Marc Joel Atrero
Author18 And All Alone
October 15, 2016 0 commentQueensland teenager Lachie Smart becomes the youngest pilot to fly a single-engine aircraft solo around the world Most 18-year olds are at the first major crossroad of their lives. With their schooldays now behind them and their whole life stretching ahead of them, it can be a daunting time, to say the least. But Lachie
Read moreReady, Steady, Go?
October 15, 2016 0 commentCould it be that slow and steady rather than rapid expansion is the key to making money in the Asia Pacific’s highly competitive budget airline market? The rule seems to have worked for Qantas’s Jetstar family and for what many observers describe as India’s most successful carrier. Asia’s low-cost carriers have gone through some turbulent
Read moreStuck In The Middle
October 15, 2016 0 commentOver shorter distances turboprops offer unbeatable operating economics. But the category remains stuck in its 50-70 seat niche. Turboprop aircraft dominate regional aviation in Australia and much of the world, yet innovations are relatively few, and passenger experience relatively standardised. What flyers see on an ATR 72 or Bombardier Q400 flying from New Zealand, New
Read moreRegional perspective
October 14, 2016 0 commentVirgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) Captain Nick Sofield flies the venerable Fokker 100 on services across Western Australia. Chris Frame spoke with Captain Sofield to gain insight into the life of a regional airline pilot. What path led you to VARA? I did my initial training in 1995 in a Piper Warrior through the University
Read moreNice And Niche
October 14, 2016 0 commentPilatus creates its own business jet category with the ‘super versatile’ PC-24 Quietly, purposefully and assuredly, Pilatus is working towards the goal of delivering its first jet aircraft to its expectant customers in the fourth quarter of 2017. Pilatus is renowned for its single-engined turboprop utility aircraft (PC-6, PC-12), as well as its successful line
Read moreFighting Fit
October 14, 2016 0 commentAnticipation of the fuel efficiency and passenger experience benefits of the 787 continues to grow, but Qantas’s transformation plan is already paying dividends The countdown to the arrival of the first Qantas 787 is growing ever louder. Every little detail is eagerly anticipated, from what routes the next generation widebody will fly to how many
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