HISTORIC A/C 30

operational and known by the name ‘Hatfield Aerodrome’. Substantial development followed in 1934 and aircraft production moved over in the same year. Not long after, the Dragon Six was airborne.

de Havilland’s move caused a long-term chain reaction for Hatfield Aerodrome which continued to develop well into the jet era with state-of-theart facilities being built, including multiple R&D sites, test facilities and a windtunnel! The aerodrome eventually closed in 1994 but, even then, it made a name for itself as the film set for Saving Private Ryan and the television series Band of Brothers.

The Original ‘Air-Bus’ The Master

Prior to the outbreak of WWII, 205 Rapides had been manufactured by de Havilland for airlines and various other private owners around the world. Indeed, it was considered by many as the most successful British built short-haul aircraft of the 30s and is said to it has been operated in almost every country in the world.

The first operator was Hillman’s Airways (already an operator of several DH aircraft including the Dragon). Hillman’s was a coach company from Essex, literally with the intention to use aircraft as a bus in the air (Hillman’s was later merged with Spartan Air Lines and United Airways to form British Airways). From Hillman’s base at Stapleford, you could proudly depart in their ‘Dragon Rapide’ (name update from the Dragon Six), or just ‘Rapide’ for short, bound for Paris for £4.00 (return) to arrive in comfort around three and half hours later (2 hrs airborne, plus the included coach service each end).

The cabin was designed to take 6 to 8 passengers (+ 1 pilot) and for its time, really looked the part. Remember, this wasn’t the era of plastic preform interior panels. This was still wood and fabric, the seats had no fold-down tray tables and unlike today, there were no meals or drinks served, which is a good job, as there was no toilet! And the emergency exit was a hatch in the roof, opened by taking hold of a small handle and pulling it around in a circle — the handle was attached to a blade which cut a hole in the fabric. Et voila, an exit!

Small improvements continued to benefit the Rapide’s form; in 1937 flaps were added to production aircraft (from then on, the aircraft was designated as the DH.89A) and many earlier models had the flaps retrofitted. Meanwhile, a few As a side note, and just because it’s just too much of an interesting fact not to mention; in July 1936, pilot Cecil Bebb flew Spanish nationalist General Francisco Franco from the Canary Islands to Morocco (a Spanish territory). A Spanish uprising was about to take hold and the arrival of Franco marked the opening move that started the Spanish Civil War. Not that de Havilland had anything to do with it, but the ripples through history amaze me. This relatively little aircraft (by today’s airliner standards) was anything but little in the history books.

During 1938, nine Rapides were purchased in response to a need for military navigational training as WWII approached. More orders followed and as WWII erupted the RAF adopted all pending and ongoing orders with de Havilland. The RAF version was called the ‘Dominie’ (from the Latin 'Domine', originally understood to mean 'Master' but in the language of the 1930s had evolved to mean ‘Teacher’). The RAF continued to use the aircraft for navigational training (aka their ‘Teacher’), as well as in multiple comms roles, military transport and during 1940 in the Battle of France; as an aerial courier (during which 10 of 24 aircraft were lost in conflict).

Due to substantial pressure being put on de Havilland to roll out its ‘wooden wonder’, the mighty ‘Mosquito’, the production was moved from Hatfield to Brush Coachworks in Loughborough.

In total, 728 Rapides were built, some 500 of which were Dominies.

For King and Country The first member of the British Royal Family to ever become a qualified pilot was Edward, Prince of Wales. He departed Hendon on 8th June 1935 in his very own Dragon Rapide, which he flew regularly. The Prince became King Edward VIII on 20th January 1936 and flew himself to London (in his Rapide) to take the throne! Production eventually ended in July 1946 and, as ever, the Rapide was like so many aircraft from de Havilland; he had paid attention and listened to the needs of his customers (and indeed his country!). He always pushed the envelope. He even tried for an extra rapid Rapide which had retractable undercarriage, a greater wingspan and an increased take-off weight. But the one thing the extras didn’t add was speed. It didn’t go any faster. Post war, the Rapide (many of which were converted back from Dominies to civil aircraft) were taken on swiftly by several well-known airlines who collectively operated the aircraft throughout the world. London to Cape Town was a mere 10-day flight (hopefully with one or two comfort stops along the way!). And R&D at Hatfield stayed busy with the birth of the DH.104 Dove. The Rapide was essentially superseded by this very different looking aircraft. The Dove was another de Havilland success story, but for me the majestic Dragon had that something extra special about it. Some classics just can’t be beaten! Our picture aircraft is a beautiful 1944 built ‘Dominie’. The aircraft was delivered to the Royal Air Force, Halton Station Flight as NR750 in January 1945 and was coded ‘THA-F’. Following retirement from military service in 1947, the aircraft was sold to A Hamson & Son which registered the aircraft as a civilian DH-89A ‘Rapide’. Not long after it was sold to Manx Air Charters Ltd (which later changed to Manx Airlines) on the Isle of Man. From there it changed hands several times with various domestic airlines and operators. It also did a stint in Norway between 1971 and 1973, and in 1974 (back in the UK) even made a TV appearance in ‘South Riding’ (dressed in costume as G-ADAE), which scored 8.5 on IMDB by the way!

© PAUL JOHNSON. FLIGHTLINE UK For more information about owning a Rapide: www.TASCVintage.com

Type: de Havilland Dragon Rapide

Wingspan: 14.63 m

MGW: 2,495 kg

Powerplant: 200 hp (x 2)

VNE: 157 mph (IAS)

Cruise speed: 135 mph (IAS)

Service ceiling:16,700 ft

More info: www.TASCVintage.com

AERIAL EUROPE

WORK MULTI MISSIONS • INTEGRATION • TECHNOLOGIES • SERVICES +44 208 255 4000 www.AvBuyer.com JANUARY 2022

PIPELINE PATROL FLYING THE LINE!

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIR LLOYD

The Monitors of Aerial Work Aviation

Have you ever thought you could have a large, hazardous pipeline underneath or near your neighbourhood? If you did, you probably thought “How is the pipeline industry keeping these pipes safe?” Patrick Ryan ‘unearths’ the truth of how one part of this industry, the Pipeline Patrol of Aerial Work aviation, is part of that safety net, ensuring those critical lines are safe and effective.

Of all the different land, ground and sea personnel and equipment hard at work across the global energy grid, manned and unmanned aircraft are probably near the top of the list of platforms that ensure energy is delivered from the drilling rig to your home safely. Governments around the globe require oil, gas and chemical pipeline operators to conduct periodic inspections to detect risks to both the network and the general public. In addition, the possibilities of natural disasters, security threats, and product theft require even greater pipeline monitoring diligence. With more than 2,000,000 miles (3,218,69 km) of pipeline in over 100 countries worldwide, the more traditional ground methods of inspection, survey, and repair are proving to be both slow and costly. Therefore, with the unique capabilities and reach of the Aerial Work aviation sector, pipeline operators can leverage this air power to ensure their networks are flowing smoothly without worry. The specialised group of Aerial Work aviators and aircraft dedicated to this mission is ‘Pipeline Patrol.’ Pipeline Patrol provides aerial pipeline monitoring services that focus on quality, accurate inspections with timely detailed reporting to aid pipeline operators. Their focus is to protect the integrity of the pipeline operator’s strip of land (known as ‘Right-of-Way’ or ROW) and the pipes laid there. Pipeline Transportation 101

Starting with the big picture, the end-user of aerial Pipeline Patrol services is the Pipeline Transportation industry sector. Pipelines transport almost all the natural gas and nearly two-thirds of all hazardous liquids (including chemicals, crude oil, and refined petroleum). Most of these pipelines are underground and privately owned by pipeline companies, rather than gas and oil production companies (e.g., BP, Shell, etc.). When it comes to this, there are three significant types of transportation structures aerial Pipeline Patrols monitor: Natural Gas Distribution — Natural gas distribution consists of pipeline networks used to ship natural gas from transmission pipelines to private and commercial customers. Natural Gas Transmission and Storage — Natural gas transmission and storage involve moving natural gas from its sources to the local companies operating the distribution network. Included are storage facilities and pump stations. Hazardous Liquid Pipelines and Tanks — Hazardous liquid pipelines and tanks entail transporting crude oil to refineries or refined petroleum products (e.g., gasoline or diesel fuel) to product terminals and airports. Because Mother Nature likes to corrode and shift both natural and man-made objects, it’s ever more critical that pipeline transportation companies track and repair the

condition of every part of their naturally exposed infrastructure to ensure nothing leaks out! Again, many regulatory agencies require utility organisations to inspect and repair their infrastructure quickly because of the dangers associated with these pipelines and facilities that could adversely affect both humans and the environment. The general industry standard and regulatory requirement for inspections ranges from an inspection every three weeks up to 26 inspections per year and require a detailed examination and assessment of each mile/km of pipeline. More than Monitoring

What does the aerial Pipeline Patrol sector do regarding inspecting pipes? The general or obvious answer is the routine use of aircraft (both manned and unmanned) to inspect and monitor above and below ground pipelines from the air.

However, there’s much more to the term ‘Patrolling’ than generally ‘eyeballing’ a pipeline. Aerial Pipeline Patrollers are trained and equipped to accomplish many specific technical tasks associated with a pipeline’s lifecycle, i.e., they range from pre-construction to postdecommissioning environmental studies. Today’s aerial Pipeline Patrol companies routinely use aircraft rigged with sensors and cameras to survey oil and gas pipelines, providing pipeline owners with a comprehensive checkup on an asset’s health. In addition, these companies report back to clients with information regarding pipeline leaks and possible external threats and provide updated mapping and other visual data. Some of the specific tasks Pipeline Patrol aircraft and crews conduct are:

Erosion and Settlement Inspection – Patrols look for any erosion issue that could damage the line, including failed Best Management Practices (BMP) structures, streams running through the ROW, or erosion due to steep terrain. Additionally, they look for holes or trench settlements within ROW corridors, common on newly constructed pipelines. ROW Encroachment Inspection – Patrols look for construction equipment working on or near the ROW corridors, surveying or staking activity, and agriculture/landowners working on or near the pipeline owner’s ROW area.

Leak Detection – Last-but-not-least, the important task whereby Pipeline Patrol crews’ leading task is to detect deadly pipeline leaks. Pipeline leak detection determines if, and in some cases where, a leak, small or big, has occurred in the energy grid. Benefits of Pipeline Patrol

As mentioned before, ground patrolling thousands of miles or kilometers of pipelines can be costly, timeconsuming, and dangerous, depending on the environment. The unique benefits aerial Pipeline Patrol provides are: More Visibility – Aerial patrols can cover more territory and reach remote areas which are difficult to access vs. ground patrols. Plus, aerial patrols at the same time can provide 3D information regarding ROW and pipelines conditions.

Cost-Efficient – Compared to the cost of ground

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIR LLOYD

monitoring, aerial patrols and leading-edge technology save time, money, and manpower to mitigate many ground-based logistical obstacles. Advanced Mapping – With advanced aerial sensors and analytical tools, aerial patrols can create 3D maps or models of a surveyed area. Compared to ground patrols, aerial patrols can produce a larger volume of data and comparable quality. Increased Productivity – Advancements in aerial realtime monitoring technology, data collection, and processing have led to significant growth in productivity regarding finding, reporting, and fixing safety issues. Environment & People Protection – Again, aerial patrols mitigate the risk of sending ground personnel over challenging terrain and in adverse conditions 24/7. Plus, it mitigates intruding into the environmentally sensitive areas that some pipelines traverse.

Tools of the Trade

Like any complex undertaking, many manned and unmanned fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft support aerial pipeline operations. Aircraft and technology are selected for individual tasks based on their suitability for the task and their cost-effectiveness.

Manned Aircraft

When it comes to manned aircraft, the primary class is light GA fixed-wing aircraft, i.e., from single-engine to twin-engine and light helicopters, i.e., with piston or turbine engines. Regarding fixed-wing aircraft, these provide an excellent, cost-effective method for patrolling vast areas. Fixedwing aircraft can cover large territories quickly and meet the technical requirements for many pipeline patrols. In addition, fixed-wing pipeline patrols can provide coverage of areas requiring immediate ROW access in the case of pipeline leaks or damage. Even though many makes and models of aircraft are used in Pipeline Patrol operations, the following platforms can be seen today regularly around the world conducting routine monitoring: • Aviat Aircraft Inc. – Husky A-1C-180, A-1C-200 • Cessna Aircraft Company – C-150, C-172, C-182 • Cirrus Aircraft – G5 Perception • Tecnam – P2006

Helicopters, meanwhile, are one of the most effective methods of aerial utility and pipeline patrol. They offer excellent visibility, the ability to fly low and slow, and hover and land if needed. In addition, the helicopter’s ability to land immediately to evaluate leaks, washouts, or other activity near the ROW is a valuable assessment and prevention tool. It offers more immediate availability to problem situations and a much better ‘human-in-theloop’ view than other aircraft.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIR LLOYD Like fixed-wing aircraft, the following helicopters can be seen today around the skies performing regular inspections: • Enstrom Helicopter Corporation – 280FX, 280F, F28F • Robinson Helicopter Company – R22, R44 • Bell Textron Inc – 206 JetRanger/LongRanger • MD Helicopters – 500 Series

Unmanned Aircraft

With the introduction of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV or Drone) technology, this new aviation capability is multiplying in all corners of the pipeline inspecting and monitoring sector. Currently, unmanned aircraft are not utilised or deployed at the same level as manned aircraft because of regulatory and airspace restrictions. However, their application into other close-quarter aerial observation tasks has expanded the ‘menu board’ of aerial Pipeline Patrol services. One of the leading benefits small or micro utility UAVs provide is the ability to inspect even closer. UAVs provide the capability to get an in-depth localised area view of a structure from an elevated position. In case of a hazardous emergency, UAVs can provide a close-up sense of scale and a different perspective from the platform vs. those at ground level. ❯