fly_tornado

depends on everything, who's your mechanic?

an experienced pilot crashing like that does sounds like hypoxia

park benches are designed to be uncomfortable now to stop the homeless sleeping on them. its just where we are as a society

In your gut it feels right that Phil should still boycott Facebook

I though Cirruss pilots were like Volvo drivers?

I support your boycott of Facebook

people sending votes slips back with messages on them?

United States suspends F-35 flying for engine inspections written by australianaviation.com.au October 12, 2018 A US Marine Corps F-35B crashed last month. (Defence) The United States Department of Defense has suspended flying its Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets due to the need to inspect fuel tubes within the aircraft’s engines. “The US services and international partners have temporarily suspended F-35 flight operations while the enterprise conducts a fleet-wide inspection of a fuel tube within the engine on all F-35 aircraft,” the Department said in a statement on Thursday (US time), according to multiple media reports. “If suspect fuel tubes are installed, the part will be removed and replaced. If known good fuel tubes are already installed, then those aircraft will be returned to flight status. Inspections are expected to be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours.” The decision comes after a US Marine Corps F-35B crashed in South Carolina near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in late September. The pilot ejected safely and there were no injuries. The Department statement said initial data from the ongoing investigation of that accident had led to the decision to ground the fleet. The US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy are all operators of the F-35, as well as allies including Australia, Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom. About 300 F-35s have now been delivered and are in service around the world. The UK Ministry of Defence said on Twitter it had paused some F-35 flying as a precautionary measure but not all aircraft had been grounded.

Mick, I can't believe you dragged yourself from building your beautiful plane to share that knowledge

More insight from the local rag STUDENTS at the Qantas Pilot Academy at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport will have to take classes at all hours of the day and night when it opens next year. Pilot training provider L3 will train pilots at the facility for Qantas. Training VP Colin Rydon said an average day for students would vary depending on the area of training they were currently undergoing. "For those who are in the theoretical knowledge stage of the training it will involve classroom-based work throughout the day and revision and individual work most of the other time," Mr Rydon said. "Schedules for those in the flight training stage will vary depending on the flights they are undertaking. These flights can operate from very early in the morning to late into the night and take place seven days a week. "Outside this time students will be preparing for the next flight or stage of training and revisiting aspects learnt earlier on the course." Mr Rydon said the exact specifications of the course were still being worked on. "But we expect them to be similar to the courses being run at a number of our other sites," he said. "The academy will operate under Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority guidelines, which set the framework for key elements of the course. "The course will be tailored and designed in collaboration with Qantas. We will be seeking to ensure that it provides a modern curriculum that is suited to both for the airline's own unique environment and the wider aviation environment." The UK-based L3 currently operate four Airline Academy sites across the globe, including one in Hamilton, New Zealand. "We train over 1500 new pilots every year," Mr Rydon said. "The Qantas Pilot Academy will be our first academy in Australia and we're confident that, along with Qantas, we can open a truly world-class facility helping to significantly grow the number of pilots we're able to train who can join the profession both in Australia and around the region. "The students at the academy will be offered L3's state-of-the-art facilities and training equipment and we will be recruiting and training the highest standards of instructors to deliver our programmes. We have a long history of developing the next generation of Airline Pilots for many of the world's leading airlines and we will bring that experience to the Qantas' Pilot Academy in Australia." An artist impression of what the Qantas Pilot Training Academy at Wellcamp Airport will look like. Contributed Mr Rydon said the company would provide a mix of single and multi-engine piston aircraft for the academy. "Across the globe, the industry is battling with the pilot shortage. Put simply there aren't enough new pilots joining the profession to fly the massively growing number of aircraft which are on order," he said. "This means we have to look at ways to be able to train more pilots and attract more candidates to this highly rewarding career. "We hope to set this school apart from all others, with the highest standards of safety and instruction along with the most suitable equipment. We are also looking to create an enjoyable and inspiring learning experience that all students can remember for the rest of their careers. We like to think we can help make safer skies across the globe."

parachutes will just encourage people to use them!

a 3600Lb E-LSA like a Cessna 172 would be a fantastic option for a lot of people

$70b high speed rail: Toowoomba to Brisbane in 45 mins A BOLD $70 billion proposal to fast-track south east Queensland's development into a world-class super-metropolis of the future has been unveiled. A new report recommends a rapid rail network that would carry passengers to the centre of Brisbane from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and even Toowoomba in less than 45 minutes. Vast improvements to public transport and carefully-targeted road projects would enable people to travel across individual cities within half an hour. The blueprint is outlined in a report by major infrastructure consultants SMEC, who were commissioned by the SEQ Council of Mayors to investigate transport as part of a feasibility study into a possible Olympic Games bid. It proposes a major shift in priority to public transport, reversing a trend towards private car use over the past 30 years. The centrepiece is a new "faster rail" network of frequent trains travelling at up to 250km/h. Average speeds of 150km/h would be almost three times the current 60km/h. It would halve the travel time from the Gold and Sunshine Coasts to the capital, and slash up to two-thirds off the journey from Ipswich. Stage one of the "SEQ People Mass Movement Study" found that enormous population and employment growth would increase transport demand across the region 31 percent by 2031, and by 53 percent a decade later. A "base" scenario, including existing projects such as Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro, would allow major centres to become half-hour "smart cities" But a recommended "advanced scenario" envisages the state's south east corner becoming an interconnected "smart region" over the next quarter of a century, securing its position as the country's most liveable and efficient metropolitan area. The rapid rail network would involve existing lines and new ones. They would include the North Coast Connect proposal which has already received federal Government funding for a business case for a new 40km track from Beerwah to Maroochydore. It proposes a new fast link to Southport from the current Gold Coast corridor. A fast initial connection to Ipswich would be extended to Toowoomba, although another recent $15 million business case grant to determine passenger rail requirements to the Darling Downs city could also see that brought forward.

Sat, Oct 06, 2018 LSA Shakeup! EAA Confirms Major Changes to LSA Weight/Speed Criteria Out Of Right Field, EAA Confirms Massive LSA Reg Change For January NPRM The first hints of an interesting rumor caught us a little off guard, but EAA's Jack Pelton has confirmed that massive changes are coming soon to an LSA near you. The details are still sketchy, and a few text messages have confirmed the basics, but the initial reports indicate that the maximum weight criteria for a Light Sport Aircraft will be increased in a January NPRM following cooperative efforts by EAA and the FAA--who are starting to look like they really want GA to succeed, after all. We don't know a lot... but we do know (via EAA) that the max weight limit will skyrocket to 3600 pounds (nearly triple what we were saddled with a few years back), and that some form of maximum speed limit (as yet to be defined) will be increased to somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 mph (the text says, specifically, 'mph' but we're seeking clarification between mph and kts...). If that wasn't enough to shake things up, we've also had basic corroboration that an announcement of some sort of renewal of the ADS-B rebate program that expired in February is in the offing... We're awaiting callbacks from some of the major players in this and will fill you in as soon as we have more detail.

Its gotten better, increasing the fees is proof that the new system works

its a business now, so you have to pay for expertise

its been a wild ride for the last 5 years @Turtle

Pilot training academy 'a coup' for the Garden City by Jo Sheppard, Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO THE announcement last week that saw Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport named as the first location for the Qantas pilot training academy is great news for the Toowoomba business community. The new pilot academy will address the current worldwide pilot shortage and will deliver a significant direct economic injection into our local economy. Construction is to start immediately, and will bring jobs during construction but also direct and indirect jobs when operational. It is estimated that once up and running though, the pilot academy will be putting up to $600 million into the local economy. As a result of this announcement, Toowoomba will now be the home for training the next generation of pilots. In a practical sense, this means that hundreds of additional people will be shopping in our retail sector, dining out in our restaurants and cafes, frequenting our gyms, renting or buying houses and generally getting involved in our community. Qantas hope to train 100 students in the first year of operations and grow to 250 students in the first few years. Qantas has appointed L3 Commercial Aviation as the training provider that will bring about 40 aircraft to the facility which will drive additional employment opportunities at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport as well. The University of Southern Queensland is partnering with the Qantas for the Future Pilot's Program already offering a Bachelor of Aviation degree at its Springfield campus but now looking to expand its aviation program to Toowoomba. There will be a considerable spin-off in other training opportunities that could be provided at Toowoomba Wellcamp airport into the future, as a result of the pilot academy being established here including the training of flight attendants, ground staff, security staff and other aviation related skills. Congratulations Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and good choice Qantas! What a coup this is for the future growth of our local airport, but also for our entire economy and community. That makes each pilot worth upwards of $6M

Extension needed on proposed Wagners airport hangar TOOWOOMBA business Wagner Investments will move ahead with a long-held plan to build a private air hangar complex at Wellcamp Airport. The company last week sought a four-year extension from the Toowoomba Regional Council to a project the council approved in 2014, which involved a four-stage construction of two 1400sq m hangars and four offices. Now Wagners wants another extension to start construction before the approval lapses on October 11, citing progress at the airport as the driver behind the move. "The progressive development of the associated uses within the (Wellcamp) Business Park have necessarily taken precedence over the establishment of this facility," Precinct Urban Planning's Andrew Bullen said in a letter to the council. "The need for contemporary hangar facilities has emerged as part of emerging interest in flight training and ancillary airport activities on the subject land as a result of the maturing patronage profile for the Wellcamp Airport." The extension request comes just a week after the airport was chosen as the first location for a new pilot training academy by Qantas. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce revealed the Wagner-owned airport won the contract because Toowoomba offered an uncongested airspace, at least 300 days of sunny skies and an attractive place for students to live and study. Wagner Corporation director Denis Wagner said construction had already begun. "We will engage a lot of subcontractors locally and building contractors," he told The Chronicle last week. "There will be opportunities right through this region for people to come in and assist us through the construction phase. "We're extremely confident we will deliver." After getting approval from the council in October 2014, Wagners also got several conditions changed to the private hangar complex the following year. Seems crazy not building hangars but @mnewbery can explain

I'm always a bit suspicious when someone joins the forum and only posts in one thread and that post is defending the RAA by attacking its critics...

now for sale N413ME BALLY’S BOMBER B-17G – Courtesy Aircraft

I saw this yesterday

It's revolutionary! It's taken almost 5 years and another $35M of Wagner money for the first business to locate to Wellcamp, its the great success that @mnewbery always said it would be

They can fly instructors and mechanics up from Brisbane or the coasts every morning if they need to.

woops we are down from 500 to 250 pilots but the number of trainers is up to 160