A 30-year-old helicopter pilot has been injured after the machine he was flying crashed on Rutland Plains Station at Kowanyama yesterday

Apparently the tail-rotor collided with a tree causing the helicopter to pitch into the ground - the pilot sustained several broken bones

A 9-seat Airlines of Tasmania Cessna Titan departing Launceston for Flinders Island in the Bass Strait had an undercarriage warning light illuminate forcing the pilot to return a few minutes after take-off

After the obligatory tower fly-past to confirm the wheels were all down the pilot landed and on roll-out the nose-wheel collapsed - there were no injuries and only minor (but expensive) aircraft damage

Gatton council has received an application from the Lockyer Valley Flying Club to construct an aviation facility on a 123.14 ha area at the corner of Main Green Swamp Road and Morton Vale School Road at Clarendon about 12km north-east of Gatton

The proposal is for a 1200m all-weather airstrip - private hanger lots - flight training school - aviation museum and facilities for use of emergency services and aero club members - no regular public transport scheduled flights or charter operations allowed

The pilot of a ultralight registered home-built Pietenpol Aircamper was forced to make an emergency landing on Lakes Beach - between Sydney and Newcastle - after experiencing oil pressure problems - rescue volunteers and members of the public helped push the 300kg plane from the sand dunes across Budgewoi Rd to a reserve

An unusually large number of light aircraft are coming up for auction next month

June 18^th 2010 at Warnervale Aerodrome there are 18 machines including 1 helicopter up for sale - most have current maintenance releases

Bankstown Aerodrome's is on the 21^st with 3 out-of-maintenance aircraft offered

Meanwhile one of the smaller operators at Bankstown - Clamback & Hennessy founded in 1982 and now supporting 8 employees - has had a court hearing date finally set for July 19-21 in the New South Wales Supreme Court over the the non-renewal of a satisfactory ground lease by the airport operator

This action has been pending for some time