The Australia Desk

Episode 813: Pacific Airshow Gold Coast with Brian Coleman

Posted on August 28, 2024 by admin

The Pacific Airshow Gold Coast was held over the beautiful beaches of Surfers Paradise, Queensland from August 16-18, and Steve, Grant AND Brian Coleman were there to capture all the action.

It was the second year of the event, and crowds were noticeably larger than 2023, with an enhanced and fully loaded flying program comprising local aerobatic performers, military contingents from Australia, the USA and UK, emergency services displays and much more.

With Micah also on the line, we quiz Brian on his experience travelling to Australia, flying domestic sectors here with Virgin Australia, and the reaction of local flight crews to his custom made gifts, presented as he boarded each flight.

RAAF 1SQN F-18F Super Hornet displaying at the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast (G.E.G Aviation Photography)

Brian Coleman interviewing members of the Freedom Formation at Southport Flying Club, Queensland, Australia (Steve Visscher)

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged Brian Coleman, Micah, Pacific Airshow Gold Coast, Queensland, RAAF, RAF, Surfers Paradise, UK, USA, USAF, Virgin Australia | Comments Off

Episode 811: Ummm, about Rex…

Posted on August 14, 2024 by admin

What a difference a few weeks makes….

In our last report, we spoke of the difficulties new entrants to the Australian airline market face, and how it almost always ends in tears. With startup LCC Bonza Air exiting the scene earlier this year, we were full of praise for Regional Express (Rex), who seemed at least on the surface of things to really be kicking some goals.

So imagine our surprise when it was announced on July 30th that Rex had been placed into voluntary administration; its 737 fleet grounded and their associated flights cancelled. It was news that blindsides many in the industry and media alike, and appears to have come in the wake of a board level stoush that’s left the carrier starved of funding.

News out today suggests Rex’s deficit may be as high at $A500million.

Affected passengers (including Steve and his wife) were re-booked on Virgin Australia flights – a process which has so far been flawless, with VA taking leases on three of Rex’s 10 737-800’s (jets which ironically had come from VA in the first place) to bolster capacity.

Rex’s regional SAAB 340 services remain operational at present, as administrators Ernst & Young seek to find a buyer for the airline.

In defence news, the USAF have parked a handful of F-22’s at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales, allowing joint training exercises with local F-35A’s from 3SQN and 77SQN. Two of these Hickam based Raptors will be making their way north to Queensland for the upcoming Pacific Airshow Gold Coast. Raptors are not often seen in this part of the world, so it’ll be a treat to see them perform at the event.

And speaking of the Pacific Airshow Gold Coast, Steve and Grant will be there for all the action, along with the Airplane Geeks’ very own Brian Coleman. Be sure to let us know if you’ll be there too!

F-22 Taxying at Williamtown (G.E.G Aviation Photography)

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged 3SQN, 737, 77SQN, Bonza, Brian Coleman, F22, F35A, Pacific Airshow Gold Coast, RAAF, REX, SAAB 340, USAF, Virgin Australia, Williamtown | Comments Off

Episode 804: Bye Bye Bonza, Hello Triton!

Posted on June 26, 2024 by admin

Grant & Steve return for an Australia Desk report; the first for 2024, and much has happened in the first half of the year on the Australian aviation scene.

Sadly, in a case of “we told you so”, new LCC entrant Bonza Airlines has ceased operations after 15 months, entering into voluntary administration on April 30th. Despite numerous reports of a buyer being found for the group, lessors had repossessed all of the company’s 737 MAX8 aircraft, the last of which departed Australia on June 5th.

Bonza joins a long list of failed operators who’ve tried to enter the local airline market, only to find that hype, spin and fancy PR only go so far before the financial realities of operating in an ultra-competitive aviation environment begin to take their toll. Previous entrants include Compass, Air Australia, JetGo, Impulse (which morphed eventually into Jetstar), OzJet, and most notably (but for perhaps a wider range of issues) Ansett.

But fear not! As cringeworthy as the infantile branding of Bonza was, Grant shakes Steve to his boots with news of a possible new contender under the name Koala Airlines. Oh dear….

In defence news, the RAAF has taken delivery of its first MQ-4C Triton aircraft; the first of four on order which will be based in northern Australia at RAAF Base Tindal, and operated remotely from RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia by 9 Squadron.

9SQN had been stood down since 1989, following the transfer of Australia’s Blackhawk fleet to the Army, and has now been reactivated in this new RPAS role. The squadron enjoys a rich history however, dating back to its inception in 1939.

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged 737, 737 MAX, 9SQN, Air Australia, Ansett, Army, Blackhawk, Bonza, Compass Airlines, Edinburgh, Impulse, JetGo, Jetstar, Koala Airlines, MQ4C, OzJet, RAAF, RPAS, SA, Tindal | Comments Off

Episode 777: GippsAero is Aussie again but some of Bonza’s pax aren’t happy

Posted on December 6, 2023 by admin

It’s an auspicious episode given it’s aligned to the mighty Boeing Triple-7 aircraft (the originals, not the -X :) ) but the main news is that the boys are very happy to report that George Morgan, the surviving co-founder of GippsAero, has purchased the company back from Mahindra Aerospace. His plans are to re-activate refurbishments and rebuilds of the GA-8 Airvan fleet with a goal of reviving production. Great news indeed!

Sadly, it’s not so great news for Bonza’s passengers in Darwin who were expecting to fly to the Gold Coast, only to discover that their flight was cancelled at the last minute and, in fact, the commencement of the Darwin to Gold Coast route has been pushed back to January. Fuming passengers report less than stellar responses from Bonza’s only way of getting customer service: via the Bonza app. Is this an indication of general troubles ahead for Bonza? Are they repeating Tiger Airways Australia‘s mistakes of trying to grow too quickly? We sure hope not.

Meanwhile, Virgin Australia are increasing their 737 MAX-8 order up to 14 airframes. Announced on the day their third MAX-8 arrived, VA joins Bonza as the only two domestic operators of the MAX-8 in Australia, as Qantas is planning to replace their 737 fleet with A320s.

Staying with Virgin Australia, they’ve rekindled their relationship with Air New Zealand through a new codeshare agreement that will allow VA pax to cross the Tasman on AirNZ aircraft. This will bring more passengers to AirNZ and give VA frequent flyers the opportunity to earn those all important Status Credits as they cross the ditch. Grant just wants to know where the hell was this agreement five months ago when he was booking his flights to NZ for September and had to fly Qantas.

The boys wrap the episode with Steve possibly offending our Kiwi audience, much to Grant’s dismay. Remember, you can always use IamReallyOffended@Yahoo.com if you want to tell Steve how annoying and/or wrong he was…

GippsAero GA-8 AirVan

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged 737, 737 MAX, 777, A320, Air New Zealand, Airvan, app, Boeing, Bonza, cancelled, codeshare, customer service, Darwin, frequent flyer, GA8, George Morgan, GippsAero, Gold Coast, Mahindra Aerospace, MAX, passengers, Qantas, routes, status credits, Tasman, Tiger Airways, Velocity, Virgin Australia | Comments Off

Episode 774: Indo Pacific 2023 had helicopters, drones, and … Grant

Posted on November 15, 2023 by admin

Despite saying they’d be back next week, reality got in the way and the boys are back this week instead. They’re from Down Under and you know time works differently down here, right?

The Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition (IndoPac 2023) was held between November 7th & 9th in Sydney, and Grant was in attendance, gathering content for Australian Defence Magazine. We take a brief look at the expo, particularly in terms of a focus on maritime aviation and defence.

Closer to home, local company Rosebank Engineering has secured a contract for RAAF F-35 component maintenance, activating their wheel & brake repair depot in an outer eastern suburb of Melbourne. Could this be the same Rosebank that produced the infamous Stackhat, the all Australian crash helmet from back in the 80s?

Over in Perth, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) this week celebrated 30 years of operations at RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia, conducting lead-in and advanced training for their military pilots. The Australian Defence Force enjoys a close working relationship with the Singaporeans not only at Pearce, but in several other aspects of training including CH-47 Chinook training at the Army Aviation Regiment’s base at Oakey in Queensland.

We also look at new, deployable hangars from DomeShelter, that use 40′ shipping containers and an inflatable cover. Pretty amazing stuff that also has potential for use as a deployable studio for the boys…

Finally, to bring us back to the maritime start, what exactly was Steve eating for lunch that has Grant so concerned? Tune in to find out! Anchors (or stomach contents) away….

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged ADM, CH47, deployable, F35, fish, food, friends, hangar, IndoPac23, lunch, Oakey, PC21, Perth, RAAF, RAAF Pearce, Rosebank Engineering, RSAF, S211, stackhat, tuna noodles, Western Australia | Comments Off

Episode 772: Qantas’ reputation drops as passenger annoyance (& fares) go up

Posted on November 1, 2023 by admin

Steve’s recovery continues so the boys dive into the latest stories, kicking off with the realisation that the RAAF (or maybe the government) were listening to Episode 770 as the RAAF have been sent into Israel to provide repatriation flights for Australian citizens wishing to return home.

Meanwhile, back at home, Qantas hasn’t had the best of years, especially when it comes to reputational damage, and the latest Roy Morgan Trusted Brands Awards bear this out following a year long survey which shows Virgin Australia has now replaced their larger rival as the most trusted airline brand in the land. Further helping the reputational damage, Qantas has found another way to annoy customers (and they likely won’t be the only airline doing it), announcing fare increases of 3.5% for their mainline network, and 3% for Jetstar flights, thanks mainly to the rising cost of fuel

Closer to Melbourne, a local Member of Parliament has had a lucky escape, when a skydive aircraft he was on-board lost power soon after takeoff and returned to Earth with a thud. Everyone walked away, with only two people requiring first aid…which was lucky because this MP just happens to be a former professional firefighter.

We close out with Steve wondering if Australia is planning to start its very own Space Force?? Well… probably not, but a recent agreement signed by the US and Australia will unlock the potential for both countries to move ahead with space launch from Down Under in the near to medium future.

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged agreement, citizens, crash, damage, fares, fuel, increase, Israel, Jetstar, launch, Melbourne, Qantas, RAAF, repatriation, reputation, Roy Morgan, skydive, Space Force, Virgin Australia | Comments Off

Episode 770: Downunder news of Hearts and Aviation… we’re back!

Posted on October 18, 2023 by admin

It’s been a rather eventful couple of months here in Australia for aviation news and a little closer to home.

Steve returns to the microphone following his recent journey with open heart surgery, the result of a heart attack in early September. The aviation podcast community was so generous in their support during this time, and we take a moment to speak to that and express our appreciation. For more information on the experience, check out Steve’s “Proceed Aspect” blog.

In aviation news this week, Qantas has been involved in transporting Australian citizens out of Israel, on behalf of the federal government, due to the escalating conflict there. At the time of recording, one 787 flight had been completed, while a second was aborted due to security concerns. That flight was rescheduled for Tuesday. The 787’s are taking passengers first to London where they are then returned to Australia using A380’s.

Former Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon shifted into politics in recent times and is now Prime Minister of New Zealand following the recent elections. The news comes as the nation’s flag carrier experiences financial stresses due largely to the escalating price of fuel, exacerbated by ongoing wranglings with Pratt & Whitney over engine issues, and a post-covid travel credit hangover.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is on a recruitment drive, offering multiple aircrew roles on their Dash 8 and Challenger 604 fleet. Find out more at this recruitment site.

An Australian man is at the centre of a recent incident which resulted in a Scoot 787 flight from Singapore to Perth being turned around & given an RSAF F-15 escort back to Changi

And the team at Paul Bennet Airshows have had a grand time at the recent Australian Aerobatic Championships, held at Narromine in New South Wales. Paul took out the Freestyle Championship, while many other members of them team swept the awards categories as well.

Steve very happy to walk out of the cardiac ward

Paul Bennet in the cockpit of his Pitts S1-11X

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged 787, A380, aerobatics, Air New Zealand, AMSA, Australian Aerobatic Championships, Challenger 604, Changi, coronary bypass, COVID, credits, Dash-8, F15, Federal Government, finances, heart attack, heart surgery, hospital, Israel, London, Narromine, NSW, Paul Bennet, Perth, Pratt & Whitney, Prime Minister, Qantas, recruiting, RSAF, Scoot, Singapore, Steve | Comments Off

Episode 748: Change of Monarch at Qantas by November

Posted on May 10, 2023 by admin

Qantas has dominated this week’s airline news so naturally this episode is all about them. We start with the news that long-time, and often controversial, CEO Alan Joyce has announced his intention to step down in November, handing the reins to the company’s current Chief Financial Officer, Vanessa Hudson.

Hudson has been working at the airline in various roles over her 28 year career, and her appointment comes as no surprise, despite claims of a world-wide search for Joyce’s replacement, taking in around 40 potential candidates. Alan Joyce began his airline career in 1988 at Aer Lingus, coming to Australia in 1996 for roles at Ansett before joining Qantas in 2000. He became the CEO of low-cost offshoot Jetstar in 2003 before being appointed Qantas CEO in 2008.

Meanwhile, Qantas is once again taking unions to court, this time over the question of A380 Second Officer vacancies, and whether they’re able to bypass the long standing convention of pilot seniority to fill current gaps. Their proposal includes recruiting aircrew from outside the company. The Australian & International Pilots Association wants the seniority system retained, and the decision of the court may well have broader implications for Australian workers, should they be unsuccessful.

Alan Joyce and Vanessa Hudson
Image credit: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged A380, Aer Lingus, AIPA, aircrew, Alan Joyce, Ansett, CEO, CFO, court, Jetstar, pilot, Qantas, second officer, seniority, union, Vanessa Hudson | Comments Off

Episode 747: Memories of the Queen

Posted on May 3, 2023 by admin

This week being episode 747, we decided to have a little fun and look at some Australian Boeing 747 milestones over the years. There are so many to cover, so these are just a snapshot. We highly recommend checking out the Aussie Airliners website for a superb reference on Jumbo’s and many, many other types in Australian service.

We also include a piece from our friend Owen Zupp who was one of the pilots taking Qantas’ final 747 on its flight to the Victorville Boneyard. As it left Australian skies, the aircraft’s flight path traced a flying kangaroo, with Owen telling us some of the planning that went into it. This is an excerpt from our full interview with Owen which you can find at Plane Crazy Down Under‘s Series 2, Episode 2: Owen Zupp on Resilience.

Meanwhile, in the news this week, regional operator ReX have made the decision to cut schedules across their route network, citing access to trained staff and the impact of global supply chain issues impacting their ability to service and operate their fleet, especially in terms of sourcing parts & spares for their SAAB 340’s.

The Australian Government’s Defence Strategic Review has been released, and we continue to pour over the details, with the Army appearing to cop the brunt of cutbacks and/or changes to equipment and posturing, while the impact, if any, on defence aviation operations remains to be seen. We’ll have more on this in future editions of this report, and on Plane Crazy Down Underaus & the Australian Defence Magazine podcast in coming weeks.

Finally, it’s been 14 years since our first meet-up at Moorabbin that spawned the Australia Desk and PCDU. Plus, as we record this, it’s David Vanderhoof’s birthday so, sadly, Grant just had to sing Happy Birthday…

Qantas 747-438 VH-OJA arrives at Woolongong for permanent display at HARS
(Image by Seth Jaworski)

Steve, Grant & Steven Pam at the Airplane Geeks meetup in 2009, from which the Australia Desk and PCDU were born…

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged 747. 747-400, ADM, Army, birthday, Boeing, David Vanderhoof, DSR, Federal Government, flightpath, flying kangaroo, Moorabbin, Owen Zupp, PCDU, Qantas, REX, Steven Pam | Comments Off

Episode 746: Vale Max Hazelton, an Australian aviation pioneer

Posted on April 26, 2023 by admin

There’s lots to talk about this week (no surprise given it’s been two weeks since the last Geeks episode) so we’re going to try to compress it into less than 10 minutes. Do you think we can do it this time without reverting to compression techniques or gagging Grant? Well, listen and find out :)

Aviation pioneer Max Hazelton has sadly passed away shortly before his 96th birthday after quite the career. Max was the founder of Hazelton Airlines which became a subsidiary of Ansett Airlines and then merged with Kendell Airlines to become Regional Express (aka REX) after Ansett went under in September 2001.

Speaking of REX, they’ve taken a financial stake in a local electric propulsion company.

Meanwhile, Qantas’ bid to take over Alliance Airlines is blocked by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Qantas are not happy about it.

Finally, a former RAF Museum P-51 Mustang arrives at the Hunter Fighter Collection in Scone where it was reassembled to static display in just three days.

Whew! Done in under 10 minutes with no sneaky shenanigans. Who knew? :)

Posted in Australia Desk | Tagged ACCC, Alliance Airlines, Ansett, ANZAC, DSR, Hazelton Airlines, Hunter Fighter Collection, Kendell Airlines, Max Hazelton, Mustang, P51, Qantas, REX | Comments Off