USA's passenger aircraft manufacturer Boeing has forecast a strong demand for new and replacement aircraft over the next 20 years


It expects industry will require 466,650 pilots and 596,500 maintenance personnel worldwide with Asia-Pacific region - including Australia - requiring 180,600 and 220,000 personnel respectively with China having the greatest need


Training of these personnel will be an enormous task here in OZ due to the subdued state of the light aircraft industry and associated training and maintenance facilities

A 65-year-old ultralight pilot was seriously injured after he took evasive action and crashed trying to avoid a number of wallabies that had run onto the airstrip when he was attempting to land


The pilot was able to extract himself from the damaged trike and waited until a friend alerted authorities - he was then transported to the Royal Darwin Hospital - the accident occurred at Bees Creek near Humpty Doo about 30kms south-east of Darwin

West OZ Police have advised that a crop duster/sprayer has crashed into a paddock at Chapman Valley late yesterday afternoon claiming the life of the pilot


The crash occurred near Northern Gulley Road about 35km east of Geraldton in WA's mid-west - the identification of the pilot is currently unknown