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August 2020
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CESSNA 172: 65 YEARS OLD OVER 45,000 BUILT MILLIONS OF HOURS FLOWN AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE…
A SUMMER OF (FLYING) LOVE OUR IDEAS, TO INSPIRE YOURS…
DISPLAYING IN INDIA GLOBAL STARS TEAM TRIP
Editorial
FLYER Club Telephone +44 (0)1225 481440 Email subscriptions@seager.aero Website www.subscriptions.flyer.co.uk
Ed Hicks
Editorial
World favourite…
Telephone +44 (0)1225 481440 Email editor@seager.aero Website www.flyer.co.uk Seager Publishing, PO Box 4261, Melksham, SN12 9BN
G
EDITOR Ed Hicks ed.hicks@seager.aero
iven its sheer ubiquity, it’s easy to overlook the Cessna 172 and not recognise the impact which that particular aeroplane has had on the lives of thousands of pilots. As the most produced aircraft ever, with more than 45,000 built and sold, it’s probably fair to say that a large percentage of the world’s pilot population have found themselves in the cockpit of a Cessna 172 during their flying life. I know I have. I’ve flown a couple of hours in a 1975 172M, as well as ridden in a fair few over the years using them for air-to-air photo shoots. It’s not an aeroplane that I’d really ever imagine being in the market for, but I have to admit to looking at some of the older models while scanning the classifieds, and being surprised at the great value for money that some of the very early models offer when it comes to four seats and utility. That, combined with the remark from the owner of the very first C172 in this issue’s fascinating article by Ken Scott, about it having a smaller instrument panel than later models that gave a much better view from the cockpit, made me think that perhaps the famous pilot quote, “never fly the A-model of an aeroplane”, might be a little unfair. It’s worth remembering that often, buying ‘newer’ isn’t necessarily always ‘better’, so don’t ignore the benefits early examples of a particular type might bring. They’re often lighter, too… Putting together our Summer of (Flying) Love feature was a great deal of fun, and I hope lots of you have some exciting plans for your flying summer. If you’re just getting back into the swing of things and are looking for some inspiration, then I’m pretty sure you’ll get an idea or two from the article… A while back my own flying got sidelined to make way for regular life. It wasn’t that troublesome at the time, and as the weather was so poor during the winter of 2019, I didn’t really feel that there was much flying I was missing out on! Then 2020 rolled in, along with my great plans to get a revalidation done – and just as I had more free time, things started becoming restrictive in March. That didn’t stop me from adding a new aeroplane into the mix though! As you’ll read later, that’s waiting for me to get my hands on, once I’m back in the air.
NEWS EDITOR Dave Calderwood dave.calderwood@seager.aero PRODUCTION EDITOR Lizi Brown lizi.brown@seager.aero ART EDITOR Ollie Alderton ollie.alderton@seager.aero CONTRIBUTORS Mark Hales, Ed Bellamy, Yayeri van Baarsen Steve Carver, Matt Dearden, Stu Blanchard Mark Flynn, Peter Steele, Rachel Ramsay Steve Slater, Jonny Salmon, Tim Dews, Paul Kiddell FLIGHT SAFETY EDITOR Steve Ayres steve.ayres@seager.aero PUBLISHER & MANAGING DIRECTOR Ian Seager ics@seager.aero PRODUCTION MANAGER Nick Powell nick.powell@seager.aero SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Kirstie May kirstie.may@seager.aero ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Zoe Yeo zoe.yeo@seager.aero EXHIBITION MANAGERS Darran Ward darran.ward@seager.aero Paul Yates paul.yates@seager.aero MARKETING COORDINATOR Joanna Woronowicz joanna.woronowicz@seager.aero EXHIBITION & EVENTS MANAGER Aimee Janes aimee.janes@seager.aero ACCOUNTS MANAGER Stuart Dobson stuart.dobson@seager.aero
ed.hicks@seager.aero
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR Martine Teissier martine.teissier@seager.aero
Left Time to scratch the single-seat itch… a Van’s RV-3B awaits
CIRCULATION World-wide, free to download digital edition from flyer.co.uk
© Seager Publishing 2020
Mark Mitchell
At FLYER we aim to produce the best possible magazine for our readers. All correspondence is welcome and will be read, but we can’t guarantee a written reply. We welcome contributions from readers, and guidelines are available from us. We take great care to ensure what we publish is accurate, but cannot accept any responsibility for any misprints or mistakes. Our reviews examine what we believe to be a product’s most important points, but readers are advised to check a product suits their needs before purchasing. No part of this publication may be produced in any form without permission.
August 2020 | FLYER | 3
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Contents August 2020
Features 18 I Get Paid for This… Cyndhi Berwyn
Orbis volunteer pilot Cyndhi Berwyn flies the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital
26 Restoration The first Cessna 172
More than 45,000 of the world’s most produced aircraft were built, yet the original still exists today… Ken Scott finds out more
36 My First Solo Matthew Monaghan
Matthew Monaghan didn’t let muscular dystrophy get in the way of his flying dreams
38 Special feature Summer of (Flying) Love
As restrictions lift, friends of FLYER and the team share plans for some summer flying… maybe you’ll be inspired?
48 Accident Analysis Max’d out…
FLYER’s new Flight Safety Editor Steve Ayres looks at two accidents that stretched the mental capacity of two different pilots
62 Flying Adventure Passage to India
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Steve Carver and his team mates at Global Stars were on a mission to display at Wings India 2020…
Cessna 172
26
72 Top Gear Flight filming on a budget
Peter Steele looks at the cameras, audio and editing available to create budget flying videos
Regulars 3 Editorial 6 News 16 Pilot Careers 21 Matt Dearden
23 25 50 74
Mark Hales Ian Seager Accident Reports By Association
SIX Free Landings!
36
38
62
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n Tatenhill n Wadswick n West Tisted PLUS Win a print or digital Pooleys UK Flight Guide July 2016 | FLYER | 5
Take-off
Aviation news from around the world – for the latest visit www.flyer.co.uk
World’s first certified electric aircraft is Pipistrel’s Velis Electro Above This is it - the world’s first and only type certified electric aircraft, the Pipistrel Velis Electro Inset right Panel looks normal with a display to show battery state Inset below Pipistrel founder Ivo Boscarol charging the Velis Electro
6 | FLYER | August 2020
The world’s first electric aeroplane to receive type certification to an international standard is the Pipistrel Velis Electro. Slovenian company Pipistrel and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced in early June that the Velis Electro now has a typecertified propulsion system as well as an airframe. The aircraft can now be used for flight training and other commercial and private uses throughout Europe. Pipistrel and EASA have worked closely together to not only certify the aircraft but also create airworthiness standards for electric aircraft. Ivo Boscarol, CEO and founder of
Pipistrel Aircraft said, “The type certification of the Pipistrel Velis Electro is the first step towards the commercial use of electric aircraft, which is needed to make emissionfree aviation feasible. It is considerably quieter than other aeroplanes and produces no combustion gases at all.” The Velis Electro has a cockpit and panel with the same look and feel of conventionally powered aircraft. The reduced number of moving parts in an electric propulsion system decreases maintenance costs, and the risk of malfunctions is further minimised thanks to its built-in continuous healthmonitoring system. Dominique
Roland, Head of the General Aviation Department at EASA, said, “For EASA, the typecertification of this aircraft marks a significant dual milestone. On 18 May 2020 we type-certified its engine as the first electric engine – now we have followed up with the first type-certification of an aeroplane flying that engine. “This was a truly groundbreaking project which has yielded many learnings for the future certification of electric engines and aircraft, undoubtedly a growth area in coming years.” Pipistrel will deliver the first 31 Velis Electro to customers in seven countries sometime soon in 2020. AlpinAirPlanes is the launch customer for the Velis Electro with an order for 12 aircraft, which will be spread over 10 Swiss airfields. Each base will be equipped with 150 sq metres of photovoltaic panels, producing electricity for 12,000 flight hours per year.”
Take-off
Above Prince Charles launches green project
Above Bicester Aerodrome Inset Old and new cars, and aeroplanes
UK govt establishes Jet Zero Council
Bicester Aerodrome Company to manage historic airfield The Bicester Aerodrome Company has taken over management and operations at the Oxfordshire airfield. The company replaces Bicester Gliding Club – formerly Windrushers – which has moved out after failing to agree an ongoing deal. The former RAF airfield, one of England’s oldest and best preserved, is being developed by Bicester Motion, itself a development of Bicester Heritage, which created a classic car industry hub in the restored ex-RAF buildings. “Our intention is to ensure a viable, dynamic and accessible future for our historic airfield,” said Dan Geoghegan, managing director of Bicester Motion. “We will maintain glider and powered flight whilst aligning with Bicester Motion’s vision to sustain the operation of past, present and future aviation technology.” Bicester Motion insists the gliding club could have stayed. “The club took an ‘all or nothing’ approach which was sad given the history of the site,” said Bicester Motion in a statement. “We suggested a flexible approach to allow them to remain at the airfield and build a sustainable business model.
“We are committed to maintaining flying at Bicester Motion and look forward to welcoming gliders and powered aircraft to the skies from today, now that The Bicester Aerodrome Company is in charge of air operations.” Bicester Heritage has transformed more than 50 historic buildings on the site, creating a centre of excellence for classic motoring with technical services, car restoration and supplies. It is also the new home of Motorsport UK, the governing body of motor sport in the UK. The airfield dates back to 1916 when it was known as RFC Bicester, then became RAF Bicester. It is the best maintained WWII bomber airfield of its kind in the UK. “The aerodrome is a crucial component of the larger project that is Bicester Motion, a tourism destination that celebrates the innovation, culture, and technology surrounding mobility,” continued Geoghegan. www.bicesteraero.com
The UK is to have a Jet Zero Council to drive forward the decarbonisation of aviation. Transport Sec Grant Shapps announced the initiative in June. Shapps said, “The challenge is to make transport, currently our biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, part of the solution, not the problem. Take the aviation sector, which has had an impossible few months, yet, despite the challenges, there’s a real determination within the industry to have a greener restart. “So we’re bringing together leaders from aviation, environmental groups and government to form the Jet Zero Council. This group will be charged with making net zero emissions possible for future flights. “Our goal – within a generation – will be to demonstrate flight across the Atlantic, without harming the environment.” Shapps went on to confirm additional funding for UK company Velocys which is building a plant for aviation biofuels in Lincs. He also commended a Cambridge University and Whittle Labs project, the National Centre for Propulsion and Power launched by Prince Charles last January, which is seeking to accelerate technologies for zero carbon flight. The Centre, which is due to open in 2022, will bring together researchers from across UK universities with industry partners such as Rolls-Royce, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Siemens and Dyson to accelerate the development of low-carbon technologies for the propulsion and power sectors. l Switzerland’s Electrifly-in is still scheduled to take place on 12-13 September at Grenchen. It’s a fly-in for electric or hybrid aircraft plus a symposium. https://bit.ly/Electrifly
Finding Nebo
What an Aura!
A new company called Neboair has
Aura Aero, a Toulouse-based
been set up in the UK to operate the
startup, gave its carbon-fibre
Pipistrel Velis Electro as an air taxi,
Integral R two-seat aerobatic
making short pre-planned hops
aircraft its first public flight on 1
from London to the Midlands,
July. The aircraft had earlier
working with the UK agent, Fly
had its maiden technical flight
About Aviation at Damyns Hall.
on 22 June.
www.neboair.co.uk
https://bit.ly/FLYERaura
August 2020 | FLYER | 7
Take-off
Nosewheel Cub? CubCrafters say yes Fixed-wing aircraft like this Tecnam P92 MK2 or helicopters like this Dynali (inset) might appear in the UK, thanks to new 600kg microlight weight limit change
CAA confirms UK to accept new 600kg microlight weight limit The UK CAA has confirmed that new designs of aeroplanes and helicopters weighing between 450kg and 600kg will move from panEuropean certification, under the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), to national CAA regulations. Several other EU states have also chosen this option. The change aims to introduce greater flexibility for certifying sub-600kg aeroplanes and helicopters. Rachel Gardner-Poole, Head of the CAA General Aviation Unit, said, “We believe the change to national oversight will mean many more modern, light, two-seat, single-engine piston aeroplanes will be available, modernising, refreshing and enlarging the fleet to the benefit of UK pilots, operators and businesses. “We will now work with the UK’s GA associations to bring the change into effect as soon as possible.” The CAA has opted to class these aircraft as microlights, rather than light sport aircraft. The microlight option was strongly supported by the consultation responses. The consultation also included the option to move selected sailplanes to national regulation. The CAA has said this option will not be taken forward.
A nosewheel Cub? Sounds like sacrilege to take a classic, revered tailwheel aircraft such as a Cub and alter the landing gear to the modern standard. But that’s exactly what CubCrafters has done. The US Cub replica builder hasn’t taken this step lightly. It spent a year consulting but now CubCrafters has decided to certify and offer a nosewheel option for its flagship certified aircraft, the CC-19 XCub. “Putting a nosewheel on a modern Cub type aircraft certainly surprised some people, but the overwhelming public response has been positive, said CubCrafters’ Brad Damm. “A nosewheel equipped XCub is a very easy airplane to fly that takes off shorter, lands shorter and cruises faster than the tailwheel version. Once a pilot is in the aircraft and experiences it, the advantages are obvious.” The CubCrafters NXCub has a trailinglink nosewheel assembly and large tundra tyres as an option for the mains. It will be capable of handling primitive landing strips and most off-airport type operations. Landing loads on the nosewheel are transmitted to the airframe by a heavy duty truss and the entire nosewheel assembly itself is a bolt-on option that can be removed should the owner want to convert the aircraft to tailwheel. www.cubcrafters.com https://youtu.be/QSM2HYFRVTo
Swiss (bank)rolls
Russians go RED
Swiss company H55 is being funded
RED Aircraft has a launch
by its local authority, Canton de
customer for its 500hp V12
Valais, to put its electric propulsion
turbodiesel engine. Russian
system into production and start
manufacturer PRO-Avia will
shipping by early 2022. Bristell’s
use the engine to power a
Energic will be the launch customer
9-14 seat multi-purpose twin.
with a prototype already flying.
RED also seeks STC partners.
www.h55.ch
www.red-aircraft.com
8 | FLYER | August 2020
Take-off
Three of the best for 2020 Dawn to Dusk Challenge The annual Pooley’s Dawn to Dusk Challenge flying competition is always a popular event and it’s now in its 57th year, despite COVID-19. Simply put, the objective is ‘to encourage the most interesting employment of a Flying Machine within the limits of competent airmanship and to demonstrate the capabilities of pilot and machine in a day’s flying, in the hours between Dawn and Dusk, whilst undertaking an original and praiseworthy objective’. FLYER has heard about three entries for this year’s Challenge which are raising funds for NHS related causes. They are: Fiona and Angus Macaskill who are fund-raising for The Air Ambulance Service and attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for the ‘Most airfields visited in 12 hours by fixed-wing aircraft’. “We are planning to land at over 60 airfields between Birmingham and East Anglia in 12 hours,” said Fiona. “Although it’s only going to be 12 hours of flying, it’s taking many weeks to prepare as there have are over 100 airfields to contact by phone and email. “It’s been tremendous fun and every single airfield has agreed to waive their landing fee to support The Air Ambulance. Although I have got a PPR for 100 airfields, I’ll be happy if we manage 50. Anything over that will be a bonus. “All we need now is some good weather. We have put in a couple of provisional dates, 7 and 14 July, starting and finishing at Sywell.” https://bit.ly/2BYBA6K
Main The route that Fiona and Angus Macaskill (top right) hope to follow Right middle Finding circuits that Sir Stirling Moss raced at is the task for Chris Bullock and Lee Wilson Below right Just one of the follies that Nic Orchard will be searching for on her challenge
A Stirling challenge Pilots Chris Bullock and Lee Wilson, who are based at Peterborough Sibson, are raising funds for the NHS Charities Together. “We thought that doing something in honour of the late, great Sir Stirling Moss would be fitting given the sporting challenge aspect to the Dawn to Dusk event,” said Chris. “A serious challenge, and at the same time raise money, would be to overfly famous racing circuits in England and Wales (15 tracks over 840nm), taking aerial shots as we go and all in a day! “As well as main sponsorship via our Justgiving page, we’re going to take aerial photos of the circuits along the way. Then, we will frame and auction them after the event as a collector’s set to raise further funds. https://bit.ly/3eXeCeU Nic’s Aeronca feat LAA member Nic Orchard has already completed her Dawn to Dusk Challenge, which involved nine hours of flying in her 1946 Aeronca Champ. The subject: Searching for Follies. Her flight has already raised more than £1,000 for the very worthwhile and local to Nic’s Kent base charity, The Martha Trust, which cares for people with profound disabilities. Smaller charities like this have suffered more than many during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://bit.ly/3dTNOeg www.pooleys.com/dawn-to-dusk
Wingly goes Pro
PPL exams online
Flight cost-sharing website Wingly
Online exams for PPL theoretical
is expanding to offer a ‘Pro’
knowledge will start later this year with
service for paid charter flights.
a three-month trial at 20 schools. The
Wingly will be validating all parties
CAA is encouraging flying schools to
to ensure the barriers of private
direct PPL students exams to first
and commercial operations are not
register for an account on the CAA
crossed.
portal.
www.wingly.io
https://bit.ly/CAApplexams
10 | FLYER | August 2020
Take-off BWPA announces winners of 2020 scholarships
Govt lifts lockdown on flight training and travel Flying is gradually returning to the new normal as the Government lifts many of the lockdown restrictions. Flight training restarted from 4 July and travel between certain European countries deemed as ‘lower risk’ is now allowed – for all modes of transport, the Department for Transport has confirmed to FLYER. Flight training including dual instruction was allowed to restart from 4 July. General Aviation businesses will be able to open and operate while observing guidelines. “The question of whether any organisation should open (or reopen) is a business decision for the individual organisation,” said the government announcement. “Aerodrome operators, training organisations and other GA businesses are best placed to decide whether opening is in their best interest, either from a commercial or health and safety standpoint.” Self-isolation for 14 days – quarantine – will not be necessary if travelling from certain destinations. Countries in this list include France, Germany, Italy and Spain, but not the USA or Portugal. This only applies if travelling direct from the lower risk destination. If you travel through a non-exempt state, then your 14-day quarantine starts from the date of travel. At the moment this only applies to England – “passengers returning to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should ensure they follow the laws and guidance which applies there,” said the government statement. However, it’s still up to individuals to check whether a quarantine period exists in the country they want to travel to. This can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel Advice website. www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
The British Women Pilots’ Association (BWPA) has announced the winners of its aviation scholarships. They are: Maleha Khan, Daisy Bing, Hannah Nobbs, Laura Mayer, Lucy Wootton, Laura Fice (top right), Emma Wooledge, Fiona Smith, Steph Smith, Alison Field (top left) and Pernia Zeb. The scholarships were provided by BWPA, CATS Aviation, Bristol Groundschool, Easy PPL and Wings Alliance. The BWPA offers scholarships every year to support women in the UK in achieving their flying ambitions. BWPA Chairwoman Sharon Nicholson said, “Only 5-6% of professional pilots in the UK and worldwide are women and the percentages in general aviation are similar. Much of this is due to lack of information and opportunity. “The winners are all extremely impressive individuals who are already giving a great deal to aviation, including encouraging other women to consider flying as a hobby or career. We hope these scholarships will support them in achieving their ambitions and continuing to inspire others.” Over 100 women from across the UK applied for the scholarships. A panel of judges then determined which of the candidates showed the most promise for their future flying. Laura Fice, winner of a Bristol Ground School course said, “The scholarship is a vote of confidence in me – it is fantastic to have that support from the BWPA. Everything is now in place to make this the right time for me to move my career forward. To have someone invest in me is such a great support.”
#SaveBrunty
Old Warden opens
A campaign #SaveBrunty has been
Old Warden Airfield is now open to
launched to save a large number of
visiting aircraft with PPR is essential. The
historic aircraft cared for by
Shuttleworth Collection based at the
preservation groups based at
Bedfordshire airfield is staging a
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in
Drive-In Airshow on 18 July, laid out to
Leicestershire. The aerodrome has
meet the requirements of COVID-19
been sold to store cars.
social distancing.
https://bit.ly/SaveBrunty
www.shuttleworth.org
12 | FLYER | August 2020
Instant Expert
Flying microlights on a PPL or LAPL
Ed Bellamy looks at a recent change that brings new benefits…
I
n last month’s news you’ll have read about a development that allows hours flown in microlights to count towards revalidation by experience on a Single Engine Piston (SEP) rating attached to an EASA licence. The equivalent ‘rolling validity’ requirements for the LAPL(A) are also included. The change comes years after the suggestion was first made, with organisations such as Europe Air Sports keeping the pressure up at EASA to ensure progress. At the time of writing there are still discussions around the margins of the subject, but the following reflects the situation as of mid-June. The change has been achieved by EASA publishing additional ‘acceptable means of compliance’ (AMC) to the Aircrew Regulation requirements for revalidation. It is not the most legally robust approach, but with national authorities historically taking differing views on the credit for hours flown in non-EASA aircraft within the EASA licensing system, this new AMC is an attempt to set out a common interpretation. Prior to this the UK CAA position had been that hours flown in equivalent non-EASA SEPs such as vintage, ex-military or amateurbuilt aeroplanes could count in the EASA system, but not those gained in lighter non-EASA aircraft that fell into the UK microlight category. The main beneficiaries of the change will be PPL or LAPL holders who might want to do a bit of microlight flying, perhaps due to cost or just to try something different. Hours gained while doing so will now count towards maintaining the privilege to fly larger aeroplanes in the SEP category. The follow-on question is whether hours flown in microlights could count towards the issue of EASA licences or ratings? The understanding at the time of writing is ‘no’ – the change only relates to revalidation by experience for the SEP or rolling validity in the case of the LAPL. The other caveat is that the one-hour flight time with an instructor needed for revalidation cannot be in a microlight – it must be in a heavier aeroplane, albeit that it can still be a relevant non-EASA one.
Existing requirements
So how does this new AMC fit into existing requirements for flying microlights on a PPL(A) or LAPL(A)? References to ‘PPL(A)’ in this context includes higher licences such as CPL or ATPL on which an SEP rating is held. With the existing UK microlight definition for two-seat aircraft, we are talking about machines up to 450kg mtow. A UK (rather than EASA) PPL(A) holder with SEP rating has been able to use three-axis control microlight time towards revalidation since August 2016, so the new AMC broadly brings the EASA licences into line. However, prior to flying a microlight as PIC, a UK or EASA PPL(A) with SEP rating, or LAPL(A) holder, must undertake microlight ‘differences training’ with an instructor – so to take full advantage of the new AMC, this training must be signed off first. There is no requirement to have a ‘microlight class rating’ on the licence, this is a pre-EASA concept that is no longer used for the PPL. There are also more detailed training requirements for going between different microlight control systems. For the NPPL(A), the AMC is not relevant as it only affects EASA 14 | FLYER | August 2020
“The main beneficiaries of the change will be PPL or LAPL holders who might want to do a bit of microlight flying” licences. The NPPL also has its own self-contained system of revalidation for the different ratings that can be attached to it. For holders with a ‘Simple Single Engine Aircraft’ (SSEA) rating, a ‘microlight rating’ must be added to fly microlights. However once both ratings are held, they can be kept current by doing at least one hour in each as part of the total 12 needed for revalidation. The new EASA AMC obviously has limitations in terms of scope, but it is likely just another step on the journey towards deciding what the regulatory lines around microlights should be. Over the years the subject has become a rather messy intersection of the distinction between a microlight and a heavier aeroplane, the line between EASA and non-EASA aircraft and the requirements for revalidating ratings by experience. It is worth reflecting on the fact that the PPL(A) with SEP rating, the LAPL(A) and the NPPL(A) now all have slightly different requirements for maintaining the privilege to fly, what are often, similar aircraft. Microlights themselves have come a long way since formal regulation was introduced in the early 1980s, and with the recent announcement that the UK microlight definition is to rise to 600kg mtow, the diversity of the sector is likely to increase. Decisions have not yet been taken about how the change will affect licensing, but there may be scope for streamlining. For example, it may be that the microlight line, based on weight, is no longer the way to go for licensing. In the FAA system ‘weight shift control’ is a separate rating, but within the normal aeroplane, single engine (land) rating there is no distinction based on weight. A personal thought is that while the EASA AMC is welcome within the current rule set, it is only beneficial due to the presence of revalidation by experience requirements in the first place, and the current distinctions drawn for licensing purposes that separate microlights primarily on weight. While thinking of dusting off my FAA licence recently, I reflected on the fact that the only requirement before using any of the ratings attached to it was to have ‘accomplished a flight review given in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated by an authorised instructor…’
Pilot Careers www.pilotcareernews.com The definitive source for pilot training, career and industry news
In Brief London City Airport (LCY) restarted flight operations at the end of June. The airport has been closed since the start of the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown. The first flight at LCY was BA3287 to the Isle of Man. www.londoncityairport.com
Pilots who have been made redundant can seek help to find the funding to revalidate their licences and claim back the costs, using a government appointed preferred provider, such as Aviation Insider. www.aviationinsider.co.uk
If you’re serious about a career as a professional pilot but are put off by the fees charged for assessment, then Skyborne Airline Academy’s new ‘Flying Start’ could be the answer. Prospective cadet pilots will be able to complete Skyborne’s online psychometric and aptitude tests, and video interview, for free, saving £250. www.skyborne.com Bristol Ground School (BGS) has started holding Austro Control ATPL, the first Approved Training Organisation in the UK to do so. The exams follow a rigorous risk assessment and the introduction of a range of social distancing measures to its facilities. www.bristol.gs L3Harris Airline Academy has launched two new training courses. They are an ATPL Modular course with modules designed to be stand-alone training courses giving the option to take breaks, and a new, less expensive integrated ATPL course called Essentials. https://bit.ly/2NMu95m
16 | FLYER | August 2020
Airline flying starts to recover It’s been a grim few months for the airline industry – and for pilots. Even as FLYER goes to press Ryanair is talking about losing 3,500 jobs and imposing a 20% pay cut. easyJet has talked about a 30% cut in the number of jobs and is closing its operations at several airports. Airbus, Europe’s airliner manufacturer, is taking drastic measures to stem its huge cash losses, including cutting up to 15,000 jobs. All this is having a dramatic effect on pilot jobs and pilot training, of course. It’s tough enough that would-be professional pilots have to find upwards of £60,000 to fund training for the required professional qualification. Add to that the uncertainty of finding a job at the end of the training, and it’s a mess.
So what will change all this – and are there any signs of recovery yet? The good news – and it is early days – is that worldwide commercial aviation is starting to pick up. Admittedly, that’s from a very low base. Worldwide flights are down 66% as measured on 28 June, according to flight statistics company FlightAware. However, as the graph compiled by FlightAware shows, the number of commercial flights worldwide is on the up and we’ve come a long way since the dark days of late April – double the flights, in fact, by the end of June. There is good news also coming out of the two biggest UK employers of newly graduated pilots: easyJet and Ryanair. easyJet says flights will initially resume from 15 June, including from London Gatwick, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Belfast in the UK.
Top The new normal for commercial air transport is going to involve plenty of this, both in the cabin, and on the flight deck Above FlightAware’s most recent chart of airline activity. The blue line is 2020 - beginning to recover
The airline will be flying 50% of its route network during July, rising to 75% in August. Obviously, the airline is limited by quarantine rules imposed by various countries and whether the so-called ‘Air Bridges’ can be put in place. Air Bridges are agreements between countries not to impose quarantine on visitors travelling between them. Backing up easyJet’s return is a summer sale of tickets to key holiday destinations across Europe – and ‘superhero’ face mask covers for children. Ryanair says it will resume flights from 1 July with about 40% of its network in operation but has yet to resolve the pay
cuts issue with pilot unions. All airlines are having to put extra measures in place to help ensure the safety and well-being of all customers and crew onboard. These include enhanced aircraft disinfection, plus customers, cabin and ground crew will be required to wear masks. High efficiency air filters have been fitted to cabin air conditioning which removes particles and recycles the air flow every three to four minutes. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is confident airline travel will recover. CEO Alexandre de Juniac pointed out, “Flying is freedom, and travel is freedom. That is not something people forget or lose their desire for. It will take time for the market to return. But when it does, the long-term prospects are solid because we fulfill the fundamental human needs for connection and mobility.”
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Pilot Careers
I Get Paid for This…
Cyndhi Berwyn How did you get into flying? When I was really young, I used to dream I could fly like a bird. I started in sailplanes as a teenager and paid my way through college by teaching flying. When the US Air Force opened their doors to female pilots, I joined. Tell us about your job? Next to being a B-777 Captain for FedEx Express, during my holidays and time off I fly the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, which is an MD-10-30 (a converted DC-10). The aircraft flies around 20 trips a year, staying a couple of weeks on the ground for each programme, and the pilots catch Flying CV up with it. Assignments are known a year in Next to her day job as a 777 advance as there’s a lot of flight planning and prep Captain, Cyndhi Berwyn is one of work involved. Unlike airline pilots who follow set a team of volunteer pilots who fly the routes, we go to new places every time. I’ve flown Orbis Flying Eye Hospital with the aim to Ethiopia, Zambia, Cameroon, Chile, Peru, of helping to tackle avoidable blindness Panama, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mongolia. and improve eye care around the world. Started: Springtime 2012 Being unfamiliar with the airport and terrain, Now flying: MD-10-30 plus having to find your way around mountains Favourite: “I like them all! Right now, I’m and taxiways makes each flight very exciting. happy with the B-777 I fly for work.” Flying the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is no Hours at job start: Approx. 10,000 Hours now: Approx. 15,500 different from flying any other large aeroplane, but we treat it like gold as it truly is a ‘one of a kind’ aircraft. It’s self-sustaining and fully outfitted as a teaching hospital, with a large conference room, simulator What’s been your favourite flight? room, operating room, recovery room and a full broadcasting station. That’s like asking who my favourite child is! I can’t pick one. One of the Although it’s a flying hospital, they don’t operate in flight as eye surgery is many flights I really enjoyed was flying an MD-11 FedEx support too delicate. In fact, the hospital area is sealed off during flight. The aeroplane full of supplies into Kathmandu following the Nepal aircraft is a platform to transport the hospital to regions which are heavily earthquake in 2015. I like challenges, and with Kathmandu Airport affected by blindness, such as Africa, Asia and South America. There, being located in a valley that’s surrounded by high mountains, this flight surgery is done in the aircraft, and our medical staff go into local hospitals was a challenge on a different level. to teach their skills and train local doctors how to apply techniques. What I love most about my job is that we’re truly making a difference. And your favourite airfield? We are working hard to prevent treatable blindness – Orbis is an NGO Singapore is a beautiful airport. I also love Hawaii, which feels like home with a high impact on humanity. I’m just the pilot, but after delivering the as I learned to fly there, and Sydney because the people are so friendly aircraft I like to stay for a few days and help out with the programme as and it’s a great destination – fun hikes and good food. it’s such an uplifting experience. I’ve found my passion in aviation, and I’m so glad I get to fly for a living as well as when volunteering. Do you get to fly much outside of work? I haven’t really had the time as I’m quite busy, but I’d love to get back into What training did you have? GA again. Most of my friends are involved in flying and in the past I’ve After college, I was accepted as one of the first few women in the flown everything from sailplanes to seaplanes and from helicopters to hot USAF where I flew and instructed in the T-37, T-38 and KC-10. In air balloons. All these aircraft are great, but taking a little Piper Cub up 1986 I joined FedEx where I flew the B727, DC-10, A300, MD-10/11 for a spin is also really neat! and B777. Volunteer pilots for the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital are all What’s the most valuable career advice you’ve had? experienced MD-10 pilots who were initially trained while flying You’re only as good as your last flight. Therefore, don’t get lazy, always be MD-10s for FedEx, which donated the aircraft to Orbis and developed prepared, give it your best every single time and make sure you’re ready the conversion of the MD-10 from the DC-10. While Orbis pilots each for the unexpected. have over 3,000 hours in this type of aircraft, they maintain their l To learn more about the work of Orbis or to make a donation, visit annual currency with simulator check rides. www.orbis.org
“I love that we are truly making a difference”
18 | FLYER | August 2020
Photos: Orbis/Geoff Oliver Bugbee
Outside of her day job flying for FedEx, Orbis volunteer pilot Cyndhi Berwyn flies the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital Interview by Yayeri van Baarsen
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Column
On Approach
Matt Dearden
W
Goodbye Cat…
hile plenty of pilots have been lucky enough to get back to some GA flying, for many of us that’s not been an option. However, the lockdown has given most of us time to reflect on our flying – and perhaps our lives in general. I’ve done all the usual things for the aircraft that I fly, such as refreshing my memory of checklists and emergency stuff. I’ve not gone down the computer simulator route, although I gather that’s not a bad way to keep yourself vaguely current. I still have not updated my logbook, not that there’s much to add since I last did it. My last flight was in the PC-12 at the end of February before I went off on a skiing holiday, before returning to the ‘end of aviation as we know it’. For the first time since I learned to fly, I now find myself out of currency for all aircraft. It feels a bit strange to be honest, and the more I start to look at my current situation the more I could start to panic. The first thing to lapse was my Catalina rating, and with no sign of any airshows any time soon, I don’t know if I’ll even renew it this season. This is especially sad as it was looking like a super busy season for us all over Europe, which included a lot of water flying. My SEP is due to lapse very soon, and while I know there are the various extensions granted to ratings, I’ve not looked into that for now as my Cub is still not airworthy. The saga of that little aeroplane is almost enough to put you off owning a light aircraft altogether… but our group soldiers on in the hope that we might once again have an airworthy aeroplane – one day. That leaves the work PC-12 as the only current rating I have, and while the aircraft is ready to go, due to all the COVID-19 restrictions we can’t really ‘go’ anywhere. Before you ask, I didn’t borrow it to go for a jolly to the beach… With potential two week quarantine for some destinations, I don’t see the owners wanting to go anywhere if that’s what waits on the return. At least my medical is valid until the end of the year… With little prospect of flying any time soon, what’s a pilot to do? You could fall down into the pit of despair never to resurface and wallow in all the missed opportunities. While we probably should take a little time to grieve, I’d rather look to the future and decide what I want to do next by reassessing everything. I got my first flying job in 2009 when the world was going through a massive recession, so I know nothing is impossible if you’re willing to change things up to suit the circumstances. It’s by doing this that we can stay positive and not fall into the trap of thinking everything is terrible. For numerous reasons, I came back to the UK from what was a dream job, and a big reason was the desire to build a Van’s
RV-8. I’ve now got most of the way through constructing a large workshop in my back garden but have yet to start the kit, the empennage of which is still under my bed. There are many reasons for that, time and money being the main two. Right now I have lots of time, but without being certain I’ll still have a job in the future, I can’t commit to investing lots of money into it. I’ve also realised that it’s going to cost more money than I initially thought to see the project through, so something will have to give. If I’m honest with myself I think I had realised that before all the coronavirus pandemic kicked off, but there’s nothing like having lots of time to reflect on things. So. I have decided to sell my share in the Catalina. It’s been an amazing five years flying her and I’ve achieved far more than I would have imagined in that short time. The fact that I bought my share unseen via a Skype call from a hotel room in Jakarta still amuses me, and is testament to how I’ve taken the policy to just go for things if you can and don’t hesitate. Getting my seaplane rating is still right up there as one of the most fun things I’ve done with an aeroplane. However, if I want to get this RV-8 done, something has to
Mark Mitchell
“Getting my seaplane rating is still right up there as one of the most fun things I’ve done”
20 | FLYER | March 2020
give. I cannot afford to have three aircraft on the go, for financial and time reasons. I could never sell the Cub as it is still the best aircraft I’ve ever flown and epitomises the very essence of pure flying. It’s also about as cheap as you can get for simple flying pleasure. It will fly again one day and while I build the RV-8, I’ll need something to keep me current in SEP aircraft. If you’re keen in joining the Catalina group you’ll be interested to know you only need a PPL to fly it and all the training is given by our in-house instructor. As a shareholder, you can even take it for jollies to the beach, should you wish… The group is holding an open day at Duxford on Sunday 11 October (2020), so if you’re interested, please let me know and I’ll send you all the details. It’s been awesome to be involved with keeping and flying a genuine WWII warbird, but it’s time to move on. I wish the group – and any new members – all the best for the future. Cub under maintenance, Catalina share for sale. Just the work PC-12… matt.dearden@seager.aero August 2020 | FLYER | 21
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Column
Full Throttle
Mark Hales
Mark Mitchell
I
Aerovan dreams
have always wanted a Miles Aerovan. You remember – the high-wing, twin-engined cargo aeroplane with the cockpit and load space combined, and not just because it’s a Miles – that obsession came later – but more because it’s always seemed like the ultimate private aviation utility. Maybe that’s not very cool, not very WWII warbird, until you remember where the latest Range Rovers and their ilk came from… The 1971 original was such a simple but apparently radical idea, it makes you wonder why nobody had thought of it before? Muddy field by day, upmarket restaurant by night with just a hose on the plastic floor in between. It’s that combination of unlikely capabilities which always seems so seductive, although perhaps not always… A trip courtesy of Silver City Airways in a Bristol Freighter out of Lydd, with the family Hillman Minx estate visible through the cargo door that someone had forgotten to latch, is forever etched in my mind. I had never flown before, and nothing could have prepared me for the shaking and shuddering as a pair of Bristol Hercules ran up and cycled magnetos and propellers. I didn’t know whether it would stay together long enough to take to the air, or whether the river of fuel which was gushing out of someone’s filler cap and cascading down the floor would ignite and dispatch us in some bizarre cremation before it could. Didn’t anybody check these things…? Were the wings supposed to flap about like that…? I was more frightened than I can ever remember. My father had been a navigator in a Lancaster so maybe he was used to it, but the next time… he used the ferry. Since then I’ve realised that wings need to flap, and aeroplanes will move in all axes, even when they’re on the ground. These days it’s reassuring rather than frightening. A few years ago, I had gone to visit the much-missed Doc Wallace for my annual medical when I noticed a Belgian-registered Peugeot 205 parked outside. Brian explained that it belonged to the owner and pilot of a Shorts Skyvan who used it for parachuting – I think at La Sauveniere, right down in the south-east of Belgium in the lee of the Ardennes mountains near Spa-Francorchamps. Come medical time he put the Peugeot in the back of the Skyvan and flew somewhere close, unloaded and drove to Brian’s place, then back, all in a day. Now that is definitely cool. Forget my folding Brompton stashed on the back seat of my Jodel, on which I wobble my way from Goodwood to my digs, briefcase strapped behind the saddle and overnight bag over the shoulder. I could just unload the MX5, or whatever, and travel in style to the pub. Or come to think of it, I could just unroll the mattress and draw the curtains… There is the small matter of the fuel required to feed a pair of Turbomeca Astazous, but at least they burn paraffin. By then though, I had already decided that – like the original Range Rover – there was nothing like a Miles Aerovan. I had yet to be ordained as a Miles disciple, which would morph desire into scientific faith, but I knew enough to see the Aerovan was powered by a pair of modest inline piston engines (Blackburn Cirrus Majors as it turned out,
22 | FLYER | February 2020
just like my Messenger’s, and with similar fixed pitch Fairey-Reed propellers), so it might even be affordable. And unlike the Skyvan, it was stylish, more like an airship’s gondola with wings than a flying Ford Transit. Just check out the windscreen which looks like the quarter of an orange, and then the elegant tailcone and triple fins, and of course, the Miles PR photo showing an MG TC just driving in. Both car and aircraft had apparently been sold to a Nuffield dealer in Switzerland. The Aerovan could carry an amazing one-tonne payload on its 310hp, cruised at 110mph and cost £5,000. There were proposals for a 10-seater aircoach, an ambulance, an Air Observation Post with both upper and lower glazed decks, a flying boat version and even a larger horse box, powered by a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah radials. Alas, of the 50-odd built in 1946 and 1947, none survive, and why
“He put his Peugeot in the back of the Skyvan and flew somewhere close” would they? For me, the Aerovan’s charm and capability are inescapable, but I guess it’s still utility. Maybe if Miles had survived the post-war hiatus, more would have been made. For many years, the last reminder, an Aerovan tailcone, served as a windsock tower at Newtownards, near the former Miles factory. If you add accommodation, to me the whole idea makes even more sense. There have been a few examples of flying motorhomes, most notably the 1970s Winnebago Helihome, based on a Sikorsky S56 or 58 built for US President Jimmy Carter. It slept six, offered a bathroom with hot showers and toilets, a full galley with stove and refrigerator, colour TV with optional screen room, on board comms system, fresh water tank, 6,000 BThU air conditioner, 40,000 BThU furnace, all of which it surley needed, if the President was to ride on board… The Explorer Amphibian designed and built in 1990 by Avid Flyer designer Dean Wilson for French Explorer Hubert de Chevigny was similar in intent, but more modest in facility. Powered by a pair of 0-540 Lycomings, it was intended to reach the parts of Africa that were impossible by any other means, a bit like the Grumman Amphibian conversions for the oil prospectors of the 1970s. The Explorer though, included a hatch in the floor so you could dive without having to clamber over the sides with your oxygen bottles… Or there’s a Widgeon or a Goose… They’ll do much the same job, and there’s a few available. I dunno… I’d still rather have an Aerovan, even if it couldn’t offer a diving hatch… Vintage aircraft and cars make Mark particularly happy mark.hales@seager.aero August 2020 | FLYER | 23
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Column
Squawks Ian Seager
Great job CAA, now fix the problem
F
or quite a while now I’ve been banging on about the CAA’s inability to consistently communicate safety critical information clearly. I’ve whinged about them wrapping up important information in massively complex documents, made worse when those documents then refer to 10 others, some of which refer to yet more impenetrable stuff. And if the whole legal ‘this is a matter of law dontchaknow’ reasoning is valid, which it very often is, I’ve urged them to help us out by providing a plain English explanation that we pilots can understand. So hats off to whoever wrote the ‘Preventing infringements of controlled airspace’ update. It’s easy to understand, educational and informative. It’s everything something like this should be. Genuinely, well done to all involved. Please hold it up as an example of how it should be done. And while you’re holding it up as an example, would you mind waving it under the noses of anyone who has anything to do with creating Notam? I know I’ve just said that it’s a great document (and it is), but it only needs to exist because some Notam creators haven’t asked themselves three very basic questions: ‘what am I trying to communicate, could it be misunderstood, how can I make it clearer’… A few months ahead of the Wright Brothers first flight, Orville sent an assistant to Montreal to visit the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). There he found staff idling their time away while waiting for the 1944 Chicago Convention to be signed – and Tim Horton to be born, play a bit of hockey and eventually open his famous coffee and doughnut stores. You can imagine the excitement when the Wright’s assistant asked them to create a system for disseminating future important safety information. Initial proposals centred on a flag semaphore system, and a sub team produced an entire ICAO Annex in only 12 years, but one of ICAO’s modern reformers then pointed out that people might eventually fly at night, and insisted on using modern telegraphy, which was thought to be reliable, even if it had been around for less than 60 years. In parallel, policy and technical teams got together and designed a robust system where Notam would have seven different fields each relating to a specific piece of information. Early on in the telegraphic transmission, the duration of the Notam would be stated, followed by a free text field in which things could be explained. Only later came the applicable timings. The policy team wondered if this might cause confusion, but the tech team insisted that it would be fine, and given that Notam would have to be manually entered and distributed, there would be specialists on hand at either end to advise creators of any confusion. Job Done. Except that the current system has some big structural weaknesses. Weaknesses that were highlighted and explained in the excellent ASI
page that I mentioned above. Basically, thanks to the way a Notam is structured, you’d better make sure you read all of it properly and carefully, because it’s entirely possible to create a correct and system compliant Notam that starts EGLL From 20/07/07 22:59 to 20/07/10 London CTR is deactivated and will be reclassified as Class G… Normal people might read that and assume it means what it says, but if you expand the Notam you’ll discover that instead of being free to play in Heathrow’s CTR for a couple of days in July, it’s only closed for 15 minutes from 1am every morning while the controller pops out for his EASA-mandated sausage roll and cup of tea. There are two takes on this. The traditional view ‘while apps make life a lot easier, it’s still the pilots responsibility to properly brief before flight’, and the correct view, ‘while apps make life a lot easier, it’s still the pilots responsibility to properly brief before flight and those responsible for issuing Notam should make every effort to encompass the critical elements in the bit that pilots are going to read first’. In other words, before picking up their quills, the Notam creators should ask themselves: ‘what am I trying to communicate, could it be misunderstood, how can I make it clearer’…
Mark Mitchell
“Hats off to whoever wrote the ‘Preventing infringements of controlled airspace’’’ The CAA puts a lot of effort into a wide range of aviation safety initiatives (and only a tiny number are really dumb), but a project aimed at all Notam creators would make a significant improvement to everyone’s lot, and while they’re a diverse group from a wide range of organisations, it’s got to be a quicker, easier and more beneficial job to contact, communicate and educate them than some of the other projects that are underway. I know some of the skygods out there will be complaining about snowflakes wanting everything dumbed down, but honestly that’s more about pretending you’re superior and resisting change than it is about flight safety. We have a whole bunch of ‘wuns, toos, trees and fowers’ to help avoid confusion, and a list of mandatory read back items designed to specifically check that critical information has been communicated and understood correctly. An educational programme and reference resource for Notam creators would give a high value result for a relatively low cost input. You could even claim the work as ‘world leading’ – that’s always popular with the paymasters. Publisher, pre C-19 often found flying something new and interesting ics@seager.aero August 2020 | FLYER | 25
RESTORATION | Cessna 172
First of 45,000
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the first flight of the Cessna 172. As the world’s most produced aircraft, with over 45,000 built, the first example to roll off the production line is still flying today… WORDS K en Scott PHOTOGRAPHY Eaa: Scott Germain and Chris Miller
26 | FLYER | August 2020
August 2020 | FLYER | 27
Restoration
“In May 1955 Cessna pulled a 170 taildragger off the production line and installed a tricycle landing gear…”
28 | FLYER | August 2020
I Above A 145hp Continental 0-300 drives a fixed-pitch McCauley prop – both original to the aircraft Left Paint lines and details were evident after stripping later paint, enabling perfect recreation of factory colour scheme Below Reflected pride – owner and restorer of N5000A, Dennis Ozment
n May 1955, Cessna Aircraft Corporation contemplated the declining sales of their C-170B four-place taildragger and decided that perhaps it was time for something a bit more modern. They pulled one off the production line, installed a tricycle landing gear, subjected it to several months of brutal testing (2,500 landings in 160 flying hours), and after mulling over the results decided that there might be a market for this thing. In 1956 they put the Cessna 172 into production and since then more than 44,000 Cessna 172s have been built and sold. Every one of those aircraft has a serial number. Dennis Ozment’s C-172 N5000A has a serial number, too, but it’s one of the most significant in almost 120 years of private aircraft. Zero Alpha’s serial number is ONE – the very first 172 Cessna sold to a customer. Now fully restored to original condition, it’s not a hangar queen. Dennis flies it every chance he gets – a privilege he earned through six years of weekend work. After medical school and a stint in the army, where he learned to fly helicopters, Dennis returned to Quincy, Illinois and set up shop as a rheumatologist, specialising in the treatment of arthritis and related problems. Once his practice was up and running, he bought a Cessna 150 and earned his civilian fixed-wing licence. He then sold the 150 and went looking for a project. “When I was a kid I helped my dad rescue my grandfather’s John Deere tractor,” Dennis says. “Grandad had abandoned it out in a cotton field and dad and I pulled it out of the weeds and worked together to get it running. Later we worked on restoring a 1955 Chevrolet. I found I just like bringing old machinery back to life. I see the things that don’t fit – usually stuff that’s been added or subtracted over the years – and I really like the small, intricate systems that were used before the era of throw-away electronics. So I was looking for an aircraft to restore, but not restore too much. My practice was not going to allow me the time it would take to rescue some half-rotted barn find.” One year later, and still searching, Dennis spotted an ad for a Cessna 172 sitting on a Texan airport. It claimed to be the very first Cessna 172, but the blue and white part job set off Dennis’ alarm bells. Dennis remembers, “That paint was all wrong, but I called anyway, and Joe Nelson, the owner, set me straight. The aeroplane had been repainted, but it really was the first 172. I was interested enough to take a jet to Texas.” Once there he met his father and together they went over the aeroplane with Joe. Despite having been in a T-hangar, almost forgotten, for about 20 years, it was in decent shape. Joe had spent a lot of time and energy returning it to airworthy condition, concentrating on the things that it needed so it could fly safely, rather than cosmetics. It was what Dennis had been August 2020 | FLYER 29
Restoration
“When I decided to polish all the exposed aluminium, I really didn’t understand what it would take to do it right… the process averaged about 45 minutes per square foot” looking for: a flyable aircraft that could be returned to its original form and had the bonus of historical significance. After talking it over with his dad and thinking about it for a while, he called Joe and made the deal. The flight home from the Dallas area to Quincy ended up being a test of pilot and machine. “I planned an early morning departure. It was late autumn and the days were getting shorter, plus it’s a six or seven hour trip, counting in a couple of stops. But before I went we were going to change the oil. Well, Joe is a very methodical and detail-oriented guy, and he wanted to make sure I understood everything necessary to do the oil change properly. I ended up having breakfast and lunch with him and didn’t get off until 2pm. I made the last hours of the flight at night, with thunderstorms flashing out to the west and heading my way. I got to Quincy about 9pm, dead tired. My dad was not happy with me that night!” Dennis flew the 172 for about a year, including a trip to
Two other famous Cessna 172s On December 4, 1958 Robert Timm and John Wayne Cook took off from McCarran Field in Las Vegas. It was well into 1959 by the time they landed. They kept their modified 172 in the air for 1,558 hours and 19 minutes – almost 65 days on an engine that had 4,590 hours when they started. They refuelled their 142-gallon belly tank from a truck doing 80mph down a straight stretch of road (lots of those in Nevada) 128 times, including at least once at night. Expenses were covered by the Hacienda Hotel (whose name covered most of the aft fuselage) and raised money for the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund. Three decades later Robert Timm’s son Steve found the aeroplane on a Canadian farm. In 1988 he brought it back to Las Vegas and in 1992 the Howard W Cannon Aviation museum acquired it for permanent display. In early May 1987, Matias Rust departed his home strip near Hamburg in D-EDJB, a rented 172. He embarked on a two-week tour, landing in the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway. lt was a pretty adventurous itinerary, especially considering he had all of 50 hours in his logbook when he left home. It got even more adventurous when, on leaving Helsinki, Finland, he turned east and headed into the Soviet Union. He was detected by the Soviet military, and even intercepted once, but confusion prevented any fatal action. He landed on the Bolshoi Bridge in downtown Moscow. He’d hoped to promote peaceful understanding between East and West but instead Rust spent 11 months in a Soviet prison before being released and returned to Germany. D-ECJB eventually ended up at the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin.
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Oshkosh in 2011. “Not too many people even noticed the aeroplane or the sign that went with it,” he says. He returned home and started the restoration he’d always intended. In any restoration, the restorer has to make a decision – just how perfect do I want it? The first 98 per cent is expensive enough, both in time and money, and the last two per cent gets incredibly labour intensive and costs serious money. Dennis decided that he wanted an original aircraft, not a perfect one. He might take it up a notch by polishing the bare aluminium that was part of the original colour scheme, but he drew the line at completely reskinning the aircraft. For the next six years he spent his weekdays with his patients and his weekends with 5000A. With help from his mechanic Rodney Halfpap, the aeroplane was taken completely apart. Somehow the airframe had suffered very little corrosion, and even better, the blue paint had been sprayed over a barely prepared airframe. When the paint was stripped, they found the alclad coating on the aluminium was intact, the rivet heads undamaged, and paint lines from the original scheme still visible. Both the vertical fin and the fuselage showed evidence that the aeroplane had been on its back somewhere along the way. Usually, when this occurs the wings take a beating, but the wings on N5000A were in almost perfect shape. “I can’t explain it,” says Dennis. “I can’t swear that the wings are original to the aeroplane. The logs don’t mention an accident or wing replacement, but who knows?” The interior was refurbished as close to original as possible. “We found a company that could restore the old, cracked control yokes,” Dennis says, “And we had good luck with the seats. We took them apart carefully and in the back, we found that the original fabric was still on the rear seat. The upholsterer had simply covered it with his new fabric. The fabric was traced back to a 1955 Oldsmobile and found enough matching to redo everything.” “One of my ebay treasures was a completely untouched, unfaded colour 172 brochure dated 1956,” Dennis says. “We gleaned a lot of information about paint colours and options from that.” The toughest part of the restoration was self-inflicted. “When I decided to polish all the exposed aluminium, I really didn’t understand what it would take to do it right. Eventually I developed an easy seven-step process. I started sanding with 800 grit sandpaper, always sanding in one direction, never in circles. I had to go around each rivet head with my fingertips – and there are a lot of rivets in a set of
Above The early 172s have a very low panel which gives great visibility over the nose. New fabric trim was precisely matched to the original material used by Cessna Right Late 1950s Cessna advert for the then all-new 172 - paralift flaps and land-o-matic undercarriage… Below 170s roll down the production line in Cessna’s Wichita factory… tailwheels were soon to give way to nosewheels Left Before vacuum pumps, there were venturis to provide suction for gyro instruments
August 2020 | FLYER | 31
Turbine Maule Grumman Widgeon M-7-420AC
Above Robust airframe, four seats and that nosewheel undercarriage was the perfect recipe for flight schools and private owners… Left When a new cowling oil door was needed, the only source was Cessna stock, at great expense Below Polished metal finish painstakingly restored with seven stages of hand sanding
34 | FLYER | May 2020
Cessna wings! But a sanding machine was out of the question. You could damage a bunch of rivet heads in a few seconds and cause a problem that would take even more time to fix. Then I went to 1,000 grit, sanding at right angles to the 800. Next was 1,200 grit, which is so fine it feels almost smooth to the touch. After that I worked up through three grades of Nuvite polish. I could get through all seven steps at an average of 45 minutes per square foot…”
Lost knowledge
The Cessna company now makes most of its money from aeroplanes burning Jet A, and so, while they helped out when asked, a lot of the time the knowledge just wasn’t there. “Almost everyone involved on the original 172 has passed on,” says Dennis. “The aeroplane has outlived them. I found one elderly gentleman who had been part of the team, but he had been moved to the T-37 project fairly quickly and didn’t remember much about the 172.” Cessna didn’t have many original parts in stock, either, but the ones they had they didn’t sell cheap. “The oil door in the cowling was one of few things in the whole project where I just threw money at it. Nobody but Cessna had one, and it wanted $1,200 for it! I paid up, and when it came it really didn’t fit very well. It was hard, watching Rodney take a belt sander to a $1,200 part!” Until 1968, Cessna powered the 172 with the six-cylinder Continental O-300 rated at 145hp. The aeroplane certainly wasn’t over-powered with that engine, but early 172s hadn’t suffered the weight gains that came later, so performance was acceptable. Pilots certainly enjoyed the smooth running of the small six-cylinder mill. The engine in 5000A is the same one it left the factory with, or at least some of it is. It’s sort of like your ‘grandfather’s axe’ scenario – it’s got a different shaft, different blade and a new wedge, but it’s still your grandfather’s axe. Dennis says the logs show three or four overhauls (depending on how you read the logbooks) over the aeroplane’s lifetime, but the case still bears the serial number it had when it was pushed through Cessna’s hangar door 65 years ago. As they went through the airframe they found the control cables in good shape. The original propeller was overhauled at Memphis Propeller and looks brand new – or better. Dennis did change the brakes, replacing the old Goodyear units with modern Clevelands. “Later, I put the Goodyear ones back on because they were more authentic, although they’re not as good,” he says. He and Rodney did make one scary discovery back in the aft fuselage. The elevator torque tube firing was corroded and cracked. “If anybody’s restoring an old 172, that’s where I would have them look first.” The test flying went well, with very few squawks. “In the early 172s, the panel and cowling aren’t nearly as high as the
Restoration
TECH SPECS
Cessna 172 A high-timer flies on In 1965, when Wally Olson ordered a C-172 for his flight school, he was very specific with what he wanted. No frills, no options – and no extra expenses. Those optional drains for the wing tanks? No, thanks. Nav radio? I’ll find my way home without it. Landing light? What? It comes with one? Well, I guess so… The aircraft went to Wally’s Evergreen Airport in Vancouver, Washington. There it joined a couple of Taylorcrafts, a Champ and a Waco UPF-7 on the flight line. It flew power line patrol and endured years of abuse while it taught countless student pilots the basics. Wally rented it for about half what other flight schools in the area were charging for C-172s, so it flew a lot. I scraped enough change out of the couch cushions for an hour of circuits and was bawled out for using up the landing light, being told, while trudging around the circuit, ‘You’ll burn it out’ – the one time I ever heard Wally use a radio. In 2006 Wally’s family closed his airport (where it felt, with the exception of the nosewheel Cessna, like it was still 1936 or so) and N5930R went across the river to Scappoose, Oregon with one of Wally’s former students, Jeff Paulson. Jeff used it in the course of his aircraft maintenance and restoration business for several years, then sold it to a local flying group where at long last, it’s having a complete refurbishment and will be flying again soon, adding more time to the 20,800 hours already in its logs.
modern ones,” Dennis explains. “The view over the nose is much better. I really notice that when I’m giving rides to kids. They can see what’s in front of the aeroplane, just like the pilot can. It makes the experience completely different than looking through the side window. It makes my experience better, too. I tell people I feel like Snoopy sitting on top of his doghouse when I fly this aeroplane. I can see in all directions.” When the finished aeroplane arrived at EAA AirVenture 2017, gleaming in its polished alclad, cardinal red and arctic white paint scheme, the reception was completely different than back in 2011. Suddenly it wasn’t just another Cessna. People recognised it for what it was and flocked to it every day of the show. The EAA judges noticed it too and Dennis flew home with the Gold Lindy in the Vintage category resting on the back seat. “My goal was to give people the look and feel of the world in 1956. I love looking at the really spectacular restorations of the Staggerwings, Howards and Spartans, but few people will ever have a chance to fly one of those. Almost everyone has flown, or has a chance to fly, a 172 It really did do what Cessna’s brochure said – it gave wings to the world.” 34 | FLYER | August 2020
The most general, GA aeroplane…
Most familiar Swept fin appearance was introduced in 1960, while omni-vision cabin windows arrived in 1963…
Performance
Max speed (Vne) 151kt Max cruise speed 122kt Stall speed 50kt Rate of climb 645fpm Service ceiling 13,000ft Max range 420nm with reserve
Weights & loading
Seats Four Max take-off 2,200lb (998kg) Empty 1,260lb Payload 940lb Fuel capacity 39 gal Baggage capacity 120lb
Dimensions
Wingspan 36ft (11m) Wing area 174 sq ft (16.2sq m) Length 27ft 2in (8.28m) Height 8ft 11in (2.72m)
Spec
Airframe Riveted aluminium monocoque Engine Continental O-300A Max power 145hp Propeller Metal, fixed-pitch McCauley Undercarriage Nosewheel
Manufacturer
Cessna Aircraft Company, Wichita, Kansas. USA
Price
Introductory price from Cessna was $8,995 Straight-tail 172 production ran to 4,195 examples over five years Early 172s can be found for sale from around £25k, though they won’t be as perfect or unique as this one…
Above Lots and lots of polishing was definitely worth the effort on this special machine. A great tribute to a winning formula conceived 65 years ago
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My First Solo
Matthew Monaghan For Matthew Monaghan, his first solo was the most incredible moment of his life… Words by Yayeri van Baarsen
Solo stats FSDP scholarship receiver Matthew Monaghan didn’t let muscular dystrophy get in the way of becoming a private pilot. When: 13 August 2017 Where: Old Sarum Airfield Aircraft: Ikarus C42 Hours at solo: 19 Hours now: 60
How did you get into aviation? My first Christmas present as a toddler was a toy jumbo jet with red turbine engines, which I still remember to this day. Loving aviation, I played with the idea of learning to fly, but always wrote it off due to the fact that I was born with muscular dystrophy. That was until I came across a Flying Scholarships for Disabled People (FSDP) advert. Seeing happy people, with obvious physical limitations, pictured beside their aircraft gave me the push that I needed to submit my application. How did your flight training go? I did my training at Shadow Flight Centre and couldn’t wait to get into the air on the first day. I’m less than 5ft tall, and as I sat in the aeroplane my feet were nowhere near the rudder pedals, nor could I see out of the cockpit window. I thought it was never going to happen. My heart sank as flying seemed to be out of my reach – literally. However, Fiona Luckhurst and Raymond Proost, seasoned pros in dealing with disabled students, arranged cushions and rudder pedal extensions. Having people believe in me made all the difference. Seeing the ground beneath me on my first lesson gave me such a buzz. As training progressed, my flying skills as well as my confidence grew – I became a proper pilot. Did you expect your first solo? Not at all! On the last day of my scholarship, 30 minutes into the lesson, Raymond said he had a
surprise. I genuinely didn’t know what he meant and broke out in a cold sweat when I realised it was time to solo. I said I couldn’t do it, to which Raymond replied he hadn’t been touching the controls at all during the last week. While he grabbed a sandbag as ballast because I’m very light, I asked Fiona for reassurance. Her reply was all I needed to hear, “Do you think I’d send you up if I thought you couldn’t?” Still shaking, half with nerves and half with adrenaline, I had to check the right-hand seat at 600ft as I couldn’t believe I was on my own. After completing a circuit, I nearly broke down on landing. Flying solo for the first time was the single most incredible moment of my life. To this day it still feels like a dream. How has your flying developed since? Determined to continue flying, I returned to Old Sarum regularly for hour-building. In October 2019 I obtained my PPL, which was a really emotional moment. Three years earlier I’d never thought I’d be able to fly an aeroplane, let alone become a private pilot. My PPL was the culmination of so much effort – my own work, but also the help of Shadow Flight and FSDP. What are your plans for the future? I hope to take my mother up for a flight soon. This has been my aspiration since the start of my training as she has always supported me. I’d
“My disability disappears when I’m in control of an aeroplane…” 36 | FLYER | August 2020
like to show her Stonehenge, you pass it on the way to the airport, so it’d be nice to see it from the air as well. My mum will love flying, she’s a real daredevil! I also want to take up my flying buddy Dawn Geer, who’s become a really close friend of mine. Aircraft-wise, Fiona promised me I can pilot a Shadow, a high-wing aircraft with a tandem seating arrangement and with the propeller on the back. I’ve flown one as a passenger, it’s very robust and hard to stall. I’m very much looking forward to it. If you could have any aircraft in your ‘fantasy hangar’, what would it be? An F16. As a child I watched the videos of these fighter jets creating a sonic boom by breaking the sound barrier. The sheer speed appeals to me, as well as the g-forces. I think secretly we all want to be Top Gun. What has learning to fly meant? It’s been my journey to independence. When I got chosen to interview, it was like I’d already won, as I’d travel on my own. Being offered a place on the programme was the cherry on top. Apart from independence, through FSDP I’ve had a helicopter ride and made friends who’ve introduced me to horse riding and festivals. The scholarship has brought me so much more than just flight training. What do you love most about flying? I like flying slow, as it gives me time to think and take in my surroundings. Even more, though, I love flying by myself. On my own in the aircraft, I’m high on adrenaline. My disability disappears when I’m in control of an aeroplane. Being in charge of something as massive as an aircraft is very empowering and liberating – it’s just fantastic. l If you are disabled and want details on flying scholarship opportunities, visit www.fsdp.co.uk
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SPECIAL FEATURE
(Flying)
LOVE
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Steve Carver and his team mates at Global Stars were on a mission to display at Wings India 2020
38 | FLYER | August 2020
With restrictions lifting and hopefully some good weather, what are your plans for a summer of (flying) love? Here’s some of ours, plus some from friends of FLYER, to whet your appetite and get you going…
Ian Seager
N
umbers don’t lie, and a quick look through my (digital) logbook confirms that the last 12 months have not exactly been crammed full of flying activity. There were, happily, some highs like the amphibious PC-6 featured in the June 2020 issue, but domestic GA time was savagely reduced thanks to an extended avionics refit, a busy work schedule, the appalling weather we had this winter which closed loads off grass runways and, more recently, the bloody virus. My workload’s increased (that virus again), but the weather’s been (mostly) great, the grass runways are fit for use, destinations are starting to open up and the Cessna’s freshly ‘annualled’ and laden with almost full fuel. Happy days. So what’s my aviating plan? I’ve got quite a bit of relatively local flying I want to do, some of which will involve getting to grips with filming and recording for FLYER’s YouTube channel, which is at least simpler than trying to understand Farnborough’s new airspace. Among other destinations, I’m planning to head south to sample Sandown’s astro turf runway, and north to visit Barton so that I can write an update to the ATZ/Rule 11 story that’s still kicking around. Then there are the bigger trips. First up, in the relatively near future I hope, (assuming we get a relaxation of the UK quarantine requirements), will be a trip to that old favourite of Le Touquet. In addition to a business meeting, my (French) wife will be happy for the opportunity to restock our depleted continental placards.
It’ll also serve as a great illustration of the power of GA – that magic carpet experience that comes from leaving one environment before shortly being immersed in another. But Le Touquet is hardly a very long or challenging flight from Wiltshire. For that I’m planning on a few days in Scotland. Last year I did a charity bike ride to John o’ Groats, and was left breathless, not only by the hills, but by the absolute beauty of the Highlands. They’ve been calling me back ever since, and I’m planning a less strenuous visit during which I can hopefully start to explore the whole country by air. If the sun’s shining I’m confident that the ‘flightseeing’ will be magical. Remember that avionics refit I spoke about earlier? I’ve flown a few times recently, and it wasn’t hard to spot that some of my skills had started to gather a light layer of rust. The right hands can make the two G5s, the GFC500 and the GTN750 dance together in harmony – climbing, descending, holding and flying all sorts of approaches – but at the moment it takes a fair dollop of my capacity to get them waltzing clumsily, so it’s back to the manuals (and YouTube), and some telephone calls with Joe Fournier (an avionics savant) in order to get the ballet back on the road, erm, I mean in the air. Finally, when the days start drawing in (I know, I know), I want to get back to some night flying. For me the often smooth air, good visibility and different perspective is absorbing. It brings to mind Saint-Exupéry’s quote: “I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things.”
August 2020 | FLYER | 39
Summer of (Flying) Love
Ed Hicks
I
t’s a pretty fantastic day when a new aeroplane comes into a pilot’s life, and for me this summer will be about getting to know a new acquisition. For a long time, I’ve toyed with the idea of owning something single seat. I can’t explain why, I just like the idea of having a machine that’s solely focused on its pilot. Being a card-carrying Van’s RV fan, the RV-3, the very first of the RV kit aircraft with its beautiful cheek cowling and pretty lines, has therefore always been at the top of my list to scratch that particular itch. I considered building one… The trouble is, the -3 is the oldest Van’s kit, and is quite labour intensive to build really well. It’s often said that the latest pre-punched RVs are almost ‘shake and bake’… Well, the RV-3, is more ‘shake your head’, once you see the fairly basic parts on opening the kit box. In the world of quickbuilds, the RV-3 is more, well, slow burn… In the UK, RV-3s, particularly the newest -3B version with an updated wing design, are extremely rare. The first UK -3B flew back in 2005 – a second RV project for a builder whose first one had drawn much admiration. I remember seeing photos of it at the time, plain white, with a simple stripe, and thinking, “Maybe, one day…” Roll forward 15 years, and a few weeks into lockdown while browsing AFORS over a morning cuppa, that same
aeroplane was that day’s newest classified addition. It had just moved on after life with an owner who had cherished it for the last 12 years, who was well known for washing and polishing it after each flight. I did some digging via a few helpful friends, then picked up the phone and offered to place a deposit. The small matter of somewhere to keep it was solved by a friend with an empty hangar (he’s waiting for the right RV to come along…) and in return I put him on the insurance. A month later, as lockdown eased a little, another good friend, also on the insurance, offered to collect it for me. On arrival, my first chance to inspect it revealed a very fortunate blind purchase. It was even better than I hoped. Nothing too showy, a superb build throughout with a history of proactive maintenance. Light and very simple, with just a 115hp Lycoming – and those who’ve flown her so far return with a grin. The perfect pair of wings with which to enjoy making holes in the sky, which is my sort of thing. At the end of 2019, in our last bit of time together, my dad was adamant that I was to buy a fun aeroplane after he was gone. I’m pretty sure this one would have made him grin as well. The demands of life had sidetracked my flying a while back, and I’m in need of revalidation. I’ve got a date in July to get that sorted, after which I hope to be airborne in the -3B after a bit of practice. I can’t wait…
Steve Slater
Susan Stowe
D
40 | FLYER | August 2020
ue to time constraints, most of my flying in recent years has been local, A-to-A, post-work summer’s evening ‘bimbles’, aerial sight-seeing over the Chiltern Hills or the Cotswolds. It’s something that my Currie Wot biplane, Airymouse, has been used to doing in the hands of various owners for almost 70 years. However from now on, it will be slightly different, but nothing to do with coronavirus. As of 1 July, my home airfield at Bicester is under new management, and a part of their plans is to introduce specified, mown, runways. Therefore just before sunset on 30 June, I got airborne, simply into the wind in the time-honoured manner for the last time. It may be possibly the last-ever take-off and landing at an unmarked, omni-directional operational grass aerodrome in the UK (or even, the world?). Such is progress!
Paul Kiddell
I
t has been truly liberating getting out and enjoying summer flying again. Indeed, in the six weeks since the DfT announcement on 15 May, our four-man group EuroStar has flown some 50 hours as we seek new flying adventures. One annual summer event I really enjoy is flying into the late evening to sunset +30 and then getting-up to fly at sunrise -30. This year we rallied much-missed flying friends to rise early on the longest day in June, but it’s still huge fun to do it anytime during the long balmy days of July and August. Of course you need to find an airfield that is sympathetic to you taking-off in what most would consider to be the middle of the night, but with camping approved from 4 July, it’s eminently doable. With our Eshott base having strict 0900-1900 operating hours, we positioned the Eurostar to a local strip and flew until sunset +30, 2223. It really is magical, flying over the Northumberland coast in smooth cool air as the sun finally goes below the horizon for a few short hours. After landing, we enjoyed the briefest of sleeps before returning with a few brave friends to get airborne as a four-ship at 0352 on a beautiful morning. Newcastle and Durham Airports were closed so it was a case of filling your boots as the sun came up in spectacular fashion over the North Sea, which was a truly memorable and breath-taking spectacle! Bathed in the early morning sunshine we continued south and at 0500 landed at scenic Eddsfield in Yorkshire where our four-ship became eight. There followed a wonderful loose-formation flight to Fenland (another airfield available 24/7) where we assembled a creditable 16 microlight and LAA aircraft for a 0600 socially distanced, outside breakfast, arranged with the airfield and the kind café staff. We finally arrived back at Eshott at 1400 after visiting seven airfields and strips. We’ve all missed our flying pals, so why not persuade them to join you for an unforgettable bit of flying. Have fun and fully exploit those long summer days!
Rachel Ramsay
A
fter so long grounded, I’m really looking forward to getting current again on both helicopters and fixed-wing. On the rotary side, I have my R44 type rating Proficiency Check coming up, the ideal opportunity to refresh skills left behind by lockdown. I have a few friends I’d like to take up, so I’ll hopefully drop into some local hotels with them. On the fixed-wing side of things, my flying club, Take Flight Aviation, is shortly opening at Enstone Airfield, which just happens to be right on my doorstep, so I’m planning to do some evening flights once I’m back up to speed. It’s such a lovely time of day to fly during the summer months. Two airfields I’m keen to visit for the first time are Charlton Park (I’ve seen so many beautiful photos from there on the GA Facebook groups since the restrictions were lifted) and Bolt Head, as I’d like to expand my seaside options from my default Isle of Wight setting! I’m also dying to plan another trip to the Channel Islands, as the weather scuppered the last two trips I’ve planned. Let’s hope it’s third time lucky! August 2020 | FLYER | 41
Summer of (Flying) Love
Tim Dews
T
his has certainly been an interesting time. In addition to running Airborne Composites, a repair and maintenance shop, I also operate the Sydney Charles Display Team that consists mostly of a pair of Grob 109s equipped with LEDs and wingtip amounted pyros for evening and night displays. With no airshows, actual displays have been quiet, but since we’ve been able to fly again I’ve taken every opportunity to train and practice with Tom, my son. He’s now 24, he went solo on his 16th birthday and got his licence three years ago. In his first year of flying he clocked up an astounding 400 hours, and he’s the other team member for the overseas displays. In 2019 we flew something like 20 displays from New Zealand to Portugal. As you’d expect this year’s a bit different, but the team’s still got about a dozen booked for later in the year. Our displays generally take place at night and last between eight and ten minutes, with our preferred slot being somewhere between SS+30 and SS+50. That gives great contrast for the lighting and pyros, while the aeroplane silhouettes are still visible from the ground and we’ve got a better background definition for the display. As I said, Tom and I are taking every opportunity to practice, but it’ll be great to get back to the shows, and the adventure of transiting to and from the foreign locations.
Dave Calderwood
T
wo immediate objectives plus a longer term ambition, that’s my Summer of Flying Love. It’s very simple really. I need to either regain my Class 2 Medical or go down the Pilot Medical Declaration (PMD) route, and then revalidate my expired SEP Land rating. So how did I get into this position? Two years ago I had bowel surgery to remove a tumour. The operation was expertly carried out using laparoscopy, better known as keyhole surgery, which left five slits in my abdomen, which healed up very promptly, as did my insides. The tumour and some surrounding tissue was sent off for examination which showed the cancer had not spread – so no need to follow up with chemotherapy. In other words, I got off lightly because my local doctors fast-tracked the whole thing. It was ‘lucky’ that it happened then and not this summer… So how will my AME view this episode? The last thing I want to do is fail a medical examination, so best to prepare beforehand. Who better to ask than Dr Frank Voeten, FLYER’s medical editor, who gives a free initial conversation to members of The FLYER Club. Frank’s advice was clear: “Colorectal carcinoma which has remained local only is usually OK for recertification. “Best plan is to get copies of all hospital correspondence to your GP and from your GP, and contact your AME beforehand giving them the heads up. They can review the info and say if they are happy with all, so when you appear for the medical there are no hurdles and no surprises. “The guidance is similar for LAPL. Of course, if the PMD covers your needs (UK only and only non-EASA aeroplanes) then that would be the easiest and cheapest.” Frank also sent me a link to Oncology Guidance Material on the CAA website: https://bit.ly/CAAoncolog y Revalidating an expired SEP rating for a PPL is fairly simple. All you have to do is pass a Licence Proficiency Check (LPC) flight with an examiner. However, if you haven’t flown as P1 for a while then it’s prudent to fly with
42 | FLYER | August 2020
an instructor first, just to determine how rusty you are and what areas need to be brought up to speed. In fact, if your rating expired more than three years ago then EASA regs say you must be assessed at either an Approved Training Organisation or a Declared Training Organisation. Most PPL flying clubs are the latter. From that assessment a plan is worked out, say five hours of lessons plus some ground school revision and perhaps R/T practice. Once completed, you take the LPC. That lot should take me through to mid-August I reckon, then the longer-term ambition kicks in. Twenty years ago I owned a lovely 1947 Luscombe 8E Silvaire but, stupidly, sold it. There was a reason, but looking back it doesn’t seem good enough. Ho hum… It was G-BSNE, ‘Bees Knees’ as it was nicknamed, and it has since passed hands a few more times. Unfortunately, it was badly damaged in 2016 when a storm hit the UK, flipped onto its back by strong winds. The salvage helped rebuild another Luscombe, and whatever remains and the title are currently with expert restorer Owen Watts. My ambition? To get G-BSNE up flying again or if that’s simply not possible, buy into another Luscombe. There’s just something about its cheeky face and stance…
Summer of (Flying) Love
Jonny Salmon
A
period of furlough gave me a good opportunity to get some great flying done in late May and June, visiting friends and finding some new farm strips. I intend to keep that up as much as possible. The first big trip on my list is to fly to Oban with my father and perhaps explore some of the Highlands (Scottish travel regulations permitting). Next on the list is to be taught formation flying by a former RAF qualified flying instructor in his RV. I’m really enjoying the more dynamic side of flying permit aircraft and I’m hoping this will help sharpen my flying skills which, after a poor winter and weeks of lockdown, can only be a good thing. My third aim for the summer is to get my one year-old dog flying, even just for a single circuit! She recently achieved her first taxi down the runway. It would be incorrect of me not to mention ‘book work’ as part of my summer flying plans. I am self-studying the CPL theoretical knowledge syllabus, so that I can instruct it one. However, I allow myself ‘real’ flying when the sun is shining!
Stu Blanchard
F
ellow Miles enthusiast and good friend Mark Hales asked me, “What are your flying plans, post-plague?” I guess it was his way of offering a carrot to follow the stick. I’d planned to use the lockdown and lack of display season to take the Gemini apart for a re-cover and beautification. Mark suggested I’d be mad if I did, as I’d have two aeroplanes in pieces, just when the weather looked to be settling down, and probably nothing to fly next year either. So, after replacing the parts I’d forgotten to mention I’d removed, (suitably beautified in the Miles Airwork workshop), and getting trusty LAA Inspector Dave Allan to sign her off, I was back in the cockpit and took to the skies again on the 25 June for a short tour out of Breighton around the East Riding of Yorkshire. First priority now is to get some airtime and confidence in the twin again, then start doing some display routine practice (2020 was meant to be my first full year). I then need to see Dodge Bailey at Shuttleworth to get my Display Authorisation revalidated – it is still possible that the Vintage Day event might go ahead in September, where I was due to fly. During the summer I’d like to do some touring around the UK, dropping off at airfields that I have not visited before. The Gemini is always popular and it’s good to talk with people. Many of those who are older seem to have trained on Geminis and are genuinely excited to see one again. I’d also like to continue with formation training with my instructor Matt Walker, but this may have to be postponed until 2021. Once the damp and gloom returns I may take some bigger bits off… But I should concentrate on the Mercury (it is a complete rebuild, but will be a fine and unique aeroplane when finished), which was Mark’s other point…
Tell us about your plans… Feeling inspired? Whether it’s starting your flying lessons, a trip, new type, or a new skill to be acquired, then why not join in on the Summer of (Flying) Love discussion thread on the FLYER Forum?
44 | FLYER | August 2020
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Safety Accident Analysis
Max’d out
H
aving spent much of my early instructional career training hard to expand the mental capacity of students, it came as a bit of a blow later in life to be told that our mental capacity is pretty much fixed at birth, and no amount of training will expand it. That said, of course, what training does is free up some mental space to be able to deal with those curveballs life throws at us. The following are two examples where the pilots involved were working at the limits of their mental capacity, testing their knowledge and experience with differing degrees of success.
Accident 1
The pilot reported that just after take-off, around midnight at Merredin Airfield in Australia, as the aircraft was climbing through 1,400ft agl at 140kt, the following occurred without any apparent precursors: ■ master warning light illumination ■ ‘pitch trim runaway’ voice annunciation ■ ‘pitch trim runaway’ warning message in red on the multi-function display ■ continued uncommanded pitch trim movement in a nose-down direction. The pilot recalled hearing and seeing those warnings, and that the aircraft pitched nose-down violently shortly afterwards. With both hands pulling on the control column to raise the nose, the pilot found that the force required to move the control column was extremely high and required maximum effort. The pilot was unable to counteract the nose-down force and the aircraft developed a high rate of descent at
approximately 2,000ft/min. In response to the warnings, the pilot initiated the pitch trim runaway emergency procedure from memory. The pilot recalled: ■ The first action was to select the trim interrupt switch on the centre console from NORM (normal) to INTR (interrupt). At the time, the pilot noted it was difficult to reach because of the high control column loads. ■ After a short interval to focus on raising the nose, the pilot pulled the pitch trim circuit breaker on the essential bus to the OPEN position. ■ The trim interrupt switch was selected back to NORM. Following those actions the pilot was concerned that there was no change to the condition of the aircraft, which was contrary to his expectations from training. According to the recorded data, the pitch trim continued to operate in the runaway condition until it reached full nose-down position 16 seconds after the warnings were issued, during which the following data was recorded: ■ engine torque remained at the take-off and initial climb setting of 42lb ■ pitch attitude went from +9.5˚ (nose-up) down to -7.5˚ ■ airspeed increased from 135kt to 182kt. ■ height initially continued to climb until 1,700ft then reduced to 1,300ft. Over the next six seconds the situation continued to deteriorate until the pilot reduced engine torque when he noted control forces eased somewhat. At about that point, the airspeed had reached 210kt and the height was down to 1,100ft. Nonetheless, after a further sequence of climbs and descents, he decided it was not possible to overpower the elevator
“ The pilot needed help from a passenger to overpower the force on the elevator” 48 | FLYER | August 2020
force alone and requested the assistance of a passenger. The passenger pulled on the right control column, which had a positive effect on the variation of pitch attitude, associated airspeed and altitude parameters, although full control was not established. As the aircraft was now in the Merredin circuit area, the pilot concentrated on preparation for landing. When the flaps were selected to 15°, the pilot noticed the ‘flap’ caution on the crew alerting system (CAS), and realised the flaps were not available. On the downwind circuit leg for Runway 28 the pilot extended the landing gear. This was followed by a rapid descent to 350ft agl with a ground proximity warning system (GPWS) alert. In response, the pilot (with the passenger’s continuing assistance) pulled on the control column to raise the nose, and increased engine torque. Height was recovered to a maximum of 900ft. The pilot turned onto the base circuit leg and allowed the aircraft to descend. As the pilot turned onto the final approach, the aircraft overshot the runway centreline and required adjustment. On short final, the aircraft was high and the pilot was coordinating with the doctor to adjust the pitch attitude for landing. At one point, the pitch attitude was too high and activated the aural stall warning. At about 30ft above the runway, the pilot asked the passenger to let go of the control column and reduced engine torque to idle. The aircraft touched down firmly at 1715. The pilot applied full reverse thrust and normal braking to bring the aircraft to a stop about 200m from the end of the runway. He taxied the aircraft to the parking area and shut down. The pilot initiated the applicable emergency procedure, but inadvertently selected the flap interrupt switch rather than the trim interrupt switch. Consequently (before the next checklist item was actioned), the pitch trim continued to runaway until it reached full nose-down with associated serious control
Mark Mitchell
Working at the limits of your mental capacity can test a pilot’s ability, particularly when there’s added stress from a problem. FLYER’s new Flight Safety Editor Steve Ayres looks at a couple of accidents where two very different pilots had their capacity stretched…
difficulties. The pilot did not identify the mis-selection and continued to address the emergency procedure without resolving the full out-of-trim condition. With the assistance of the passenger, the pilot managed to return to Merredin for a flapless landing. The aircraft was undamaged and the occupants uninjured. The ATSB found that the pitch trim runaway occurred because of a malfunctioning relay in the manual (main pilot-engaged) stabiliser trim system. As the (uninterrupted) pitch trim runaway progressed, the reinforcing cycle of increasing control loads, forced descent and increasing airspeed was initially exacerbated by high engine torque. The airspeed reached 210kt with increased risk of descent into terrain before the pilot reduced engine torque and airspeed to partially alleviate the control loads and arrest the descent. After the pilot addressed items (2) and (3) of the emergency procedure, the malfunction was neutralised and the alternate stabiliser trim system was available to adjust the trim. However, the pilot did not identify those positive conditions and continued with items (4) to (8) of the procedure, which disabled the alternate stabiliser trim system, prevented pitch trim adjustment and prolonged the serious control difficulties. The similarities between the trim interrupt and flap interrupt switches and the proximal location of the two switches, unnecessarily increased the risk of mis-selection and contributed to the excessive out-of-trim condition.
Accident 2
After first flying a circuit dual the student departed for three supervised solo circuits. Following full-stop landings from the first two circuits a final approach was made from which the aircraft bounced before rolling along the runway. Estimating that he no longer had sufficient runway remaining, the pilot applied full power for the go-around. The aircraft deviated left from the centreline and struck a tree on the edge of the airfield as it began to climb, rolled left and ended on its back in a field. The student pilot had accumulated about 94 hours of flight time on dual control aircraft in the previous five years, which included a 10-minute supervised first solo flight with a full-stop landing a month earlier. In the month before the accident, he flew 2 hours 15 minutes dual. The student had flown some 40 sorties with the same instructor in the 12 months before the accident. The length of the sorties was on average
“A contributing factor could have been the fatigue mentioned by the pilot” less than 30 minutes and consisted of some 40 landings, most of which were full-stop. The student pilot reported that the approach to the last landing was stabilised but that he bounced on landing. When on the ground, he felt he did not have enough runway ahead of him and decided to get airborne again. According to aeromodellers close to the upwind threshold who saw the aircraft pass a few metres from the ground at the upwind end of the runway, the engine was not delivering all its power. The instructor added that full-stop landings were generally made on dual sorties because the runway is short. The pilot indicated that his concentration may have been dulled after the three solo circuits.
French BEA conclusions On his last landing, after a bounce, the pilot estimated that he would not be able to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway and decided to abort the landing. He took off with the flaps in the landing configuration and carb heat applied, thus degrading the climb performance. The climb gradient did not allow the aircraft to clear obstacles around the aerodrome and uncontrolled engine effects caused the aircraft to turn left with a high incidence. A contributing factor could have been the fatigue mentioned by the pilot, plus there appeared to have been insufficient understanding of the technique required on the go-around from an aborted landing.
Ayres’ Analysis
These two accidents involved aircrew at opposite ends of the experience spectrum. One on his first solo circuit consolidation sortie, and one with a CPL and more than 2,000 hours of flight time. However, in both instances they were confronted with situations for which they were insufficiently prepared to cope effectively. In both cases, the pilots would have been working to the limit of their capacity, and at times beyond, in highly dynamic and rapidly evolving situations. Sometimes there are limitations in our training which create these extreme situations from what should be relatively benign situations, sometimes we just don’t have the skill set to cope. In the first instance the sequence of events must have been terrifying for all those on board, especially as it was in the middle of the night. However, what should have been a perfectly controllable situation following a relatively minor failure, a mis-selection had near fatal consequences. Being located next to each other and appearing similar in design, the pilot selected the flap interrupt rather than the trim interrupt. Struggling to control the aircraft in the darkness with seemingly nothing working ‘as advertised’, a proper analysis was always going to be difficult. Thankfully the aircraft was landed safely, however, without the passenger’s physical assistance the outcome would probably have been very different. With many modern GA types from homebuilts upwards being equipped with electric trim, it’s worth having a trim runaway drill committed to memory. A well-rehearsed drill should include being able to identify and pull the associated CB or switch – in the dark if required. If trim and flap interrupt switches are fitted, are they mounted close together and do they look similar? If so, perhaps your drill should be to operate both in the heat of the moment and then ‘un-interrupt’ one of them once you have your heart rate and the aircraft back under control. Airspeed as well as thrust can be critical in many trim/flap failures, so setting a ‘ball park’ figure early on should ease some of those troublesome stick forces. In the second instance the pilot was again in unfamiliar territory. It would appear he had little experience of going around from an aborted landing roll and in the panic of the moment missed a couple of actions which would have almost certainly prevented the accident. While most of us don’t have the benefit of simulators, we can rehearse many of these life-saving drills over and over in our head or in the cockpit, which will help free up some of that mental capacity to allow us to analyse properly and to make sound judgements when they are needed. August 2020 | FLYER | 49
Safety Accident Reports
The second try…
FLYER’s new Flight Safety Editor Steve Ayres summarises and comments on accident reports from around the world and takes a look at the Rain Alarm App
If at first you don’t…
Strike two, car
Beech 19
Piper PA28
N2177W
N5776W
Somerville, TN
Simsbury, CT
Injuries: Minor
Injuries: Minor
The pilot reported that shortly after take-off the engine ‘shut down’, due to the fuel selector being in the ‘off’ position. Subsequently, he made a forced landing to a field adjacent to the runway. He moved the fuel selector to the ‘on’ position and then initiated a soft-field take-off. During the take-off roll the aeroplane collided with an embankment, and it momentarily ascended before landing hard and then coming to rest upright. The nose landing gear separated from the aeroplane and the fuel tanks ruptured. A fire ensued, which consumed the aeroplane. Comment I must confess to being pretty amazed by this report as I think most of us would have decided we had exhausted our run of luck after the first successful forced landing. But we are, after all, human and prone to ‘umm’ and ‘err’…
The flight instructor reported that while the student pilot was landing, a car drove onto the runway and struck the left wing. Subsequently, the aeroplane nosed over. The driver of the car reported that he stopped at the runway entrance and looked left and right to make sure it was clear. While crossing the runway he heard glass shatter and felt a heavy impact. He did not see the aeroplane until after the collision. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage and the empennage.
Strike one, deer Symphony Aircraft SA-160
Strike three, bird Van’s RV-10 N519RV Granbury, Tx Injuries: None
The pilot reported that while in the circuit and turning from base to final, a large bird impacted the leading edge of the right wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing structure and made the aircraft difficult to control. The pilot was able to land safely on the intended runway.
N844SA Fitzgerald, GA Injuries: None
The pilot reported that during the landing roll a deer ran across the runway and struck the aeroplane’s right side. The pilot was able to taxi the aircraft to the ramp without further incident. The aeroplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the nosewheel.
One strike too many Cessna 208 N988FX Baltimore, MD Injuries: None
The pilot was conducting an ILS approach in night IMC to the destination airport. He was utilising the autopilot for the approach and disengaged it when he had the runway
and airport lighting system in view. As he approached the runway, the pilot heard a sound and thought the aeroplane had hit a bird. He felt the aeroplane pitch up so he increased engine power and pitched down in order to reach the runway. After the pilot landed and taxied to the ramp, he saw that a large piece of an approach light was caught on the aeroplane’s right main landing gear. Further inspection revealed that its empennage, right horizontal stabiliser, right wing strut and front cargo pod were also damaged. The operator reported that the aircraft had struck four separate approach light towers, as well as a localiser antenna. Comment Hitting things, or in some cases being hit, can, on occasions, be difficult to avoid. However, what happens afterwards is usually within our control. That said, from personal experience and looking through lots of incident reports it would seem that as pilots we often underestimate the amount of damage that is caused when something collides with our aeroplane. Which leaves that age old question – should you continue as if nothing has happened? Granted, the car-strike pilot had little choice, but the decision is often more nuanced. Unless on short finals, a slow speed handling check in the overhead, before making an approach at a speed where you know the aircraft is controllable, is usually a sound option. And even when on the ground, discovering what the damage is before taxying back with something that subsequently catches fire or brakes that fail, might just save your aeroplane – and possibly a life.
Turnback no-no Cessna 150L
“While crossing the runway, he heard glass shatter and felt a heavy impact” 50 | FLYER | August 2020
N10789 Whiteman Airport, Pacoima, CA Injuries: One fatal, one serious
The flight instructor and passenger were conducting a local area discovery flight. About 50 seconds after the aeroplane was cleared for take-off, the instructor transmitted to the tower controller that he needed to turn back. The tower controller
Safety Accident Reports then cleared the aeroplane to land and no further communication was received from the instructor. A video recording from a GoPro camera mounted in the cockpit provided an over the shoulder view of the aeroplane’s occupants and instrument panel during the flight – there was no audio. The video revealed that after an uneventful taxi and run-up, the instructor taxied the aeroplane onto the runway and, with his hands still on the yoke, the passenger advanced the throttle to start the take-off roll. The aeroplane became airborne and about 20ft above ground level (agl), the instructor removed his hands from the yoke to allow the passenger to fly. Two seconds later, the aeroplane’s nose dropped and the instructor put his right hand on the yoke and left hand on the throttle, the rpm gauge indicated between 2,200 and 2,300rpm. The instructor then appeared to verify that the throttle was at full power and the mixture was full rich. When the aeroplane was about 50ft agl, the instructor quickly pulled back the throttle, and the rpm dropped to 1,300. He then increased the throttle to full power, and the rpm increased to 2,200. The instructor then initiated a left bank turn and the aeroplane subsequently pitched up and banked left about 15° to 20°. The airspeed began to slow, and the ball in the turn-and-slip indicator showed an almost full-right deflection. The instructor continued to pull the yoke aft as the airspeed continued to decrease throughout the turn. The aeroplane subsequently entered a left spin from about 50ft agl, turned about 270°, and then impacted the overhang of a building about 500ft adjacent to the departure end of the runway. Post-accident examinations of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel tanks exhibited crushing damage, but they were not breached. Less than one gallon of aviation fuel was recovered from both wing fuel tanks. Each fuel tank can hold 13 gallons of fuel, of which 1.75 gallons is unusable. The passenger on board did not provide a statement as to the events leading up to the accident, nor if the flight instructor accomplished a pre-flight inspection to include checking the fuel quantity. Given the amount of fuel recovered from the wreckage it is likely that the flight instructor did not check the fuel quantity before the flight, and the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion. The airport is surrounded by building 52 | FLYER | August 2020
“The pilot pulled the yoke aft as the airspeed continued to decrease throughout the turn” structures and roadways, leaving few options for an off-airport landing in the event of an emergency. The accident site was adjacent to the end of the runway, therefore it is likely that at the time the flight instructor realised the emergency that there was insufficient distance remaining on the runway to land. NTSB Probable cause A loss of engine power shortly after take-off due to fuel exhaustion followed by the flight instructor exceeding the aircraft’s critical angle of attack when making an abrupt turn back toward the runway, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at an altitude too low for recovery. An inadequate pre-flight
inspection contributed to the accident. Comment The NTSB reported on this as I was writing comments to David Joyce’s thought-provoking piece in FLYER’s summer issue, and led me to delve into Google Maps to look at Whiteman Airport. This is one of those places where options are poor below genuine turnback height. None of this would have happened had there been fuel in the tanks, and the consequences may have been less severe if the instructor had kept control. But when an engine fails after take-off it’s usually too late to make a plan. So, make one beforehand, brief it on take-off, and follow it instinctively – should the worst happen.
Safety kit Rain Alarm
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I was a bit sceptical when I first saw this app as it didn’t seem to add much to what can be obtained through the likes of the Met Office dynamic rainfall maps etc., but I gave it a go and have since become quite attached to it! According to the developer: “This weather app alerts you when rain is approaching. The alerts are a reliable short-term forecast based on near real-time data and are more precise and reliable than a traditional forecast”. It is highly customisable, can be referenced to different locations and works in browsers as well as on IOS and Android devices with alerts on smart watches. A great reminder if you have clean forgotten that you have left the canopy open or if you are wondering if you have time or not to be able to tuck into a delicious hot dog! You’ll probably want to pay to get rid of the ads, though.
One last flight SPECIAL FEATURE
Forty years is a long time to be associated with one aeroplane, so it is with mixed emotions and a heavy heart that Mark Flynn and his 84-year-old father-in-law Brian take one last flight in their beloved 172
54 | FLYER | August 2020
I
t was 40 years ago when I first flew this 172. It belongs to Brian, my father-in-law, except at the time when I first flew it, he wasn’t my father-in-law. He was a local doctor recently returned from working in Africa. I was an aspiring airline pilot who had recently arrived in England, armed with my logbook swollen with hours from flying in the Australian bush, which I hoped would help me land an airline job. Brian wanted to fly with someone who understood a little more about controlled airspace, instrument flying – not to mention the fickle, capricious British weather. That was something that I could help with – and I had the time. His daughter, my girlfriend, then became my wife some 30-odd years ago. And the 172 has been a feature of our lives together ever since. Now though, we’re flying it for the last time. After all these years, at 84, my father-in-law has sold it. So on a bright, clear, crisp Sunday morning, we are at Fenland, a little grass airfield in Lincolnshire, having coffee, a bacon roll and a few minutes to plan the last leg home. The straight line track to Fowlmere where the aeroplane is kept, seems too modest an undertaking. I suggest we head east initially towards the Wash, track along its southern coastline towards Kings Lynn, then turn to the north to
Main Brian at Gigha Island on the west coast of Scotland, with his 172 parked up in the background Below The lowering sky creeps ever downwards, but despite fickle winds, a safe landing was made at Glenforsa on Scotland’s west coast
Hunstanton to follow the coast eastwards towards Cley next the Sea, and from there set course for home. After all, Norfolk has been a regular destination over the years, and above all else I want this last flight home to be memorable. The take-off is sprightly. This 172, built in France by Reims-Cessna is aptly named ‘the Rocket’. Its engine is a more powerful 210hp Rolls-Royce Continental, which turns a constant-speed propeller. With just the two of us, and little more than half fuel on board, we are at 2,000ft in no time with the Wash in sight. The aeroplane, built in 1966 but kept in beautiful condition, responds crisply to each gentle movement of the controls. Kings Lynn appears, then Hunstanton in the distance and we turn to the north. The coast is bathed in a bright morning light. Out to sea, a small freighter is making progress to the south, most likely heading into the port at Kings Lynn. The visibility and the air clear are enough to allow us to see the waves breaking occasionally over its bow. From Hunstanton a turn east, towards Holme and on towards Burnham market. We have friends nearby in Burnham Overy Staithe. A descent to 1,000ft and an orbit over their house is appropriate. From there on we head towards Langham, passing between the coast and the
August 2020 | FLYER | 55
One last flight
Above The cows are intrigued by their ‘new’ neighbour on Gigha Island…
56 | FLYER | August 2020
magnificent Holkham Hall. We’ve sought the owner’s permission for a touch-and-go at Langham as it has been a regular destination. The wind from the north here is fresh, the conditions blustery and the approach to the grass strip takes us through some turbulent air at the last moment. Once again, pushing in the throttle after touching down, the aeroplane responds instantly, we climb swiftly away and once again turn east, at 1,000ft this time, to Cley. To the northeast, out to sea, the massive wind turbines of the Sheringham shoal churn away in the distance. From there it is down the Glaven valley towards Holt, which gives us a chance to orbit our little cottage and to take a few last photos before we climb up to 2,500ft and turn on to the final heading, the one that will take us home to a final landing. On track, with a fair wind behind the aeroplane and light, puffy cumulus cloud above us, the aeroplane is running like a dream in the smooth, cool, autumnal air. At 2,500ft, I switch on the aeroplane’s modest autopilot and set the heading I want it to follow on the directional gyro. Our course is now set to the south-west, initially passing to the north of Little Snoring Airfield. I once knew an ex-RAF pilot, alas no longer with us, who flew night fighters from this airfield in WWII. If you look in the aero club you’ll find a tribute wall on which are recorded his three victories. However, the wall makes no mention of courage nor the battles he fought against his enemies in the darkness. Next, RAF Sculthorpe comes into view, which is now no longer operational but was once the repository for nuclear weapons. Embryonic electronic warfare missions flew from here during the war. Later, cold war spy aeroplanes took off
from this site for long range missions deep into the heart of the USSR. USAF B45 Tornados and US warplanes, although for obscure political reasons they were flown by RAF crews with RAF markings.
Quiet Sunday…
Our track is keeping us clear of RAF Marham, although being Sunday it is most likely to be quiet and without activity, with the new F-35s tucked away in their hangars. Sandringham now looms large to our right, but we’re unable to see if the Royal Standard is flying over the house.… As the Fenland passes below us we both sit quietly… watching. I am reflecting on all the flights I’ve made in this aeroplane. To France, Germany, Luxembourg, Holland and the Channel Islands. Not forgetting Belgium, to Ostend where you can pick up a hire car and be at Ypres in no time, paying your respects to the sacrifices made by all the young men who fell in WWI, who are now lying in the tranquil beauty of the Tyne Cot cemeteries. A visit to the splendid museum in the town leaves enough time to watch the evening ceremony at the Menin Gate, where the last post is played every evening – and still have enough time to make it back to Ostend. Taking advantage of the time change, we would then fly westwards to home and land before dark. Of course, summer is best, preferably mid-June. However, the most frequent destination of all was Ireland. And at some point, almost all included a trip to the Aran Islands, to touch down and spend the night on Inishmore. In the days before it had a tarmacked runway and became a ‘proper’ airfield, a low-level circuit was a must in a bid to chase off the resident donkeys. We’d even had an
One last flight Right Famous aviation artisit Gerald Coulson painted this for Brian, who was Gerald’s AME for many years. It was a gift to say ‘thanks’, after Brian had kindly let Gerald fly it for a few hours
“At 84, I’m guessing my father-in-law knows this will be his last flight at the controls, his last as a pilot” arrangement with the postmaster, who would leave bikes for us behind the airfield shed. Then last summer we took a week-long trip around the West Coast of Scotland – Oban, Plockton, Glenforsa on the Isle of Mull – and then two nights on Gigha island. But for this flight I’ve set an average power setting, with this last leg being only some 35 minutes or so and the aeroplane having plenty of fuel, an exact performance hasn’t been necessary. However, out of idle curiosity I reach down into the pocket on the side wall and pull out performance charts and a circular slide rule, which is one that I don’t think I’ve used in years. Outside air temperature, altitude, etc all factored in, I enter the tables to determine the exact power setting to give long range cruise. I set the manifold pressure with the throttle, adjust the pitch knob to give the exact rpm and then slowly wind out the mixture control, carefully watching the Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) gauge. With each turn of the mixture knob, weakening the mixture, the EGT rises until it peaks. Then I richen the mixture to run the engine some 25° richer (and cooler) than its peak. The aeroplane’s airspeed and fuel flow are exactly as predicted in the handbook, a testimony to this remarkable machine which has given us so much pleasure over the years. It’s as if this machine, this device of metal, plastic, leather, rubber and synthetic materials has a soul and is just as aware of the finality of this flight. It wants us to appreciate and acknowledge how faithfully and reliably it has looked after us. 58 | FLYER | August 2020
With the ‘great ship of the Fens’ – aka Ely Cathedral – ‘sailing’ into view, towering over the flat surrounding landscape we know that Cambridge is not too far away. I break our reverie and reflection. “You know, when I retired recently from my airline job, I’d enjoyed it and loved it all those years, but I don’t think I felt the same emotional attachment as I’m now feeling towards this little aeroplane.” Just a nod comes in reply. At 84, I’m guessing my father-inlaw knows this will be his last flight at the controls, his last as a pilot…
Spitfires and Tiger Moths
With Fowlmere now some 10 miles away, I call the neighbouring airfield at Duxford. The two airfields are so close, it is as well to advise them of our presence. They are using their north-easterly runway and are busy. I advise that we will also land to the north-east as it will lessen the chances of coming face-to-face with one of the Spitfires, Hurricanes or Tiger Moths that fly from there, and confirm that we’ll call again to advise once we are on the ground. I set up for the circuit, carefully ensuring we follow a prescribed track that will keep us over open countryside as much as possible, as well as minimise any irritation local people might feel towards the sound and sight of our aeroplane. On final approach, with the runway in sight, the flaps are set for landing and the aeroplane nicely trimmed out to hold an approach speed of 60kt. I am, as ever, always
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One last flight
“I call Duxford to inform them we are on the ground, our flying for the day, and indeed forever, in this faithful little 172 is over” Above The brooding sky and landscape of Gigha Island
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impressed by its stability – steady as a rock, needing only the gentlest, small corrections to keep it on track, holding the centreline of the runway to fly down to its touchdown point. The wind, from slightly west of north is generating a light tailwind. As a result, I’m aware we are slightly faster over the ground than through the air. We will float a little, eating up more of the runway than necessary before landing, but no matter, this grass strip is way longer than we need. I find myself wondering if it isn’t the aeroplane’s soul again, almost as if it wants to prolong this flight too. Into the flare, I have the throttle closed and begin gently raising the nose. The speed decaying, the lift of the wing fading, raising the nose causes the wing to claw at the air, prolonging flight until, at the end and finally overcome by gravity, we touch down and are rolling out on the grass. A light touch on the brakes, we slow more quickly and turn off the runway, pausing briefly to raise the flaps before beginning to taxi slowly back to the hangar. The flight has allowed a reflection on what we’ve done with
the aeroplane over the years. The trips we’ve made in it, the people with whom I’ve flown it. The two young kids, to whom I gave their first flight and seeing their wide-eyed rapture, their delight at being given the controls and seeing it inspire them to a career in aviation, both now Captains with major airlines. The flight we’ve just made, down through East Anglia, the contrast and history, from the great Cathedral at Ely, where people have worshipped for more than 1,400 years, to the radio telescopes that scan space and a part of the University of Cambridge’s research project. We’ve enjoyed a magnificent vista, a treasured memory to be relished. Pulling up in front of the hangar, I set the brakes. I call Duxford to inform them we are on the ground, our flying for the day, and indeed forever, in this faithful little 172 is over. Then, with the engine idling, I close the throttle, shut down the radios, pull the mixture through to idle cut-off, the propeller grinds to a halt and I switch off the magnetos and the battery. Nothing now but the faint hum of the gyros as they wind down. Goodbye old friend – and thank you…
Sole distributor of Diamond AircraA and Stemme in the UK and Ireland Gemstone Avia6on Ltd
+44 1777 805 001
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FLYING ADVENTURE
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Steve Carver and his team mates at Global Stars were on a mission to display at Wings India 2020
Photos: Globals Stars and Karthik Barad
Passage to India…
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S
ydney Camm, designer of the Hawker Hurricane, once complained that ‘air is very cantankerous stuff’. However, looking out on the wing along the beautifully clean, uncluttered leading edge of this 787 Dreamliner, Mr Grumpy would have little to complain about. It’s an easterly departure from Runway 27 Right at London Heathrow, approaching rotation with a picture but very little sound. The wingtips rise noticeably, lift overcomes weight and the leading edge takes on the most elegant of curves. The 787 is indisputably an engineering miracle. As the world came to terms with COVID-19, and Friday 6 March became Saturday 7 March somewhere east of the Greenwich meridian, we were en route for our Indian adventure.
March 2020: 6/7
Thanks to Boeing’s engineers getting their sums right, the 8.5 hour journey across Northern Europe, Russia and beyond to Hyderabad is nothing like the feat of endurance it used to be. We arrive relatively refreshed, drop off our bags and grab a couple of hours sleep before heading to Begumpet Airfield to open the containers in preparation for Wings India 2020. Some aerobatic teams would probably take a day or two off, sight-see, and do touristy things before getting down to business. However, that’s not what the Global Stars do. We clear customs, hope air side passes have been printed – and we get straight down to business. There’s always a faint whiff of tension as the seals on the shipping containers are cut away and the doors are opened. Taking in the overall picture inside the container, we look for any obvious signs of damage, check tension in the straps to see if anything might have moved, and if it has, we make a note for next time. This is even more important for this event as we are shipping two aircraft per container, and a new Extra 330 from Walter’s factory will set you back a cool third of a million, which explains the comment about ‘the tension’. Three year ago in China, at the World Formation Aerobatic Championships, we saw the result of two Extras having moved around in a container which had borne the brunt of a tropical storm en route from Australia. In fact, more than one of us suddenly found that we’d got a piece of dust or something in our eye… heartbreaking! No such problems on arrival this time, though. Within the hour, three aeroplanes, tools and spares are laid out in the assembly area. We begin with two to an aeroplane – pilot and engineer. Chris, aka ‘Junior’, assists Mark Jefferies with the 330, Arunas from Lithuania helps Chris Burkett with his 300S, while I and the 260 are kept out of trouble by Neil. By sunset, on our first day in India for more than a year, we are pleased with ourselves because we have wings resting on all three aeroplanes. This meant only one thing, it was time to get back to the hotel for a August 2020 | FLYER | 63
Flying Adventure
Previous page ‘Vic’ formation, T minus 10 seconds before start Above Steve and Chris over the top of a ‘half Cuban’ in mirror Right Leader Mark Jefferies prepares his pyros for our evening show Far right 80% done with 35% still to do! Below “Where does this bit go?” Neil knows!
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‘black-un’, which is a blokey Northern colloquial term for a beer before dressing for an evening meal.
March 8 and 9
The food at the Vivanta Hotel in Begumpet is second to none. Furthermore, as hot food goes it comes with the added advantage of being served on warm plates, which means that by the time it reaches your table it’s still warm – and edible. This is largely down to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which suggests that hot things are more likely to cool down than warm up. In some hotels we visit, food intended to be served hot is barely warm and often inedible by the time it reaches you on a cold plate. Sunday is the first proper full day assembling the Extras and by midday we’re nearly ready to fly two of them. Steve has a minor brake issue but the team has various options with which to solve the problem, including shipping parts. This can lead to a feeling of optimism rapidly followed by disappointment… So, long story short, parts are swapped left to right to mitigate the inconvenience and eventually all is well. Meanwhile, Chris and Mark have a ‘shake down and pairs’ flight as our new home in the shape of four gazebos joined end to end is assembled out on the ramp. Back in 2016 a storm cell developed nearby and outflow from it blew these very same gazebos over the fence and into the public enclosure. Who knows? Perhaps Sydney Camm was right after all, air can be very cantankerous! Monday, and our body clocks are aligning to Hyderabad’s ‘zeitgebers’ or daily time givers. A briefing at 1030 with airport officials guides us through the increased threats the airport faces as it hosts this mini Farnborough-like trade show. As the Global Stars are the headline act, we have come armed with CAP403, our country’s guide to airshow administration and best practice to avoid being the headliner on evening news bulletins. After a certain amount of numerical analysis we learn that the increased threat is 39%. We go on to learn that this is a mere trifle and is therefore an acceptable risk. Good, because we’ve come a very long way and Junior had to leave a roofing job only half-done. “Sorry mate, back in two weeks, just off to India with an aerobatic team.” Really. Pull the other one! Heading out onto the ramp the pilots meet with our engineers and prepare for the first of three formation flights. This first is simply a case of holding hands, nothing too cheeky as we haven’t flown regularly for a couple of months. Mark’s leading is good, so Chris and Steve have a fair chance of hanging on, which they clearly do on this first outing. At the end of this first three-ship, we’re confident that the sequence will be fairly well polished by the first show day on Thursday. After a busy day, it is definitely time for bed and sleep… As we drop back into tried and tested routines, things become easier. The minibus leaves at 0900 sharp. We pass familiar street markets with livestock and wares, see riches and poverty sitting cheek by jowl. In fact, a bundle of rags lying on the pavement is a person… We do a
round trip to the airfield twice daily, narrowly missing a variety of motorised threats that come in all shapes and sizes, mostly on two or sometimes three wheels but occasionally on foot.
March 10
Day four and we’re starting to find a routine that works for us at the airfield. One of us will pop up to the tower to discuss requirements for the day – how many flights, who’ll fly and at what time. Begumpet doesn’t have scheduled traffic but has several flying schools and a flight training academy on site. There are also ad hoc arrivals and departures to work around, anything from a C172 to a Citation jet or Embraer Legacy. Last time we were here in 2016, the temperature hit 45°C and energy management became a major concern for us in sequence design. Today it’s just a balmy 36°C! Begumpet Airport is some 1,800ft above sea level, so factoring in the temperature and density altitude rockets up. This shows up as a very noticeable loss of performance as the engine, airframe and propeller are fighting for air. The aeroplanes respond as though they are ‘tired, fed up and in need of a siesta’. The team has in mind a series of manoeuvres, including energy gainers such as gentle, floaty half Cubans in between those that are more dramatic and crowd pleasing, but more costly in terms of energy management. For energy, think bank accounts, bank balances and accessibility. Take a snapshot of an aeroplane in flight and it has three kinds of energy – speed, height and chemical energy in the form of fuel. The first two, speed and height, are in a ‘current account’, are easily accessible, and you can do what you like with them immediately. Fuel in the tank is like money in a ‘deposit account’. The rate at which you can
Below A celebration of India from Mark in the 330 SC
Summer 2020 | FLYER | 55
Flying Adventure
Above Steve and Chris in mirror, while Mark rolls around Right Sunset at the end of a long day of practice Far right Out of a loop into the ‘Indian break’ Below Ambassadors for UK PLC
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get your hands on it is known as power available: 180hp in a Pitts S1S and a smidgen over 300hp in one of our Extras. The question is all about spending. Do you fly a bit too fast, pull back too hard, or use the smoke too much? If you’ve a tendency towards any of these then you’ll run out of height, interesting options – and eventually run aground! The team is used to long days. We fly in formation twice and Mark trials some new locally made pyros after sunset. It’s fair to say, they’re still a work in progress. Back in our hotel rooms there is of course one other bedtime puzzle to solve: turning off the bedroom lights! It’s day four and none of us are any the wiser. How hard can it be? When you’re tired and bleary eyed the rows of buttons on either side of the bed and the ones by the door become an enigma. Logic is pointless, because as one light goes off another one comes on. Giving up on the ones within easy reach, you resort to the master switch by the door. Fumbling your way back to bed across the room in the dark you stub a toe on the mini bar, collide with the swivel chair and let out a little whimper. Tomorrow is the final practice day, so a good night’s sleep is called for.
March 11 and 12
Hyderabad is just a little over 17° north of the equator and is a long way inland, consequently visitors to this metropolitan district of just under 10 million people have the flavour of life on a subcontinent. It gets very hot here! This all-important wind and weather pattern is not at all like the British maritime climate that we all know and love. So what makes it go? The days start warm with a high overcast and by lunchtime this gives way and the convection gets going. The sky then clears briefly before towering cumulus start their shift and are looming over us by mid-afternoon. Some of these dark Cu look ominous. We might only feel a few drops of rain, but we’ve had reports of heavy downpours of biblical proportions less than an hour’s drive away. Intense heat triggers bird activity and during practice we’ve had a few close encounters with Black Kites, cousins of the ones we know only too well in Ahmedabad, just north of where we are. They’re very inquisitive, and when a column of warm rising air lends a hand they’ll come and have a peek. Thankfully, they do it all the time and always manage to duck! Birds have an SOP, which is to descend… We’re mindful of the wind as during an aerobatic display we’re performing on, or more accurately in, a moving stage. The Global Stars takes pride being near to the centre of the crowd throughout a display, not just in between turn-round figures. Straight lines are minimised. The formation is always pitching or rolling or both. If the wind is, say, left to right at 20kt then the show goes with it like a toy balloon unless we do something to prevent it. Tricky thing here is that the wind on the ground is always a brisk easterly. Up at cloud base, just above our display height, it’s a south or south-westerly!
“The aeroplanes respond as if they are actually tired, fed up and in need of a siesta…” Understandably, wind, weather and temperature are never far from our minds. It’s our working environment and the difference between performing somewhere once only, or alternatively making the right impression, and being asked to come back next year. To this end Mark has done a great job of positioning during practice, as well as today, the first of the four show days. Chris and Steve have worked on ways of improving their section of opposition manoeuvres so that they cross in front of the VIP area no matter whatever tricks the wind has in store for them. Rejoins with Mark have been scrutinised so that they seem effortless. Engineers, Neil, Junior and Arunas are quick to refuel the aircraft and top up smoke oil, so that the whole enterprise is now very slick indeed! It’s now Thursday and lunchtime. After a morning of press and media interviews, and our first show for Wings India 2020, we’re back on the ground, looking a bit sweaty, so back to the hotel for a shower and a quick bite. The light switches are still proving, shall we say, challenging, by the way. One job, he had one…! Just as we’re about to walk to our aeroplanes for the afternoon show an Ops vehicle rolls up and several familiar faces from Monday’s risk assessment meeting appear. The afternoon show is off as a result of the virus. For the next three days, until Sunday afternoon, we’ll perform for those who have business on site, exhibitors, sales and media peeps, air traffic controllers, G4S security operatives, a wide variety of other ancillary staff and the odd one or two who managed to scale the perimeter fence. This is a disappointment to us as we enjoyed a great reception back in 2016. Instead, we’ll continue to improve the performance and use it as a training opportunity.
March 13-15
A pattern emerges. We arrive at the airfield in the morning, plan to fly three times throughout the day only to find our afternoon show is cancelled at very short notice. And it usually happens JUST as we’re getting changed into flying gear! Meantime our performances are well received by the August2020 | FLYER | 67
Flying Adventure
Above Our sun: provider of all energy and life Right Mirror roll around from Chris’ wing tip Below right Team Manager and Leader Mark Jefferies Bottom Steve pushes through the up vertical, while Chris pulls
60 | FLYER | Summer 2020
press, invited guests and many of the exhibitors at this, the largest aviation gathering in Asia. We’re flying a sequence of around 15 minutes starting with a departure in Vic formation off Runway 09. Quick change to ‘stud 1’ our discrete frequency, which we’re not going to divulge, then it’s a smoke check and arm the pyros! All this before we’re halfway downwind to run in at low speed for a fan break using coloured wingtip smoke. Mark is on white engine smoke. Chris and Steve each set off a dozen orange and green wingtip smokes to make the colours of our host nation’s national flag. Mark also carries green and orange smokes, hits the vertical, to torque roll in an orgy of green and orange before rejoining the formation for the main part of the show. The sequence is textbook Global Stars, no long gaps while the formation turns around, and there’s always something exciting happening at the datum. We’ve had no problems with energy, never had to bin a figure because of the density altitude, though the temperature has been up around 38°C. Our last figure, the Indian Break, is from a threequarter loop that bursts into smoke on the down line. Chris and Steve break right and left through 90°, while Mark rolls smartly through 180° to exit on the B axis. A stream landing follows. The pilots quickly unstrap and remove headsets while taxying back in, shutting down in unison, facing our audience. Canopies open together and three pilots give a wave back to a very hospitable and appreciative gathering: Thank you! There are now 20 minutes of selfies and media before the team retire to the gazebo, flake out for a while before moving onto the next task. By late afternoon all the aircraft are fuelled, smoked and equipped with pyros for the evening show which starts at around 1845. We are extremely pleased to see word has got out about the pyrotechnics, something of a novelty in India, and many city dwellers come outside to watch the show. By 1800 there’s quite a gathering around our small working area. Lots of questions, the inevitable selfies, and a sense of anticipation. Taxying out with LEDs shining bright all adds to that feeling, so we begin with some figures using smoke only. Then as the light level drops, the team runs in and lights up the sky for miles around. These pyros burn at a speed and intensity that we haven’t seen before. Imagine trying
Flying Adventure
to formate with someone arc welding a few feet away? Peripheral vision is minimal! Your entire world is a small, well-lit section of the lead aircraft. No exaggeration, there’s nothing out there, only the familiar reference of a wing-root divided at the trailing edge and the aim is to be able to see a small portion of the top and bottom of the wing simultaneously. Keep it like that with small control inputs and you’re in the right place. We also fly a little further apart than normal to avoid sparks from the leader’s pyros, thus preserving the paint job and vinyl. This has consequences for anything other than straight and level because larger power changes are inevitable in turns as the turning radii of each aircraft differs just a little bit more from its neighbour than it usually does. After three pyro shows it is fair to say the people of Begumpet are hooked! On Sunday, the last show day, our afternoon and evening performances are cancelled as the organisers start to wind the event down. We make good use of this time and reconvene in the area where the assembly began just over a week ago. By late afternoon on Sunday we’re ready for wing lifts on all three aeroplanes. Strapping down in the shipping containers takes longer as we must be sure that nothing moves in the six or seven weeks that these containers are at the mercy of the high seas and handlers. Lunchtime on Monday, with containers sealed, we head back to the hotel to eat and pack. Next, the BA online checking-in process. We are relieved to see that the flight scheduled to leave Hyderabad’s main airport at 0720 tomorrow is still on… While all of this has been happening, the world has been changing. In the meantime, the Global Stars will continue. Thanks to everyone who supports and is interested in us. Oh, and by the way, we sussed the bedroom lights in the end…
Above The start of our twilight show Right MJ calls for taxi and clearance Below The end of a long day Below right Looping with someone arc welding on your wing tip!
Map 1
2
1 Heathrow
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2 Hyderabad
Top Gear
The latest aviation kit, impartially tested and evaluated
Flight filming on a budget By Peter Steele Main A tiny Drift Stealth 2 camera can be attached using a suction mount above and behind the direct vision window on a PA28, giving a view forward and down Right The Panasonic HX-A500 bullet is a small cylindrical camera, which is attached by a lead to a compact box containing the controls, card, battery and screen, and fits in a pocket. The camera part can be velcroed to the side of a headset
E
very flight is different and recordable in these days of the easily available action camera. But the question is – what camera to use? How do you mount them safely, record audio and make a video from the footage, all for the cost of one hour in a club aircraft? I’m no expert, but I can certainly tell you which techniques and equipment have worked for me during the 14 years of recording my flying adventures. It can be a confusing subject, so I’ll try and explain as best I can in bite-sized chunks.
Camera choice
The current crop of action cameras boast 4k resolution, which is quite an increase in image quality over the previous standard of 1080, as 4k records 3840 x 2160 pixels (8.29 million pixels). 1080 records 1920 x 1080, 2.07 million pixels, meaning 4k video will have four times the resolution, giving far more detailed video images. But, the question is, do you need it? For various reasons I don’t use 4k video for my flights. On a one-hour flight my camera will produce a 4k video file of 21 gigabytes (GB) and needs a card that can handle writing six megabytes of data every second. Set the 72 | FLYER | August 2020
same camera to 1080 resolution and it produces files of 11GB an hour at 50 frames per second or 6.4GB per hour at 25 frames per second. But why does this matter? Trying to get an average computer to deal with these massive amounts of data is very difficult. An old PC crashed on my first attempt to create a video from two 4K cameras. So unless you’ve got a top-spec machine, stick to 1080. Plus you’ll get more recording time on a camera card and your battery will last longer. A win-win situation. I bought two GoPro Hero 2s, complete with back screens, on eBay some years ago for £70 each. They have been great – once you get used to the torturous menu system. Newer GoPros do not allow an external microphone to be plugged in without an adapter, plus they use the same socket for power and audio. This means a microphone can be plugged in, or power, but not both, unlike my Hero 2s. I also have a 4K Panasonic HX-A500 bullet camera (more on that bit of kit later) and a Drift Stealth 2, a tiny camera I use for recording motorbike trips.
Mounting the camera
This is a tricky subject. Mounting any camera in the cockpit needs to be properly considered,
plus it must also be done in line with the guidance for your particular aircraft operating regime. It must not be a distraction nor produce blind spots. The CAA’s document, CAP1369 (https://bit.ly/2ZivTsu) should be your first source of information. Mounting a camera externally is a different matter. As has previously been written in FLYER: “How do you mount an external camera legally? Well… it’s complicated. If you want to mount it legally, it will depend on which particular regime your aircraft comes under. To be safe, you should talk to the LAA, the BMAA or to a licensed engineer. The CAA issued some guidance on the subject a while ago, which is worth reading. Alternatively, some people have suggested that you follow the FAA’s advice and fit it in such a way that is sensible, that won’t get in the way of any controls or moving surfaces and that won’t fall off. This might sound logical, but unless you have an N-reg aircraft it isn’t legal. Before you decide to do something stupid, take a look in the mirror – you’ll be looking at the person responsible for your safety. If it goes wrong you’d better blame whoever was staring back at you from the mirror rather than anyone else.” I bought a MyPilot Pro Airplane Mount for GoPro cameras after reading a review on the FLYER website (https://bit.ly/31kCBR2). I’ve used it once and had my installation (with extra cable ties and wire locking just to be
Audio and keeping in sync
sure) checked by an aircraft engineer before flying. There are two types available: one with a RAM arm swivel mount allowing the camera to rotate through 360°, and the one I have, which can only face forwards or backwards. Mine sits on the tail tie-down of a PA28 very nicely and I managed to capture a beautiful flight from Fowlmere to overhead Great Yarmouth and back. The mount is still available on Amazon for £46.50, although I found one on eBay for half that price. Mounting cameras inside the cockpit can be approached in two ways, the ‘pilots’ eye’ or the ‘fixed’ view. My GoPros came with a head strap, which I used in a Cessna 172, so the camera mount simply sits on your forehead. This works very well with the Cessna with its high, front window, but not well on the Piper Archer III with its vertically narrower window. Because the camera sits a fair bit above your eyeline the high-level switches of the Archer III block the view completely. I did try a £7 cap with an integral GoPro mount but had the same problem. Adding extension brackets lowered the camera so that it sat on the cap’s peak, but this proved too heavy and awkward. All of which brings me to the amazing Panasonic HX-A500 bullet camera. It’s a
small cylindrical camera attached by a lead to a compact box containing the controls, card, battery and screen, which comfortably sits in a pocket. The camera part is velcroed to the side of my headset, using part of a strap mount that came with the camera. The beauty of this is the camera part is so light I don’t notice it, and the screen means I can set up the view before flying then forget about it. They were discontinued a few years ago but I found several for £150 to £180 on eBay. The disadvantage is there is no way to attach a separate microphone, unlike the GoPros… but more on that later, too. The simplest fixed-mount is a GoPro adhesive camera mount which is stuck to the ceiling of the aircraft. Most aircraft I’ve rented over the past few years have had one of these stuck to the ceiling already. Top tip – if you’re going to fit one yourself, check the view. If there is no screen and you can’t view the camera image on a phone via bluetooth, take a laptop and card reader with you. As the view from this position is good at showing the inside of the aircraft, but not so good at capturing the outside, I add a second camera (the Drift) on a small suction mount, normally above and behind the direct vision window on a PA28, giving a view forward and down.
Using two cameras leads me to the thorny subject of audio. My simple solution is to use a good quality lapel microphone (Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier microphone, £29) wedged inside the ear cup of my headset. I used to tape it into my Bose X headset, but the tape lifts off the headset lining. I plug the audio jack into the socket of my GoPro. If I’m using the Panasonic or Drift, which don’t have microphone sockets, I plug the mic into a pocket audio recorder, a £40 Sony ICD-PX370. The trick is to synchronise the audio with both video tracks. Assuming I’ve got either two cameras in the cockpit, or one camera with a separate audio recorder, when I switch on the camera(s) and microphone I clap once, twice, then three times. Make sure you tell your passengers what you are doing or they may well think that you’re crazy – and probably run away. When I add both video and audio tracks to my video editor (more on this in the next section), it’s a simple process to drag one clip so the audio ‘claps’ line up, therefore avoiding the ‘lips out of sync’ problem.
Editing
Viewing and editing video clips (especially 4k) can be problematic on some computers. I use the free Video Lan player from www.videolan. org (available for Mac or Windows) to view clips. There’s also the amazing, free Shotcut video editor from www.shotcut.org. I’ve been using it since it appeared in 2011 and it is really excellent. Shotcut may look complicated, but just 30 minutes on YouTube studying any of the video tutorials for beginners makes learning the basics pretty straightforward. I think it’s on a par with paid-for software that I’ve used – yet it’s free! So there you have it – that’s my system. I find videos very useful, not only for reliving my adventures, but for learning as well. As I mentioned in Lockdown Learnings (FLYER, July 2020), a year ago I flew an aircraft with different avionics with an instructor. I haven’t flown it since, but after reviewing my video, I would be comfortable to fly it again. Finally, and most importantly, we will all have to ‘hang up our headsets’ one day, so it will be marvellous to have some cracking visual souvenirs of the time when we could – and did – fly the skies… August 2020 | FLYER | 73
By Association Looking after General Aviation The UK’s flying associations at work
AOPA Social responsibility I want to begin by acknowledging the work and engagement of both the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport, because in working closely with industry we were able to achieve a restart date (4 July) for General Aviation. This includes both dual and instructional flying. Of course, this does NOT mean that coronavirus has disappeared, far from it. Therefore, as individuals we must decide for ourselves when we will restart flying and with whom we will fly, it’s up to you. As a friend of mine said, “We must all keep in mind that we may have a deadly infection and that we are keen to avoid spreading it.”
I think it is the risk associated with spreading coronavirus that should concern us most, and which should help focus the mind on following the guidelines, especially regarding hygiene and cleanliness. The social distancing guidelines and rules with respect to gatherings also still apply. The aero clubs will have set their own standards and customers should comply with aero club requirements, as they will be based on a risk assessment for the business. Individual aircraft owners and flying groups should also develop a similar risk-based approach when looking at their own operations. The need for social responsibility within general aviation
has never been greater, and it is incumbent on all of us to make sure we play our part in reducing the risk of spreading the virus. Also, it is worth considering contacting an instructor, who I am sure will be happy to help brush away the cobwebs after the prolonged period of being grounded. Most of all, enjoy your flying… Martin Robinson
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association www.aopa.co.uk
BMAA Remain responsible As I write, there are just a few days to go until dual flight and flight training can restart. It’s been a frustrating time for all those grounded by the lockdown restrictions, but ultimately, in my opinion, it’s better safe than sorry. I cannot lay blame on the government for the restrictions which were introduced in order to protect us from coronavirus. However, it has been particularly frustrating that the Devolved Administrations (DA) have been, at best, vague in their responses to requests for clarification on rules applying to recreational flying in their countries. I have seen written responses to questions saying, ‘no, you cannot fly’, and ‘yes,
you can fly’, from the same DAs at the same time. During a meeting with the Department for Transport and the CAA it was made clear that airspace is governed centrally, so if recreational flying is allowed in airspace over England, it is also allowed over the rest of the UK. The rules that govern movement may prevent a pilot getting to the airfield, but if they can get there, then they can fly. Now that dual training is allowed to restart it is the responsibility of all the schools to ensure it can be carried out safely. The easing of lockdown restrictions does NOT mean that the virus has disappeared, although watching some
of the appalling behaviour on England’s beaches and in some cities on TV would have you think otherwise. Please take great care returning to flying – remember the aviation saying – better fuel in the tank and runway ahead. Let’s add another, ‘better safe than sorry’. Geoff Weighell
British Microlight Aircraft Association www.bmaa.org
LAA Cautious steps… Private flying is starting to take cautious steps out of the COVID-19 lockdown, at last. The broadening of the current government advice to guidance with suitable precautions, flights with passengers other than members of one’s household and the resumption of dual instruction, plus pilot currency training, has been driven by cross-Association involvement in a CAA/DfT COVID working group. This has allowed us to make our case in terms of pilot currency and safety, and the future survival of the flying instruction sector which airfields in turn need in order to remain viable.
Sadly, however, we’ve made the hard decision to cancel the 2020 LAA Rally in September. We worked incredibly hard with Sywell Aerodrome to develop new ways in which the Rally could go ahead, while at the same time keeping volunteers, members, exhibitors and other visitors safe. However, would it have been right to host a large public event just as we begin our national recovery from this horrendous virus? What would happen, heaven forbid, if the LAA Rally went ahead as planned, and then was cited as a source of reinfection? Instead, we are looking ahead. Let’s all
make a note in our diaries for 3, 4 and 5 September 2021. Next year’s Sywell rally will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the formation in 1946 of the LAA’s predecessor, the Ultra-Light Aircraft Association. It will be both a celebration and a welcome reunion of those who can’t get together this year. It should be one heck of a party! Steve Slater
Light Aircraft Association www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk
Aviation associations Got something to say? You’re welcome to contribute to this page, email editor@seager.aero 74 | FLYER | August 2020
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If you’re a member of The FLYER Club, we’ll send you personalised vouchers to save £78 by claiming one free landing at each of these airfields valid for August 2020, although not at an aircraft’s home field. No jets. Please contact the airfield before setting off
If you’re not currently a member of the FLYER Club, but would like to receive six new free landing fees every four weeks plus other Club member benefits, then click here to join!
Kenyon Hall Airfield
0751 4636315 | www.lancsaeroclub.co.uk Kenyon Hall Airfield Previously Kenyon Hall Farm, the airfield is an unlicensed single grass runway, 23/05, near Wigan. It is manned most weekends, with a warm welcome extended at all times to visitors from any airfield. Lancashire Aero Club members are able to access the Club Cabin using the key entry code. PPR is essential on 01925 560522. Landing is free but a donation to the North West Air Ambulance is appreciated.
Nearby attractions include an excellent cafe and farm shop a half-mile walk away, offering good friendly company when manned. PPR 01925 560522 Radio 120.255
Perth
A A
01738 551631 | EGPT | www.perthairport.co.uk Perth Airport, with its 853m tarmac runway, is centrally located in the heart of Scotland. It’s home to the Scottish Aero Club, which is Scotland’s original and largest, and the clubhouse facilities are open to all visitors. There’s a friendly and informal atmosphere and it’s recommended that you visit the Touchdown Café where you’ll love the food and drinks. Visit the ACS Aviation shop for a full range of discounted pilot supplies.
Nearby attractions include the Gleneagles Hotel, Scone Palace, Perth Racecourse and the King James VI Golf Club. PPR 01738 551631 Radio 121.080
M
Radio Accepts non-radio light aircraft, but PPR
76 | FLYER | August 2020
PPR Prior permission is required
Refreshments Including restaurants and cafes etc
Microlights are welcome
A
UL
Fuel Aviation fuel available A avgas, UL UL91, M mogas
While you’re there When you visit these six airfields, why not show your support by enjoying a meal in the cafe or filling up with fuel? It’s good to support GA in the UK.
Free Landings are for FLYER Club member use only – click here to join!
Redhill
A
01737 823377 | EGKR | www.redhillaerodrome.com Redhill is GA Aerodrome located on the edge of the Gatwick CTR and beneath the CTA. There are three grass runways 08R/26L, 08L/26R and 18/36. Please note the use of Runway 18/36 is restricted to aircraft with a serviceable transponder. The Pilots Hub, where landing fees are normally paid, offers a great selection of homemade food together with other refreshments and affords a great view across the aerodrome from the outside seating area.
Nearby attractions Greensand Way, Reigate Hill and Gatton Park (National Trust) including Reigate Fort. PPR By email via website or direct to atc@redhillaerodrome.com Radio 119.605 MHz ATIS 125.305 MHz
Tatenhill
A
01283 575283 | EGBM | www.tatenhill.com Tatenhill Airfield is situated west of Burtonupon-Trent, in the heart of the countryside. The airfield has been operating for 20 years and offers many services onsite, including pilot training, aircraft hire, avionics installation and design, and aircraft maintenance. PPR is essential as, during the winter months, parking may be limited for visitors – please call and speak to staff before your trip. Also the home of East Staffordshire Flying Club.
Nearby attractions include the Staffordshire countryside, Burton-upon-Trent and Barton Marina. PPR 01283 575283 Radio 124.080
Wadswick
01225 810700 | wadswick.co.uk/wadswick-airfield Wadswick is a smooth, well drained 630m grass air strip 4nm ENE of Bath and 3nm on a bearing of 128° True from Colerne Airfield. The airfield is home to 14 permanent aircraft in individual hangars, but is always pleased to welcome visitors. Wadswick Country Store is next to the strip and sells clothing, equipment, gifts and homeware. A smart new cafe/restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and afternoon teas.
Nearby attractions: Wadswick Country Store, Wadswick Shooting Simulator. Beautiful countryside for walking. Visit the historic market town of Corsham, Brunel’s Box Tunnel, and nearby Cotswold villages such as Castle Combe. PPR: 01225 810700 Radio: 120.075
West Tisted 07836 243727
West Tisted is a 1,000m grass strip 5nm NW of Petersfield. This photogenic strip is popular with light aircraft from across the country, and hosts an annual fundraising fly-in for the local hospital. This is the epitome of the grass strip, with no fuel, hangarage or maintenance available on site, just a great destination for a day’s flying.
Nearby attractions include a 12th century church and West Tisted Manor. PPR: 01962 772248 Radio: 135.475
Win! A print or digital Pooleys UK Flight Guide QUESTION: What is the distance between Perth and Tatenhill in nautical miles? To enter, post your answer, name, address and email details to Pooleys August Competition, FLYER magazine, PO Box 4261, Melksham, SN12 9BN or send an email to competitions@seager.aero The closing date is 12 August 2020.
The winner’s name and address will be passed to Pooleys, then deleted from Seager’s database. Pooleys will send the winner their prize and, in order to do so, also offer to supply them with further information about the company’s products and services.
1 Kenyon Hall Farm 2 Perth 3 Redhill 4 Tatenhill 5 Wadswick 6 West Tisted
2
1 4 5 6 3
The winner for July 2020 is: Andy Torkington, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.
August 2020 | FLYER | 77
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August 2020 | FLYER | 81
QSY
For the funny, the weird, the wonderful and the just plane strange…
Shuttleworth stages Drive-In Airshow
Steve’s forced landing nightmare
I
t’s a pilot’s nightmare: the aircraft’s flight controls become jammed, meaning that a difficult forced landing is the only answer. In Steve Le Van’s case, the whole incident was captured on in-cockpit video (see button above right). Steve explains what happened: “My wife and I were returning from Charlton Park to our homebase at Fairoaks. “Fifteen minutes into the flight the baggage hatch opens and breaks away, and somehow catches on the leading edge of the horizontal stabiliser. The loose metal managed to wedge itself between the elevator fork and the main surface restricting free movement of flight controls. “After the initial impact of the door hitting, you can see the
Main Phew! We’re down! Inset The Mooney baggage door speared onto the elevator
aircraft pitched itself into a negative attitude. We were only at 2,100ft on the QNH and started to roll slightly to the right. After a second I regained partial control, except for a 300ft/min level descent, then had an uncontrolled full deflection of the ailerons both right and left. “With direct line of sight of the damage from the P1 seat and the old RAF strip at Membury visual, I did not hesitate to declare a Mayday with Brize Radar and proceeded to line up for R13. “After trimming out everything we had left on the downwind leg, the yoke
continued to buffet. Turning base felt OK, but turning final the aircraft just didn’t want to behave and I had to fight to get back onto the centreline, over the motorway and all the way to the ground. “With the debris stuck on the tail, it felt like it was trying to stall. Having heard other pilot stories, I was more concerned about falling out of the sky rather than running out of field, if we got there. “Gear down, couple of bounces and roll out onto the asphalt. The warping on the elevator popped rivets, and twisted stabiliser and sheared metal on the empennage just shows how much force was being applied.” Well done Steve. You handled a terrifying incident well!
Heroes & Villains HERO David Chiswell of Alderney Flying Club for turning the Covid-cancelled Alderney Fly-in into a local affair – part of the Channel Islands ‘Staycation’ tourism promotion. GA visitors flew in from Guernsey
VILLAIN That’s a bit strong, but why oh why did Boris BrookeFrylington submit a Freedom of Information request asking for the total cost to the taxpayer, including wages, fuel and ‘wear and tear’, for the RAF flypast of
the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire and Hurricane on the 100th birthday of Capt Tom Moore, who raised £32m for NHS charities? The answer, by the way, is ‘zero’, as it was contained within training costs.
The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Airfield is holding its first airshow of the 2020 summer season on 18 July with inventive Covid precautions: it’s a drive-In! “Drive-in and set up your picnic next to your vehicle,” said the Bedfordshire-based Collection. “With limited crowd size you will have a great view from wherever you are parked. “Bring an FM radio to tune into commentary and preshow music, before a flying display programme of some of our best-loved aircraft from the DH88 Comet and Westland Lysander. Enjoy the sound of our Spitfire, and if the weather is kind our pilots will do their magnificent best in our early Edwardian aircraft!” https://bit.ly/2BrlUJk
Lockdown flight planning winner is…
Drum roll… The winner of the 2020 FLYER + SkyDemon Lockdown Flight Planning Competition is… Ivan Mia. Ivan submitted a detailed entry for a flight that he and his friend Mike plan to make from their home airfield of Seething to Tivat, Montenegro in their Seething-based Cessna 152. Ivan said, “Mike fancied going to Morocco but I put him off so I suggested Tivat in Montenegro, where I have a half-share in a property there so that would be a saving.” Other entries are on the FLYER Trip Reports forum here https://bit.ly/2VB5Vz5
Above Ivan Mia, left, and Mike Gay, and the Seething Cessna 152
Send your QSY submissions to QSY, PO Box 4261, Melksham, SN12 9BN or to qsy@seager.aero 82 | FLYER | August 2020
AV I AT I O N AV I AT I O N
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