We’re on the Gold Coast and getting ready for the Pacific Airshow once again. This year’s line-up is bigger and even more packed with amazing aircraft, including a T-33 Shooting Star which is the first of it’s kind to ever fly in Australia. Its pilot is Greg “Wired” Colyer from Ace Maker Airshows and we […]
With the Pacific Airshow returning to the Gold Coast in August, Steve and Grant caught up with Aarron Deliu, an Australian aerobatics pilot who is now based in Florida and performing at airshows and events in the USA, Europe and South Africa. Aarron put on a spectacular display at last year’s show on the Gold […]
JQ’s new 787 arrives at Melbourne The past month has included a number of events related to the Royal Australian Navy’s International Fleet Review 2013 as well as the arrival of Jetstar’s new 787-8. Grant’s been visiting a few ships & interviewing their aircrew while Kathy’s had a flight on Australia’s brand new MRH-90 Taipan transport helicopters. Not long after that, Grant was in Sydney to watch the mass-flypast of aircraft as the fleet steamed into Sydney harbour then both Steve & Grant were on the tarmac in Melbourne for the new Jetstar 787 arrival celebrations.
HMS Daring’s LynxNaturally this generated lots of great new content and we’ve packaged it all up as follows:
0:06:43 – LT Hamish Walker, Lynx Pilot on HMS Daring
0:13:37 – LT CDR Teilo Elliot-Smith, Air Warefare Officer on HMS Daring
0:27:15 – CDR Angus Essenhigh, Commanding Officer of HMS Daring
0:34:37 – LT David Roderick, Seasprite Pilot on HMNZS Te Mana
0:46:17 – LT Hamish Liddy, Seasprite Observer on HMNZS Te Mana
0:57:22 – Leading Hand Zach Taylor, Seasprite crew on HMNZS Te Mana
6 SQN is combined RNZAF & RNZN1:06:29 – David presents Grant with their 6 Squadron patch & explains its symbolism
1:07:43 – Grant chats with listener “Mick from the Frankston line”
1:14:45 – Kathy Mexted chats with Steve about flying in the MRH-90
1:17:45 – LT Jack Wadey, MRH-90 Taipan Pilot
1:31:40 – CPT Brett Chandler, Commanding Officer of HMAS Creswell
1:38:27 – Kathy chats about how she knew Brett Chandler from some time ago
1:43:20 – David Hall, CEO of Jetstar Australia & New Zealand
1:48:53 – Captain Jeremy Schmidt, lead pilot on Jetstar’s 787 programme
1:55:19 – Gordon Rich-Phillips, Victoria’s Minister for Aviation Industry
1:59:23 – We wrap it up and sign off
Kathy’s aircraft for her media flightBen Wickham & Kathy Mexted getting ready to board the MRH-90
PCDU Narrating at AusFlyThe Sport Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) held their inaugural AusFly event at Narromine, New South Wales on the 14th & 15th of September. As part of the show, Plane Crazy Down Under were invited to come & run the AusFly radio show and provide commentary for the air displays. From setting up the studio & PA system (thanks Allan & Kurt :) to interviewing live during the show and keeping the crowd informed during the air displays, it was a busy, exhausting, educational and, over-all, fun experience.
In this episode we have the first few of our AusFly content and we’ll be having more in future episodes as we arranging interviews with the exhibitors we missed out chatting to during the event. Everyone was kept busy by the steady stream of people so there wasn’t much time to stop & chat.
The full content of the show includes:
0:04:20 – Our post-show interview with David Brown from the SAAA where we discuss the successes and the lessons learned from running the event.
0:28:01 – An interview we recorded with Gordon Rich-Phillips, the Victorian minister for the Aviation Industry (among other portfolios). We discuss his background in aviation, the aircraft he’s been flying and his views on the aviation industry in Victoria.
0:47:27 – We play some of our AusFly Radio content
0:47:36 – Hunter Jones from AutoGyro Australia talks to us about autogyros, their presence at AusFly and their formation arrival.
0:58:30 – Matt Maude from Performance Metals lets us know about a whole lot of new metal they’ve got arriving shortly.
1:03:10 – Jenny Wickham joins us on “The Perch” at AusFly to provide commentary on her husband Jim’s flying.
1:08:55 – Grant has a quick chat with Chris Brown who was on the Elgas Balloon Trek that worked its way to Narromine during the week leading up to the 14th
1:11:42 – We chat with Ben Jones about his experiences at AusFly (including flying a Zenith CH650), at WestFly and at the Sport Aircraft Builders Club Annual Fly In
1:22:24 – We review some Listener Mail:
Brian from Kentucky is wading through our archives & has almost listened to all of them (yes, he’s very brave! :)
Mick (aka “Bom1”) relates a few of his aviation passenger experiences and is wondering what to do next in aviation (yes, he should get his license for a start! :)
1:29:16 – We give a few Shout Outs:
Thanks to Analogue Al (aka Allan Van’t Padje) and his brother Kurt for all their efforts to setup & tear down the PA system used at Narromine as well as Allan’s great work running the sound gear through out the event
Well done to Chris Visscher for being the PCDU Camp Cook and general errand boy
Thanks to everyone who came & said HI at AusFly, especially our mate The Air Stig who visited AusFly as part of a long journey he was undertaking
Steve on “The Perch” at AusFlyGrant doing Commentary at AusFly
Allan in the Studio Marquee trying to make us sound good :)
All photos in these show notes (including the episode title image) were taken by Phil Buckley. Thanks mate :)
