On Friday last week two warbird aircraft from Caboolture paid a visit to the 'field - not for maintenance or fuel as is the normal case - but for a pilot "flying checkout"

Included in this "BFR" - a two yearly review that all light aircraft pilots are required to do under the current regulations - was a Qantas B747 captain and Co-owner of one of the Wirraway aircraft

This review of a very current "heavy" pilot is in sharp contrast to the private pilot who underwent a similar flight review in a Jabiru Ultralight mentioned in these pages in April 1997

And at long last the "grounded" DC4 nears flying status with the reinstallation of the port outboard wing section

This accident will no doubt add to the rather strong debate amongst aviators as to which aircraft they would prefer to buy and fly in

The economy of a single engine verses the higher cost but perceived safety of a twin engine aircraft

Or to expand this safety debate just a little further as in this C210 case - is the known reliability of a turbine engine powering a single engine machine safer than an additional piston - but less reliable - engine installed in most light twins?

The turbine powered Cessna C210 that was lost in a bad weather accident near Armidale last Thursday was a regular visitor to Archerfield

Click HERE to view a record of one of the visits

Preliminary reports have the aircraft encountering severe icing conditions and then an eventual engine failure over inhospitable terrain which resulted in the loss of the pilot-owner and his wife