We previewed it in April last year but Airborne Technologies and Tecnam waited until today to announce it at Farnborough.

With a fanfare at the world’s favourite airshow, Austria based Airborne Technologies, active in the field of airborne surveillance, presented a smart & efficient twin engine Tecnam P2006T specially modified for observation, law enforcement, mapping and sensing missions.

“This IFR multi-fuel aircraft brings a totally new perspective to the airborne surveillance and remote sensing market,” says Airborne Technologies. “It inspires with its unbeatable low operating costs, simplicity of systems and world-wide maintainability while offering superior sensor payload and endurance.”

The company evaluated several different general aviation platforms as a basis for its special mission aircraft, but the P2006T was found very impressive from the first glance, in particular for its non-dependency on sometimes hard-to-find Avgas fuel, an endurance of more than 8 hours, and generous cabin space resulting in sensor and mission equipment flexibility.

To transform the P2006T for special mission roles, the team of Airborne Technologies had to add a number of modifications such as additional electrical power (a separate 28V/70 Amp electrical mission supply), a retractable sensor system and an integrated pilot flight guidance system/sensor operator workstation.

All modifications and sensor integration (up to 170 kilo) were developed and certified under supplemental type certificates (STC) by Airborne Technologies and the type is branded TECNAM MMA (TECNAM Multi Mission Aircraft.) TECNAM’s well established dealer network for worldwide distribution and service was another important factor of the cooperation agreement between the two companies.

Although until now observation and mapping missions have been reserved to bigger FAR part 23 and part 25 aircraft, the trend towards miniaturised electronic sensor equipment and the development of new sensor technologies – for example hyper/multispectral sensing – enabled this major step torward cost effective multi mission aircraft.

Performance figures haven’t yet been confirmed but when we last heard (from Wagga Air Centre’s Chris Cabot who went to Italy to fly one) says he simply didn’t believe the quoted numbers until he did:

“Being an old twin driver (of Cessna 310s, Piper Navajos and the like) I simply didn’t believe the quoted performance figures. I was the most skeptical person and I reckoned there was no way known that aeroplane was going to fly on one engine, let alone climb on one.”

“But I was wrong. Our takeoff weight was 80 kg over MTOW with the test pilot aboard. We went to normal cruise height and flew it around on two engines at 140 KIAS. We then shut down one engine and that didn’t seem to matter; the aircraft performed just as well either way, airspeed drops back to about 110 kt, it flies quite comfortably turning into or away from the dead engine with no dramas.

“So I said ‘Will I climb on one engine? Let’s find out.’

“VMCa is 73 knots indicated, and best climb rate speed is 80 kt. At 80 kg over max takeoff weight we were climbing at 520 feet per minute on a 28 degree day at sea level. Leg room in the back was great and with the pilot in the front seat I could just reach out and get my toes under the seat in front, so there’s heaps of leg room in here and a lot of luggage space. One of the design features they’ve put into it for certification is an emergency hatch in the roof so if you ever land in the water you can get out through the roof leaving the doors sealed so it’ll keep floating.”

Power comes from two 100 hp Rotax engines with hydraulic constant speed units and full feathering capability. The aircraft has a trailing link undercarriage so it’s very hard to do a disappointing landing, said Chris: “We operated out of a 400m strip and takeoffs and landings there presented no worries at all, I reckon it’ll really suit the Cessna 182 pilot who wants that IFR twin capability. It outperformed all my expectations.”

Kiwis love air shows as least as much as Aussies. Possibly more, now that they have two biennial events in alternative years – on at Wairarapa on the North Island and the South Island’s (until now) better-known Wings Over Wanaka.

Now being billed as one of Australasia’s biggest and fastest-growing air shows, New Zealand’s Wings Over Wairarapa 2011, is expected in its 11^th year to see this popular event really come of age. The three day display will be on again at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton in the heart of New Zealand’s Wairarapa region, from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 January 2011.

The Masterton event runse every second year odd years – with the South Island’s “Wings over Wanaka” taking up the even number years

The show is organised by Trust House, a community owned enterprise dedicated to returning support to NZ communities, and grants are provided to organisations that add colour and depth to the quality of community life. The coming event certainly meets that spec.

The theme of the 2011 show, ‘We Will Remember’, will celebrate not only the aircraft but the men and women that have shaped the history of aviation, making it a tribute show not to be missed.  Veterans from both New Zealand and Australia will be welcomed at the show and there will be a special salute to them during the weekend.

Over 70 aircraft will be displayed, representing a unique account of the history of aviation.  Although aircraft types are always subject to late changes, WW2 aircraft you shouldn’t be surprised to see would include Catalina, several Harvards, P40 Kittyhawk, Tiger Moth, and P51 Mustang. There’s also a display of  WW1 aircraft including Nieuport II, Fokker D VII and SE-5a biplanes, one we han’t heard of called a Skybolt, Some stunning (aircraft) models, and assorted ground-based military hardware.

And as the Cessna 180/185 is probably the world’s best known passenger tail-dragger, Wings Over Wairarapa are getting together with the 180 Club to have up to 80 of the type as guests over the weekend. That promises to be a pretty impressive line-up of one type of aircraft, and quite a tribute to the type that helped postwar NZ to upgrade its agricultural fleet from Tiger Moths.

Activities during the show will include a handling display and a fly-past of C180 and 185s, and there are also a huge gaggle of YAKs and lots of GA visitors and their aircraft.

And it’s relatively easy to get to, being only and hour and a half by train or car from Wellington (or 30 minutes by chartered aircraft.) This is an attractive advantage for visitors, enabling them to enjoy the many attractions of one of New Zealand’s most interesting cities, while still being close enough to commute to the show easily on a daily basis. A designated air show train service runs to and from Wellington, as does a chartered flight service, on each day of the show, with both timed with the show’s operating hours in mind and ensuring that patrons can relax and enjoy the day out.

A number of the feature aircraft attending the show have already been announced and are detailed on the show’s recently launched website – www.wings.org.nz. These include aircraft from The Vintage Aviator Collection, billed as the largest privately-owned collection of WWI aircraft in the world, which is based at Hood Aerodrome, along with some ‘stars’ from WWII, a number of which will be making their air show debut at Wings Over Wairarapa 2011.

And NZ’s proactive tourism industry can certainly be relied on to create attractive packages for visitors who want to enjoy this event as part of a broader NZ visit.

Train tickets can be purchased in conjunction with your air show tickets through all Ticketek outlets.  Coach transfers will be provided from the Masterton railway station to and from Hood Aerodrome.

Headline pic courtesy Dave Cornick

Flying yourself in and out of Canberra might be about to get as easy and pleasant as it used to be when the world’s most modest GA pilot won his PPL there in 1960. We were even allowed – in fact encouraged – to land and take off on the grass between the runways, and not to waste a lot of radio energy unless we were turning base or wanted to cross a runway that was occupied (or about to be) by a Vickers Viscount.

But only 50 years later, GA pilots were beginning to feel like blowflies at a barbecue.

The recently-formed Canberra Region Aviators Association has a solution. Their goal is establish a general aviation airfield close to Canberra to provide a smaller, more friendly and non-competing destination for the nation’s recreational aviators, whether they live in Canberra, Cunnamulla  or Camooweal.

Accessible to all flyers including those without controlled airspace privileges, the proposed new airfield would complement Canberra’s existing airport and relieve the pressures on all ACT aviation operations.

The group already has around 65 members, but believes that if CASA and RA-Aus numbers are counted a membership of well over 1,200 from in and around Canberra is achievable.

CRAA spokesman Michael Monck says the move is a response to growing demand from local aviators:

“We’ve established a good working relationship with the ACT government, and we’re hoping for ongoing assistance. That would not necessarily mean financial aid, but in the form of helping make it happen. The government has already allocated us $50.000 in funding to do a formal study related to demand for an airfield and to gauge the level of probable interest among Canberra residents.

“Part of the study will be identifying suitable sites within the ACT, and all feasible locations will be reviewed regarding terrain, microclimate, nearby population, compatibility with local controlled airspace and accessibility.”

However suitable terrain (flat land) in the ACT is not plentiful and the group believes at least one site near Williamsdale (about 20 nautical miles south of Canberra International) which had already been identified in the past by other proponents, seems to match GA’s needs.

“Well be very thorough, but at this point Williamsdale is possibly the best available site in the ACT,” says Monck.

Unusually for any airport these days Canberra’s new GA airfield would be a not-for-profit arrangement, offering space for hangars, visiting and resident aircraft, and (as demand builds) some basic visitor facilities. Hangars would be available subject to local minimum build standards, providing opportunities for on-airfield commercial hangar space and maintenance services, and CRAA would be seeking sub-lease arrangements that would allow transfer of leases without un-necessary obstacles.

The details of how all that would come together regarding ownership, leasing tenure and management are yet to be defined but the whole proposition is expected to be based on the long term non-involvement of government in ongoing operation, management and funding.

Growth of the facility would demand-driven but initial development would be based (probably) on two natural surface strips, formed for ample drainage and all-weather surface, also with adequate space for extra runway length.

The group acknowledges that any new airfield would need to cater for flying training and potential usage growth, and any profits would  be retained and used for improving the facility – taxiways, runway improvements and airport buildings in general. Retained landing-fee revenue would be reserved for the demand-driven development.

CRAA is pressing on with its commitment to the ACT government to assess demand for the airport. If you’re not an ATC aircraft owner or operator but may some day want to fly to Canberra, a letter of support can’t do any harm. Just address it to

CRAA Secretary, 43 Waite St, Farrer, ACT 2607.

And keep an eye on CRAA’s web site: http://www.craa.org.au/

European aerospace giant EADS has showcased what it says are the world’s first flights of an aircraft solely powered by pure biofuel made from algae.

The development is being welcomed by forward-looking general aviation operators seeking better operating economies, long-term environmental credibility, and a clear strategic future in terms of fuel availability. Capable of using either Jet A1 or commercial diesel fuel, compression-ignition power has long been a goal of major general manufacturers as global uncertainty increases over the diminishing market for Avgas.

A Diamond DA42 New Generation (NG) twin-engined light training and touring propeller-driven aircraft, powered by two Austro AE300 diesel-cycle engines, flew daily demonstrations at Germany’s ILA 2010, held at Berlin’s Schönefeld in the last week of May. (ILA stands for ‘Internationale Luftfahrt Austellung’ – International Aviation Display).  EADS is using the DA42 as a “flying testbed” for biofuel, and for this purpose it made no modifications to the fuselage and only small adjustments at the engines.

The original all carbon-composite DA42 Twin Star was one of the world’s first general aviation aircraft developed specifically for diesel power and was fitted with twin Thielert Centurion 1.7 litre diesel engines based on the Daimler Mercedes TDI automotive engine. It was certified in Europe in 2004 and in the USA a year later.

But engine manufacturer Thielert became insolvent in 2008 and Diamond was left with a beautiful and advanced-technology aeroplane but no diesel-cycle engine to power it. Current production Diamond DA42s are powered by conventional Avgas-powered Lycoming IO-360 petrol engines, but Diamond formed its own subsidiary diesel engine company, Austro, to return the project to its original compression-ignition power concept.

Diamond achieved EASA certification for the new engine in March 2009 and returned the DA42 to production as the DA42 NG. The Austro engine produces 20% more power, while giving better fuel economy than the Thielert engines, as well as offering a higher gross weight and increased performance.

Diamond says the higher energy content of the algae biofuel reduces the fuel consumption of the DA42 NG to 1.5 litres per hour lower when compared to conventional JET-A1 fuel – while maintaining equal performance. Tests also proved that only relatively minor modifications and adjustments had to be made to the aircraft’s engines to qualify the biofuel from algae for the demonstration flights:

“Algae are considered to be promising potential feedstock for biofuels, as certain species of algae contain high amounts of oil. This oil can be extracted, processed and refined for various uses. Grown for many years on a commercial basis for the development of products such as food supplements and cosmetics, microalgae have now emerged as one of the leading sources for alternative fuels. Microalgae reproduce rapidly and create at least 30 times more organic substance (biomass) per cultivation area than, for example, rapeseed. Their cultivation does not compete with food production. Algae can be grown on poor quality land using non potable or saltwater.

“Our pure bio fuel flight from algae is a world first and an exciting milestone in our research at EADS.” says Dr. Jean Botti, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of EADS. “This opens up the feasibility of carbon-neutral flights and we will continue to focus our research in this exciting area. Third generation biofuels are more than just a replacement for fossil petroleum – they push the possibilities of future propulsion.”

Exhaust gas quality measurements indicate that biofuel from algae contains eight times less hydrocarbons than kerosene derived from crude oil. In addition, nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide emissions will also be reduced (up to 40 percent less nitrogen oxides and ca. 10 ppm sulfur oxides vs. 600 ppm of  conventional Jet-A1-fuel) due to the very low nitrogen and sulfur content of the biofuel compared to fossil fuel.

EADS says algae can be produced in sufficiently large quantities without competing with food production for fertile land or potable water: “EADS research shows that all necessary technologies to develop the production of biofuel from algae are known, but industrial size and economy require further development. EADS is working with partners towards a pilot project to develop the necessary industrial infrastructure.

“Currently it is significantly more expensive to produce oil from algae in comparison to sourcing crude oil. If algae-based fuel is to be able to compete with kerosene, research and development work must aim to establish a cost effective mass production of algae biofuels using industrial quantities of carbon dioxide.”

A modern efficient aerodynamic design only needed an equally efficient power source

EADS’ motivation for the research is driven by the group’s deep involvement in civil and military general aviation aircraft production:

“As a systems architect of aircraft and helicopters, we consider that it is our responsibility to foster research on biofuels, even if we are not directly involved in the energy business”, states EADS CTO Jean Botti. “Therefore, EADS pursues research for suitable alternatives to fossil fuels and works together with leading research institutes as well as state governments and stakeholder companies from around the world towards achieving the climate protection goals of the aviation industry.” The goals for the year 2020 set by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) include a carbon dioxide reduction by 50% and a nitrogen oxides reduction by 80%.”

Diamond aircraft was one of five companies which last week signed contracts and agreements for the use of EADS technologies that are commercially available to develop new products, improve production and expand market opportunities. A technology licensing contract with Diamond Aircraft Industries enables this manufacturer to use EADS’ patented Vacuum Assisted Process (VAP) in the production in the field of general aviation and personal jet aircraft. VAP allows composite structures to be manufactured without the use of traditional autoclaves, and provides high quality parts that are more cost effective to produce while also improving production flexibility and reducing throughput times.

Brian Sorfleet, one of our aircraft classified advertisers, has identified a scam you probably should know about if you’ve posted an aircraft for sale with AviationAdvertiser – or anywhere else for that matter.

Brian’s company BES Operations P/L (previously Aviation Centre P/L) was offering two aircraft plus two spare engines, when he found himself selected for some trickery. A government “scam watch” agency tells him this is a pretty common stunt with expensive cars, but they haven’t previously seen it in aircraft markets. Here’s how it works.

First, Brian gets an e-mail in response to his ad. There’s then an exchange of e-mails about price, condition, airworthiness documentation, ferry versus freight, aircraft performance etc, and finally the buyer makes an offer – in Brian’s case from an address in Germany. The total agreed price for two aircraft and two spare engines, is AU$270,000. The buyer also says the details including a pre-sale inspection will be handled by his “agent.”

The e-mails give the impression that the buyer knows about aircraft. Brian asks for a 10% deposit of $27,500, and also for a contact phone number of his agent. The “buyer” agrees to the deposit and supplies the e-mail address of the agent who is to inspect the aircraft and organise its transfer to Germany.

The vendor then contacts the London based agent, who replies stating he is “a professional aviation agent registered in the United Kingdom and Wales respectively and have license to perform worldwide.”

The buyer e-mails the vendor saying the $27,500 deposit has been sent to Paypal to his benefit, but he needs to send $5,500 to the agent by Western Union for his fees before Paypal will credit his account.

In this case “caveat emptor” means “beware of the buyer.”

Everything’s looking good at this stage, and the vendor gets an e-mail (purportedly) from Pay Pal confirming it is holding the 10% down payment plus $5,500 for “shipping and handling fees,” which has to be paid to the buyer’s agent through a Western Union transfer before the $22,000 balance can be transferred by Pay Pal into Brian’s account.

But in this case Brian Sorfleet smells a pretty good-sized rat and contacts Pay Pal, who confirm that the email was a bogus one.

So Brian plays along with the scam and contacts the agent, saying he’s not keen on the Western Union bit, but will have a friend (who is a Detective Chief Superintendent in London) call in and pay the fee in person on his behalf. (He actually knows one too.)

The agent emails back immediately refusing to deal with him or his friend.

There are further emails and a telephone from the “purchaser” asking him to pay the agent, so he finally sends a copy of the E-mail to Pay Pal, advising them of the bogus misuse of their name. There has been no contact since, from the German buyer or the English “agent.”

So the whole stunt was about ripping Brian off for a $5,500 “agent fee.”

It mightn’t sound like a lot but if it can be done with just a few fake e-mails and if they do it often enough, it would make them a lot of money, wouldn’t it?

In this event names that popped up included people who identified themselves as Stephen Murphy and Marc Bansch, and e-mail addresses merishdream@gmx.de; and agent@appraiser.net. These events are all confirmed by e-mails. Check before doing business with them.

Thanks Brian.

Sponsored by Gippsland Aeronautics’ new 75% owners Mahindra Aerospace, the flight aims to celebrate 100 years of Australian aviation and to raise money for Malaria awareness. It will also be the first-ever time an Australian manufactured aircraft has ever circumnavigated the globe!

A GA8 Airvan in one of its many new environments around the globe

To be fair, that doesn’t include home-built aeroplanes, because we know at least two which have successfully made the long trip.

Leaving Bendigo on May 8 the Airvan crossed the Pacific to the USA via refuelling stops at Norfolk Island, American Samoa, Christmas Island in Kiribati and Hilo, Hawaii. The first stop in continental USA was at Mojave, California where the aircraft underwent scheduled servicing.

From Mojave the crew flew across the southern states to New Orleans with a stop at Phoenix, Arizona. Their landing at Phoenix coincided with the opening of a new office for Mahindra Engineering Services, a sponsor of the flight.

The next stop was in Kingston Jamaica where the crew found that they had flown into a full scale state of emergency that had erupted since their departure from the USA 12 hours earlier. The pilots could hear gunfire and explosions near the airport. From Jamaica the route then took them to Barbados in the Caribbean and then via various landing places to Natal in Brazil.

From Brazil the crew had originally planned to cross the Atlantic Ocean to Ghana. However, as severe weather in Africa looked like delaying the flight, they opted to enter Africa via Namibia with a refuelling stop at the tiny mid Atlantic Ocean Ascension Island. The island, which played a crucial role in the Falklands war, is a British possession but the island’s “Wideawake” airbase is jointly run by the RAF and the USAF. For this reason obtaining permission to land there normally takes three weeks, however, due to the nature of the flight permission was quickly granted.

The crew then attempted to cross to Namibia but were thwarted by strong headwinds and they were forced to return to Ascension. The following day a break in the weather in Ghana enabled them to complete the Atlantic crossing to Accra, the halfway point.

We haven’t heard any more from them but they should by now have crossed Equatorial Africa to Entebbe in Uganda. Their final stop in Africa was to be at Dar As Salaam in Tanzania. Following servicing of the aircraft at Dar As Salaam the flight will cross the Indian Ocean to Bangalore via a refuelling stop in the Seychelles. While in Bangalore they will be warmly welcomed by their major sponsor a division of Mahindra and Mahindra.

From India the route takes them across the Bay of Bengal and south East Asia to Zamboanga in the Philippines, then to various locations in Papua New Guinea before returning to Australia via Cairns. They are due back at Bendigo around July 10.

You can follow their progress (and support their fund-raising) on http://www.millionsagainstmalaria.com/

Ken Evers (l) and Tim Pryse departing Bendigo

The operation has underscored the performance capabilities of Eurocopter’s Ecureuil (Squirrel) helicopter in extreme conditions – including the most challenging high-altitude operations, where the thin air reduces the available thrust from the engine as well as the helicopter’s aerodynamic performance and power margins for safe manoeuvring. And the wispy clouds indicate wind gusts and resulting turbulence that make the flying even more demanding.

Who took this picture?

The rescue was effected by “long-lining,” lowering a rescue worker on a long rope to strap himself to each stranded climber individually, winching them aboard, and evacuating them one by one to a base camp at an altitude of 4,000 meters (13,000 ft). The climbers had been stranded on the mountain for 36 hours.

The single-engined Squirrel was operated by Fishtail Air, a charter helicopter company based at Kathmandu, Nepal, and Switzerland’s Air Zermatt.

At locations like the rescue site, long-lining has to be used to keep the main and tail rotors at a safe distance from the steeply sloping rock.

This mission utilised Fishtail Air’s second AS350 B3, which arrived in Nepal on March 1 to join a fleet that includes an AS350 B and one AS350 B2, along with the company’s first AS350 B3.

Air Zermatt’s Capt. Daniel Aufdenblatten flew the rescue aircraft, while Swiss Mountain Guide Richard Lenner was deployed as a human sling to lift the stranded climbers onto the longline. In addition to this difficult operation, Fishtail Air’s newest AS350 B3 also rescued four Korean climbers and three Nepalese Sherpas on April 26 from Nepal’s Mount Manaslu, extracting them at an altitude of approximately 6,500 meters. Piloting the helicopter was Fishtail Capt. Sabin Basnyat, who was joined by Air Zermatt’s Daniel Aufdenblatten and Richi Lehner. Mount Manaslu is the world’s eighth highest mountain, while Mount Annapurna is the tenth highest.

“These rescues are tributes to the crews’ professionalism, as well as the capability of our AS350 Squirrel and the twin-engined AS550 Fennec military version to deliver performance and reliability in the most extreme conditions,” said Eurocopter Group President and CEO Lutz Bertling.

Due for delivery in September 2011, the AS365 N3 is the latest variant in Eurocopter’s Dauphin range. The four tonne, medium size, twin-engine helicopter has an unusually long range (for a helicopter) of 650km, can seat up to  and features advanced avionics that support the latest search & rescue and day/night surveillance capabilities under instrument flight rules (IFR).

Mission capabilities provided by the advanced avionics and the twin Turbomeca ARRIEL 2C engines allow operations in the harshest conditions including high altitudes and high temperatures. An unusually large power margin of 729 kW (977 shaft horsepower) allows rooftop landings and takeoffs in urban areas in complete safety.

The Dauphin’s business version seats up to 12, and the copious cabin offers versatility for a wide range of operations from medical evacuation, search and rescue, winch retrieval, rapid response force deployment to over-city police support functions. Dauphin’s ducted tail rotor makes it unusually quiet which is aan added advantage in urban operations.

Around 650 Dauphins are operated by police, homeland security and search and rescue agencies around the world, including three which have been flown and updated for many years by Victoria Police.

Karl O’Callaghan, Western Australia Police Commissioner says the Dauphin is a vital addition to the state’s police air wing.

“Having two helicopters will increase the capacity of Western Australia Police to provide aerial support to frontline policing, search and rescue, counter terrorism operations and whole-of-government emergency management response,” Commissioner O’Callaghan says.

Dr Jens Goennemann, Chief Executive Officer Australian Aerospace believes the Dauphin is the ideal helicopter for the Western Australia Police.

“The Dauphin can operate in the extreme temperatures which are common in many parts of Western Australia,” he says. “It is powered by two Turbomeca ARRIEL 2C gas turbines, which means the helicopter can take off at maximum weight at more than 50° Celsius or at more than 40° Celsius with a full load in Category A conditions at sea level.

“Combining best value for money and a wide range of capabilities, the Dauphin represents the most cost-effective solution to meeting the Western Australia Police mission requirement.”

Maybe even some of the Pilbara's more colourful drivers might need to watch their mirrors!

News of the sale comes as Australian Aerospace showcases a wide range of Eurocopter helicopters at the HeliPacific 2010 conference on the Gold Coast.

The number and variety of helicopters being showcased by Eurocopter include the latest word in basic/advanced aircrew trainers, the EC135 – essentially the civil version of the military EC635 – which is being proposed as the new trainer for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

“Australian Aerospace has a great deal of experience in providing customised training solutions to the Commonwealth,” says Dr Goennemann, “so we are well positioned and ready to build on our strategic partnership with the Commonwealth through the AIR 9000 Phase 7 program.”

A flying school’s dream – A nearly full car park and an airborne fleet

To celebrate its revival, the school ran an open house and BBQ last Saturday, well attended by local and fly-in well-wishing visitors.

Even though it’s just 50 minutes down the Monash Freeway from Melbourne’s CBD, it’s not at risk of being converted to (or surrounded by) commercial real estate, but is still close enough to Melbourne’s ever-expanding outskirts to guarantee business growth.

Why can’t it be built out? Well for a start it’s on the shoreline of Western Port Bay, there’s wetland mangrove marshes under the approaches to the main runway, and town planning doesn’t favour residential development because it’s considered too close to the low-lying coastline when the icebergs all melt. There’s even a trawler stranded in the mangroves beside the runway as a reminder of the airfield’s maritime surroundings.

Formerly owned by TGS Air Charter, the school is now owned by businessman Danny Morino’s Aus Air Services which bought the flying school operation from Gary Morrison, acquired four Jabirus, and is leasing the facilities and the use of the airport.

CFI Ian Loveridge says: “The school’s open seven days a week from 7.30 am to ten minutes before last light.” Of the four other senior instructors, three have CASA commercial licences, and Ian’s now doing his as well. The senior instructors include Jim Duff, formerly a senior Ansett captain and Christoph Feuillye, an experienced senior GA instructor.

The school’s customer base is everywhere from Melbourne city and the fast-growing area to its southeast, says Loveridge: “A lot of people stay with just recreational flying, but there are also quite a few who use the school as a starting point for young students with airline aspirations, and a lot GA pilots who are fed up with the GA scenario and come over to take advantage of the more user-friendly recreational side of the business. A loose social group organises regular hangar talks and there’s a monthly flying competition day on the first Sunday of each month. We like to think of it as a professional organisation and Danny has some very solid plans for expansion.”

The school’s fleet comprises one Jabiru 160 and three of the longer-wingspan Jabiru 170s, and the school also has a Texan on its lineup, and runs popular Tiger Moth Adventure Flights as well as a Piper Chieftain and a Cessna 210 as a separate charter business.

The main runway 22/04 is sealed and 1,000m in length, and there are two cross strips as well -  32/14 is 500m and gravelled for crosswinds, and 11/29 offers 500m of grass. Tooradin is a CTAF on 124.2, which is also monitored by the office.

Also on the airport are Commando Skydivers, who were busy all day Saturday, and Bristow Helicopters, who service Origin Energy’s Bass Strait oil rigs with two big Sikorsky helicopters and a Super Puma to come. Quite a few private aircraft owners keep their aircraft there as well.

There’s plenty of parking, a great club-like atmosphere, and even a top restaurant, “Wings & Fins” which is open Wednesday through Sunday and one of its specialties is fresh Flinders Island crayfish in season, which are flown directly to Tooradin.

The problems of unregulated abuse of monopoly, political indifference and related knavery in the GA and regional airports context are daily escalating, and AviationAdvertiser is now fully dedicated to bringing them into the public and political limelight. In the next couple of days we’ll be launching two new parallel competitions – one for the best Australian airport in terms of GA outcomes, and the other for the worst.

We need factual information and proof in the form of documents, statements and photographs, but naturally we’re prepared to protect the identity of information providers where necessary, as long as we’re satisfied that the information is correct and verifiable. Watch for the launch of that program early this week, right here in the General Aviation category in this site. There are some almost unbelievable stories out there!

Meanwhile we’re providing pro bono publicity to Clamback & Hennessy to aid in their one-sided battle against an organisation which apparently believes it now owns their hangar because it bought the head lease on Bankstown Airport.

Please show your support by coming along if you can possibly make it.

And ring Aminta for any extra details you need.