Air Canada pilot caught flying without correct license

Air Canada has addressed a monetary penalty imposed by Transport Canada on a former pilot who had been operating as a captain without holding the correct type of license.

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FGDT (MSN 37171)

The airline said that the pilot, who had been promoted to captain, held a valid Commercial Pilots License and was fully trained, but did not hold an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), which is the certification required by Canadian regulations for captains of large aircraft operated by airlines. An ATPL is obtained by passing a series of written exams beyond what a commercial license requires.

Air Canada said it removed the pilot from active duty immediately upon discovering the issue and voluntarily reported the matter to Transport Canada. The former pilot is no longer employed by the airline, and an active criminal investigation is underway.

The airline also said it conducted an audit of its entire pilot group following the discovery and found no other instances of non-compliance. It has since reinforced its administrative practices around verifying pilot licenses, including physically checking original documents issued by Transport Canada.

Air Canada stressed that safety was not compromised during the 12-month period the pilot was flying as captain. The airline pointed to its mandatory recurrent training program, which requires all pilots to validate their flying competency every six months, along with a flight check conducted by a certified Transport Canada check pilot every 12 months.

“Throughout his employment with Air Canada, the individual in question was a fully trained pilot who held a valid Commercial Pilot License, and he successfully met or exceeded the required recurrent training, demonstrating a high level of competency to safely operate large aircraft,” the airline said.

At the same time, Air Canada acknowledged that proper licensing is a critical layer in the aviation industry’s approach to safety. 

According to Transport Canada, there were 18 offences in 2025 in Ontario related to operating a flight without holding the appropriate permit, with fines totaling CAD 67,500 (US $49,000 - AU $69,065). 

Plane spotting from the Brisbane Airport IBIS Hotel room (Part One)

A few days ago, I mentioned that my family and I attended the OPN 50,000 subscribers’ party on the top floor of the IBIS Hotel at Brisbane Airport. We decided to stay the night, but unfortunately, the roof access was closed except for events and guests buying the plane-spotting package. This meant we had to take photos from our room, which had double-glazed, soundproof windows. Once the function began, I took my camera upstairs and managed to snap a few shots from there as well at night.

QANTAS AIRBUS A321-271NX VH-OGB (MSN 12427)
QF528 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 1 YEAR

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHP (MSN 436)
SQ236 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 5 YEARS

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYF (MSN 19000038)
QLK1804 COMING IN FROM CANBERRA (CBR) 20 YEARS

AIR NIUGINI BOEING 767-383 P2-PXW (MSN 25365)
PX4 OFF TO PORT MORESBY (POM) 34 YEARS

ALLIANCE AIRLINES FOKKER 70 VH-JFE (MSN 11545)
VA1265 OFF TO EMERALD (EMD) 30 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

ALLIANCE AIRLINES EMBRAER E190AR VH-A2T (MSN 19000179)
BEING TOWED OFF THE BAY

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VZM (MSN 34192)
QF618 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL)15 YEARS

ALLIANCE AIRLINES FOKKER 70 VH-NUU (MSN 11532)
QQ2835 ARRIVING FROM MORANBAH (MOV) 31 YEARS

LINK AIRWAYS FAIRCHILD METRO 23 VH-VEU (MSN DC-797B)
LR7714 ARRIVING FROM NARRABRI (NAA) 34 YEARS

QUEENSLAND POLICE BEECH KING AIR 360 VH-8TT (MSN FL-1293)

TEAM GLOBAL EXPRESS BOEING 737-8BK ZK-TXB (MSN 29644)
TFX51 ARRIVING FROM DARWIN (DRW) 19 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737- MAX 8 VH-8VE (MSN 67041)
VA1398 OFF TO ADELAIDE (ADL) 1 YEAR

BACK - QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBC (MSN 506) OLD FONT
FRONT - QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBR (MSN 1251) NEW FONT

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHJ (MSN 328)
SQ265 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8SA (MSN 44224)
VA962 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 11 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYQ (MSN12020)
JQ59 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 2 YEARS

QATAR AIRWAYS AIRBUS A350-1041 A7-ANR (MSN 399)
QR898 ARRIVING FROM DOHA (DOH) 6 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBA (MSN 508)
QF536 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 23 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHJ (MSN 328)
SQ266 DEPARTING FOR SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

GATEWAY TOLL BRIDGE

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYV (MSN 12159)
JQ964 OFF TO PERTH (PER) 1 YEAR

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-842 A6-EVM (MSN 264)
EK435 OFF TO DUBAI (DXB) 6 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4A (MSN 55253)
QLK1284 ARRIVING FROM ADELAIDE (ADL) 2 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBR (MSN 1251)
QF15 OF TO LOA ANGELES (LAX) 14 YEARS

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRBUS A350-941 B-LQG (MSN 615)
CX157 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 3 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-XZG (MSN 39371)

Virgin Australia Regional bids farewell to the A320

After 13 years of service, Virgin Australia has bid farewell to the Airbus A320.

Introduced into the Virgin Australia fleet in 2013 through the formation of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), the type has become a familiar sight across Western Australia, supporting both regional and resources-sector operations.

With fleet renewal well underway, the final two A320s were planned to be retired by mid-June 2026, bringing an end to the airline's Airbus narrowbody era. Their departure marks the close of a significant chapter in Virgin Australia's history as the carrier transitions to newer Boeing 737 and Embraer E190-E2

The below Embraer E190-E2 was captured in Brisbane on the 31st of May as a stopover on its way to Perth.  

The last two Airbus A320-232's where

VH-VND (MSN 3296) and VH-VNP (MSN 2952)

VND performed its last flight last night from West Angelas (WNP) to Perth (PER)

VH-VND was delivered new in November 2007 and entered service with Tigerair Australia.

Following Tigerair's closure in 2020, VH-VND was stored for a period of time at Alice Springs Airport Aircraft Graveyard in 2021. 

In March 2023, the aircraft left the  graveyard for Jakarta for maintenance and reactivation work. After several months of maintenance and test flights, the aircraft returned to  Australia and was transferred into the Virgin Australia fleet.

VNP also performed its last flight last night from Boolgeeda (OSM) to Perth (PER)

In November 2006 VNP started its life as 9V-TAH and flew for Tiger Airways Singapore. On the 15th of November 2010 it started its life with Tiger Airways Australia as VH-VNP, then when Tiger Air ceased operations on the 25th of March 2020 the aircraft moved to Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA).

Looking back on Air India Flight 171

AIR INDIA BOEING 787-8 VT-ANZ (MSN 36297)

An Air India aircraft traveling from Ahmedabad (AMD/VAAH) to London's Gatwick (LGW/EGKK) has crashed in India's western city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat shortly after take-off.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad at 13:38 local time. The ADS-B transponder of the aircraft reported an altitude of 625 feet before the connection was lost. The crash took place in the early afternoon during routine takeoff procedures. Eyewitnesses from the Meghani Nagar area reported hearing multiple explosions, followed by thick plumes of smoke visible from nearby locations, including Dharpur

Flight AI171 was reported to have 242 people on board.

In a statement, Air India said: "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest."

India’s aviation minister said the authorities are on “highest alert” and that rescue teams have been mobilised. He also expressed his shock and devastation at the crash.

“I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said in a post on X, adding that all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support were being rushed to the site.

The country’s aviation regulator said the aircraft fell just after departure on the ground outside the airport perimeter. The director general of the directorate of civil aviation told The Associated Press that the plane crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off.

At least 242 people were on board the flight, local police said in an update, without confirming any fatalities. Footage taken near the crash site, located in a civilian area near the airport, showed thick plumes of smoke and debris on fire.

Aircraft flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said the plane involved was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and signal was lost at 625 feet, less than a minute after take-off.

According to Aviation Safety Network, the Dreamliner has a very strong safety record, with no hull losses and no fatalities since entering service.

Aircraft Information: 

Airline: Air India

Code: AI/AIC

Aircraft: Boeing 787-8

Registration: VT-ANB

Serial Number: 36279

Engines: 2 x GEnx-1B

First Flew: 14/12/2013

Age: 11.5 Years

OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO FAMILIES AND FREINDS OF EVERYONE INVOLVED AND THE STAFF OF AIR INDIA.

Celebrating 50,000 subscribers for OPN

Aviation enthusiasts may know that Brisbane boasts two fantastic aviation streams. 

Julia Flights streams mainly on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6:00 am (20:00 Zulu) to around midday (02:00 Zulu), with the occasional pop-up stream. Recently they performed an Australian first in YouTube aviation streaming, by streaming Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane live all in the one live show. 

The other is Only Planes Network (OPN), which streams on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday nights from around 5:00 pm (07:00 Zulu) to about 9:00 pm (11:00 Zulu). 

About five weeks ago, OPN hit 50,000 subscribers, and to celebrate this milestone, they held a special event last Friday at the Brisbane Airport IBIS hotel. My wife, daughter, and I were among the 147 guests who joined in the celebration. 

There were many guests who travelled from far north Queensland, Tasmania and even New Zealand. There were games, raffles and a goodie bag.

Both channels have streamed from international locations as well. 

Below are the links for both streams. 

Julia Flights - YouTube

Only Planes Network - YouTube

BRISBANE AIRPORT IBIS HOTEL

SKY LOUNGE - WHERE THE CELBRATIONS TOOK PLACE

LEVEL 9 - WHERE JAMES USALLY STREAMS FROM

THE GREAT WHITE

YOUTUBE STREAMERS WHO ATTENDED HAD THEIR NAME ON THIS SHIRT

THE FAMOUS CAROLYN

JAMES (L) MATTY (R)

ONE OF THE GAMES WE PLAYED ON THE NIGHT

HAND MADE DOOKA DOOKA'S BY MATTY

We had such a fantastic time and enjoyed ourselves so much that I forgot to take more photos of the celebration than I did. My family and I stayed at the IBIS hotel for the night, and when-time permits, I’ll be posting aircraft photos from Friday afternoon from our room and Friday night from the party terrace, as well as Saturday morning from the room. So please keep checking back in.