A few from over home

Yesterday mid-morning Brisbane changed to runway 01 which meant aircraft in bound to Brisbane flew over or near my home. We also have Archerfield airport about 5 nautical miles from my home, so we get a lot of light aircraft all day. Below are a few photos from my hour of spotting.

AIRLINES OF TASMANIA CESSNA 172S SKYHAWK VH-EOX (MSN 172S10033) 21 YEARS

FIJI AIRWAYS BOEING 737 MAX 8 DQ-FAE (MSN 64309)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN) 6 YEARS

MOLESWORTH AVIATION CIRRUS SR22 VH-XC6 (MSN 9961) 2 YEARS

CHINA AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 B-18901 (MSN 049)
CI53 ARRIVING FROM TAIPEI (TPE) 9 YEARS

CESSNA 172R SKYHAWK VH-LCY (MSN 17281113) 24 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-XZH (MSN 39372)
QF198 ARRRIVING FROM APIA (APW) 13 YEARS

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRBUS A350-941 B-LRR (MSN 119)
CX165 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 9 YEARS

FLIGHT TRAINING ADELAIDE DIAMOND DA40 VH-EQF (MSN 40.806) 19 YEARS

CESSNA 210N CENTURION VH-FGY (MSN 21064381) 45 YEARS

AERO LOGISTICS CESSNA F406 CARAVAN VH-AL3 (MSN F406-0055) 36 YEARS

FLIGHT TRAINING ADELAIDE DIAMOND DA40 VH-YTB (MSN 40.891) 18 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OLU (MSN 13084)
JQ814 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (STD) 2 MONTHS

QUEENSLAND POLICE BELL 429 GLOBALRANGER VH-XP8 (MSN 57481) 2 YEARS

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS H130 VH-OFX (MSN 4445) 18 YEARS

McDERMOTT AVIATION BELL 214B-1 VH-SMI (MSN 28011) 50 YEARS

TSA can't search your phone, but CBP can. Understand your rights at the border.

Travelers passing through American airports encounter two federal agencies with dramatically different powers over personal electronic devices. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) cannot search the contents of your phone at a security checkpoint. But Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can and increasingly does. The distinction matters more than ever as device searches at ports of entry continue to climb. Understanding the legal boundaries of each agency helps you prepare for what may happen when you fly domestically versus when you cross an international border.

The TSA exists for one purpose. 

• The agency screens passengers and baggage for weapons, explosives, and other threats to aviation safety. Its authority stops there.
• When you walk through a checkpoint, officers can inspect your carry-on, ask you to remove your laptop from its bag, and run your electronics through an X-ray machine. An officer may also ask you to power your phone on to confirm it is a functioning electronic device rather than something designed to conceal a threat.

However, the TSA generally cannot demand your passcode, scroll through your text messages, photos, or emails, or copy data from your device without additional legal authorization such as a warrant.

If a TSA officer asks you to unlock your phone at a domestic checkpoint, you are within your rights to decline. The agency's mandate does not extend to the contents of your digital life.


Why CBP operates under different rules
Customs and Border Protection works under a separate legal framework. At any international border, including airports handling arriving international flights, CBP officers operate under what courts have long recognized as the border search exception to the Fourth Amendment.
Under this exception, federal agents can conduct routine searches without a warrant and without probable cause. That authority, established through decades of court rulings, now extends to smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices.

CBP recognizes two types of device searches. A basic search allows an officer to manually scroll through your phone. An advanced search involves connecting your device to external equipment to copy or analyze its contents. Advanced searches require both reasonable suspicion of a legal violation or a national security concern and supervisor approval, according to agency policy.

If a search cannot be completed immediately, CBP may retain a device for up to five days. Extending detention past five days requires supervisory approval, and any extension past 15 days must be approved in seven-day increments by higher management. Data that cannot be linked to any violation must be destroyed within 21 days.

What happens if you refuse

• US citizens cannot be denied entry to the country for refusing to unlock a device. However, officers can detain you, seize your phone, and hold it for weeks or longer while they attempt to access it.
• Lawful permanent residents share similar protections regarding entry, though they may face extended questioning and device seizure.
• Foreign visitors face the steepest consequences. A traveler on a visa or under the Visa Waiver Program who refuses to comply may be denied entry and sent home on the next available flight.

Steps you can take before you travel
Privacy advocates recommend several practical measures for international travelers concerned about device searches.

• Consider what data you actually need to carry across a border. Sensitive work files, personal photos, or communications you would rather not share can be removed from your device and stored in cloud services you access after arrival.
• Power down your phone before landing. Encrypted devices are generally more difficult to access when fully shut off rather than merely locked.
• Use a strong alphanumeric passcode instead of biometric unlocking. Biometric features like FaceID and fingerprint scanning can sometimes face lower legal protection thresholds than a memorized passcode.

Document everything if your device is searched or seized.
Ask for the officer's name and badge number, request a receipt for any property taken, and record the date and location of the encounter.

The bottom line for travelers
Your rights change the moment you enter or leave the country. A phone that the TSA cannot touch at a domestic gate becomes a different story for CBP inspection at an international arrival hall. Knowing which agency you are dealing with, and what each is authorized to do, gives you the tools to protect your privacy while complying with federal law.

Story source from here

TSA Can't Search Your Phone, But CBP Will: Understanding Your Rights at U.S. Borders - AeroXplorer.com

Two Australian firefighting helicopters collide midair in Greece

Two firefighting helicopters owned by McDermott Aviation, an Australian company, collided in midair as they were battling a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens, sending one aircraft crashing to the ground. Two crew members, a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer, died in the crash.

The collision happened on Sunday (Athen's time) laid bare the danger at the most volatile front of Europe’s wildfire emergency. Video posted online and reported in Greek media appeared to show two helicopters crossing paths at low altitude, before the main rotor of the lower helicopter struck the underside of the other. The lower one then crashed in flames.

The second helicopter then dumped its load of water and flew away. Reuters has not yet verified the authenticity of the footage. The two crew members who were recovered alive were a British pilot and another Greek coordinator. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed “sorrow for the tragic accident” and extended condolences to the families of the firefighters killed in the crash.

“The loss of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot at the time they were attempting the major fire in Porto Gremeno fills us all with grief,” Mitsotakis said in a statement.

The aircraft were Bell helicopters operating over the Psatha area west of Athens, each with a two-person crew. Foreign firefighting and helicopter crews are often deployed in Greece to help tackle wildfires during the country’s hot, dry summers.

McDermott Aviation, a company based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, confirmed it owned both aircraft. The company leases aircraft fitted out for firefighting, construction and emergency response in multiple countries.


Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families, friends and colleagues of those affected by this tragic incident.

Looking back on the crash of an Emirates 777

EMIRATES BOEING 777-21H A6-EWE (MSN 35582)

On the 3rd of August 2016, EK 521 carrying 282 passengers and 18 crew crashed while attempting a go round at Dubai International Airport. Emirates Flight 521 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Trivandrum International Airport (TRV/VOTV), India to Dubai International Airport (DXB/OMDB), United Arab Emirates.

All 300 people on board survived the accident; 32 were slightly injured, 4 were seriously injured. 

An airport firefighter died during the rescue operation and another seven firefighters were injured. 

The aircraft departed Trivandrum, India at 05:06 hours UTC. The captain was the pilot flying (PF), and the copilot was the pilot monitoring (PM). As the flight neared Dubai, the crew received the automatic terminal information service (ATIS) Information Zulu, which included a windshear warning for all runways.

During the approach, at 08:36:00 UTC (12:36 local time), with the autothrottle system in SPEED mode, as the aircraft descended through a radio altitude (RA) of 1,100 feet, at 152 knots IAS, the wind direction started to change from a headwind component of 8 knots to a tailwind component.

At 08:37:07, 159 knots IAS, 35 feet RA, the PF started to flare the aircraft. The autothrottle mode transitioned to IDLE and both thrust levers were moving towards the idle position. At 08:37:12, 160 knots IAS, and 5 feet RA, five seconds before touchdown, the wind direction again started to change to a headwind.

At 08:37:23, the aircraft became airborne in an attempt to go-around and was subjected to a headwind component until impact. At 08:37:27, the flap lever was moved to the 20 position. Two seconds later the landing gear lever was selected to the UP position. Subsequently, the landing gear unlocked and began to retract.

At 08:37:28, the air traffic control tower issued a clearance to continue straight ahead and climb to 4,000 feet. The clearance was read back correctly.
The aircraft reached a maximum height of approximately 85 feet RA at 134 knots IAS, with the landing gear in transit to the retracted position. The aircraft then began to sink back onto the runway. Both crewmembers recalled seeing the IAS decreasing and the copilot called out "Check speed." At 08:37:35, three seconds before impact with the runway, both thrust levers were moved from the idle position to full forward. The autothrottle transitioned from IDLE to THRUST mode. Approximately one second later, a ground proximity warning system (GPWS) aural warning of "DON’T SINK, DON’T SINK" was annunciated.

One second before impact, both engines started to respond to the thrust lever movement showing an increase in related parameters.

At 08:37:38, the aircraft aft fuselage impacted the runway abeam the November 7 intersection at 125 knots, with a nose-up pitch angle of 9.5 degrees, and at a rate of descent of 900 feet per minute. This was followed by the impact of the engines on the runway. The three landing gears were still in transit to the retracted position. As the aircraft slid along the runway, the No.2 engine-pylon assembly separated from the right hand (RH) wing.

The aircraft continued to slide along the runway on the lower fuselage, the outboard RH wing, and the No.1 engine. An incipient fire started on the underside of the No.1 engine.
The aircraft came to rest adjacent to the Mike 13 taxiway at a magnetic heading of approximately 240 degrees. After the aircraft came to rest, fire was emanating from the No. 2 engine, the damaged RH engine-pylon wing attachment area and from under the aircraft fuselage. Approximately one minute after, the captain transmitted a "MAYDAY" call and informed air traffic control that the aircraft was being evacuated.

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 777-31H with registration A6-EMW, serial number 32700, and line number 434. It was equipped with two Rolls-Royce Trent 892 engines and was thirteen years old, having made its first flight on the 7th of March 2003. It was delivered new to Emirates on the 28th of March 2003.

The accident is the only hull loss of an Emirates aircraft.

Stranded passengers face uncertainty as WestJet cancels 81 flights

On Saturday, travelers stuck at Calgary International Airport (YYC/CYYC) described the atmosphere as chaotic, with panic, frustration, and confusion in the air as the airline canceled flights ahead of a possible flight attendant strike that could start as early as Sunday.

WestJet cancelled 81 flights on Saturday as it scaled back parts of its operations ahead of potential job action. In a statement posted to its website Friday evening, the Calgary-based airline said it had begun an “organized take-down” of its network and would start notifying guests of cancellations after receiving a strike notice from the union representing its flight attendants.

“This action is in response to the union’s notice to strike and the inability to reach an agreement,” WestJet said.

More than 60 WestJet flights in and out of the Calgary International Airport on Saturday and Sunday were listed as cancelled as of Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, a steady lineup of traveler's passengers seeking help from WestJet customer service agents began to grow in the international departures area at Calgary International Airport.

James Boyle and Sinead Walsh of Donegal, Ireland, said they felt hopeful they’d be able to make it home after just learning their scheduled evening flight to Dublin was cancelled.
Article content. James Boyle and Sinead Walsh from Donegal, Ireland were stranded in Calgary after their flight to Dublin was cancelled. They were initially scheduled to depart at around 8 p.m. but the flight was cancelled due to potential strikes, leaving them searching for alternative flight options at the airport Saturday afternoon.

“We’re trying to see if we can organize another flight. So, we’re hopeful at the moment,” Boyle said.

“WestJet agents said they’re going to try and rebook us on the next flight, but that’s obviously pending the decision to actually strike or not,” Walsh said. “We’re just trying to figure out what our options are, I suppose.

“It’s not ideal, but what can you do?”

A few photos from our walk at New Farm

Once a month, my wife, our two daughters, and I, along with our daughters’ Cavoodle, head to New Farm Park, a heritage-listed riverfront park just outside the city, where we enjoy a relaxed stroll along the waterfront before grabbing a coffee along the way and then walk back to the car. I usually bring my big camera to capture departing aircraft, but this time I opted for our little pocket camera. In hindsight, that was a mistake—it was tough to spot the planes through the reflective screen. Here are a few photos I thought I’d share.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTG (MSN 1318)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL) 14 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHF (MSN 305)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 7 YEARS

SUPERB FAIRY WREN (DIDN'T WANT ITS PHOTO TAKEN)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-MAX 8 VH-8IF (MSN 66647)
VA045 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 2 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VGO (MSN 4356)
JQ834 OFF TO PROSERPINE (PPP) 16 YEARS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-9 VH-VKB (MSN 36228)
JQ9 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 12 YEARS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A330-323 B-5966 (MSN 1625)
CZ382 OFF TO GUANGZHOU (CAN) 11 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBP (MSN 1174)
QF61 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 15 YEARS

Koala Airlines now eyes charter niche

Koala Airlines is steering clear of direct competition with Qantas and Virgin Australia by focusing on charter flights that connect with international airlines serving Australia, bundling domestic legs into overseas travel itineraries. CEO Bill Astling told Bloomberg the Melbourne-based start-up is in discussions with over 10 foreign carriers and aims to kick off operations by the end of 2026 with three B737 MAX aircraft.

Astling explained that the airline’s business model is different from typical domestic carriers, relying mainly on partnerships with international airlines instead of direct ticket sales. Koala also plans to avoid selling tickets through its own website to sidestep fare competition with larger, established competitors.

It seems the strategy has shifted from last year, when Astling mentioned Koala would target leisure and business travelers, particularly on routes between Sydney Kingsford Smith, Melbourne Airport, and Brisbane International. The carrier, whose launch plans were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic after an initial 2020 target, is now considering routes including Adelaide International and tourist destinations such as Ayers Rock, Astling said.

In August 2025, Koala Airlines announced it had secured lease arrangements for three B737 MAX aircraft to be delivered this year, targeting a late-2026 launch for commercial operations. Astling said the plan was to start with three aircraft and add two to three more shortly after. The aim was to grow the fleet to 20 aircraft in a few years.

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) previously told ch-aviation that while Koala Airlines holds a valid air operator's certificate (AOC), it is "subject to a direction not to operate" because "the previous operations conducted under this AOC were considerably different to those which Koala is now proposing - air transport operations with large jet aircraft."

According to ch-aviation research, Koala Airlines inherited its AOC from Desert-Air Safaris Pty Ltd, a pioneering company in air tours and charter flights that had been operating for over 50 years throughout Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands. Astling acquired Desert-Air Safaris in 2019 and changed the name to Koala Air. The company was then rebranded to Koala Airlines in October 2022.

In a social media post this week, Astling commented on the renewed media interest in the start-up: "To be clear, Koala has had discussions with a number of key aviation and industry participants as part of developing its plans. We have always had a policy of keeping our progress under wraps, and Koala does not comment on market speculation or confidential commercial discussions."

He added: "What I can say is that we remain firmly committed to establishing a credible third-airline presence in Australia, and we continue to make headway towards that objective."

According to the company website, Astling has more than 45 years of experience in aviation and tourism, specialising in airline management, restructuring, operations, chartering, strategy, and customer service. Since the early 1990s, he and his consultancy team have advised 12 established and start-up airlines across the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore Airlines, Air India, Malaysia Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines, and served as aviation consultant to the China Chamber of Commerce in Australia.