Pilots
WWII Air Force pilot celebrates 100th birthday
John Beeching is one of the last surviving veterans of RAF Bomber Command in WWII, and he celebrates his 100th birthday today. He had an early morning visit from the Nelson Mayor, been to work for a… Audio, Gallery
Pilots warn of fatigue
Fatigue among pilots, air traffic control and other aviation workers could lead to an aviation disaster - according to a leading union.The Airline Pilots Assocation or NZALPA - which represents which… Audio
Pilots call for speedier Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Pilots want a speedier take-off to New Zealand's vaccine rollout. The New Zealand Airline Pilot's Association says the extension of the government's mandatory vaccination order for border workers wont… Video, Audio
Scientists sense they are getting closer to discovering aliens
Astronomer Seth Shostak made a daring bet in his 2012 TED Talk: We'll find extraterrestrial life by 2036 or he'll buy you a cup of coffee. Nine years on, Shostak remains convinced that it's a matter… Audio
From Boeing to Baling
A number of out of work airline pilots are considering roles as large machinery operators and tractor drivers. Former pilot Andy Pender says he won't be surprised if they find they are happy working… Audio
NZ pilots worried about Auckland Airport main runway
New Zealand airline pilots are worried about the safety of Auckland Airport's main runway, with reports of 30 centimetre chunks of concrete coming loose where planes land.
A number of flights were… Audio
Kevin Campbell: 30th anniversary of Flight 811 disaster
It's been 30 years since United Airlines flight 811's cargo door failed blew off the aircraft mid-air killing New Zealander Lee Campbell. His father Kevin speaks to Jim about Lee and their work to… Audio
Pilots call for drone user registration
Pilots want the laws around drone use beefed up to force users to register their aircrafts. They say compulsory registration would make flying safer as the number of near miss incidents between… Audio
Recovering alcoholic pilots return to work
An aviation conference in Hamilton has heard how a programme developed in the United States has successfully put 50 recovering alcoholic pilots in NZ back into the air and flying planes Audio
Fit to fly?
A Transport Accident Investigation Commission says there are weaknesses in the medical certification system for pilots and wants better health warning alerts in the aviation industry. It also wants… Audio
Investigators concerned with the medical checks for pilots
Transport investigators say a helicopter crash in 2015 has exposed serious flaws in the way pilots are medically assessed for flying. Transport Accicdent Investigation Commission spoke to reporter… Audio
Number of pilots in NZ plummets
Official statistics show the number of commercial and air transport pilots fell from 709 in 2009 to 386 in 2016. Audio
1 in 8 airline pilots depressed - study
A new study has found thousands of airline passengers are being flown by depressed and suicidal pilots. Findings from an anonymous global survey of 1848 commercial airline pilots from more than 50… Audio
France urges public safety put before pilots' confidentiality
French investigators have called for medical confidentiality to be relaxed in the wake of last year's Germanwings disaster when a pilot deliberately crashed his plane into a mountainside. Audio
Pilots insist random drug and alcohol testing ineffective
Random testing for alcohol and drugs Random testing for alcohol and drugs will become compulsory in 2017 in the commercial aviation and maritime industries, but the Airline Pilots Association says… Audio
Pilots, sailors reject idea of random drug testing
The Government's been told it would be wrong to introduce random drug and alcohol testing in the commercial aviation and maritime industries. Audio
Crewman of downed Russian bomber jet alive and rescued
It took twelve hours and one Russian marine was killed during the operation, but one crewman of Russia's downed bomber jet has been rescued. Audio
Russian jet pilot rescued
The war of words continues over Turkey's shooting down of a Syrian based Russian bomber. Audio
Airline pilots to get oversight from psychologist
A psychologist is being brought in to oversee a mental health programme for commercial airline pilots in this country. Audio