May 26
Just for the record - the News Desk has been repositioned off Archerfield and now instead of overlooking a tarmac with the occasional aircraft taxiing past it overlooks a main road with numerous motor vehicles zooming past

Like moving from the Slow-Lane into the Fast-Lane!

This Aviation News Digest will continue as normal highlighting worthwhile aviation news from around Archerfield and from around the world whilst trying to maintain the focus on the pleasure and enjoyment of flying in and owning light aircraft

May 28
Local TV News caught this MD-11 freighter in the USA sitting "on it's tail" at one of their major airports


Generally caused by incorrect loading of the aircraft - freight needs to assigned a correct loading procedure or sequence so that this sort of "heavy-tail" problem will not occur

May 30
The TV news media had this Cessna (C-182RG) as a featured news item even though no one was injured and the aircraft suffered relatively minor damage after it force-landed into a farmers paddock

The aircraft suffered a nosewheel collapse after landing due to the soft, ploughed surface


The reason for the landing had not been determined by "print" time

May 31
A 2-seat Robinson R22 helicopter carrying out what appears to be aerial mustering on Tobermorey Station near the QLD-NT border struck the ground and burst into flames claiming the life of the pilot

It's understood the two men on board the Robbo were from Tobermorey Station

The passenger - who received serious burns - was airlifted from the station property and at last report had been transferred to a Brisbane hospital burns unit



Tobermorey Station is a popular stop-over place for 4-wheel drives and camper vehicles touring central OZ

May 27
The world's first commercial Spaceport - USA's Mojave Airport - is set to receive it's FAA certification and licence within the next month

Media reports have the Mojave Airport manager Stuart Witt in an interview with Space.Com. saying:- "I think it's going to be a wild ride the next 20 years as this industry emerges"



Back in June 2001 Australia set aside around $73M towards the cost of setting up a spaceport on OZe's Christmas Island

"The first launch was expected in late 2003"

Inspired by Paul Hogan's famous 1986 movie - this number plate on a small motor bike used by an engine overhaul facility caught the attention of the News Desk suggesting the OZe spirit is alive and well with it's own "characters" working at Archerfield



Line:- "That's NOT a knife THIS is a knife"