[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 24 October 2025

24 October 2025

– Steve Hitchen

I have often heard jump pilots saying how much fun they have flying the Cresco/750 XSTOL airframe once the jumpers have departed. It's been compared to fighter planes in its performance, especially on the return to Earth. Yesterday, NZAero extended to me the privilege of having a go myself. I understand now what the jump pilots have been saying to me. In the skies over Bendigo, pilot and director Dee Bond showed me exactly what this remarkable airframe was capable of. My take: it's a pilot's aircraft with the versatility of a Holden ute and the responsiveness of a aerobat. Being one of very few (or perhaps the only?) SETP available with stick controls, and fitted with a 900-shp PT6, it lends itself to serious flying fun. Think about this: the team has logged 70 flying hours around Australia including the Outback Air Race and crossing the Nullarbor. All of this was hand-flown; as the demo aeroplane is configured for jumps, it has no autopilot. That shows you how controllable it really is. Thanks to the team at NZAero for making their demonstrator available, and to Bendigo Flying Club for hosting. You can read more about this in March-April 2026 Australian Flying.

"..this new set of rules is very much in their playground.."

You can count the number of US LSA manufacturers on the fingers of one hand, but you can do that with European manufacturers only if that hand is holding a calculator. Although companies like Zenith, Icon, Vashon, Texas and Super Petrel have their markets, these models have nothing like the world-wide penetration of Aeroprakt, Tecnam, Pipistrel, Flight Design, Bristell, Alpi and so many other marques. This week, the MOSAIC rules to modernise LSAs came into effect in the USA, which may just galvanise some other US-based manufacturers to start prospecting in what is expected to be very rich vein. Cessna had a crack a few years ago with the ill-fated C162, and Piper made an even more flaccid effort with the PiperSport, but this new set of rules is very much in their playground, being more akin to GA aircraft than to LSAs of old. It wouldn't take much engineering to adapt the PA-28 airframe, and the C172 likewise, giving them a head-start on European manufacturers. However, within the halls of Wichita and Vero Beach, brains trusts will have been asking this question for months, possibly years: how do we get into this without bastardising our own markets for the four-seaters? We might get their answers next year, when I am expecting a flood of announcements about new models to hit the market. But, in Australia, there are other questions for our manufacturers to ask, chiefly, how do we maximise our opportunity given the dominance of the European aeroplane builders? The answer as I see it is to be first to market. Get the product out there before new Tecnams, Aeroprakts and Flight Designs start to land on our shores. If there is any country in the world that fits the MOSAIC ethos better than most, it is Australia, and opportunities like this come our way so very rarely.
I heard a chilling transmission yesterday when I was making my way up the Kilmore Gap to Bendigo. It was Melbourne Centre on 135.7 issuing a Safety Alert to two aircraft near Avalon that they would be in conflict with each other in one minute. Good work Centre, I thought. It chilled me to hear soon after Centre issuing a pained warning that the two aircraft then had only 10 seconds to avoid each other! It prompted me to ask a question: what the hell had those two pilots been doing for 50 seconds? As both VFR aircraft appeared to be in G or E airspace, Centre can't give them vectors to de-conflict; that is up to the pilots themselves. To do that, they first need to be switched on enough to cotton on that the call was directed to them. Co-incidentally, returning from Bendigo, I started a climb to clear expected rotors coming off the ridge NW of Kilmore. Almost immediately I heard Centre pass traffic to another aircraft in the same area as me on an unverified VFR paint climbing towards 4000 anticipating a conflict. I reckoned that was me. I called Centre, told them what I was doing and responded to a squawk ident request. I was indeed the paint in question. I stopped climbing. Deconfliction was established, and I got thanked for it. I don't know what became of the Avalon conflict, but I know for listening out and taking action, I arrived home much less stressed than if I'd been given a 10-second warning.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

Comment from 2 weeks ago:

Dave Prossor14 days ago

Not so far back the Government sold of all the non-major secondary airpprts. The attitude was sink or swim. If they closed the Feds could not have cared.

Since that time the Government has slowly come to the realisation that country people are entitled to and should have access to all the things that the city people have and get. Medical assistance, emergency aid during flood or fire, air flights to the big smoke. Flying Doctor. And much more.

It has taken quite some time for the penny to drop that country people are entitled to all those things that city people take for granted. Our Feds have slowly realised that country people needs and should have airstrips that are fit for purpose. Many votes are involved?

Granting big dollars to support country airstrips, and there should be many more, is not a case of the Feds being good guys and doing this. It is something that the Feds should have been doing a long time back and must continue to do.

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 31 October 2025

31 October 2025

– Steve Hitchen

In The Last Minute Hitch on 2 May this year, I had a shot at all our federal pollies over a lack of support for GA and in particular the 47th parliament's omission of a Parliamentary Friends of Aviation Group. This week it was re-instated in the 48th parliament, and rightly so by my account. Friends groups create bipartisan environments for politicians and industry advocates to meet and hold informal conversations about issues concerning industry sectors. It's a good way for opinions to mingle. The aviation group, if we're being honest, will focus more on airlines and airports, but GA will get a coat-tails attachment thanks to the involvement of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia. RAAA CEO and GAAN chair Rob Walker attended the launch, and his organisation is on record as saying they will stand as advocates for GA in the absence of a more vocal and active lobby group. The beauty about Friends groups is that the onus to listen is thrown back on the pollies; that is the very point of the groups. And as membership of any is not mandatory, we at least know they're in it because they have genuine interest in aviation. Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is a pilot herself, so the aviation community will be watching carefully to see if she has enough interest to join the group.

"..the government is trying to introduce a mandate the GA community is not in a position to accept.."

One topic that should be heavily debated by the Parliamentary Friends of Aviation is the proposed VFR ADS-B mandate. This is proving a controversial issue that is attracting some very visceral opinions; opinions that are dividing the private and recreational GA sectors into the yeasayers and the naysayers. The demarcation line seems to be around cost, which is one of the key points of the RAAus submission made public this week. Only the harshest critics would hold that ADS-B has not increased situational awareness and lowered the chances of traffic conflict, leaving cost as the primary objection to a mandate. That, and as RAAus has noted, a dearth of engineers qualified to fit equipment. For recreational aircraft, where weight is always a consideration, many owners will opt for Electronic Conspicuity (EC) devices rather than panel-mounted equipment, which doesn't need an engineer to install. But that's not a solution for everyone because EC devices can't be used for separation in controlled airspace. RAAus is perhaps right in their contention that there is information and issues missing from the discussion paper. I can't help but feel the government is trying to introduce a mandate the GA community is not in a position to accept because the complete gamut of impact is not fully understood. Hopefully, this consultation will correct that.

In 16 days time, the hourglass runs out of sand on the 2025 CASA Wings Awards nominations. By now, you should be at the polishing stage of your submission. By "polishing" I mean tightening the links between your contentions and the criteria for the specific category. That's how nominations are successful. Now in their 12th installment, the Wings Awards have honoured some of the most dedicated people and groups we have in general aviation, and each one of the winners owes something to the person or persons that nominated them. What that means is the nominator is a large part of the success of the nominee, and they need to play their part not only by making the submission in the first place, but making sure it is the best in its category. We hope to see your prospective Wings Awards winner in the short list soon.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 7 November 2025

7 November 2025

– Steve Hitchen

The new LSA regulations were always going to take some sculpting to fit into the Australian mold, if for no other reason than the cross-over of LSAs between RAAus and CASA. However, it seems there are parts of the regulations over here that also need some reworking to make sure everything fits. And it seems CASA is hitting the decks running, but can't move faster on this than standard bureaucratic speed. It would do no good to fast-track MOSAIC in Australia anyway; it will be Oshkosh next year before the first aircraft to the new standard can be registered. The GA community–particularly the manufacturers–are dead keen to see this implemented, and a new era in GA ushered in, so their impatience to get going with it is understandable. What we need CASA to do is make sure our regulatory regime is ready to go when the FAA pushes the button in July next year. That's where the phased implementation should work for us, but it may mean that RAAus has to be left behind temporarily to enable at least GA to go forward with the new aircraft. When or if RAAus catches up is still the subject of a lot of work behind the scenes on behalf of both CASA and RAAus; too much, in fact, to be allowed to hold back the rest of the aviation community.

"..this is not a brave new world into which REX 2.0 will go.."

After the Federal Government slung $220 million in the direction of REX and its pending suitor, I think other regional airlines are justified in asking "what about us?" RAAA CEO Rob Walker has been vocal in pointing out that REX is not the only regional airline in Australia, none of which are rolling in cash, yet still provide a vital service to remote and regional communities that would otherwise remain isolated. The $5 million allotted to airports to which REX owes money has only exacerbated the feeling of being left behind. Are these services not as valuable as those provided by REX, or do you have to hit the bottom of the well before someone throws you a rope? The latter is maybe fanciful thinking; Australian aviation history is coloured by regional airlines that bottomed out whilst the government did nothing more than send a condolence card. Sometimes not even that. But this ALP government is going all out. When Air T grabs the keys to the REX doors, they will be in possession of an airline and a name, and control of an ageing SAAB 340 fleet that the Australian government has caveats on. That's a brilliant deal for Air T, and one that is unlikely to have been struck were it not for the desperation of Team Albanese to keep REX plying their trade. However, I feel that this is not a brave new world into which REX 2.0 will go, but rather a fraught one that has broken more hearts than Farmer Wants a Wife. In the back of my mind I feel this is not an arrangement that is eternal given the parlous nature of regional aviation and the rachitic nature of the deal at hand. There are a number of failure points in regional aviation that are not negated purely by a change of ownership, and Air T will have to work some serious magic in order to justify the government's willingness to invest eye-crossing dollars; dollars that would have been very welcome at other regional airlines.

On Monday week nominations for the 2025 CASA Wings Awards will close. At that time the judging panel will convene to begin their deliberations. And, as is expected, sifting through submissions to find the most worthy winners will be a time-consuming and quite stressful one. But that doesn't mean the judges won't enjoy it. I have been on the judging panel since the very beginning, and one of the thinks I like about reading the nominations is the passion that comes through in the best ones. We get to learn so much about the amazing people that make up GA in Australia, and in the very end of it all we zero-in on the best of the best and anoint them as the winners for 2025. In truth, it's a satisfying job, and one that all of us are proud to perform. So if you haven't finished your nomination yet, impress us; we are waiting eagerly to read what you have to say.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch 

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 14 November 2025

14 November 2025

– Steve Hitchen

I made several errors on my last GA flight review, which was done in an Archer. They were simple things that really should have been second-nature to me. Nothing serious ... if you don't count embarrassment as serious. On reflection, I understood that each error was something that was a variation on the well-practised procedures that applied to my Tecnam. And this was after only 12 months of letting my GA currency lapse. I cannot image how foreign a simple Archer would have felt after 15 years! But at Porepunkah in May a pilot stepped into a type that they hadn't flown for exactly that period of time, and the variances between that aircraft and what they had been flying since came back to bite them hard. The more we fly a type, the more our hands, feet and brains become trained to it. They say if you don't use it you lose it, and when we stop using it the muscle memory becomes forgetful and concentrates on what it has learned since. The sight of a crumpled EC120 lying on its side should be enough evidence to convince you of that. Type currency is a good promoter of aviation safety and a barrier against flying misadventure; pilots should think of it as a crucial tool in their airmanship toolbox. Another is the courage to say "I'm not flying that, I'm not current."

There is a swell of opinion saying it can't be done

Difficult things take a long time to do, even longer if you want to get them right. I suspect this is what is driving the Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) as they try to fashion some form of lifeline for Bankstown Airport. OAR's first effort in creating the Engadine Corridor was dumped early this year after industry feedback labeled it unworkable and probably unsafe. At the time, an alternative was promised mid-2025, and here it is November and the new plan has not yet been released. Will we see it this year? I would wager No at this stage, but wouldn't rule out a dump-and-run in the last working days before Christmas. The most likely reason we haven't seen it before now is that a practical, safe solution for a VFR corridor to Bankstown is not emerging easily thanks to the crunch of airspace caused by Western Sydney International. And I suspect OAR has been stung a touch by how quickly the GA community torpedoed their original proposal, generating a determination to get this as close as they can to acceptable before unleashing it on the world. But can they actually achieve that? There is a swell of opinion saying it can't be done; that too much airspace has been allocated to WSI to enable Bankstown to remain a training hub. I hope that is not the case, but fear OAR's next attempt won't come within a 747's take-off roll of providing much relief to what has become a besieged airport. My only disappointment is that I won't get a chance to present an analysis of this when it does come.

Here's why.

The last three years have seen a few changes in the editorial team at Australian Flying, with Kreisha Ballantyne taking on the print magazine, a new publisher in James Ostinga and new people joining the ranks of feature writers. There is one more change to come in 2025: me. My tenure as editor of the Australian Flying website and the weekly eNews is coming to an end in December, and as a consequence, The Last Minute Hitch will also cease. Kreisha Ballantyne will take on editing the eNews and website as well as the print magazine from early 2026, bringing her own style and fresh ideas to the site. It's bittersweet for me; I have been full-time with the magazine and website since March 2012, and although I have learnt so much and interacted with so many knowledgeable experts, it has been a taxing role. My plan now is to return to the role of freelance feature writer for the print version, so I won't be disappearing completely. You knowledgeable experts will still be seeing my name displayed when your mobile rings for a bit longer. The final LMH is due out on 12 December, after that you will all need a different way of finding out that it's Friday.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

Good bye LMH -

[Peetwo]

The Last Minute Hitch: 21 November 2025

21 November 2025

– Steve Hitchen

Bankstown operators, pilots and aircraft owners will need to wait until the year has turned before they learn if the OAR has managed to craft a plan that breathes optimism back into their airport. OAR's revised proposal for a VFR corridor linking their airport to a practical training area has already been torpedoed once, which has left Bankstown on wood when it comes to the future of the training industry there. CASA has held some closed-door consultations with operators, and it looks like the new concept will be a one-way corridor. There aren't too many parallels for this in Australia without an accompanying contra-directional route somewhere, so I expect the design is more complex than that. But now I feel there is a need to put some pressure on CASA over this. Within the GA community there is an adage (and GA has plenty of those) that says "There is no Plan C". What this means is that if Plan A fails, Plan B must be fail-safe. This is where OAR is at right now: under an imposed demand for a corridor that the GA community can endorse as safe and use practically. Yes, this is totally unfair considering that OAR is not under any legal obligation to do anything. The demon in this drama is the Federal Government that gave absolute priority to Western Sydney International even though they were told repeatedly and forcefully what the impact on Bankstown would be.

"..All it does is redirect money from a struggling GA pool to government coffers.."

It was predictable that the Department of Home Affairs would quietly euthanise the idea of a single-issuing body (SIB) for ASICs and MSICs. Although it was the best and easiest solution for many issues extant in the ASIC process, it stood to put private companies out of business, and that fact that only Canberra and Adelaide Airports transitioned demonstrates what the aviation industry thought of the idea. Putting the SIB to permanent rest throws the obligation back onto Home Affairs to reform the application and issuing process to correct some glaring problems, one of which is to direct government effort to the areas of highest risk. Time to get real: if they want that outcome they could achieve it by removing the ASIC requirement for air crew, which has never since the ASIC scheme was spawned ensured any form of extra security. All it does is redirect money from a struggling GA pool to government coffers. The Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) of 2014 took the extraordinary step of recommending a review of ASIC demands even though it was outside the ASRR's scope, so strong was the swell of industry opinion against it. We should also not be ignoring that other jurisdictions around the world, including those who have been targeted, do not require an ASIC equivalent. The ASIC was born in the post-2001 crucible of fear over aircraft being used in terrorist attacks, and a review in a reasonable light of day is probably well overdue. However, governments tend to get drunk on income streams, so don't hold your breath.

Nominations for the 2025 CASA Wings Awards closed a week ago, which means that you have all done your bit and now its up to the judging panel to get to work. Over the next few weeks those of us on the panel will be reading, review, comparing, analysing and proselytising nominations in all categories until we come up some level of consensus over the winners. And if you think nominating is hard, you should try judging. Winners will be formally announced in the March-April issue of Australian Flying, which is due in your letter box mid February. And if you put in a submission to one of the categories, thank you. It doesn't really need to be said that without your contribution there would be no CASA Wings Awards.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

---

Oz Flying had a good week on the boards...

McDermott C160s to provide Sovereign LAT Capability

20 November 2025



Reproduced with permission from the Aerial Application Association of Australia AAAA Quarterly Issue 3 2025 www.aaaa.org.au.
[/font][/color]

Recognised as one of Australia’s pioneers in firefighting helicopters, AAAA member McDermott Aviation Pty Ltd is now the world’s largest operator of the Bell 214B and 214ST aircraft. Founded by John McDermott in 1982, McDermott started as an aerial application specialist company before evolving into the multi-faceted aviation powerhouse it is today.

John told the AAAA’s Quarterly that in October 2022, he had the opportunity to enter the fixed-wing large air tanker (LAT) arena, when he was offered three Transall C-160s. The aircraft John said, had "one careful owner – the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) – were in absolutely immaculate condition, and only had about 13,000 hours." The type is well proven, having flown thousands of hours for the French, German, Turkish and South African military.

McDermott purchased the aircraft, but one of the problems was only having until December that year to move them off the airport base. However, that was achieved with receiving a special flight permit allowing them to be flown to Australia.

John believes that the C-160, used by the Luftwaffe’s now-disbanded 63rd Air Transport Wing for its strategic and tactical transport capability, could have "almost been designed and built for aerial firefighting. It is perfect for flying low and slow, can carry a 16,000-kg payload, and was designed specifically to operate on short semi-prepared airfields."

John has worked with Queensland company Helitak Aerial Firefighting Equipment to fit the aircraft they would like to use as a tanker, VH-TIT, with a custom-made firefighting tank, designed and manufactured in Queensland.

"The tank is really easy to roll on and off," John said, "and takes only about 45 minutes to remove."

Helitak said in an interview with Australian Aviation in June 2025 that "the FT-series tank developed for the C-160s is the first of its kind for fixed-wing aircraft, providing 'rapid-fill, high-volume water and retardant delivery, tailored for Australian firefighting conditions."

Testing, dropping water out of the aircraft [was scheduled to] take place in late September, and John said, "the conversion has had no airframe or flight characteristic impact – our highly experienced international test pilot is very happy with its performance."

Certification, as a European derivative, was never going to be easy, but John concluded, "We are working towards the certification process: the aircraft is ready for use, pending certification."

The development of an Australian owned, managed and crewed fleet has been the subject of many reports since the early 1990s, when, following the 1993 Sydney bushfires, the proponents of the CL415 "Superscooper" brought an aircraft to Australia for a series of demonstration flights.

Most recently the Bushfire Royal Commission into the 2019-20 fires identified the issues around Australia not having a domestic LAT fleet, while highlighting the challenges of Australia being over-reliant on northern hemisphere aircraft.

The increasing duration of fire seasons in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and the increasing duration and severity of fire seasons in Australia, will make it increasingly difficult to share aircraft domestically, and to acquire aviation services when we need them, particularly at short notice.

"We, therefore, believe that there is merit in the Australian, state and territory governments together ensuring the development of a sovereign aerial firefighting capability of sufficient size and versatility to better meet national needs.

"This sovereign fleet," the report went on to state, "should focus on the development of a modest Australian-based and registered national fleet of VLAT/LAT aircraft and Type-1 helicopters, jointly funded by the Australian, state and territory governments, (which) will enhance Australia’s bushfire resilience."

AAAA CEO Matt Harper outlined the AAAA position on an Australian sovereign fleet.

"This is an excellent example of where the private sector, and in particular companies like McDermotts, have moved to fill the gap to develop a LAT sovereign fleet. AAAA members have already established one of the world’s premier sovereign capabilities in firefighting – fixed and rotary-wing aircraft operated and managed by Australian companies with locally based pilots having a great understanding of the Australian situation, our terrain, our weather and our fire management.

"We look forward to McDermotts bringing the C-160 online and making it available to Australian fire agencies."

&..

Home Affairs abandons Single-Issuing Body for ASICs

20 November 2025



The Department of Home Affairs has quietly abandoned the project to create a single-issuing body (SIB) for Aviation Security Identification Cards (ASIC), but has said it will continue with some reforms. 

In a statement posted to the departmental website, Home Affairs said that multiple issuing bodies would remain part of the ASIC processes, but that reforms were underway to make the procedure more efficient.

"The transition to a SIB will no longer continue in its original form," the department said. "Instead, we will progress a broader reform of the background checking framework, with a focus on increasing efficiency, streamlining processes and enhancing security outcomes.

"Issuing bodies will remain important partners in the development and implementation of reforms. AusCheck will continue to coordinate background checks for ASIC and MSIC applicants, while working with issuing bodies to implement interim enhancements.

"Lessons learned from the SIB transitions at Canberra and Adelaide Airports, and feedback from industry consultations, will shape these improvements.

"Longer-term, we will continue working with issuing bodies to define a future-state operating model that delivers an efficient, secure and modern background checking framework.

"We remain committed to early and transparent engagement, and we will consult with issuing bodies throughout the reform process."
According to a discussion paper published in November 2022, a SIB was needed because the existing regulatory model required government intervention and regulatory oversight, and had "inherent vulnerabilities in the current arrangements that are undermining the integrity of the schemes."

The department has not given a reason for discontinuing the SIB project, but with only Canberra and Adelaide Airports joining the program by the transition deadline, it was clear the aviation industry had not embraced the idea.

&..

ATSB sounds Corrosion Warning after Brake Disc Fracture

18 November 2025



The ATSB this week warned aircraft operators to consider their environment and take steps to combat corrosion after a brake disc on a Sling LSA fractured earlier this year.

VH-PPY was returning from a dual training flight at Moorabbin in February when the student and instructor heard a unusual sound coming from the right side of the aeroplane, and the brake effectiveness was reduced.

On inspection after parking, the instructor saw that the right-hand brake disc had fractured.

ATSB investigators attributed the fracture to corrosion, most likely caused by the aeroplane being parked outside at Moorabbin, which is only 3 km away from the salt-heavy environment of Port Phillip Bay.

“The ATSB’s examination of the brake disc identified severe corrosion had compromised its structural integrity to the point where it failed during normal braking after landing,” ATSB Director of Transport Safety Dr Stuart Godley said.

“This corrosion was not identified by those maintaining and operating the aircraft as having progressed to a point where failure of the brake disc was possible.”

Godley also said that corrosion was found on the brake discs of all seven of the operator's aircraft.

“Being parked outside and operated in the vicinity of a saltwater environment would have contributed to the corrosion development,” he noted.
“The effect of the environment was also demonstrated by the extent of corrosion observed on the brake disc assemblies of the other six aircraft in the operator's fleet.”

Investigators also found that VH-PPY had been fitted with unapproved aftermarket brake discs, which the operator has since replaced on all aircraft.

Godley said that the operator had had plenty of opportunity to detect the corrosion because the aircraft was inspected daily and about every two months by a maintenance organisation.

“As such aircraft operators and maintainers should take timely action to prevent the progression of corrosion, and replace parts before the serviceability of an aircraft is affected,” he said.

“Operators should also give consideration to their aircraft operating environments, and whether additional maintenance can be undertaken to limit corrosion development.”

The full Short Investigation report is on the ATSB website.

MTF...P2