Pipistrel—Innovative Winners Rob Neil summarises the story of the Pipistrel Company, which has rapidly gained international credibility for its innovative and eco-friendly approach to sport aviation and aviation technology.   So, You Want to be an Air New Zealand Pilot? In part one of a five-part series of articles, Christine Ody gives a full picture of what it takes to become an Air New ...

That Others May Live Erik Roelofs visited Moody Air Force Base in the US recently, where he spent some time with the 23rd Wing, and the selfless men and women of the USAF’s combat search and rescue (CSAR) community. Classics of the Sky—Tauranga City Air Show 2012 Diane Jeffery reports on the success of the 2012 Classics of the Sky air-show at Tauranga ...

Ice Aviation—the Tip of an Iceberg As Rob Neil discovered, for students training with this apparently small Taranaki-based company, what they see is not what they get—in the best way possible! Like an iceberg, Ice Aviation is only the small tangible tip of a much greater intangible whole. RNAS Yeovilton - The Lynx is 40—Long Live the Lynx Last year was the 40th anniversary ...

Dreamliner Down Under Rob Neil was lucky enough to attend the historic first visit to New Zealand of a Boeing 787. The first 787 to fly, ZA001 was just two weeks from permanent retirement when it touched down at Auckland. Airlines of the Philippines Murray Kirkus gives an interesting insight into the convoluted story of airlines in the Philippines in recent decades. Duxford Restorations Pacific ...

Training Tomorrow’s Warriors Earlier this year, Wellington-based Erik Roelofs spent time with the 23rd FTS at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where the USAF’s new helicopter pilots learn their craft. The ABC of ADS-B—for GA Richard Greaney gives an overview of the next generation of airborne surveillance, and explains why it is important for GA to embrace it. ALPA View CAA Random Information Trawling of Pilots Unlawful Glen ...

The Charles de Gaulle at War Richard Cooper and Henri-Pierre Grolleau were fortunate to spend time aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during Operation Harmattan—the French participation in the NATO mission to protect civilians in Libya’s ongoing civil war. Australian Piper Society’s “Top End Tour” Each year, the Australian Piper Society holds numerous flyaways and trips around the amazing red continent. ...

Avanti II—the Next Step Forward The Piaggio Aero P180 Avanti was born 25 years ahead of its time. Today, quarter of a century later, the time has come for the Avanti II—still the world’s fastest civil turboprop and still its greenest business aircraft—to step forward and claim the recognition it deserves. Rob Neil reports. Britain’s Tornado F.3 Retires Peter Cooper was at RAF ...

Mount Cook Airline and the ATR72 Mount Cook Airline is an “icon” in the New Zealand aviation industry, just as the mountain from which it takes its name is an icon of the New Zealand tourism industry. Serving both Mount Cook Airline and the New Zealand Tourism industry admirably is an aircraft that is likely to become another icon—for “green” commercial ...

Promising Partnership—Timor Air and Vincent Aviation Vincent Aviation first went to East Timor to support United Nations peacekeeping efforts there. Now, as Rob Neil reports, the Kiwi airline has returned as a vital partner in founding a new national airline for the embryonic nation. Some Things the CAA Should Want to do for General Aviation After 30 years’ general aviation experience, and more ...

The Robinson R66 in New Zealand The long-awaited Robinson R66 Turbine helicopter has finally arrived in New Zealand. Ruud van der Zwaal visited Heliflite Pacific at Ardmore to go flying with Simon Spencer-Bower in the latest “Robbie”. The FlyNav GPS Project For those who do not want to spend thousands of dollars on excessively sophisticated moving-map GPSs in their private aircraft, Ian Boag ...