Global growth and increasingly sophisticated demands on emergency medical services (EMS) finally inspired Bell Helicopter to design an aircraft specifically around the EMS market‘s needs. The world’s biggest helo manufacturer was guided to the decision by helicopter operators, and not all of them Bell addicts either, but they’re happy to keep Bell up to date with market expectations and their collective wisdom. AviationAdvertiser reports on the outcome.

The 30-plus aircraft types based on the original Avid Flyer include the popular homebuilt Kitfox, the Australian-made Skyfox which is now out of production, and also, as we discovered at Natfly in Temora, the Slovakia-built Eurofox LSA (light sport aircraft,) over 300  of which are now flying, including 12 in Australia. So what’s so singular about this one? Here’s what!

The new light sport aircraft category has spawned a wealth of innovation, produced some amazing flying capabilities, and brought new vigour to entry-level aviation. Piper has now entered the market by taking an already-developed LSA, enhancing it with some Piper-devised improvements, and marketing it globally as the Piper Sport.

Fly Synthesis’ fun-flying product range now includes six separate Italian-built light sport and ultralight aeroplane types, the most popular of which is its Texan Top Class 600 LSA. Having won my RAA pilot certificate in a Texan 550, I was more than happy when Australian Director Caz Monteleone invited me to update my Texan experience at his Donnybrook base on Melbourne’s northern fringe.

The Kiwis have coined a new acronym for their latest and arguably best-yet “airborne ute.” The PAC750 XL is now designated an “XSTOL” aircraft, standing for “EXTREMELY short takeoff & landing.” And it’s well described!  It all started well over 50 years ago when NZ started exporting its Fletcher FU24 superphosphate spreaders into Oz, along with emigrant ag pilots to fly them.  The Fletcher kicked off in 1954 with a minuscule 225 hp Continental O-470…

Paul Phelan flies Diamond’s newest four seat trainer/tourer.  There’s been a notable turnaround in Diamond aircraft’s sales since Hawker Pacific took on its regional representation, and the well-known Austrian/Canadian manufacturer now enjoys a strong and growing presence in the Australian and New Zealand markets.  Diamond’s biggest-yet sales boost, at least in our region, came with an impressive order from New Zealand’s Massy University, announced at Avalon last March… Read More

Italian light aircraft manufacturer TECNAM and Austria’s Airborne Technologies have rolled out a dedicated multi-mission surveillance variant of Tecnam’s new light retractable-gear twin.  TECNAM’s multi-mission aircraft (MMA) is now offered as an affordable and efficient airborne surveillance platform, exploiting modern ultra-lightweight surveillance systems that make it capable of extended on-station operations with a two-person crew comprising one pilot and one system operator.

Italian aeroplane builder Piaggio Aero is visiting Australian shores next week to introduce its P180 model Avanti aeroplane to the Australian market. Significantly the demo aircraft’s itinerary includes quite a lot of time reserved for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, by far Australia’s biggest Beechcraft King Air operator…  Read more

Well-known in the aircraft sales business, Bryce Ducker has recently returned from Canada with a new mission – to market Found Aircraft’s new Expedition E350, a new five seat utility bush aircraft with some pretty interesting performance figures. A direct descendant of Found Brothers FBA-2, and the later Bush Hawk XP, the new generation E350… Read more

Early in the Liberty XL2’s genesis, the British Europa kitplane designed by Ivan Shaw in the late 1980s was remarkably popular with over 1,000 units sold. But Europa founder Anthony Tiarks saw an even brighter future; he sold Europa to its management, and launched Liberty Aerospace in Melbourne, Florida.

With over 200 Tecnams of about a dozen models flying in Australia and New Zealand and some 3,500 worldwide, the highly successful Italian manufacturer is now focused on consolidating its strong foothold in the fast-growing light sport aircraft market, where pilot training has emerged as the biggest single user of LSA aircraft.

I’d already flown one of Jabiru’s upsized and upgraded airframes when they first appeared in experimental category as the J400, an agile and economical little four-seater that was already selling briskly in Australia and even more so overseas.

Wagga Air Centre’s Chris Cabot has been flying light twins on his night freight network long enough to be cynical about engine-out performance. So when Tecnam started quoting projected engine-out expectations for its neat little four-seat P2006 twin he invested $6,000 to go to Italy and see for himself.

In the past 5 years we have seen massive expansion in the recreational aviation space. Worldwide there has been an incredible light-sport manufacturing boom, reminiscent of the General Aviation glory days of the 1970’s and 80’s.  Just a short hop from Sydney, some 40 mins flying time and you can find yourself at the home base of one of Australia’s newest LSA players.

Big, Bulbous, Blunt and Beautiful.

With the number of sport aircraft online with us growing, we thought we should make the journey and place some faces to the growing list of SAAA names.

Having loaded up the car, the intrepid Aviation Advertiser team (Arno Smit our Web Guy, Max Miller our National Advertising Manager and I) armed with our cameras, red-shirts…

Red Baron Flight Experience.

The Red Baron of Sydney, businessman and aerobatic competition pilot Joel Haski, this week invited the aviationadvertiser.com.au team to experience the thrill, excitement and adrenalin rush of a RedBull Air Race Flight.

As you could imagine, it did not take me long to accept an offer, from my good friend Joel Haski, to review his latest aircraft…

How could we say “no thanks” when the guys at Morgan Aero Works dropped the invitation …