Liferaft dropping, bombing, precision landing and navigation
were all part of the Lakes Area Rally, a competition hosted
by the Central Otago flying club in Alexandra on Saturday.
New adventure aviation
safety standards - the only such formal regulations in the
world - take effect today, with international regulators
watching keenly but some operators not impressed.
Two people on board a light aircraft which crashed near
Queenstown during the weekend were "lucky to be alive", a New
Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokesman says.
A total of 162 submissions have been received by Lakes
Environmental regarding the float-plane operation proposed
for Lake Wakatipu - 135 in opposition.
The International Air Transport Association yesterday slashed
its 2011 airline industry profit to $US4 billion ($NZ4.92
billion), a 54% fall compared with the $US8.6 billion
forecast in March.
New Zealand's trade balance recorded a seasonally adjusted
deficit of $428 million in the three months ended March,
largely due to one-off imports of large aircraft and higher
fuel prices.
The Civil Aviation Authority has charged an individual on a
Pacific Blue passenger jet for allegedly compromising safety
by taking off from Queenstown Airport last year after the
deadline for departures.
