Plane Crazy Down Under
Southern Skies Media
4.8from 16 ratings
- 160
- Episodes
- 16
- Ratings
- Monthly
- Cadence
- 2009
- First episode
- 36M
- YouTube views
About Plane Crazy Down Under
An aviation based podcast with an Australian/Pacific perspective This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy
- Publisher
- Southern Skies Media
- Category
- leisure
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 15 Jul 2009
- Latest episode
- 8 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
160 episodes in the feed.
8 Sept 2026
From Drone Racing to Military Operations
Did you hear a *THUD* when this episode arrived in your player? Weighing in at two hours and fourty one minutes, this episode is packed with content recorded at the Military International Drone Racing Tournament (https://midrt.org/) in Sydney back in March 2026, along with a great chat with WGCDR Keirin Joyce, one of the people organising the event. Unless you're going on a long journey, we suspect you'll need your pause button a few times on this episode, but it's worth listening all the way through to the end, and not just because the Australian Defence Force Drone Racing Team (https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-07-01/drone-racers-league-their-own) are the reigning champions following back-to-back victories in the Australian and Sydney events this year. The enormous stack of interviews in this episode unfold as: 0:00:50 – We kick it off with an overview of what this episode is about. 0:02:53 – Our discussion starts with WGCDR Keirin Joyce of the RAAF talking about the growth of military drone racing, Australia’s winning record, international competition, technology development and lessons from Ukraine. 0:16:11 – CAPT Tom Gash discusses the Richmond tactical events including payload delivery, aerial interception, scoring, equipment and safety. 0:24:14 – FSGT Justin Galbraith talks about the autonomous fixed-wing targets being used at the tactical events, covering interception tactics and the importance of the drone team’s spotter. 0:28:18 – Sid from CubePilot (https://www.cubepilot.org/) talks about their Cube Orange+ product (https://www.cubepilot.org/#/cube/features), using the ArduPilot (https://ardupilot.org/) system, and autonomous target aircraft operations. 0:32:43 – LTCOL Raymond Brin, CO of the 9th Regiment Royal Army Artillery, talks about the use of UAS in Army UAS for ISR, along with operational drone capability and careers. 0:39:38 – We present a promotion for our latest podcast production: A History of the Future (https://www.australiandefence.com.au/history-of-the-future), then tell you a little about it. 0:40:34 – WGCDR Joyce returns to talk about the different groups involved in Military Drone Racing, including cadets and veterans, along with international teams, and the Defence and Industry careers that many young FPV pilots progress towards. 0:45:18 – We then move on to discussing the ADF’s top-down innovation units and disruptive experimentation to assess the application of new innovative concepts to Defence. 0:47:40 – This includes the use of an autonomous Jabiru light sport aircraft under Project Camel Train (https://www.australianflying.com.au/latest/raaf-converts-jabiru-400-into-autonomous-logistics-drone), and the Aladdin capability (https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-07-09/drone-launch-marks-innovation-milestone) which is providing a precision logistics delivery system via drones. 0:52:25 – Payu and Angus are from the Australian Cadet Drone Racing Team and they talk about the importance of STEM, being in cadets, the fun and development they’re experiencing with drone racing, and their potential Defence pathways ahead of them. 0:58:59 – PTE Hamish Glover returns to the show to talk about the Army Drone Racing Team and the experiences he’s had racing, older versus newer technology, and tactical challenges. 1:06:56 – LAC Nelson White from the Air Force Drone Racing Team talks about being at the MIDRT competition, international camaraderie, and conducting tactical intercepts. 1:12:19 – Ben Boller is a member of the Veterans Drone Racing Team who talks about the Australian veteran community, his experiences racing and how it contributes to mental wellbeing, along with his experiences flying the tactical events. 1:21:04 – Rodney from Team USA provides an overview of building the US military drone racing presence, its links to the AUKUS program, the importance of STEM, and conducting the tactical events. 1:25:23 – Grant talks with Air Commodore Migdiawan from the Indonesian military about the growth of Indonesian military drone racing and its contribution to international cooperation. 1:27:51 – Marlon from the Philippine Army Drone Racing Team talks about developing the Philippine team, their experiences in international competition, and the tactical skills they are developing. 1:30:26 – MWO Blake Bergeron talks about the rapid formation of the Canadian military team, learning their new drones, and building Canadian FPV capability. 1:36:52 – WGCDR Joyce returns to talk about the military drone racing teams being integrated with civilian drone racing groups, sponsorship and support from civilian organisations, and the importance of drones to many areas of civilian life. 1:46:32 – Aaron Bell is the General Manager of KJR and also one of the members of the ADF’s UAS Events team. He steps us through KRJ’s history and services, discusses AI-enabled remote drone operations, environmental applications and the efforts that have gone into organising the tournament. 1:52:23 – Michael Oborne from CubePilot tells us about programming the autonomous target missions using Mission Planner, ArduPilot and civilian survey applications. 1:57:14 – Charles at SYPAQ (https://www.sypaq.com.au/) tells us about the company’s sponsorship of the event, STEM engagement, veterans and autonomous systems. 1:59:36 – Tim Croft, aka Timmytron (https://aufpv.org.au/pilots/timmytron), from FPVBits (https://www.youtube.com/@FPVBits/videos) steps us through their live-streaming of drone racing, how race timing works, providing FPV feeds and broadcasting events. 2:06:59 – Philip Rouse, co-CEO of CubePilot, steps us through CubePilot’s history, the development of ArduPilot and autonomous systems, including defence applications and supply-chain issues. 2:21:49 – WGCDR Joyce returns to discuss the Australian uncrewed systems sector and future growth for the tournament. 2:23:42 – We start wrapping the episode, including a discussion of Steve’s new Tesla (yes, he’s gone electric). 2:27:21 – We’ve got listener mail including feedback on our E190-E2 episode (we got something wrong – DOH!), a shout-out to Nilma at Embraer, and feedback from some listeners, and Steve’s tribute to his flying instructor and aviation mentor Gary Biddle. We also ask our audience’s help to spread the word that PCDU is back as we’ve encountered people who didn’t realise we were producing episodes once again. We also talk about upcoming events where we can be found, including Grant’s work for ADM and Steve’s news bulletins being produced for AIR News. Links: Military International Drone Racing Tournament (https://midrt.org/) = midrt.org Australian Defence Force Drone Racing Team (https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-07-01/drone-racers-league-their-own) CubePilot (https://www.cubepilot.org/) = www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-07-01/drone-racers-league-their-own Cube Pilot's Cube Orange+ (https://www.cubepilot.org/#/cube/features) product = www.cubepilot.org/#/cube/features ArduPilot (https://ardupilot.org/) = ardupilot.org A History of the Future (https://ahistoryofthefuture.com.au) = ahistoryofthefuture.com.au Project Camel Train (https://www.australianflying.com.au/latest/raaf-converts-jabiru-400-into-autonomous-logistics-drone) = www.australianflying.com.au/latest/raaf-converts-jabiru-400-into-autonomous-logistics-drone Aladdin capability (https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-07-09/drone-launch-marks-innovation-milestone) = www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-07-09/drone-launch-marks-innovation-milestone FPVBits (https://www.youtube.com/@FPVBits/videos) = www.youtube.com/@FPVBits/videos Australian Defence Magazine (https://www.australiandefence.com.au/) = www.australiandefence.com.au AIR News (https://airnews.com.au/stream.html) = airnews.com.au/stream.html Credits: Introduction voice over and closing credits by Terry Daniel Artwork using photos by Grant...
26 Feb 2026
Australian Beechcraft Society's Pilot Proficiency Program 2026
The Australian Beechcraft Society (https://abs.org.au/) is holding their Pilot Proficiency Program for 2026 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAFZSLrpE44) at Cowra from the 19th to 22nd of March, so if you own, fly or maintain Bonanzas and/or Barons, you're going to want to be there. There will be a comprehensive flying program, detailed maintenance reviews, and two days of presentations from specialists on the Bonanza and Baron, plus other speakers including Airservices, CASA, and Stralis Engineering. We caught up with representatives from the Australian Beechcraft Society along with two very experienced members of the American Bonanza Society (https://www.bonanza.org/) who will be coming to Australia for the event. It's a great chat with something to learn even if you don't fly a Beechcraft. 0:01:07 - We kick off the episode and oh wow, it's 2026 already. How did that happen? 0:04:25 - We chat with Dave Porter and David Young from the Australian Beechcraft Society about their flying experience and how they became part of the Beechcraft world. The conversation includes how Textron Aviation (https://txtav.com/) now owns both Cessna (https://cessna.txtav.com/en/)and Beechcraft (https://beechcraft.txtav.com/en/), an overview of the Society, and the importance of aircraft type clubs for operational and maintenance knowledge, plus lobbying with regulators on your behalf. We also touch on the range of Beechcraft types, including the aerobatic Bonanzas and T-34 Mentor, then discuss what to expect from the 2026 Pilot Proficiency Program, the importance of attending, and how to sign up for it. 0:47:32 - We present a promotion for our latest podcast production: A History of the Future (https://www.australiandefence.com.au/history-of-the-future), then tell you a little about it. 0:51:20 - We're joined by Bob Ripley & Tom Turner from the American Bonanza Society (https://www.bonanza.org/) and, after the inevitable discussion about the weather, we talk about their backgrounds and aviation experience, the number of Bonanzas and Barons still flying, and the benefits the Society provides to members. We also talk about some of the things pilots and maintainers should be aware of with these aircraft and that there are specific items for not only different models, but also specific to serial number ranges. We wrap our chat by learning the specifics of what they're bringing to the Australian event, including a detailed walk-around specific to your aircraft's model and serial number, and what unique aspects they've identified about flying and maintaining these aircraft in Australia. 1:30:26 - We talk briefly about Grant's trip to Singapore and introduce the next segment. 1:32:24 - Grant talks with Jimmy Beeson, Textron's Vice President for Product Development, about identifying opportunities for updates and new developments, working with customers to assess their needs and obtain feedback on new ideas, the latest developments, and the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality when working with customers. The conversation also touches on Textron's recent closure of the Bonanza and Baron production lines, plus what to expect from the new Denali aircraft and when it's going to be in production. 1:43:42 - We wrap up with summary of the Singapore Air Show (https://www.singaporeairshow.com/trade), catching up with Brian Coleman while there, and then close out the episode. Links: Australian Beechcraft Society: abs.org.au (https://abs.org.au/) ABS PPP 2026: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAFZSLrpE44 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAFZSLrpE44) American Bonanza Society: www.bonanza.org (https://www.bonanza.org/) Textron Aviation: txtav.com (https://txtav.com/) Beechcraft: beechcraft.txtav.com (https://beechcraft.txtav.com/en/) Cessna: cessna.txtav.com (https://cessna.txtav.com/en/) A History of the Future: www.australiandefence.com.au/history-of-the-future (https://www.australiandefence.com.au/history-of-the-future) Australian Defence Magazine: www.australiandefence.com.au (https://www.australiandefence.com.au/) Singapore Air Show: www.singaporeairshow.com (https://www.singaporeairshow.com/trade) Credits: Introduction voice over - Kevin Hillier Closing credits - Terry Daniel Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com (mailto:contact@planecrazydownunder.com)
26 Oct 2025
Talking E2 with Embraer & Virgin Australia
Many in Australia will have flown the Embraer E190 as there are a few flying here with Airnorth, Alliance Airlines (as QantasLink) and National Jet, plus the ones Virgin Australia used to operate back prior to COVID. The E190 and E195 include such wonderful features as large, well positioned windows (no bending down to look out horizontally), no middle seats, and good economics for the operators. The E190 and E195 are already impressive aircraft but Embraer have made them even better with their E2 versions, providing even more comfort and improved economics. It seems only fitting that Virgin Australia, in the form of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), are the first to operate the new E2s in Australian skies. This episode we talk to Embraer to learn more about the E2 and to VARA to learn why they selected it and how they're bringing the new airframe into operations. 0:01:25 - We introduce the episode. 0:03:49 - Raul Villaron, Vice President of Asia Pacific for Embraer Commercial Aviation joins us from Singapore to discuss all things E2. He explains the external differences between the original series and the E2s, the new technologies incorporated in their design, their improved passenger experience, and their operating economics that are allowing them to even replace older turboprops while also opening up routes that otherwise couldn't support a larger aircraft. Raul also provides a comparison of the E2s vs the Airbus A220 models, gives us an overview of the other E2 operators in the Asia/Pacific region, and talks about the support network already in place. 0:32:31 - We introduce the next segment 0:34:00 - Nathan Miller, Executive General Manager of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines in Western Australia steps us through VARA's need to replace its Fokker 100s, their assessment of available aircraft, and selection of the E190-E2. He also steps us through the unique aspects of operating Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) operations to the resources companies in Western Australia while also needing to cover airline operations, and the demands they place on aircraft in the region. We also get an insight to Nathan's love of aviation and his experiences when being on the delivery flight of the first aircraft, VH-E2A (how fitting is that rego? :) ). 0:59:42 - We wrap up the episode and hint at what may be coming next. Links: Maikha's video channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Rheilffordd (https://www.youtube.com/@Rheilffordd) Ben Jones' minature railway locomotive project https://www.facebook.com/buildingminiaturelocomotives (https://www.facebook.com/buildingminiaturelocomotives) Credits: Introduction voice over and closing credits by Terry Daniel: http://yourvoiceover.com.au (http://yourvoiceover.com.au/) Episode artwork photo supplied by Embraer Music tracks are "What You Wanted" and "Event Vibe" from Infraction via #InAudio https://inaudio.org/ (https://inaudio.org/) Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com (mailto:contact@planecrazydownunder.com)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 36,022,422
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.8 / 5
- 13 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.7 / 5
- 3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 71 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 69
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 93
- Engagement
- 92
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