Pilot speaks after suffering 'life-changing' injuries in airshow crash
Plane Crash
plane accident
Australia
Melbourne
national CONTACT US
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
6 days ago
- 7NEWS
Phil Collins' reps speak out following hospice rumours
Phil Collins is recovering from knee surgery. The 74-year-old musician — who has admitted he is 'very sick' — was the subject of online rumours last week that he was receiving hospice care, but his representative confirmed to The Independent that was not the case. Instead, the former Genesis frontman is recuperating in hospital after having an operation on his knee. Collins — who has type 2 diabetes and ongoing complications from a 2007 spinal surgery, which means he can 'barely' hold a drumstick properly any more — said earlier in 2025 that his health issues meant he was no longer interested in playing music. He told MOJO magazine: 'I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it any more. 'The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick.' The In the Air Tonight hit maker would love to be able to drum again one day, but he believes he has 'used up my air miles'. Speaking in the Phil Collins: Drummer First documentary, he said: 'It's still kind of sinking in a bit… I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.' Collins picked up his first set of drumsticks aged five, and he says the laborious playing has 'taken its toll' on his hands and legs. He said about his decision to retire: 'If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. 'If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I'll have a crack at it. 'But I just feel like I've used up my air miles.' Collins has suffered for a long time with poor health since he injured vertebrae in his upper neck while performing in 2009. Two years later, he stepped back from performing due to crippling nerve damage, which rendered him unable to play the drums, before returning in 2015.
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- The Advertiser
Phil Collins recovering in hospital after knee surgery
Phil Collins is recovering from knee surgery. The 74-year-old musician - who has admitted he is "very sick" - was the subject of online rumours last week that he was receiving hospice care, but his representative confirmed to The Independent that was not the case. Instead, the former Genesis frontman is recuperating in hospital after having an operation on his knee. Collins - who has type 2 diabetes and ongoing complications from a 2007 spinal surgery, which means he can "barely" hold a drumstick properly any more - said earlier in 2025 that his health issues meant he was no longer interested in playing music. He told MOJO magazine: "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it any more. "The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick." The In the Air Tonight hit maker would love to be able to drum again one day, but he believes he has "used up my air miles". Speaking in the Phil Collins: Drummer First documentary, he said: "It's still kind of sinking in a bit… I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock." Collins picked up his first set of drumsticks aged five and he says the laborious playing has "taken its toll" on his hands and legs. He said about his decision to retire: "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. "If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I'll have a crack at it. "But I just feel like I've used up my air miles." Collins has suffered for a long time with poor health since he injured a vertebrae in his upper neck while performing in 2009. Two years later, he stepped back from performing due to crippling nerve damage, which rendered him unable to play the drums, before returning in 2015. Phil Collins is recovering from knee surgery. The 74-year-old musician - who has admitted he is "very sick" - was the subject of online rumours last week that he was receiving hospice care, but his representative confirmed to The Independent that was not the case. Instead, the former Genesis frontman is recuperating in hospital after having an operation on his knee. Collins - who has type 2 diabetes and ongoing complications from a 2007 spinal surgery, which means he can "barely" hold a drumstick properly any more - said earlier in 2025 that his health issues meant he was no longer interested in playing music. He told MOJO magazine: "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it any more. "The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick." The In the Air Tonight hit maker would love to be able to drum again one day, but he believes he has "used up my air miles". Speaking in the Phil Collins: Drummer First documentary, he said: "It's still kind of sinking in a bit… I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock." Collins picked up his first set of drumsticks aged five and he says the laborious playing has "taken its toll" on his hands and legs. He said about his decision to retire: "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. "If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I'll have a crack at it. "But I just feel like I've used up my air miles." Collins has suffered for a long time with poor health since he injured a vertebrae in his upper neck while performing in 2009. Two years later, he stepped back from performing due to crippling nerve damage, which rendered him unable to play the drums, before returning in 2015. Phil Collins is recovering from knee surgery. The 74-year-old musician - who has admitted he is "very sick" - was the subject of online rumours last week that he was receiving hospice care, but his representative confirmed to The Independent that was not the case. Instead, the former Genesis frontman is recuperating in hospital after having an operation on his knee. Collins - who has type 2 diabetes and ongoing complications from a 2007 spinal surgery, which means he can "barely" hold a drumstick properly any more - said earlier in 2025 that his health issues meant he was no longer interested in playing music. He told MOJO magazine: "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it any more. "The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick." The In the Air Tonight hit maker would love to be able to drum again one day, but he believes he has "used up my air miles". Speaking in the Phil Collins: Drummer First documentary, he said: "It's still kind of sinking in a bit… I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock." Collins picked up his first set of drumsticks aged five and he says the laborious playing has "taken its toll" on his hands and legs. He said about his decision to retire: "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. "If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I'll have a crack at it. "But I just feel like I've used up my air miles." Collins has suffered for a long time with poor health since he injured a vertebrae in his upper neck while performing in 2009. Two years later, he stepped back from performing due to crippling nerve damage, which rendered him unable to play the drums, before returning in 2015. Phil Collins is recovering from knee surgery. The 74-year-old musician - who has admitted he is "very sick" - was the subject of online rumours last week that he was receiving hospice care, but his representative confirmed to The Independent that was not the case. Instead, the former Genesis frontman is recuperating in hospital after having an operation on his knee. Collins - who has type 2 diabetes and ongoing complications from a 2007 spinal surgery, which means he can "barely" hold a drumstick properly any more - said earlier in 2025 that his health issues meant he was no longer interested in playing music. He told MOJO magazine: "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it any more. "The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick." The In the Air Tonight hit maker would love to be able to drum again one day, but he believes he has "used up my air miles". Speaking in the Phil Collins: Drummer First documentary, he said: "It's still kind of sinking in a bit… I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock." Collins picked up his first set of drumsticks aged five and he says the laborious playing has "taken its toll" on his hands and legs. He said about his decision to retire: "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. "If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I'll have a crack at it. "But I just feel like I've used up my air miles." Collins has suffered for a long time with poor health since he injured a vertebrae in his upper neck while performing in 2009. Two years later, he stepped back from performing due to crippling nerve damage, which rendered him unable to play the drums, before returning in 2015.
7NEWS
20-07-2025
- 7NEWS
7NEWS Spotlight: Cockpit footage of the Avalon Airshow crash that left pilot seriously injured
When Sky Aces aerobatic pilot Glenn Collins crashed at the Avalon International Airshow in March, everyone feared the worst. The four-time champion was flying at 300km an hour, making the force of the impact so horrific that it looked impossible to survive. Within seconds, the atmosphere changed at the country's biggest airshow. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Cockpit footage of Avalon Airshow crash The excitement of the crowd, and the noisy roar of the planes, was gone. Suddenly, the mood was one of shock and reverence. Thousands of people stood still, in silence, with their eyes fixed on the wreckage of Glenn's Pitts Special. Everyone was hoping for a miracle, no one dared to believe it would friend, Angela Stevenson, was in the commentary box, utterly devastated by what she'd just witnessed. Believing there was no way he could have survived, Angela buried her grief. She steeled herself to turn on her microphone and make the necessary emergency announcements to the crowd. Just as she'd finished, Angela was told there was one more message to deliver. The incredible news, Glenn Collins was alive. Tonight on Sunday, for the first time, we'll reveal the full story of what happened that day. With permission from Glenn Collins and Sky Aces leader Paul Bennet, we take you inside the cockpits of all four planes, to experience exactly what they did, as the tragedy unfolded. Moment by moment, it's confronting and raw. To excel at formation aerobatics requires precision skills, honed over years of practice. Every time they go up, the pilots hold each other's lives in their hands. This story takes you inside that world, to understand what it takes to be right up there, with the best in the country. It demands a certain mindset, and that mindset is what makes Glenn Collins so extraordinary. Doctors agree his survival is a miracle. He now faces a long recovery and Glenn's family has set up a fundraiser to help cover his medical expenses. As you'll see tonight, making it out of that wreckage alive was the first of many. His story is the kind that will stay with you, for a long time. It's high-octane and some moments are difficult to watch. But in the next heartbeat, there are heroes. It's also an incredible love story. Even on the ground, Glenn's journey is full of twists and turns. It's inspiring and deeply moving. A wild ride that, on this rare occasion, ends in triumph. But you'll notice Glenn's courage takes many forms.
