Vic: One of ultralight dead was building hangars

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2009
Vic: One of ultralight dead was building hangars

MELBOURNE, Dec 7 AAP - One of the men killed in an ultralight crash overnight near
Yarrawonga, on the Murray River, had been building hangars at the local airport.

A spokeswoman for the airport said the man, believed to be from Orange in central western
NSW, was staying at the airport while he was working there.

He and his brother, both aged in their late 50s, were killed after their machine crashed
at Burramine, about six kilometres west of Yarrawonga, on Sunday night.

The aircraft was found at 8.45am (AEDT) on Monday.

Chief flying instructor at the Orange Ultraflight Centre, Ken Pidcock, defended the
safety of the aircraft saying it was a very sophisticated machine.

The aircraft is administered by Recreation Aviation Australia, which operates under
the auspices of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Mr Pidcock says ultralights can be bought in kit form but they are inspected by authorities
in the course of construction.

"It is the fastest growing sector of aviation and training is almost identical to general
aviation," Mr Pidcock told AAP.

"They are not unlike a Cessna 150 and are equipped with modern implementation."

AAP jxt/gfr/cjb

KEYWORD: ULTRALIGHT 5TH UPDATE

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