Airport

Worrier WWII warplane Douglas Dakota DC-3 sunk off the coast of Mediterranean and now !!

This Douglas Dakota DC-3 once flew at altitudes of 8,000ft, but now it lies 70 feet beneath the surface of the Mediterranean. The 65-foot-long plane, which was used as a transporter for a Turkish paratroop regiment, was deliberately sunk in waters off Kas, Turkey, in July 2009, and has become an underwater playground for divers. Rico Besserdich, 46, of Hamburg, Germany has dived the wreck more than 50 times.

A diver swims next to the wreck of a Dakota DC-3 which was deliberately sunk off Turkey to create an underwater playground for divers

‘As the underwater visibility is often poor at the site you have to dive quite deep before you see the plane – as you get closer it looms out of the darkness.’ The sunken plane, with its 30-metre wingspan, now acts as an artificial reef and provides shelter for a wide variety of marine wildlife. A diver explores the 20 metre-long plane, with its 30-metre wingspan

Douglas DC3 cockpit once upon time to Barracudas occasionally drift past the coral-encrusted twin propeller engines. So do divers!

Shrimp gobies live in the cool sand in the shadow of the plane and occasionally barracudas drift past the coral-encrusted twin propeller engines in search of food. ‘Wrecks act as artificial reefs which makes them interesting to scuba divers,’ said Besserdich. ‘You usually expect underwater wrecks of all kinds to be broken into pieces. This airplane is more or less fully intact which makes it seem even stranger.’

Courtesy : Daily mail

Airport

Western Sydney Airport Welcomes Its First Plane After 6 Years of construction

In a historic milestone for Australia’s aviation sector, the first plane has officially taken off and landed at Western Sydney Airport after six years of construction, much to the delight of a small but enthusiastic group of dedicated planespotters.

A test pilot made the inaugural landing using a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, successfully completing a series of take-off and landing runs on the newly built tarmac. This crucial test paves the way for larger passenger aircraft, which are expected to start using the runway in two years.

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The Piper PA-30 was employed to assess the airport’s approximately 3,000 Aeronautical Ground Lights (AGLs) by executing operations in various conditions, including daylight, dusk, and evening. This testing ensures that the lighting system is fit for purpose and ready to welcome aircraft when the airport opens to commercial flights in late 2026.

The pilot also highlighted that the rapid exit taxiways have been designed at a 45-degree angle, allowing for quicker transitions on and off the runway. Once operational, the airport will feature a single runway capable of handling up to 10 million passengers annually right from day one.

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As the construction phase nears completion, the airport’s main terminal, apron, and supporting infrastructure will be ready to accommodate around 81,000 flights each year. This milestone marks a significant moment for Western Sydney Airport, the first new airport to open in Australia since Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport more than two decades ago.

Major airlines, including Qantas and Jetstar, have already committed to operating from the 24/7 facility, signaling strong support for this new hub. By 2033, the airport aims to handle up to 10 million passengers and facilitate extensive air traffic movements annually.