Plane Crazy Down Under

Grant about to take Kathy flying in a hot air balloonAll good things take time & so do our episodes, with this one taking perhaps the longest to produce of any of them. It’s also packed full of great content covering magazine editors, wing walkers, AOPA, another give-away competition, antique aircraft, solo trips . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 110: A Basket Full of Flight

Ryan Campbell is a 19 year old pilot from Australia who’s currently flying solo around the world to grab the record as the youngest pilot yet to make the epic journey. Steve caught up with Ryan just a couple of hours after he had arrived in Hilo, Hawaii to discuss the experience of island-hopped his . . . → Read More: TeenWorldFlight: Update #1 with Ryan Campbell

We're joined by Dave Homewood from the Wings Over New Zealand forum & podcast who talks to us about his career with the RNZAF, the Kiwi warbird scene and his excellent forum & podcast. We also feature more Avalon content including our KC-30A interview, the Herron RPV and Charles Cheeseman from Eco 2000. Finally, we introduce new team member Maikha Ly, announce another competition and work through a stack of listener mail. . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 109: Dave’s Cambridge Airforce

Flying solo around Australia is a challenging & amazing experience, even today (just ask Owen Zupp :) ). It's even more mind-blowing when you're a quadriplegic! This episode Steve & Grant talk to Dave Jacka who is setting out to be the first quadriplegic person to fly solo around Australia! We also include a chat Steve recorded with Laurie Jones from Adventure Wings about his role as a fire-bomber and the Nanchang adventure flights they operate from Tooradin (YTDN), a new View from the Lounge and even a competition! . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 108: On a Wing & a Chair

One of the many RAAF C17s at Avalon 2013We still have some Avalon 2013 coverage not yet released so we decided to produce a single episode dedicated to the C17 as there were multiple RAAF C17s and a USAF C17 present on the final day. In keeping with our previous Avalon 2013 episodes, . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 107: Avalon 2013 – Globemaster Central

We had contemplated a quiet final day at Avalon 2013 where the team could gather a few last interviews but it wasn’t to be. There were still so many people to see, content to capture and experiences to share with our audience. In fact, there’s so much content that we couldn’t fit it all into . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 106: Avalon 2013 – Day Six

Day Five of the Avalon Airshow 2013 is the first full public day and they turned out in force to enjoy great aviation action under clear blue skies. Despite the crowds we still managed to get around the airport to complete a number of interviews & meet up with plenty of people. This episode includes: . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 105: Avalon 2013 – Day Five

The sun came out in force on Day 4 of Avalon 2013 and with mostly clear blue skies we finally felt like we’d arrived at a real airshow. With aircraft putting on some amazing performances, the F22 once again took to the skies and let us experience the “High Show” and what a fantastic show . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 104: Avalon 2013 – Day Four

From a Gulfstream G650 to an RAAF C17, Day Three of Avalon 2013 has certainly kept Team PCDU on the go . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 103: Avalon 2013 – Day Three

Day Two of the Avalon 2013 Airshow has kept Team PCDU very busy shooting video & recording interviews. Here’s some of the content we recorded today: Captain Robin Pursey, Chief Pilot for Airbus Corporate Jets talks about flying the ACJ319 David Velupillai, Marketing Director for Airbus Corporate Jets discusses interior fit outs & typical missions . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 102: Avalon 2013 – Day Two

It's been a good start to the Avalon 2013 Airshow with Team PCDU recording a few interviews and setting up their schedule for the rest of the week. . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 101: Avalon 2013 – Day One

In November of 2012 the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) decommissioned their C-130H fleet, transitioning to the C-130J and reaching the end of an era for flight engineers & navigators in the Air Lift Group (ALG). We were fortunate enough to be invited to partake in some of the decommissioning events including a final media flight over Sydney Harbour, watching a formation flyby practice from RAAF Base Richmond's control tower and the delivery of C-130H A97-011 to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. In the course of these events we obtained a number of great interviews with past & present air crew which are gathered here in our tribute episode to the C-130H in RAAF service. . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 99: RAAF C-130H – Into History

As 2012 draws to a close come & spend a bit of time with Steve, Grant, Bas & ATC Ben as they wrap up the year with some new content, some discussions and a bit of fun. It’s another long episode but we think it’s a pretty good way to send out the year :) . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 98: Farewell 2012

We have a variety of content for you in this episode including: 0:03:50 – A great chat we recorded with Andrew McLaughlin, previously co-owner and deputy editor of Australian Aviation and now a freelance aviation writer  1:00:59 – Kathy Mexted went flying with Anatole Mills from Warbird Air Adventures and got to experience some aerobatics . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 97: Journos & Aeros

Serge’s “Fighter Pilot” book coverIt takes a special breed to push an F18 out to the edge of the envelope, fly missions ranging from surface attack to dog fights and then blow off steam with your squadron mates. It’s certainly not Top Gun but it does make amazing fodder for a book that . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 96: “Serge” – An Australian Top Gun

Steve & Grant go north of Melbourne thanks to the aid of some members of Team PCDU, both current & new. First up we tag along with ATC_Ben on his visit to Oshkosh 2012, discussing his journey there & listening to a few of the interviews he recorded (yes, we're still jealous we couldn't get there!). We then introduce long-time listener Damien Rose who's joining us as our Queensland correspondent & lives about 2,000km north of PCDU HQ. Finally, we play a few of the interviews Steve & Grant recorded at Oshkosh 2011 to help us feel a bit better about not being there this year (nope, still jealous! :) . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 95: Northern Exposure

PCDU Narrating at AusFlyThe Sport Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) held their inaugural AusFly event at Narromine, New South Wales on the 14th & 15th of September. As part of the show, Plane Crazy Down Under were invited to come & run the AusFly radio show and provide commentary for the air displays. . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 94: AusFly “Together Under One Sky”

After three years of lamenting the hassles involved in getting to the West Coast of Australia to report on aviation happenings wwwaaayyy over there on the other side of the big empty, we’ve finally done something about it: we’ve set up a PCDU-WestCoast office and found someone just as aviation-crazy as we are to run . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 93: Positive Moves

[Kathy Mexted joins Steve & Grant to interview Helene Young, a Dash-8 pilot who's written three great books based around pilots flying for Australia's border patrol in the far north of Queensland. In addition to being a captain with the regionals, Helene has managed to juggle her home & social life with work and writing, producing three great books in a relatively short period of time. We also have interviews with Peter Sobey (Chief Flying Instructor at Sharp Airlines) and Chris Dewhirst (first man to fly a balloon over Mt Everest) along with a brand new View From the Lounge segment (also about balloons). . . . → Read More: PCDU Episode 92: Helene Young – A Novel Approach to Flying