LATEST NEWS - EVENTS - FEATURES - AIRCRAFT FOR SALE - SHOW REPORTS - REVIEWS
February - 2011 ISSUE 22
Gardan Minicab Flight Test!
MiG-29
Flying In The USA!
Thunderbirds Are GO!
A Day With the USAF display team!
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ON-L I MAG NE AZIN E
Plus: Cedar Key - Sebring LSA Show - Speedi’s Blog & much more!
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It has been a rather strange month here in the UK, especially in the aviation publishing world. Two British general aviation magazines have called it a day; one of them entering into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation while the other title was bought out by a rival. That news may be shocking to some, but perhaps it is not that surprising when you think about it. There are around 20,000 Flight Crew Licence holders in the UK. Even if around half of them buy a magazine each month, that would give a magazine a 10,000 readership at best. Unfortunately, until recently, UK pilots had five magazines to choose from which only diluted those figures even more. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that splitting 10,000 between five titles equals…well, not a lot! Under those circumstances, it is amazing that any of them have survived at all. Fortunately, being an online magazine means we have an international readership so we are not restricted to the UK alone. Recent editions of the magazine have been read in over 60 different countries and our worldwide readership is growing every month. We also, as I’m sure you are aware, have an editorial office in the USA. That is because we know that the vast majority of general aviation happens in the USA, and as we see ourselves as an ‘international magazine’ we want to be sure that we can cover it on a regular basis. When we started AV8 Magazine, one of our main objectives was that we would always ‘live within our means.’ In other words, if we couldn’t afford it, we wouldn’t have it. As a result, we haven’t taken out any massive loans, or spent money we haven’t got, and while we can’t claim to be making millions (far from it!), we don’t have any creditors either. That means we haven’t always been able to afford expensive stands at some of the major trade shows, or been able to travel to all the events and fly-in we would like to, but despite this we have tried our best to produce a great magazine on a very limited budget. The upshot is that we can keep AV8 Magazine going for as long as you want it, but we need your help too! We need to get the word out and that’s where you can help. In this modern day world many people use Facebook, Twitter and post on internet forums and chat rooms. If you use one or more of these, please help us ensure that this magazine grows by telling as many people as you can. Send the link to your friends; post the link on forums and your Twitter and Facebook pages. Remember, it costs nothing and your friends will benefit from a FREE magazine each month; if that isn’t a good deal, we don’t know what is! We also need contributors, writers and reporters, so if you attend a lot of fly-ins or aviation events, please get in touch. Also, if you happen to be organising a fly-in and want us to cover it in the pages of AV8 Magazine, please let us know. Finally, we hope you enjoy the latest edition of AV8 Magazine. Make sure you check out Steve Wood’s excellent Thunderbirds feature on Page 28…it’s one not to be missed! Fly safe!
The AV8 Team
Editor: Simon Hazeldine - North American Editor: Steve Wood - Designer: Chris Peacock - Sub Editor: Alan Simpson - Advertising: Gareth McFarlane - Web ‘Geek’: Luke Mowatt - Marketing: Peter Allinson. The entire contents of AV8 Magazine are copyright. No part of it may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. AV8 Magazine is a FREE monthly publication produced by AV8 Publishing Ltd, Cambridge, England. Contact Details: PO Box 280, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 9DH. Website - www.av8magazine.com - E-mail - info@av8magazine.com - Telephone +44 (0)1353 777519. We are happy to accept photographs and articles with a view to including them in AV8 Magazine, but please note: all submissions are sent at contributors own risk and we will not be liable for any loss or damage.
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Flying With The World Famous Thunderbirds!
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Aviation’s best kept secret The Gardan Minicab!
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Cedar Key - A Destination Where Time Stands Still.
CONTENTS www.av8magazine.com Issue 22 February 2011
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Gardan Minicab - Flight Test: With its excellent flying characteristics and economical running costs, the Gardan GY201 Minicab could be described as one of ‘aviation’s best kept secrets’ as Simon Hazeldine explains.
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Thunderbirds Are GO! Our North America Editor, Steve Wood just loves speed, so when he was invited to spend a day with the world famous USAF Thunderbirds display team, he jumped at the chance!
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Destinations... Cedar Key: Located amidst the shallow Keys off the North West coast of Florida, Cedar Key is a place where time stands still. At least that is how it seems; such is the laid back way of life in this far away settlement. Steve Wood takes a closer look at this superb US destination.
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Sebring Sport Expo - Show Report: Each year, the latest innovations and newest aircraft from the LSA world are displayed at the Sport Expo show at Sebring in Florida. Last year, the mood was optimistic following the launch of the PiperSport LSA, but as Steve Wood found out, this year the feeling was very different.
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MiG-29 Over USA: 30 years ago, the sight of a modern frontline MiG fighter in the skies over the USA would have been enough to trigger a major diplomatic incident and cause panic in the White House! Thankfully, things are a little calmer now, which has allowed the Historic Flight Foundation to add this stunning MiG-29UB to its collection.
RegularFeatures: MiG-29 Over the USA!
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News: All the latest aviation related news from around the world.
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Events: Never miss another fly-in or airshow with our comprehensive events guide.
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Speedi’s Blog: Steve Wood looks at ‘what’s hot and what’s not’ in the world of aviation.
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Reach For The Sky: We take a closer look at some of our reader’s aeroplanes.
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Pilot Gear: A brief round-up of some cool stuff to spend your money on!
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Aircraft For Sale: Need a new aircraft? Want to sell yours? Then check out the aircraft for sale pages. 7
February 2011
News
The Latest Aviation News From Around The World!
Skycatcher Deliveries Progressing Well 60 Airframes Received From China Cessna Aircraft Company announced at the annual US Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, that it has received more than 60 Skycatcher light sport aircraft from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in China. In conjunction with its reassembly site at Yingling Aviation in Wichita, Kansas, Cessna has so far delivered more than 30 Skycatchers to its customers. “Our U.S. reassembly facility is receiving Skycatchers from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation at an increased cadence, but most importantly the quality of the aircraft continues to be excellent. Feedback from our customers – individuals and flight schools alike – has affirmed the need for a light sport aircraft with the Cessna brand. It’s encouraging to see the Skycatcher enter service in such a positive way,” said Jack Pelton, Cessna Chairman, President and CEO. The company says it is on track to deliver 150 Skycatchers in 2011, including the first models featuring the McCauley two-blade, fixed-pitch composite propeller.
CAA Proposes Extending Requirement For Basic Area Navigation To Lower Altitudes
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced its intention to require aircraft operating at lower levels of the UK’s controlled airspace system to have the navigation equipment required by Basic Area Navigation (B-RNAV). It says the new policy will allow more efficient use of the UK’s airspace and pave the way for changes to the system through the Future Airspace Strategy (FAS). Aircraft meeting the B-RNAV requirements are able to fly with an improved level of accuracy, without the need to over fly ground-based navigation aids. This allows airspace planners and air traffic controllers to make more efficient use of the UK’s busy airspace. Aircraft are able to fly more direct routes to destinations rather than stick to pre-notified routes, leading to fuel savings and environmental gains, and controllers are able to dynamically manage the flow of aircraft in the knowledge that aircraft will be able to accurately keep to any route. Aircraft operating on Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes above Flight Level 95 have been required to comply with B-RNAV since 1998. It is now intended that B-RNAV will be required for aircraft operating on ATS routes below this level from 7 April 2011. CAA Director of Airspace Policy, Mark Swan, explained: “Extending B-RNAV to lower levels of controlled airspace will mean that aircraft will be able to fly with greater accuracy and enable us to make the changes to the UK’s airspace structure that are needed to ensure we maintain a safe and efficient system for all airspace users.” AV8 Magazine
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In Brief...
The pilot of a Cirrus SR22 escaped unhurt on January 30, after he was forced to deploy his airframe parachute during an emergency. The aircraft took-off from Centennial Airport in Englewood, CO, and after experiencing an unspecified problem, the pilot deployed the parachute and came down in a dry creek bed near Kiowa. He was located by emergency services who located him from GPS references given by the pilot over his mobile phone. The pilot said he considered the aircraft to be beyond repair.
Gobosh Under New Ownership Aerospace Capital Partners Buy Company
After nearly eight months of negotiations, Gobosh LSA, LLC and Aerospace Capital Partners, LLC have announced that they have reached an agreement whereby Aerospace Capital Partners will acquire Gobosh for an undisclosed amount. According to Tim Baldwin, President of Gobosh: “This acquisition is excellent news for current and future owners and operators of Gobosh aircraft. Aerospace Capital Partners has the financial resources and experience to take Gobosh to the next level. Myself and Vice-President, Dave Graham will stay involved through the transition to assist with any concerns or questions and help make this a good experience for all involved.” Gobosh has been the exclusive US importer of the Gobosh 700, manufactured by Aero AT of Poland, and the Gobosh 800, manufactured by Aveko of the Czech Republic. “Light Sport Aircraft have been underutilized in the training environment. As the general aviation training fleet ages, flight schools will need to update their inventory of aircraft,” said Chris Dillis, spokesperson for Aerospace Capital Partners. “Light Sport Aircraft make an economical, safe alternative to traditional trainers,” added Dillis. “We’ve done our homework, and have come to an agreement to become the new importer and distributor of what is easily the best LSA on the market for training.” 9
Sywell Aviation Museum is planning to open a brand new hall on April 23, dedicated to the history of the aerodrome. The hall will enable the Museum to display its de Havilland Chipmunk and Vampire cockpits which should be joined by a Tiger Moth in due course. In addition, a fully refurbished wartime Link trainer will also be on display. Phase two of expansion is also underway with a second hall scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The new hall is to be named the Paul Morgan Hall in memory of the well-known warbird pilot who sadly lost his life at Sywell in the crash of Sea Fury G-EEMV ten years ago. The grand opening will be attended by local dignitaries, reenactors, military vehicles and it is hoped that a warbird or two may also visit to mark the occasion. February 2011
News
The Latest Aviation News From Around The World!
Magni Sales Success In 2010 Extra Production Slots Scheduled For 2011
Rotorcraft manufacturer Magni Gyro says that it sold more gyroplanes in the UK than any other manufacturer in the second half of 2010. “We are delighted to have achieved this goal” said Luca Magni, Managing Director of Magni Gyro srl. “From a standing start in 2009 when our aircraft first gained UK approval we have gone from a fleet of three aircraft in the UK at the start of 2010 to 17 aircraft by the end of the year, and demand is so high that we have had to schedule additional production slots for the UK in 2011. We not only took more new orders in the UK in 2010 than any other manufacturer, we also delivered more than three times the number of gyroplanes than our competitors in the second half of the year.” Magni Gyro delivered fourteen new gyroplanes to the UK in 2010, of which six were the new M24 2-seat enclosed gyroplane, the first enclosed gyroplane to be approved under the UK’s BCAR Section-T standard. The news also coincides with the CAA releasing the Permit to Fly for the Calidus gyrocopter. The manufacturer says that the Calidus is the world’s first two-seat tandem, factory produced, gyrocopter, and permits are have been issued for the first five aircraft. A further ten aircraft due for UK should be despatched from Italy over the next few months.
Piper Drops PiperSport LSA After 12 Months
Piper Aircraft is in the process of terminating its business relationship with Czech Republic-based Czech Sport Aircraft to market that company’s Light Sport Aircraft, citing differences in business philosophies. “After a year working with Czech Sport Aircraft, Piper determined that it is in our company’s best long-term interests to discontinue the business relationship which distributed a Light Sport Aircraft manufactured by the Czech company and distributed under Piper’s brand by a separate distributor network,” said Piper CEO Geoffrey Berger. “Clearly, the company has a different business perspective and approach to the market than Czech Sport Aircraft,” he added. Piper had created a stand-alone distributor network specifically to market the aircraft manufactured and supported by Czech Sport Aircraft and branded as the PiperSport. As the company built that distributor network, it became clear that Piper’s core strengths and that of Czech Sport Aircraft were mismatched. “We at Piper have a close affinity with this emerging segment of the marketplace and we have great expectations for the LSA industry. The LSA we were distributing is a good one and we encourage aviation enthusiasts to continue their support of this segment of the market,” Berger added. “We certainly understand the implications of this development in the Light Sport Aircraft segment and do not take this action carelessly,” he said.
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Sonex Onex Makes First Flight
Aerobatic Single Seater With Folding Wings Oshkosh-based Sonex Aircraft says that the number one prototype of the new Onex single-place, folding-wing kit aircraft made its first flight on January 27, at Wittman Regional Airport. Piloted by Sonex General Manager, CEO, and Onex designer Jeremy Monnett, the AeroVee-powered N111NX made an extensive flight orbiting the field. Monnett also made a low approach before landing, signifying his satisfaction with the initial handling and performance of the aircraft. “The airplane is sweet,” commented Jeremy Monnett upon landing. “It feels great!” In celebration of the achievement, the “Corsair-style” wing-fold system was used to stow the aircraft back into the Hornets’ Nest R&D hangar. “First flight of the Onex marks the beginning of our flight test program for this innovative new design,” continued Jeremy after the flight. “A design that virtually everyone in the community of current and prospective Sonex Aircraft builders is very excited about. This folding-wing, aerobatic, sport pilot aircraft offers enhanced freedom and affordability, continuing the Sonex tradition of lowering the cost barriers to flying.” Next steps in the development of the Onex include a complete and thorough flight testing program to explore the full performance envelope and flight characteristics of the aircraft, along with completion, first flight, and testing of Onex prototype number two: a tricycle gear version.
Robinson Helicopter Sales Growing Stronger Robinson Helicopter Company – the manufacturer responsible for the R22, R44 and R66 rotary machines – says that sales of its helicopters were good during 2010, despite the global meltdown experienced by the rest of the aviation industry throughout the year. The company says that 2010 was a transition year, as the first six months saw its efforts concentrated on moving unsold inventory created by the unstable economy. By mid-year, the inventory was gone and the company saw a surge in new sales. Production was ramped-up as orders steadily increased, most notably in the third and fourth quarters. By the end of the year, Robinson says it had accumulated a backlog of 169 new orders. Total production for the year was 162 aircraft (40) R22s, (112) R44s and (10) R66s. With the newly certificated R66 and a rapidly growing backlog, the manufacturer says its focus for 2011 will be production and product development. 11
February 2011
Events
If your airfield or flying club is holding an event this year and you would like us to include it on our events page, e-mail us at: info@av8magazine.com
AV8 Magazine is now listing selected aviation events from around the world in our Events pages and would like to acknowledge the EAA for its help with US event listings.
February 2011
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CAA Safety Evening, Staffordshire Aero Club, Penkridge, UK Fish Creek Ski Plane Fly In Fish Creek, WI, USA Need For Speed and Air Racing Benefit Blaine, MN, USA Annual Groundhog Chili Ski-Fly-In Brodhead, WI, USA Southernmost Openhouse Aviation Review Key West, FL, USA Wings of Dreams Fly-In Brunch Keystone Heights, FL, USA LoPresti First Saturday Sebastian, FL, USA Lake Winnebago Fly In East shore Lake Winnebago, WI, USA Vintage Sunday Fly-in, Old Sarum Airfield, UK Lincs AC Breakfast Patrol, Sturgate Airfield, Lincs, UK EAA chapter 297 Winter Fly-In, Burgaw, NC, USA EAA Chapter 992 Ski Plane Fly In, Marshfield, WI, USA Runway Incursion Avoidance, Stevens Point, WI, USA Airspace, Airports and Airmanship Stevens Point, WI, USA Aviation Day 2011, Vero Beach, FL, USA VAC Valentine Fly-in, Old Sarum Airfield, UK CAA Safety Evening, Plymouth Airport. UK
Below: A stunning array of vintage aircraft will be on show at the VAC Valentine Fly-In on February 13.
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EAA Chapter Leaders Academy Oshkosh, WI, USA Ski Fly In-Lake Poygan Femont/Tustin WI, WI, USA Wings and Wheels - Chopper Day Houston, TX, USA LAA Homebuilder Course - Electrics, Turweston Aerodrome, Northants, UK. (Call - 01280 846 786 for details) LAA Homebuilder Course - Jabiru engine maintenance, Southery Airstrip, Norfolk, UK. (Call - 01280 846 786 for details) Valkaria Air Fest Malabar, FL, USA Maine Aviation Forum Rockland, ME, USA Trick Air Snow Skis Fly In Tustin, WI, USA CAA Safety Evening, Touchdown Inn, Wellesbourne, UK CAA Safety Evening, Coventry Aero Club, Warks, UK Gas Turbine: Design and Performance, Singapore Zenith Factory Workshop Mexico, MO, USA 4th Annual G. Read Memorial Fly-in Hernando, FL, USA EAA Chapter 444 Fourth Winter Fly-In Northport, WI, USA Ski Plane and Chili Fly-In Royalton, WI, USA
Gardan Minicab With its excellent flying characteristics and economical running costs, the Gardan GY201 Minicab could be described as one of ‘aviation’s best kept secrets’ as Simon Hazeldine explains.
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ew things in life are as satisfying as discovering one of those ‘best kept secrets.’ You know the sort of thing; like when you’re on holiday and head off the beaten track to explore the local area and find a deserted sandy beach that nobody else seems to know about. But this is an aviation magazine, so why am I waffling about ‘sandy beaches?’ Well, it’s because the subject of this feature is the aviation equivalent of just such a place. The Gardan GY-201 Minicab is surely one of the best kept secrets in the aviation world.
Just go to an airfield and tell the resident pilots that you have a Minicab and you’ll be greeted with quizzical looks and blank stares. Only a few people will know that you’re referring to a delightful vintage taildragger which owes its existence to the brilliant French designer, Yves Gardan. The Minicab story began when Gardan joined the Société Industrielle Pour l’Aéronautique (SIPA) which was formed in 1938 by Émile Dewoitine. While at the company, Gardan came up with the design for the SIPA 90; a two-seater lowwing monoplane of which 113
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were produced. The aircraft was fitted with a surprising variety of engines including the Continental C-85 and 90, a Mathis G4F and a Salmson 5AQ, although most surviving examples seem to have the Continental units. SIPA would go on to later produce the world’s first all-metal two-seat light jet, the SIPA S-200 Minijet, but Gardan left the company prior to this to set up his own design and manufacturing company, Construction Aeronautical of Béarn (CAB). Using the successful SIPA 90 as a starting point, Gardan set about designing a smaller
February 2011
Speed everything! TT. (All Cessna) What theisMinicab doesThe best!Cessna FlyingCorvalis into quiet grass strips on a summer evening.
the aircraft was remarkably strong and easy to assemble; something that would later make it popular with the homebuild aircraft brigade. CAB went on to produce around 30 factory built examples and one of these is the subject of this feature, G-BGMJ.
Record Breaker
Instrument panel. Just enough to do the job! version of the popular twoseater, again making use of a Continental powerplant – this time the A-65. The result was the Gardan Minicab. Constructed entirely from wood and covered in fabric, the aircraft did indeed AV8 Magazine
bear more than a passing resemblance to the SIPA 90.
Simplicity of Build One of Gardan’s philosophies was ‘simplicity of built’ and the construction methods used on the Minicab meant that 16
You might be surprised to learn that this enigmatic little aeroplane holds a number of accolades and actually broke several speed and distance records shortly after it was first introduced. In 1950, a Minicab won the Coupe de Vitesse de Deauville (Deauville Cup for speed), and the Grand Prix Aérien de Vichy (Vichy Aerial Prize). The following year, a
Yves Gardan
Designer Extrodinaire!
Born in 1925, Yves Gardan began his career in the Military Academy of Autun where he trained as an aeronautical Engineer. He later joined Société Industrielle For Aeronautics (SIPA) and designed the SIPA 90 which made its first flight on June 15, 1947. He set up a new company with his close friend Max Laporté which was called Construction Aeronautical of Béarn (CAB). The first design to emerge from the new manufacturer was the Minicab; an aircraft that looked a lot like a scaled down version of the SIPA 90. The Minicab
SIPA 90 Minicab broke the world air distance record for its class (1,825 km, 1,138 miles) and in 1952 the world airspeed record for its class over a 2,000 km circuit, with an average speed of (183 km/h, 114 mph). That might not sound like much now, but back in the 1950s it was pretty impressive stuff! G-BGMJ rolled off the CAB production line in 1952 and originally wore the French registration F-BGMJ and was finished overall in silver (see photo on Pg 26). The aircraft passed through several hands before it was imported into the UK by one of its current owners, Tony Wakefield. He bought MJ mainly so his son – who was in the process of obtaining
made its first flight on February 1, 1949 piloted by Max Laporté. Only 30 examples were built by the factory, although more than 130 Minicabs have been produced by home builders. Gardan’s company went on to create the Gardan Supercab – basically a Minicab with larger engine, greater wingspan and retractable gear – although only seven examples were ever built. During his later career, Gardan worked on the design and production of the Airbus, Mirage III and Mirage2000.
No starter motor, so the engine must be hand started. 17
February 2011
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The Continental A65 engine lacks power, but is reliable and economical. an ATPL at the time – could use it for hour-building flights. Later, Tony sold shares in the Minicab and it has been operated as a group owned aircraft ever since. So what exactly makes the Minicab one of aviation’s best kept secrets? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
Draw Me A Plane!
Looking at the aeroplane from the outside, it appears well proportioned and just like an aircraft should. To qualify that last point; if you asked someone to draw a picture of a low-wing singleengine plane, they would draw something like the Minicab. Perhaps the only features to catch your eye are the slightly odd looking canopy and the dihedral of the wings is quite
The pilot’s view ahead when taking-off or landing is excellent. pronounced when compared to similar machines. The canopy might look a little ‘odd’ but it is in fact a blessing for those that choose to build their own Minicab, since the one dimensional curve in the transparency means that it can be made from a single flat sheet of Perspex. No complex 19
moulds or curves to worry about; however you still have to take care to avoid cracking when bending to shape. The other advantage of the canopy is that is provides an excellent view, both in the air and on the ground. Taxiing in many taildraggers is achieved by constantly turning from February 2011
side-to-side so the pilot can see over the nose, but that isn’t necessary in the Minicab as ahead is superb.
Check It Out!
The Minicab might be a simple aircraft, but it still needs a thorough walk-round check before flying. Starting at the front, the engine cowling is secured by three Dzus fasteners on each side. When opened, the cowling swings up AV8 Magazine
on a large ‘piano’ type hinge giving excellent access to the Continental A-65 engine and various ancillaries. There isn’t much to check in there; just ensure that exhaust and plug leads are secure, drain some fuel out to check for water and dip the oil tank and replenish if necessary. Closing the cowling can be fiddly as you have to hold the upper and lower sections together while trying to get 20
the Dzus fastener to engage with its locking wire. It’s a bit of a three handed job, and scratches in the surrounding paintwork from slipping screwdrivers confirm that others have struggled with this in the past. To the rear of the cowling in front of the canopy is the fuel filler cap which incorporates the fuel gauge. As fuel gauges go, it’s about as primitive as you can get. It
is just a straight piece of wire running through the centre of the cap with a float on the end of it! The shorter the wire, the less fuel you have. It’s incredibly simple but very effective. Pilots who are used to flying more modern aircraft seem to find it amusing, yet the wire gauge is much more accurate than many of the electric gauges I have used in other aircraft. Moving underneath the aircraft,
Full flap is rarely necessary when flying the Minicab. 21
February 2011
there still isn’t much to check, but it’s wise to inspect the landing gear to ensure the brake cables are properly secured to the actuating arms. The Minicab is fitted with eightinch, cable-operated drum brakes that are worked via a set of heel pedals. It can take a while to get used to them, especially if you are more accustomed to hydraulic toes brakes. At first, they don’t seem to do much at all, but increasing the pressure on
AV8 Magazine
the pedal results in a sudden increase in stopping power. Care needs to be taken as pressing too hard on the pedals could either snap a cable or stick the aircraft on its nose if taxiing. Snapping a cable is a nightmare too, as it takes almost an entire day to replace one, thanks to the intricate routing from the pedal to the wheel. Do this away from home base and it’s a long walk home or a flight without brakes!
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The only other things under the aircraft to check are the flaps. These are manually operated via a ‘handbrake’ style lever inside the cockpit and are selected down during the pre-flight. Again, not much to check here; just confirm that the hinges are secure and linkages are free and undamaged. The rest of the walk-round involves just inspecting the airframe for damage and checking the controls for full and free
movement. There is an adjustable elevator trim tab, which is operated by a sliding lever in the cockpit, but aileron and rudder trim tabs are of the fixed type.
Swing The Prop
This particular Minicab doesn’t have a starter motor; there isn’t much point since there is no battery to power one. That means that to start the engine, you have to swing the prop. This isn’t a huge problem;
you just have to make sure that the aircraft is securely chocked and the stick is tied back. The Minicab is quite light at the rear-end so it’s also a good idea if you can get someone to hold the tail down when you start the engine. Starting is simple. Before doing anything, check that the magneto switches are in the ‘off’ position and then give the engine four shots on the fuel primer. Next, you have to turn the engine over eight blades
on the prop to suck the fuel in, leaving the propeller in a horizontal position to enable easy starting. Once that is done, you go back around to the cockpit and set the throttle so it’s open by about 1cm. Flick the magneto switches to ‘on’ and you’re ready to swing the prop. The A-65 engine usually fires on the first or second swing. If it’s hot, it can take a few more attempts but it never refuses to start. With the
G-BGMJ takes centre-stage at the Air Britain fly-in at North Weald in Essex. 23
February 2011
very effective – Icom A20 radio sees us lined up on the runway and ready to go. Whether to use flaps on take-off is largely a matter of preference. Using one stage of flap will get us off the ground quicker, but using no flaps will give us a faster rate of climb once airborne and better obstacle clearance. The tail comes up at about 10kts and direction is easily controlled with the rudder. The Minicab uses about 250 to 300m to get off the ground at 45kts and quickly settles into a leisurely 600ft/min climb.
Landing gear is simple and sturdy. engine running, the next job is to move back round to the cockpit and gradually reduce the throttle until a smooth idle speed is achieved. If you reduce the RPM too quickly, the engine will cut out and you have to go through the whole starting procedure again. Climbing aboard the Minicab is as easy as it gets; the large canopy hinges forward allowing excellent access to the cockpit although you have to watch where you put your feet as it’s easy to knock the radio or fire extinguisher. It’s surprisingly roomy inside and even feels comfortable when carrying a passenger.
Economic To Fly
and the stick held back, the throttle is opened smoothly until 1,700rpm shows on the tacho. A magneto check is essential and I am looking for a maximum drop of 125rpm. Anything higher than that and we taxi back to the hangar! Once that is done, I just slowly close the throttle and make sure the engine idles smoothly at 800rpm. If all is satisfactory, we can think about going flying.
In A Flap?
A brief call to the tower over the rather crude looking – but
Light On Your Toes
As mentioned earlier, taxiing is straight-forward thanks to the excellent view ahead over the nose; just remember to go steady on those brakes. Power checks are next on the list. I usually taxi to the holding point before doing these to give the engine plenty of time to warm up. With the brakes firmly on AV8 Magazine
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When you reach your desired altitude and level out, the throttle can be reduced to around 2,000rpm which gives a usable 80kt cruise speed. Staying at full power will allow you to maintain a speed of 8890kts, but leads to increased rate of fuel consumption. Talking of fuel consumption, the Minicab is an exceptionally economical aircraft to fly. At 2,000rpm it will consume a miserly 3.5 Imperial Gallons per hour; at full power that increases to 5gall/hr, which means that if flown gently, the Minicab can stay airborne for 3 hours 50 minutes.
The Minicab in its favourite environment!
The first challenge is flying straight and level. This can be harder than you would imagine, especially to pilots not used to the ways of the Minicab. The lower edge of the canopy slopes down towards the front of the aircraft and this can give a false impression that you are flying nose down. The uninitiated tend to level out so that the bottom of the canopy is parallel with the horizon, but if you do this, the aircraft will be flying in a slight nose-up attitude. It takes a while to get used to it, but regular checks on the VSI and altimeter will soon tell you if you’re doing it wrong.
Excellent View
Once straight and level, trimming the aircraft is easy. The sliding elevator trim lever
is mounted on the left-hand cockpit wall – pull it back for nose-up trim, and push it forward for nose down. It is so much easier to use than the more traditional trim wheels, but you do need to be careful not to knock it with your knee. The all-round view through the large canopy is superb. There are two vertical frames at the front of the canopy but you hardly notice them after a while. On top of the canopy is a clever rotating air vent that allows fresh air into the cockpit; a very desirable feature on a hot summers day. The controls are beautifully balanced and very light. The ailerons are crisp and the Minicab rolls surprisingly quickly when asked. The elevators have the same characteristics which can make the aircraft feel a little 25
pitch sensitive. It all combines to make it one of those ‘thought control aircraft. You know the sort; you just have to think about where you want to go, and it goes there! Very little movement is required on the stick which makes it a very relaxing aeroplane to fly. The rudder is perhaps the heaviest control of all, but even this just needs a slight squeeze to keep the ball centered in a turn. You need to be a little firmer with it when side-slipping, but still not really an issue.
Stalling & Spinning
Stalls are something of a nonevent; the controls just go a bit mushy followed by the nose dropping. If you let the stall develop by holding the stick back, it will drop a wing, but just letting the stick go forward February 2011
Gardan GY201 Minicab Dimensions Length 5.43m 17ft 10in Wing Span 8.12m 24ft 11in Wing Area 9.57m2 103.1 sq ft Height 2.19m 7ft 2in Performance VNe 105kts 194km/h Cruise 90kts 166km/h Stall 35kts 64km/h Climb Rate 650ft/min 3.3m/sec Service Ceiling 12,700ft 3,900m Endurance 3.5hrs 3.5hrs Weights & Loadings Empty Weight 344kg 758lbs Max AUW 515kg 1,135lbs Useful Load 171kg 377lbs Fuel Capacity 61 litres 13.4 Imp Gals Baggage 24.9kg 55lbs Wing Loading 53.8kg/m2 11.01 lb/sq ft Engine Continental A-65-8F producing 65hp at 2,300rpm Propeller Lodge CJL 141 68” x 49” two-blade, wood.. Manufacturer Constructions Aeronautiques du Bearn, Pau-Idron, France. is usually enough to break the stall. It will stall in a ‘clean’ configuration at 33kts, but with flaps down it reduces to just under 30kts. Spinning the Minicab is a
strict ‘no-no.’ I have never attempted it, but according to Tony Wakefield, the sedate little airplane becomes a bit of a handful in a spin. Tony says that the Minicab spins
A rare shot of MJ in its factory finish. AV8 Magazine
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rather like a Pitts Special… it’s fast! Recovery from a spin can be problematic too. Most pilots use the standard procedure of cutting the power, pushing full opposite rudder and easing the stick forward. Unfortunately, applying full opposite rudder will quickly throw the Minicab into another spin in the opposite direction! The trick is to apply just enough rudder to stop the spin and then recover from the ensuing dive. Probably pretty tame stuff if you’re a hardcore aerobatic pilot, but if straight ‘n level is more your thing, you don’t want to go there.
Light Workload
Back to the airfield now, and the rudimentary nature of the Minicab means that the workload is reasonably light when coming in to land. On the downwind leg, just check mags are ‘on,’ canopy and harnesses secure, oil temp and pressure and set altimeter. Turning on to final, you have to bring the speed down to below 50kts which is the flap limiting speed. The Minicab is a slippery aeroplane, so this usually means reducing the power and easing the nose up slightly to allow the speed to bleed off. As soon as you hit 50kts, pull the large lever between the seats to select the first stage of flap, followed almost immediately by the second stage. Now you can let the nose drop down again and settle into a steady descent at 48-50kts. Speed is vitally important at this stage because although the flap limiting speed is 50kts, if you let it drop much lower than that, the Minicab starts to drop like a bag of spanners! Obviously, with a stall speed
of 30kts and flap speed of 50, there isn’t much room for speed adjustments, so it’s important to watch the ASI all the way to touch-down. As you pass over the numbers you can begin to ‘round out’ and you still have a trickle of power on at this stage. The Minicab settles nicely into a three-point attitude and as the wheels touch the ground, cut the power. A quick ‘dance’ on the rudder pedals keeps it on the runway centreline, but don’t try and turn off until rolling along at walking pace. Ground loops look exciting to spectators, but are no fun
at all when viewed from the cockpit!
Aviator’s Aeroplane! Overall, the Minicab flies very nicely. Its light, responsive controls make it feel like it wants to do aerobatics and if it had a little more power and a stronger airframe, it would be a very entertaining aeroplane to fly. The lack of ‘knobs and switches’ allows you to actually ‘fly’ the aircraft instead of twiddling things (remember…like we did it in the old days?). No glass panels here; just fly the plane,
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look out of the window and read the map. The Minicab is a very usable two-seater; it handles well, is economic to run, pleasent to fly and has enough range to get you to all but the furthest destinations. The canopy might look a bit quirky, but if you can see past that, what you get is actually a very nice aircraft that Mr Gardan should have been very proud of. Why it hasn’t been more popular with home builders is a bit of a mystery, but then if it was, it wouldn’t be one of aviation’s best kept secrets, would it?
February 2011
Thunderbirds Are...GO!
Our North America Editor, Steve Wood just loves speed, so when he was invited to spend a day with the world famous USAF Thunderbirds display team, he didn’t need asking twice!
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I
doubt that the pilots of the present USAF Thunderbirds demonstration team are old enough to remember the 1960s TV programme that shared its name with the outfit. Scott and Virgil Tracey, Lady Penelope and a grumpy chauffer known only as ‘Parker’ were the stars of the show, which used puppets and animated models to create a series that captured the imagination of a whole generation. The show originated in the UK and took its name from a US air base – Thunderbird Field. The series was revised as a live action film in 2004 and on January 11, 2011, it was announced that a new series is to be produced. The history
Taxiing out at the start of a show. of the USAF’s Thunderbirds demonstration team goes back even further to May 25, 1953 when the air force created the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit at Luke AFB, in Arizona. The team changed its name
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to the Thunderbirds shortly afterwards. Eyecatching Colors! Flying the famous LockheedMartin F-16 Fighting Falcon, the team’s aircraft are
February 2011
One of the aims of the team is to inspire the next generation of aviators!
known worldwide thanks to their very distinctive livery. They are standard frontline fighter aircraft and have not been demilitarized in any way. In fact, the aircraft can be configured for combat duties very quickly. Imagine the enemy engaging the Thunderbirds in battle! Only the best USAF fighter pilots are selected to fly with the Thunderbirds. Of course the same applies to the team’s non-flying personnel. Precision demonstration flying is what the team is all about, just like the US Navy’s Blue Angels and the UK’s Royal Air Force Red Arrows, among many others.
ground crew arrive in ‘Fat Albert’, a special Lockheed C130 Hercules decked out in the team’s colours, the Thunderbirds do things differently. The team’s 40 non-flying crew normally arrive Giant C-17 Globemaster en-mass in a giant Boeing While the Blue Angels’ C-17 Globemaster. Not quite AV8 Magazine
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as enormous as a C-5 Galaxy, but never the less this is one way to make an impression, a gigantic impression! But when I met the team there were no C-17’s available so they had to make do with three C-130’s instead, such is the difference in the carrying capacity.
Ground Crew While the public face of all demonstration teams is focused on the pilots and the display aircraft, it’s the ground crew who are the unsung heroes. Another vital part is the cooperation of event organizers, since without this the displays would not be possible. I’ve seen the reams of paperwork which must be completed by an event to get one of the top display teams to participate. To comply is no mean feat in itself and without this the team will simply not appear. In the case of the massive annual Sun ‘n Fun show in Florida, the organization had been going on for months, perhaps more than 12 months before the show started. On the first day of last year’s event I was summoned to the opposite side of Lakeland Linder airport to the airshow crowd. ‘Meet the Thunderbirds’ was the invitation. I could just not resist and even returned a day earlier from England for the opportunity. I was not disappointed. Eyecatching Colors! The F-16’s arrived ahead of the transports carrying the ground crew.. A classical overhead approach with an initial and break, just like we fly with the Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight. Okay, we fly a lot slower, of course, but then our pattern is much tighter, and just like the Thunderbirds, we land in formation. That’s where the
The F-16 has been around for some time now, but still looks amazing!
The Thunderbirds fly over an air force graduation ceremony.
similarity ends though! Flawless Performance Any formation team should try to excel in all aspects of flight and this applies right the way from start-up to shut down. In the case of the Thunderbirds this applies even to dismounting from the aircraft. It’s all part of the show and was performed flawlessly. Now all this is something the public normally does not see 31
as the team is usually located at an area of an airport away from the show crowd. Like any team they have things which need to be done away from the show line. On the days of their scheduled appearance, the Friday and Saturday in the case of Sun ‘n Fun 2010, the F-16’s relocate to the show line for public interaction. Just how many ground crew are involved in a Thunderbirds appearance, I wondered? I February 2011
.GO!
Ready to..
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No trick photography and not Photoshopped they really do get that close!
was not surprised to hear that more than 50 are involved at each venue, hence the need for the C-17 or 3 x C-130’s. The demonstration squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots, including six demonstration pilots, four support officers, four civilians and about 110 enlisted people performing in more than 29 air force specialties. Refuelling Fuelling the team aircraft is another major task. The FBO at Lakeland Linder has a US government fuel contract so this was not a problem. In fact I’m sure it was a welcome boost to profits! This was all going on tucked away from the public in a quiet area on the north side of the airport. Of course all this allowed me
to have a closer look at the F-16’s without the pressure of the public being around. It also meant I was able to take some close up photos which I hope you will enjoy. Flying Inverted Other than to lead the team, perhaps the choice spot in the Thunderbirds line-up goes to the lead solo pilot. He flies in position No.5. However, there is a lot more to flying lead solo than simply being No.5 in the team. One of No.5’s main tasks is to fly inverted for extended periods. This is why the No.5 logo on both the aircraft and on the pilot’s flight suit is upside down. I guess this makes good sense! The lead solo for the 2010 Thunderbird team was Maj. Rick Goodman. He started training with the Air Force 33
Academy at the age of 17 with no previous flying experience and graduated four years later in 1997. His early training involved flying the T34-C Turbo-Mentor, with its PT6A-25 Pratt & Witney turboprop engine, at NAS Whiting Field. Quite a different machine to the T-34’s I fly with in the Gaggle Flight at Spruce Creek! Three Year Duty As well as the T34, Goodman also flew sailplanes at the Academy. He then progressed through the T3, then the T34-C in an exchange training program with the Navy. After this, he flew the T38 Talon and then the F-15E Strike Eagle. His F-15 training was carried out at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina. A three February 2011
year duty in England followed, between 2000 and 2003. After some 1,800 hours flying the F-15 Goodman was selected for the Thunderbirds. His first flight in an F-16 was as a trainee member of the team. The tour of duty as a Thunderbirds pilot is normally two years, with an additional six months spent being trained and training replacement pilots. Goodman’s time with the Thunderbirds finished at the end of 2010. From there he will move to staff officer training. Just Got Lucky! As I mentioned before, one role of the lead solo, No.5, is to perform inverted passes as a pair of airplanes. I asked Goodman if he was
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able to choose to fly the No.5 position. His answer was a typically short and to the point, fighter pilot style - “I just got lucky.” He went on to say: “I absolutely love what I do, I love being a solo pilot, a pilot for the Thunderbirds and just being in the Air Force.” Viper The F-16 flown by the Thunderbirds is known to its pilots as the ‘Viper,’ due to its apparent resemblance to a Viper snake. It’s is a singleengine, supersonic, multi-role tactical aircraft. It features a large bubble canopy, a side mounted stick to ease control during combat manoeuvres, and a reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces. The F-16 was designed to be relatively inexpensive to build and much simpler to maintain than earlier-generation fighters. The airframe life was designed
to last 8,000 hours and to withstand 9G manoeuvres with a full internal fuel load. It Flies You! The F-16 was the first production fighter aircraft intentionally designed to be slightly aerodynamically unstable. This enhances the aircraft’s manoeuvre
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performance. An aircraft with negative static stability will be more manoeuvrable than one which is positively stable. When supersonic, a negatively stable aircraft actually exhibits a more positive-trending (and in the F-16’s case, a net positive) static stability due to aerodynamic forces shifting aft between subsonic and supersonic flight. At subsonic
February 2011
The Thunderbirds draw huge crowds where ever they perform.
speeds the fighter is constantly on the verge of going out of control. To counter this tendency to depart from controlled flight, and avoid the need for constant minute trimming inputs by the pilot, the F-16 has a quadruplex (four-channel) fly-by-wire control system (FLCC). The FLCC also takes thousands of measurements per second of the aircraft’s attitude, and automatically makes corrections to counter deviations from the flight path that were not input by the pilot. Coordinated turn is also obtained in such a way that it updates itself by thousands of instructions and produces the required control deflection that comes from dynamics of F-16, thereby allowing for stable flight. This has led to a common saying amongst F-16 pilots: “You don’t fly an F-16; it AV8 Magazine
flies you.” The Thunderbirds are past masters at exploiting the F-16’s display potential. Over Rotate One of the more notable features from a pilot’s perspective is the F-16’s exceptional field of view from the cockpit. The canopy provides 360° all-round visibility, with a 40° look-down angle over the side of the aircraft, and 15° down over the nose (compared to the more common 12–13° of its predecessors). The pilot’s seat is mounted in an elevated position to accomplish this. All this is an ideal environment for close formation flying. There’s a side mounted control stick operated by the pilot’s right hand. The F-16’s throttle is controlled by the left hand. Simple hand pressure on the 36
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Major Rick Goodman.
side-stick controller causes the transmission of electrical signals via the FBW system to adjust the various flight control surfaces used for manoeuvring. Originally, the side-stick controller was nonmoving, but this arrangement proved uncomfortable and difficult for pilots to adjust to, sometimes resulting in a
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tendency to ‘over-rotate’ the aircraft during take-offs, so the control stick was given a small amount of ‘play.’ I know from personal experience just how sensitive the F-16’s side stick is as I have flown an F-16 simulator on a couple of occasions at the I/ITSEC military simulation convention in Orlando.
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Block 52 Aircraft For the 2009 airshow season the Thunderbirds moved to the Block 52 version of the F-16, after using the block 32 version for many years. The conversion from the Block 32 to Block 52 F-16 aircraft involved adding advanced avionics and a more powerful Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 Improved Performance Engine (IPE). This has 29,000 pounds of thrust, 3,600 more than the previous version. “Basically, we are able to accelerate quicker and climb steeper,” said Thunderbirds pilot Major Tyrone Douglas. “The Block 52, overall, is just a much nicer jet. It’s like going from a Corvette to a Ferrari.” Operational fighter Of course the Thunderbirds operate their F-16’s in a
lightweight configuration. No armaments and a light fuel load enhance the performance. Despite the flashy Thunderbirds paint scheme each of the team’s aircraft is capable of being transformed back into a fully operational fighter in 72 hrs. “If these aircraft were needed in a combat situation, they can be reverted back to combatready in three days,” said 1st Lt. Elbert Mose, a program manager in the 508th Aircraft Sustainment Group. “We have never had a situation where that has happened, but in 72 hours we could put the gun system back into a plane and (it would) be completely ready.” The Thunderbirds have 9 F-16’s in their line-up. Nos. 1 through 7 and no. 9 are single seat ‘C’ models and no. 8 is
a dual seat ‘D’ model. This is used for flying various personalities and dignitaries and on some occasions it has replaced a ‘tech down’ display aircraft, as was the case in one of the shows at Sun ‘n Fun in 2010. I, for one, would love the chance to fly with the Thunderbirds! Heading To Europe The Thunderbirds is a precision display team, both in the air and on the ground. Pilots are selected not only for their flying abilities, but also to fit the mould of what a Thunderbirds pilot should look like. The ground crew is no exception to this and clearly match the pilots’ precision abilities. After all, the team’s main aim is to promote the USAF and act as a recruitment tool. They certainly do a great
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job at their public relations and recruiting missions. 2010 was the team’s 57th show season and took them to more than 65 shows in 27 US states and Canada. Their 2011 schedule includes a month long European tour, taking in a visit to the RAF Waddington airshow on the 2nd & 3rd July. I certainly hope that the team enjoys its visit to the UK. Make sure you don’t miss them!
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Cedar Key Life In The Slow Lane...
Located amidst the shallow Keys off the North West coast of Florida, Cedar Key is a place where time stands still. At least that is how it seems; such is the laid back way of life in this far away settlement. Steve Wood takes a closer look at this superb US destination.
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edar Key is a historic place where human occupation dates back to 500BC. In modern terms it’s an ‘out of the way’ settlement; getting there involves either a long road journey or an interesting, relatively short flight to a series of Keys off the western coast of northern Florida. I enjoy the flight over from AV8 Magazine
Spruce Creek as it takes me right across the State, and directly over John Travolta’s pad at Greystone / Jumboliar, north east of Ocala. You can usually see his Boeing 707 and Gulfstream when they are home. For me Cedar key is a winter destination, as sudden and violent thunders storms can build up over the central part of the State, around 42
Ocala during the summer. Pencils! Permanent U.S. settlement in the Cedar Keys began in 1839 when a fort was established during the Second Seminole War. A rail-road from Fernandina, on Florida’s northern Atlantic coast, to Cedar Key was completed in 1861. This served as
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February 2011
A Cessna 170 takes off from Cedar Key. to Germany, a very long way at the time, to make his quality pencils. The Eagle Pencil Company followed in Faber’s footsteps from 1876 until a hurricane destroyed its factory in 1896.
House on stilts. a shipment route for two separate mills that produced cedar slats for northern pencil factories. The settlement of Cedar Key had survived the Civil War, numerous hurricanes and AV8 Magazine
economic downturns one after another. Nevertheless, pencils brought prosperity to Cedar Key thanks to a German immigrant named Eberhard Faber. He shipped the local red cedar slats back 44
Wildlife National Wildlife Refuge At the start of the twentieth century, fishing, sponge hooking and oyster catching had become the major industries, but around 1909 the oyster beds became exhausted. US President Herbert Hoover established the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge in 1929 by naming three of the islands as a breeding ground for colonial birds. Cedar Key’s economy was again devastated when a
Commercial Street in downtown Cedar Key.
Modern hotels on the shore line. state-wide ban on large scale net fishing went into effect in 1995. However, Cedar Key rose to the occasion and created a multi-million dollar clam-based aquaculture industry, making it one of the largest producers of farm-raised clams in the United States today. Major hurricanes in 1950 and 1985 with winds of up to125mph devastated Cedar Key. Despite this, minimal damage occurred during hurricane Katrina. Astronomers The old-fashioned fishing village is now a tourist center with several regionally famous seafood restaurants. The village holds two main festivals a year; the Spring
Steve’s GlaStar on the ramp at Cedar Key.
Sidewalk Art Festival and the Fall Seafood Festival, that each attracts thousands of visitors to the area. The Cedar Key Museum State Park depicts the town’s 19th century history and displays sea shells and Indian artefacts from the collection of Saint Clair 45
Whitman. The latest attraction is for amateur astronomers to visit Cedar Key. They bring their high-powered telescopes for a week long stargazing event. Cedar Key is one of the few places in the USA with skies dark enough to host such an event. February 2011
An aerial shot of Cedar Key town.
runway is 05/23 and aircraft must back-taxi as required as there are no taxiways.
One of the many island inlets. Airport Cedar Key is also home to the George T Lewis Airport (KCDK). The airport is situated on the western side of Cedar Key and has a paved 2,355ft x 100ft runway. It’s AV8 Magazine
only 11ft above sea level and both approaches are over the shallow water of the surrounding Keys. Not that this is too much of a problem, but it certainly concentrates one’s mind somewhat! The 46
Tailwinds Maybe it was haste…maybe impatience, but whatever it was, make sure you don’t make the same mistake as one Saratoga pilot did during one of my visits. The pilot obviously thought a tailwind was acceptable and would save the short backtaxi and a turn back to the east. Had he used all the runway it may have turned out better. As it was he certainly used all the runway at the departure end, with his plane appearing to touch the low bushes which form the
Even the Pelicans enjoy the slower pace of life at Cedar Key.
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February 2011
Hollywood actor John Travolta’s house at Jumbolair.
rescue base during and after World War Two. The airport has seen better days with the beacon being ‘out of service’ for some time. The parallel taxiway is now used as a public road – hence the need to back-taxi. You must cross this road to get to the parking ramp at the western end of the runway. This is allowed; just be very careful as car traffic, cyclists pedestrians, dogs and more can suddenly appear out of the bushes.
Main Street, Waterside at Cedar Key. airport’s eastern boundary. But then he was the pilot who ignored convention and made a straight-in approach from miles out without even bothering to check the wind by flying overhead. There’s no automatic weather at CDK. Another characteristic of the airport is that when taking off to the southwest, on runway 23, you can lose sight of any land and the horizon may AV8 Magazine
disappear on a hazy summer day. Be aware that this is possible and rely on your instruments! Water surrounds the approaches to both 05 and 23, but there’s more land and things to focus on with a departure to the east. Public Road Opened in 1936 by the US military, the airport was formerly used as an air/sea 48
Airplane Rides It’s the airport which holds the attraction for visiting pilots, and even some land bound visitors. An enterprising local pilot flies his classic 1950 Cessna C170A over to CDK on weekends and takes visitors on memorable flights above the myriad of Keys which make up the settlement of Cedar Key.
One enterprising pilot is offering aerial views of the islands for $20.
Parking On Grass The runway is long enough for most GA airplanes, but the ramp is small – only room for perhaps six to eight planes. But there’s plenty of overflow parking on the grass and at weekends the field can be humming with activity. A 30 minute walk into the center of town makes a pleasant diversion. There’s even a local taxi service which listens in to the CTAF frequency and offers to collect visiting pilots. A battered New York ‘Yellow Cab’ used to be the attraction but now a more basic ‘van’ is used. No Fishing Walking into the town offers tantalising glimpses of what’s to come as the road meanders
Aircraft on the ramp at Cedar Key Airport. 49
February 2011
Looking across the bay towards the airport.
Caught one!
around the gently lapping shores of the Keys of the Gulf of Mexico. A ‘No Fishing From Bridge’ sign stands out. But this always seems to be ignored by the locals, perhaps because another sign alongside says “Fishing lines and nets must be removed when boats pass under bridge!” Closer in, a menacing AV8 Magazine
‘shark’ lurks outside the Cedar Key school, the home of The Sharks basketball team. Bald Eagle You don’t have to fish to enjoy Cedar Key. As Federally protected sanctuaries, the Cedar Keys form a chain of barrier islands ideally suited to a vast range of migratory 50
and shore birds, including the elusive White Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill and Bald Eagle. The variety of natural habitats, from salt marshes to Indian shell mounds, makes this truly a nature lover’s paradise. Once into the hub of activity it is clear that visitors come by car and motorcycle as well as by plane. Compact by many small city standards, there’s a waterside commercial area as well as a more typical ‘main street’ a short distance inland. The restaurants are well known for a variety of cuisines and cater from the basic to luxury with a wide range of prices. Police Presence There’s hardly a noticeable Police presence on Cedar Key and in keeping with the laid back ‘Keys’ attitude, the main
An aerial shot of Cedar Key town.
visible presence is a dark blue ‘golf cart’ adorned with police decals, ‘big wheels’ and even tiny ‘blue lights’ for authenticity. However, a more menacing presence is the US Fish and Wildlife Service patrols with their matt green air boats. These regularly patrol the sparkling waters surrounding Cedar Key. Happy Hour! A new fishing pier has been built alongside the waterfront restaurants and there’s a nearby boat ramp for launching the many boats which the locals seem to hide in every nook and cranny. Ideally situated for spectacular sunsets the ‘Coconut’ restaurant offers numerous ‘happy hour’ attractions and according to a banner strung outside has been voted the No 1 pub in Florida for two
The Cedar Key Police cart! years running. Perhaps the sign ‘Bikinis Welcome’ had something to do with this! Very Expensive Real Estate seems very expensive, even for the most basic house. Newer properties on the shoreline are built on ‘stilts’ in an attempt to mitigate damage from the storm surge from hurricanes passing by in the 51
Gulf of Mexico. Cedar Key is a true collection of small ‘Keys’ off the north western Gulf Coast of Florida. Whilst not as extensive as the ‘Florida Keys’ off southern Florida, Cedar Key mirrors the historic connections of its southern sibling. If you are ever out in Florida, it’s well worth a visit - a great $100 hamburger destination with many added attractions! February 2011
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anuary has been a colder month than normal in Florida, and particularly dry too. It’s also been very windy which has restricted the number of Gaggle Flights we have flown on our regular Wednesday and Saturday schedule. It has, however, been a great time for sunset flights - crystal clear sky and lighter winds – with extra performance from the engine thanks to the lower than normal temps. We have also been able to fly some challenging formation training flights with a mixture of high wing and low wing airplanes.
Celebration of Life
past with over 30 airplanes taking part. This was to include a double missing man flight with the two lead formations returning for a missing man pass. The #3 aircraft in each flight would then depict the missing man. Sadly the weather on the day was IFR so the fly-past was cancelled. The next day was the annual Spruce Creek bonfire and the rain date plan became to fly the fly-past over the bonfire. Once again the weather again intervened with strong gusty winds. The mass fly-past was cancelled. Only the two missing man flights were to brave the winds. As it turned out the winds had abated a little by 5 pm. But a decision had been made so the mass fly-past was off. I decided to honour Sarah & Bob myself by flying a single ship fly-past after the two missing man flights had gone by. My own tribute to a couple I knew well, and to Bob Bean, a fellow homebuilder who built another Stoddard Hamilton airplane. His Glasair III was a superb example of a dedicated builder. I have put together a short tribute video showing Sarah & Bob taking part in the Spruce Creek 100 air race back in 2010 – click here to view.
Flying high wing airplanes in formation is challenging as the visibility is often restricted compared to low wing planes. Not quite as challenging as flying bi-planes in formation. Both are doable – it just means that extra care has to be taken to keep your lead aircraft in sight at all times, be it the flight lead or the element lead. Two of the Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight members – Sarah and Bob Bean were sadly killed when their Glasair Test of Airmanship III crashed in Tennessee back in November Talking of the Spruce Creek 100. This private 2010. A celebration of life service was held event for pilots from Spruce Creek Fly-in for the couple at Spruce Creek on 21 January. takes place in January each year. It is flown The Gaggle Flight had planned a mass flyAV8 Magazine
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in two parts, normally on a Saturday and Sunday morning. The ‘race’ is a 100 nm flight from Spruce Creek (7FL6) to Palatka airport (28J), Pierson airport (2J8) and back to Spruce Creek. The aim is to fly as fast as you wish, flat out if you so desire, and yet be within 5% of a speed you designate. Fly faster and you became a potential candidate for the Sandbagger of the Year award. A minimum deck of 1,000 ft is the hard and fast rule. Of course you have to adhere to all FAA regulations. The ‘rally’ is slightly different. The aim being to be overhead Palatka, Pierson and back at Spruce Creek at a specific time, to the nearest second, based on your declared ground speed. A true test of airmanship. The Florida weather once again did not cooperate. Extreme winds meant the race was postponed for a week. The rally took place as planned on Sunday, 23rd January. I was able to shoot some interesting photos and we will have a photo feature of some of the planes taking part in the event next month.
and cars are already here practising. The noise of their engines can be clearly heard at Spruce Creek, some 7 miles south of the race track. There’s a much smaller speedway track at New Smyrna Beach – well some 8 miles inland on route 44. It’s just under a ½ mile long but is a high-bank track so many NASCAR teams are now using it for testing. This is one of the reporting points for south arrivals at Spruce Creek. Flying a high wing aircraft at 1,000 ft above the track it’s easy to see the cars racing around. Speed Week is a time at Spruce Creek Fly-in when some of the top drivers and teams rent properties at the fly-in. Being a private gated community it gives them some privacy. You never know who you may bump into!
Light Sport Expo Speed Week
Talking of speed events, the Daytona Speed Week is coming up in February. The events are kicked off by the Rolex 24 event. This is a Le Mans style 24 hr race for Daytona Prototypes and GT-class cars. The drivers
A recent aviation event I visited was the Light Sport Expo taking place at Sebring, 100 nm south of Spruce Creek. With the airspace restrictions around Orlando, and the MOA’s, the flight is a bit longer. Sebring is another place made famous by car racing. Cadillac was at Sebring testing their CTS-V Coupe SCCA race car. The sound of the cars around the track made an entertaining background 53
February 2011
for what to me was a lack-lustre show. We have our first report from the Expo elsewhere in the issue. Talking to other pilots here at Spruce Creek it seems that I was not alone in being disappointed. Indeed, some are saying that the Light Sport market in the USA may falter. Certainly if my experience at Sebring is anything to go by then they may be correct. Perhaps this is one reason why Piper has pulled out of the market after dipping their toes in the water with the rebadged SportCruiser. It’s interesting that
Roll Out
User Fees a group of more than a quarter of the US Congress urged President Barack Obama not to include aviation user fees in his 2012 budget in a letter Jan. 21. The letter, signed by 116 members of Congress, expressed support for the current system of funding for the FAA and said that inclusion of user fees in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget “would be a step backward in our efforts to modernize our air traffic control system and fund FAA operations.” I have experienced user fees in New Zealand and Europe. For the USA, a nation which has enjoyed relative aviation freedom for many years, user fees would be a start on a slippery slope to over control by expanded government departments. Do not let it happen! A recent quote from an article in Business Aviation says it all - “Flying in New Zealand is said to be a breeze for foreign operators - just have lots of cash to pay the user fees.” AV8 Magazine
The Space Shuttle program has once again been in the news. Further delays with the repairs to the main external fuel tank (ET137) of Discovery have postponed STS-133 until at least the 24th February. Discovery is now being warmed up in the massive Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for her return to Pad 39A via repressurization and decay checks, ensuring the orbiter’s unexpected stay in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) has had no adverse effects on her systems. In the past week STS-133 Mission Specialist Tim Kopra had an accident on a bicycle, so experienced astronaut Steve Bowen has been assigned to fill in for him. Yet another setback for a troubled mission. Discovery is due to be rolled out to launch Pad 39A for the second time on 31st January. Let’s hope everything goes as planned.
Airbags
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) this month adopted a study that
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no family responsibilities to consider. He was concluded that general aviation (GA) also willing to leave his airplane in far distant airplanes equipped with airbags provide additional protection to occupants in accidents places, return back to the USA to deal with involving survivable forward impacts. Another business affairs, and then continue on. He crash landed just like me. He had to replace recommendation to the FAA was to require his first Lucky Lady airplane, a Cherokee, the retrofitting of shoulder harnesses on after he crashed it in Kenya. In my case, my all general aviation airplanes that are not currently equipped with such restraints. From airplane ‘Goofy’ survived the crash landing (or more correctly controlled off-airport landing). a personal viewpoint I take flying safety seriously. My airplane has a steel safety cage This was just 7 hrs into my round the world flight. I had to spend all my RTW flight funds which has saved a number of pilots. I have on a new engine so was unable to continue fitted dual shoulders straps and inertia reel my flight. I then went on to set 101 FAI world belts to the aircraft. I always wear a nomex records, the most of any US registered flight suit when flying. It would be great to homebuilt aircraft. Gannon’s flight, on the have airbags and a parachute, but... other hand is certainly a record for endurance and perseverance. However, as he didn’t notify the NAA or FAI of his record attempt in advance he will be unable to claim any official records. He landed in 155 countries and all 50 US states. He flew for 2,200 hours and covered roughly 300,000 miles, the distance to the moon and half way back. His longest leg was 18 hours over the Pacific Ocean from Oakland, CA, to Hilo, Hawaii. To my mind Bob Gannon is a true aviation record setter – many congratulations.
Flight Odyssey
Finally, a mention of another record setting pilot. Robert (Bob) Gannon completed the final leg of a 10 year world flight odyssey. Bob has landed his Cessna C182, Lucky Lady Too, in 1,200 places, from open fields to hard-packed red dirt strips to sophisticated runways. He’s circled the globe twice - once in each direction - and flown over the North Pole. He and I have communicated over the years as we share a common link. We both completed our pilot training at Montgomery Field (KMYF) in San Diego. Gannon got his license in 1992 after two months training. I was there in 1993 and took just 2 weeks to get my license. We both share a sense of flying adventure. Gannon is single so he had
Blue skies and safe flying
Steve Wood FAI World Record Holder www.worldrecordpilot.org
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February 2011
Sebring Sport Expo Each year, the latest innovations and newest aircraft from the LSA world are displayed at the Sport Expo show at Sebring in Florida. Last year, the mood was optimistic following the launch of the PiperSport LSA, but as Steve Wood found out, this year the feeling was very different.
T
he hot news at the 2010 expo was that Piper had done a deal with Czech Sport Aircraft to market their SportCruiser LSA as the PiperSport. There was a great raz-ma-taz with the top brass from Piper proclaiming a new dawn in the company’s history. A lot has changed at Piper in AV8 Magazine
the past 12 months. This year at Sebring the hot news was that Piper had discontinued its business relationship with Czech Sport Aircraft.
Government of Brunei During 2010 the Piper CEO, Kevin Gould, resigned for for unspecified reasons having 56
served just over a year in the post. Gould was replaced on an interim basis by Geoffrey Berger, managing director of Imprimus in Brunei. Imprimus, a Singapore-based investment strategy company funded by the Government of Brunei, had purchased Piper in May 2009 from another investment
Tecnam P 9
2 Eagle.
company, American Capital Strategies. Another change took place at the NBAA convention in November 2010. Here Piper announced a complete re-do of its Piper Jet, calling it now the Piper Jet Altaire. As a result it has a newly-evolved fuselage design with additional cabin height to match its rivals.
Different Business Perspective
Then on January 12, 2011
Piper suddenly announced it was to terminate its business relationship relationship with Czech Sport Aircraft “After a year working with Czech Sport Aircraft, Piper determined that it is in our company’s best long-term interests to discontinue the business relationship which distributed a Light Sport Aircraft manufactured by the Czech company and distributed under Piper’s 57
brand by a separate distributor network,” said Piper CEO Geoffrey Berger. “Clearly, the company has a different business perspective and approach to the market than Czech Sport Aircraft,” he added. Piper had established a new company, PiperSport Distribution. Sales of the aircraft had trickled in for the PiperSport, and Piper had deposits for less than two February 2011
Main entrance area.
dozen in the subsequent months after unveiling the aircraft. However, a Piper spokeswoman stressed that the company had basically met its initial sales goals with 72-73 sold in all. The name of the aircraft will now change from PiperSport back to SportCruiser. “But other than that it is very much business as usual,” Czech Sport Aircraft officials said. The network of dealers, distributors and service agents that surrounds the type will continue to operate and to be strengthened, though now directly under the Czech Sport Aircraft banner. The CSA dealer network currently covers 24 countries.
Show Of Support Piper’s exhibit at the Sebring Expo was as a “show of AV8 Magazine
support for the industry,” a Piper official said. The company was honouring a previous commitment to attend and support the show at the Sebring Regional Airport. Two PiperSport aircraft were on display, still badged as such, standing forlorn in the middle of a very large stand. The company was selling off its stock of PiperSport t-shirts. Talking to one of the Piper employees who was specifically hired to work on the PiperSport program, it was clear that the decision must have been made suddenly as he had no idea what his fate was to be.
Owner Support According to the website of US Sport Aircraft Inc, a major PiperSport dealer, “Owner support for Parts, 58
Warranty, Service, and Technical Information for the SportCruiser and PiperSport airplanes WILL CONTINUE. And that’s for the record.” US Sport Aircraft, from Fort Pierce, Fla, was formed to sell the Czech Sport Aircraft SportCruiser. They subsequently worked had in hand with Piper as a key member of the PiperSport distribution network. Despite the almost non-existent presence of Piper at the Expo, the two aircraft on their stand still attracted considerable attention.
Full Of Optimisim Enough of the continuing saga of Piper Aircraft Inc. I flew in to Sebring on the first day of the Expo full of optimism. After an initial hold for 10 minutes over Lake Jackson as the
The Piper Aircraft stand A stark contrast to last year! airport was IFR, whilst a few miles away over the lake the conditions were CAVU, the procession of VFR airplanes began. This was around 10.15 am. The brief was to fly at 90 kts at 1100ft. A Cessna was ahead of me leading the bunch and flying at no more than 75 kts, sometimes less. This aircraft then proceeded to fly an ‘airliner approach’. A very wide downwind and base. It then touched down way past the ‘numbers’ and still had a lengthy taxi down the runway to to get to the next turn-off. At this point ‘Goofy’, my GlaStar, was nearly falling out of the sky, flying S-turns at just above the stall speed to keep spacing. Thankfully the GlaStar has great slow speed handling. I touched down right on the numbers
and made an immediate turn-off to the right onto the main ramp. A Canadian registered RV-7 followed me in and did the same as me. To my mind, pilots flying into events such as this should be prepared, and able, to expedite their approach and landing. Otherwise going wide has a ‘ripple effect’ way down the line and can cause a real bottleneck.
Penny Pinching This year the airport authority was charging $10 for parking on the main ramp. It appears that aircraft directed to the overflow parking to the east of runway 18 / 36 were not charged. Frankly I was most disappointed about this charge, as was everyone else I talked to about this. Last year 59
the fiasco was that the airport authority left pilots stranded on the east side of the main runway for over an hour. Finally, after a near riot by some of the pilots, the runway had to be closed to allow 30 or more pilots to walk across the runway to enter the Expo. The airport should forget the parking fee and encourage pilots to fly into Sebring, as many will return later to visit the FBO and restaurant. Being ‘penny pinching’ is not the way to encourage business. Increase the Expo entry fee slightly, if necessary, to cover the parking. The same should apply to car parking. Sebring is somewhat ‘out in the sticks’ and the only way for most people to get there is either to fly or drive long distances. Imagine what would happen February 2011
Continental engine fitted to the Legend Cub.
at Sun ‘n Fun or Oshkosh if airplanes were charged for parking – there would be a riot!
Two Entrances Having been full of optimism on my arrival I quickly found that the Expo itself was, to me, disappointing. There was a distinct lack of aircraft, compared to previous years. A number of exhibitors were missing. Many of the stands had less aircraft on display than before. Perhaps all this is the delayed effect of the economic crisis. There are two entrances to the Expo. The western entry is from the car park – through an archway entrance. The other entry is off the main ramp. In previous years there were major exhibits immediately next to these entrances. This AV8 Magazine
year there were empty spaces in these areas. I wonder if the Expo pushed up prices for these prime spaces and the exhibitors had moved elsewhere?
Amphibious Floats Remos had a much smaller stand in an off-centre position. Technam was well represented with five aircraft on display. Amphibious floats were fitted to many of the display aircraft at the Expo. Bush wheels were also popular. Flight Design had a decent stand showcasing their CTLS equipped with Claymar Glaslite amphibious floats. To accommodate the floats the gross weight on the CTLS has been increased to 1430 lbs. This is 100 lbs increase from the normal light sport maximum weight, specifically 60
for float planes. The float retract system is electrically operated with all four wheels retracting at the same time. Installed price on a customer’s airplane has been set at $38,000 for the amphibious float option for all component parts, the mechanical work, and all FAA documents.
Direct Drive Another aircraft on amphibs was the classic Cub, or more particularly the Legend Cub which was fitted with Baumann BF-1500A floats. This aircraft is available with either the 100 hp O-200-D Continental engine, or the more powerful 120 hp six cylinder Jabiru 3300 engine. Both are direct drive units, my personal choice over using a
Flight Design CTLS on floats. 61
February 2011
The Savage I-Cub.
The Micro Mong from Green Sky Adventures.
gearbox to lower the engine revolutions as is the case with Rotax engines. Continental displayed their light sport engine, the O-200-D, which is just 199 lbs dry weight. Lycoming had their lightweight direct drive ‘233 series’ engine on show. This engine is slightly heavier than the Continental, at 213 lbs dry. It boasts 100 hp at 2400 rpm, or 115 hp at 2800 rpm. It has a dual CDI ignition and is available with either a carburetor or fuel injection. The TBO of this roller tappet AV8 Magazine
engine is a long 2400 hrs.
On Track Apparently Cessna has finally turned the corner with its delivery of their long awaited C162 Skycatcher. Cessna says “it has received more than 60 Skycatcher light sport aircraft from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. In conjunction with its reassembly site at Yingling Aviation in Wichita, Kan., Cessna has delivered more than 30 Skycatchers.” It seems that the company “is on track to deliver 150 Skycatchers in 2011, including 62
the first models featuring the McCauley two-blade, fixedpitch composite propeller.” The Skycatcher design team was named winner of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Piper General Aviation Award for 2010. AIAA presents the Piper General Aviation Award annually for outstanding contributions leading to the advancement of general aviation. The award honours William T. Piper, Sr., who was founder and first president of Piper Aircraft Corporation 1929-1970. This award is perhaps rather ironic seeing that Piper Aircraft Inc has just pulled out of the Light Sport market. Cessna is now alone, as the only major US aircraft manufacturer involved in the Light Sport market.
I-Pad Still on the Piper theme, there were many variations of the Piper Cub theme on display. Some were almost direct replicas – the Legend Cub, the Cub Crafters ‘Sport Cub S2’ aircraft. There was even an i-Cub from Savage
The Criquet Aviation Storch replica.
on sale at $89,900. This featured the i-Monitor from TruTrak which uses an i-Pad and bluetooth link to display engine information from TruTrak’s EDM engine module. Certainly an interesting use of the i-Pad. Personally, until Apple has solved the problem of the i-Pad shutting down when it gets too hot, I would be wary of using it as a panel mount display, particularly in the summer.
smaller GA aircraft, then this will really shake out the LSA market. At the moment the whole medical concept is totally unfair. Loose your medical and you cannot fly a LSA using your drivers license, period. In this case
perhaps the option is to fly a motor glider. These require no medicals, only a pilot license endorsed for motor gliders. Diamond had their Super Dimona TC100 on display. This is a well thought out aircraft, based on a certificated
No Medical There’s a huge number of companies producing Light Sport aircraft, well over 100 at the last count. I’m sure there are going to be quite a number of these companies which will go out of business. The market will decide. If, as some are mooting, the FAA extends the ‘drivers license medical concept to experimental and 63
February 2011
Diamond model. The problem is that it’s hugely expensive – a 2009 ‘0’ time example being listed for sale at $231,695.
No Pilot Licence If small bi-planes interest you then the Micro Mong – what a strange name – from Green Sky Adventures might suit you. It uses the HKS-7e 60hp 2-cylinder 4-stroke engine. The complete package, including the engine and prop, is $22,702. There were a number of other reasonably priced airplanes on offer. If an
AV8 Magazine
Aventura II amphibian takes your fancy then you can buy a quick build kit, complete with a Rotax 912 engine, for $43,900. There was an airshow special a 300 hr XLR example - being offered at $42,495 (shown listed at $64,495!). Or how about the Mosquito XEL single seat helicopter – a complete kit for $31,000. This is an ultralight so does not require aircraft registration. Also, no pilot license is required in the USA. You can buy the
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same helicopter with a turbine engine – the XET model – which uses a used Solar APU turbine engine. A full helicopter or fixed wing license is needed to fly this model. A friend at Spruce Creek is building an XET and I’ll be very interested to see it fly. Only 66ft to Take-off
Back in WWII, between 1941 and 1943, the German’s flew Storch STOL airplanes in Africa. Criquet Aviation has produced a %75 replica of the original plane flown by General Rommel in Africa and used to extricate Mussolini from prison on the Italian mountain of Gran Sasso. Its Fiesseler Storch FI-156 is certainly an interesting kit airplane, and it needs only 66 ft to take-off!
Machine Gun
my eye was a Sky Arrow LSA on display at the Hansen Air Group stand. It was fitted with a mini machine gun. A decal declared “Warning! – Remain Clear of Gun”. A friend from Spruce Creek, Tom Evernham, was standing next to the aircraft. I then realised I’d seen this aircraft before – at Spruce Creek. It’s his personal aircraft and he’d recently fitted the plastic gun into an air vent duct, just for fun. Spruce Creek has a sign “Warning –
Kids (and Adult) at Play” when you enter the community. I certainly have fun with my airplane’s registration N-600FY, as it’s now known by everyone as ‘Goofy’. It seems that other pilots at Spruce Creek are having fun too! This is the first of our two features on the Light Sport Expo 2011. Read AV8 Magazine in March for the second instalment.
Something else which caught
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February 2011
Reach For The Sky
Reach For The Sky!
In each issue of AV8 Magazine we are publishing short mini-features on reader’s aircraft as part of our ‘Reach for the Sky’ series. We’d like to invite readers from around the world to submit a digital photo and bio (around 150 words) about your aircraft or project. Please email this information to Steve Wood at av8america@gmail.com ‘Reach for the Sky’ will be a regular feature so spread the word and send in your photos!
Alan Borg - Questair Venture (N36V)
This is N36V. We started building 11 years ago now. Rick Watkins and I (Alan Borg) bought the kit from Glenn Smith who helped over the years with some building and keeping us on track. We worked on it for 5 years, and in the summer of 2004 we took first flight. As in all Questair, Ventures, ours is equipped with the Continental IO 550 cu in engine. We have full IFR instruments on the pilot side (steam gauges) and Blue Mountain gps and glass with auto pilot on the copilot side. The center has our radio stack. We have a Garmin and a King Navcom. The Garmin is coupled with the Blue Mountain, and the King to a normal King OBS with glide slope. Most Questair, Ventures come standard with the retractable gear, as did ours. A couple of years ago we retro-fitted the fixed gear that was designed and supplied by Dick Collier. The normal configuration of fold up gear gives 240kts true, as we could do in ours. In the stiff legged mode we now have, we get 210-220 depending on loading, altitude and fuel settings. It is still plenty fast, and we have much few moving parts. We have flown all over the U.S. as well as Alaska, Mexico, Belize, Quatemala. We are pushing 500 hours and look forward to many more.
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Brian Carroll - Vans RV7 (N155BK)
“It all started in December 2006, when I squeezed the first rivet into my Vans RV-7. The plan was to build a simple day/night VFR fun machine & cruiser. The build took the best part of four years, and in November 2010, Vans kit #72908 received her airworthiness certification. We call her ‘Aurora’ after the Roman Goddess of Dawn. We are still waiting for some good weather so we can make the first flight, but that should be happening quite soon. Aurora is equipped with a Lycoming IO-360 overhauled by Stendec Systems in Colorado. We added 9 to1 pistons, Superior cold sump, Airflow Performance FI, Emag/Pmag and a Vetterman 4 pipe. This combo is putting out 195hp which is harnessed by a Whirlwind 200RV C/S prop (American Propeller supplied). The simple panel consists of a Dynon FlightDek 180, Avmap GPS, Icom200, Garmin320 and a Navaid A/P. Seats by CAD. In search for better efficiency, I installed a James Aircraft cooling plenum and extended cowl. The three color base coat/clear coat paint was done by my good friend ‘Corky.’ Total weight came in at 1,095lbs complete after paint.”
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February 2011
Pilot Gear
Myro - The Smallest Plane In The World!
RRP: £6.99 each Author: Nick Rose Available from: www.nickrose.com
I guess many of us grew up listening to stories about Thomas the Tank Engine, or more recently, Budgie the Helicopter, but now children have a new hero to read about; meet ‘Myro – The smallest Plane In The World!’ Aimed at children over three years old, these colourful books will capture the imagination of any youngsters with even the slightest interest in aviation. Myro the Microlight is a mischievous and curious flexwing who is prone to disaster. The stories follow his exciting adventures as he settles into his new Australian home, zooming through pages packed with vivid energy, bright landscapes and crazy Australian animals. Children will fall in love with the captivating aeroplane friends Myro makes on his travels, much like they do with the characters in the ‘Thomas’ series, wanting to read their new books again and again. Each back cover opens up to show a detailed map of where the adventure takes place, so children can follow the story as it unfolds. On its reverse is a colourful fact file, full of fun and interesting information about Myro and his friends. On the inside back-cover is a detailed aircraft “cutaway”, reminiscent of the “Eagle” comic books of the 1950s and loved by generations. Also featured is the pilot’s phonetic alphabet – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc., that children love to learn with their parents. “What does Mike Yankee Romeo Oscar spell?” This first Myro series includes six picture books, all with different adventures and characters. A seventh picture book is also available, with lyrics for the accompanying audio CD, full of original and catchy songs. It took British entrepreneur Nick Rose, and more than a dozen talented freelancers, seven years to create this first series, Myro Goes to Australia. The uniqueness of the books and songs will attract both mums and dads to share their children’s fun, and tempt relatives of all ages when hunting for those perfect presents. With their gripping stories, beautiful images and irresistible characters, Myro, The Smallest Plane in the World is sure to find a place in everyone’s heart. AV8 Magazine
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Bygone Peterborough and the Towns of the Fens
This hour-long programme was made in association with the Peterborough Evening Telegraph. It features hundreds of unique film clips, shot by local people, of events in and around Peterborough from the 1920s to the 1970s. For the young, this may be a chance to see the area as never before while for older viewers, this DVD will evoke memories of gentler times and a very different landscape. The programme unfolds in a series of chapters to tell the story of life in the Peterborough area, with an informative commentary narrated by Michael Drake and accompanied by a little background music from the silent movie era.
Bygone Northampton
Back in 1977 the call went out for old cine-film of Northampton and surrounding areas. Local newspapers, radio and TV were on the case and dozens of local people turned out attics and cupboards to recover old reels of film. Most of this unique material had never been seen publicly before – until Bygone Northampton! The 55-minute DVD (A limited number of copies are available on VHS) with informative commentary by Michael Drake, includes: 60 years of carnivals, fires, floods and famous people; Northampton at War, civic parades and Coronations: Royal visits and redevelopment, from the birth of the swimming baths to the death of the Power Station. Footage is included from: Kettering, Wellingborough Weston Favell, Burton Latimer Higham Ferrers, Castle Ashby, Silverstone and half a dozen villages surrounding Northampton.
Bygone Norwich and East Norfolk
Rare moving images of the past captured from old archive cine-film including historic highlights of Norwich City Centre, The Cattle Market, The Broads and East Coast holiday towns as well as local industry. This 55-minute programme is complimented by an enlightening commentary from Michael Drake. This video was made in association with the Eastern Daily Press and is now brought to you on DVD.
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MiG-29 Over USA
30 years ago, the sight of a modern frontline MiG fighter in the skies over the USA would have been enough to trigger a major diplomatic incident and cause panic in the White House! Thankfully, things are a little calmer now, which has allowed the Historic Flight Foundation to add this stunning MiG-29UB to its collection.
I
t’s hard to believe it, but there is now two fully operational MiG-29 fighter jets being flown in the USA by civilian owners. The latest is this stunning exUkranian MiG-29UB which has just flown again for the first time following a thorough restoration by the Historic Flight Foundation, taking to the air over Washington AV8 Magazine
six years after it left Eastern Europe. Capable of speeds of Mach 2.2 and altitudes of nearly 60,000ft, the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’ is a far cry from the 192757 vintage airplanes that foundation specializes in restoring. However, the opportunity to work on something so different was 70
an irresistible lure to John Sessions, the founder of Historic Flight, who wanted to verify that a complex highperformance aircraft could be restored by following the same rules and guidelines as a vintage airplane. The resulting aircraft is one of the most pristine examples of it’s type anywhere in the world. This two-seat MiG-29UB was
Rolling
manufactured in the Soviet Union sometime between 1985 and 1991, and saw service with the 642nd IAP (fighter air regiment) of the Ukrainian Air Force after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During its service it racked up a total of 510 flight hours. In the year 2000 the Ukraine began retiring some of it’s MiG-29s, and in 2005 this
to a sto
p - the H
istoric F
light Fo
undatio
particular MiG-29UB was demilitarized and offered for sale to the general public. The Historic Flight Foundation heard about the sale through Tim Morgan of Morgan Aircraft Restorations, and a deal was brokered to bring the MiG to the USA. Because it is still technically a front-line military fighter, the shipping company hired to 71
n MiG-2
9.
transport the aircraft to the United States split it into two shipments to deter hijackers. The wing and engine crates were shipped across the Atlantic while the fuselage was loaded aboard a ship bound for the Pacific. At Hong Kong the fuselage was off-loaded to change ships, but the shipper had forgotten to obtain a local import license. On April 4, February 2011
The Historic Flight Foundation MiG-29UB taking off on its first post-restoration flight.
2006, it was seized as military contraband. John Sessions immediately traveled to Hong Kong in an effort to save the MiG. Two years and many trips later, a Chinese judge ruled that the aircraft had been properly demilitarized before arriving in Hong Kong and should be returned to the Historic Flight Foundation. The fuselage finally joined the rest of the aircraft in the AV8 Magazine
Morgan Aircraft Restoration hangar at Arlington Municipal Airport in 2008. Now the aircraft needed to be fully disassembled and all parts inspected for damage, both from its previous service life as well as the years spent in transit. Some parts that didn’t make it to the US would need to be fabricated from scratch, or duplicated by making a mirror copy of 72
a part on the other side of the aircraft. Historic Flight Foundation is well known for its meticulous restoration of vintage aircraft to ‘factory new’ condition, and the MiG-29 would be no exception. Any components showing unusual wear or any sort of corrosion or damage were replaced, including both huge RD-33 afterburning turbofan engines, whose replacements had to be
specially manufactured by the Klimov factory in Russia. While Historic Flight Foundation’s MiG-29 lay in pieces in Arlington, there were two crashes of Russian Air Force MiG-29s just a month apart. The investigation showed that the twin vertical tails of the MiG-29 were prone to corrosion where they join the fuselage, and that the two crashes were caused by the
vertical tail literally coming off in mid-air. The root cause was found to be a combination of different metals used to attach the vertical tails to the fuselage, which could react with one another and corrode under the right conditions. It was decided that the only way to be sure this wouldn’t happen to Historic Flight’s MiG-29UB would be to redesign all of the attachment 65 73
components entirely out of aluminum, thus eliminating any other metals that might cause corrosion. Throughout the restoration process, experienced MiG29 mechanics were flown over from Slovakia to offer their expertise with an aircraft that practically no western mechanics had ever worked on. Their assistance proved to be invaluable, offering February January 2011
Post Landing, John Sessions and Doug Russell shake hands. (Liz Matzelle)
knowledge only gained through decades of front line MiG-29 service. The final restoration work to be done was cosmetic. Between being retired and being sold the MiG had sat outside in the Ukraine for years, suffering through many long winters. Then, during shipment to
the US, the fuselage was confiscated and spent another two years sitting at a Hong Kong dock. Because of this, some of the sheet metal on the aircraft had to be replaced, and the entire plane also had to be stripped and repainted. The markings on the aircraft were kept as close to original
Preflight walkaround - Doug Russell and John Sessions. (Lyle Jansma)
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as possible, from the pattern of the camouflage to the black panther on the nose. The restoration was finally completed in December of 2010, but there was still one critical component missing: the explosive charges for the ejection seats. These charges were removed as part of the demilitarization of the aircraft in the Ukraine, but acquiring replacements and importing them into the US proved to be quite a challenge. They were finally installed in January of 2011, and the aircraft was ready to fly again. First flight of the newly christened N29UB occurred on January 23rd 2011, and was piloted by Doug Russell and John Sessions. During the flight the MiG was ferried from Arlington Municipal to Snohomish County Airport in Everett, WA. This airport is home to the Boeing factory that produces the 747, 767,
The MiG makes a fly-by over the field with gear down.
777, and 787, as well as the Historic Flight Foundation’s vintage aircraft museum. The MiG-29UB is scheduled to complete a 5-hour flight test program, gradually building up confidence in its systems. It will reach altitudes of 60,000ft, speeds of Mach 0.97, and perform high-g aerobatic maneuvers. The foundation plans to undertake the restoration of two more MiG-29s over the coming years, which will help finance their heritage activities. The quality of the work on the completed aircraft is absolutely stunning and is a credit to the owner and the team that worked so hard to restore it. Will it be at Oshkosh? Who knows! It would certainly make a fantastic addition to the AirVenture show. It might even take the ‘Grand Champion’ crown. Now wouldn’t that be cool? 75
February 2011
WWW.SKY-CRAFT.CO.UK SALES@SKYCRAFT.CO.UK
Skycraft are agents for: Rans, Jabiru, Sensenich, GT, MicroAir, Warp Drive, Diatex, Sky-Tech and Trutrak.
AV8 Magazine
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Murray Flint REFINISHING SPECIALIST, ALL AIRCRAFT TYPES
THE UK’s ONLY APPROVED JABIRU FINISHING SPECIALIST. COMPOSITE KIT AIRCRAFT FILLING, PREPARATION & PAINTING SERVICE. AROUND 200 HOURS GO INTO EVERY JABIRU’S FINAL FINISHING AND QUALITY IS NEVER COMPROMISED. 70 plus Jabirus completed so far! Full height rudder conversions supported by ST Aviation. COWLINGS TO COMPLETE AIRFRAMES eg.YOU JUST ASSEMBLE YOUR JABIRU AND I WILL DO ALL OF THE FILLING, SANDING AND PINHOLE STOPPING AND IF REQUIRED, DOOR GAP AND COWLING FIT. METAL COMPONENTS ALSO CATERED FOR - SAND BLASTING, PAINT STRIPPING, ETCHING ETC. NATION WIDE COLLECTION AND DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE.
Tel: 01945 780023 or 07930 960984 E-mail: murray@flint.flyer.co.uk
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Call gareth on 0845 226 0477 or e-mail: info@av8magazine.com 77
February 2011
Safety Matters Sadly, accidents do happen from time to time with all types of transport, and aviation is no exception. Below, we have reproduced a selection of reports drawn up by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) following their detailed analysis of these incidents. They are reproduced here in the hope that pilots will read them and perhaps learn something from them which may prevent similar accidents happening in the future. These reports are reproduced with the kind permission of AAIB. These and other reports can be found at: www.aaib.gov.uk/home/index.cfm Aircraft Type: Cassutt Racer IIIM No & Type of Engines: 1 Continental Motors Corp O-200-A piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1989 Date & Time (UTC): 17 October 2010 at 1440 hrs Location: Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield, Northamptonshire Nature of Damage: Damage to left wingtip, leading edge, propeller, engine, and cowlings Commander’s Flying Experience: 22,570 hours (of which 1 was on type) Last 90 days - 71 hours Last 28 days - 21 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot and subsequent AAIB enquiries A prospective purchaser had arranged for a pilot with previous experience on similar types to fly the tail wheeled aircraft and assess it for him. The weather conditions were “clear and bright” with light north-north westerly winds estimated at three or four knots. The owner briefed the pilot about the aircraft, emphasising that as the propeller was relatively coarse, the pilot should lift the tail promptly before accelerating. There was some difficulty starting the engine, but once it was started the pilot taxied to the grass Runway 06 and began a takeoff. Witnesses stated that the grass was damp and that the tail wheel did not lift. The pilot perceived that the aircraft would not become airborne, and aborted the takeoff attempt; the aircraft came to rest in a hedge, sustaining damage. The pilot evacuated the aircraft without difficulty. Those involved subsequently commented
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that the accident may have arisen from the takeoff technique used, the length of the grass, or the engine not producing sufficient power. Aircraft Type: Cessna 152 No & Type of Engines: 1 Lycoming O-235-N2C piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1984 Date & Time (UTC): 26 August 2010 at 1730 hrs Location: City of Derry Airport, Londonderry, Northern Ireland Nature of Damage: Damage to nose landing gear leg, propeller and engine Commander’s Flying Experience: 37 hours (of which 23 were on type) Last 90 days - 7 hours Last 28 days - 3 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot The aircraft was returning to Londonderry after a solo crosscountry exercise. On final approach to Runway 08, the student pilot reported that he flared too high, the aircraft touched down and bounced back into the air. On the second touchdown, the nose landing gear partially collapsed, the aircraft veered to the right and ran off the side of the runway onto the grass. The pilot vacated the aircraft normally with only minor cuts and bruises. The student’s instructor was in the flying club at the time and did not witness the accident. Although the pilot believed that the nosewheel collapsed due to it “digging in” on the grass, debris on the paved surface, and damage to the propeller, indicated that nose gear collapse had occurred on the second touchdown.
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Aircraft Type: Cessna 172s Skyhawk No & Type of Engines: 1 Lycoming IO-360-L2A piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1999 Date & Time (UTC): 8 August 2010 at 1420 hrs Location: White Waltham Airfield, Berkshire Nature of Damage: Fuselage floor area Commander’s Flying Experience: 160 hours (of which 13 were on type) Last 90 days - 8 hours Last 28 days - 4 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot After an overhead join, the aircraft began an approach to Runway 03 in reported winds of between 020º and 030º at 10 kt. During the flare, the pilot reported encountering a “sudden updraft / windshear” and a subsequent rapid roll to the right. The pilot corrected the roll but the aircraft touched down heavily at the intersection of Runway 03 and Runway 29 and then bounced two further times before being brought under control. The pilot, who was wearing a lap and diagonal harness, was uninjured. The pilot stated that a subsequent inspection of the area at the intersection of Runway 03 and Runway 29 identified that the grass area was “very, very bumpy and firm”. Aircraft Type: Cessna R172K Hawk XP No & Type of Engines: 1 Continental Motors Corp IO-360-KB piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1978 Date & Time (UTC): 2 October 2010
at 0840 hrs Location: Haverfordwest Airport, Pembrokeshire Nature of Damage: Damage to the propeller, lower fuselage and firewall Commander’s Flying Experience: 149 hours (of which 59 were on type) Last 90 days - 7 hours Last 28 days - 5 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. The pilot was flying circuits at Haverfordwest Airfield, Pembrokeshire. The weather conditions were good, with a 15 kt southerly wind, and Runway 21 was in use. The first circuit was normal, although the pilot noted some light wind sheer and turbulence on final approach. During the landing flare after the second circuit, in mild turbulence, a greater sink rate than normal was experienced and the aircraft bounced. Full power was applied but the aircraft pitched nose down, rolled right and landed heavily on its nosewheel, with the propeller striking the ground. The pilot realised that the landing was heavy, so he closed the throttle and taxied back to the parking apron where he shut the aircraft down. A visual inspection revealed damage to the propeller and the geometry of the nose landing gear. The pilot considered that the accident was caused by the starboard wing stalling, after the aircraft had bounced, resulting in the aircraft not remaining airborne when he applied full power. Aircraft Type: Culver LCA Cadet No & Type of Engines: 1 Continental Motors Corp O-200-A piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1940 Date & Time (UTC): 5 September 2010 at 1630 hrs Location: Eshott Airfield, Northumberland Nature of Damage: Damage to fuselage, gascolator, engine cowl, wing, cockpit and propeller Commander’s Flying Experience: 207 hours (of which 47 were on
type) Last 90 days - 11 hours Last 28 days - 7 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot and subsequent AAIB enquiries The pilot stated that on approach to Eshott the aircraft encountered “extreme turbulence”. He had difficulty extending the landing gear, which required both hands to operate, but believed that it was locked down. Following a normal landing the landing gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded to a halt on its underside. During the skid, the gascolator, mounted on the bottom of the aircraft forward of the firewall, sustained damage releasing fuel, and a fire broke out. Although flames entered the cockpit, the pilot vacated the aircraft with only a minor injury, and used the aircraft’s fire extinguisher to tackle the fire. The extinguisher ran out before extinguishing the fire, which was put out by members of the flying club who attended promptly with other extinguishers. The pilot stated that lack of experience in turbulent conditions and the absence of a system to indicate that the gear was not locked down both contributed to the accident. In rebuilding the aircraft, the pilot plans to install a landing gear warning system and to reposition the gascolator to protect it better during any future gear-up landing. Aircraft Type: Gulfstream AA-5A Cheetah No & Type of Engines: 1 Lycoming O-320-E2G piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1978 Date & Time (UTC): 13 May 2010 at 1617 hrs Location: Leicester Airfield, Leicestershire Nature of Damage: Wings scratched, tailplane and one runway light damaged Commander’s Flying Experience: 59 hours (of which 8 were on type) Last 90 days - 2 hours
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Last 28 days - 2 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. The accident flight was the pilot’s first flight in the aircraft as pilot in command with three passengers onboard. As part of the pre-takeoff checks, he set the pitch trim to a position he thought appropriate for the aircraft loading. However, during the subsequent takeoff, the aircraft became airborne several knots less than the published rotate speed. Shortly afterwards the pilot felt the right wing drop. He reduced the engine speed to idle and landed the aircraft back on the runway, during which both wing tips and the tail contacted the ground. He then applied the brakes, bringing the aircraft to a full stop in the grass field at the end of the paved runway. The pilot considered that he selected too much nose-up trim for takeoff and allowed the aircraft to get airborne prematurely. He believed that the aircraft then stalled and landed heavily back on the runway. Aircraft Type: Piper PA 23 No & Type of Engines: 1 Lycoming TI0-540 SER piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1980 Date & Time (UTC): 10 August 2010 at 1553 hrs Location: Bournemouth Airport, Dorset Nature of Damage: None Commander’s Flying Experience: 1,150 hours (of which 150 were on type) Last 90 days - 75 hours Last 28 days - 45 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot and further enquiries by the AAIB The first flight of the day departed Filton with full fuel tanks, landed at Cardiff and flew on to Southampton. On departing Southampton the pilot needed to use excessive right aileron and elected to divert to Bournemouth, declaring a PAN. A go-around was flown from the initial approach to Runway 26 due
February 2011
Safety Matters to positioning problems associated with the control difficulties. The pilot then declared a MAYDAY and elected to carry out a flapless landing on Runway 08. The surface wind was reported as 240° at 14 kt. The touchdown was normal but with the higher speeds associated with the flapless landing, together with the 13 kt tailwind component and wet runway conditions, the pilot decided to overrun rather than risk bursting the tyres. The aircraft came to rest on the grass past the end of the runway. No injuries or aircraft damage were reported. The control difficulties arose from a fuel imbalance; the port tanks were found full. The pilot reported that the previous pilot had reported issues with asymmetric fuel readings and so had tried cross-feeding the fuel. The accident pilot stated that he had missed the cross-feed item of the check list at the beginning of the day due to being distracted by a flat battery. He has since amended his own checklist. Aircraft Type: Reims Cessna F150M No & Type of Engines: 1 Continental Motors Corp O-200-A piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1975 Date & Time (UTC): 5 September 2010 at 1105 hrs Location: Beverley Airfield, North Humberside Nature of Damage: Bent engine frame Commander’s Flying Experience: 44 hours (of which 44 were on type) Last 90 days - 9 hours Last 28 days - 3 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot After completing three circuits and a practice emergency landing with his instructor at Beverley Airfield, the student pilot carried out a further four successful solo landings on Runway 12. The weather was reported as clear, with a wind velocity of between 12 and 14 kt down the
AV8 Magazine
grass runway and 10 km visibility. The pilot reported that his fifth solo approach and flare appeared normal but, on touchdown, the aircraft bounced twice before finally landing heavily on the nosewheel, distorting the engine frame; he was uninjured. His instructor was unable to transmit on a radio in time to advise a goaround. The pilot reported that he may have touched down on a bump in the grass runway causing the aircraft to balloon and, despite several attempts to regain control, did not prevent the heavy nosewheel landing. He further stated that he should have gone around as he had been instructed, and has since undergone further training on goaround procedures. Aircraft Type: Reims Cessna FR172H No & Type of Engines: 1 Continental Motors Corp IO-360-D piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1972 Date & Time (UTC): 18 July 2010 at 1240 hrs Location: Compton Abbas Airfield, Dorset Nature of Damage: Aircraft destroyed Commander’s Flying Experience: 89 hours (of which 17 were on type) Last 90 days - 6 hours Last 28 days - 2 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot and subsequent AAIB telephone enquiries Synopsis After refuelling, the pilot started the engine with the intention of taxiing the aircraft to the parking area. Upon starting, the engine went to high power, and the aircraft began to move rapidly forward and collided with a hangar before the pilot could intervene. The pilot was uninjured and was able to vacate the aircraft via the normal exit. History of the flight G-RABA was operated by a company specializing in airborne banner towing and aerial advertising.
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The aircraft had been tasked to tow a banner at an event in Tolpuddle. The plan was to fly from Blackpool to Compton Abbas, where the banner would be collected and the aircraft would be refuelled, before continuing to Tolpuddle. The aircraft departed Blackpool with three people on board, all of whom were pilots. Pilots A and B held Private Pilot’s Licences and were the owners of the company which operated the aircraft. Pilot C was a commercial pilot, employed by the company on an ad hoc basis to undertake banner towing. Pilot A acted as Pilot in Command for the flight from Blackpool to Compton Abbas. After landing at Compton Abbas, he taxied the aircraft to the asphalt apron, and shut down the engine prior to refuelling. All three people vacated the aircraft and Pilot A proceeded to refuel it. He then left the apron area, while Pilot B got into the aircraft with the intention of taxiing it to the parking area. Pilot C assisted in manoeuvring the aircraft so that it was facing away from the fuel pump and he was then seen on CCTV to move to the vicinity of the left door of the aircraft. When Pilot B started the engine the aircraft rapidly accelerated forward and collided with a hangar before he could react. Pilot C moved back as the aircraft began to move. A number of witnesses reported hearing the engine go to high power immediately after start. Pilot A, Pilot C and another witness made their way immediately to the aircraft and determined that Pilot B was uninjured, although very shocked. They assisted him in completing the shutdown drills and vacating the aircraft. Both wings were severely damaged in the collision, resulting in fuel spillage. Airfield staff responded to the incident to provide fire cover and the local Fire Service was also called to assist. Discussion Pilot B reported that the technique for a hot start requires the throttle to be set to full power and the mixture set to lean. As the engine fires, the
mixture is advanced and the throttle is closed. He stated that the engine fired up on the first attempt, went immediately to full power and the aircraft accelerated forward, taking him by surprise. The parking brake was off during refuelling but he believed that he had reapplied it prior to starting the engine. Pilot B had previously performed a number of hot starts on this aircraft using the same technique, without any problems. In those cases however, a longer time had elapsed between shutting down and restarting the engine. He considered that the very short time between shut down and restart in this case may have contributed to the engine firing immediately and going to full power before he could close the throttle. Aircraft Type: Scintex CP1310-C3 Super Emeraude No & Type of Engines: 1 Continental Motors Corp O-200-A piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1965 Date & Time (UTC): 25 August 2010 at 1140 hrs Location: Little Snoring Aerodrome, Norfolk Nature of Damage: Left landing gear leg bent, propeller tip broken off, pitot head bent Commander’s Flying Experience: 113 hours (of which 7 were on type) Last 90 days - 9 hours Last 28 days - 6 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot The pilot had just completed his tailwheel differences training on the aircraft, having flown nine dual and three solo flights already that day. He had previously conducted 16 dual takeoffs and landings on the aircraft. He took off and flew one circuit to a full stop landing before he backtracked and took off for a short flight to the north of the airfield. On rejoining the circuit, he made an uneventful approach and touchdown but on the landing rollout, the aircraft drifted left. The
pilot applied right rudder and the aircraft veered sharply to the right. He then applied left rudder and the aircraft veered sharply to the left and departed the grass runway. The aircraft’s left undercarriage collided with the raised edge of a concrete track to the side of the runway, and collapsed under the aircraft. The pilot considered that he may have overcorrected with his rudder inputs and lost directional control during the rollout. Aircraft Type: Streak Shadow No & Type of Engines: 1 Rotax 582 piston engine Year of Manufacture: 1992 Date & Time (UTC): 10 July 2010 at 1729 hrs Location: Wold Lodge Farm Strip, Northamptonshire Nature of Damage: Nosewheel detached, nosecone and fuselage substantially damaged Commander’s Flying Experience: 251 hours (of which 103 were on type) Last 90 days - 7 hours Last 28 days - 3 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot and subsequent enquiries by the AAIB. The aircraft was flying from Sibson Airfield to Northampton Airfield when, approximately 10 nm north-east of the destination and at a height of about 1,500 ft agl, the engine lost power over a period of five seconds. Attempts to restart the engine failed. The prevailing wind was southerly at 15-20 kt, reducing to 10 kt at the surface. The pilot turned the aircraft into wind and made a MAYDAY call. He identified a field and carried out a forced landing. The landing was abrupt and resulted in damage to the nosewheel, nose cone, fuselage and strobe but no injury to the pilot. The pilot cancelled the MAYDAY, turned off the fuel and electrical power and vacated the aircraft. Having exited the aircraft the pilot discovered that he had landed across Wold Lodge Farm Strip. The strip runs east to west and had a standing crop about
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18 inches high on either side. The pilot reported that there was sufficient fuel and oil onboard. The weather conditions presented a moderate risk of carburettor icing using cruise power and a serious risk with descent power. At the time of this report, the cause of the engine failure is unknown. Aircraft Type: Ikarus C42 FB80 No & Type of Engines: 1 Rotax 912-UL piston engine Year of Manufacture: 2005 Date & Time (UTC): 21 September 2010 at 1400 hrs Location: Croft Farm Strip, Defford, Worcestershire Nature of Damage: Significant damage to forward fuselage and right wing Commander’s Flying Experience: 40 hours (of which 40 were on type) Last 90 days - 6 hours Last 28 days - 6 hours Information Source: Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. The student pilot was undertaking a solo flight from Long Marston to Croft Farm. He was landing on Runway 09 with a light and variable crosswind from the south. The aircraft bounced on landing and veered to the left. He elected to go around to avoid a runway edge marker and applied full power. The aircraft struck a hedge a few metres from the runway and came to rest in the adjacent field. The student pilot, who was uninjured, attributed the accident to having insufficient speed for a go-around.
To Advertise with AV8 Magazine CALL GARETH ON 0845 226 0477 February 2011
Sales & Shares Aeronca Chief
AMD CH2000
Super Decathlon
Registration: N9028E, Serial Number: 11AC656CONV, Based at Stockton Metropolitan Airport (KSCK), Stockton, California. Approximate 3,435 hours Airframe Total Time, Actual Total Time Unknown. Recording Tach Time Reads 1274.83 Hours. Continental A75-8; 75 HP STC SA3-435 engine. 994 Hours Since Major Overhaul; 1,800 Hour TBO, Two Exchange Cylinders Installed 11/24/2006. Bendix/King KT76A Transponder and ACK A30 Altitude Encoder. Annual Inspection Due December 2010. Price: $23,300 USD. Phone: (209)983-0117
Built 2002, Complete Garmin Avionics includes 430 with WAAS - Fresh Annual & Pitot Static / Transponder Inspection Included with Sale. Total Time 705.9. Engine - Lycoming O-235N2C. Sensenich 72-CK-0-48 propeller. Avionics pack includes: Garmin GMA 340 Com Nav GPS 1, Gamin GNS 430W Com Nav 2, King KX 155 Transponder, Garmin GTX 327 GS / LOC 1, Garmin GI 106A GS / LOC 2. Price: US $57,500 Located in Virginia. Phone: (434)9640082 or (434)996-1464
Champion 8-KCAB SUPER DECATHLON This 2009 built aircraft is based in Bedford, Massachusetts, and has only 120 hours total time. Aircraft is still under manufacturer’s warranty. Lycoming (180) HP. Garmin 495 GPS, Garmin SL40 Comm, Garmin GTX327 Transponder, PM Engineering 3000 Intercom. Electronics International Multi probe EGT/CHT, Electronics International Outside Air Temp, Strobe Lights Avionics Master Switch, Wing strut fairings, Wheel fairings, Star Burst Paint Scheme, Airwolf Oil Filter Adapter, Front and Rear Hooker Harness. Price: US $147,900. Phone: (781)274-7227 or (781)820-2566
Champion 7-GCBC
Pitts S2-C
Aviat Husky A-1B
AMERICAN CHAMPION 7-GCBC HIGH COUNTRY EXPLORER US $137,950, Built 2009, 55 hours total time. Beautiful, 2009 American Champion High Country Explorer with all of the most popular options. Located in Crested Butte, Colorado. Airplane is in “As New” condition with no damage history of any kind. Aircraft has been continuously stored in a heated hanger with meticulous maintnance including oil changes every 25 hours. If you are interested in saving several thousand dollars over factory new, you will not be dissapointed with this aircraft. NDH, logs all complete and up to date. ACA 7GCBC High Country Explorer, 180 HP with fixed pitch prop. Approved for limited aerobatics, Aileron Spades, Micro Aerodynamics VG Kit. Call Mark McGuire on (832)289-1646 or (970)3491070.
Aircraft based in Brownsburg, Indiana. 595 hours total time. Garmin GNC-250XL GPS/Com, King KT-76C Transponder Altitude Encode, PS Engineering PM1000 Intercom System, Music Input Jack. Hooker Harness Front & Rear, Digital Fuel Quantity Gauge, 6.5 Gallon Smoke System, Lexan Belly Pan, Full Canopy & Open Cockpit Conversion, Polished Propeller Spinner, Aerobatic Sighting Device. Call Mark on: (317)858-6000
AV8 Magazine
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2003 Model, 195 hours, Garmin 530, GTX 327 Transponder, Garmin 340 Audio Panel. Hard-wired for Bose Headsets. Teak Floor, Aft Stowage, Rear Baggage Access Door, Rear Heat, MT Prop, Right Side Landing Lights, Folding Rear Seat, Music Input Jack, Aux Power Accessory Plug. Garmin GMA 340 Audio Panel, Garmin 530 GPS/COM, Garmin GTX 327 Transponder. US $135,000. Call Paul Wright on (936)635-1450 or (936)637-2500. Aircraft located in Texas.
Beech Bonanza
Decathlon 8KCAB
Bellanca 17-30A
1999 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, Best on the market. 1,655TT, NDH, maintained to part 135 standards. 2hr SNEW, TCM IO550B (9/2009), Hartzell prop 0 SPOH (9/2009) annual 9/2009. paint and interior in excellent condition based on age, both original. Factory a/c, leather interior, wired for 6 Bose X headsets, G&D windo inserts, Rosen visors, BDS 15 gallon tip tanks, BDS baffle system 9/2009. Engine replaced new, not overhauled, standby attitude, KFC 225 autopilot, KMA26 audio, Garmin 530 WAAS, KX 155A w/glideslope, King DME, KR87 ADF, BF Goodrich skywatch TCAS, Garmin 69XM Weather, JPI EDM 700 with fuel flow, PS Engineering CD player, standby generator, standby electric Al, standby inst air system. Mint condition. This plane qualifies to be bought in Tx as an occassional buyer/seller exempt from sales tax in Texas. Always hangared. US $350,000. Call Steve Alvis on (281)477-4310.
This Decathlon has been restored to show quality and meticulously maintained. Complete maintenance logs and always hangared. The exceptional red, white and blue exterior is mirrored in the custom interior. Newly installed Hooker Harnesses complete the interior. Lycoming AEIO-320-E1B engine. 2 place intercom, Pilot and Co-pilot Push-totalk buttons, Garmin GNC 250XL GPS/COM, King KA-25 Speaker amp, Narco transponder, ELT. Show Quality Decathlon! US $55,000. Contact David Yeley on (928)445-8320. Aircraft based in Prescott, Arizona.
Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking 1975, S/N 76-30798, N9558E, 2416TT, 596SMOH, Fast, Comfortable, low houers on Prop and engine. Is a real looker on the ramp! Exterior Black, Gray, and White (9), Interior Black and Gray (9). This plane is hangard on PMH (Portsmouth, Ohio). Total 2416, in excellent shape, has clear covering on leading edge of tail. Glass is good.75 Gal total fuel( 30 Gal. each wing, with 15 Gal. Aux. Gear doors. US $69,000. Contact John Kennard on (740)353-2927. Aircraft located in Portsmouth, Ohio.
Cessna 172S
Cessna 172S
Cessna L-19
CESSNA 172S SKYHAWK SP Built in 2006. 750 hours Total Time. Owner Selling, No Damge History, SkyHawk G1000, Fresh Annual 11-25-09. Based in Fort Piece, Florida. US $174,500. Contact Brian Mallonee on (772)464-1991 or (772)519-1927
CESSNA 172S SKYHAWK SP Aircraft located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 720 Hours Total Time. Built 2003. Fresh Annual 11/2009, Great Shape, Hangared, Same Owner Since New, IFR GPS & MFD. Solid instrument platform with IFR GPS and MFD. All King digital and 2 axis autopilot. US $144,900. Contact Steve Lurvey on (575)496-2020
Cessna 150
Cessna 172
Stec 40 A/P, All logs s/new, 4495 Hours TT, New Sheepskin seat covers, Excellent glass (new windshield / rear windows), Nice P&I, NDH. Contact: Edward Therrien on (510)670-4700. Aircraft in California.
1969 CESSNA 172 SKYHAWK For Sale - $34,900, N78158; 7600 TT; 1400 SFRM; IFR; Four Seats; Nice, Clean, Well Maintained, Always Hangared, Long Range Tanks; Michael Gilliam, Phone: (314)5756148
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CESSNA L19 305F BIRD DOG 7,700 Hours Total Time. ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL L-19/O-1’S IN THE WORLD. Military Avionics Utilized For Gold Crown King Boxes Under Rear Seat. Equipped With Both Cruise And Climb Propellers, Rockets, Rare Camera Pod And Many, Many Spare Parts. Complete Civilian Logs. Beautifully done and authentic, in Vietnam era US Army livery, the paint reflects the airplane’s heritage. If you are a serious collector, you should view this aircraft. No expense was spared to make this L-19 one of the very best. US $100,000. Call (843)475-6868. Aircraft in West Virginia.
February 2011
Sales & Shares Cessna 182T
Cirrus SR22 G3
Cirrus SR20 G2
Located in Salinas, California. 360 Hours Total Time. Textron Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A 235 HP engine. McCauley 3-bladed constant speed (Heated) prop with polished stainless steel spinner. Avionics include: Garmin G1000 Intergrated Avionics Suite, KAP140 2 Axis Auto Pilot with Altitude Preselect, GMA1347 Digital Audio Panel With Playback, 4 Place Intercom/ 2 front hardwired for bose Headsets, GTX33 Mode S Transponder with TIS traffic Terrain Shading, Dual GIA63 Nav/Comms, GEU 1040 Primary Flight Display, GDU 1040 Muli-Function Display. Also built in Oxygen/With Control panel, KT-76C Transponder, Tow Bar, Pitot/Engine Inlet Covers, Rosen Sun Visors. US $249,000. Call Robert Gaukel on (831)345-5855 or (831)687-0906.
Cirrus SR22 G3 Turbo GTS Total time: 375 hours. Loaded with Ice Protection, Stormscope, Skywatch, Engine Monitoring, Electronic Charts, Flight Director, Weather Datalink, Built in Oxygen, Composite Hartzell Prop, Platinum Engine, 406 MHz ELT, Tinted Windows, Polished Spinner, and Leading Edge Protectant. Interior: Leather GTS Slate. Aircraft located in Duluth, Minnesota. For sale by manufacturer. US $389,000. Contact: (218)788-3886
Aircraft based in Germany. No damage history, D- registered, Always hangared. Full IFR 2 GNS 430, Autopilot 55 X Emax 5000 Cmax Mode S Transponder, Flight Director, 401 ELT. Leather interior, Airbags. 250 hours Total Time. E-mail: D-ECCD@gmx.de or call Willy Kreienbaum on +491638236100 or +491793959997.
Cessna 172 Share
Dornier Do27-A1
Cessna Mustang
HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT FOR SALE Dornier D27-A1 1958, a rare chance to purchase this historic aircraft. Lycoming Engine with less than 20 hours, Airframe no more than 720 hours. 10gals per hour cruising. New CAA approval to fly. £79,000. Contact Dave Collier - SUNFUN, Owner located Earith, United Kingdom Telephone: 00447837977555 or 00441487843333
Cessna Citation Mustang VLJ, 2010, 20 hours TT, 6 Seats, Garmin G1000 Suite, Synthetic Vision, TAS, Jepp ChartView, Factory paint finished in base Matterhorn White with Concord Blue Metallic & Coral Red Pearl Metallic details. Factory Bronze interior. XM Radio and Audio input for cabin entertainment. $2,875,000. Aircraft in Wilmington, Delaware. Contact Larry Fox on (817)354-0699.
Group shares available in well maintained IFR equipped C172 based at North Weald aerodrome in Essex. easy access from London and right next to M11 Motorway. Excellent availability. £80/month (depends on numbers), £80/hour (wet). Non-equity. For info call Diarmuid on 07970 929936 e-mail: dobrien7@ford.com AV8 Magazine
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Jabiru SK
Condor
Piper L-18C
Jabiru SK for Sale. G-BYBZ Group A, 2 seater, Built 1999. TT 350hrs, AH & DI fitted. Recent Murray Flint paint job. New prop & permit upon sale. Price negotiable or will part exchange for a larger permit a/c. The a/c is at Exeter Airport. Contact John Sparks on 07973148855 Jabiru SK for Sale. G-BYBZ Group A, 2 seater, Built 1999. TT 350hrs, AH & DI fitted. Recent Murray Flint paint job. New prop & permit upon sale. Price negotiable or will part exchange for a larger permit a/c. The a/c is at Exeter Airport. Contact John Sparks on 07973148855
WHITE WALTHAM CONDOR one ninth share £1300 in long established group. Engine recently overhauled, LAA permit, VOR, transponder, good maintenance fund, £45 pcm, good availability. Internet booking system. Call Phil 07836 501357 or David 01494 816450 davidjohntaylor@aol.com
Piper Super Cub L18C. G-AYPT This much admired Cub is unexpectedly for sale. C of A due July 2011, TT 4860, TSO E 480. Continental C-90-14F.Recent recon.starter. With or without annual due June. New Garmin 496 also available with mount. No sensible offer refused. Call Chris deVerenne 07720074444 or deverenne@btinternet.com
Europa Classic
Wanted
Spitfire Mk26
Europa Classic Tri-Gear. Rotax 100hp, Airmaster C/speed prop, TTAF 150, TTE 50. Comm, Transponder mode “C”, Intercom, Skymap. Electric fuel gauge. Nosesprings mod embodied. Weight increase to 1370lbs and all mandatory mods embodied. Permit to mid-June 2010. VGC with brand new road trailer. Price reduced; offers over £30,000. John Richardson. Tel 01398 361259 or cjh.richardson@virgin.net
Wanted: Serviceable crankshaft for Continental C90 or O200. Flanged, solid type preferred. Will arrange regrinding and Nitride treatment if required but asking price should reflect this, please. Crack and run-out testing by our engineers will be required. Call Alan on 01485 601458 or John on 01353 662722 or Email: Baffled@tesco.net
Advertise FREE! To advertise your aircraft here, send the details and a photograph to: info@av8magazine.com or call +44 (0)1353 777519 85
1/6 share(s) in exhilarating Spitfire Mk26, all metal, 2 seater (1+1), 200 HP, constant speed prop, 80% scale replica of this iconic aircraft. First flew in 2006, lovingly cared for and maintained since with 80 hrs total time. Max speed 180 kts, cruise 150 kts, approach 60 kts, stall 42 kts. 35 LPH. Any pilot that can achieve PPL level can fly one of these. Other commitments prompt sale. Option of spare engine. Located Perth airport, Tayside, Scotland. Cost of share: £19,950. Ongoing monthly costs: £75 approx (hangarage, maintenance & insurance). Please, no time wasters. Happy to speak to enthusiasts at shows. Kit background info at www.SupermarineAircraft.com. Contact: Iain Hutchison on 07792599960
February 2011
Sales & Shares Yak - 50
T-67C Firefly
Jabiru 450 UL
Yak 50 FOR SALE with zero timed 360hp engine and two-blade propeller fitted last August at 366 A/F hours. One owner since 1998, always hangared and well looked after. New flexible pipes and U/C ram seals, air bottle test done plus NDT life check. Fitted smoke system, 760ch radio, leather cushions and side panels, ferry tank, sealed batteries, cockpit and prop covers, engine manual, ground air bottle with Yak connectors. Main tyres quite new with little wear. Paint excellent with some unopened tins of each colour. Spares available by negotiation include new U/C ram, air pipes, rear wheel inner tube, special tools, parachute and oil. Can be viewed any time in Hampshire UK, other arrangements are possible. dennishammant@btinternet.com
Slingsby Firefly T67c 1989, 160hp, TTAF 4890. Only 150 hours used on new engine. All King Equipment: Com, Kns 80 DME, ILS Markers, 5 point harness, EASA CofA. till June 2010. One owner operator since new. This aircraft is a delight to fly, is Aerobatic and a good starter or group choice. £35,00000, or would consider a possible part exchange for interesting modern LAA type Aircraft. Tel: 020 8892 8832 / Mob: 07885 283 228 email: johnfohara@hotmail.com
JABIRU 450 UL - G-JUDD Built 2000, Always hangared, Full height rudder, Cockpit roof window, Electric carb heat, One owner, 1,130 Hrs, New heads at 800 hrs, Murray Flint painted, Permit to Sept 09 ( will re-permit for sale ), £19,950. Contact: Clint Judd, 07836 285767. clint@juddallium.com
Robin DR400
Boeing Stearman
Sherwood Ranger
Boeing Stearman, 1944, 17,525 Hours TT. This is one of the Red Baron Stearmans! Rebuilt In 2001. Standard 2 place with Basic instrumentation, (rear cockpit only). Airspeed and Altimeter only in front cockpit. Covered in ceconite. Pratt and Whitney R985AN-1 40.3 hours SMOH. Serv-Aero engine Cowling, Serv-Aero 4 aileron system, Cleveland brakes, fuselage turledeck, 12 gal smoke system, All equipment properly documented. Aircraft in Salina, Kansas. Contact Ray Farmer on (785)452-1119.
SHERWOOD RANGER - Rotax 582-99, 160hrs Airframe & Engine, Permit to April 2010, Quick Wing-Fold, Four Aileron Agility, Part Oratex Covered, Always Hangared, Pure Open Cockpit Biplane Delight! £12K Or Near Offer. Helmet, Headset, GPS, Test Gear, Etc. Call Phil on 02380 585352 or E-mail: philccbw@hotmail.co.uk
Robin DR400 180 Regent for sale in very good condition and with the wings recovered and repainted after wing spar AD. Engine and frame 1,980 hours however at 1,000 the top end was reconditioned as per AD on engines. Full IFR instrumentation with dual radio and nav boxs, Garmin 196 and four place intercom. Based at Sywell. Phone 0794 6600451 and speak to Andy for more info. Alternatively send for details to: Aosbanbury@btinternet.com
AV8 Magazine
86
PA-28 R-180 Arrow
TTAF 3260, Engine 1095, Propeller 316 Hours SMOH. Public Transport C of A. Fully airways equipped including Garmin GNS4340 coupled to HIS, RMI, ADF, Narco 122 Nav, AT150 Transponder, Piper Auto Control 111, Narco Com 810. Leather Seats. Hangered at Ludham Norfolk. £47,500 no VAT. Contact A.P. Walsh 01493 369690 Mobile 07787 554380 or apwhome@musicbank.co.uk
Rutan LONG-EZ
Luscombe Share
RUTAN LONG-EZ. TTAF 762 Lycoming 0-290-G SMOH 75. Cruise 130 Kts IAS @ 22 lph. Comfortable, docile and delightful to fly. Permit to May 09. Wings Leveller, GPS, Autopilot, King Radio and Transponder. New Hertzler prop, covers & undercarriage components. A great going places aeroplane. Move from airfield forces sale. If interested, ask for Information Brief. Further details on www.cygnusuniversal.co.uk/Long-EZ. £26,500 ono. 01799 522381 / 07889 240159 tony.oliver_cul@btinternetcom
Quarter share for sale in Luscombe 8a Silvaire, GBRSW. The aircraft is very responsive and does what it says on the tin. This very friendly group is known as ‘Bloody Mary Aviation’ Please check engine hours and Permit to fly on the CAA website for accurate details. Engine: Continental A75-8j. Maintained in very good flying order, Built in 1946. £3,500. Share price. £70 per month to cover hangerage, insurance and permit costs. £30 per hour wet to cover fuel and a small amount for servicing. Please contact John Bartram on 01733 578028 evenings or M 07787128787 any time.
Vans RV8
VANS RV8-2004. TTAF240hrs TTE 240hrs 180hp 0-360A.4A Lycoming Engine fitted with an MT-18-B 3 Blade C/S Prop. Full instrument panel inc Becker Comms & Transponder + Bendix/King Skymap IIIc GPS. A New Permit will be included . This is a very fine aircraft with outstanding performance- RofC 2400fmp. Cruise @ 200mph. Very reluctant sale @ £65,000 ono. Tel:01787476831. E-Mail: aviatorrv8@btinternet.com
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February 2011
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