Wellington-based Vincent aviation recently completed a conversion of one of its Beech 1900s (ZK-VAB) as an “air ambulance” for the Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service (CQ Rescue), which is a based in Mackay, Queensland. The initial contract between Vincent Aviation and CQ Rescue is for a period of up to a year. The Vincent Aviation aircraft will not be used in ...

In early May, one of the Virgin Blue Group’s newest aircraft, a 104-seat Pacific Blue Embraer 190 E-Jet, made a tour of New Zealand in order to familiarise Pacific Blue staff with the jet, as well as to gauge feedback on the aircraft’s potential suitability for New Zealand operations. Since it began operations in New Zealand around 18 months ago, Pacific ...

As reported in the “Briefs” section of last month’s Pacific Wings, in April this year, a report from the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recommended cancelling the F22 Raptor programme, which is currently costing the US government around US$3.5 billion a year. The proposal is, perhaps, understandable with the proposed US defence budget for next year standing at ...

Airbus had a successful year in 2008 but, like most aviation industry participants, the company is taking a conservative and cautious approach to 2009–2010. During 2008, the company delivered 483 aircraft and took gross orders for almost twice as many, the 900 extra orders taking the year-end order backlog to 3,715 aircraft. Numerically speaking, the mainstay of the Airbus line is ...

By Geoff Cooper. The Hawker 4000 (nee Horizon) super mid-size business jet has been a long time in the design, construction and certification process. It is the largest aircraft in the Hawker family to date—69’6” long with a wingspan of 61’9” and standing almost 20’ tall. Design of the aircraft began in 1993 and the aircraft made its maiden flight in ...

By Rob Neil. What do highly qualified and extremely experienced senior airline pilots do with themselves when they “retire” and stop flying airliners? They go flying, of course. Until recently, Ruud (Rudi) van der Zwaal and Tim Harrison of Sports Aircraft New Zealand spent their respective careers flying progressively bigger and bigger aircraft. Rudi began his career in the Royal Netherlands Air ...

Beyond the Horizon—The Hawker 4000 Last month, Geoff Cooper flew to Sydney to catch the new Hawker 4000 during its demonstration tour of the region. “Simply spectacular” was his subsequent professional opinion. Flight Design—Right Design Rob Neil explains why the latest aircraft to join New Zealand’s growing fleet of wonderfully competent light sport aircraft is the right design…(by Flight Design). The Magic of Omaka—Classic ...

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