It was a baking hot 42 Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) under the scorching Australian sun when the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia held its AusFly 2025 event at Wentworth, New South Wales, during the middle of March. Grant was on the commentary team but Steve couldn't make it due to a scheduling conflict, so Grant recorded a stack of interviews at the event to give those who missed it a chance to catch up with the vendors and people who were there. There was camaraderie and enthusiasm despite the heat with the celebration of flying and the aviation community on display for everyone to enjoy.

The interviews in this episode give a remarkable glimpse into the heart of Australia’s aviation scene, filled with lessons, laughter, and a shared love for the skies:

0:04:33 - Matilda Mendham from the Freedom Formation talks about being the newest lady on the team, how she was introduced to flying, and her experiences so far in obtaining her license and subsequent ratings. She also covers her progression with the team from Smokey to now flying as Number Two on lead's right wing, along with the all important mantra: Fly good, don't suck!

0:11:06 - Josh Larven from OzRunways' Customer Support team talks about new features, working with users, and the insights gained from watching people use the system. He also talks about the importance of developers learning to fly to help them appreciate how the system is used.

0:18:22 - Every team needs a manager and Eddie Sieve holds down that role for the Freedom Formation while also flying as number three in the team's aerobatic element. He talks about how he got into flying, building his first aircraft, and discovering the Vans RV series of kit built aircraft. The discussion also includes how he obtained his aerobatic endorsement plus being with the Freedom Formation since it was just four them and they called themselves the Four Stooges (Grant did commentary for them at a number of their events). Eddie also tells us how the Freedom Formation wound up flying at the Pacific Air Show Gold Coast event in 2023, the fun they had at last year's event (pilot briefings were a favourite), what the team manager actually does, the importance of promoting the SAAA, and the team's sponsors who help make it all possible.

0:35:59 - Paul McVitty from Flyleds talks us about the incredible landing light kits his company provides for home builders, especially those making RV series aircraft. His products are certainly bright, making Grant think he was back on a dance floor, while even air traffic controllers have commented on how far away they can see aircraft using his lights. Paul also explains how his products generate such intense light beams without wasting light, and the special versions designed for tailwheel configurations.

0:47:11 - FLTLT Larissa "Laz" Stephens originally thought that RAAF pilots were really smart, like astronauts, then she met one and immediately applied to join. Laz opens up about her career, her motivations behind pursuing aviation, and her experiences instructing on the PC-21. Larissa reflects on her journey from her first trial flight to now having flown multiple platforms, and what it's like teaching the next generation of pilots. She also talks about the aerobatic aircraft she owns with her husband and how much she enjoys the very different style of civilian flying as well as the military.

0:58:29 - Ever thought about flying the P-51 Mustang? Chris Tulk and Frank Deeth get to do that and they were taking turns operating joy flights in VH-BOB, a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation variant of the P-51D made in Melbourne back in 1947. The two share their extensive experiences with warbirds, military, airlines and general aviation. Chris recounts his diverse background in aviation, from his career flying military aircraft with the RAAF to the commercial airline sector and the beauty of flying historical planes. Frank reminisces about his early inspiration from his father who flew for the airlines, his passion for constructing home-built aircraft, and the unique opportunities he’s had flying various vintage airplanes, including the iconic Mustang and Spitfire.

1:19:43 - It wouldn't be an airshow episode without chatting to Andrew Temby and Grant managed to grab a few minutes with him as he waited to refill his Extra 300 before flying home.

Links:

• Sport Aircraft Association of Australia: saaa.asn.au
• AusFly: ausfly.com.au
• Freedom Formation: www.freedomformation.com.au
• OzRunways: www.ozrunways.com
• Pacific Airshows Gold Coast: pacificairshowaus.com
• FlyLeds: flyleds.com
• Royal Australian Air Force: www.airforce.gov.au
• Mustang Joyflights in VH-BOB: mustangjoyflights.com.au

Credits:

• Introduction voice over and closing credits by Terry Daniel: http://yourvoiceover.com.au
• Post-production: Chris Visscher
• Episode artwork photos were taken by Grant

Contact us via contact@planecrazydownunder.com