AUSTRALIAN April – May 2016 Vol 69 No 2 Price $7.75 incl GST
EXCLUSIVE! UFO Seen Over Victoria
Alpi Pioneer 300 Italian performance and style
We fly the Cessna TTX
» JABIRU: THE PAIN CONTINUES » PART 61: IS IT IMPROVING? AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIAN WARBIRDS ASSOCIATION • HELICOPTER FRATERNITY
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Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia MISSION STATEMENT AOPA stands for its members’ right to fly without unnecessary restrictions and costs. PRESIDENT Marc De Stoop mds@aopa.com.au
Reporting Point
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Phillip Reiss 0418 255 099 phillip.reiss@aopa.com.au VICE PRESIDENT & SECRETARY Jeff Muller 0415 244 259 jeff.muller@aopa.com.au VICE PRESIDENT & TREASURER Dr Tony Van Der Spek tony.vanderspek@aopa.com.au DIRECTORS Allan Bligh 0408 268 689 allan.bligh@aopa.com.au Spencer Ferrier 0437 747 747 ferlaw@ozemail.com.au Peter Holstein 0418 425 512 peter.holstein@aopa.com.au Robert Liddell Robert.liddell@aopa.com.au Neill Rear neill.rear@aopa.com.au MAGAZINE EDITOR Mark Smith editor@aopa.com.au Advertising 02 9791 9099 advertising@aopa.com.au ART DIRECTOR Melinda Vassallo 0413 833 161 melinda@aopa.com.au AOPA OFFICE Phone: Fax: Email:
+61 (0) 2 9791 9099 +61 (0) 2 9791 9355 mail@aopa.com.au
CEO Aaron Stephenson 0417 292 209 aaron.stephenson@aopa.com.au Membership 02 9791 9099 mail@aopa.com.au Accounts 02 9791 9099 accounts@aopa.com.au Address Hangar 600 Prentice Street Bankstown Airport NSW 2200 All mail: PO Box 26 Georges Hall NSW 2198 www.aopa.com.au ©AOPA Australia 2016. This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without permission from AOPA. Printed by Graphic Impressions. AOPA by resolution of the Board has adopted database management practice that will allow selected and qualified aviation commercial interests access to the membership database for aviation promotional use that the Board deems acceptable as being informative to its members. The Privacy Act requires that members have the right to opt out of this marketing. Please advise the AOPA office if this is your desire.
The magic of the little red card. It’s amazing when governments invent something so remarkable, yet so simple, that makes everyone’s life safer. The fact this simple thing stop terrorists in their tracks at the mere thought of it must strike fear into their cold hearts. Yes, I’m talking about the Aviation Security Identity Card, more commonly known as the ‘bloody ASIC’. Pilots who fly into an airport that has any RPT services must wear one to identify themselves as non-terrorists, on the basis that a terrorist could never get one. Funny logic since it’s possible to buy a forgery of any identity card you like, ASIC included, in the dark side lanes of any number of Asian cities. Yet pilots in Australia are slugged $220 every two years for the magic card that does nothing to prevent terrorist attacks, but does create huge revenues for those who supply them. Yes I’m sure the bureaucrats would argue that since the ASIC card was introduced there hasn’t been an attack on any airport in Australia. Funny but in the same time there haven’t been any attacks on the airside of any airport worldwide. Australia is the only major aviation country that insists on such silliness. The US, with their vast GA fleet, don’t have any equivalent, which is why if you are pilot and have your licence you can walk across the tarmac at any number of airports that have major RPT, and be unmolested. I’m not saying people who work on the tarmac at airports, handling bags or refuelling shouldn’t be checked and show ID if they are around RPT aircraft. Given a member of the public would have a hard time getting airside at a major city airport the system there is already pretty secure. The thing is county airports are secure as well. It’s the same small crew who do ground services every day. A stranger trying to do the wrong thing would stand out instantly, even if they had the magic card. The regulars would ask the question “who the dickens are you?” The other problem with the ASIC has been the interpretation by airfield security as to how to administer it. I’ve landed at airports where a phone call to airfield security led to the question, over the phone, “got an ASIC?” When the answer was yes they gave me the gate code over the phone. At many airports it’s attached to the airside of the gate. One very sensible airfield manager said to me that he parks between the GA parking area and the RPT apron when there is a flight in to make sure no one approaches from the GA side, but otherwise he leaves GA alone. Yet at other airports the security guy insists on escorting you whenever you want to access your aircraft, ASIC or not. The time has come to dump this useless anachronism, which was introduced by a government intent on being seen to be doing ‘something’ about the so called terrorist threat. Subject a pilot to a check when they get their licence then leave it be. It’s time to tell your local member about his, and ask him to talk to the relevant minister. Together we can get rid of what is essentially another tax on pilots. The magic red card must go. Mark Smith Editor www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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Contents » AOPA At Work
Safety
The Aircruiser...............................................50
President’s Report.........................................6
There’s Training thenThere’s Training .........20
Jabiru Engine Controversy ..................... 54
Cockpit Resource Management................24
UFOs Do Exist!............................................. 56
Calendar of Events 2016 Events.....................................................8
SIDs Convert ...............................................60
Book Review Sleeping for Pilots & Cabin Crew........... 22
News CASA - Fuel Reserve Rules.......................10 Part 61............................................................. 12 Aviation Humor ........................................... 17
AirShows Australia Day WA ....................................... 30
Cover Feature Alpi Pioneer 300......................................... 42
Aircraft Review Cessna TTX .................................................. 32
Features
Columns
CareFlight...................................................... 26
Tech Talk
Head in the Clouds – Bas Scheffers....... 16
Trent Stewart’s First Solo......................... 46
Tech Roundup..............................................40
Learning to Fly – David Bonnici.............. 18
Gyrocopters.................................................. 48
Breitling Exospace 355............................. 63
Dick Gower ................................................... 14
42
The Alpi Pioneer 300 4
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I AUSTRALIAN PILOT I www.aopa.com.au
Warbirds Judy Pay........................................................ 64 Warbirds – From the CEO........................ 67 The Avro Cadet........................................... 68 Warbirds – News..........................................72
Letters Letters to the Editor.................................... 71
Membership Marketplace Classifieds......................................................77
AOPA Membership Form Join AOPA for great benefits................... 81
Short Final Why Do you Fly?......................................... 82
32
The Cessna TTX
UFO
Exc paglusive e 56 !
30 COVER PHOTO The joy of flying the Alpi Pioneer 300. Pic: Mark Smith.
Australia Day Air Show - Perth www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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AOPA AT WORK
President’s Report
Eureka! By the time this edition of Australian Pilot hits the street, the Project Eureka brief will be complete. Twenty nine volunteer industry experts, led by nine team leaders, have spent more than six months compiling policies they deem essential to turn around the Queen Mary. It has been a very rewarding experience for me to lead a team of pragmatic and thorough professionals through the drafting process. The real work, or challenge, is now about to commence. We have to unite to sell the solutions to our political masters. The ONLY way we can achieve this is to get every aviator in the country to ACTIVELY support the project. Members, nonmembers and all the industry affiliates must unite take up the cause. It is time for the silent majority to become noisy. I ask members and every other person who has an interest in aviation, who wants to see Australia continue to be a significant player in world aviation, to contact your local federal parliamentary member with a copy of the Eureka brief. AOPA will also lobby the mass media outlets for support. Mass media, combined with very significant personal numbers of noisy voices, in an election year, is the only way I see that we can bring the necessary pressure to bear on the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development to force reform at the regulators. The executive summary of Eureka is below. Full copies of the brief are available on the AOPA website To Members of Federal Parliament. My name is Marc De Stoop. I’m the current president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) of Australia. AOPA Australia has been operating since 1949, some 67 years. We have 3000 members in Australia and we are part of a worldwide association called International AOPA (IAOPA) which has 400,000 members. Our charter is to support, and be the public voice, of general aviation (GA) aircraft owners and pilots in private, commercial charter and airline operations. My presidency of AOPA Australia has been devoted to a new policy brief called Project Eureka. While I’m the author of this executive summary, and selective parts of the brief, there are more than 29 industry veterans, with a vast amount of industry experience, that have developed the Eureka policy agenda. Why call the brief Eureka? Because we as an industry are making what to us is seen as a last stand against inappropriate government industry policy that has decimated our once thriving industry. It may sound melodramatic to those not associated with the industry, but, for us the members of Eureka, who have been in
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the industry many years living through the good times from 1960 to 1990, we feel very frustrated that government has let down an iconic Australian industry which had a viable manufacturing and high “value add” job creating capacity. It’s just not the result of globalisation as some industry observers suggest. We just can’t throw in the towel because we are in a global economy. That’s not acceptable for us or indeed our next generation. Once an industry is gone it won’t just suddenly reappear down the track. As a country we fell for the easy solution of digging up low value add resources for export earnings, while allowing manufacturing to die. Look where that has left our current account deficit now that the commodity boom is over. We need high value add industries with highly skilled labour to prosper long term. If you look at the really long term wealthy countries like Germany, USA, France, Japan, and now emerging economies like China and others in SE Asia you see an emphasis on manufacturing. To prosper long term, we as a country need to manufacture the innovative products of the future that are not only needed in aviation, but other industries as well. We have the intelligent labour pool and globally superior universities to achieve this. We don’t need cheap labour. We just need venture capital and appropriately supportive government policy. Our country has been at the forefront of the development of aviation. We have produced some of the world’s best known and skilled aviators likes Charles Kingsford-Smith, Nancy Walton, Bert Hinkler, Charles Ulm, Hudson Fysh and Dick Smith. We created the safest airline in the world, Qantas. That safety record came about through the local training of the world’s most skilful engineers and pilots. What has happened to that skill base? Our local GA industry should be flourishing, not “dying on the vine”. Eureka is a brief to government containing policy proposals and initiatives, to revitalise a flagging Australian Industry. It’s the GA industry’s solutions to revitalise the industry, an industry that’s been in a constant and unabated decline over the past 30 years. As with most complicated things there is no “silver bullet”. The industry is made up of many sectors that all have to work or prosper together to create a vibrant industry. Eureka has identified nine separate, but interrelated GA areas, that need bold and innovative policy reform if the industry is to be revitalised. The nine sections are:
AOPA AT WORK
Marc De Stoop AOPA President mds@aopa.com.au
1) Flight Regulations and Operations. 2)
Industry Funding and Taxes.
3)
Airport Operators Security of Tenure.
4)
Charter and Air Work Operations
5)
Flying Training.
6)
Avmed.
7)
Air Space Management.
8) Engineering. 9)
Future Technologies.
In the body of the brief each section has details on the problems created by the existing inept policies and, more importantly, the suggested policy reforms or solutions to fix the problems. One of the authors, and team leaders, Mr Ken Lewis, an exQantas employee, who now consults and audits airline flight operations all over the globe, gave me the following advice derived from more than 50 years of experience dealing with the Australian regulator. “From my experience I can assure you they (the politicians) will send it (Eureka) to CASA for ‘guidance.’ CASA will then defer comment as long as they can which will be after any coming election. CASA’s comment to the politicians will be ‘we are analysing the document and while we think it has some merit it is not a document drafted by experienced and proven regulation drafters such that exist within the professional ranks of CASA’.” Ken’s learned advice is that the brief, like many before it, will not see the light of day.
Air Services Australia. Capital is badly needed to reinvest and innovate general aviation business, fund new technologies, university research and development, and create long term high value add jobs. This model provides the means to revitalise the general aviation industry while also improving the Treasury’s fiscal position. I thank you for taking the time to read the brief and we ask you support the recommendations and lobby the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development for implementation of the recommendations. I, and the brief’s authors and team leaders, are ready to meet any parliamentary member who will support Eureka. There is much more to tell about our wonderful industry and plans for its revitalisation. Marc De Stoop President
Welcome New Members Name
State
Andrew Cockbain
NSW
Varinder Sandhu
NSW
Singh
NSW
Murray Smith
NSW
Megan Sutherland
NSW
Ashley Hunter
NSW
We have failed as an industry to get these bodies to understand the implications of their policy agenda.
Robert Hannemann
QLD
The declining industry activity statistics speak for themselves. We need a different approach to get our message across. This is what Eureka is going to achieve and it’s going to be propagated by the media and our political system. This is the only way we feel we can achieve any real reforms.
Michelle Hardie
QLD
Terry O’Donnell Michael Pendergast,
VIC VIC
Tim Brownbridge
SA
Thomas Murfett
WA
As the lead co-ordinator of this brief, which represents the views of 29 eminent and experienced industry professionals who have all volunteered their time, PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN ONCE AGAIN. As an industry we have constantly met and debated our problems with the regulators. They are the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Air Services Australia (ASA) and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
The most important thing about this brief is that it presents the solutions to revitalise an iconic Australian industry with proceeds from an industry trust, administered like the Future Fund, for the benefit of all Australians. The trust capital will be generated by the sale of an underperforming Australian and industry asset,
www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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EVENTS
Events 2016 NEW SOUTH WALES The Deniliquin Fly-in The Deniliquin Aero Club is having a fly-in and dinner that will be a combined celebration of the achievement of local people in aviation including agricultural aviation and the long standing contribution of Macknight airlines. There will be a mini airshow with drinks at 5pm with Field Air demonstrating fire bombing and low level spraying with their Ag planes and aerobatics in a Pitts Special. A dinner will follow with special guest speaker Michael Smith speaking on his around the world adventure, at 80 knots, in a SeaRey. Details: www.deniliquinaeroclub.com or Ian on 0418 452 521
Saturday
23rd APR
Wings over Illawarra Join us for an aviation extravaganza Fri - Mon as we present Wings Over Illawarra the best annual airshow in NSW, and situated right on Sydney’s doorstep. See jaw-dropping aerobatics, relive the past with a display of classic warbirds and amazing vintage aircraft and enjoy loud, fast jets and formation flying. The Australian Defence Details: www. wingsoverillawarra.com.au
30 APR -1 MAY
Airshow Temora Sunday
Sat - Sun
The inaugural Merimbula Fly-in
The inaugural Merimbula Fly-in at one of Australia’s most picturesque coastal towns promises to become a favourite fly in. Enjoy tours of local oyster farms, visit the Eden Whale Museum, play golf or just enjoy the tranquil beauty of the area. Local car clubs will provide transport for pilots. The fancy dress Red Baron Gala Ball will be held night on Saturday night. Details: 0264 951 306
23-24
7th
MAY
The Temora Air Museum presents fighters and trainers. Aircraft flying include the Spitfire, Boomerang, Winjeel and Harvard. Details. www.aviationmuseum .com.au
APR
Sunday
24th APR
Wings, Wheels and Wine Mudgee Featuring an airshow by Paul Bennett, car and bike show, RC models, wine tasting and stalls offering food from the region. Helicopter and Tiger moth joy flights available. Launch of Wings4Kidz. Details: 0401 1361 82
VICTORIA Fri-Sun
AAAA National Fly-in at Echuca airfield
The Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia will hold its annual National Fly-in at Echuca airfield. This is the association’s premier event and all pilots, members or not, are invited to fly or drive in to enjoy the sight of more than 100 classic aircraft on the one airport. Food available courtesy Echuca Aero Club who help host the event. Details: www. antique-aeroplane.com.au
15-17 APR
QUEENSLAND Sat - Sun
The Casino Beef Week Muster
30 APR -29 MAY
Fly in Saturday, join in the Beef Week Activities and stay for a pilot’s dinner at Casino Aero Club on Saturday night. All amenities and catering available including beef and gravy sandwiches, coffee and cakes. Details: www.casinobeefweek.com.au or Russell Kennedy 0427 627 477
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Fri - Mon
29 APR -2 MAY or www.c200series.com.au
Charleville. C-200 Series Association Autumn Fly-in Visit the Cosmos Observatory and RFDS Maintenance Hangar, learn about the secret US Air base in the area from 1942-1947, enjoy a camp oven dinner and a station visit. Details: Annie Haynes 0418 853 635
EVENTS
www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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NEWS
CASA Seeks Comment about Fuel Reserves CASA’s proposed new fuel reserve rules have been attacked by special interest aviation groups and experienced commercial pilots as a step to far with no increase in safety outcomes. CASA has proposed to make a fuel reserve of 45 minutes mandatory for day VFR operations. This has the potential to severely impact areas of recreational aviation including operation of some antique aircraft and warbirds. If the 45 minute rule becomes law it means a pilot will commit a criminal offence if they land having used any of their reserve. Antique Aeroplane Association president Matt Henderson has researched the issue and discovered there is no safety case for CASA to make this change. “CASA are using ATSB data as the basis for this change. The wording of the change requirement is that Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reports have revealed incidents and accidents directly related to carriage of insufficient quantities of fuel,” he says. “They have not identified a trend, nor a major shift in the number of incidents, simply that the ATSB have reports of aeroplanes that have had incidents due to fuel exhaustion. I suspect this is an issue dating back to not long after the Wright brothers first flew!” In the period 1969-1986 there were 312 instances of fuel exhaustion (running out of fuel) or roughly 18 instances per year. From 19912000 there were 61 instances of fuel
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exhaustion or about six instances per year, and in the decade from 20062016 there were 48 instances of fuel exhaustion or about five per year. “So based on that data, the trend is actually an improving one ... and it improved most when there wasn’t a mandated fuel reserve,” Mr Henderson says. “The CASA documents also suggest the impact to industry would be ‘minor’ and only affect ‘specific types of operations on short duration flights’ when actually that is the complete opposite of our situation.” Commercial pilot Doug Sprigg, who has more than 10,000hrs on a variety of GA aeroplanes, has also expressed his concern at the proposed changes to the rules. “As the owner operator of an Auster J1N antique aircraft for more than 30 years, I am acutely aware that many of the antique and exmilitary aircraft have operated safely and successfully without the need for more prescriptive and restrictive rules,” he wrote in a submission to CASA. “CASAs guidelines in the current CAP 234 have stood the test of time and I believe are adequate. They should remain unchanged. “Many antique and ex-military aircraft have very limited endurance. Several types operating currently have little over an hour’s total
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endurance. Operators of these aircraft are acutely aware of endurance and monitor fuel state accordingly. Compliance with proposed rulings will severely limit range making operations almost impossible.” Veteran instructor Dick Gower has another take on the issue. “The proposed change is nothing more than a means of making it easier for CASA to secure a conviction and is unlikely to improve safety in any way,” he says. “The proposal also means that we have come the full circle. There was a 45 minute statutory reserve in the regulations 20+ years ago but, in spite of protests at the time, this was changed to the present CAAP 234 recommendation because a mandatory 45 minutes might expose CASA to risk. “An explanation is needed for why this is no longer an issue and why we are proposing 45 minutes instead of the ICAO 30 minutes.” He also points out that many fuel events are related to cases where the pilot does not know the exact fuel status on departure because of partially filled tanks or confusion over standard or long-range tanks. Safety would therefore be better served by mandating calibrated dipsticks rather than statutory reserves. n
www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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NEWS
Part 61 -
The Problems Continue Mark Smith looks at what’s still going wrong with CASA’s licencing millstone. When CASA introduced a complete revision of its pilot licence standards to align the Australian system more closely with European Aviation Safety Agency rules, it opened a Pandora’s Box of problems that continue to bring complexity and cost to the Australian aviation industry. More than a year on, professional pilots are being left without their hard won qualifications while businesses have been pushed to the brink of failure thanks to their aircraft suddenly being grounded because check and training pilots are supposedly no longer qualified. These aren’t urban myths but a continuing litany of issues the regulator seems unable to solve in a timely manner. David Pilkington is an experienced flying instructor with a national reputation for spinning, aerobatics, tailwheel and formation training. Yet when Part 61 became law he lost the ability to give these training endorsements to instructors. “As a Grade 1 instructor I could no longer grant these endorsements the day after Part 61 came into being,
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and so was given flight examiner privileges until June 2016. After that date I must undertake CASA courses for a flight examiner and testing for these endorsements. That authority expires at the end of 2016 so it seems that I need to get a flight examiner rating to continue what I used to be able to do – at significant expense to myself,” he says. “Also, CASA has not given me a Part 61 formation aerobatics endorsement. I have formation and aerobatic endorsements therefore my previous privileges included formation aerobatics. I provided substantial evidence of having undertaken such activities. A recent email from CASA stated: ‘this job requires some additional technical assessment, due to the complexities of CASR Part 61 and how they relate to your particular qualifications’. “CASA staff dealing with me seem to have little or no knowledge of the relevant rules prior to Part 61, they do not seem to be adhering to the current rules, they do not refer me to any relevant policy – it just seems ad hoc with random references to safety and currency. In
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comparison I have a USA CPL – in the US I can instruct formation aerobatics without a flight instructor rating.” AOPA conducted a survey of members about Part 61. More than a quarter (28%) of respondents describe their experience with Part 61 as a nightmare, with more than 10% percent saying the implementation has cost their company more than $10,000, and more than 8% of pilots saying it had personally cost them more than $10,000. “I work for a major airline. Compliance costs would be in the millions”, “removal of qualifications previously held under CAR 5 / CAO 40.0”, and “as yet nothing, but will cost shortly approx $1000-$2000 pa” are just some of the comments left on the survey. Almost 40% of respondents say their dealings with CASA over Part 61 have been extremely difficult and 12% described them as terrible. “No one’s listening to our problems and responding in a logical way,” one respondent wrote. One response states dealing with CASA has been “extremely difficult. Answers from different people were contradictory and nothing seemed to get resolved” and many others agree. “Difficult, confusing, complex” is
NEWS
how another describes their dealings, with little hope for resolution. “With a background of low confidence in CASA to implement my change-over smoothly, as exemplified by the recent ‘your medical is about to expire’ email from CASA and the ‘sent in error’ email following about an hour later.” The lack of direct dealing, and an automated email saying the licence is coming but hasn’t arrived has frustrated yet another pilot. Almost three quarters of pilots called for the Part 61 to be scrapped and for CASA to adopt the US FARs. Part 61 has also created issues with professional pilots having to undertake multiple flight renewals across the range of aircraft they fly. Qantas captain Perry McNeil also operates several light general aviation aircraft. Under Part 61 provisions he must have a separate IFR check in his private aeroplane despite having four IFR renewal checks each year plus an annual route check for his job, as well as flying more than 800hrs a year under IFR. In a letter to CASA DAS Mark Skidmore on the 7th of September he writes: “I flew extensive single pilot IFR for many years with many operators culminating with multi-crew operations with Air Queensland before joining Qantas. “Your own officers appointed me an IFR Instructor due to an industry shortfall when I was working with Helicopter Flying Services out of Bankstown based on my ability as an IFR pilot. It’s all in your own CASA files! “How can you justify removing my capacity to fly my ‘non-commercial’ general aviation aircraft on a private IFR
rating in this manner? This discounts vast experience and training throughout the industry, my ability and my capability and proficiency. The proficiency test proves nothing yet will cost me multiple hundreds of dollars and becomes a pointless and meaningless exercise. “The FAA and the Canadians accept me as fully capable of IFR flight in their airspace in GA aircraft based on my current ratings. “This is therefore folly, silliness and absurdity if reviewed in the cold hard facts of aviation ability and experience of pilots with such experience as myself and there are many of us! “I am not the sole participant affected here. At least 20 capable pilots I know, all owners of general aviation certified, experimental and amateur built aircraft with IFR capacity are grossly affected. I would assume many more will be affected or not aware that their ratings are about to disappear into the ether into the next few months.” Grahame Murphy is another experienced pilot who lost his check and training approvals at the stroke of midnight when Part 61 became law. As Australia’s only check and training captain on the Mitsubishi MU-2, on which he has more than 4000hrs, he was able to keep the country’s tiny fleet of two flying safely. “I’ve had regulatory approval from 1985 to conduct flight tests, endorsements and check and training on type. And in that time I’ve carried out check and training for CASA for Flight Operations Inspectors. I did my initial course with Flight Safety and I did an instructor rating course with Mitsubishi
aircraft in Texas. It’s fair to say I have quite a bit of experience on type. “I even have a certificate from the CAA, with no expiry date that says I’m qualified to do check and training on MU-2s and CASA will not accept that. When Part 61 came in I went from being an ATO to nothing. At the moment I legally can’t fly the MU-2. Basically I can no longer operate independently on this aeroplane despite my years of experience on it.” The only way Grahame can operate under the new system is to be attached to a Part 141 flight school which would hold the check and training approval. He says this is impractical as finding a school where the CFI has the same level of experience on the type as he does is impossible. “Essentially I’d be in a position of having to sign off someone’s instrument proficiency check so they could then do mine, when I knew they didn’t have the required experience on the aeroplane.” “I wasn’t doing the check and training work for any financial reward but more out of a responsibility to the aeroplane and the pilots who fly them. Twenty-five percent of the fleet have crashed. I don’t want to put my name to an organisation where someone with minimal hours on the type is doing check and training.” In an online submission the regulator said ‘CASA are aware of problems with Part 61 and via the consultative group are trying to work through the problems. The Director of Air safety has already issued a number of exemptions to help the licensing process move forwards. n
www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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GUEST COLUMN
Have We Totally Lost the Plot? By Dick Gower
In the early 1960s, the Royal Victorian Aero Club was looking for an additional exercise to add to their monthly flying competition and decided that instrument flying might be a new challenge for competing pilots. It was hoped that, as a bonus, this might have a positive influence in reducing weather-related accidents as pilots learned firsthand that instrument flying was not something that could be self-taught after entering cloud for the first time. The competition proved to be very popular and soon after, the Department of Civil Aviation added two hours of instrument flying to the restricted Private Licence syllabus and later, three to the PPL. It was rightly thought that this was sufficient time for the fledging private pilot to discover most of the reasons why deliberately entering cloud was not a good idea. Instructors could graphically
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demonstrate some of these reasons during training, and this was even before turbulence and icing were considered. It was also hoped that these hours of IF might just provide the skills to make the necessary turn back to VMC after inadvertently entering cloud, and this was reflected in the VFR syllabus. Now the perpetrators of Part 61 have decided that grade 3 instructors do not have the skills to teach this particular sequence because they do not have a Night VFR training endorsement. Even more concerning, they have now added the requirement for unusual attitude recoveries.
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This change introduces the very real risk of convincing students that they have acquired the necessary skills for cloud flying. Did nobody think of that? The Part 61 Forum has already refused to see reason and permit grade 3 instructors to teach this sequence (forum item #24). If there is any reasoning behind this stance it is not immediately apparent; after all, grade 3 instructors learn unusual attitude recoveries in the CPL. Is it too much to hope that, as the full debacle of Part 61 further unfolds, CASA might be less impervious to the voice of reason from the industry? n
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www.casa.gov.au/ontrack www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
15
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
Steam v Glass By Bas Scheffers
The venerable six-pack, long the standard in instruments in aeroplanes, is slowly but surely on its way out. It’s hard to buy a new aeroplane where the set of airspeed indicator, artificial horizon, altimeter, turn coordinator, directional gyro or HSI and vertical speed indicator haven’t been replaced by a glass panel. In light GA aircraft most likely in the form of a Garmin G1000 system, or Avidyne PFD in early Cirrus aircraft. There is a lot of debate about this: why spend all this money when a six-pack, GPS, NAV, COM and transponder are all you need? Judging by Cirrus’ success of selling ever more sophisticated and refined aircraft at ever increasing prices, it seems clear that new aircraft buyers aren’t the world’s most pricesensitive people. If the six-pack version would cost you $450,000 anyway, then $500,000 for a G1000 equipped aeroplane doesn’t make a difference to them. And even schools want them, both because potential students like nicer aeroplanes, but also because glass panels are what their students will be flying in the airlines. It’s now impossible to buy new aeroplanes with analogue instruments from Cirrus, Diamond, Cessna, Piper or Mooney. The market has spoken! In my case, I learned IFR using a traditional panel in our Diamond DA40, with the exception of a Bendix/King KI825 digital HSI. While the instrument was very nice to fly with compared to an analogue HSI, it’s also what caused us to finally upgrade the aeroplane to a glass panel. The reason is that it developed a fault - it reset itself in flight. We have no idea if this was a big fault, or something simple. We never found out because
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nobody in Australia and not even Bendix/King in the US wanted to look at it for repair. The best we could get was: “send the unit and a $10,000 cheque and we’ll send you a replacement”. That seemed lousy value when we’d been talking about a glass upgrade anyway. So we limited the aeroplane to day VFR for a few months while we considered our options, of which there turned out to be only two realistic ones: Aspen 1000 Pro or Garmin G500. The Aspen single screen is cheaper and a nice option. But add a second (map) screen and you’re talking the same hardware cost as the dual-screen G500 but, with what we were told, a more complicated installation. So G500 it was. Now the question became: who? It’s no secret most GA avionics shops are over-worked and under-staffed, so we talked to several of them and it wasn’t encouraging: “We could do it like this, it should cost about that much and we can maybe do it starting in three months.” I don’t know about you, but those kinds of answers don’t inspire confidence. Don’t get me wrong: all of these shops have reputations for delivering excellent work, but timing and accuracy of estimates leave much to be desired, much to many aircraft owners’ frustrations. There turned out to be one exception: Garmin dealer Pulse Aero at Adelaide Airport. They mostly deal with larger GA and regional airline clients, the kind of people who don’t respond positively to service as described above. And it’s fair to say, Pulse treated us no different.
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Their answer to our enquiry? “We can start Monday week, this is how we will install it, it will take two weeks and it will cost you this.” So in the aircraft went the next Monday, we got a few progress updates along the way and the call next Thursday that we were ready for a test flight the next morning. And once you adjusted the competing estimates to reality, we didn’t actually pay any extra for this level of service. Some people take longer to get used to the digital displays than others, especially
the
speed
and
altitude
“tapes”, but I found it very easy. Playing military flight simulators on PC as a teenager probably helped. Once you get used to it, the IFR instrument scan is so much easier, with far smaller eye movements required and a much larger artificial horizon. So
how
much
to
upgrade
an
aeroplane? The general rule of avionics installations applies - take the list price of the thing you are installing, double it and you won’t have bill-shock when it’s finally installed. Ours was indeed only slightly less than that. But for that investment, we have reliable solid-state avionics for the next decade or more of the aeroplane’s life. Right now it still has analogue backup instruments, but should they need any attention like overhaul, they’ll be gone too now that all-digital backup instruments are affordable. So long my friend the six-pack. It’s been great having you around, and we had some great times, but the future is brighter without you. n
Aviation Humour from Around the Web Sit back and have a laugh at the funnier side of flying
FROM A RETIRED QANTAS PILOT We were about fourth in a long queue waiting to take off in our larger Boeing aircraft. The JFK ATC allowed a B737 on a local flight to take a short-cut and start his take-off run by joining the main runway from a taxiway, causing us to wait for him to take off and clear. “How do you like them apples?” he said on local VHF as he started his take-off run. Boeing aircraft had a warning horn for major problems that you could test. Half-way along the B737’s take-off run, someone held their cockpit mike to the horn and pressed it as they tested it. The B737 abruptly stopped take-off with full reverse and full braking and shuddered to a halt, tires (tyres) smoking. A few seconds later we heard a voice on our VHF: “How do you like them apples?” A British Airways 737 touched down at Frankfurt. The tower controller, obviously in a frivolous mood, transmitted: “Speedbird 123. Nice landing captain, but a little left of the centre-line, I think.” Quick as a flash, the BA Captain replied in a cool English accent: “Roger Frankfurt Tower. Perfectly correct. I am a little to the left of the centre-line. And my copilot is a little to the right of it.”
FROM A RETIRED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER. A King Air had just rotated at takeoff when there was an enormous bang and the starboard engine burst into flames. After stamping on the rudder to sort out the asymmetric thrust, trying to feather the propeller and going through the engine fire drills with considerable calmness and aplomb, the stress took its toll on the captain. He transmitted to the tower in a level friendly voice: “Ladies and gentleman. There is no problem at all but we’re just going to land for a nice cup of tea.” He then switched to cabin intercom and screamed at
the passengers: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Engine fire. Prop won’t feather. If I can’t hold this asymmetric we’re going in. Emergency landing. Get the crash crew out.” The aircraft landed safely with the passengers’ hair standing on end. You will have heard the joke about the old fighter pilot telling a high school class about dogfighting with German fighters in WWII. The pilot went on and on about fighting the Fokker’s when the teacher interrupted and told the class that the Fokker was a model of German fighter. The pilot said, “Yes, but these Fokker’s were Messerschmitts.”
FROM A BA PILOT My late father, who was in Fleet Air Arm Buccaneers, told this story involving a pilot operating on an exchange arrangement from an overseas developing country. My dad was sat waiting for take-off clearance when he heard the exchange pilot, somewhere, request a bearing from the ATC. This was duly given and after a few minutes a second bearing was requested. This was the same as the first and after a third and identical bearing was requested and given, ATC asked the exchange pilot if he had any visual references. The pilot replied that he had a haystack to his starboard side, at which point it transpired that he was lost on the taxi-way. n
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17
LEARNING TO FLY
Swapping Seats By David Bonnici
One thing I wish I had done more of during the early part of my training was sit in the right seat of an aircraft to see how other pilots do things. I’ve had a couple of opportunities in recent
Paul my instructor, I could do crosswind
times which showed that there is indeed
landings in the Warrior, having done them
a lot of fun flying to be had outside the
almost routinely in the 172 at Lethbridge.
circuit and training area.
So on a Saturday morning with a stiff
The highlight was an opportunity to go
11 knot southerly we came in Ballarat’s
for a spin in Matt Henderson’s beautiful
runway 05 to show what should what I
CT-4 Airtrainer at Kyneton.
could do.
I once worked as a civilian electrician at
It wasn’t pretty.
Point Cook when the 1FTS Parrots were
I had been a few weeks since I had
still buzzing around and I always dreamt
flown and it would be several more before
of an opportunity to go for a spin.
my shot at redemption.
So I jumped at Matt’s invitation and was
We went out to the training area where
stoked when he handed control to me
I again demonstrated forced landings to
about 3000ft over Woodend.
confirm by competency for an area solo.
The CT-4 felt surprisingly stable, like the Piper Warrior, letting me take things in my stride as we flew freely alongside Mount Macedon and over Hanging Rock.
Apart from some messy radio work, I did well until it came to landing. My landing mojo was gone. Another few weeks passed before I
Being able to casually take control of a
could go up again, not helped by living an
warbird and enjoy the view also showed
hour away from Ballarat. Again, I did fine
how far I’ve come since going from
in the training area but my landings still
aviation fan to participant.
had a lot to be desired.
But while I have come far, it hasn’t been
On the long drive home I thought of
in a short time. April marks my fourth year
what I was doing wrong and it occurred
since my trial instruction flight, spread
to me that that in my angst to get my
over 60 hours and four flying schools.
training-area solo out of the way I letting
As I’ve previously written, I recently went to Ballarat after my flying school at Lethbridge closed. I had done an area solo at the latter but have had to get used
everything else I had previously mastered
touch and goes with Paul in the right seat and a few more solo. I greased my full stop on the centreline without a bounce and the yoke pulled back into my chest. The joy of doing a great landing was tempered by the frustration, not to mention expense, of having to get my landings right again. I reckon at least 25 hours in my logbook are dedicated revising things. Some of those are due to changing flight schools but most are simply from a lack of currency. This is caused by the usual weather and instructor/aircraft availability issues which are compounded by a financial inability to be more flexible. From now on I will spend a little money to avoid spending more. Next time I can’t afford a full lesson but the weather gods are smiling, I might go up for a few circuits and pay for half an hour solo-time, just to keep my hand in. This way when I do pay the full amount it will be to take those final steps forward towards gaining my licence. n
look after themselves. My landings weren’t just wrong at the flare, but all the way from downwind.
to the surroundings and traffic at Ballarat.
So it was back into the circuit a week
Those boxes ticked I just had to satisfy
later where my mojo returned after a few
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David Bonnici is a Melbourne journalist who is finally indulging a life-long obsession with aircraft by learning to fly.
www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
19
SAFETY
There’s Training and then There is Training Insurance expert Mike Dalton raises some tricky questions about training.
With good training you can fly like this The ATSB has released its final report into the collision with terrain of Chipmunk VH-UPD near Coffs Harbour in June 2014. For those who don’t recall the details, the pilot of VH-UPD was conducting a series of aerobatic manoeuvers during which the aircraft stalled while inverted at the top of a loop, spun and ultimately impacted the earth while still spinning. Both occupants suffered serious injuries and the aircraft was substantially damaged. In a nutshell, the ATSB found that while the pilot was qualified for spinning, the technique he employed on this occasion was inappropriate and likely due to inadequate training. It’s worth reading the report in full and you can download it from the ATSB website or have a look on their Facebook page. In my profession we are often accused of asking too many questions regarding pilot training, qualifications and experience and all too often those questions go unanswered as many
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brokers who are showing us a risk don’t understand why we are asking, or perhaps it’s easier to go to an insurer that doesn’t ask. But the simple fact is that pilots who seek to undertake their training from type specialists or that engage with providers of factoryendorsed training provide a better risk profile to insurers and therefore get a better deal. Time and again we see the result of inadequate training, often where a pilot simply goes to the instructor that taught him to fly for a check out on the new machine they have purchased. But while your old instructor may have been fine in the PA28 or C172 and you are comfortable flying with him, is he really going to know the intricacies of the Mooney, Bonanza or Cirrus you have just purchased? There are many avenues a pilot should explore for the right training. If you are into aerobatics then your first port of call should be the Australian Aerobatic Club who should be able to direct you
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to a type-experienced instructor nearby. Aeros are a good example of where specialist training is vital, as we have seen in the Chipmunk example above. It would seem that the spin technique used by the pilot of the Chippie may have been adequate in a C150 or Decathlon which will generally recover with controls neutralised, but the pilots who have been flying DeHavilland’s finest trainer for years know that you need to put the stick all the way forward and keep it there to effect spin recovery. For vintage aircraft like the Chippie, inquiries with the Antique Aeroplane Association would also generate a wealth of knowledge and suggestions for the right instructor. The multi engine arrangements under Part 61 raise a few concerns about adequate training. In the good old days you needed to do an endorsement on each type class and indeed my licence shows PA34 class, Baron/Travelair class, PA31 class, PA30/39, PN68 and PA44. Now the Seminole, Partenavia and
There’s Training and Then There is Training
Seneca are all relatively straightforward types with few vices out of the ordinary. The Baron/Travelair and PA31 are a little more complex but not so difficult to get training on. But can anyone tell me how many thousand feet you will lose in a Twin Comanche stalled in an asymmetric approach configuration (one engine out, full flap and 45 deg AOB)? I will bet your local instructor can’t but the instructors associated with the Australian Comanche Society can and will ensure that you are well prepared to operate your newly purchased twin (PS: don’t try that at home below about 6000ft). Cirrus are the newest kid on the block and over the past few years have been the biggest seller of piston singles locally and abroad. As the fleet has grown in Australia so has the number of Cirrus Standardised Instructor Pilots (CSIP). While the number has lagged behind fleet growth a little, there are now sufficient CSIP, on the east coast at least, for there to be no excuse to go anywhere else for your initial Cirrus conversion and subsequent check and training. AlpineAircraft_half page 0416.pdf
1
Feedback from my clients has been entirely positive about the experience and across the board from junior to more experienced pilots. And if you do need to travel to get to one then that shouldn’t be a problem as I’m sure you didn’t select a Cirrus just to do circuits at home base. Traditionally the Australian Bonanza Society has offered the benchmark of type club proficiency programs. Mostly for the 33, 35 and 36 series machines it also caters for the Barons and combines pilot proficiency with a maintenance clinic. Clinics are run in conjunction with fly-aways and the pilots who participate in this program are noticeably more proficient and are less likely to contribute to accident statistics. Tailwheel flying is what I enjoy, so owners who come to me looking for insurance on a taildragger can expect to have to explain who did their training and on what types the instructor has experience. While the Decathlon is a great little trainer, the instructor who has only flown this type simply isn’t going to be suitable to check you out in
8/03/2016
your newly acquired Cessna 180, Auster or Maule. There are plenty of good tailwheel instructors available all over the country but many are not associated with the mainstream flying schools, who are certainly not going to steer you away if they have a tailwheel instructor on staff. Regardless of the type of training you are looking for, it is important to do some research and find the best provider for what you need. Remember however that like everything else in aviation, the cheapest and quickest is not usually the best. A few extra dollars spent on quality type or skill specific training will likely be the best investment you make in your flying career and may just save your skin one day. If you are buying insurance, make sure that you (or your broker) explains to the underwriter what steps you take to ensure your proficiency – especially if it’s with a CSIP or via the pilot proficiency programs run by the various type clubs. We do pay attention to that and will ensure that you get a better deal. n
2:01 PM
Pioneer 200 Hawk - 300 Hawk - 300 Kite - 400
P300 Kite Same sleek design with fixed undercarriage. P300 Hawk Retractable undercarriage & CSU for 135 - 140 knot cruise at 20 litres per hour. Michael Pendergast 0418 521 534
michael@alpineaircraft.com.au
Jim Rodgers 0457 054 123
jimrodgers01@gmail.com Western Australia
Very affordable starting prices with many items included that others consider options.
‘Fast, comfortable and economical, it looks great - and actually flies as nicely as it looks’ Pilot Magazine
“A delight to fly with nippy performance and stylish Italian lines” ~ Australian Flying Magazine
Bob Keen 0429 639 770
smokeysmail@bigpond.com Northern NSW, Qld, NT
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Sleeping for Pilots and Cabin Crew
BOOK REVIEW
Sleeping for Pilots and Cabin Crew This book is not just about sleeping. It is about what affects sleeping. And that is just about everything! Reviewed by Stan Ludge
Available from Amazon.com.
It is appropriate that a captain on ultra-long range operations should write this book. No one better than the long range pilot understands the difficulties of keeping oneself fit to fly, nor do many in the community have the lifelong medical poking and prodding that a pilot experiences throughout his career. Being intelligent people it is natural that pilots develop quite a lot of medical knowledge due to that constant exposure to doctors and the need to keep one step ahead of them. An apple a day is not sufficient, so pilots read and discuss their health. It is interesting that the chapter on stress does not mention the stress of medical examinations themselves, where decisions that affect his career may not be evidentially based. This book is also not just for airline crew. It will prove valuable to anyone having sleep problems; also to people who intend travelling as it covers so many different but relevant topics. Sleeping for Pilots and Cabin Crew is very easy to read. For ease, let’s call our anonymous author Captain A. Captain A, like me, considers Bill Bryson as a writing model and imitates the style light but well informed, observant, good English, critical where required and with
Aviation Liability Solutions for private aircraft owners. www.allianz.com.au/aviation
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a sprinkling of original humour. He takes each of the many subjects and deals with them in about four or five pages. Each chapter is a potted version of his research, a dot-pointed reminder of the important points and an anecdotal section to reinforce the foregoing. I put the book to test. My 20-something son is a coffee and cigarette addict. Whenever I hand him relevant literature to read on the hazards of those habits, it is usually dismissed as “everybody knows that, so what!” Not this book. I suggested he read the coffee and nicotine chapters and to my surprise (thanks Capt. A) he returned it saying: “I learnt something I didn’t know in both chapters.” Over the past 50 years or so, human factors in aviation has become a major, even required study, for air crew. Sleep has been dealt with but the reading about it is in itself usually so heavy it puts one to sleep. We have all done it so much we all know what REM sleep is and how important it is. This book is not heavy and contrary to its content, will keep you awake reading it! It needs to be on the bookstands in the travel section for Joe Public. n
Fully revised Visual Flight Rules Guide Limited print run—don’t miss out!
$49.95
(includes postage & handling)
available only at: www.casa.gov.au/onlinestore
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23
SAFETY
Cockpit Resource Management
Once seen as something belonging to airline pilots, CRM is really, as its name suggests, about cockpits (or crew), resources and their management. Not only airline aeroplanes have cockpits and pilots so CRM belongs to us all. How did it start? In Dec 1978 a DC8 jet airliner approached Portland airport on the US west coast. The nose undercarriage leg down light didn’t illuminate and the crew circled as they trouble shot the problem. Despite warnings from the F/O and F/E about a low fuel state the captain simply ran the aeroplane out of fuel and crashed. In 1972 a new L1011 had a similar problem and while they were trouble shooting no one noticed the autopilot altitude hold had been knocked off. They flew into the Everglades. Everyone knows about the 1977 Tenerife accident. This and other examples of appalling cockpit management were enough for United Airlines to adopt the recommendation of an aviation psychologist and develop a program of
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training to address the problem. Using a business management model they were able to roll out a course in 1981. Australia was in the forefront and United ran a sample course here in 1982. This first course was not universally accepted here as one airline felt it was a bit too targeted, addressing only part of the human factors issues of which the industry was daily becoming more and more aware. Human factors looked at many other issues such as cockpit ergonomics, the physiological effects of meridional crossing, sleep etc. It did become part of the culture of the other airlines including my old Alma mater, TAA, albeit an bespoke version known as ATM. As time has passed the CRM and human factors issues have merged considerably. This first course devoted itself to communication and learning how to communicate better. It provided a matrix
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with scales from 1 to 9. The vertical scale measured technical competence and the horizontal, one’s ability to interact with other human beings, especially where there was stress and a conflict of interest. It allowed us to describe someone using these measurable qualities. A 9 .1 Captain was a technical master of the aeroplane but an absolute tyrant. A 5.5 was borderline, OK, but generally casual in every respect. We analysed movies such as Twelve Angry Men and 12 O’clock high to reinforce our ability to recognise people’s communication styles, and we became familiar with the language to define it. A classic comment of the time was that a 9.1 captain was the sort who treated his co-pilot as his sexual advisor (if I want your ^#*!©# opinion I’ll ask for it!) Other training providers got onto the bandwagon as CRM became an annual training requirement. In developing their
Cockpit Resource Management
By Ray Vuillermin
courses they usually devised their own language, however after many years it is interesting how many of us that did the first course still find that original Esperanto of CRM as the easiest way to describe a type. CRM has moved through a number of iterations moving from assertive/ aggressive communication, to team dynamics, changing the C from cockpit to crew as cabin crew were brought into it, to being mandated by regulators, and most recently looking at threat and error management. That is a very brief outline of the origin and development of CRM. I recently had the opportunity to attend a RAAF briefing for a seven ship jet formation display. I was interested to hear, when they briefed for emergencies, “normal CRM will apply”. That got me to thinking about CRM where the pilot does not have a cast of thousands, such as in the cockpits of most of the aircraft we fly. We have the C so we need to recognise the Rs and work on the M.
Your passenger may be able to help by handling maps or iPads. The passenger’s mobile phone may be a resource as well. As a single pilot you need to manage your cockpit to minimise the threats to a safe flight. You can minimise your problems by planning carefully, ensuring more than a minimum fuel quantity, picking your weather, briefing your passengers on times when you do not want to be distracted, and in the extreme, where a precautionary landing becomes necessary -being prepared to make the decision of which is the best of a number of bad options but do so early i.e. while you still have fuel to be able to use the engine- making the decision early buys you time to do it as well as you can and to look for helpful resources.. You are managing your situation. If you need help ATC becomes the first and most obvious. In the RAAF case they
mentioned the possibility of having a formation partner manage the radio and reading check lists for you. Your passenger may be able to help by handling maps or iPads. The passenger’s mobile phone may be a resource as well. One of the most dramatic examples of this occurred over the Tasman Sea in 1978 when an experienced ferry pilot became lost on a delivery flight of an Agwagon. He called for help and an Air New Zealand DC10 crew, in a display of extraordinary airmanship, skill and initiative, were able to get him to safety. Just!. He kept his cool and used resources. It is a good read on the web –put in ‘Cessna 188 Pacific Rescue’ n
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FEATURE
CareFlight. The Name Says it All
The AW139
Mark Smith meets the men and women behind one of Australia’s premier medical evacuation services. You’ve been in a serious car crash. It wasn’t your fault but now you lie trapped in a twisted pile of metal. Emergency services are working hard to free you from what was once your car, and the ambos have given you some pain relief and are working to stabilise you. But you know you are in trouble. Then you hear a sound. The thump of blades against the wind that has brought hope to injured people since the Korean War. The aeromedical cavalry have arrived. While the Flying Doctor has been around since the 1930s, medical
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evacuation using helicopters is still relatively young in Australia. Today all states have dedicated resources that provide point to point aeromedical services from places fixed wing aircraft can’t go. CareFlight in Queensland has been a leader in pioneering the use of helicopters to provide medical care across the state. Today they operate the AW-139, which is fast becoming the preferred platform for aeromedical services in Australia. Yet no matter how good the aircraft, it’s the dedicated pilots and medical staff who provide the day to day care
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that saves lives. Don Fillingame and Andy Bavage are two Careflight pilots who have garnered experience across the helicopter industry and have now turned that talent to helping people via helicopters. “We mainly do medical transfers on this base. Our mission has changed a bit in that in the past we were single pilot with a crewman who was also a winch operator, a doctor and a paramedic and we were doing rescue work as well as hospital transfers,” says Don as he waits with Andy for the next job to come in. “With the new model here in Brisbane
CareFlight. The Name Says it All
we have two pilots, a doctor and a flight nurse on board and transfers are our primary mission. We are back-up on primary scene work, second to the government-operated helicopter which does most of the accident and rescue work. These days we don’t have a winch.” But emergency flights, landing in the field, are still a part of their working life. “Last week we had to land in a paddock near the scene of an accident, pick up a man who had been crushed by a piece of industrial machinery, and fly him to hospital,” Don says. “In the same week we had a motor vehicle accident where there were multiple patients with multiple injuries. Two helicopters went out, ours being one of them, and we brought the patient in quickly. But most of our work is bringing a patient from a small hospital that can’t handle the medical needs of a very sick patient where that person needs to get into the hands of a major critical care facility.” Dr Brett Hoggard is the medical director for Retrieval Services Queensland, which provides oversight and coordination of all aeromedical retrievals in Queensland. He’s enthusiastic about the capabilities of the new AW-139 helicopter. “The AW-139 gives us a lot more space than other machines we’ve used. Plus it’s also fast. Helicopters are point to point and the AW-139, with its endurance, brings centres that were further out, into our ability to retrieve critically ill patients,” he says. “There are definitely a lot of people who are alive today because of this type of aeromedical evacuation, and there are people whose long-term potential for disability was decreased thanks to organisations like Careflight being able to deliver fast treatment, either at primary scenes like accidents or rapid retrieval from remote hospitals. “Basically the back of that aircraft is a flying intensive care unit, where we can perform all emergency procedures including putting patients on full life support.” Flight Nurse Emily Ragus has been with CareFlight for nine months. She says working in medical evacuation is very different to the hospital work she was trained in.
“Typically we are just given the weight so we can do the weight and balance, and en-route the doctor or the nurse will give us a bit more info. But they don’t tell us the patient’s condition before we accept the flight. We base our launch decision on weather and capability,”
FACT BOX The AgustaWestland AW-139 is a 15-seat medium sized twinengined multi role helicopter which is produced in Agusta’s manufacturing facilities in Italy and the US, as well as under licence in Russia by HeliVert. Power comes from two 1531hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C turboshaft engines, controlled via full authority digital engine controls (FADEC). The aircraft has an empty weight of 3622kg and a max gross of up to 6800kg. It has a maximum cruise speed of 165kts. In July 2014, AgustaWestland announced that the global fleet had accumulated more than a million flight hours. More than 770 AW139s had been produced.
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FEATURE
Flight nurse Emily Ragus
“It’s great, very different to working in a hospital. You are a lot more autonomous in the helicopter,” she says. “It’s really rewarding because you can follow the patient. I still work in a tertiary hospital, so I get to see what a difference we make. You get to know the family a bit more because you liaise with them during the transfer, letting them know the patient arrived safely. You can hear the relief in their voice which is a very nice feeling after you finish a mission.” Don and Andy are veterans of the helicopter industry with more than 5000hrs of helicopter experience each. They both self-funded their flying training after having missed out on military selection. “I’d always wanted to learn to fly helicopters and I tried to get into the US military but I didn’t have 20/20 vision, so I decided I to go and pay for it myself. I took a demo flight and as we were
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climbing out I realised I was hooked and I’ve never looked back,” says Don describing his first foray into helicopters in 2001. “I financed my training with a payout from a business I was getting out of. After getting my commercial licence, my first flying job in the US was with a company that took pictures of boats from a helicopter. I did some instructing as well in an R-22. “Then I got a job at the Grand Canyon flying Longrangers and then flew Squirrels and EC-130s in Las Vegas. That was where I met my Australian wife.” Being with an Australian girl led to Don relocating his career to Australia, at least for a while. “We moved to Australia where I got a job at Seaworld flying a Squirrel for a year and a half and then I got a job with Surf Lifesaving at Carrara and did that for a short while. “We then moved back to the US where
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I got experience in multi-engine IFR operations, working offshore flying to oil platforms. I built up my time on that then got an emergency medical service (EMS) job with the Mayo Clinic in an EC-145 and BK-117, which was single pilot IFR, involving night vision goggles (NVG). We came back to Australia and I did another short stint with Surf Lifesaving and then got a job with Careflight, where I’ve been for five years.” Andy also had ambitions of a military career but a severe back injury saw that option closed. At the age of 25 he sold his investment property and learned to fly at Moorabbin airport. After gaining the coveted CPL he got work flying tourists in the Northern Territory, which led to mining and survey work before a change of tack flying marine pilots to ships. His next job was flying S-76Cs for Esso onto oil platforms in Victoria’s Bass Strait, an area notorious for difficult
CareFlight. The Name Says it All
Pilots Don Fillingame and Andy Bavage
flying conditions. He then had a stint in the Middle East, again in the oil industry, before joining Careflight, initially in their commercial operations, flying the Bell 412EP. Pilots doing aeromedical evacuation work are only given a minimum of detail about the patient they are being asked to recover. “Typically we are just given the weight so we can do the weight and balance, and en-route the doctor or the nurse will give us a bit more info. But they don’t tell us the patient’s condition before we accept the flight. We base our launch decision on weather and capability,” Don says. Once airborne, there is no time for distraction or emotion. The goal is getting medical attention to the patient quickly and safely. “I don’t usually get affected unless kids are involved because I have two young children,” Don says. “But most of the time you are into the
job so much and the focus is on what you are doing, getting the medical crew there, supporting them on the ground, and getting them back to the helicopter and on the way to hospital that you don’t focus too much on the situation. If we are doing our job that gives the patient the best chance for survival. “When it’s all over that’s when we think about it.” Don says the job is the culmination of gaining experience in a variety of aviation roles. “We’ve both done a lot of jobs with helicopters and for us this is the endgame job right here. We are combining flying a state of the art machine with the satisfaction of helping people. There’s no way to describe that. Yes there are the mundane jobs and sometimes you’re just moving people, then you have the patients where you know you are making a difference. “That’s very satisfying.” n
So you want to fly for CareFlight? To land your dream job in aeromedical flying you’ll need: • ATPL(H) • CIR ME (H) with three renewals. • Min 3000hrs rotary wing. • 1500 PIC, rotary wing, • 500hrs PIC ME turbine. • 100hrs IF • 100hrs night. • Night Vision Goggle qualification preferred.
Donate to CareFlight Without the generous support of the community careflight would not be able to take off - literally. Visit www.careflight.org
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TECH TALK FEATURE
Airshow in a Bucket Australia Day City of Perth Air Show 2016 was quite a unique event, held in a ‘bucket’ measuring roughly one point 1.5km x 3km. It was bordered along the northern foreshore by the skyscrapers of Perth, high-rise apartments along the South Perth foreshore, the Causeway bridge to the east, and the Narrows Bridge and Kings Park to the west. The event attracted more than 300,000 spectators, with this year’s event being the biggest held, with 85 pilots flying 105 flights. It is now one only two regular large aviation events held in Perth, the other being the annual fly-in at Serpentine Airfield.
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Airshow in a Bucket
Photos: David Eyre, Keith Anderson and Daniel Kitlar. www.AviationWA.org.au
Cessna C170 flown by Gail Neylan and Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 Sport Trainer flown by Franc Smit
De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth flown by Barry Markham.
The Old Timers formation near the city of Perth.
Boeing Stearmans flown by Carl Ende and Werner Buhlmann.
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AIRCRAFT REVIEW
Cessna TTX Low Wing, High Performance
AOPA past president Phillip Reiss tests the Cessna TTX.
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Cessna TTX - Low Wing, High Performance
The Cessna TTX
Getting the opportunity to compare and test similar aircraft does not occur every day. Having flown the Mooney Ovation and Cirrus SR 22T and written flight reviews for both, I jumped at the offer from Aeromil Pacific to fly the Cessna TTX during its demonstration tour of NSW. I was very interested to see if the TTX flies as well as it looks, having followed its progress from inception as the Columbia 300 to present. I was not disappointed. Lance Neibauer designed the Lancair line of kit-built aircraft in 1994. NASA encouraged him to develop an FAA certified aircraft and the result was the Columbia 300 in 1998, followed by the turbocharged 400 in 2000. Columbia Aircraft went into bankruptcy in 2007 and Cessna bought the product line for the bargain price of $20 million, a fraction of what it would have cost to fully develop a composite single. The
The TTX looks even better on the ramp than in photographs, more akin to a luxury-sporting automobile. design was rebranded as the Cessna 350 (naturally aspirated) and Cessna 400 (turbocharged). Original production was at Bend in Oregon. Cessna later moved production to Independence, Kansas, renaming the aircraft the Corvalis TT, and most recently it was designated the Cessna TTX. My flight was scheduled for 9am on a Friday morning. Textron Aviation regional sales director Kate Hamilton and demonstration pilot Eddie Bevan met me at the Aeromil hangar and spent considerable time on a very thorough briefing of the aircraft features and systems as well as a comprehensive pre-
flight. Unfortunately, as often happens in aviation, the flight had to be cancelled - the villain in this case was a faulty alternator switch. We rescheduled for another day. First Impressions The TTX looks even better on the ramp than in photographs, more akin to a luxury-sporting automobile. It looks fast, stylish and purposeful. The walk around reinforces this first impression along with the advanced aerodynamic features, quality build, strength and solidarity in construction. Carbon fibre is used in the wing spar and control surfaces and strategic areas
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AIRCRAFT REVIEW
providing additional strength to the structure. Certified in the more stringent utility category (+4.4 g -1.76 g), the aircraft meets FAA spin recovery certification. The large rudder and horizontal stabiliser contribute to its excellent handling characteristics. The walk around reveals the effort that has been made to enhance the aerodynamics with smooth surfaces and drag reducing fairings all contributing to the performance of this aircraft. The wing leading edge is interesting with a distinct change in profile. The outer third of the wing has a distinct cuff ensuring the wing retains lift well after the in-board portion has stalled, contributing to spin resistance. It is definitely a high speed wing while retaining good low speed handling. Speed brakes enable rapid and smooth descent, almost a necessity on an aircraft that can operate in the flight levels. N362CS was also equipped with Flight into Known Icing (FIKI) a TKS system on the wing leading edge and the leading edges of the horizontal and vertical stabilisers, with
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a slinger system on the propeller and spray nozzles for the windscreen. This is probably more useful in the US than in Australia, but nice to have nonetheless. Air conditioning is however a necessity in Australia and it is installed on N362CS, an option I would specify if I were a potential buyer. One further item that Eddie points out on the walk around is the nose wheel - castoring and upright with shimmy dampening accomplished by an oil bleed system in the oleo. Aileron and elevator control is via rods and rudder is via cable. Cessna refer to this as ‘Direct Control Technology’. The system connects the side stick more directly to the aileron and elevator control surfaces enabling precise handling. Equipped with the Garmin 2000 avionics all glass cockpit comprising dual 14 inch screens and centre console GTC 570 touch screen, I find the avionics very intuitive and the display easy to read and operate using the GTC 570. In my opinion it is more intuitive to operate than the Garmin 1000 systems on aircraft I have recently flown.
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Cessna have incorporated an electronic stability and protection system (ESP) to help prevent stalls and spins. Should the aircraft exceed flight limits or steep spirals, ESP will automatically initiate correction by gently nudging the controls back to stable flight. The ESP system can be disabled for training. Flight Performance, Handling and Cabin Comfort Entry is via keyless entry gull-wing doors both sides. Steps on both sides and a D handle facilitate stepping up on to the wing while the step down in to the front seats is fairly deep. Eddie demonstrates the correct technique stepping down off the wing with your right foot, standing in the foot well (the gull-wing doors give plenty of head room) then leaning back against the seat to bring your left foot in and slide down the seat back into the seat. It sounds complicated but relatively straight forward in practice - a little harder for the less limber, but easier once you have done it a couple of times. The pilot seats are very comfortable with adjustment forward and back and
Cessna TTX - Low Wing, High Performance
for incline, however there is no height adjustment other than changing out the seat base before flight. There are three different thickness seat bases available. Eddie runs through a pre-flight familiarisation with me and we discuss the departure procedures and planned flight. The plan is to depart Bankstown on an IFR departure and climb to FL 250 on track to Bathurst, record the climb and cruise parameters and check out the handling at this altitude, then return to Bankstown with a level off in a block between 11,000ft and 9000ft to carry out stalls and general handling manoeuvres. Finally we plan to return to Bankstown for a touch and go followed by a full stop landing. An ILS at Richmond was unavailable, but I have seen the Garmin GFC700 autopilot perform this approach on other aircraft and with the intuitive nature of the Garmin 2000 I’m happy to skip this demonstration. I didn’t like the location of the receptacles for plugging in the oxygen masks, located under the centre console and forward of the panel, requiring long
arms and a supple torso - not the usual build of a prospective buyer. Most buyers who can afford an aircraft in this category (US$689,000 standard or $780,000 equipped with all options) will no longer be in the first flush of youth. Placing the oxygen plug-in receptacles on the centre console would have been more logical. With their current location it is imperative to plug them in before flight and before getting into the pilot seat. Similarly, the parking brake on the left lower pilot’s side is a bit of a stretch higher up would be better. Taxying the TTX is very easy with good directional control and very little braking required despite the castoring nose wheel. Eddie spins the aircraft around 360 degrees within its own wingspan to demonstrate how manoeuvrable it is. Taxying on a hot 32C day the airconditioning was great, a must for Australian conditions. We departed Bankstown RW 11C, with 12 degrees flap set, and Eddie suggested holding the brakes, bringing in full power and, when stabilised, releasing the brakes
to start the take off roll. The large amount of right rudder input required catches me out but a gentle reminder from Eddie gets my right boot working. There is a lot of torque from that big Continental plus airflow impinging on the rudder on take off requiring a lot of right rudder to compensate. Forward visibility is restricted during the climb, also in cruise. I could do with the thicker seat pad and moving the seat forward another 5cm would help, but unfortunately the fore and aft seat release is a bit sticky and I can’t alter the seat position in flight. Eddie admits this needs a bit of adjustment but the busy demonstration program has not allowed time to do this. Initial climb rate is 1450fpm at 110kts, settling down to about 1250fpm at 120kts cruise climb speed. Handling is crisp and precise with good control harmonisation and I particularly liked the side stick as it has an intuitive feel, more so than the Cirrus side yoke. The inflatable door seals have a significant effect on noise levels keeping
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AIRCRAFT REVIEW
them down, but noise-cancelling headsets are also required for optimum comfort. Once clear of the Bankstown zone we engage the autopilot giving me time to explore the avionics and take notes. I particularly liked the GTC-570 touch screen located on the centre console, which controls the MFD, the NAV/COM and several other systems including intercom and environmental system. It is also easy to operate in turbulence. There is a pulse oximeter on the left lower side of the pilot’s panel: slip a finger into the slot and wait about 30 seconds and your pulse rate and oxygen saturation is displayed on the Garmin 2000 screen. I took a reading at 10,000ft - my pulse
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rate was 65 and oxygen saturation 98%, and another check at 25,000ft with the oxygen mask on, my pulse rate was 64 and oxygen 94%. Interesting and also reassuring that I was not about to succumb to hypoxia. The mike in my oxygen mask was not working, so I had to lift the mask and slip my headset mike under it whenever I want to talk to Eddie - not a show stopper but a nuisance nonetheless and another maintenance issue. Leveling at 25,000ft and allowing the TTX to build up to maximum cruise resulted in a TAS of 215kts, well short of the claimed 235kts. Manifold pressure was 26.5”, OAT ISA +11 and fuel burn
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21.4USG per hour. Eddie explained the discrepancy in claimed TAS over actual as being a mechanical issue with N362CS’s turbocharger as it is not making the 31” MP expected. The aircraft had been on a busy demonstration tour and it were evident that some maintenance adjustments are needed and the aircraft is not presenting to its full potential. Operating in the lower teens, I have no doubt speed in the 190kts to 195kts range and above 20,000ft about 225kts can be expected, however I can only report the figures I see with the lower MP. Descending to 11,000ft I carried out general handling manoeuvers and stalls with full flaps. The stall comes at 59kts
Cessna TTX - Low Wing, High Performance
Cessna has done a great job with the TTX Certainly the aerodynamics are excellent, it is spin recoverable so there is no requirement for a parachute, and the aircraft is great to hand fly.
and is a non-event with no wing drop. The aircraft was a delight to fly, has well-harmonised controls, a crisp solid feel, and is lighter at altitude and slower speeds but noticeably heavier at higher speeds. It’s perfect in the airport circuit area, with good crosswind authority. Returning to Bankstown through moderate turbulence on the descent, the TTX is solid, punching through the rough air and handling the bumps with very little deflection from flight path. Cessna has chosen to install vernier controls for throttle, propeller and mixture and I found these very precise. On approach I ccould easily hold IAS within 2kts despite the turbulence and
complete a touch and go followed by a full stop landing, both very acceptable, to complete the planned flight evaluation. Cessna has done a great job with the TTX. Certainly the aerodynamics are excellent, it is spin recoverable so there is no requirement for a parachute, and the aircraft is great to hand fly. Flight manuals are always a good indicator of performance although rarely do aircraft make the book figures that are derived under ideal conditions with minimal weight and a skilled test pilot to optimise them. I like to take copious notes while flying and then review the flight manual to build the complete picture. Unfortunately Textron are unable to lend me a copy of the flight manual, preferring to provide the shiny brochure which is great for extolling the TTX virtues but not much help in drilling down in to performance detail. I did however manage to download the Corvalis TT flight manual which provides the information I need. The difference between the Corvalis TT and the Cessna TTX is mainly in avionics and other equipment. Performance is the same. It is hard not to draw comparisons between the three fastest light single engine aircraft – the Cessna TTX, Cirrus S22T and the Mooney Ovation. The Mooney, being the fastest and with retractable undercarriage and 30hp less, is probably best considered to be in a different class so other than quoting the speed/fuel flow figures for the Mooney I will concentrate on more detailed comparisons of the Cessna TTX and Cirrus SR 22T. My flight notes of TAS I obtained for all three aircraft at 25,000ft show the Mooney Ovation hit TAS 234kts (3kts below book figure) burning 21USG/hr. The Cirrus SR 22T had a TAS of 206kts (8kts
below book figure) using 18USG/hr and the Cessna TTX showed TAS of 215kts (20kts below book figure) consuming 21.4USG/hr. I believe the Cessna TTX would make 225kts or better TAS if the turbocharger were adjusted to enable higher MP. So the title for fastest part 23 certified single engine aircraft goes to the Mooney ovation with 30hp less, but all three are not too far apart in performance. However credit must be given to Cessna and Cirrus for obtaining their performance with fixed undercarriage. This is not intended to be a flight test comparison between aircraft, so I will not go into too much detail, only highlighting some of the main differences, between the TTX and the SR 22T. The Cessna TTX is nicer to hand fly, has great aerodynamics coupled with rod actuation of ailerons and elevator and a true side stick. The Cirrus has a side yoke which is not as nice to manipulate and does not have the crisp well-harmonised control feel. The TTX also has a slightly better rate of climb and a little more range, but is about $60,000 more expensive. The TTX does not have a parachute, which is a big selling factor for Cirrus, and the Cirrus has better forward and all round visibility. Cirrus has a one-button recovery system that will bring the aircraft back to straight and level in the event of an upset; the TTX does not have this feature.The Cirrus SR 22T also has a fiveseat option with three seat belts for the back seat , though for children only in my opinion. It is really a matter of personal opinion as both aircraft are very similar in performance and will perform the same role equally well. I guess it really comes down to your money, your decision. n
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REGULATION REFORM | LICENSING REGULATIONS
2016
AUSTR ALIA EVE NT SCH E DU LE
TO U R
ALL EVE NTS 10 AM–2 P M
MAY 28
AIR GOLD COAST
YBCG
COOLANGATTA
QLD
MAY 29
SOUTH PORT AERO CLUB
YSPT
SOUTHPORT
QLD
JUNE 05
YARRAWONGA FLIGHT TRAINING
YYWG
YARRAWONGA
VIC
JUNE 11 & 12
DDAC
YTWB
TOOWOOMBA
QLD
JUNE 11
FLY OZ
YCWR
COWRA
NSW
JUNE 12
ORANGE AERO CLUB
YORG
ORANGE
NSW
JUNE 25
LATROBE VALLEY AERO CLUB
YLTV
LATROBE VALLEY
VIC
JUNE 26
EAST GIPPSLAND AERO CLUB
YBNS
BAINSDALE
VIC
JULY 10
NRAC
YLIS
LISMORE
NSW
JULY 11
SIGMA AEROSPACE
YSTW
TAMWORTH
NSW
JULY 12
SCONE AERO CLUB
YSCO
SCONE
NSW
JULY 13
ROYAL NEWCASTLE AERO CLUB
YMND
MAITLAND
NSW
JULY 15
DREAMSKY FLIGHT TRAINING
YCNK
CESSNOCK
NSW
JULY 16
CIRRUS SALES/TRAINING CEN-
YSBK
BANKSTOWN
NSW
JULY 18
TRE
YWVA
WARNERVALE
NSW
JULY 19
CENTRAL COAST AERO CLUB
YPMQ
PORT MACQUARIE
NSW
JULY 20
HASTINGS RIVER AERO CLUB
YCFS
COFFS HARBOUR
NSW
AUGUST 06
COFFS HARBOUR AERO CLUB
YBAF
ARCHERFIELD
QLD
AUGUST 07
FLIGHT ONE
YBSU
SUNSHINE COAST
QLD
AUGUST 07
AERODYNAMIC FLIGHT ACADEMY
YMMB
MOOARRABBIN
VIC
AUGUST 14
AVIA AVIATION
YPJT
JANDAKOT
WA
AUGUST 20
CIRRUS PERTH
YBUN
BUNBURY
WA
AUGUST 20
BUNBURY AERO CLUB
YADG
ALDINGA
SA
AUGUST 27
ADELAIDE BIPLANES
YSCN
CAMDEN
NSW
SEPTEMBER 03
CURTIS AVIATION
YSHT
SHEPPARTON
VIC
SEPTEMBER 04
GAWNE AIR
YBSS
BACCHUS MARSH
VIC
SEPTEMBER 10
TVSA BACCHUS
YSWG
WAGGA WAGGA
NSW
SEPTEMBER 17
WAGGA CITY AERO CLUB
YBTH
BATHURST
NSW
OCTOBER 08
BATHURST AERO CLUB
YMEN
ESSENDON
VIC
OCTOBER 11
PEARSON AVIATION
YEML
EMERALD
QLD
OCTOBER 12
CENTRAL AIRLINES
YBRK
ROCKHAMPTON
QLD
OCTOBER 13
RAC
YBMK
MACKAY
QLD
OCTOBER 15
HORIZON AVIATION
YMBA
MAREEBA
QLD
OCTOBER 15
NQAC
YMAY
ALBURY
NSW
OCTOBER 17
SMART AIR
YBTL
TOWNSVILLE
QLD
OCTOBER 18
BLUEWATER AVIATION
YSHR
SHUTE HARBOUR
QLD
OCTOBER 19
WHITSUNDAY AIRPORT OFFICES
YBUD
BUNDABERG
QLD
OCTOBER 20
BUNDABERG AERO CLUB
YHBA
HERVEY BAY
QLD
OCTOBER 23
AERODYNAMIC FLIGHT ACADEMY
YDLQ
DENILIQUIN
NSW
NOVEMBER 12
WETTENHALL AIR
YCBG
HOBART
TAS
NOVEMBER 13
CAMBRIDGE AERO CLUB
YMLT
LAUNCESTON
TAS
TASMANIAN AERO CLUB
C o n t a c t R e g i o n a l D i r e c t o r, G r a h a m H o r n e , f o r m o r e i n f o . + 6 1 4 0 8 9 8 3 3 1 5 | g h o r n e @ c i r r u s a i r c r a f t . c o m Cirrus Aircraft takes flight on a tour across Australia. Register to attend a location near you. cirrusaircraft.com/australiatour2016
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TECH TALK
Cirrus SR22 Adds Baro VNAV Capability
GNSS approaches have been one of the greatest improvements to aviation. Giving a safe instrument approach to reasonable minima without the need for expensive ground-based aids like ILS, VOR and NDB, means many more places now have an instrument approach. But they are still considered a 2D, non-precision approach - the GPS will guide you laterally, but the descent is up to the pilot. In the US, the improved vertical precision WAAS brings to plain-old GPS the ability to make so-called LPV approaches that activate the ILS glideslope indicator and have minimums similar to ILS. Lack of WAAS means this is not available in Australia, but Cirrus now offer GA pilots the next best thing - baro-VNAV, which is GPS navigation enhanced with barometric altimeter readings that gives pilots, or the autopilot, a glideslope to follow right down to the runway on any GNSS RNAV approach. While more common in airliners to enable RNP approaches, as well as in other heavier GA aircraft, the current model Cirrus SR22 is the only piston single with this capability in Australia and not something you can easily buy off the shelf to retrofit in other aircraft. “I must have flown more than 100 LNAV+V approaches, which use baro-VNAV, and it’s an amazing capability that really
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reduces pilot workload,” says Cirrus Aircraft Australasia director Graham Horne. “It’s still considered a 2D approach in Australia and the pilot is responsible for checking descent steps, but left unattended, it will fly you all the way to the runway on auto pilot.” Baro-VNAV comes standard on all 2016 SR22s including the Australis aeroplanes made for Australia, whose option package also includes features like air conditioning, UV tinted windows, all-digital standby instruments, remote keyless entry/lighting and active traffic information.
Cirrus SR22 adds Baro VNAV Capability
SANDIA SAI 340 COMPLETES CERTIFICATION First announced last year, the Sandia SAI 340 Quattro digital standby instrument has now received FAA certification. The SAI 340 combines backup attitude, airspeed, altitude and slip information in a single unit that fits in a standard three inch round hole without panel modifications. The built-in two hour backup battery ensures getting to safety even if all electrics fail. At US$3595 it’s also currently the lowest cost solution if digital backup instruments are desired for glass panel upgrades like Garmin G500 or Aspen systems.
GARMIN INTRODUCES ALL-IN-ONE ADS-B TRANSPONDERS With the February 2017 ADS-B requirement for all IFR flights coming up fast, decision time on how to upgrade is approaching for many aeroplane owners. In fact, those flying in much of WA already need to be equipped for ADS-B out. To comply, aeroplanes are going to need a TSO c145/146 GPS source, most likely a navigator in the form of a GNS 430W/530W or new GTN650/750, and an ADS-B compatible Mode-S Extended Squitter (ES) transponder. Just in time, Garmin have introduced the GTX 335 and GTX 345 ADS-B transponders. Both models are available with or without a built-in TSO c145 GPS meaning that you can meet the ADS-B requirements without upgrading your navigator. Listed at US$2995, the street price of the basic GTX 335 is significantly lower than the former go-to GTX 330ES model making the ADS-B upgrade more affordable. The GTX 345 also includes an ADS-B IN receiver that’s not only able to display traffic on most existing Garmin displays including G1000, GNS430/530, GTN560/750 and MX20/200 among others, but also connects to your audio panel to give audible traffic alerts for other ADS-B OUT equipped aeroplanes. For G1000 or GTN650/750 equipped aeroplanes, Garmin also offer remote-mounted units that can be controlled from existing displays. This is also a cost effective way of gaining ADS-B OUT in older TSO c129 G1000 equipped aircraft, though it won’t deliver the other advantages a TSO c146 navigator brings.
LIGHTSPEED TANGO WIRELESS HEADSET Lightspeed, maker of the popular Sierra and Zulu series of active noise cancelling headsets, has added a wireless option known as Tango to their line-up. Both the unit that plugs into the panel and the headset itself are powered with a custom designed rechargeable lithium ion battery that provides 12 hours use. An emergency use cable that plugs the headset directly into the panel is also provided for when batteries run out. And like Lightspeed’s other offerings, the headset also has Bluetooth connectivity for phone and streaming music. Tango retails for A$1299 in GA, helicopter and Lemo plug versions. n
For more information cirrusaircraft.com ads-b.garmin.com/en-US
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COVER FEATURE
An Italian Wolf in LSA Clothing
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An Italian Wolf in LSA Clothing
Photos: Mark Smith
“The 300 actually came before the 200, which was introduced as a basic training school aircraft, and the 300 holding its place as the cream of the crop”
LSA continue to evolve. The Alpi Pioneer 300 Hawk is modern and fast. Mark Smith took it for a buzz. Italians know a thing or two about sensuous design, whether it’s in a car with flowing lines like the Ferrari Modena or a stylish motorbike like a Lambretta. Beautiful form must go with function. The Alpi Pioneer Hawk 300 comes from the same design philosophy that has its roots with the iconic Falco F.8l and the Sia Marchetti SF-260, both designed by Stelio Frati in the mid-1950s. In many ways it’s a scaled down Falco, powered by a 100hp Rotax 912 ULS. The Falco is an all-wood aeroplane and the Pioneer 300 shares some of this construction method, having a wooden fuselage structure that is then sheathed in a composite shell. The wings are also all wood, with a spruce spar and covered in plywood with a thin fibreglass skin. The main gear has quite a narrow track because it actually attaches to the fuselage structure, making assembly
and disassembly easier by not having to attach or remove the undercarriage. Michael Prendergast is the Australian distributor of Alpi aircraft in Australia. He says the design variations of the Pioneers doesn’t actually follow the numerical model number sequence. “The 300 actually came before the 200, which was introduced as a basic training school aircraft, and the 300 holding its place as the ‘cream of the crop’,” he says. “The modern day Hawk is equipped with a true constant speed Idrovario propeller, which has a proper governor with a cable control, as normally found on larger GA aircraft. The retractable undercarriage is electric and operates on worm drives.” With the design utilising many of the aerodynamic features that make the Falco such a great aircraft such as the
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COVER FEATURE
enormously efficient fairing between the fuselage and the wing, and the cockpit layout, it is obviously going to be a great aeroplane to fly. Bruce Vickers, an instructor at Golden Plains Aviation at Victoria’s Lethbridge Airfield, takes me through the cockpit explaining the main differences the aeroplane has over other LSA. Emergency gear extension uses a small handle that is kept in a hatch between the seats. Not having this on board is a no go item. It slots into a hole between the seats and takes 35 turns to drop the gear. The fuel system has two main wing tanks each holding 40 litres as standard. The test aircraft has the optional tank in front of the cockpit that holds 30 litres. The front tank doesn’t run directly to the engine but rather can be drained into the right tank via a selector in the cockpit. The electric fuel pump sends excess fuel back to the left tank. The procedure is to start and taxi on the left tank to allow the fuel level to drop slightly before the boost pump is used for take-off, then run on the right tank until its level drops enough to top it up from the front tank.
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Elevator and aileron trim are electric, with small rocker switches on the panel between the seats, slightly behind and below the throttle. These use a row of lights to show position. Bruce mentions that when he flies solo he tends to have a couple of clicks of right aileron trim in to counter his weight on the left side of the aeroplane. A small switch operates the flaps, and when on the automatic setting it just requires a click up or down to change flap setting. The test aircraft is fitted with analogue instruments, along with a Trutrak Gemini PFD, a Flybox engine information system
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and an Avmap EKP IV. Mike brings the demonstrators in with a basic fitout because then a customer who buys the aircraft can fit what they want. Getting into the Pioneer is a simple matter of climbing onto the wing, stepping down onto the spar carry through and dropping your derriere into the leather seat. The seating position is ever-so-slightly laid back, with the joystick coming easily to hand. A four point harness keeps the pilot and passenger snug and safe. With Bruce on board and full fuel we are pretty much at the max gross weight of 560kg
An Italian Wolf in LSA Clothing
The Rotax bursts into life using a touch of choke and with the canopy open a crack to keep us cool we taxi to the run up bay. Latching the canopy prior to take off is a checklist item as it cannot be opened in flight. Ground handling is not worth mentioning as, with an effective nosewheel and toe brakes, it’s just like taxying any GA aeroplane. Lining up on Lethbridge’s runway 10, I apply full power and notice the acceleration as I am pushed slightly back in the seat, something you don’t expect with 100hp. A fair bit of right rudder is needed to hold centreline. Rotate is at 55kts and she quickly accelerates to 70kts as the gear comes up. Gear extend/ retract is 80kts but it is all tucked away as I set up a climb at 5000 rpm/25 inches MP in bumpy conditions at 80kts. This sees 800fpm on the VSI. Overall visibility is excellent. Levelling at 3500ft and the aircraft accelerates to 130kts indicated, burning 19 litres an hour. It only requires a small amount of forward trim to take the pitch load off the stick. Given how bumpy the conditions are I reduce power slightly to give me a bigger speed buffer below the yellow arc at 135kts IAS. The thing I constantly find with modern LSA is how rock solid the controls feel. There is no twitchiness but rather a comfortable feeling of stability. However the roll rate is satisfyingly energetic in keeping with the aerobatic pedigree of the design. It is huge fun to roll into a 45 degree turn to the right and then reverse to 45 degrees left. The stall is next so after a steep turn to clear the area, with the front windscreen providing great visibility upwards as well as all around, I pull the power back while holding a slightly level attitude and watch the speed bleed back. At 45kts it still had good aileron authority. As the speed drops below 40kts there is a slight buffet and the nose drops benignly. Continuing to hold back pressure sees the aeroplane adopt a slightly nose high decent at about 400fpm, with no sign of a wing drop. Relaxing the back pressure and applying power sees the aircraft fly out of the stall and begin to accelerate. This is a really well-mannered Italian! It’s one thing to have a pocket rocket
Stylish Italian cockpit
Retractable undercarriage
in cruise but another to be able to fit in with a variety of other traffic in the circuit. Here again the Pioneer shows impeccable manners. Reducing to 21 inches, the speed swings back to 90kts as we turn downwind and a couple of clicks of trim to hold the nose up. Once established on downwind, 19 inches sees 80kts slip by so it’s out with a stage of flap and gear down. Once the wheels are hanging in the breeze I bring the power back up to 20inches to hold 75kts. Turning base and another stage of flap sees 70kts appear. I am slightly high on final, which in light sport aircraft is always a good thing so there is always a bit of extra energy, so I am able to drop the final stage of flap and let the nose drop down to hold 60kts. Over the numbers at 50kts and a slight flare sees the aircraft touch down, with the narrow track undercarriage not
feeling any different to a standard track width. It is such fun to handle I raise the flaps and blast off on a touch and go so I can do it all again! Modern light sport aircraft like the Pioneer 300 are efficient tourers that are capable of transporting the pilot and passenger for five hours at a decent speed across the country. Take out two hours fuel and you can carry 30kg of bags and still fly for three hours. Worldwide sales are now over the 750 mark, making it a success in a competitive market. That has to be a good thing. The aircraft is also available as a kit for homebuilding. n
For more information www.alpineaircraft.com.au
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FEATURE
My Second and Third ‘First’ Solos Trent Stewart takes readers through his journey into aerobatic aircraft ownership. One Skythrills aerobatic training weekend at Lethbridge in Victoria, I was approached by a member of the team with a tempting question. “Hey cuz,” he said. “A few of us blokes are thinking of buying an aerobatic aeroplane. Are you interested?” Sure I was! But buy an aeroplane? I work for people who own aeroplanes, so I was unsure how I could ever afford one. I’m not one of these airline captains! In any case, I hadn’t flown in a competition before, and in my mind there was no point owning an aerobatic machine if I wasn’t going to compete in it. Research was important at this early stage so I headed up to Watts Bridge for a competition to see if this was really something I would be interested in. Jump forward a few months and Smoke On Aerobatics was born, a syndicate of three members, with a new company
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name, a syndicate agreement laying out the terms of agreement between all shareholders in the company and the rules and procedures for the ownership of the aircraft, and a deposit down on a Pitts S1S. Yes, after Watts Bridge I was hooked! So how does a bloke with 30 hours in a Decathlon 8K learn to fly a single seat Pitts? The sage advice of many people in the Australian Aerobatic Club (AAC) provided the answer, so the syndicate members headed off for some training with Gerard Lappin in his two seat Pitts S2A. I recall thinking how agile and light on the controls the Decathlon was when I first flew it. My first flight in the S2 proved how misguided those thoughts were and now I still have the mantra “don’t wobble the stick” stuck in my brain. Thanks Gerard! The training course consisted of some upper air-work including upright and
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inverted spins. I had been quite nervous before the inverted spinning, which turned out to be unfounded as they were as much fun as anything else on the training program The first time we turned the S2 upside down certainly got my heart racing, with me in the front hole and only my headset between my head and the brown earth. Following the upper air-work we came back for circuit after circuit and I quickly learned that you don’t fly a Pitts like a Chieftain. At some point, Gerard was satisfied that I wasn’t going to break anything and the big moment had come. I was once again an ab-initio pilot with all my first solo nerves and huge smiles afterwards – and to top it all off I was flying my own aircraft! It’s amazing what a sense of achievement you have when you realise the Pitts is just another aircraft
My Second and Third ‘First’ Solos
– treat it with respect and get the right training and advice and you are in for some serious fun. Unfortunately, in March 2015, the Pitts suffered an engine failure and an off-field landing, ending up damaged beyond repair. Our little syndicate looked like it may have come to a pre-mature end. We owe a great debt of thanks to our insurer, Allianz, who settled the claim quickly and by the end of April we had a cheque in our hands and were itching to go flying again. So what aircraft next? The search was on and fortunately there were a few on the market including a great local example of a Brian Turner built One-Design. However, could we really fly a One-Design? Wasn’t it just too much aircraft for a few blokes who had just only learned to fly the Pitts? Fortunately, with the backing of our insurer and the kind invitation of current owner Pete Pendergast, we were permitted to take the 1D up for a test flight prior to purchase. After a lengthy briefing from Pete on the particulars of his aircraft and the handling qualities we could expect, I strapped in. Again with a mixed feeling of excitement and nerves it was time for another first solo! So how did she fly? The aircraft was quite simple to handle on the ground and had much better visibility than the Pitts. The takeoff was pretty similar to the Pitts (“don’t wobble the stick!!”) however I needed a little forward stick after takeoff to allow the speed to increase to around 90-100kts for climb. And didn’t she like to climb! The aircraft was up to 7000ft very quickly and I flew a series of stalls and spins to get a feel for the aircraft as well as a feel for the recovery in case of a botched manoeuver. In addition, I set the aircraft up for a landing at altitude to get a feel for the attitude in level flight at landing speed. Next were some basic aerobatics and it was here that I noticed the first major difference to the Pitts with the forward and aft stall stick positions being around two stick diameters apart. This makes for a quite different technique when pulling to the vertical or pulling back to level. Basically you needn’t keep moving the stick, but rather just deflect it and let the aircraft fly around the corner, as if on rails. If you keep pulling the stick, expecting an increase in the stick pressure as the G comes on (as you would with the Pitts or
the 8K) then you quickly learn what the term ‘G stall’ means. Remembering my initial training, it was a simple case of just moving the stick away from the stall stick position to unload the wing and you are away (albeit with a big loss of energy). What a beast! Coming back in to land I noticed another quite big difference from the Pitts or the Decathlon. There is almost a complete lack of drag, except from the prop. Your attitude (well, the wing’s attitude) is important in getting the speed you want for final – something that was drummed into us during the Pitts S2 training. If you find yourself a little high and lower the nose rather than taking some power off, your speed rapidly increases, leading to carrying a lot of energy into the flare. My first attempt saw me carrying 90kts over the fence, with the engine at idle. The resultant long float down the runway led to a go-around. During my circuit someone came on the radio from an adjacent aerodrome and called out “leave a little power on” (thanks John Lee!). On the second attempt I focused on looking out the window and setting my attitude first, then power for the approach path. This led to leaving a little power on into the flare, and a nice settle onto the runway once the power was removed. Another first solo done and dusted! The 1D didn’t exhibit any of the demons we had heard about. It certainly flies
differently to the Pitts but this is simply an example of needing to learn to fly the aircraft the way she wants to fly. Like any aircraft, listen to the advice of others, take your time and respect your limitations. Happily, Smoke On Aerobatics is back in the competition business and we all now have a steep learning curve to learn to fly her nicely before the next comp at Watts Bridge. It is worth mentioning that none of us in our little syndicate are wealthy, or have any great exceptional piloting abilities. We are just a bunch of blokes who get a huge amount of satisfaction from aerobatics and the challenges and rewards that flying discipline can offer. I encourage anyone who has felt the bug of aerobatics to take the plunge and buy an aircraft for yourself. Don’t be discouraged if your initial searches turn up Extras at sky-high prices, though if you can afford one of these beauties, go for it. You just need a few like-minded people to get together and form a syndicate, backed up by a being a legal company with a robust syndicate agreement. You can be flying for much less money than you would think. There is no better feeling in the world than your first solo in your own single seat aerobatic beast. For those of you who have done it, you know what I mean. For those who have not, I encourage you to give it a go. n
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FEATURE Garry Herne in his ELA-8
The Other Way to Fly with Rotors Gyrocopters were once seen as dangerous. Modern versions are anything but, reports Mark Smith. Garry Herne flies an A-330. As we all know it’s a big, modern jet that carries people across the globe. Yet on his days off his idea of fun is strap into his gyrocopter and blast around the sky. “I just love the freedom of a gyro, you can fly them a little bit lower, it’s open cockpit, and you can slow down and have a good look around. It’s like an aerial dirt bike,” he says about his Spanish ELA-8. “The best thing about the gyro is that it’s a fun, responsive aircraft and you have a great field of view. Legally you can fly at 300ft, even lower if you have the permission of the landowner. I did a lot of low level flying in the Army so I’m
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trained to do that. It’s just the freedom. It’s like a motor bike. If you want to go touring you buy a touring bike, if you want to go bush bashing you own a dirt bike. This is the dirt bike of the air.” The introduction of factory-built gyros like the ELA-8 has seen an increase in the number of pilots flying these aircraft. Whereas early homebuilt gyros had a chequered safety record, these modern versions are fully certified in Europe and are operated by government agencies. Flying a gyro is more like piloting a fixed wing aircraft than a helicopter, though they are capable of landing like a helicopter with the assistance of a bit
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of headwind. Garry says that, like any aircraft, they have to be flown within their envelope. “The flight envelope is fairly narrow so there are some things you just cannot do, but there are also some things you can’t do in a Lear jet. For example you shouldn’t stall a Lear and in a Gyro you never push over and unload the rotor. You also have to be careful at the back of the power curve. If you get slow with a high angle of attack there is a lot of drag from the rotor disk so even with full power unless you can get the nose down and accelerate you just mush into the ground.
Gyros - The Other Way to Fly with Rotors
Photos: Mark Smith
David Bella with his Cavalon
“They are nowhere near as hard to fly as a helicopter and they are definitely cheaper than a helicopter. The only similarity is that they both have blade systems. You can be a very good gyro pilot and still not be able to fly a helicopter whereas a fixed wing pilot can transition to a gyro fairly quickly.” Flying the ELA-8 is definitely a different experience. After starting the Rotax 912 engine, the pre-rotator engages to spin the blades up. The swishing overhead is a little disconcerting at first. When the RPM reaches around 220 the pre-rotator disengages and take off roll begins. Liftoff is at 30kts and some forward stick is required to accelerate and prevent a high angle of attack situation developing. The magic number on the ELA-8 is 50kts for climb and descent. Rotor RPM varies between 320rpm and 370rpm depending on weight. Once airborne, a gyro is incredibly manoeuvrable, confirming Garry’s comparison to an aerial dirt bike. Landings are the fun part, with
steep approaches and almost zero groundspeed touchdowns possible. Gyro instructor Brett Perry says transitioning requires a student to learn the limitations of the gyro. “It takes about 10 hours for the average pilot to feel comfortable flying a gyro. You have to unlearn some things you take for granted in fixed wing flying like pushing forwards at the top of climb. In a gyro you reduce power, the nose naturally drops and then you retrim.” Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva set out to create an aircraft that could fly safely at slow speeds and the autogyro was first flown on January 9, 1923, at Cuatro Vientos Airfield in Madrid. De la Cierva’s aircraft resembled the fixedwing aircraft of the day, with a frontmounted engine and propeller in a tractor configuration to pull the aircraft through the air. Another factory-built gyrocopter that is making a name for itself in Australia is the German-built Cavalon from the AutoGyro Corporation. A Rotax 912 engine drives a three blade prop to power this
two-seat, fully enclosed aircraft. David Bella is a recent addition to the ranks of gyrocopter pilots, having learned to fly his Cavalon with Neil Farr at SkyRanch in NSW. He chose to fly a gyrocopter over a more traditional fixed wing aircraft after first looking at them a number of years ago. “Twenty years ago I looked at gyros but wasn’t overly confident with the technology back then. I used to manage cotton plants out west and I used to think how great it would be to fly over and look at the crops,” he says after a morning flight over Caboolture. “After I moved to the Sunshine Coast I decided to have another look and found the gyrocopters available now are much more sophisticated and a lot safer. I’m not really interested in fixed wing because through my research I’ve found these handle the wind better.” David has owned his Cavalon from new and now has 103hrs flying experience on the machine. “I just love it. I feel very safe when I’m flying it.” n
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ME AND MY AIRCRAFT
The Aircruiser: Another Lost Opportunity? Mark Smith reports on a classic Australian aircraft design that was lost through government inaction. The mid 1960s were a heady time in Australia. Social norms were changing, the government was ‘All the way with LBJ’ and so we were involved in the Vietnam War. Our car industry was booming, with the support of a heavy tariff regime,
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which meant brand names like Toyota and Datsun were relatively unknown. But aviation manufacturing was different. A small company that made its mark creating and then producing domestic lawn mowers made a foray into the
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world of building aircraft. Their chosen design was the Airtourer: the result of Australian aeronautical engineer Dr Henry Millicer’s attempt in the 1950s to win an international competition to create a new two seat trainer. The name of the company? Victa.
The Aircruiser: Another Lost Opportunity?
Photos: Mark Smiths Mervyn Victor Richardson, who designed a better lawn mower to help his son with a mowing business in the 1950s, founded the company and began building aeroplanes in 1961. Their initial models were the Victa 100, and 115 Airtourers, which featured all metal construction. The 100 had an 0-200 Continental up front and the 115 had the 0-235 Lycoming. A group of enthusiasts used wood to construct the actual prototype Airtourer in 1959. This was shown around aeroclubs and attracted great interest as a modern replacement for Chipmunk and Tiger Moth trainers. A feature of the original design was the single centre-mounted control column. While this style of control can be found on a number of designs today, it was unique in the early 1960s. To assure continued production of the Airtourer, in 1966 Victa lobbied the federal government to provide tariff protection and the same industry assistance that was being given to the automotive industry. The answer was a firm no. At the time Australia was securely attached to the US alliance and while support for the local car industry was allowed, given US cars had the steering wheel on the wrong side, aeroplane production wasn’t protected in the same way. Henry Millicer, in a last ditch fling to create an aeroplane to compete with imports, designed the Aircruiser, a four seat tourer with a 210hp engine. Victa built the prototype but the die was cast. In 1966 Victa gave up and a year later sold the Airtourer design rights to Aircraft and Engine Services Ltd (AESL) in New Zealand. The Aircruiser, which was certified around this time, was also sold to AESL in 1970. History then shows the Aircruiser design was the inspiration for the CT-4 Airtrainer. In a cruel twist Australia then purchased 50 CT-4s from New Zealand as trainers for the RAAF. The prototype Aircruiser flew to New Zealand along with the design rights and lived there for a number of years. Sonny Rankin from West Wyalong bought the prototype in 1985 and it returned to Australia. He repainted it in the original colour scheme and used the registration MVR, the same as was on the aircraft in 1966, as tribute to Mervyn Richardson. When Sonny died in 1990 the aircraft
The Aircruiser’s cockpit is original, with a unique feature being the electric trim, operated by a toggle switch between the seats.
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ME AND MY AIRCRAFT
was put up for sale via tender. Des Heffernan put a bid in, but was third in the process. The first two bidders dropped out and he became the proud owner of the only Victa Aircruiser in the world. Des is a dedicated Victa enthusiast, which explains the joy he shows as he talks about Henry Millicer’s designs. Now a sprightly 75 he flies his aeroplane often, taking anyone who shows the slightest interest for a fly over New South Wales’ beautiful Bega valley. “I’ve been flying for 50 years and I have been a Victa man from way back,” he says as he leans on the wing of the Aircruiser at historic Frogs Hollow airstrip near Bega. “I started off in a Victa 115 that I still have. I bought it new, with my brother, and then bought him out three years later. I trained with a gentleman named Aub Coote, who I still catch up with at airshows.” Another unique feature of the history of the Aircruiser relates to the aircraft’s
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LAME. “The rear fuselage section is the same as the small Victa Airtourer and then when they did the test flying it didn’t have enough rudder authority for the bigger engine so they added about 100mm to the back of the rudder. The man who did that was Allan Wood, who is still a LAME at 94, and still maintains this aeroplane.” The Aircruiser’s cockpit is original, with a unique feature being the electric trim, operated by a toggle switch between the seats. The only concession to modern flying is a GPS, a more up to date nav/ com and a transponder. Entry is via a single door on the left. Once seated the overall visibility from the large windows is great, though not as good as the CT-4 with its all-over bubble canopy. The 210hp Continental gives a throaty roar on start-up and Des is soon taxying towards the active runway. There are no
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toe brakes, but an unusual handbrake off the panel that is effective for stopping in a straight line. However instead the nosewheel turns a long way and tight turns are still possible. Full power for take-off sees a definite shove back into the seat, along with a sound familiar to anyone who has ever flown a CT-4. She rotates at 70kts and climbs quickly with just two up. Overall handling is sprightly without the controls being overly sensitive. No rudder is needed to coordinate turns, though a boot full is needed on take-off. Landing needs the power to be left on until touchdown as those stubby wings don’t allow for much margin on finals. Des holds 80kts down the line, slowing to 70 over the fence. Power back to idle and she drops on nicely. Was it a lost opportunity? Paul Goard from Brumby Aircraft thinks so, which is why the company has purchased the type certificate and plans
The Aircruiser: Another Lost Opportunity?
Des with his Aircruiser.
to start producing a remanufactured version of the Aircruiser as a joint venture with a Chinese manufacturer. “There’s not too many FAR 23 certified aeroplanes that you just go out and
buy the type certificate for. This was Australia’s first FAR 23 aeroplane,” he says. “Normally when you buy a type certificate you are responsible for the
whole existing fleet. With the Aircruiser that’s one aircraft.” Paul thinks a small amount of redesign will be needed for the modern market place. “Obviously it would have a glass cockpit, we’d give a couple of different choices of engine and we’d like to sweep the fin a bit more. Basically we think it’d be like an all-metal Cirrus - not quite as sexy as Cirrus though. But we think there is a very good place in the market for this kind of aeroplane, with a price of between $400,000 and $500,000.” Back at Frogs Hollow, Des is just happy to own a small piece of our aviation heritage and he has no plans of selling. “While I’m still flying I won’t sell it. I think if you hand your licence in you lose your independence and you tend to go into hibernation. But if you keep things going, and continue to associate with all the great people you get to know in aviation, that’s what keeps you going.” n
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FEATURE
Jabiru: CASA Overreaction or a Justified Safety Action? Jabiru continues to wait for CASA to decide whether to lift restrictions placed on Jabiru-powered aircraft. Mark Smith reports. In December 2014, CASA placed operational restrictions on aircraft powered by Jabiru engines following reports of 46 engine failure incidents during the year. Jabiru training aircraft were restricted from operating at major secondary airports due to a limitations on operations over built up areas where, during departure and landing, a safe forced landing would be difficult to achieve. Another limitation required passengers to sign a waiver stating they understood the risks involved in flying in such an aircraft. More than a year after the limitations were introduced, they remain in force. Owners complain their Jabiru-powered aircraft have nosedived in value, making them virtually unsellable, while flying schools have seen some students steer clear of their Jabiru training aircraft. Rod Stiff and Phil Ainsworth founded Jabiru in 1988 with a goal to build an efficient and robust all composite light aircraft. Since then, Jabiru has manufactured more than 2000 airframes and more than 6000 engines which have been sold locally and overseas. In June, the company issued a press release calling on CASA to immediately reverse the limitations to give the company a chance to resurrect its reputation. “Over the past seven months Jabiru has given CASA an insight into the depth of engineering knowledge and research and development that goes on behind the scenes on a day to day basis at Jabiru,” the company wrote in their release. “Jabiru has also provided all the engineering documents that were used for the last certifications of modifications through the CASA authorised person, engine reports for ASTM compliance, reports for engines achieving 1000 hours and tear down reports of engines from reported incidents.”
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Jabiru sought a meeting with CASA representatives in February where they renewed their call for the limitations to be reviewed. “We called for them to lift the limitations on all compliant engines where people have done the right thing and complied with the service bulletins, kept the maintenance schedules in their logs and made no unapproved modifications, but they don’t seem to be able to get their head around that,” says Jabiru quality manager Susan Woods. “At the meeting I kept saying the same thing but they kept focusing on the roller cam engine we introduced in 2012, which had the bigger through bolts. They seem to be leaning towards that being the sole solution to everything.” CASA took the operational details of these engines to audit the reliability rate. “We’ve given them all the details of the roller cam engines both here and overseas and they are checking them out to make sure we are telling the truth. We have had a good run with them so far with them clocking up 55,800 hours. Several have gone over 1000 hours,” Susan says. A major problem for Jabiru is the discriminatory waiver that either student pilots or passengers flying in a Jabiru powered aircraft must sign. The waiver includes statements such as: “THE CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY (CASA) HAS DATA INDICATING THAT THE TYPE OF ENGINE USED IN THE AIRCRAFT HAS SUFFERED A HIGH NUMBER OF FAILURES AND RELIABILITY PROBLEMS. “I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CASA HAS IMPOSED LIMITATIONS ON THE AIRCRAFT TO PROTECT PERSONS ON THE GROUND NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATON OF THE AIRCRAFT, UNINFORMED PASSENGERS AND TRAINEE PILOTS. THOSE LIMITATIONS
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ALSO HELP PASSENGERS AND TRAINEE PILOTS TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO ACCEPT THE RISK OF FLIGHTS IN THE AIRCRAFT. “I NOTE CASA’S ADVICE THAT, ALTHOUGH MOST JABIRU ENGINES OPERATE NORMALLY, THERE IS AN ABNORMAL RISK THE ENGINE IN THE AIRCRAFT WILL MALFUNCTION.” Susan says this is an outrageous demand that has little basis once the facts behind the statistics are examined. “Nobody should be asked to sign that. It says there were a high number of failures and reliability problems. Compared to what? “Of all the risk assessments they have come up with a figure of a failure of 1 every 10,000 hours as a bench mark of reliability which isn’t even applicable to LSA or GA. They’ve even incorporated failures that were fuel-related, proprelated, there’s a bird strike and one with an insect in a carby. “They were fed this information via ATSB who got their information from RAA. A lot of the data is from a single sentence that was initially lodged in the mandatory three day notification period after an incident.” Globally there is no benchmark for failure rates for LSA. EASA says a failure rate anywhere from 1 in 1000hrs to 1 in 100,000hrs is acceptable. She feels in some ways the regulator has cherry picked data to suit their case. “When they were looking at putting the limitations on us they got ATSB to rustle up some figures to justify their actions and so they used Rotax as a benchmark but they elected not to separate the twostroke Rotax engines which have a higher failure rate than us, yet their operators don’t have to sign that waiver. Subaru engines are renowned to be worse than us but their owner pilots don’t have to get
Jabiru, CASA Overreaction or a Justified Safety Action?
their passengers to sign that waiver. Ms Woods says many of the ATSB occurrence reports relate to operational or maintenance issues. “We aren’t saying we didn’t have issues with through-bolt problems but we had lots of engines that got through to 1000 hours without a through-bolt problem if they had good maintenance.” She says the effect on the company is ongoing. “Domestically it’s been disastrous. It’s also had some effect overseas because all the authorities asked what was going on and looked at their records, but then none followed suit because there hadn’t been the occurrences overseas. We have 420 engines in South Africa and 1600 in the US and neither country has through-bolt problems possibly because they have had tighter maintenance rules.” The issue moved into the realms of government when Queensland senator Barry O’Sullivan questioned CASA director air safety Mark Skidmore and his deputy Dr Jonathon Aleck, in Senate Estimates, over the time it has taken to resolve the issue. “During a meeting on 14 November (2014) were you advised that there had been design developments that had been made to the Jabiru engine over recent years?” Sen O’Sullivan asked of Dr Aleck. “You were made aware of that?” “That there had been design developments to the engine over the years—yes, certainly. We were aware,” Dr Aleck replied. O’Sullivan pressed on. “And they submitted to you that they felt they had resolved some of these critical issues that you had used to place these limitations on them? Did they make that submission to you?” “They suggested that was so,” Dr Aleck replied. O’Sullivan then expressed some frustration at the continuing delays and suggested a Senate Inquiry might be needed to sort out the issue if CASA was
Jabiru 3300
not prepared to provide the information requested. “What evaluation have you now done on the enhanced engines to see whether their performance is better, and up to an acceptable standard, versus the old engines?” he asked. “This company is on the verge of tipping over and this has been a long-running saga. If any of the facts that are being presented to me are correct in relation to how CASA has dealt with this company— how long it has taken and the manner in which the consultations occurred—then there is a problem: a serious problem. Sen O’Sullivan met with CASA officials at his Parliament House office last month where he asked for certain information about the regulator’s decision-making process and its dealings with Jabiru. “The officials requested more time to provide a detailed response. I expect another meeting with CASA to be held in the coming weeks,” Sen O’Sullivan said. “As a former airline crash investigator, I understand the importance of a strong regulatory framework to provide safety for
pilots and passengers. However this must be balanced with reasonable timeframes for any investigations and transparent decision-making processes to provide the best opportunity for Australian aircraft manufacturers to compete in the global marketplace. “I am yet to come to a firm decision regarding the Jabiru issue but I will certainly continue to investigate the concerns that have been raised with me.” Last month the ATSB released a report based on analysis of data relating to engine failures in aircraft with an AUW of 800kg or below from 2009 to 2015. They reported that out of 322 engine failures or malfunctions, Jabiru engines figured in 130 cases, or 3.21 failures per 10,000 hours. A good proportion of those failures relate to problems with through-bolts failing. They also report there have been no reports of failures of the upgraded 7/16th inch bolts. CASA were approached twice for comment about their dealings with Jabiru but failed to respond before Australian Pilot went to press. n
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FEATURE
UFOs Do Exist! David Roe builds aeroplanes that are definitely different. Mark Smith catches up with him. For years people have pondered the existence of so called ‘unidentified flying saucers.’ Every so often a flurry of excitement will greet the latest series of pictures that purportedly shows a UFO flying in our midst. So when you walk into a hangar and actually see one, it’s a surreal experience. But engineer and pilot David Roe is no extra-terrestrial, and the craft he created isn’t built from strange unworldly materials. Instead the 66 year old, who has worked in the aviation industry since leaving school, used a collection of domestic timber, scrounged old aircraft parts and modern ceconite covering to build this, his fifth ‘useless flying object.’ His progression in homebuilding has
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seen him create more than 10 aircraft, all based on a flying wing design and lacking a tail. A chance discussion about aspect ratios of various wing shapes led to David deciding to try a circular wing design. “I’d been building ultralights for a while, mainly my own design of flying wings. A friend gave me an article on low aspect ratio aircraft and there was an article there about how efficiency drops off as the aspect ratio goes down. But at about 1.25:1 it peaks and I calculated a circle is 1.27:1 so I decided that designing a circular wing would be interesting,” he says. “So I made a model, threw it around and it seemed to fly all right, so I built a full-size one very quickly because I just
UFOs Do Exist!
Photos: Mark Smiths
UFO under construction Sighted somewhere above Victoria
wanted to try it. The centre of gravity wasn’t where I thought it should be so it was very nose heavy. It had a little 28hp engine which was just enough to get it off the ground. I just hopped it, though I did do one circuit. It proved the concept worked.” Having a successful prototype led David to continue experimenting with the design, with his next version flying for a number of years. “The next one I built went really well. It was slightly tail heavy but I flew that for about two years, including down to the Narromine airshow. After I was finished with it though I threw it out, after taking off what I needed for the next project. Once I’m done with them I throw them www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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David with his creation
away. I won’t sell them on because they are too unusual.” The third incarnation flew on for 13 years and was only recently taken out of the air to donate its engine, a Rotax 503, to UFO number five. UFO number four was stillborn. “Number four was supposed to be a two seater and it was up to the stage of being able to sit in it, but since you have to climb in from underneath my wife didn’t like that so I threw it away.” Which brings us to number five, the current aeroplane in the series, which first flew in early January. “This one flies really well. Initially it was a bit twitchy on the rudder when I was taxying it around but I desensitised that. It’s pitching up slightly but that’s another simple adjustment. It rolls nicely, doesn’t drop a wing into the turn, and it rolls
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equally each way which means I’ve built it straight,” he says. Building aeroplanes has been in David’s blood since he was a 16-year-old growing up in Papua New Guinea. “I built my first aeroplane in PNG in my last year of school. It had a little motorbike engine up front but it never got up to flying speed, which is probably good since I hadn’t learned to fly at that stage. This was about 50 years ago.” He learned to fly straight after high school and was soon challenging the rugged mountains of New Guinea in his own Cessna 170, flying missionary support. He graduated to the Cessna 185 and 206, flying in to some of the most isolated airstrips in the world. “I was a mission pilot for 27 years, so I flew conventional aircraft then. It was very challenging and I was glad to get out
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of it alive. It’s not very forgiving country, but still fantastic flying.” David also qualified as a LAME and worked for Col Pay for 23 years, helping to maintain his fleet. The flat lands didn’t appeal to him after experiencing the beauty of PNG so he happily slotted into a new life there. Today he works at Tyabb, where he keeps his UFO. The sight of such a unique aircraft flying overhead creates interest, with locals unsure about just what they are seeing as David flies in the early morning calm. Thankfully he has no plans to give up his building endeavours. “I hope this one isn’t my last. If I could get a reasonably priced 100hp engine I’d like to have another go at a two seater, with retractable gear.” With his talent and drive, that twoseater is sure to take flight one day. n
UFOs Do Exist!
Unusual entry to the cockpit
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FEATURE
I’m a Cessna SIDs Convert
Chris Leon finds SIDs is a good idea after all. “How can I go wrong?” These were my fateful words as I secured title to Cessna 140, VH-COO. I’d just sold my 180hp Super Cub and had plunged into deep withdrawal symptoms having owned her for two decades. The little Cessna offered an opportunity to do some cheap flying. With a purchase price of $15,000 and a little 85hp Continental C-85, surely it would be very cheap to own and operate. Charlie Oscar Oscar, serial number
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10805, was built in 1946 as N76384 and had been rebuilt in 1986 in Texas. She had been an Oshkosh winner shortly after her rebuild and presented very well. She’d been imported into Australia in the early 1990s and spent most of her time in Western Australia, Far North Queensland and South Australia. From her external condition it was obvious she’d been loved. The pre-purchase inspection showed that the airframe had about 5000 hours. The engine had recently had two new
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cylinders fitted and had about half its life remaining before overhaul. The control cables were due for replacement in 2018 and the instruments needed calibration. Some corrosion was reported in the ailerons and the stabiliser in addition to the usual external corrosion on the wing inspection hatches. The aircraft hadn’t flown for about two years and needed an annual. I was of course aware of the need for the upcoming Cessna Supplemental
I’m a Cessna SIDs Convert
Essentially all the material around the main wing attach bolt had corroded and the corrosion was well advanced into the material the held the mounting blocked in place.
Nigel Arnot and Chris Leon
Inspection Documents or SIDs. This inspection has been quite controversial and I thought it was overkill. After all, aircraft are looked at in some detail at least every year when the annual inspection is done. Part of the annual inspection is to comply with the Airworthiness Directives or ADs, which focus on known shortcomings of each particular aircraft type. My view was that the SIDs inspection was overkill and was unlikely to reveal any additional airframe
problems given the maintenance history of the little aircraft I’d just bought. I arranged for Charlie Oscar Oscar to undergo an annual in Adelaide, where it was located, so I could fly it back to Southport where I would arrange the control cable replacement, the SIDs inspection and a weight reduction program. The LAME was briefed as to what was required and after a battery replacement, instrument calibration, annual inspection, transponder calibration and a few other important items, she was all ready to make the big journey from Adelaide to Southport. I spent a very happy long weekend getting to know my new charge, exploring her flight envelope and reconciling the differences between a Cessna 140 with 85hp and my old Super Cub with 180hp. This was a revelation, which required several long days in the Barossa and several other wine growing areas plotting the weight reduction program for Charlie Oscar Oscar. Over last year’s Easter break I flew Charlie Oscar Oscar first to Sydney, where I spent Easter with family and friends, then on to Southport. The aircraft performed well with the exception of a
pulled generator circuit breaker, which took me some time to find, and an errant pitot tube cover that denied me airspeed indication for a short period. I continued to marvel at the great cruise performance of the clean little airframe. I wished for better load carrying capacity and better climb performance which led in to my weight reduction program plans. On arrival at Southport, I arranged to deliver Charlie Oscar Oscar to Nigel Arnot at Boonah so he could start to weave his magic on her. Nigel had worked on several Cessna 140s and was just completing a SIDs inspection on the local gliding club’s tug, a Cessna 152 with a Lycoming 0-360, so he was an ideal person to help me with Charlie Oscar Oscar’s future. Nigel and I sat down and planned the program for the next few months, which was to include a weight reduction program, the control cable replacement and the SIDs inspection. In addition to this there were a few items of routine nature that needed attention: hinge replacements, universal replacements, etc. I worked with a friend on the initial dismantling of the aircraft and sourced parts for Nigel allowing him to focus his
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magic on the airframe. My first shock came when Nigel called after removing the wings. The wings are attached to the fuselage with four large bolts. These bolts attach the main and rear spars to the fuselage via aluminium blocks that are in turn bolted into a hat section spar carry through, which is riveted to the cabin roof. The front hat section on the starboard side was found to have very severe corrosion. Essentially all the material around the main wing attach bolt had corroded and the corrosion was well advanced into the material the held the mounting blocked in place and it is easy to see why I’m very lucky that there was no major turbulence between Adelaide and Southport! Having found the bad news on the front spar carry through structure, we turned our attention to the rear spar carry through. This necessitated removing the cockpit headliner, which is something very seldom done short of a SIDs inspection. After removing the headliner it was noted that there was a non-standard plate riveted and bolted to the forward face of the carry through structure. This plate was removed to reveal a hole corroded through the rear spar carry through!. At this point it became clear that the cabin roof and the associated wing carry through structure needed to be totally rebuilt; a major project. The corrosion in the ailerons that had been noted earlier required the replacement of both aileron spars and the corrosion proofing of all components before the ailerons could be rebuilt. The tail plane corrosion turned out to be much more severe than indicated in the earlier reports with the tail plane leading edge spar massively corroded. The lower flange had disappeared, as had much of the web. The port leading edge spar and the tail plane skins were all replaced and all parts were corrosion proofed. The x-ray inspection of the engine mount revealed eight cracks that needed repairing in addition to some tubes that needed replacement due to corrosion. Charlie Oscar Oscar has now been returned to flight. I feel very comfortable with the status of the corrosion prevention program and the integrity of the airframe. Of course this comfort has been hard won and it has taken an irrational amount
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of money. On reflection I’ve become a devotee of the SIDs program. I feel sure that the safety of the aircraft and my good health would have been compromised by continuing to fly without a SIDs inspection, in fact I shudder when I think about the front starboard wing attach point and its parlous state when I flew from Adelaide to Southport. There are clearly some consequences of the Cessna SIDs program. I feel sure a lot of old Cessnas are going to die in their tie downs as the owners decide not to spend large amounts of money bringing old airframes back from the brink. I suspect the result of the program will be an acceleration of the move to RAAus. I think a lot of airframes are going
Top: Aileron Spar Below: Tailplane Spar
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to be sold for spares and support for old Cessnas is going to get more difficult to obtain. As for me, I feel I have a great little aircraft that will provide me very economical flying for many years. I’d like to upgrade the C85 to a Continental 0-200 to improve climb and load carrying capacity, so if you own one of the Cessna 150s that’s going to die on a tie down in the future please give me a call. n
Rear Spar Carry Through
Breitling Exospace B55
TECH TALK
Time Instruments Just Got Even Smarter Breitling are world leaders in time piece technology. The Breitling Exospace B55 proves it. A modern cockpit is a smooth series of interfaces between technology and the pilot. The new Breitling Exospace B55 continues the process by allowing the pilot to seamlessly connect his time piece to a smartphone or tablet, effectively making the watch become the master of the device. It is an example of tomorrow’s technology available to the pilots of today. The key advantage to the user is to allow each device to do what it does best. The Exospace B55 is a superbly engineered wrist watch that combines great styling with split second accuracy and reliability. A smart phone or tablet has the advantage of great ergonomics via its screen, allowing for the owner of the Exospace B55 to use their smart phone to perform adjustments like setting the time, time zones, alarms and adjusting operating parameters like night mode. The aviation-oriented “chrono flight” device records “block times”, from start of taxying to shut down, while also
memorising departure dates and times, arrival times, as well as take-off and landing times. The user can then upload these flight times from the watch to the smartphone to read them easily and store them for later use. The Exospace B55 multifunction electronic chronograph also receives notifications of the smartphone’s incoming emails, messages (SMS, WhatsApp) and phone calls complete with the caller’s name or number as well as reminders of upcoming appointments. A simple and logical control mode enhances the user-friendliness of the high-tech device. Function is selected by rotating the crown, and two push pieces control its activation/deactivation. The two LCD screens feature a backlighting system that is activated by pressing the crown – or when the user tilts his wrist at a more than 35° angle - which is particularly effective and helpful when the hand is gripping aircraft controls or a
steering wheel. The case of the Exospace B55 is lightweight titanium, and a rechargeable battery system provides power to the watch. The exclusive new multifunction Breitling TM Caliber B55, a super quartz movement said to be 10 times more accurate than standard quartz, is chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute). It is also waterproof to 100m. This time piece is a sure-fire means of charting a course towards precision, reliability and performance. n
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Australia’s Warbird Matriarch
L: Judy in the CAC Mustang and R: in her Harvard
For more than 30 years Judy Pay has been a leading part of Australian Warbirds, Mark Smith caught up with her. From little things, big things grow and that’s never been truer than the story of Judy Pay’s impact on warbird flying in Australia. The Old Aeroplane Company at Tyabb, an organisation she formed to restore and maintain vintage aeroplanes, now has a collection that covers a slice of Australian military aviation history from her Tiger Moth right up to an exVietnam T-28. Yet this squadron of amazing aircraft owes its existence to a mum deciding to learn to fly after the kids had gone to school.“I’ve been flying 38 years now and I wish I had started earlier,” she laments.
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“It came about when the kids started school and I had some spare time on my hands. I lived near the airport and I used to drive past after getting the milk and the papers and I kept thinking I should go and learn to fly. So one day … I went in and inquired, and had my first lesson that day.” Initially the goal was simply to get a licence and possibly buy a simple aeroplane. “A year and a half after I got my licence I bought a 172 and I thought that was about as far as that would ever go. Then a friend of mine had a Tiger Moth that he taught me to fly and I got interested in the older aeroplanes.”
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The Tiger endorsement led to her first warbird purchase, that same 1943 Tiger Moth, which still has a place in her hangar. But bigger aeroplanes were on the horizon. “Next up came the Harvard, which my ex-husband Alan bought. We were divorced but still working together and reading aeroplane magazines instead of working. I saw an ad for a Beech 18 and rang a friend to ask if it was any good.” The answer was no, because the engines were time expired and it needed a lot of work, but he then told Judy about a Harvard in good condition that was about to come on the market. “So Alan and I raced down from the
WARBIRDS
“We really didn’t know what a T-28 was so we asked if we could have a look at his aeroplane and he said ‘sure, crawl all over it. Ya can’t hurt it. It’s just the best aeroplane of all time’.
Photos: Mark Smith ski fields where we worked. It appeared to me to be a huge aeroplane and I thought there was no way I could manage something that big and tricky, so Al said if I didn’t want it, he’d buy it … and he did. “Then we spent quite a lot of time finding someone to endorse us on it because no one wanted to fly it from the back seat. Al did a lot of his training in the back seat. Finally Ray Vuillerman and Alan Searle said they’d help us get our endorsements. “So we were flying the Harvard a bit, but not a lot.” A trip to the US saw Judy look at a T-28 Trojan, then an unknown type for
most Australian warbird enthusiasts. They were with a group at Oshkosh and decided to head to Fon du lac for lunch. But as they were driving they saw a stream of Mustangs, T-28s and Harvards all landing. “Of course we didn’t go to lunch and we went to the airport instead” Judy says. The North American Trainer Association were having their AGM and the owner of a white T-28 let them look at his aircraft. “We really didn’t know what a T-28 was so we asked if we could have a look at his aeroplane and he said ‘sure, crawl all over it. Ya can’t hurt it. It’s just the
best aeroplane of all time’. They’d only just come on to the US Warbird scene because they were used as trainers until 1984,” she explains. “He was very enthusiastic about them, saying they were just the best aeroplane around, with great handling. So we went back to Oshkosh and started looking at them. A company near Chicago had one advertised that we went to look at. We had a test flight and we thought it was just fantastic.” On the way home they went to Los Angeles and found one for sale. Engineer Graeme Flanagan had a look at the log books and they bought it. That was in 1987.
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Judy with her Harvard
“It was the first T-28 in Australia. There was a rule at the time that made them a prohibited import in that you could only bring in military aeroplanes that had some relevance to Australian history,” Judy explains. “By the time we were made aware that it was a prohibited import, the Trojan was already on the water. CASA, or whatever it was back then, said ‘no way; it’s never going to fly here’. I found out that Australians did fly them in Vietnam and at Pensacola, and one of the CASA people, Peter James, had flown one there so they grudgingly allowed it, but said it would be the only one ever allowed in the country.” After Judy gained registration for her T-28, fellow warbird pioneer Col Pay was able to get more of the type on the register. There are now 11 or 12 in Australia. Judy’s T-28 became a much loved attendee at airshows around the country, with its thumping Wright R-1820-86 Cyclone radial engine pumping out 1425 hp. Despite the size of the aeroplane she
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says it’s not a hard to fly. “It’s a pussycat in the air, though it’ll still point towards the ground if you do the wrong thing. You also still need to know the systems well, as being a military trainer it was designed to teach students how to operate more complex aeroplanes later on.” One of the most iconic aeroplanes in Judy’s collection is a CAC Mustang which she owns with Dick Hourigan. “I mentioned to Dick that I was interested in helping him out with his Mustang project, but nothing came of it then and it went to another workshop where there was no progress for a long time. He then approached me and asked if I was still interested in the rebuild and we ended up with a deal that saw The Old Aeroplane Company enter into a partnership in the aeroplane where we provided all the labour and resources in return for a 50% share. It’s why we put in the second seat - so Dick could fly in it.” The rarest aeroplane in her collection
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is a P-40F Kittyhawk, whose Packard Merlin engine differentiates it from the P-40N model. Judy’s is one of only two Merlin powered P-40s flying in the world. The Kittyhawk took 20 years to get flying again, though this was more due to time constraints and difficulty in obtaining parts. “I’d owned it for 20 years when we finally got it flying, but we didn’t spend 20 years actually working on it. At times we’d get all excited about it and then come to a grinding halt when we ran out of parts, so it’d go on the backburner while we did something else. In the meantime we got the Vampire flying, the Mustang flying, we rebuilt a couple of Harvards and we rebuilt Winjeels for other people. I could never have done any of this without my Chief Engineer, Bernie Heuser, and our fantastic team of engineers and volunteers.” The installation of the Kittyhawk’s Merlin engine proved a headache for Judy and her team.
WARBIRDS
“We had no technical information from the firewall forward about the Merlin engine installation. The Smithsonian had some of the drawings but nothing forward of the firewall so we were trying to work it out for ourselves. Then Mike Nichols in NZ said he’d found the F
model firewall forward drawings, so he sent them across and we had to change the way we were going to install the engine.” Renowned warbird pilot Pete Clements recently checked Judy out on Graeme Hosking’s Corsair. She says
there is one thing that stands out about the aeroplane. “It’s huge. When I sat in it I couldn’t believe how high off the ground I was. Pete said it’s a gorilla, and it is, but it’s amazing to fly. It doesn’t seem to have a lot of vices, unlike the Mustang. The landing gear is just fabulous. It just creams it on. It’s a really impressive aeroplane.” Having such an impressive collection could lead to a pilot preferring one aircraft over another, but this isn’t the case for Judy. “I don’t have a favourite. The best aeroplane is the Mustang, but I’m just as happy flying the Harvard. People ask me which I’d keep if I could only keep one and I say the Harvard - it’s simple and reliable, easy to maintain, it’s great fun to fly, and is as challenging as any of the bigger warbirds but it just doesn’t go as fast. “It’s a bit like asking which of my kids or grandkids I like the most. You love them all for different reasons.” n
Warbirds CEO Report Over the years I have had the good fortune to meet with a wide crosssection of aviation enthusiasts the world over. Despite the obvious differences that do exist, it is amazing to me how similar our concerns and goals for the future are. One common theme that is nothing new to any reader of this magazine is the dearth of young entrants into general aviation, whether as prospective pilots or maintenance engineers. We can - and do - pontificate on the many well-known causes but a workable solution to this existential problem remains largely elusive.
Mark Awad
Recognising the need to do what we can, the Australian Warbirds Association is proud to announce the launch of our Junior Membership program. While we would love to influence budding enthusiasts towards joining the warbird movement, our primary goal is to interest them and get them hooked on general aviation. It is open to those aged 16 and under, and at $49 per year is very affordable. To sign up, visit www. australianwarbirds.com.au/join.php
At present, I am cautiously optimistic with regards to the new year. We, along with many other groups, are in regulatory limbo awaiting the introduction of new legislation that has been in development for a protracted period of time as part of CASA’s reform process. In the absence of certainty, we will continue to do our best to support and promote our growing warbird community. AWAL hopes to hold several formation training weekends and extend our involvement in air shows and fly-ins across the country. On a final note, we are really proud of our inaugural 2016 Australian Warbirds calendar. It showcases some spectacular photos of our members’ aircraft along with information on each type. Even if you don’t need a calendar, it’s worthwhile getting a copy for the pictures alone! To purchase a copy, visit www.australianwarbirds.com.au/ merchandise.php Until next time, fly safe! Mark Awad
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The Avro Cadet. A Luxury Trainer
The Cadet airborne over NSW
Clin Ashton Martin’s Avro Cadet is truly a great restoration. Mark Smith reports. In 1931 the British government was looking for a new trainer to serve their expanding Air Force. The choice was tricky. Money was tight and the public was restless. De Havilland had modified the Gypsy Moth by moving the upper wing forwards of the front cockpit to aid the egress of the instructor, and inverted the Gypsy Major engine. Their aircraft was a simple design, with a simple power plant. Avro had other ideas. At first they produced the 631 Cadet powered by a 135 hp engine. This was modified further by redesigning the rear fuselage and raising the rear seat. This was the 643 Cadet. A further upgrade using the 150 hp Genet Major radial for power saw the final incarnation of the aircraft, the 643
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Cadet MkII. All of the variants shared a beautifully sculpted fuselage, round at the front, that was fussy to build but very efficient aerodynamically, and a wing that had ailerons on both upper and lower surfaces. The MkII had an adjustable seat, a variable incidence tailplane and a wide track undercarriage that used oleos for suspension. In short it was the Rolls Royce of trainers, costing almost double what a Tiger Moth did. To put it simply the RAF went for the Tiger, while the Royal Australian Air Force bought the Cadet. At that time it was sort of like a father buying a basic, sensible car while the son buys the more expensive flashy auto just because he can!
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The RAAF took delivery of its first Cadet in 1935 and ended up operating 34 643 Mk IIs that saw service as trainers until 1945. All up, 104 Cadets of various marks were built as opposed to around 8800 Tiger Moths. It’s interesting to note that Australia started using the Tiger Moth as a basic trainer in 1939 as the war effort started to expand and, just like the entire Commonwealth, needed a simpler aeroplane in mass numbers to train the thousands of pilots required. Only 19 Avro Cadets survived their training duties and in 1945 they were struck off the RAAF register and sold. A6-17, the subject of this story, was initially bought by a doctor in Sydney but suffered a forced landing during the
WARBIRDS Photos: Mark Smith
It flies so easy it isn’t true. That’s the reason the RAF didn’t buy it. They said that the Tiger Moth was good to separate the men from the boys, whereas the Australians said that’s nice to fly, we’ll have that.
delivery flight at the hands of a RAAF Flight Lieutenant. It was then purchased by Sid Marshal around 1946 and served as a trainer and joy flight mount for many years at Bankstown in NSW before finally being retired in 1960 when it became mandatory for radios to be carried in all aircraft. After Sid’s death in the early 1970s the aircraft, now dismantled, passed to Sid’s chief engineer Jack Davidson. Jack intended to restore the now vintage aircraft and went as far as stripping the fabric off and beginning some basic airframe work. But the project stalled. Jump forwards to 1997. Clin Ashton Martin and his wife Barbara were whiling
A cockpit 1930’s style
away a wet Saturday afternoon when Barbara saw an advertisement in the local Aviation Trader for an Avro Cadet. He takes up the story. “I had no idea what an Avro Cadet was, but we rang up and decided to see it because it wasn’t too far away. “It was just an undressed aeroplane, a fuselage sticking up, with the wings on the rack, obviously needing some repair.
So we did a deal. “We moved it using a tilt tray truck. The big plus for the thing was it came with two engines and three props.” Restoring any old aircraft is a big job. But what drew Clin to this project? “Stupidity! I’d finished building a Thorp T-18 in 1986 and it looked like a pretty easy thing to do,” he says. But it wasn’t as simple as that first
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WARBIRDS
Clin Ashton Martin
glance due to the number of techniques required that Clin hadn’t done before. “I received a lot of help from professionals who make a living out of this sort of thing. John Gallagher comes to mind because he was a specialist in fabric work.” The restoration took seven years, considerably more time that Clin was anticipating. “When I bought the project, engineer Jack Davidson said all I needed to do was repair the floor, repair the ailerons, cover it and then go flying. It sounded so easy. But you wind up finding all sorts of things. In fact the work that had been done on repairs during the war was very substandard. It was a mess in many areas and the glues they used were all getting old. “One of the interesting things I found was it came with one fuselage but the wings were all marginally different in construction, and more important they
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obviously had different histories. One was quite new most of them were pretty old. “The spars were in excellent condition but we had to splice new spar ends onto a couple of the spars as they were showing splits on the end. Quite unnecessary but since it was apart you aim for perfection. Clint is lucky to have the aircraft’s complete service history, right down to its service cards. “It was actually delivered in 1937 to Point Cook. The aircraft came with an instruction book as to how to take it out of the packing case and then join tab A to slot B, and fortunately I had a copy of that and I also had a copy of the manual for the engine, which came to me via Newcastle (NSW) Aero Club. That manual proved valuable. “It’s a very rare engine. Interestingly they were also used to power the Cierva autogyro, as well as couple of other aeroplanes but you can’t go out and buy one today.”
I AUSTRALIAN PILOT I www.aopa.com.au
Aeroplane engines usually have just as much history as the airframes they power. The Genet Major on Clin’s Cadet is no exception. “The engines had just been overhauled by Qantas Empire Airways in 1942. An overhaul in those days was very different from an overhaul today. The TBO for this engine is 600 hours, and at that time an awful lot of components hadn’t worn all that much, so basically, labour being pretty cheap in those days at 600 hours they just pulled the whole thing down, measured everything and put it back together, so the engine has a lot of varying age components. “It’s an interesting engine in that like all radials it leaks oil like a sieve. I’ve done a lot of superficial work to minimise the oil loss. The oil consumption is 3 quarts an hour. That’s the figure quoted in the handbook and also on the paperwork from Qantas Empire airways, but I’ve managed to reduce that .
WARBIRDS Starting the engine is equally quirky in that it uses the shower of sparks method. The engine is primed and the propeller placed in a certain position. Then the magneto is wound up by hand before the magneto switches are turned on. The resulting shower of sparks turns the engine over. As a trainer you’d expect the airframe to have accumulated a huge number of hours in service. But this wasn’t the case. “I’d have to have a close look at the logs but I think it was around 2000 hours with the RAAF. The aeroplane has only done about 3500 hours in total. Vintage aeroplanes fly differently. They were designed and built in the era of the slide rule and the drawing board. So, what is it like to fly an 81-year-old trainer that looks very different to its De Havilland counterpart? “It flies so easy it isn’t true. That’s the reason the RAF didn’t buy it. They said that the Tiger Moth was good to separate the men from the boys, whereas the Australians said that’s nice to fly, we’ll have that. “It would have been at least twice the price of a Tiger Moth just looking at the complexity of the design. The Tiger Moth is a dream of simplicity in manufacture. Plus it only has two ailerons therefore its very unresponsive in roll. This has got four ailerons and so you shut your eyes and fly along and you think you’re flying a Thorpe, so good is the aileron response.” Clin takes people flying in A6-17 at every opportunity. In the air you can tell it’s not a Tiger. The distinctive note of the Genet Major combines with a silhouette that is unique. From the cockpit, feet on the rudder bar, the stick sitting lightly in the right hand it’s an aeroplane that feels “just right”. Sure you have to lead with rudder into the turns but the roll response is much lighter than a Tiger. Landing is soft and forgiving thanks to the wide track undercarriage and complex suspension. As Clin says, taxying his Cadet is like taxying a Bonanza. Clin read engineering at Oxford, where he joined the Oxford University Air Squadron and learned to fly in 1952. He subsequently did his RAF wings course and converted to the Vampire. Currently he owns four aircraft and has restored an Aeronca. Aviation is about passion. Aviation history and those who seek to preserve it show their passion to the world. Long may people like Clin and aeroplanes like A6-17 survive and hilight our aviation heritage. n
The Genet Major radial engine
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WARBIRDS
Warbirds News By Phil Buckley
The Australian Vintage Aviation Society at Caboolture is close to flying their Fokker D.VIII reproduction, with final fuel calibrations conducted in late February. This reproduction, powered by a genuine rotary engine, will join their E III, Fokker Triplane and Bristol Fighter as a flying tribute to WWI aviation.
TAVAS DVIII
At the Classic Fighter Jet Museum in Adelaide, the static restoration of their F4U-1 Corsair is progressing. Volunteers are continuing work on the engine, fuselage and wings. The Corsair was ditched 1944 in a lagoon in Vanuatu. It was recovered in 2009, and since then a huge amount of work has gone into building jigs and rebuilding the airframe. Major components are being assembled, with a further two to three years of work expected before completion of the project. This Corsair is the oldest known survivor of the type, being build number 124. It has the original birdcage canopy. Doug Hamilton’s P-40 project took to the air for the first time since WWII, after a 10 year rebuild at Wangaratta. It was restored by his new company Precision Airmotive P/L at Wangaratta where several more P-40 fighters are under restoration. It brings the number of the type flying in Australia to four, two P-40N’s, a P-40F and a P-40E.
The P-40 Perth MiG-21 owner Adrian Deeth has started the next stage in returning his former Egyptian Air Force MiG-21U twin seater jet warbird to flying status. The jet was moved to a new hangar at a rural airport east of Perth in February. Adrian plans to overhaul the jet under supervision and hopefully have it flying within the next three years, with the eventual aim of offering supersonic adventure flights. This MiG-21 was built in 1966 for the Egyptian Airforce, but was retired 20 years later with only 400 airframe hours.
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I AUSTRALIAN PILOT I www.aopa.com.au
It spent a few years on the US warbird scene before coming to Australia in 2014. A fibreglass and carbon fibre replica model of Spitfire Mk VIII A58-492 was due to arrive in Melbourne last month, having begun its sea voyage from England in February. The aircraft is marked up as a 79 Sqn Spitfire, and is heading to the RAAF Point Cook Museum where it will be placed outside the front of the museum on a pole. The gate guard is a project by the Friends of the RAAF Museum team and is designed to honour the Spitfire service in the RAAF. The Rathmines Museum Catalina Park Association has released concept drawings of their proposed museum. It will be built, once all local approvals are confirmed, on the eastern side of the former RAAF seaplane base. This museum will house the Catalina project along with other Rathmines based flying boat memorabilia. The Queensland Air Museum has acquired Sid Beck’s SP2H Neptune for their collection. The aircraft was dismantled and moved from Mareeba in February. The RAAF Association Museum at Bull Creek, WA, will refurbish its Mk.24 Spitfire this year. It will be taken down from the pole at the front of the site, refurbished, and repositioned on the pole. The real Spitfire Mk.24 is on display in an extensive museum collection. Plans to save one or more of the former Royal Australian Navy S-2E/G Tracker fleet at West Sale in Victoria have taken a step forward. An unnamed aviation enthusiast is reported to be trying to arrange a deal between US-based investors (who own the aircraft fleet) and the Gippsland Armed Forces Museum to enable one to remain on display as a tribute to the RAN. The RAAF has gifted three former gate guard/display aircraft to Australian aviation museums for restoration and display. Lockheed SP-2H Neptune A89-272 was on display at the entrance to RAAF Base Townsville but is now heading to HARS Parkes hangar. Canberra A84-203 has been gifted to the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome and Heritage Aviation Association, while Canberra A84-226 is to be moved to the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin airport.
Grumman Trackers at West Sale
Letters
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much we’re prepared to bribe you! The best letter to the editor wins an AOPA Airfield Directory App, valued at $49.99. Email your letters to: editor@aopa.com.au
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The new language test has Pete Rogers hot under the collar. For goodness sake, can I get some sanity from CASA just once? I’ve been flying for 35 years. My son just upgraded his RAA certificate to a PPL. Now I’m a third generation Australian, which makes him fourth. English is my only language, which is lucky given I was an English teacher for 40 years. My son speaks it pretty well too. Yet the hold up on his new licence is that he has to pass an English proficiency test.
A doctor who wishes to remain anonymous
His CFI has to be passed by a CASA linguist to be able to certify her students can speak English to the standard required. Seriously? Isn’t that just a little bit bureaucratic? And the regulator wonders why people think they are a joke. Sad thing is they hold all the cards and the minions in Canberra, who love rules and regulations, aren’t going to surrender that any time soon.
isn’t happy about medical reform.
Phil Smith has some ideas about promotion.
I’ve read with interest, and a touch of horror, about the
Hi Mark,
ongoing discussion about proposed reform of the class 2 medical certification. I for one would never support taking CASA aeromedical out of the process of final certification for anyone with a condition that is currently designated ‘renew by CASA only’. As a designated examiner I wouldn’t feel happy putting my practice on the line to satisfy the whims of a person who is of dubious health in their desire to fly. If they are fearful of CASA, then possibly they shouldn’t be applying for a medical certification. If an examiner is doing their job properly they’ll be every bit as strict as CASA. To this end I rarely give a letter certifying a safe ability to operate a motor vehicle to a person seeking RAA flying privileges, for much the same reason.
Long-time reader, first time writer. I applaud the refreshing approach AOPA is now taking in trying to bring to light the problems besetting our industry. I’ve been around aeroplanes for more than 50 years and it’s great I’m seeing calm rational arguments and not raucous mudslinging. That said, for anything to change we need a broader section of the community on side, not just us old converts who know what aviation can do and how great it is to fly. Every aero club should have someone who liaises with local media. That person should have a local journo’s phone number in his or her phone. The local clubs should also hold community days, showing even at large airports the fence isn’t a barrier to those who are invited. Keep up the great work. www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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AVIATION
» Victoria
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» National
» NSW
Looking for Cheaper Maintenance for your aircraft I may be able to help you For example 100 hourly from $1100.00 inc GST (Plus parts as required)
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN PILOTS’ ASSOCIATION
CENTRAL AVIATION Aircraft Maintenance Engineers
For details phone Doug 0418 624 297 HANGAR 272 BANKSTOWN AIRPORT SYDNEY NSW 2200 central.aviation@hotmail.com
Founded in 1950 by pioneering aviatrix the late Nancy-Bird Walton, the AWPA aims to: • Assist women to follow their piloting aspirations in fixed wing, rotary wing, recreational, gliding or ballooning • Encourage networking among women pilots • Promote training, employment and careers in aviation Activities and services include: - Meetings and get togethers - Guest speakers - Fly-aways - Airnews magazine An extensive range of scholarships and awards – 2015 applications now open. Annual conferences that include educational seminars, social functions, air navigation trial, and presentation of trophies, scholarships and awards. Information and application forms – go to: www.awpa.org.au
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» Queensland
» Victoria
» Northern Territory Barkly Homestead Wayside Inn
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APR APR--MAY MAY2016 2016 II AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIANPILOT PILOT II www.aopa.com.au www.aopa.com.au
Classifieds FOR SALE Aircraft
To advertise, email advertising@aopa.com.au or telephone AOPA on 02 9791 9099
chronometer; Cobram ME406 ELT; air horn; leather seats and cabin heat. 100 knots+ @ 18 LPH. $135,000. ross.mcrae@webone.com.au
AEROSTARS Two of, Aerostar WGK 601P 1978 4000 hours Located Bankstown Missing one motor Machen conversion. Two new machen props AEROSTAR TLL 601P for parts. Motor and props 400 hours – t/r, calendar timed. A/frame unserviceable. Otherwise complete. Located Northam WA can dismantle and freight $50,000 for both Will split phone 0466 305 619
CHIPMUNK DHC-1 VH-RSP
CESSNA C185E. VH-RKZ. 1967. TTIS 10462, ETR 1086, PTR 2323.2 or 11/02/17. 100 hrly completed April 2015. Narco Com 120 TSO, Icom IC-A200, GPS Pro-Nav, Txp Narco AT150. AOC: Banner towing & skywriting. (Training available). Portable oxygen, cargo belly pod (removed), skywriting fluid tank & aux. $105,000 + GST if applic. Ph Glenn Smith 0418 683 330. After 36 yrs with me, VH RKZ needs to find a new home
Historic chippie reluctantly offered for sale. Located Caloundra QLD. Always hangared. TTIS 13750. Time since total professional rebuild Sept. 89, 1080 hrs. Time since $45,000 spent on complete engine O/H and fitting Slick mags 250 hrs. All AD and TNS requirements completed. $112,000. Genuine inquiries only. 0429 997 862 prdarwell@bigpond.com
CESSNA A185E Serial # 185 1315, 1968,
AUSTER J5G AUTOCAR VH-JSG a J5G Autocar has finally become available for purchase and is ready for a new home and owner. This aircraft is immaculate and has won Best Auster/Aircraft at every flyin it has been to. JSG has been hangared since restoration, leaving it still looking new. • 180 Hp engine – carries good load off ground in a short distance • New leading edges • New and improved brakes • New alternating system For more details, please see www.bestauster.com or contact Grayden on: graydenl@hotmail.com
TT 9900, Prop 0 hrs, 3 Blade, Eng 1500hrs, IO-520F, Previous IFR Rating, now VFR. Current 100 hr inspection. Cargo Pod, not fitted. Factory installed Camera floor opening with SID. 2 Blade Prop as spare, towing gear. Recently fitted Vortex Generators, Wing & Tailplane. Always Hangared, can be seen at Goulburn. $135,000 no GST. Duncan Bray 02 9699 4849, 0427 808 880, duncbray@bigpond.com CESSNA 150K 1969 Engine T.B.O 1,525 Prop 800 VHF- AFD Many spares Always hangered. Call 08 8676 5093 (evenings please)
CESSNA 182F 6166tt eng & prop 184 to
CESSNA 172C wrecking motor
continental 1400 hrs t.R. $10,000
BRUMBY 914 Turbo, 2010, TTAF&E 122 hrs. Rotax 914 turbo engine; GRS parachute; Skyview EFIS; autopilot; Garmin SL40 radio; Garmin GTX327; Zaon XRX anti-collision; Radar Altimeter; M800
CESSNA SKYCATCHER 162 Aircraft Registration:- 24/8182. Aircraft Airframe Total Time TT:- 250. Manufactured:- 2012. Location:- Moree. Selling Price:- $132000 (GST Inclusive) Horse Power:- 100. No Turbo. 1st Life Cycle. Serial No:- 1600198. Propeller Make: Macaulay. Construction:- Metal. Propeller TBO: 1750. Primary Avionics:- Garmin G300 MFD. Garmin Radios SL40. Garmin Transponder. Factory Optional Extras include Intercom, EGT Sensor, Ext Receptacle, Sun Visors and Aluminium Prop. Contact Details:- Andrew Crowe Mobile 0428 657 014
CESSNA 172B nil hr continental wings, tailplanes interior stripped $20,000 will sell nil hr. Motor firewall forward separate if required. Contact Bruce Symes: mobile 0466 305 619
run long range tanks o/size landing gear Codan HF 2xcom11A ADF Txpdr UHF 4 place intercom. Paint 6/10. Interior 6/10. Windows 9/10. Hangared at Tamworth very good cond. New annual insp $59K+GST Sensible offers considered (02) 6769 7513
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MEMBERS MARKETPLACE
GRUMMAN TIGER AA5B 1976. VH-SYW. Tacho 2860hrs, Engine time remaining ~1500hrs, 100 hourly due end of May '16. Exterior 9/10, Interior 6/10. TAS 125kts, FF 40L/hr. $50,000. 0400234123
LAKE RENEGADE 1989 mod fresh 100 hourly, Eng. 470HTR Prop1990 HTR Garmin 430W King GPS/COM Transponder, switching panel, Gear adv. system, VG kit a/c hangared $175.000 no GST. Contact Ken 0408 254 872 or email kenhug@bigpond.com
2007 GLASAIR SPORTSMAN 2+2
VH-PNN. 185 hrs TT. Lycoming IO 360. C.S. Hartzel. Dynon D100. VM 1000. Icom IC-A 210 com. GTX 327 Txpdr. Tru Track A/pilot with Alt hold coupled to Bendix King Skymap IIIC. Leather interior. Folding wings. Winner Avalon 2009-Champion Concours D’Elegance & Best Overall Sport Aircraft. $150,000 no GST. Ring Peter Nelson 0418 949 943 or email peternelson666@gmail .com
GYROPLANE - get the best of both worlds! Magni M24 VIP model, 2 seats. Rotax 914 turbo. 260 hours with 2000 hours TBO. Transponder and Lightspeed Zulu ANC headsets. 25% off price of new. Flown around Tasmania and across Bass Strait. Certified by CASA for Class D airspace (pending pilot license) $115,000 inc GST. PH: 0407779938
QUICKSILVER GT400, ultralight aircraft registered in 95.10 category. $7000. Looks and flies extremely well, suitable for a low time pilot or someone just wanting to return to simple, basic flying. Aircraft has been maintained extremely well, has a low hour Rotax 447 cdi ignition 40hp engine which uses 12 litres of fuel per hour. A GSC adjustable pitch propeller is included. Many quality instruments are fitted, all manuals and handbooks are supplied. Price includes Icom radio and Lightspeed anr headset. Currently based at Benalla. Phone Geoff on 0439 377 463 for more details.
MOONEY M20C TT4513.ETR520.PTR 1270. Fast and economic @ 38 LPH. Very good condition inside and out.Always hangered,nil corrosion. Constant speed retractable .$53k no gst Phone 0418 511 253
SPITFIRE SUPERMARINE Mark 25 75% scale replica with C of A VH-XST Jabiru 3300 with Rotec liquid cooled heads & Rotec TBI. Airmaster elect 3 bladed prop King avionics. TT 60 hrs. Hangared at Jandakot Many mods but to scale as per a real Mark 8 $155k, no GST. Peter 0414 945 129 or yatespj@iinet.net.au
WINJEEL VH - WIJ. A85 - 436 One owner for 31 years since retired from RAAF service. Always hangared. ETR 900 hours. PTR 900 hours. TT airframe 4950. 5000 hour centre section and wing attach fitting NDI inspection carried out. New hoses and batteries and fuel pump. Fresh Maintenance release.Has 4 seats, aerobatic, cruiser, tail wheel, 985 powered.lt is economical to run and is excellent value and a fantastic historic / ex military a/c AUD$130.000 ono. Call Roger Richards. Melbourne 0419229859. rjrholdings@bigpond.com.
SYNDICATE SHARES
SHARES IN 1996 A36 BONANZA
MAULE M9
First Maule M9 available in Australia, for details contact Rob, email rob@waratahair.com.au, 0425 252 550
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TIGER MOTH VH-LOW, Eng 700 to run, oil ring mod. All AD’s completed. Radio, electric intercom. Based Luskintyre NSW. $150,000 Phone 0410 325 644
I AUSTRALIAN PILOT I www.aopa.com.au
Fully IFR, autopilot, modern avionics. 170kt TAS, air-con, leather interior. Excellent touring aircraft. Long standing well run syndicate. Aircraft hangared at YSBK. Shares $20,000ea. Contact: 0417 481 529
MEMBERS MARKETPLACE OTHER Assorted Spare Parts
Parts suitable for Rockwell Commander. Turbo prop. Assorted spare.
Classifieds
Plus workshop tools PARAFIELD SYDICATE SHARES AVAILABLE Archer 11. Fly $150 p hour wet and $75 pmonth fixed. See website www.parair.webs.com or phone 0413 987 346.
½ share in Rockwell Commander Based in Mackay Queensland. Share money will be spent on an engine upgrade to a Lycoming 390. TT 2250 hrs, airframe in excellent condition, accident free, exterior 9/10, interior 9/10, IFR with Garmin 300, VOR, ADF, Century I Autopilot. Near new leather upholstery, very spacious and comortable aeroplane. Once flown would not want to fly anything else. Only one half share will be sold. Contact Gary on 0427 018 425.
(2nd hand); Full micrometer for engine shop, Honing top/complete 3” x 6”, Inclinometer, Oil filter cover cutter +more. Tools: Just about to finish building our RV14A. Won’t be needing our tools, benches and equipment soon. One build only - given full TLC. If you are thinking about building an aircraft soon (particularly an RV) we have a complete set of tools and accessories you will need for your build. More comprehensive than those packaged tool sets we bought and then had to add on and onto. Don’t forget the GST and freight costs to import tools +25% on to the purchase price. Replacement cost $8000+. Selling $5500. Contact for full inventory. Alan Carlisle 0403 323 973, alancarlisle@optusnet.com.au
Tyres Retread Goodyear 4 off 6.50 – 10 8 PR; 1 Goodyear off 8.50 x 10 8 Ply, Citation (2nd hand); 1 off 22x8.00 x 10, 10ply; 1 off Aviator 8.5 x10, 10PR Contact: Euan 0412 418 345 or email sue_dc@bigpond.com
It pays to advertise with us. Australian Pilot is distributed to members of AOPA and Australian Warbirds. It is also distributed to aviation executives and operators and has substantial newsstand sales. Total distribution 9000 copies bi-monthly, 6 issues per year.
To advertise, email advertising@aopa.com.au or telephone AOPA on 02 9791 9099
DA40 DIAMOND STAR: Syndicate shares available 2007 model with G1000 & GFC700 based at Camden. NO UPFRONT FEES, minimum 3 month commitment, $400 per month fixed and $125 per hour. No min hrs (subject to insurance). Photos & info on www. da40syndicate.com.au Call David on 0450 172 299 or email info@diamondaviation.com.au
MUSTANG FLIGHTS. Fly in a real P51 Caboolture QLD. www.mustangflights.com PH 0410 325 644, 02 4963 4024
WANTED
HELICOPTER Pilots interested in forming a Bell 47 Helicopter Syndicate Contact Jim 0419 600 071
FOR HIRE GRUMMAN TIGER for pvt hire: TOWNSVILLE. Rate negotiable depending on wet or dry hire. Email andrew.kerans@gmail.com
HANGARS
Continental IO-360-C engine with around 700 + hrs to run (with full history) for Cessna 337 D. Private owner / pilot will pay reasonable price to get another engine for my 337 and get her airborne again. Contact Marcus 0458 333 200
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association Australia
HANGER FOR LEASE. Kyneton Victoria. 15m x 12m Lock up. Call Roger 0419 229 859 Email. rjrholdings@bigpond.com www.aopa.com.au I AUSTRALIAN PILOT l APR - MAY 2016
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MEMBERS MARKETPLACE
BUSINESS
LUSKINTYRE AIRFIELD For Sale. Share in Luskintyre Airfield. Situated in the picturesque Hunter Valley NSW. Hangarage for one aircraft included.
Aviation Resort
3 HOURS FROM SYDNEY 2 hangars, three houses. Farming operation on 300 acres and accommodation income from houses $1.4 million. For brochure and details call 0413 963 438 or email adshedsyd@hotmail.com
Aircraft manufacturing opportunity.
Tooling, drawing components for the Typhoon and Cyclone aircraft. With the latest styling could be easily upgraded to the 600kg LS aircraft. $60,000. Retiring. 07 3205 4452 or 0431 693 280. Leave message if not answered.
GOULBURN AIRPORT Lot 19 Cummins Close, Unique opportunity to secure land at Goulburn Airport. 400 sq m vacant land at Goulburn Airport. Perfect for hangar / aircraft storage. Close to taxiway and runway Good access to site for vehicles Trish Graham 02 4822 1555
SHARK BAY AIR CHARTER IS FOR SALE Laid back lifestyle in an idyllic location while supporting yourself by flying. Includes 2 SE aircraft with regular work Ideal for owner/operator, rather than an investor POA. Phone 08 9948 1773
FOR SALE Property ARCHER PARK PROPERTY
Archer Park is a pilot’s paradise: 75 Acres of luxurious privacy located in Hervey Bay. 2x brick aircraft hangars, 3x runways, internal asphalt roads. Large brick colonial residence. $1.5 million. Ph. 0412 75 99 77. Email: trevorhansen@bigpond.com
AVIATORS' DREAM
Prime site for sale next to the Whitsunday Airport with 1400m sealed runway. Fly in/fly out to your tropical paradise. Gateway to the magnificent Whitsunday Islands and reef. 4.4 hectares (11 acres) of vacant land zoned rural residential with development approval for a four lot subdivision. Mostly level, partly cleared land featuring rain forest and a seasonal creek. Easy road access to Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour. Town water, electricity and telephone lines to the property boundary. $795,000 Mobile 0417-645268 email: harbourf@tpg.com.au
PACIFIC HAVEN AIRPARK QLD 4659 Frazer coast Hervey Bay. 2 Acres large brick four bedroom lowset residence 4 Car garage large boat shed. Hanger with asphalt taxi ways to 3000ft bitummen runway with pal lig Above ground swimming pool. 20.000Gallon watertanks to house. Full share to your private airfield 5 min to Burrum river boat ramp $595,000. airpark@west.net.com.au mob 0438 00 4471
COUNTRY HOME NEAR TEMORA
1904 granite home extended 2003, 4 bedrooms and office, dinning room, enormous fire place, evaporative cooling, 11m indoor pool. Separate small house nearby for rent or for guest overflow. Elevated position oversees airstrip and views. 300 acres, numerous sheds. 45,000L house water storage, damns and springs. Grass airstrip 800m x 100m extendable with small additional land to 1000m fully fenced, cone markers, two windsocks clear approaches. Two hangars 15 x 18m and 12 x 8.5m both with power, water, concrete floors and aprons. Minutes by air from Temora. 150 nm from Sydney, $1.6M. ONO. Ph 02 6976 4280 or 0429 021097
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SHORT FINAL
Why Do You Fly? “Why do you fly?” is a question Jason Ross is often asked. I just love being up in the air! Maybe I was a bird in a previous life! For me my interest started when my father took me to air shows. Growing up in Toowoomba I was blessed with many warbirds to watch. I will never forget seeing the Sea Fury at just above ground level, flat out that then pulled up until it was a dot in the sky. What a sight for a little boy to see! Once working and doing lots of overtime, I put all my spare money into flight training. After getting my PPL, I got my night rating, then CSU and RG endorsements. I was doing aerobatic training when I was told about the Yak 52. After more saving I purchased a Yak 52 and continued my aerobatic training and formation flying. Great times The next phase in my life was marriage and kids. With a family of four and owning a two seater plane, I didn’t get to fly much. After years of little flying, I sold the Yak so I could buy a flying “family Falcon”. I looked at many planes and found the best one for me was a Piper Lance. I found a straight tail, non turbo with new paint. It had seven seats, heaps of room, two large luggage areas, 160kt TAS and enough fuel
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to fly Brisbane to Melbourne non-stop with good reserves. Like many private VFR pilots there are many times you can’t fly due to weather, and times that you wish you didn’t! I was sick of driving long distances in case of bad weather to family functions or flying between clouds and hills, being anxious about getting on the ground. So I decided to get my instrument rating. As a private pilot I didn’t need a commercial instrument rating. After talking to many people, I kept getting the same answer so I went with Avalon Air Services at Redcliffe, QLD, to get my PIFR. The best thing about PIFR is that you can start off with IFR en-route only, if that’s what you want. I did my enroute, instrument departure and RNAV approach. I can add on ADF, LOC or ILS approach later. Having my instrument rating makes for a much safer flight for my family and I. Just the other day I had to get my plane from Lismore to Archerfield for its 100 hourly. The weather was a bit average but I wanted to fly VFR (better view than being in cloud). I took off but had to turn
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back about 10 minutes later due to cloud down to ground on the hills and rain along the coast. I logged an IFR flight plan then departed into the cloud. I have found the controllers much more helpful to IFR pilots. As I was flying towards Archerfield, Brisbane Center called Archerfield tower for latest weather and advised me I would need to do a RNAV into Archerfield and, before I asked, I was given clearance to enter class C for a RNAV approach. Before getting my instrument rating I would’ve had to wait for another day when the weather cleared and taken a day off work, or flown between the cloud and hills in the hope they didn’t meet! The best thing I have done for flying safety for my family is getting my instrument rating. I strongly recommend to every VFR pilot to get their IFR rating. If money is tight, with PIFR you can just do IFR enroute then, as money enables, get other IFR privileges. I had a great experience with Avalon Air Services and they were happy for me to use my own aircraft, and they do more PIFRs than all other flight schools put together n
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