Accents?? What accents?? It may well be a matter of perspective of course, but following on from last week’s discussion by the Geeks of Aussie accents vs American accents, we take a quick look at some of the challenges that can sometimes pose, from an aviation standpoint. Suffice to say, not all phonetics work: X for Xylophone, anyone? :)
In the news, Virgin Australia has resumed flights this week to the Pacific paradise of Vanuatu, following a three year COVID driven break. As you’ll hear, the crew received a warm welcome upon arrival in Port Vila.
Virgin are also expecting the delivery of their first 737 MAX aircraft, something also delayed, and obviously not only by the COVID years. The airline had originally placed their orders prior to the type’s well publicised issues, and hence put those plans on hold pending a solution. At any rate, we expect to see the first MAX in VA colours here in June.
And being Easter, we see the yearly reportage of massive queues and delays at many of Australia’s larger airports, as people flock to get away on the last holiday break before the Australian winter sets in.
Subscribe to our feed
Episode 743: Taking the MRH-90 for a drink
After a busy couple of weeks, the guys are back in the studio as Grant recovers from another weekend of air show commentary duties, this time at Benalla, 130 miles north of Melbourne. We discuss the role these regional air shows play in terms of promoting the importance and fun of aviation in the community.
Meanwhile, the Army’s fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters has been temporarily grounded following an incident this week. The crew of a Taipan conducting a special forces training exercise off Jervis Bay, 200km south of Sydney, had to ditch their aircraft after it appeared to lose power. Only minor injuries were sustained by some on-board, and the aircraft was successfully recovered. An investigation is now underway,
Staying with military, Northrop Grumman Australia’s newly-modernised Brisbane Maintenance and Modification Centre (BMMC) has been officially re-opened; a major facility for the sustainment of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) aviation capability. Northrop Grumman has invested $20 million in the BMMC project and the facility conducts continuous through life support to RAAF fleets including its six KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and 10 C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, and will provide jobs for around 100 people.
And across the Ditch in New Zealand, Bevan Dewes’ immaculately restored, former Royal New Zealand Air Force Harvard Mk.IIa (NZ1044) landed at its new home in Masterton, New Zealand on March 19th, 2023 following a three-year rebuild effort with Twenty24 Ltd, at Wanaka. Registered as ZK-OTU, the aircraft made its first post-restoration flight from Wanaka on March 10th.