We’ve put together some great stories for the armchair traveller in this edition, as we always try to do for the summer edition. Not one, but two round the world stories, albeit with one still in the planning and build phase. They have inspired me to consider an overseas flight, hopefully next year. You’ll read about it here if I do. I’m also staggered by the aircraft we are seeing that will be hitting the market soon in terms of their speed and range. To date, my longest flying days have covered a thousand nautical miles. That only gets me part of the way across Australia, but it would get me from London to Tunis, Algeria. That’s a whole continent away. It underscores that Australia is a special case with its tyranny of distance. There will always be a big place in RAAus for aircraft used for training and the sheer joy of flight. Nothing beats just goofing around in a light plane. There’s plenty of fun to be had flying back country or STOL’ing. But to seriously challenge mainstream aviation and offer a real alternative, these are the sort of aircraft we need added to the roster.
The RAAus staff and Chair have put together some really good articles around safety and safe flying practices. There’s a lot of good info in there that might just save your life, so take the time to check it out. I’ve already learned several new things in reading these articles.
The really positive stories in this edition for me are about young aviators. I feel the future of aviation and our segment is secure when I look at the calibre of these people. When I was that age I was still scratching myself and bumping into things (some would argue nothing has changed) so I can’t help but be impressed by these people
who have done so much, so early.
We love to hear your inspiring stories and getting your letters, so keep them coming in. Want to see a story or have an idea? Let us know. Send it all in to editor@sportpilot.net.au
