A search is underway for a Russian-built vintage Yak 52 aircraft reported missing on a flight from Archerfield airport west of Brisbane

The x-military warbird had left Hempel's Aviation at 1143hrs on a one-hour flight but had failed to return

The Yak had the pilot and joy-flight passenger on board and is believed to have crashed off Queensland's South Stradbroke Island

A section of the wooden propeller has been located and taken to shore on a water police launch for identification

A 54-year-old doctor-pilot from Mildura returning from a clinic visit at Edenhope about 395km north-west of Melbourne experienced an engine problem and was forced to land his aircraft in a paddock at Kalpienung

During the latter part of the emergency landing the nose-wheel dug in and the unidentified machine flipped on to it's roof - the female passenger on board and pilot were uninjured in the mishap

A trainee pilot on his first solo flight in a RVAC Cessna C150 has been killed as the result of a mid-air collision with another Royal Vic Piper Warrior whilst in the circuit area of Moorabbin's tower-controlled airport 21-kms south-east of the Melbourne CBD

The 4-seat Piper PA-28 involved in the collision had a student undergoing training with an instructor and was able to land safely back at the airport - the aircraft had sustained damage to the tail section

The 2-seat C-150 crashed into a garage of a unit in Cheltenham and burst into flames killing the pilot

Both aircraft involved had just departed the airport a few minutes earlier

News Desk Comment

Pilots on their first solo are normally required to carry out just one circuit and land

Media images indicate the C-150's port wing collided with the Piper's tail section - the impact twisted the outboard section of the Cessna's wing that would have induced a spin from which recovery was not possible

The trainee pilot killed was 24-year-old Indian Akash Ananth - the trainee pilot undergoing dual instruction on board the Piper was also from India

A 20-year-old pilot departing Jandakot Airport was reported as saying he had gained only about 1000ft of altitude when the plane's engine stopped forcing an emergency landing on a road in the Perth suburb of Wattleup

The 2 persons on board escaped uninjured

Media reports have .."the plane came under the power lines - it missed a big tree ...hit a couple of grass trees that ripped the wing off"

As mentioned back in June the Royal QLD Aero Club has now relocated into the 'old' Arena Flying School building originally constructed by Gordon Bradberry in the 1970's

News Desk Comment

This building is on airport leased ground as freehold options were just not available - as is still the case - and at the end of the 'not-negotiable' leased time period the building can be removed or handed over to the airport operator who then has the 'right' to charge commercial rates as if the building had been constructed by the airport owner

The 'original' RQAC building was constructed in the '60's and a similar situation will occur when the extended ground lease expires

Memories from the News Desk

It's a vastly different Aero Club to-day compared with the halcyon days of the late '60's and all of the '70's when the club was packed-to-the-rafters with pilots and would-be's enjoying a scrumptious meal or partaking in a drink or 3 from the popular bar area

The QLD designed Terrier T100 kit-supplied home-built had left Roma mid-morning yesterday and the engine apparently failed about 5 nautical miles short of Caboolture

The high-wing composite built 2-seater sustained only minor damage and the male pilot was treated at the scene by ambulance officers for minor injuries