Australia's One Nation leader Pauline Hanson gifted a private plane

I’ve got a new plane, the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, said in a social media post on Wednesday.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been gifted a plane by Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, as well as $1 million in donations from the billionaire's friends.

“Yes, it was donated.” 

“Yes, I’m super happy.”

“Yes, it’s fast.”

“Yes, it’s amazing.”
“Yes, it means I can visit more regional towns across the country more often.”

Senator Hanson described the aircraft – a Cirrus G7 that can retail for as much $1.5m – as “sexy” and said she would not be doing “welcome to country each time she lands anywhere in Australia.

She thanked stockbrokers and “patriotic Australians” Angus and Sarah Aitken for their “enormous” $1m “investment”.

Senator Hanson said Adam Giles and geologist Ian Plimer, the latter who claims climate models focus too much on the impact of carbon dioxide, donated $500,000 each – both men are employed by mining magnate Gina Rinehart.

“Their faith and investment in One Nation are an enormous help towards our next federal campaign, and I can’t thank them enough,” she said.

Senator Hanson has faced criticism in the past over her repeated use of mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s private jet.

Light planes crashes into hanger at Parafield Airport

A plane that crashed at Parafield Airport (QBP/YPPF) in northern Adelaide has left two people dead and eleven others injured. Yesterday afternoon, emergency crews rushed to Parafield Airport after a plane slammed into a hangar, igniting a massive fire and sending thick smoke billowing over nearby suburbs.

On arrival, crews found a significant amount of thick black smoke. The smoke could be seen from kilometres away, with residents across the northern suburbs noticing it drifting across the skyline.  

Police said the two people who died were the pilot and passenger of the Diamond DA42 twin-engined aircraft, and that several people on the ground had been injured.

"Shortly after take-off from runway 03L, the plane tragically crashed into hangar 54 at the airport," Chief Inspector Andrew McCracken told reporters at the scene.

Witnesses told the media that the aircraft first seemed to circle in the sky, then suddenly took a frightening dive. It plummeted straight toward the ground before disappearing behind an airport building.

He said one person had suffered life-threatening "serious and significant burns" and had been taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, while two others had been hospitalised with serious injuries.
Another suffered minor injuries and six people had smoke inhalation.
All of those injured had been in the hangar at the time of the crash.
A large number of student pilots were among those evacuated from the scene.
Chief Inspector McCracken did not say if the two who died were students.

Aircraft Information:

Owner/Operator: Flight Training Adelaide

Aircraft: Diamond DA 42 Twin Star

Registration: VH-YQP

Serial Number: 42-213

Engines: Lycoming IO-360-M1A

First Flew: January 2009

Age: 17.3 Years

Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased.

Remembering National Airlines Flight 102

NATIONAL AIRLINES BOEING 747-412 N756CA (MSN 26547)

 

National Airlines Flight 102 was a cargo flight from Camp Shorabak (OAI/OAIX) in Afghanistan to Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC/OMDW) in Dubai, with a refueling stop at Bagram Airfield. On the 29th of April 2013, the Boeing 747-400 operating the flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Bagram, resulting in the death of all seven crew members on board.

The investigation determined that cargo not properly secured broke loose during takeoff, rolled to the rear, breached the rear pressure bulkhead, and disabled the flight control systems at the back. This caused the aircraft to enter an uncontrollable pitch-up position, leading to a stall and making it impossible for the pilots to regain control.

The airline had been running flights between Camp Bastion and Dubai for a month before the crash. The ill-fated flight began at Camp Bastion, loaded with five heavy armored vehicles, and stopped at Bagram to refuel. Taking off from Bagram's runway 03 at 15:30 local time, the aircraft was ascending through 1,200 feet (370 m) when it abruptly pitched up. It then stalled, banked right, and leveled off just before crashing and exploding into a fireball, narrowly missing nearby vehicles. The crash occurred off the end of runway 03, within the airfield's boundary. All seven crew members, all American citizens including four pilots, two mechanics, and a loadmaster, perished. There were no ground injuries.

A thunderstorm was near Bagram at the crash time, with a 120° wind direction change about 35 minutes prior. A car's dashboard camera near the runway captured the crash, showing the aircraft's sharp pitch up, stall, and subsequent right bank after a slight left bank, suggesting asymmetrical lift. The aircraft then attempted to right itself.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: National Airlines

Code: N8/NCR

Aircraft: Boeing 747-428

Registration: N949CA

Serial Number: 25630

Engines: 4 x GE CF6-80C2B1F

First Flew: 29/01/1993

Age: 9.9 Years

The Port Arthur massacre - 30 years today

I don’t usually share stories unrelated to aviation, but this one is close to my heart. Growing up in Hobart and working as a traveling salesman, I visited the Sea Scape bed and breakfast every month for six years. During that time, I got to know the owners, David and Sally Martin, very well. I’m still friends with David and Sally's daughter and her husband, as well as their granddaughter and her husband.


The Port Arthur massacre was a mass shooting on the 28th of April 1996, in Port Arthur, a tourist town in Tasmania, 90 kilometers (56 miles) southeast of Hobart city.

Martin Bryant carried out the attack, killing 35 people and injuring 23 others in what became the deadliest massacre in modern Australian history. The tragedy prompted major reforms to Australia’s gun laws.

Two of Bryant’s victims were people he knew personally, killed at Seascape, a bed and breakfast. Most of the others died during a shooting spree at the Port Arthur Historic Site, a popular tourist spot. Armed with two semi-automatic rifles, he started in a small café, then moved into a nearby gift shop, killing twenty people in minutes. More lives were taken in the car park, including those of several children. At the tollbooth, he killed four people, stole their vehicle, and drove to a service station, where he shot a woman and abducted her partner. Along the way, he fired at passing cars before heading back to Seascape with his hostage, who was later killed. He set the property on fire but was captured the next morning.

Bryant admitted to the killings and was sentenced to 35 life terms without parole, though his motives remain debated. The tragedy prompted the newly elected Howard government to review Australia’s gun laws. Within two weeks, the National Firearms Agreement was introduced, placing strict limits on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, launching a gun buyback scheme, creating a national gun registry, and enforcing a waiting period for firearm purchases.

Port Arthur is most famous as a UNESCO World Heritage-listed convict settlement. Operating from 1830 to 1877, it was a brutal penal colony, featuring a notorious "separate prison" system focusing on psychological punishment, alongside landmarks like the Penitentiary and Convict Church. Today, it is Tasmania’s premier historic site, known for its well-preserved ruins, ghost tours, and scenic maritime setting.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends as they remember loved ones today. 

Spirit Airlines faces imminent collapse as fuel prices soar

Spirit Airlines has requested an emergency bailout from the Trump administration due to financial troubles. Facing over $7 billion in debt, the airline could shut down within days.

SPIRIT AIRLINES AIRBUSA321-231 N661NK (MSN 6867)

Spirit Airlines is teetering on the edge of shutting down, with flights possibly ending as soon as the end of April. The budget carrier has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, and now its entire fleet could be grounded for good, putting the jobs of its 12,000 employees at risk.

While the airline reached a deal with lenders in February to exit its second bankruptcy in two years, that rescue plan has now failed. Reports from Bloomberg suggest the carrier is shifting from a plan to restructure its debt to a full closure of the business. This process, known as liquidation, would see the airline sell off all its assets to pay back creditors rather than trying to keep flying.

The recent conflict in the Middle East has increased fuel prices by 110%. For a budget airline that operates on razor-thin profit margins, these added costs have made it impossible to maintain a sustainable business. Spirit’s survival strategy was built on the assumption that fuel costs would remain stable.

Despite the optimistic outlook shared by CEO Dave Davis last month, who claimed the airline’s restructuring plan reflected “the confidence our lenders and noteholders have in our future”. The recent fuel hikes have placed the airline in a terminal position.

Spirit Airlines has never been able to recover fully from the global COVID-19 pandemic as travel patterns changed, and the airline struggled to profit with its thin margins. Before its current crisis, Spirit was already struggling to find its footing after a planned merger with JetBlue was blocked by regulators. That failed deal left the airline with a huge $7.4 billion debt and lease obligations, a burden that made Spirit’s survival as a standalone carrier impossible under its original capital structure.

Looking back on China Airlines Flight 140

CHINA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-302 B-18305 (MSN 0671)

 

China Airlines Flight 140 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Taipei-Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (TPE/RCTP), Taiwan to Nagoya-Komaki International Airport (NGO/RJNN), Japan

On the 26th of April 1994, the Airbus A300B4-622R was completing a routine flight and approach, when, just seconds before landing at Nagoya Airport, the takeoff/go-around setting (TO/GA) was inadvertently triggered. The pilots attempted to pitch the aircraft down while the autopilot, which was not disabled, was pitching the aircraft up. The aircraft ultimately stalled and crashed into the ground, killing 264 of the 271 people on board.

It was nighttime and Nagoya airport weather at the time was reported as winds from 280 degrees at 8 knots, visibility of 20 kilometers, cumulus clouds at 3,000 feet and a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. During the initial phase of the approach, both autopilot systems (AP1 and AP2) were engaged as well as the auto throttles. After passing the ILS outer marker and receiving landing clearance, the first officer, who was the pilot flying, disengaged the autopilot system and continued the ILS approach manually. 

When passing through approximately 1,000 feet on the approach glidepath, the first officer inadvertently triggered the GO levers placing the auto throttles into go-around mode, which led to an increase in thrust. This increase in thrust caused the aircraft to level off at approximately 1,040 feet for 15 seconds and resulted in the flight path becoming high relative to the ILS glideslope. The captain recognised that the GO lever had been triggered and instructed the first officer to disengage it and correct the flight path down to the desired glide slope. While manually trying to correct the glide path with forward yoke, the first officer engaged the autopilot, causing it to be engaged in the go-around mode as well. As he manually attempted to recapture the glide slope from above by reducing thrust and pushing the yoke forward, he was providing pitch inputs to the elevator that were opposite the autopilot commands to the Trimmable Horizontal Stabiliser (THS), which was attempting to command pitch up for a go around.

Passing through approximately 700 feet, the autopilot was disengaged but the THS remained at its last commanded position of -12.3 degrees. Also at this time, due to the thrust reduction commanded by the first officer, the airspeed decreased to a low level, resulting in an increasing angle of attack (also termed alpha, or AOA). As a result, the automatic alpha floor function of the aircraft was activated, causing an increase in thrust and a further pitch-up. The alpha floor function of the A300 is an AOA protection feature intended to prevent excessive angles of attack during normal operations. Because of the greater size of the THS relative to the elevator (approximately three times greater in terms of surface area), the available elevator control power or authority was overcome as the aircraft neared 570 feet on the approach. Upon hearing the first officer report that he could not push the nose further down and that the throttles had latched (alpha floor function engaged), the captain took over the controls unaware of the THS position.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: China Airlines

Code: CI/CAL

Aircraft: Airbus A300B4-622R

Registration: B-1816

Serial Number: 580

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney PW4158

First Flew: 30/10/1990

Sending thoughts and prayers to the families and friends as they remember their loved ones today.

Plane spotting by the river

Yesterday, my family and I visited New Farm Park, just outside the city, because my daughter wanted to take her dog for a long walk. After arriving, we strolled along the waterfront toward Teneriffe for a refreshing drink. I brought my camera along, knowing I’d catch close-up departures from 19 Right and distant ones from 19 Left.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHP (MSN 436)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 5 YEARS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKB (MSN 36228)
JQ9 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 12 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-MAX 8 VH-8VG (MSN 67037)
VA447 OFF TO DARWIN (DRW) 3 MONTHS

SOLOMON AIRLINES AIRBUS A320-232 H4-SIB (MSN 2445)
IE715 OFF TO MUNDA (MUA) 20 YEARS

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FNOI (MSN 35268)
AC36 OFF TO VANCOUVER (YVR) 10 YEARS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-30C0 (MSN 357)
CZ382 OFF TO GUANGZHOU (CAN) 6 YEARS

ALLIANCE EMBRAER E190AR VH-A2K (MSN 19000040)
QF1824 OFF TO MACKAY (MKY) 19 YEARS
FLYING FOR QANTAS 

UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 777-222 N797UA (MSN 26294)
UA97 OFF TO SAN FRANCISCO (SFO) 28 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPF (MSN 595)
QF61 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 22 YEARS

SKYTRANS AUSTRALIA AIRBUS A319-112 VH-L7A (MSN 1179)
SX2614 OFF TO DARWIN (DRW) 23 YEARS

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A330-243 B-5938 (MSN 1479)
MU716 OFF TO SHANGHAI (PVG) 12 YEARS

ALLIANCE AIRLINES FOKKER 70 VH-JFE (MSN 11545)
VA1239 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 30 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND BOEING 787-9 ZK-NZR (MSN 65088)
NZ81 OVERFLYING BRISBANE FROM AUCKLAND TO HONG KONG

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBJ (MSN 940)
QF51 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 17 YEARS

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES AIRBUS A321-271N RP-C9930 (MSN 8117)
PR222 OFF TO MANILA (MNL) 7 YEARS 

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKD (MSN 36229)
JQ23 OFF TO OSAKA (KIX) 12 YEARS

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UZF (MSN 19000166) 
QLK357 OFF TO HONIARA (HIR) 18 YEARS