The AESL (now PAC) CT4B

The little CT4B was developed from the four-seat version of the Airtourer. Although the Airtourer was an Australian design, the Airtrainer was designed in New Zealand by the company that had, by then, purchased the Victa company. History lesson over....

This is a fantastic little trainer, fully aerobatic and capable of scaring the living daylights out of any student, and some instructors too! Very solid and sturdy, the CT4 was ultimately developed to be powered by a 300 horsepower Lycoming engine, and considering that the original Airtourer only had 80 or so, that's quite a difference!

I took this photo of one of my mates flying in formation with me. We taught Australian Army pilots, who ultimately went on to fly helicopters. Part of the course involved formation training, and each student would receive three lessons from you (about half of each would be leading and the other half as following), before they went solo on YOUR wing! It tended to focus your attention as they were generally within 20 feet of your wing and at any time could potentially kill the both of you!

Another interesting feature of the CT4 was that, with its 27 foot wingspan (same as the Mirage III used by the RAAF until the 80's), it had the same power-off glide characteristics as the Mirage, and could therefore be very effective in teaching emergency procedures to students destined for fighters.

Extra 300

Here is one of two Extra 300L aerobatic trainers that I had the privelage to fly while I worked for Western Michigan University. I don't think they have them any longer, which is a shame, because they were great fun.

I found the Extra 300L to be a superb little aircraft for general and advanced aerobatics, and always fun to fly. However, it has one overriding fault - it is TOO EASY to fly! Pretty much anything you can think of, it will do, and with ease. The controls are beautifully light and ultra-responsive, and it is possible to do many of the manoeuvres with just a finger and thumb on the stick. With the little Pitts Special, you needed a firm grip and good muscles to get the most from the aircraft, and it demanded much more of you by way of control coordination. The Extra is by comparison, an old lady's aerobatic aeroplane! I don't mean that to sound like I don't like the machine - quite the opposite - I love it! However, I must say that my respect (even awe) of the airshow pilots that I've seen fly the Extra series of aircraft and the other advanced types, has diminished now because I see that it is not so much what the pilot can or cannot do, but what the aeroplane can - and there's not much that this one cannot do!

My firm belief is that any Pitts pilot can fly an Extra, but not necessarily the other way around!

Pitts S2A

The little Pitts Special is one of my favourite aircraft! I was lucky enough to instruct in this one in New Zealand, and I had a ball.... it belonged to a friend of my wife, and I rented it from him on most weekends to do aerobatic joyflights and instructional rides out of Palmerston North where I worked during the week at Massey University.

With only a 20 foot wingspan, a 180 horsepower engine and that very narrow, conventional undercarriage, the Pitts has a reputation as something of a "dramatic" aircraft. Many pilots who fly it (or have had a ride in it) will tell you that it will eat you for breakfast, and is very difficult to fly and particularly so to land. This is complete rubbish, and I found the Pitts to be entirely controllable and very predictable. Yes, it doesn't hesitate to let you know that you've done something wrong, and it will scare the faint of heart or low-time, ham-fisted wannabes..... but it is just so responsive and manoeuvrable that you can put it anywhere you want and do anything you can think of - it just laps it all up and asks for more.

Just treat it like a woman - firm but tender hand, with respect and definitely don't take it for granted! It too will give you a lifetime of fun!

PC12 at Mintabie, South Australia

Here's a photo of my favourite aeroplane, the Pilatus PC12. This one is on the ground at Mintabie, in the northern part of South Australia, and we were there for a clinic. The rocks are numerous and large there, but PC12 is quite capable of handling surfaces such as this.

Central section currently have 11 PC12's on strength (actually, we currently have 14, but this includes 4 new PC12/47NG's that are replacing the four oldest aircraft in our fleet, with one already gone and the next about to leave).