Ben Sandilands
Editor of Plane Talking @PlaneTalking
Ben Sandilands has reported and analysed the mechanical mobility of humanity since late 1960 - the end of the age of great scheduled ocean liners and coastal steamers and the start of the jet age. He’s worked in newspapers, radio and TV in a wide range of roles as a journalist at home and abroad for 56 years, the last 18 freelance.
Tiger has replaced its 20 kilograms for $20/25 checked-bag option with a $45 for 25 kilograms up-size offer, and seems to be moving towards a charge for some carry-on items as well.
The ATSB released a damning report into an astonishingly unsafe approach to Sydney Airport by a QantasLink turbo-prop. There is no effective accountability in air safety reporting in this country.
When the Dragon atop a Falcon 9 rocket crossed the pre-dawn coast at about 300 kilometres above south-east Queensland on Saturday morning, it caused Australia’s biggest UFO sighting yet.
Virgin Blue isn't the only airline looking at less legroom for the cheapest seats. But will individuals really pay more for the few extra centimetres? asks Ben Sandilands.
Qantas has followed this morning’s last minute profit downgrade by Virgin Blue with news that it expects a profit before tax of between $300-$400 million. Ben Sandilands explains.
Virgin Blue has pitched nose down into a steep, high-volume share price dive today, and is now planning to destroy the benefits of what remains a profitable domestic network.
Before last Friday, Airservices Australia intended to introduce straight line "glide in" lower noise approaches to Sydney Airport by the end of the year. But that ruins the fun for pollies in Canberra, who decide just who gets more loud jets in which electorates.
The age of lightweight breakthrough composite airlines is still a long way away. That's the problem of letting myth making run ahead of an investment in new designs and their supporting engineering and technology, writes Ben Sandilands.
What should travellers with PCs, iPads, iPods, iPhones and Blackberrys do if confronted by a bored, vindictive or incorrectly briefed border official?
In March two AirNorth pilots engaged in flight re-training crashed and died in a Embraer 120ER Brasilia twin-engined turboprop. The preliminary report by the ATSB makes for very sad, but important reading, writes Ben Sandilands.
