A couple and their dog have been missing since their small plane vanished during a flight from Tasmania to New South Wales. Pilot Gregory Vaughan, 72, and his partner Kim Worner, 66, took off from George Town Airport on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. They were flying in a two-seater Bristell S-LSA aircraft, which they had purchased a few months prior. The couple and their dog, Molly, were expected to make a fuel stop in Victoria before continuing to Hillston, New South Wales.

Concerns arose when Vaughan and Worner did not arrive at their destination four hours later. Friends of the couple became alarmed when they did not hear a radio call from Vaughan after his scheduled departure. David Brewster, president of the George Town Airport Association, noted that a friend contacted Airservices Australia around 1:15 p.m. after realizing the plane had not made any radio contact. They prepared their own aircraft to search for Vaughan's plane.

The alarm was officially raised by a family member after 5 p.m. when the couple failed to land at Hillston. An aerial and marine search was initiated shortly thereafter. Authorities reported that Vaughan did not make a distress call, and there were no active tracking devices on board the aircraft.

Tasmania Police Inspector Nick Clark expressed hope that the couple may have landed safely somewhere. "The best-case scenario we can only really hope for is they have made land somewhere," he said.

Under current regulations, private pilots are not required to file flight plans or make radio calls unless entering controlled airspace. David McCarthy, president of the Wynyard Aero Club, explained that while pilots should notify someone of their flight plans, it is not mandatory. He added that it is unusual for an experienced pilot not to make any radio calls during a flight.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) states that private pilots must carry a registered distress beacon when flying more than 50 nautical miles from land. However, satellite trackers are not required in any airspace. McCarthy and Michael Monck, chairman of Recreational Aviation Australia, expressed concerns that increased regulations could detract from the enjoyment of flying. They emphasized that aviation is generally safe, with pilots undergoing substantial training and regular flight reviews.

Despite the ongoing search efforts, the fate of Vaughan, Worner, and their dog remains unknown.