April 30 
Plans are under way for an airpark near Gatton about 40 nautical miles to the west of Archerfield to cater for around 50 residential homes

"The Gatton Shire Council has given the go-ahead for the establishment of Queensland's first residential airpark at the airstrip on Tenthill Creek Road"

The owners of the building blocks offered for sale will be required to construct a house and aircraft hanger as part of the purchase

Click HERE for map of local area west of AF - Airpark Web Page HERE

 April 30 
The owners of Brisbane International airport announced to-day that they are in the process of adding a new shopping centre to cater for an anticipated influx of visitors over the next few years

The complex is been constructed in the "old" airport area and it expected to add to the airport revenue instead of relying on the normal aircraft landing charges

 April 22 
Scaled Composites in the USA unveiled an aircraft designed to take 2 (paying) passengers into space and return


Similar in concept to the X-15 rocket powered aircraft of the '60's, the Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) powered spacecraft is to be carried aloft by a mother-ship and air launched returning for a normal landing

 April 26 
A two-seat KR-2 homebuilt ultralight crashed during a fly-in at Lethbridge Airpark near Geelong in Victoria

"The 69 year old pilot, the only person on board, did not survive, he was attempting to land at the Airpark during a meeting of ultralight enthusiasts"

In the USA two pilots were sacked when at least one of them removed his uniform after spilling coffee, and that the flight attendant saw them when she complied with their request to bring paper towels to the cockpit

 April 23 
A media report has a Piper Arrow carrying out a successful forced landing on approach to Shepparton airport in Victoria

The female pilot and male passenger escaped uninjured. The aircraft was not so lucky; it appears there was a catastrophic failure of the engine stopping the propeller

For the record:-
The Easter road toll totalled 24 persons killed on OZ roads

Light aircraft fatalities - same period - ZERO

As part of the privately funded Scaled Composites space flight is around-the-world in a homebuilt aircraft pilot Mike Melvill - Mike accompanied Dick Rutan, of around-the-world-non-stop fame, in their globe trotting adventure a few years back

That's Mike Melvill on the left with Dick Rutan (back to camera) outside the RQAC Hangar in June 1997