August 1 
Planning for an air show to be held at Archerfield over the week-end of 6/7th of September 2003 is well underway

The trade day for aviation operators and flying organizations is Friday 5th

On the week-end before and after the Archerfield air-show there are light aircraft "Fly-in's" in the vicinity - Hervey Bay and Watts Bridge on August 31 and another at Warwick on September 14

 August 5 
A twin-engine Boeing 737-400 Qantas jet with 138 passengers and crew on board was forced to make an emergency landing at Darwin airport after a bird strike

The captain declared a Mayday and shut down one engine and returned for a landing not long after departing Darwin for Cairns

"There was this amazing juddering noise and banging and flashing lights from the right hand engine and big smell of burning.."

To view previous Qantas News Desk incident reports click on JULY'03 - MAY'03 and DEC'02

 August 5 
The Howard Hughes H-1 Racer Replica impacted the ground north of Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park fatally injuring the owner/pilot

Owner Jim Wright was returning to Oregon from USA's Oshkosh Air Show at the time

"..just two day ago I was standing next to the plane (at Oshkosh) talking about it's beauty to my wife"



In Santa Ana California 68 years ago 29 year old Howard Hughes flew his H-1 Racer at 352 mph to establish a new world speed record

 August 1 
A recent "first" was likened to the 1909 flight across the English Channel by French aviator Louis Bleriot when an Austrian parachutist "flew" from Dover in England to France un-aided and un-powered

The 34yo parachutist with 2m wings strapped to his back was taken to 30,000ft above Dover in a jump aircraft to commence the "flight"

The crossing is reported to have taken only 8 minutes and required a landing with the reserve 'chute after the main became entangled and was cut away "...freedom alone in the sky - just me and my wings.."