Australian SportPilot Magazine - Issue #102 - April 2022 by Recreational Aviation Australia

Official Publication of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd.

RRP $9.95 inc GST / ISSUE 102

GOING PRO

The Tips You Need For Filming Your Next Flight

GO WEST

Exploring The Beauty Of South West Queensland

THE POWERS THAT G

Taking A Look At Group G Aircraft Candidates

GROUNDS FOR ENDORSE Understanding Endorsements

WT9 DYNAMIC

The High-End Slovak LSA Making Waves In The Australian Market

ISSN 2652-6786

9 772652

679002

HOMEBUILDS CONTINUED LEARNING PILOT PROFILES NEWS & EVENTS

ESTABLISHED 2012

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Aviation grade aluminium WEIGHTS, SPECIFICATIONS & PERFORMANCE Engine make and type

SLING 2 (912 ULS)

SLING 2 (912 iS)

SLING 2 (914 Turbo)

ROTAX 912 ULS

ROTAX 912 iS

ROTAX 914 UL 115 hp / 86 Kw (Turbo)

Power

100 hp / 75 Kw

Fuel burn

4.7 gph / 18 l/hr

3.7 gph / 14 l/hr

6 gph / 23 l/hr

Fuel capacity

39.6 gal / 150 lt

Propellor make and type

Warp Drive 3 blade

Airmaster 3 blade

Propellor operation

Ground adjustable

Constant speed

Garmin G3X Touch EFIS

Analogue backup gauges

Primary avionics Secondary avionics Maximum allowable speed (Vne)

135 KIAS / 155 MPH

Cruise speed (at 9,500 ft ASL)

120 KTAS / 138 MPH

130 KTAS / 150 MPH

Stall speed (Full flaps - Landing configuration)

40 KCAS / 46 MPH

46 KIAS/53 MPH

Take off ground roll (hard surface)

560 ft / 170 m

460 ft / 140 m

Landing distance (braked)

295 ft / 90 m

Rate of climb (at sea level)

600 ft/min

500 ft/min

900 ft/min

13,000 ft ASL

16,000 ft ASL

Stall speed (Clean)

Maximum operating altitude Endurance Range (at 75% power) Wingspan Length Height

8 hrs

10 hrs

7 hrs

750 nm / 1,400 km

850 nm / 1,600 km

700 nm / 1,110 km

30 ft / 9.165 m

21.9 ft / 6.675 m

8 ft / 2.45 m

43.8 in / 1.11 m

Maximum weight

700 kg

Standard empty weight

370 kg

382 kg

384 kg

Useful load

330 kg

318 kg

316 kg

Cabin interior width

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EDITOR’S WELCOME

I have to say, I love being able to get out and about again. Despite an upsurge recently in COVID-19 numbers, it appears we are open to stay. That’s good news for aviation and events, because as this goes to press, we are getting ready for the RAAus-initiated “Fly’n for Fun” at Parkes, NSW on 1-3 April. And you will still have plenty of time to join us at the Anzac Weekend Airshow at West Sale Airport in Gippsland, Victoria on 23-24 April. Something I’m not loving so much is paying for my Biennial Flight Review, medical and ASIC, all of which are happening right now. I get the flight review and medical – to an extent. But like so many, I have questions about the ASIC. There’s a good article in this edition about why we have ASIC and why it isn’t going away anytime soon. But what I struggle to understand is why every 2 years? And why do we need to resubmit everything? A “Secret” rating lasts 10 years. It won’t get you the launch codes, but it’s certainly higher than an ASIC. As I understand it, the ASIC system doesn’t actually connect to any of the other security systems –

police, national security etc. – so the renewal is the only time they have to “catch” the threats. I think after 20 years it might be time to fix this one. Does 5 years sound reasonable? It does to me. And I’m a very reasonable person, ask anyone! It’s not just me though – we get a lot of mail from people asking a similar question. Aviation preparation is time consuming and expensive enough already. We will continue to watch the ASIC space and make our feelings known on the subject and we will try to reflect the community’s view. I understand that we as private pilots of small-ish aircraft are well down the pecking order, but there’s a lot of us and last time I checked this was still a democracy. Just saying...

NICHOLAS HEATH Editor editor@sportpilot.net.au

So, enough ranting. Welcome to another edition of SportPilot. We’ve tried to fill it with the sort of things we like to read as pilots. We hope you do too. If you make it to the Anzac Weekend Airshow in West Sale, come and say hello to the SportPilot team and I, who will be crewing the SportPilot half of the RAAus display. We’d love to see you there and to hear from you.

EDITORIAL

RECREATIONAL AVIATION AUSTRALIA

(03) 5273 4777 editor@sportpilot.net.au

HEAD OFFICE PO Box 1265 Fyshwick, ACT, 2609

EDITOR Nicholas Heath

Unit 3, 1 Pirie Street Fyshwick, ACT, 2609 International: +61 (2) 6280 4700 National: (02) 6280 4700 Email: admin@raaus.com.au www.raaus.com.au ACN: 070 931 645

DEPUTY EDITOR Sophia Blakebrough STORY CO-ORDINATOR Tom Lyons CLUB LIAISON Chris Sager

ADVERTISING (03) 5273 4777 advertising@sportpilot.net.au ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Ed Jones ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Simon Larcey FINANCE Christine Heath

PRODUCTION

CORPORATE SERVICES EXECUTIVE Maxine Milera admin@raaus.com.au HEAD OF SAFETY Cody Calder cody.calder@raaus.com.au HEAD OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS Jill Bailey jill.bailey@raaus.com.au ASSISTANT HEAD OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS Jordan Portlock jordan.portlock@raaus.com.au HEAD OF AIRWORTHINESS AND MAINTENANCE Jared Smith jared.smith@raaus.com.au ASSISTANT HEAD OF AIRWORTHINESS AND MAINTENANCE Darren Barnfield darren.barnfield@raaus.com.au GENERAL ENQUIRIES admin@raaus.com.au PILOT AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES members@raaus.com.au

DESIGNER James Conte

AIRCRAFT AND MAINTENANCE ENQUIRIES tech@raaus.com.au

PROOFING Hannah McCauley

SAFETY ENQUIRIES

DIGITAL Nick Jones Budda Pile Matt Dwyer

DIRECTORS

SportPilot Magazine is an official publication of Recreational Aviation Australia and is published three times a year by Pace Marketing Pty Ltd. ABN 33 052 999 925. 6 Brougham Street Geelong VIC 3220. As part of their RAAus financial membership, all members, flight training schools and clubs will receive each issue of SportPilot free of charge. Alternatively, readers are welcome to undertake an Affiliate Membership with RAAus with an annual charge of $39*. To subscribe visit raaus.com.au

CEO Matt Bouttell ceo@raaus.com.au

SENIOR DESIGNER Regina Mari

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

CONTENTS

safety@raaus.com.au

Michael Monck (Chairman) michael.monck@raaus.com.au 0419 244 794 Barry Windle barry.windle@raaus.com.au

GOING PRO

FEATURES 18

Eugene Reid eugene.reid@raaus.com.au Luke Bayly luke.bayly@raaus.com.au

Andrew Scheiffers andrew.scheiffers@raaus.com.au

GO WEST EXPLORING THE BEAUTY OF SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND

Simon Ozanne simon.ozanne@raaus.com.au

TERMS AND CONDITIONS All content published within this magazine is the property of Pace Marketing Pty Ltd. ABN 33 052 999 925. It is protected by Australian and International Copyright and Intellectual Property legislation. You are unable to interfere or breach any of the legislation or intellectual property rights that protect this publication. All rights not expressly granted under these terms of use are reserved by Pace Marketing Pty Ltd. Unless stated otherwise, you are forbidden to copy or republish any content or property within this magazine without the copyright or trademark owners’ permission. The magazine title, as well as the associated logo of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd, are the property of Recreational Aviation Australia. Pace Marketing Pty Ltd reserve the right to be acknowledged as the magazine’s designers. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of content within this magazine, no warrant is given or implied. Content within this magazine is available to you on the condition that you undertake full responsibility for assessing the accuracy of the content and rely on it at your own risk. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the individuals named or referenced within this magazine. Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd in conjunction with Pace Marketing Pty Ltd reserve the right to decline any article, letter or comment deemed unacceptable for any given reason. No endorsement or responsibility is implied or accepted for any product advertised within this magazine. Advertisers and buyers within this magazine are responsible for ensuring that all products advertised and/or purchased via this magazine meet all appropriate Australian Certification and Registration requirements, particularly those pertaining to Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Recreational Aviation Australia. Please note that all aircraft featured within this publication are registered and legally permitted to fly. Please be advised that photographs of aircraft within this publication may be altered without notice for editorial purposes.

AEROSPOOL WT9 DYNAMIC THE HIGH-END SLOVAK LSA SET TO MAKE WAVES

Trevor Bange trevor.bange@raaus.com.au

RADIAL KITFOX PETER KRAUSS’ TRIBUTE TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF AVIATION

LEARNING NEVER EXHAUSTS THE MIND GOFLY AVIATION’S LOVE FOR LEARNING

VERY OLD RADIO NAVIGATION THE LOST ART OF VOR NAVIGATION

GOING PRO THE TIPS YOU NEED TO FILM FLIGHT

THE POWERS THAT G POTENTIAL GROUP-G AIRCRAFT

GROUNDS FOR ENDORSE UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO ENDORSEMENTS

WT9 DYNAMIC

COVER: AEROSPOOL WT9 DYNAMIC Image Credit: Steve Hitchen

MARK’S Q1 QUICKIE

THE POWERS THAT G

RADIAL KITFOX

FAMILY OF FOUR

REGULARS 06

LETTERS

FROM THE CHAIR

NEWS

FROM THE CEO

EVENTS

PILOT PROFILES

72 74

42 44

TRAINING FOR THE UNEXPECTED

76 80

THIS EDITION IN PICTURES

ON CONDITION

WORLD CLASS IN THE HEART OF FRASER COAST A LOOK AT THE NEW AQUILA ESTATE

SHE’LL NOT BE RIGHT

SILENT, BUT DETECTABLE KEEPING SAFE FROM CARBON MONOXIDE

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

SAFETY

GOING AROUND THE EGO FLIGHT OPERATIONS

FAMILY OF FOUR CATCH THE FLYING BUG

AN AEROCHUTE JOURNEY DALE BROWN’S AEROCHUTE EXPERIENCE

WHAT’S HOT WHAT IS THE BOARD AND WHAT DOES IT DO?

RED CARDS POST-9/11 A DEEP DIVE INTO ASIC CARDS

AIRWORTHINESS & MAINTENANCE

102 CLUBS & RUNWAYS

MARK’S Q1 QUICKIE

104 AVIATION MARKETPLACE

THE DECADE-LONG BUILD

106 FINAL APPROACH

SPORTPILOT

LETTERS

WRITE IN: We love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at editor@sportpilot.net.au or on Facebook & Instagram @sportpilotmagazine

RE: 2022 – Take Two (SportPilot 101) Dear Editor, Liked the article by Matt about his little jolly with Mike to points north. Nice to get out and see the world in the middle of madness!! The trip up the lane and into the Hunter never ceases to enliven me and recharge my batteries after, yet, another lockdown. The one jarring note was that you, too, got caught out by that most anticompetitive of fuel companies, BP, and their continued insistence that we have to use their carnet to pump their fuel. Carnets might work in the US where there is another airport every 10 miles or in towns where the garage across the road takes credit cards or cash but places like Derby, Halls Creek, Broken Hill and Merimbula are miles and miles from anywhere and offer no alternatives. Perhaps it is time for the aviation industry to stand up to the bully boys and have the likes of BP kicked to the kerb. This is something that RAAus and AOPA could take up with ACCC as a restraint on trade and CASA as a safety issue. Yes — another piece of plastic to lose (or have cancelled). P.S. The magazine is looking good! Col Jones Editor: Hi Col, I know your pain, particularly about now after prices have jumped. We will have a look at this in a future issue to see what the facts of the matter are and what can be done. Glad you’re enjoying the magazine.

RE: Taking the If out of Lift (SportPilot 101) Dear Editor, I’ve just enjoyed reading Nicholas’ informative article on aerofoil design and promise this feedback will be sans “capitals“ and wayward “spittle”. Indeed, I am thoroughly convinced, courtesy of Geoffrey Thorpe’s (aka Light & Sporty Guy) YouTube video “Lift: No curves required” that Bernoulli and Newton are two sides of the same coin. It occurred to me however, that Nicholas’ article might possibly have acknowledged the seminal work conducted by the late Harry Riblett, who spent a decade optimising 98 separate NACA aerofoils for use in GA aircraft. For those with an interest in the topic, Harry’s research is published in a 136-page document appropriately titled, “GA Airfoils” and is readily available via the EAA. Bob Barrows utilised

Harry’s research in his Bearhawk wing and my own, Randy Schlitter designed RANS Raven (141 wing), features a Riblett aerofoil profile. Congratulations to SportPilot Magazine for publishing this comprehensively researched topic and presenting it in an easy-to-read format. Rodger Connolly Editor: Thanks Rodger, glad you’re enjoying the magazine. I spent a few minutes down the Harry Riblett rabbit hole (or should that be Riblett hole?) and agree it is something worth looking at. We will keep writing on lift, wings and things that makes planes go, as we think they’re interesting.

RE: CEO Update on Self-Declared Medicals Great news, and well overdue! It is a reflection on all the hard work and foresight by successive committees and management, and hopefully will soon be appreciated by fellow members of our aviation community, and duly recognised. Martin Hone Editor: Thanks Martin, it’s fantastic news and is one of those things we will continue to monitor and push for.

RE: Australian Flying Legends (SportPilot 101) Hi Editor, I just received my Issue 101 of the SportPilot Magazine. I thought it an informative and well-balanced edition, with a range from Historical Aviators to the much-awaited Part 103 news, and it also included some of the latest aircraft types. Being a bit of an aviation historian myself, I particularly enjoyed the “Australian Flying Legends” tribute, we wouldn’t be flying today without their efforts in introducing aircraft to Australia. One of my favourite early aviators in Australia is the lesser known, but no less amazing, Vladimir Slusarenko, who first built and flew my Heath Parasol 10-1474 “Miss Sandgate” in 1932. I believe it is the oldest aircraft on the RAAus register. Len Neale Editor: Hey Len, thanks for the positive feedback. I believe with your assistance, we can look forward to more information on V. Slusarenko and the Heath Parasol in a future edition, look out for it soon.

SPORTPILOT

FROM THE CHAIR Take your time preparing for flight, and enjoy it! Credit: Adelaide Soaring Club

2021 was a tough year for the entire RAAus community. Whilst I’m not sure we will return to the normal we once knew, 2022 is looking better for recreational aviation than last year.

MICHAEL MONCK Chairman Michael is the Chair of the Board of RAAus and has held this position for 7 years. He holds flying qualifications from RAAus and CASA and advocates for the broader industry in a number of different forums. Michael is an active pilot and owns a CTLS aircraft which he regularly flies throughout Australia. michael.monck@raaus.com.au

Our first “Fly’n for Fun” event was scheduled for the first weekend in April, the aim of the gathering was for aviators to enjoy each other’s company and stories – for the first time in a while! We have a few more smaller events that we are supporting to help people get back in the air and enjoying aviation. The RAAus philosophy is a simple one: support reasons for people to go flying. If there is a barbeque, a breakfast or other flying-related event in your area, get in touch with the office and we’ll offer any assistance or support that we can.

We’re also very conscious of people returning to flight after a long break away from it all. Before you go for a fly, have a long hard think about you and your aircraft. Think about maintenance that might be due and other things that may have affected your pride and joy while it was sitting unused. Things like oil filters deteriorate over time when they are not in regular use, so consider giving your aircraft a 100-hourly before you set off. Check for things like insects and birds that may be present or have made a permanent home in your plane.

Likewise, ask yourself if you are OK to return to the skies. The safe thing to do is fly with an instructor or friend, who is more recent than you. Many hands make for light work, and why not make it a social exercise? Our physical abilities related to flying return quite quickly, such as our stick and rudder skills. The area that requires more focus, however, is of a procedural nature: pre-flight inspections, in-flight checks and emergency procedures. These are the ones where we might be a little rusty, so perhaps a run-through on the ground or allowing ourselves a little extra time in the air to get these things done might be useful. All of these things will add up to a more positive experience in the air. Plus, what is the harm in taking a little extra time? A few more minutes in your logbook won’t hurt! On top of RAAus helping to create reasons to fly, we have also been working hard in the background to protect your organisation. We have recently been to the Sport Aviation Safety Forum and spent time with our colleagues in the other sporting orgs, which gave us the ability to share our experiences with others. Not only did we get to communicate our ideas to the other orgs, CASA, and the ATSB, we also learned a lot from our counterparts in the other organisations. This collaboration supports all of our interests. We’re now talking with other organisations that may face challenges moving over to the new part 149 regulations, including the Australian Parachute Federation (APF). We are well placed to operate under this new system, but some other sporting bodies don’t

have the resources to migrate as easily as us. We view it as our responsibility to assist and support the broader aviation community and help these bodies meet the requirements. As aviators, we’re all in this together.

“2022 has started on a real high for us and I for one cannot wait to see where we go from here.” A lot of time was also spent on ADS-B discussions and visibility of traffic in the air. As a collective group, I think the view was that CASA is listening on this front. We hope to make some progress in terms of the recently announced subsidies for this type of equipment. The main topic here is those subsidies being extended to cover less expensive versions that will further enhance situational awareness and safety, with lower cost imposition on our members. With Pip Spence at the helm and Mark Binskin in the position of chairing the board, the approach to regulation from CASA is looking more positive than it has in many years. Both Pip and Mark are committed to aviation and helping it to flourish while meeting the objective of safety and this is great news for us. 2022 has started on a real high for RAAus. I am excited for the journey we’re on and to get out and see more of our members in the coming months to hear how the year is shaping up for them. Fly more and fly safe.

ALTO 912TG The home of ALTO Aircraft. Forgiving, easy to fly, all metal, 110 knots cruise, 290 kg carrying capacity, and extremely affordable Rob Hatswell, Ph: 0428 527 200 www.aeroedge.com.au

SPORTPILOT

NEWS

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF RECREATIONAL AVIATION

Sonex Under New Ownership Sonex, the Oshkosh, Wisconsinbased aircraft manufacturer, has come under new ownership for the first time since its founding in 1998. Mark Schaible, long-time Sonex employee and current General Manager, has purchased the assets of Sonex Aircraft, LLC and Sonex Aerospace, LLC with the intention to continue operations as owner and president of the newly formed Sonex, LLC. Schaible has confirmed that all staff will be retained, and that Sonex will continue to operate seamlessly, following the handover from company founder, John Monnett. “John Monnett is a legendary name in the aviation industry, so I am very

humbled and excited to have the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of his achievements and continue to shape the Sonex legacy into the next generation.” Schaible said.

Following the news, Sonex has hinted at the development of new products, including a high-wing model and the JSX-2T, a 2-seater version of the wellknown SubSonex jet.

Textron Acquires Pipistrel US aviation conglomerate Textron – home to Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft – have recently announced it will be acquiring electric aviation pioneers, Pipistrel. A promising move for the future of sustainable aviation, Textron’s interest in acquiring the Slovenian LSA manufacturer stemmed primarily from their role in developing affordable and environmentally friendly aircraft. “Pipistrel has been celebrated as one of the world’s most important and successful manufacturers of electric aircraft,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly, “[the acquisition] puts Textron in a uniquely strong position

to develop technologies for the sustainable aviation market and develop a variety of new aircraft to meet a wide range of customer missions.” It’s an interesting move, and one that could have a significant impact on the landscape of the electric aviation industry moving forward.

CASA Stall Speed Consultation CASA has opened a consultation process regarding the maximum stall speed of aircraft certified under CAO 95.55. Under present rules, there is a requirement for such RAAus aircraft to have a stall speed no more than 45 knots in any configuration. CASA are proposing to amend CAO 95.55 to remove the 45 knot stall speed. This would mean the new ‘Group-G’ category (MTOW of 601 - 760kg) would have an increase in the range of aircraft that can be operated within the rules. Read on, and have your say: https://www.casa.gov.au/cao-9555-45-knot-stall-speed-consultation

Dynon Introduces “FastTrack” Line of Installation Products for Builders In a bid to streamline and simplify the avionics installation process, Dynon have announced FastTrack, a new line of mounting tray kits, trays and brackets. “Until now, builders had to decide where to locate each avionics module or component in their aircraft, design custom brackets to mount each, fabricate those custom brackets, and finally attach [them]” says Dynon officials, “FastTrack dramatically simplifies these tasks”. Designed to be compatible with Dynon SkyView modules, FastTrack mounting trays allow builders to neatly and easily mount SkyView modules in a way that’s close to power and the pitot-static plumbing, while remaining easily accessible for ongoing maintenance. It’s an exciting announcement for homebuilders, who could potentially shave considerable time off their next build.

SPORTPILOT

FROM THE CEO G’day all!

MATT BOUTTELL CEO As a 30 year industry veteran, Matt joined RAAus as CEO in January 2021. He is a passionate advocate of RAAus and for keeping aviation accessible for Australians. ceo@raaus.com.au

Welcome to this edition of SportPilot Magazine. Since we relaunched our member magazine in mid-2020 the feedback has been very positive. I’m pleased to say that we continue to receive feedback that helps point us in the right direction. We very much attempt to have content that appeals to all our members – noting what a diverse group of aviators we all are! I’m very proud of this publication and I’d like to put a special shout out to our partners at Pace, who work very hard to produce what, in my humble and somewhat biased opinion, is the best aviation publication in the country! As you should be aware by now, we finally made progress on increasing the allowable maximum take-off weight for some aircraft that can be administered by RAAus. Civil Aviation Order 95.55 was re-issued late last year with a pathway for us to apply to CASA for an approval to administer lightweight aeroplanes. A lightweight aeroplane is defined by the regulator as a type certified or amateur-built aircraft that

can operate at weights between 601 kgs to 760 kgs. Of course, one key requirement of this is that the aircraft was actually designed to operate within this weight range. It isn’t a carte-blanche ‘because my aircraft is amateur built/ type certified, I’ll be able to load it up more’. The simple truth is that some aircraft simply weren’t designed to operate at a higher weight than they operate at now, therefore they won’t be able to ‘slot into’ this new category. Regardless, we do know of many aircraft that will be able to take advantage of this and that’s great news! From a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) perspective, at this stage the regulator is not permitting a higher maximum take-off weight due to matters surrounding the standards to which they are designed. However, like all these things, we’ll work with the regulator to establish a pathway for this to be considered in due course. As you may have heard, the maintenance requirements for aircraft operating in this new weight range – which will be known as ‘Group G’ – are more stringent. That is, for type certified aircraft these will

need to be maintained by a L4/LAME whilst amateur built aircraft is to be maintained by either a L4/LAME or – after meeting the requirements of CASA Instrument 10/19 – by an RAAus authorised person. Of course, there are other considerations for us, such as how will Group G RPC holders be permitted to conduct maintenance on these aircraft in alignment with CASA Schedule 8? It has been a very interesting process unpacking how this will all come together so we can assure the regulator that we’ve dotted our i’s and crossed our t’s, and that it’s a pragmatic approach for our members. As we progress, we’ll be providing more in-depth updates to you and of course, we also welcome your feedback should you have suggestions or concerns.

It is a focus of RAAus to support members in the area of maintenance and we’ll be developing more guidance around this throughout the year. Whilst on the subject of maintenance, I would like to remind aircraft owners around their obligations to ensure the required level of maintenance is performed on their aircraft and that it is conducted by a suitably approved maintainer. Furthermore, when this maintenance is performed, that the correct data is used. This ensures the right maintenance is performed and that it is appropriately documented in the aircraft logbook. It is a focus of RAAus to support members in the area of maintenance and we’ll be developing more guidance around this throughout the year. As always, please consult the Technical Manual which outlines your responsibilities and if this isn’t giving you the

answer you’re looking for, you can speak with our team. Remember that maintaining your aircraft appropriately not only helps in assuring safety and compliance, but it’s a vital element that people look for when buying an aircraft. Ask yourself the question: Would I buy an aircraft that’s not maintained or that I can’t tell what’s happened to it over its life? Finally, we recently attended the Sport Aviation Safety Forum in Sydney with our Sport Aviation cousins, along with key leaders from CASA. It was terrific to engage with representatives from the Sport Aviation Federation of Australia (SAFA), Australian Balloon Federation (ABF), Sport Aviation Association of Australia (SAAA) – to name a few. Whilst there may be some differences in what we do, we are more alike than we are different, which was evident by the warm welcomes and the collaboration we saw throughout the two days. Each of us have a strong focus on safety, there is also a strong desire from all that CASA reduce our regulatory burden, and that the regulator respects the long history of successful operations each of us have demonstrated. Pleasingly, CASA Chair Air Chief Marshal (ret’d) Mark Binskin AC, and Director of Aviation Safety (DAS) and CEO of CASA Pip Spence, were very engaging, open to our views and left us with a sense of optimism that they will deliver on what they say. We recognise that ‘proof will be in the pudding’, but it’s fair to say that change is already evident and this seems to have permeated into the government ranks, demonstrated by a $30 million funding grant for ADS-B that will be administered by the Department of Infrastructure. Change is in the winds and it’s a great time to be optimistic about RAAus and our industry more broadly! Stay safe and enjoy your flying.

Trust.

Our most valuable asset.

MEMBER

www.sportaircraftsales.com.au 13

SPORTPILOT

EVENTS

CHECK OUT THE FLY-INS, AIRSHOWS & MORE HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY

Events may be subject to COVID-safe restrictions; please check prior to attending. If you or your club has an event you would like to advertise, please send the relevant information to editor@sportpilot.net.au

THERE ARE SOME FANTASTIC EVENTS CROPPING UP ON THE CALENDAR OVER THE COMING MONTHS, SO MAKE SURE YOU GET ALONG TO SOME OF THE BEST. 9th April 2022

10th April 2022

The Temora Aviation Museum’s April 2022 Aircraft Showcase event will feature all serviceable aircraft from the RAAF 100SQN Temora Historic Flight Collection.

The Tocumwal Airshow returns, showcasing the aviation history and heritage of Tocumwal and celebrating the Centenary of the Air Force.

aviationmuseum.com.au

tocumwalairshow.com.au

TEMORA APRIL AIRCRAFT SHOWCASE

TOCUMWAL AIRSHOW

16th & 17th April 2022

22nd & 23rd April 2022

Taking place over two days, the annual Holbrook Easter Fly-In will feature forums, meals and entertainment, as well as ample opportunity to meet fellow aviators and chat about all things flying.

It’s Official! Warrumbungle Wings & Things is back and coming to you bigger and better in 2022! Featuring aerobatic displays from Red Bull Air Racing World Champion Matt Hall and the opportunity to jump in for multiple joy flights, Warrumbungle Wings & Things is set to amaze!

HOLBROOK EASTER FLY-IN

holbrookultralightclub.asn.au

WARRUMBUNGLE WINGS & THINGS

coonabarabranaeroclub.com.au

29th April — 1st May 2022

2nd & 3rd July 2022

Join the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia at Wangaratta (YWGT) for three days of fantastic antique aircraft displays.

The Brisbane Airshow has one of the world’s most stunning backdrops. Set in the Brisbane Valley and dedicated to the men and women who have served in our armed forces. The show includes Warbirds, World War II Fighters, jets, helicopters, aerobatics, skydiving, military vehicles, cars, music, food and lots more.

AAAA NATIONAL FLY-IN

Take a wander through yesteryear and discover a multitude of beautifully restored vintage aircraft.

BRISBANE AIRSHOW

brisbaneairshow.com.au

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SPORTPILOT

23rd & 24th April 2022

ANZAC WEEKEND AIRSHOW Presented by Wellington Shire Council, Pace Events and Paul Bennet Airshows, the 2022 ANZAC Weekend Airshow brings amazing aircraft, aerobatic demonstrations and displays to West Sale Airport, Gippsland. Showcasing wings of all shapes and sizes, get up close and personal with some incredible machines including RAAF, aerobatic, commercial and recreational aircraft. Whether you’re a veteran pilot or a budding enthusiast, the ANZAC Weekend Airshow is sure to provide hours of heart-racing, awe-inspiring fun!

The two-day extravaganza also offers a wide range of non-aviation attractions. Vintage car and motorcycle displays, live music, local produce, business exhibits, trade stalls and vintage fashion displays ensure that there truly will be something for the whole family at the inaugural ANZAC Weekend Airshow!

saleairshow.com.au

SPORTPILOT

FLIGHT TEST

REVIEWS OF GREAT AIRCRAFT

AEROSPOOL DYNAMIC

WT9

SPORTPILOT TAKES A LOOK AT THE HIGHER-END OF THE LSA MARKET, AND IT DOESN’T DISAPPOINT. Words Tom Lyons

In this job, you come across your fair share of sleek, low-wing, European aircraft. While they’re always easy on the eyes and often a pleasure to fly, they have a potential to slip into the “more of the same” category. Every now and then though, there comes along an aircraft that reinvigorates your love for these stylish, streamlined machines.

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It was mid-morning when the radio broke the silence at Lethbridge Airport (YLED). Ed Jones and I had scrambled to get to the airfield at the crack of dawn to meet Michael Xeni, the Australian dealer for Aerospool, who was flying over from Lilydale (YLIL) to show off his WT9 Dynamic. We were met with a thick fog that increased in density, determined to delay our meeting. After a few hours it had cleared out, and soon after the radio call sent us outside to get a first glimpse of the WT9 as it came in. Coming in on a fairly flat approach, the WT9 immediately caught our eye as Michael expertly touched her down and taxied over to the apron. First impressions are everything as they say, and the WT9 certainly makes a good one. Walking over to the aircraft, it was immediately obvious we were dealing with a plane that is truly top of its class. The Slovak LSA, with its long wingspan and smooth lines, has an air of class about it. The vast majority of light aircraft follow a fairly strict utilitarian design approach, but the WT9 boasts a few extra finishing touches that bring a little aestheticism to its design. As Michael taxied from RWY 28, the 3-axis silhouette approached with a sleek style, low – but with comfortable prop clearance. The closer we inspected, it became increasingly apparent that this aircraft had been extremely well designed and planned.

Walking over to the aircraft, it was immediately obvious we were dealing with a plane that was truly top-of-the-line. An immediate word comes to mind; seamless. Elegant wheel fairings, beautifully moulded wing roots and flexible seals over every control surface hinge make this aircraft almost feel like it was carved out from a single piece. Of course, these aren’t purely aesthetic touches either, each one is specifically designed to minimise drag as much as possible. They just happen to look pretty too. Introducing ourselves to Michael, we inspected the WT9 a little closer, noting some pretty interesting The interior is sleek, stylish and surprisingly intuitive with colour-coded levers. Credit: Tom Lyons

The WT9 Dynamic in flight. Credit: Steve Hitchen

features. The leading edge of the wings are home to some razor-sharp stall strips, coupled with a stall warning device. A quick test and the stick vibrates intensely – the pilot’s safety net for a near-stall event. It’s a nice touch. This WT9 is fitted with a TRX 1500 anti-collision system that beeps warnings through your headset should you come too close to another aircraft, fitted with a transponder or ADS-B Out. Safety was clearly at the forefront of the minds at Aerospool for this design, with the ballistic parachute option as well. We climb into the cockpit – it’s built for comfort, with a spacious 90 litre baggage compartment accessible behind the seats. Lifting the front-hinged bubble canopy was extremely easy, thanks to twin gas struts taking the brunt of the weight. It’s a step-up from our RV6 struts – the WT9 canopy lifts like it wants to, and easily comes down again. Jumping in, it’s a bit

like getting into a low sports car, as Michael explains his method is to first sit above the chair, then wriggle down into the leather and strap into a modern fourpoint harness. The ergonomics and comfort are obvious, including the seats – they’re fixed in position, but with mechanical spring-adjustable pedals. You’ll find headset hooks behind your seats, placed here with audio jacks – no more tangled mess across your lap. The floor has been constructed to include a natural footrest for passengers, ensuring a comfortable position away from the pedals. They’re small features, but aviation comfort is made of one-percenters and the WT9 doesn’t disappoint. The dash is simple but elegant. ADS-B In, a single Dynon SkyView EFIS in front of the PIC seat, and a removable iPad mounted on the right to host the EFB

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of your choice. Full glass, full steam – or a combination of the two. A lone airspeed indicator had also found its way in, as a quick reference and a backup to the digital instruments. This one’s a demo, so part of its job is showing its options. Your controls are colour-coded, with different knobs and handles, to assist the pilot. It’s a touch busy in the centre, but intuitive. Low-wing aircraft are notorious for getting more than a little hot under the Aussie sun, but thankfully the WT9 comes with a retractable sunshade (painted top options are also available) and two sliding DV panels and fresh air vents, helping to keep temperatures down inside the cockpit. It’s one of the most well-ventilated aircraft we’ve been in. Soon after, Ed jumped out of the left seat and Michael took his place. It was time to take the WT9 up and see how it performed. Buckling in my 4-point harness I watched as Michael took the WT9 through its preflight checks, starting up the venerable Rotax 912ULS. We continued through the checks and were ready to pull the canopy down and enter the runway when we realised, we still hadn’t put our headsets on. A testament to just how quiet Aerospool have made this aircraft, we were able to talk between each other

without yelling as we sat with engine running and canopy up. We taxied out to the runway and turned up the power, quickly climbing into the sky. Aerospool states that the WT9 has a climb speed of 1,190 ft/min and it felt every bit of that as we were up to height in no time. Departing the circuit, we headed southeast over Lethbridge toward Geelong as Michael showed me the ropes. Handing me the controls, I began to get a feel for the controls: precise and responsive, yet forgiving. The long, slightly dihedral wings of the WT9 (MS (1)-0313 aerofoil) made it want to correct itself and stabilise in the air. It does so every time I give the stick a nudge one way or the other. The WT9 boasts a cruise speed of around 125 knots, depending on your configuration, which makes travelling between aerodromes a breeze. As we headed back to YLED, I pictured myself on a lengthier crosscountry trip and the thought is appealing. An MTOW of 600kg and an empty weight of 310kg leaves more than enough usable weight for two full-sized passengers and some luggage to boot. I also noticed the incredible

No plane is perfect, but the WT9 comes damn close. It ticks a lot of boxes, and the ones it doesn’t are a direct result of their endeavours to tick others. visibility out of the bubble canopy, allowing you to truly appreciate the beauty of flying, while also making it easier to spot runways (and potential emergency landing spots). No plane is perfect, but the WT9 comes damn close. It ticks a lot of boxes, and the ones it doesn’t are a direct result of Aerospool’s endeavours to tick others. Covering every hinge with a flexible seal for example was done to reduce drag, but it makes some inspection points less accessible. The spats make it tough to have a good look at the tyres, brake discs and pads, and the

cowl is only good for an oil check, without removal for engine inspection. You’ll note the aileron push rods, which make for smooth mechanical controls, and the only cable you’ll find leads to the rudder. The biggest detractor to this aircraft is its price tag. With a starting price around $230,000, this one isn’t for everyone. But neither is a Porsche. That price indication hasn’t been helped by a COVID-struggle for materials and parts, which has been bumping up prices across the board. The level of technology and comfort, coupled with the performance of the WT9 is hard to match in the RAAus market. It has some elements reminding me of a small Cirrus, but it comes at a price. Mind you, the WT9 is not a plane for mass production over here; 8 to 10 orders would make for a good year. We bid goodbye to Michael and watched him depart YLED for Lilydale. As the WT9 flew off into the distance, I knew it would leave a lasting impression on me.

SPORTPILOT

G WEST 24

QUEENSLAND IS PERFECT COUNTRY FOR AIR TRAVEL. NICHOLAS HEATH HEADS WEST AND FINDS A FEW GEMS ON THE WAY. Words Nicholas Heath

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It started with a few days on the Queensland coast. Agnes Waters and 1770 are a couple of less developed coastal communities that remind me of Noosa back in the 1970s. As a spot to spend a few days for R&R it can’t be beaten. From a pilot’s point of view, it has the ideal mix of a useful airstrip a couple of hundred yards from the beach. Owned and run by a bloke named Woody (although it is on the market, so that may change), it’s one of those stick-money-in-a-box-on-thetree type arrangements ($20 UL/$50 GA landing fee). The box has been there so long that the tree has grown around it. There should be more of that sort of thing. It also has one of the most beautiful patterns to fly. Coming in over the field, downwind on 14 takes you along the beach, before base right over the 1770 headland and flying finally up the estuary. It’s worth a go round just for the view. We literally walked from the plane to our accommodation, about 500 metres away and just 100 metres back from the beach. If you happen to be up that way, try Codie’s Place in Agnes Waters for food and surprisingly good cocktails. All good things come to an end and we soon found ourselves back in the aircraft, getting ready to head out West. Our objective on this day was St George, but Agnes Waters doesn’t have fuel, so a quick 19 mile diversion to Bundaberg would be required. Flying out of Agnes Waters on 14, you want to make an early left turn to avoid the hill south of the airport, before departing the pattern to come back on to the southerly heading for Bundaberg. Yes, you can clear the hill, but the people underneath may not enjoy counting the rivets on your underside as you fly by, so make the turn. It’s also good to remember what my father used to say “You can’t climb as fast as a hill”. The run down the coast is glorious, with golden beach stretching on forever and a view to Lady Musgrave Island and Fraser Island out left if you’re high enough and the visibility is good.

Agnes Waters.

Bundaberg has a funny shaped military zone that goes around it. Red patches on the map give me pause for thought and the military ones even more so. As it doesn’t begin until 5,000 feet, it was hardly going to matter today as we tracked the coast south on a clear, fine day.

“It’s also good to remember what my father used to say “You can’t climb as fast as a hill”.” Bundaberg is a much more substantial airfield and we found ourselves having to slot into the pattern with a Royal Flying Doctor aircraft, a Virgin flight and other private traffic. A bit of a shock after Agnes Waters and 1770. You won’t need to practice your short field work for this one as you have 2,000 metres of tar on the primary 14/32 and even 1,100 metres on the 07/25

grass alternate. It’s a large, security-controlled airport, so you will need an ASIC. Fuel services and even mechanical services are available there plus a rather nice terminal with coffee. A quick fuel up and we’re off again. Next leg to St George is 275 miles. As so often happens near the Queensland coast, cumulus clouds were forming up and we elected to go high and smooth. At least I did. My passenger is of the view that the closer to the ground you are, the safer it is. Some people are weird. After ducking out of the military zone we climbed to 8,500 feet, where we were sitting above most of the clouds with the odd peak poking up past us. It’s a pleasure to fly with blue sky above and the odd cumulus top passing by out the window like a mountain peak. It’s the sort of leg you fly for. The only nagging doubt as we progressed inland and crossed the ranges was that there wasn’t a lot of good options for a forced landing. It was drilled

My RV6-A parked under gum trees at Agnes Waters.

in to me in training to always be conscious of where we were going to land in an emergency. I mean, if the engine just quit. Where are you going? At that height at least we would have plenty of time to think about it. 8,500 ft, say a glide ratio of 9 to 1.

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Hotel Corones, Charleville, is good for a meal and cold drink. There’s accommodation, too.

That’s ahhh…76,500 feet…a nautical mile is about 6,000 feet…so that’s like 12.5 nautical miles. Sinking at about 500 feet per minute…so a bit over 15 minutes’ time. These are the things I think about on longer legs. That and toilet stops. St George sits on the Balonne River and the weir outside town means it always has a wide stretch of water in the river. It’s a pretty town. As a centre for the agriculture in the region it has a pretty substantial ag-flying operation and we could hear several ag-planes calling on the CTAF at the airport. Jones Air is an ag and maintenance outfit running out of St George and they will sell you fuel there on weekdays. We had booked accommodation with Andarr B&B who were also good enough to come and get us from the airport. That seems to be common up that way and is a tribute to Queensland hospitality. A brief walk down along the charming waterfront brought us to the Australian hotel, where you can enjoy a traditional pub meal and both kinds of music – country and western. One of the stalwarts of regional towns are the bakeries and St George bakery is good by any standard. After a breakfast of tea, toast, eggs and more at Andarr, we loaded up with sandwiches for lunch the next morning and were back in the air early bound for Charleville 160 miles away. Landing in Charleville, I again was a little jealous of the quality of regional airfields in Queensland compared to Victoria. If you’re landing in Charleville, you’re going to want to talk to Peter Wade at Flight Deck Café located at the airport. He can hook you up with fuel and a car, St George Thallon Silo Art.

“Landing in Charleville, I again was a little jealous of the quality of regional airfields in Queensland compared to Victoria.” plus he seems to know everything about town. Then you can head into Charleville. They say the dividing line between regional and bush is whether there is crumbed steak on the menu and by Charleville you are well into crumbed steak territory. The local RSL will take care of your crumbed steak needs, but also has plenty of other options. But to experience the true majesty of Charleville and get a glimpse of what it must have been like in its roaring days, check out the Hotel Corones. The Corones covers an entire city block and the main bar is a sea of tiles and taps. This is pub architecture on a grand scale with street long verandas. You should also take a look at the “Secret Base”

Royal Flying Doctors Information Centre - Charleville airport.

museum at the airport which shows you the history of the field in WW2 when it was a US air force base. The museum is still in development, but well worth a visit. On this particular trip, that was as far west as we got before heading south into NSW, buts that’s a story for another day. Had a good trip? Let us know so we can feature it in SportPilot.

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RADIAL

KITFOX Words and Photos Peter Krauss

One of my favourite aviation movies is The Spirit of Saint Louis, starring Jimmy Stewart as Charles Lindberg. In the opening title scene, we see a dot of an aeroplane against a grey, cloudy sky and the sound of a radial engine. There’s something about the sound of a radial. They have a rolling thunder sound to them. They sound relaxed, yet powerful, like they’re holding plenty back in reserve. All pilots look up when they hear an aeroplane overhead - but when they hear a radial, they look and listen. My journey with a radial started with the purchase of an abandoned Boredom Fighter project.

The little single seat biplane was designed in the 1970s for a Continental A-65 when these engines were plentiful. These days, the little Continental is hard to find as are the engine parts. A friend said “That little plane would look great with a radial on the nose...”. Hmmm, yes it would. Between the wars there were a few small radials available of varying quality and reliability. The large radials developed by giants such as Wright and Pratt & Whitney became very reliable and efficient powerplants, particularly under the increasing demands of WW2. After the war, the development of radials basically stopped as Jet engines took over their role.

The Verner powered Kitfox, ready for another sortie.

“There’s something about the sound of a radial. They have a rolling thunder sound to them.” The hunt was on for a small radial that married the by-gone looks and sound of the round engine with the reliability and efficiency of automotive technology. Most homebuilders know of an Australian made radial, but these are too big and heavy for a little ultralight like a Boredom Fighter. Whilst surfing the web I came across a small radial engine called a Scarlett, made by Verner of the Czech

Republic. They make 5, 7 and 9-cylinder models. This research coincided with a holiday in Europe, so I visited the Verner factory in the picturesque town of Sumperk and was taken for a ride in the factory demonstrator, an open cockpit parasol two-seater. Sumperk airport is an all-over field so we took off outside the factory hangar straight across the field. I was impressed by the torque and thrust of the 7-cylinder model and the relaxed power delivery. It was a fun flight, not only because of the engine’s performance but also the beauty of the area.

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VH-PDR SPECIFICATIONS (KITFOX IV CLASSIC) Length: 18 ft 5 in (5.6m) Wingspan: 32 ft (9.76m) Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73) Wing area: 132 sq ft (12.28 sqm) Empty weight: 681 lb (309 kg) Gross weight: 1,200 lb (544 kg)

OTHER VERNER SCARLETT ENGINES AVAILABLE 7-cylinder 124bhp 9-cylinder 158bhp

The business end of the Kitfox - Verner radial power.

These engines use automotive technology where appropriate, with in-house manufacturing to assemble an old-fashioned radial package — perfect for nostalgic aircraft such as WW1 replicas, 1930s barnstormers, etc. The crankcase of the Verner engine is magnesium, die cast at a local foundry then machined at the Verner factory. It is powder coated for corrosion resistance. The crankshaft, master and connecting rods are forged, then machined out of 15230CSN structural steel. Wiseco forged aluminium pistons are used. The cylinders are cast aluminium, machined in-house then lined with steel sleeves. The heads are from a Honda electric generator. Dual electronic ignition supplies the spark and a simple carburettor supplies the fuel. Being a dry sump design, the oil is contained in a separate oil tank. The engine driven oil pump pulls the oil up into the crankcase and into the upper cylinder heads. The oil drains by gravity down to the lower heads and back into the oil tank. Crankcase oil also drains into the oil tank. The owner of Verner Motor, Pravoslav Verner, saw that I was interested in the details of his engines asked whether I’d like to be the dealer for his engines in Australia.

“The little radial pulled like an ox, mainly because it can swing a 76” prop, and we were off the ground very quickly.” The Boredom Fighter would be a very slow build, so a partially finished Kitfox IV was purchased. The 83 hp Verner 5-cyclinder Scarlett engine is the perfect fit for the Kitfox IV, as these are normally powered by an 80 hp Rotax engine. Plus, the Kitfox has a somewhat nostalgic look about it. An engine mount was designed with the help of the USA Verner dealer and constructed locally. Then came the long and messy job of modifying the Kitfox cowls into something that looked right behind the little radial. After minor repairs to the wings and tail feathers due to multiple owners and relocations, my building partner covered the flying surfaces and painted the Kitfox in a nice bright yellow - a great colour for visibility. Kitfox VH-PDR was finished back in May 2021, but being a VH-registered experimental, a Certificate of Airworthiness (‘C of A’) was required, involving inspections and mountains of paperwork.

Due to the Covid lockdown, the ‘C of A’ inspection and the paperwork weren’t able to be completed until the end of October. Then came the day of the first flight. November 19th 2021 dawned clear and still, so I pre-flighted VH-PDR carefully, started her up and taxied to do a thorough run-up. All was well, so I took a deep breath, entered Wedderburn RWY 35 and took off. The little radial pulled like an ox, mainly because it can swing a 76” prop, and we were off the ground very quickly. I climbed above the airfield, reduced RPM... and my heartrate. The Verner demonstrator with a 7-cylinder radial engine.

With all temperatures and pressures in the green, I simulated some approaches at altitude. The little Kitfox handles nicely and is quite docile, although it has heavy ailerons. I did a circuit and landed on the grass runway. It turned out to be an uneventful maiden flight... exactly what you want!

There was only one witness to the first flight of VHPDR, who said it sounded great, which brings us back to that distinctive radial sound, so reminiscent of the golden age of aviation.

VERNER SCARLETT 5s 5-CYCLINDER RADIAL ENGINE Dry Weight: 152 lb (69 kg) Diameter: 31.89 in (810 mm) Displacement: 207 cu-in (3390 cc) Bore: 3.62 in (92 mm) Stroke: 4.02 in (102 mm) Compression ratio: 1 : 7.8 Carburettor: S&S Super E Fuel: Mogas 93 / 100LL Alternator: 12V / 200W Starter: 12V / 1000W Max Power: 83 bhp @ 2200 rpm Continuous Power: 78 bhp @ 1900 rpm Torque: 218 ft / lb @ 1900 rpm

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PILOT PROFILES

TALES FROM OUR AVIATION COMMUNITY

VAN RENSBURG:

FAMILY OF FOUR

HOW DAD, MUM, DAUGHTER AND SON ALL CAUGHT THE FLYING BUG Words Tom Lyons | Photos Mariette van Rensburg

As RAAus members, we’ve probably all heard the line “a pilot in every home”, but what if the home was filled with pilots? The van Rensburg family has a rich history in aviation, which has culminated in every family member earning their wings. SportPilot caught up with the van Rensburgs to find out how this fantastic flying family came about.

Main: The first Sling in Australia, Errol brought the kit over in their container when they immigrated to Australia in 2012. Inset: Errol and Mariette van Rensburg.

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South African native Errol van Rensburg has been working in the aviation industry for over 40 years, beginning his career with Atlas Aircraft Corporation in 1981. Studying after hours while working as an avionics tradesman, Errol earned a Bachelor of Commerce and moved into management, before undertaking a 10-year stint in military contract management. From here, he co-founded Global Composite Solutions (GCS) in 2006, becoming the company’s CEO. GCS specialised in the design, development, and manufacture of various aviation products, which saw Errol working with names like Cessna, King Air, SAAB and Embraer. Despite the day job, Errol only learned to fly at the age of 40 when his wife Mariette bought him a flight training package for his birthday. It quickly became a passion of his, competing in the State Presidents Trophy and other air races in South Africa, bringing his wife and children to all his competitions.

While each member of the van Rensburg family have taken their own path when it comes to aviation, they share a similar outlook on flying. In 2012, Errol and his family emigrated to Australia to found Global Aviation Products (GAP), the Australian distributor for Sling, Bushcat and JMB Aircraft. It was here that Mariette decided to obtain her pilot’s licence as well. Coming from an aviation-crazy family herself – with her father and 2 of her 3 siblings also pilots – Mariette originally was uninterested in flying herself. Working in the financial industry in South Africa, it wasn’t until GAP started and Errol needed pilots to move demonstrator aircraft between airshows that she considered flying herself. She decided to get her licence to assist him, and found it one of the most rewarding things she’s ever done. Once in Australia, the family decided to do a lap of the country in their Sling 4, which both Errol and Mariette described as one of their all-time favourite experiences.

Top: Wiehan and Mariette in Boonah. Below: Errol and Marena flying in a Bushcat.

For daughter Marena and son Wiehan, growing up with parents heavily involved in aviation meant their childhood included countless rides in the co-pilot seat. Flying was never forced upon them though, as both children worked at their parents’ business to pay for their own training. Now both in their early 20s and fully qualified, they have each taken their own paths in their aviation journeys, completing it in their own time. For Marena, becoming a pilot started at 15 but after a bad first lesson and mounting commitments at school, flying was put on the backburner. This didn’t

The family together on the day Marena went on her solo flight, with instructor Chris Moroney.

Mariette flying her mum, Marietjie Briers.

quell her interest in aviation, however, as she was a committed member of Air Force Cadets’ 221 Squadron throughout high school. In 2020, with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Journalism fresh in hand, she returned to flying and obtained her licence. Marena has also completed a Postgraduate Certificate of Humanitarian Action, and dreams of one day combining this with her aviation experience to deliver aid and improve the lives of people living in remote Australian communities. For now, Marena is enjoying having the ability to travel around Australia and explore the country by air.

Refuelling on a trip across the Nullarbor.

Wiehan, like his older sister, began his aviation journey at 15 and completed his Recreational Pilot Certificate (RPC) shortly after leaving high school. Now close to completing his Exercise Science degree, he still takes the time to get up for an early morning sunrise flight – with coffee in hand. Following his degree, Wiehan’s sights are set on obtaining his Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL), and a taildragger endorsement is on the radar too. As for Errol and Mariette, the dream is to one day retire to their own private airstrip and stay involved in aviation

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Errol, Mariette and Merna — plus 25 high school students from rural NSW and QLD — built a Bushcat in only 7 days.

Errol has plans to start a world-class Builders Assist facility, where kit builders can build their Sling aircraft under expert supervision. for as long as possible. They’re not done with Global Aviation Products yet though, and Errol has plans to start a world-class Builders Assist facility, where kit builders can build their Sling aircraft under expert supervision. While each member of the van Rensburg family have taken their own path when it comes to aviation, they share a similar outlook on flying. When asked about the best piece of advice they’ve received, each family member repeated the same mantra; “If you don’t know, you know”. That is, if you don’t know whether you should be flying, you know not to fly. It’s clear safety has been a large part of the van Rensburg family’s approach since the children were young. Aviation will no doubt remain an important part of the van Rensburg family’s lives. Both Marena and Wiehan are keen to take partners, friends and family members up with them, potentially inspiring even more budding aviators to start their own journey. For RAAus’ mission to put a pilot in every home, there’s really no better example than this! Many customers become friends, outback flying to Longreach with Andre and Devre Vuilleumier and Michael Fletcher.

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HAVE YOU HAD A CLOSE CALL?

2109.4317

Often the experience is something you’ll never forget and you’ve learnt a valuable lesson. Why not share your Close call so others can learn from it too? Articles should be between 500 and 1000 words.

Email fsa@casa.gov.au with your story or a request for a call back. If we publish your story, we’ll give you $500 for an article you’ve written yourself or $250 for a story over the phone.

If we publish your story, we will not include your name if you ask us not to. If you have video footage, feel free to submit this with your close call. Please do not submit articles regarding events that are the subject of a current official investigation. Submissions may be edited for clarity, length and reader focus.

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TRAINING FOR THE UNEXPECTED

Knowing when not to proceed is more important than persisting with a compromised plan. With the appropriate training, we can normalise a ‘go round’ or missed approach, so that the unexpected doesn’t get us by surprise.

NEIL SCHAEFER Training Development Neil Schaefer has been involved in General and Sport Aviation for over 45 years. A qualified instructor, examiner, accident investigator, auditor and SAFA Senior Safety Officer, Neil has had a vast range of experience in the aviation world. Currently serving as the Head of Training Development, Neil previously spent 4 years running an RAAus flight school and worked 7 years as Assistant Operations Manager at RAAus. neil.schaefer@raaus.com.au

Hands up everyone who has persisted with a bad approach or landing? It might not have been graceful, but you hopefully walked away from it…right? Keep your hand up if you knew it was getting ugly, you ran off the runway, drove the undercarriage a little closer to your seat, or even damaged the aircraft? It happens too often, but why do some persist in trying to fix a bad situation? Countless hours of circuits can drill a principle into us that we’ll land after the final approach. We try to perfect our technique, but it’s easy to lose sight that perfecting landing technique also means knowing when not to land. Performance anxiety can kick in, too, as we feel the eyes of observers and our passengers watching with expectations that we’ll get it right first go. We call

this expectation bias. Sometimes the pressure can help us focus and critically review our flying, but it can also create a very overwhelming urge to forcefully land, even when things don’t go as expected. Let’s also look at the syllabus. While missed approaches and go rounds are covered in Element 14 of the RAAus Syllabus of Flight Training, in practice these elements may only come after hours and hours of circuits with actual landings. The better you are, the less likely your instructor will have to call for a go round or take over. Imagine if we were to start training with those first circuits always ending in a go round. We would get to practice all those important reactions and skills in secondary and further control effect management, whilst under the watchful eye of our

instructor – all without that initial pressure of having to land. Some of our schools already do this with great success, conditioning students both in the practical skills, muscle memory and decision-making in their primacy to go round as a normal action. How many pilots practise missed approaches regularly? We talk about stalling and practice between BFRs but landing is something we confront every flight – surely it should get even more attention? If we look at the actual requirements, such as practice in different configurations, decision-making and the actual metrics around these important piloting skills, these are not clearly articulated in the syllabus. Do you understand things like Landing Distance Available (LDA), Landing Distance Remaining (LDR) and Minimum Decision Altitudes? As part of our ongoing Loss of Control initiatives, which includes an upcoming video documentary series, RAAus has looked at the missed approach and reviewed the key ingredients for a stabilised approach. While there are many considerations, these can be broken down into three main components: 1. Correct attitude and associated airspeed. 2. Correct glide slope (angle and alignment). 3. Satisfactory rate of descent. These are standard disciplines for the big end of town, but they need to be part of every pilot’s understanding and monitoring work cycle, as they approach to land. If at any stage any one of these variables is outside of expected parameters, then a go round should be seriously considered and decided.

“Great pilots plan to go round every time and only land when all parameters are right all the way down the approach.” A recent example is worth pondering. On a strong crosswind approach with significant rudder already being used, a full power go round was initiated. The increase in power slipstream and P-factors left the pilot with no more yaw control, and a runway excursion at minimum airspeed ensued resulting in collision with terrain. This example shows that while you may think “I’ve got this!”, the margins and options decrease exponentially as we approach the ground. Finally, instructors have an important part to play in anchoring these skills and behaviors as well by applying these disciplines to themselves whilst in training. Managing the teaching parameters within conservative tolerances, leading by example and not rescuing bad landings for the student, cement these critical behaviors and mitigate the risks in flight training delivery. After training, however, we face a diversity of conditions and considerations in our aviation journeys – all of which can shape our decision to land or go round. RAAus have covered these higher-level responsibilities in our Instructor Professional Development series in recent years, with our accident analysis showing a significant number of dual training accidents where instructors have been unsuccessful in managing a series of cascading events. The key is constant awareness, clear communications and staged intervention, culminating in command control when required.

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100L Wing Tanks

SPORTPILOT Getting back into flying! Credit: @up_over_down_under

Flying NZ! Credit: @flyingwithindy

THIS EDITION

IN PICTURES

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE AMAZING IMAGES CAPTURED BY THE RAAUS COMMUNITY! SOME SHARED WITH US IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, OTHERS DUG UP FROM THE ARCHIVES. Submit your photos to editor@sportpilot.net.au or tag us on Instagram @sportpilotmagazine

Tony’s BRM Aero Bristell LSA, overflying Tyagarah NSW. Credit: Tony Grimmond

Here’s to new adventures! Credit: @slphotography.photo

Man with machine! Credit: @ausflightsimmer Dave is passenger endorsed! Credit: @gofly.aviation

Getting back into flying! Credit: @up_over_down_under

Those watercolour feels! Credit: @hangglidingmaui

SPORTPILOT

SHE’LL BE RIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE

As pilots, aircraft owners and maintainers, we have an obligation to operate in accordance with compliance requirements.

CODY CALDER Head of Safety Cody has been with RAAus for 2 ½ years as Innovation and Improvement Executive. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Transport Safety Investigation, Diploma in Aviation, Diploma in Business, Commercial Pilot Licence and a Multi-engine instrument rating. Cody is passionate about all aspects of aviation, with experience in skydiving and charter operations (Fiji/NZ), gliding, aerobatics and warbirds. cody.calder@raaus.com.au

RAAus is built on the principle of informed participation, allowing a simple ruleset and privileges such as owner maintenance for aircraft used solely for private use, and a self declared medical. With this comes the acceptance from RAAus members that the aircraft and pilot are not required to adhere to the same standards, therefore requiring acceptance of the associated risks. Despite the simple ruleset, aircraft owners must ensure that their aircraft continues to be maintained in accordance with the mandatory maintenance standards, and requirements specified within the manufacturers schedule of maintenance. There are also a number of compulsory requirements that pilots must comply with prior to each and every flight. This reminder comes shortly following an announcement from the Australian

Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) that they have discontinued the investigation into a fatal accident involving a VH-registered, amateurbuilt Jodel D11 at Ball Bay, Queensland. The aircraft collided with terrain shortly after take-off. The passenger was fatally injured and the pilot sustained serious injuries. The ATSB found that the pilot did not hold the necessary qualifications to operate the aircraft and that the aircraft did not hold a current maintenance release. The passenger’s seat belt was found to have completely failed in two locations and both aircraft seat belts had not been replaced in accordance with a CASA airworthiness directive. As pilots, aircraft owners and maintainers, we have an obligation to operate in accordance with compliance requirements. Failure to

comply with requirements may result in disciplinary action, invalidation of insurance, criminal prosecution, or even civil litigation if the occurrence involves a passenger or third party. These may lead to severe charges or even imprisonment for failing to comply with mandatory requirements. RAAus actively advocates on behalf of members to ensure that our operations continue to be as simple and as cost effective as possible. In saying this, aircraft maintenance requirements can be complex and aircraft owners are responsible for ensuring their aircraft continues to comply with all requirements. RAAus regularly encounters commonalities with regards to non-compliance and, where possible, will work with members to address such issues. It is, however, a mandatory reporting requirement that RAAus notifies CASA of such breaches and in the event that an individual no longer holds valid membership and aircraft registration, this matter will be sent to CASA for management as this falls outside the scope of our control as an RAAus member. RAAus recommends members regularly review the following areas to ensure they are compliant:

1. MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTRATION Members have a legal requirement to track the expiry of their RAAus membership and aircraft registration expiry dates. Operating without current membership or registration is a breach of the Civil Aviation Act 1988.

2. BFR, RATINGS AND ENDORSEMENTS Pilots should always confirm they hold the appropriate ratings, endorsements and currency for any flight. We commonly find operations with an expired BFR, flights beyond 25nm without holding a cross country endorsement, accommodating passengers without the endorsement, or instructors operating with an expired rating.

3. MEDICALS Whilst members under the age of 75 are able to operate using a self-declared medical, there are a number of conditions which must be declared to RAAus or require a certificate from your GP. These

declarations must be provided to RAAus prior to operating an aircraft. Simply holding the certificate without providing this to RAAus is considered a non-compliant operation.

4. ROUTINE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Aircraft owners are responsible for ensuring that maintenance is conducted in accordance with the required standards. Even if an aircraft owner uses a qualified maintainer, you must understand the requirements and confirm that these are completed and recorded within the maintenance logbook.

5. 100.5 COMPLIANCE Are you aware that pressure/static instruments (airspeed indicator and altimeters) fitted to RAAus aircraft must be checked every two years? If your aircraft is fitted with a transponder, this must also be checked by a qualified person every two years.

6. AIRCRAFT MODIFICATIONS There are essential conditions that must be met prior to making any modification to your RAAus aircraft (e.g. letter of approval from the manufacture, engineering order, or an inspection and test flight). If you think your aircraft may be non-compliant, RAAus urges you to come forward to see if we can assist with your return to a compliant state. Whilst this may still be reportable to CASA, in most cases we will be able to offer support without further complications. You can also confidentially report breaches via our reporting system at reporting.raaus.com.au Together, we can improve and maintain compliance for the continued safety of our members. If you have any questions relating to compliance requirements, please refer to the RAAus Flight Operations and Technical Manuals, or do not hesitate to contact our team for further support. Find out more about the above-mentioned ATSB investigation via www.atsb.gov.au, investigation number AO-2021-054.

SPORTPILOT

LEARNING NEVER EXHAUSTS THE MIND Words Ed Jones

A Sling 2 over Mooloolaba. Credit: Damien Wills

SPORTPILOT

Leonardo Da Vinci said this many moons ago. It’s always sat with me, hungry to learn a skill or piece of knowledge, it always feels relevant. But the landscape of learning has changed significantly, and it’s all too familiar for the team at GoFly Aviation. My brother and I started flying lessons at the same time. We would take it in turns driving out to the airfield together and for whose lesson went first. We’d always debrief afterwards and have smiles across our faces on the way home. We tried as best we could to stay on the same timeline, but houses, relationships, money and life would throw us off course. I ended up getting my ticket a bit before him. I’m sure he thought I was competitive – he knows I often am – but I wanted to finish what I’d started and I had a new opportunity to fly a bit for work. When I completed my cross-country, it was all pencils, paper maps and flight computers. I had OzRunways in my pocket, but the RAAus syllabus was yet to acknowledge it. Just a couple of years later my brother was finishing off his training, and his instructor was teaching him to plan, navigate and manage flying apps (as well as paper). Times were changing – I should have known, after all I was combining my Jim Davis books with online practice exams and watching cross-country footage on YouTube to memorise procedures and radio calls. At the pandemic onset, the team at GoFly Aviation were working hard on online content for students and pilots who were suddenly grounded. RAAus acknowledged how important and invaluable online learning resources were, particularly at a challenging time. Damien laughs now, recalling where it all started for him. “10 years ago, I started the GoFly Online journey by releasing the first Australian recreational ‘Learn to Fly’ DVD box set. Filmmaking was my second passion after aviation, so I figured I could make some videos to assist students with their training.” Damien admits he was a bit naive about how complicated it would be and how many takes it would

Thomas (Left) and Damien (Right) planning the GoFly website. Credit: Damien Wills

require to get each lesson right. He filmed videos with a very large and cumbersome HD camera in a Tecnam Echo, recalling an entire day plus 4 hours of flying, only to realise the microphone hadn’t been working the whole time. “I remember editing the DVDs on my old computer late at night and having the computer crash on multiple occasions.” Damien’s students loved the DVDs, so he decided to sell them to others as well. Within two years, he’d posted over 1,000 DVD sets to Australia, the UK, the USA and New Zealand. He followed up with a Navigation DVD set, and started to advertise them.

“Times were changing - I was combining my Jim Davis books with online practice exams and watching cross-country footage on YouTube to memorise procedures and radio calls.” Digital streaming platforms were killing DVDs, but Damien’s tide turned with the encounter of two flight students, Jeremy and Stephen. Stephen owned his own production company and Jeremy was an IT guru, and both helped to create new ‘Learn to Fly’ lessons

and an aspirational series called ‘Taking Flight’ for release on Vimeo. They spent over 12 months creating new videos and improving the platform. At this time streaming services were still in their infancy and while they saw some modest initial sales it didn’t really take off. Both Jeremy and Stephen eventually went on to other projects. Having the video briefings online for students to watch before they came to the school saved Damien’s team from having to repeat the same lessons over and over. Suddenly the ‘classroom’ time, which pilots

SPORTPILOT

Thomas (Left) and Damien (Right) planning the GoFly website. Credit: Damien Wills

like me were used to, was changing in nature. From a business perspective, it also allowed for more flights in a day. Damien had become good friends with another student, Thomas, the owner of a successful web development company in Brisbane. He and his friend had shown interest in the video lessons and came on board to help film and edit. This time, however, a dedicated website was born called GoFly Online. Damien and Thomas formalised the company structure, became equity partners and spent some time clarifying roles and responsibilities. Thomas and his team really took the platform to the next level and helped kickstart the online sales. Damien’s wife, Anne-Maree, who was already working for the flight school, also happened to have a background in editing, marketing and filmmaking – with the right mix of skills now at the table, online business was in motion. GoFly now have a small part-time team of seven, who film, edit, design graphics, update the website and do marketing. It’s a crazy concept, when many of us were sitting in the cockpit just a few years ago, having to pretend that our phones couldn’t do most of the navigation work for us. Using the faces of RAAus students and instructors makes for a much more familiar learning environment. Now content familiar with

“Online doesn’t just change the format of the content, it can make it more engaging and dynamic.” RAAus specifics has replaced watching US videos on YouTube. GoFly’s shared content agreement with RAAus in early 2020, driven by COVID lockdowns, meant more free videos were suddenly available to RAAus members, helping with motivation whilst many of us were unable to fly. Neil Schaefer who works in training and development at RAAus, helped to provide content such as the ‘Performance, Weight and Balance’ video in anticipation for the new weight increase to 760kg. As I sit here now on my laptop, I still have my pen and paper next to me for taking notes. I’m one of those students that will probably always enjoy a textbook. I even like to keep them as trophies on my shelves, sometimes coming back to brush-up. I’ll always consider myself a student, too – with Da Vinci’s words burnt into my brain. Damien agrees there will always be students who want a physical theory text book, but there are also a lot of students who want a low-cost online version. Online doesn’t just change the format of the content, it can

make it more engaging and dynamic. To address this, Damien has an Easy Book project in the making. He gave up Netflix and studied the RAAus syllabus of flight training, then the CASA MoS (Manual of Standards), about what was required for BAK, Air Legislation, Radio and Human Factors in relation to competencies for the Recreational Pilot Certificate and Recreational Pilot Licence. He began to write easy-tounderstand text books, which would eventually have embedded graphics and videos. This then translates into an online version. Besides having content to learn 24/7, plus dynamic learning material, the other benefit from my perspective is the ability to ask questions and liaise with other students and instructors. I spend plenty of time following Facebook groups and communities to keep learning and asking questions, too. The GoFly platform presents the opportunity to not only ask a question, but occasionally have it responded to by having

more content produced to address the topic. It is community-led, in a way. Since mid-2021, Damien’s team has created another 400 quizzes to complement the ‘Easy Books’ and assist students in passing their RPC or RPL theory exams. It’s good if you’re learning or if you just want to brush up. Keep an eye out – the Easy Books will be around from April this year at www.gofly.online. What’s changed since, or during, your aviation adventure? Let us know at editor@sportpilot.net.au

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SPORTPILOT

TECH TALK

VERY OLD RADIO

NAVIGATION Words Matt Dwyer

VOR actually stands for VHF Omnidirectional Range, but that’s not much help either…and yes, it is an acronym of an acronym. Read on whilst we take a look into GPS-navigation’s predecessor and how radio wave genius once solved IFR navigation.

VOR Beacon.

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Here’s the VOR for Melbourne Centre on a VNC. Inset: VOR receiver.

These days we use a GPS and basic VFR rules for most navigation, but back in the days before the Soviet Union collapsed there was a network of highways in the sky (“skyways”) all linked together by VOR stations. It still exists, to a degree, today. The system was clever: positioned radio beacons would act like a lighthouse, and you’d use in-cockpit instruments to navigate between points based on breaking down the radio signals. Using your in-flight CDI (Course Deviation Indicator), you’d know whether you were heading to the left or right of your desired course. Let’s dig a little deeper on these radio-lighthousethings… what is VOR? If you look closely at your VNC, you’ll see some of these icons scattered around (there’s one at Melbourne CTR, for example):

VOR

VOR / DME

VORTAC

These symbols correspond to VOR stations, which are VHF transmitters on the ground sending a 30Hz audio tone, rotating around in all directions like a lighthouse. That tone is encoded using two signals: one that’s amplitude modulated (AM) and one that’s frequency modulated (FM). Now just a quick recap on radio waves: Amplitude Modulation (AM) works by broadcasting a sine wave

on your desired frequency known as the “carrier wave” — which, for VOR, is in the 108-118MHz range. The strength of that carrier wave goes up and down in proportion to the source audio wave, so as the sound wave goes up the strength increases and vice-versa. Unlike AM, where the carrier wave’s frequency stays fixed and the strength goes up and down, Frequency Modulation (FM) is flipped around so the strength stays the same and it’s the frequency that goes up and down. Because the strength stays maximum all the time FM transmissions are less susceptible to interference and the distance between the transmitter and receiver doesn’t matter (ever used an old AM radio and noticed that some stations are louder than others?). The old style of VOR station is the conventional one (CVOR) which has a single, slightly-directional antenna rotating at 30Hz (newer CVOR’s use four antennas, a figure-8 pattern, and phase cancellation instead of physically rotating the antenna - but that’s getting complicated for our purposes right now). The FM signal maintains a constant tone because that’s how FM works but since the antenna is directional, the strength of that FM signal goes up and down as it points toward and away from you, creating the AM signal. The antenna rotates at 30Hz to match the audio tone, which is important later. If you’re lined up so the transmitter is due-south from you (which I’ll get to in a minute) then the signal coming into your receiver will look something like the diagram above.

Signal

30 Hz AMPLITUDE MODULATION (REFERENCE PHASE)

30 Hz FREQUENCY MODULATION (REFERENCE PHASE)

You can see that the FM signal gets faster at the top of the 30Hz audio tone and slower at the bottom, while at the same time the AM signal gets stronger when the antenna faces towards you and softer when it faces away. The two signals line up in this example because you’re positioned due-north of the VOR station so the peak of the AM signal occurs in-phase. If you weren’t lined up then the peak of the AM signal would be out of phase with the FM signal. Now, that’s a lot to take in so let’s try to use something more visual to help: imagine our VOR station is a lighthouse. This lighthouse shines in one direction, spinning around, and when it is at its brightest, we take note. This is pretty much how the AM signal works. Now imagine that when the beam of light points north, there’s another pulse of light in all directions. That’s the FM signal.

HOW DO I GET A RADIAL FROM A PAIR OF 30HZ AUDIO TONES? It’s really simple I promise. Every VOR station has the rotating antenna calibrated so that the peak of the FM tone occurs when the antenna is pointing to magnetic north. With that key fact in mind you can figure it out yourself on a bit of paper: 1. Work out what 30Hz corresponds to in milliseconds (it’s 33.33ms if you can’t be bothered with a calculator). 2. Receive and demodulate the FM and AM signals so you get a pair of 30Hz audio tones, which will be out of phase unless you’re lined up due-north.

3. Whip out your stopwatch and, if you’re fast enough, time how long it takes to go from the peak of the FM tone to the peak of the AM tone. 4. Divide the stopwatch time by the 30Hz time and you’ll get a percentage showing how far out of phase you are. 5. Multiply that percentage by 360° and voila! If it’s 25% out, then you need to turn 90° (25% x 360° = 90°). Now you know which direction the VOR station is from you, relative to magnetic north!

SPORTPILOT

N FM SIGNALS TONE PEAKS AT MAGNETIC NORTH AM SIGNALS TONE PEAKS WHEN TX POINTING AT YOU

MAGNETIC NORTH

TX FACING YOU

25% OUT OF PHASE = 90° BEARING

In reality, you won’t be fast enough to do this yourself with a stopwatch because 118MHz is 8 milliseconds – plus, you’d have your flight instruments helping you – but the diagram on the previous page will help demonstrate the science. This is where the skyways enter the picture: You take off, pick a VOR station, set your CDI’s OBS (Omni Bearing Indicator) and start flying towards it. After a while you’ll get there, pick another VOR station, reset your OBS and start flying towards that one. So on and so forth. Suddenly you realise that other pilots are doing the same thing. They’re all following an invisible line from one VOR station to the next. It’s almost like you’re on a road. A highway but in the sky! It might seem medieval to navigate by looking for arrows on the ground like the United States had for the airmail in the 1920s, but this is essentially the same thing, only using a VHF transmitter. We mentioned before that a CVOR was the ‘old style’, where the FM signal stays the same and the AM signal varies. The ‘new style’ uses Doppler effect (DVOR) instead - but at its core the principals are the same.

FM SIGNAL AM SIGNAL FM = FAST AM = STRONG 25%

DVOR has no moving parts, which is largely why it is the more common VOR type... fewer moving part makes for cheaper maintenance. Instead of one rotating antenna, there’s a bunch of smaller antennas in a ring facing outwards and only one of them is active at any time. The antennas in this ring broadcast an FM tone while a separate omni-directional antenna in the middle broadcasts the AM tone. The active antenna is switched (rotates) around the ring so the peak of the 30Hz tone has the north-facing antenna active and at the bottom it’s the south-facing antenna. This creates a Doppler effect and the FM/AM roles are reversed: the AM stays constant and the FM fluctuates; but the way your receiver figures out the bearing still works the same way so it doesn’t matter if they’re the wrong way around. These days VOR has been replaced by GPS for most use cases and it’s gradually being phased out. Since February 2016, CASA has mandated that all aircraft operating under IFR are required to navigate primarily with GPS, with nearly 200 ground-based navigational aids including VOR being decommissioned - halving the number of VOR beacons in Australia. So, raise a glass to the ways things used to be and to a relic of our past! Vale VOR.

THE SPORTPILOT PODCAST IS ON THE HORIZON! IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT US TO COVER? LET US KNOW AT EDITOR@SPORTPILOT.NET.AU

Credit: Wings Out West

SPORTPILOT

ON CONDITION

Credit: Rotax

There comes a time in the life of every piston engine when it must be overhauled or replaced. There is no exception to this rule, however there are many factors that affect the wear of a piston engine. Utilisation per month, efficiency of the air filter, type of engine oil used, frequency of oil and oil filter changes, techniques used by the pilot in engine management (particularly at startup & shut down), operational environment, regularity of maintenance and the storage condition of the aircraft are all relevant factors in the health of your engine.

WHAT IS ‘ON-CONDITION’?

JARED SMITH Airworthiness and Maintenance Jared Smith is Head of Airworthiness and Maintenance at RAAus. He holds a Graduate Certificate of Aviation, Bachelor of Technology (Aviation) and Business Management, a CPL, an instructor rating and L2 maintenance authority. Jared has been with RAAus for the past five years, initially working as the Assistant Technical Manager for three years. jared.smith@raaus.com.au

The majority of aircraft mechanical components do not fail abruptly, but give some warning or sign of the fact that they are about to fail. These are called “Potential Failures” and are defined as identifiable physical conditions which indicate that a functional failure is about to occur or is in the process of occurring. The amount of warning given by different potential failures varies from microseconds to decades. Longer warning intervals mean greater maintenance task intervals. Maintenance tasks (inspections/checks) that are used to detect potential failures, and consequently to avoid a total functional failure, are called “On-Condition” maintenance tasks. This is because items are left in service on the condition that they continue to meet a desired physical condition and performance standard.

The process of “On-Condition” maintenance is applied to items (e.g. an aircraft engine and a wooden aircraft propeller) on which a determination of their continued airworthiness can be made by visual inspection, measurements, tests or other means without disassembly inspection or overhaul. The condition of an item is monitored either continuously or at specified periods. The item’s performance is compared to an appropriate standard or well documented life experience to determine if it can continue in service. These appropriate standards may relate to, but are not limited to, cleanliness, cracks, deformation, corrosion, wear, pressure or temperature limits, looseness or even missing fasteners, and will be published in the applicable approved data for the aircraft or the aircraft component.

Although RAAus recommends that the engine manufacturers’ overhaul schedules be followed, “On-Condition” operation may be an option, unless the manufacturer specifically excludes it (for example Jabiru). When reviewing the Rotax 912 maintenance manual, it does not specifically exclude “OnCondition”, however it does state a TBO. The RAAus Technical Team initiated a MARAP approval to permit certain four-stroke Rotax engines fitted to type-certified/accepted aircraft to operate “OnCondition” past TBO on successful application. A point to note for aircraft owners operating Rotax engines is that the manufacturer states that engine hours are recorded from engine start to engine stop and not on a flight switch. “On-Condition” operation is not available for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) however it may be possible to apply to CASA or an Authorised Person for an

Experimental Certificate of Airworthiness, which may permit “On-Condition” operation.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ON-CONDITION – TYPE CERTIFIED/ACCEPTED AIRCRAFT The engine must have been maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s schedules from the day of installation. No missed or late service intervals. All Service Bulletins carried out as and when they fell due. TECH FORM 023 – ENGINE CONDITION REPORT completed at time engine commences running On-Condition and affixed into the aircraft logbook. If the above was not completed, running the engine past TBO is not available without a MARAP approval. Please see members.raa.asn.au/aircraft/marap/ for information on applying for the Rotax engine TBO limit extension.

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SPORTPILOT

360 degree camera filming the ‘impossible angle’. Credit: Joe Costanza, @bananasssssssss

GOING PRO SO YOU WANT TO SET UP YOUR PLANE TO RECORD YOUR FLIGHTS BUT NOT SURE WHERE TO START… Words Nicholas Jones

SPORTPILOT

THE RULES

MARAP PROCESS

If you are temporarily affixing a camera to the outside of your aircraft there are easy ways to do this, although the process does differ depending on the category of aircraft that you own.

For almost all situations, you should be able to avoid the need to make changes that are drastic and permanent enough that you need to get MARAP approval. The sort of changes that would require you to go down this avenue include adding wiring through a wing or adding a boom arm out the front of your wing for a 360° camera. In most cases, especially if you’re just starting out, you won’t need to worry about it.

If you’re operating a Light Sport Aircraft under a 24 or 23 registration, you’ll need a Letter of Authority (LOA) from the Light Sport Manufacturer in order to mount a camera to the exterior of your aircraft. To do this, email your manufacturer with information about what you are wanting to do. They will then send you through a Letter of Authority (LOA) if they are satisfied with the changes you are doing. A lot of manufacturers already have a list of approved mounting options, so it’s worth finding out if this exists for your aircraft and starting here. If you have an LSA with an experimental certificate or amateur built aircraft (10 and 19 registration) then you can get sign-off from an L1 to make sure that the modifications are appropriate.

If you are unsure of what the rules are for your aircraft, I highly recommend getting in touch with RAAus directly and just asking the question. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that they are incredibly helpful in explaining the rules and the easiest way to achieve the mission.

An Insta360 view of Doug Stickland’s Skyranger, based at YWBN. Credit: Doug Stickland

Strut Mount

Tiedown Mount

LET’S TALK MOUNTS Repeat after me, “thou shall not use suction mounts on the outside of an aircraft”. Although you will see people online overseas doing this and posting online, it is just a bad idea. Suction mounts are based around a vacuum under the suction cup which is where the trouble lays. Once you account for the change in temperature, air pressure changes from altitude and a change in surface temperatures from being in the sun, well, you can see how the suction could become weak. But it doesn’t stop there. That small GoPro camera has got several kilograms of backwards force from drag. Long story short, you need to keep all mounts safe and secure. Suction cups are just not reliable for this. There is a wide variety of options but here are a few of my favourites. The reason I like them is that they are strong, built to last and uncomplicated.

Strut mount: These mounts are fantastic for high wing aircraft. They are simple to attach and being attached to the wing strut means they are a long way away from the wing and their ability to disturb airflow. The other great thing is that the camera angle is in a fantastic location for filming as you can simply adjust the swivel to point back towards the cockpit or just look straight ahead with an uninterrupted view of the scenery without a canopy window warping the shot.

Tiedown mount: These are fantastic for low wing aircraft and for planes that don’t have a strut to attach anything to. Tiedown

Plate Mount

mounts are simple to check and easy to take on and off, not to mention that being mounted to a tiedown point, by design, will be easily able to take the load of any drag from the camera on the wing.

Plate mount: These are usually added to an inspection port on a wing. Where you have an inspection plate, you can take out a few screws and use slightly longer ones that also hold in a thin, lightweight mount. Once the plate is installed, you have an easy mount to screw on and off whenever you need. If you are talking about inside the plane, then you have a lot more options as you don’t have to worry about aerofoils and the effects of drag. For most cockpits, when you start to look around you will find metal tubes everywhere which is great for attaching a clamp mount to. If you really get stuck, you are allowed to use suction mounts inside the cockpit but they need to have a lanyard as well. In terms of the rules for this, you need to make sure that you have a secured load as you would do with anything else. There are a few companies out there that specialise in this sort of thing. FlightFlix is a popular supplier based out of the USA. They have even created mounts used by the US Air Force’s Blue Angels. If they can make them hold tight to an F-18 Hornet, then I am sure they will be more than capable for most RAAus planes. Another common brand that you will come across is Nflightcam. They make more than just mounts but also adaptors and a lot of different camera accessories specifically for aviation. I highly recommend sticking

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with trusted brands that produce mounts specifically for aviation as they are built for purpose and the cost difference is marginal. Intsa360 One

CAMERA OPTIONS For outside of the cockpit, you need a lightweight, small (low drag), high quality camera which cuts down the range of choices significantly. Personally, I really love the ever-reliable GoPro Hero action camera. We have even put our money where our mouth is and are operating 3 Hero 10’s as part of the editorial team at SportPilot. Here are some of the points that stood out to me as both a pilot and camera enthusiast: 4K and even 5.3K footage at 60 frames a second Image stabilisation that is truly amazing giving a great clean shot in bumpy conditions Battery life of about 1.5 hours at full resolution Endless amounts of parts and additional compatible equipment online Horizon Lock which will lock the image to the horizon so if you are doing small light turns it will keep the image dead flat. Ability to control the camera remotely from your phone while in the cockpit, swapping from footage to high resolution still images and back again with a few taps.

QUICK TIP: If you are trying to get rid of the weird effects that happen to the propeller where it looks either bent or jolts around in the frame, try attaching an ‘ND8’ filter to the camera. This adds a very slight blur to the image which will give you a really clear shot.

360° CAMERAS For those that have already been recording some awesome footage and would like to take it up a notch, try having a look at 360° cameras, such as the ‘Insta360 One’. These cameras will record in all directions continuously, which allows you to use a single camera for shooting footage in front of the plane and looking back at the plane. It does require some work with video editing software after recording, so it is not for the faint of heart. However, having the ability to be able to pan a shot around from the tip of a wing is really impressive to watch and worth the effort.

ADDITIONAL CONTENDERS

GoPro Hero10

Although fairly new to the action camera market, DJI (who created a name for themselves in the drone market) produce fantastic camera equipment and are a company to keep your eye on for future action camera releases. Their action camera range is still playing catchup, but at their current pace I wouldn’t be surprised to see them giving GoPro a run for their money in future releases.

IS YOUR USB CHARGER SLOW? Power: For cameras on the inside the plane it is best to set up a method for charging in-use, as this will give you longer recording time. The first way to do this is the same way that you charge your tablet or phone while in flight. Get yourself a USB charger from a cigarette lighter charging socket and then plug that straight into your camera. This way you can record an entire flight end to end without ever having to juggle batteries. Depending where your camera is mounted, it can sometimes be hard to get access to power. For this situation, a good quality USB battery bank will get you out of trouble and is also a good backup for charging any other devices while on the move. It also has the added benefit of being usable when the plane is turned off and you are still at the airport.

If you have a USB charger that connects to a cigarette lighter socket, check to see if the USB Adaptor has ‘Fast Charging’. For most modern devices you will be able to charge your tablet much faster than the original USB chargers even though the plug looks the same.

HOW MANY DO I NEED? My advice for anyone wanting to get setup is to start with one and go from there. Just from filming one flight, you will learn a huge amount and begin to figure out what you do and don’t like. Camera gear, like most things, can become unnecessarily complicated quickly so start small, keep it simple and tweak as you go!

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IN THE HANGAR

BUILDING, MAINTANING AND DOCUMENTING YOUR AIRCRAFT

MARK’S Q1 QUICKIE THE DECADE-LONG BUILD OF A TRULY UNIQUE AIRCRAFT Words Tom Lyons | Photos Caprice Photography

Mark Wilson & Stuart Michael with Mark’s Q1 Quickie.

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Building your own aircraft can be a tough and gruelling process, with hours spent in the shed or hangar riveting beyond eternity. If you set your mind to the task however, there will eventually come a day when your pride and joy is ready to fly. This is the feeling Mark Wilson is currently experiencing as he nears the end of his decade-long build of an ironically named “Q1 Quickie”.

“I bought the project from a guy not far from where I live, in Ballarat”, Mark explained to me when I asked about his build, reminiscing back some 13 years to the first sighting of his Quickie. “I went out there and looked at it and thought ‘What the hell is it?’”. If you’ve never seen a Quickie before yourself, it’s a perfectly natural thought to have. The Q1 Quickie was designed by legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan, a man famous for his “unconventional” aircraft designs. Its unusual tandemwing and landing gear configuration make the Quickie a unique plane at any aerodrome it visits, but its design is not purely for aesthetics. The Quickie was specifically designed to be a low-power, high-efficiency kitplane that made aircraft ownership attainable for recreational pilots, and affordable in the long-run.

Produced by the Quickie Aircraft Corporation (and a number of other companies under licence), roughly 1,000 Q1 Quickie kits were produced between 1978 and the company’s closure in the mid-1980s. A sister aircraft, the two-seater Q2 was also produced on a somewhat larger scale, but it’s the Q1 that has the sole distinction of claiming Burt Rutan’s involvement. Keen eyes might also note that the Quickie bears a similarity to the Viking Dragonfly, another tandem-wing aircraft whose design was based on Rutan’s own. After doing some research himself, Mark tracked down the owner of one of the few flying Q1s in Australia, Stuart Michael, to find out a bit more about the type. “He was really enthusiastic about it, he reckoned it was a great little aeroplane,” Mark told me. After a short phone conversation, Mark asked if he could come and see Stuart’s Q1 in person. A few weeks later, Mark was making the trip from his home near Ballarat, Victoria, to Snowtown in South Australia to take a look at a fully operational Q1. “I’m watching him taking off and flying around and I’m just thinking ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to have one of them’,” Mark says, recalling that first visit to his now good friend Stuart’s farm. “I came back and bought my Quickie, still in pieces.” That was that – Mark had officially begun his very own build. The first challenge Mark faced was with the Quickie’s engine. “It still had the Onan engine that came with it.” Mark tells me. An 18hp opposed four-stroke engine,

A truly unique aircraft.

the Onan was originally chosen by Burt Rutan for its light weight (32kg) and reliable nature. Unfortunately, the Onan didn’t really pack the power that Mark – and many other Quickie enthusiasts – had hoped for. “The Onan made it fly, but it was very marginal, with a climb out rate of about 200ft/min.” Mark was faced with a decision. “I wanted a bigger engine, and I was pretty keen on an industrial V-twin, but I’d just gone and seen a fully operational Quickie in South Australia, I should probably just copy him,” he said. So, after some considerable tossing and turning, Mark bought a Rotax 503 – like his mate Stuart’s – to put in his Quickie.

“I’m watching him taking off and flying around and I’m just thinking ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to have one of them’.” The Rotax 503 ceased production around 2011, but out of the box is a 50hp (37kw at 6800rpm) twostroke, air-cooled twin banger, burning around 15L/ hour. Whilst Rotax had limitations on the level of testing and certification of the 503, its suitability has seen it bolted to quite a wide variety of light aircraft. With a key decision out of the way, Mark continued with his build – all the while keeping in touch with Stuart back in South Australia. Stuart had mentioned he was having some issues with the fuel tank, so Mark

decided to get ahead of the potential issue and replace his tank as well. “I designed a new fuel tank that I could get in and out easily, and had an aircraft mechanic in Ballarat make it up for me,” he said. After about 18 months of work, Mark’s Q1 was beginning to take form. Unfortunately, progress on the Quickie hit a snag when Mark moved to Sydney for a few years for a new job, forcing him to shelve the project for some time. After returning to Ballarat, Mark started his own business which continued to take much of his would-be building time away from him. “About four years ago I started getting stuck into it again,” Mark explained, tackling the build on weekends and in his scarce spare time. There was a considerable amount of delamination in the fibreglass, and a lot of this time was devoted to fixing it up. Wiring, plumbing and final adjustments were to follow, and over the course of another year or so, Mark had finally reached the flight-ready stage. “It was good fun, but jeez it took some time,” Mark chuckles. Ready for flight-testing, Mark took the Q1 down to Lethbridge (YLED) for initial tests, before securing a hangar space at Ballarat (YBLT). After plenty of high-speed taxi runs, Mark handed the Quickie over to a trusted friend for a test flight. “It climbed like an elevator,” Mark tells me “But there were a few rigging issues and other things to do”. Mark also made some adjustments to the propeller, adding two degrees of pitch.

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Mark’s build has taken nearly a decade of blood, sweat and tears.

Ready for its second test flight, Mark was unable to organise the same pilot to come back and fly the Quickie. Speaking about his problem to Stuart, the aerobatics-trained ag-pilot offered to come over and fly it himself in December 2020. After a few high-speed ground runs, Stuart got the Quickie a few feet off the ground before noticing the pitch setting wasn’t working correctly and that the engine was hunting. Crossing the intersection of the two runways at Ballarat at about 85kts, he was faced with either putting it back on the ground or crossing his fingers and hoping he could get up and do a circuit.

Playing it safe, Stuart put the Quickie back on the runway, however the less-than-effective brakes were having a hard time slowing the Q1 down. Hunting: Variation in the engine RPM indicated by continuous fluctuations. Causes can include abnormal condition of centrifugal governor inside the fuel injection pump, stale fuel, a vacuum leak, a fast idle control device, damaged or incorrectly installed spark plugs or leads. Quickly running out of runway without sign of slowing down in time, Stuart decided to put the Quickie in the grass to slow it down. It worked, but not without some

considerable damage to the undercarriage. Everyone was safe, but the Q1 had been set back yet again, just as Mark was ready to fly it himself. Over the next 12 months, Mark rebuilt the undercarriage and made the necessary adjustments to the engine, propeller and rigging. Finally, the Q1 is ready for testing again. Mark has arranged for Stuart to take his Quickie over to South Australia to test, iron out any creases and officially finish it for Mark to fly. I asked Mark about the process of building his own aircraft, whether he enjoyed the experience. “It’s interesting, the people you meet along the way,” he

said, speaking of a number of friends he has made over the last decade, all helping to get the Quickie in the air. It was a long and arduous process, but evidently the building bug has bit Mark, as he’s bought himself another Quickie. Destined to be powered by the industrial V-twin that Mark had originally conceived, fingers are crossed the second Quickie is up and running in a shorter timeframe than the first. “It’s all a bit of fun,” he says, reflecting on his time building not one but two flying machines. I get the feeling that Mark won’t be stopping any time soon.

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AN AEROCHUTE JOURNEY WHERE DO I START MY POWERED PARACHUTE JOURNEY? Words Dale Brown

Grace and beauty. Credit: Dale Brown

Watching regional TV, an ad came on for the local aeroclub advertising flying lessons. Angela said “You should try that!”. It was 2015, I was 62 years old, and I went for it. After 13 hours, I came to the conclusion that light aircraft were not my thing. Flying out of an airport in the Tecnam P92 with all the formality and restrictions was not what I was seeking. My professional life was as an engineer and business owner servicing the automotive industry (before it died!) with many years of conceiving, designing, building and programming robotic machines. Technical, challenging and exciting activities are my happy place.

Dale Brown in his Hummerchute, regional Victoria.

I have space where I live and enjoy shooting, riding motorbikes, quadbikes and the ability to move around freely without the impediment of the suburban environment. I raced motorbikes and have ridden all my life. I love motorbikes.

rock and roll to give the real feel of these amazing machines. I got to control the aircraft under his instruction and really got the feel of how you can move around so flexibly.

Time passed!

“It’s like riding a motorbike in the sky!” I exclaimed after my flight. I was hooked.

“It’s like riding a motorbike in the sky!” I exclaimed after my flight. I was hooked. Some young friends who shoot on my property invited me down to the gun show in early 2020. It was there I met Stephen and John from Aerochute. After spending an hour on their stand, much to the amusement of my young friends, I went away with an invitation for a test flight at Werribee. After some organisation (due to my geographic location and travelling time) the day and time was set. It was an early, early morning for me! Upon arrival I met up with Stephen, my pilot for the flight, he explained everything and then we went up. Wow! Being a very experienced pilot, Stephen was able to make the Hummerchute zip through the air, with some

Almost 2 years later now, I have a licence, a brand new Hummerchute and I’m ready to go. COVID really affected my training, as lockdown after lockdown and the differences between country and city really dragged things out. I was building a house at the same time, so I had plenty to occupy my time. Being resigned to the situation was what all of us learnt to deal with. On my property, I have around 125 acres with a couple of sites for operating the Hummerchute. The countryside in central Victoria is truly beautiful. I’m so very lucky to live in this beautiful environment. So that’s my story in a nutshell. I’m looking forward to many adventures ahead, including travelling around Australia with the Hummerchute in tow ready to see parts of Australia from a different perspective. The GoPro is ready to be attached to the Hummerchute to record my adventures and post snippets to the uplifting and welcoming Aerochute community on Facebook!

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GOING AROUND THE EGO

THE OVERLOOKED TOOL IN A PILOT’S TOOLBOX

Engines facilitate the conduct of a go-around and set up for another landing. When things don’t look or feel right you have a ‘reset’ button, but a go-around is not always top of mind for many pilots. Let’s explore some considerations from the human (decision-making), machine (management of the aircraft), environment (expectation of a go-around) and other perspectives.

JILL BAILEY Flight Operations Jill Bailey has been Head of Flight Operations for over 10 years. Jill holds a CASA PPL (A), has RAAus Pilot Examiner and Instructor Training Approvals, was a former RAAus CFI and has been an instructor with RAAus for over 15 years. Jill and her husband Norm previously owned a music store for 20 years and built a Jabiru taildragger kit which they flew all over Australia. jill.bailey@raaus.com.au

HUMAN FACTORS

A good landing starts with:

A good landing generally starts from a good approach. Think back to your early training days – our instructors generally don’t permit an unstable approach to continue and would prompt a goaround. Since our student days, we rehearse landings over and over – with the objective of landing on the ground safely. Somehow, we forget that one of the best tools a pilot has is to reset an unsafe approach and go-around.

Ensuring the aircraft is positioned correctly in the circuit

Pilots also tend not to practice goarounds, and it is not always requested during a Biennial Flight review (BFR).

Managing a stable approach path

Not becoming distracted while flying the circuit Completing pre-landing checks early, to allow concentration on your approach Configuring the aircraft approach speed correctly Ensuring the aircraft is trimmed accurately

If just one factor isn’t right, it’s time to consider a go-around.

WHEN SHOULD WE PRACTICE A GO-AROUND?

Maybe a perception exists that conducting a goaround is a result of the pilot not being proficient, but it’s actually quite the opposite. The reality is if a pilot is flying the aircraft well, a go-around is an important and appropriate course of action. It should be planned for, before it happens, so that the decision isn’t made under stress. Recall the five Ps? Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Once a pilot has completed training and is now flying aircraft for fun, a regular flight can consist of departure, flying to a location or in the local area, then returning and landing. If this sounds familiar, consider adding a routine of practice to local flights, which could include a practice of a go-around, practice of a forced landing away from the airport, basic stall recognition and recovery practice, and circuit practice.

“If just one factor isn’t right, it’s time to consider a go-around.”

Feedback from instructors confirms the majority of pilots generally only practice forced landings, stalls and other in-flight emergencies just before or during a Biennial Flight Review (BFR). RAAus is recommending instructors review go-arounds in BFRs.

AIRCRAFT FACTORS The Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) advises approach speed, configuration and actions for conduct of a go-around. A slight change to these settings – even 5 knots, or incorrect flap or trim settings – can have a significant impact on a safe touchdown. If a sustained float occurs, the pilot must have a nominated go-around point – before they run out of runway. The last outcome any pilot wants is to conduct a goaround for valid reasons and mismanage the actions to the extent the aircraft enters a Loss of Control (LOC) event. LOC accidents are currently the highest statistic for not only RAAus pilots, but all pilots.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS A gust of wind or other meteorological explanation is often provided when pilots report an accident. A ‘gust of wind’ can also be the result of mismanaging the aircraft reactions to a vigorous application of power, resulting in a very uncomfortable approach. Or the pilot may not have observed the wind sock indicating an unexpected wind change, considered the temperature of the day or thermal conditions which may have triggered a “willy willy”, or perhaps obstacles triggered mechanical turbulence. All of the factors form part of the training provided to pilots, but can also be the perfect trigger for conduct of a go-around.

GO-AROUND CONSIDERATIONS The first consideration is to apply power and ensure the aircraft is gaining airspeed, then set into a straight and level attitude. Look out the front, confirm the straight and level attitude while applying power. To gain enough airspeed sometimes requires the pilot to wait for a beat or more after the application of power. The pilot needs to maintain awareness of primary and secondary effects of power application and manage these: a pitching, yawing response from the aircraft, exacerbated by the trim, flaps and approach configuration. Once the aircraft is accelerated, adopt the climb attitude and manoeuvring the aircraft to ensure visibility of the runway, traffic or avoiding hangars and trees – and other aircraft. Finally, before you approach again, consider any implications from what prompted the go-around – is there any damage from surface contact? What do you need to correct to land safely? Only after the aircraft is under control should the pilot consider making any calls, if required.

Do you have a go-around story to share? Share it with us at editor@sportpilot.net.au

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TECH TALK

SILENT, BUT DETECTABLE ARE YOU PROTECTED FROM AN AVIATION SILENT ASSASSIN? Words Ed Jones & Daniel McAuley

Accidental poisoning hospitalises around 10,500 Australians each year, with a death rate of 1,400 per year (or 5.7 per 100,000 population). Out of those cases, 15% of accidental poisonings are linked to gases and vapours such as exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide. In aviation, carbon monoxide poses a very real risk. If you’ve been sitting in a snug cockpit, tucked-up behind a combustion engine, when was the last time you actually checked your carbon monoxide detector? Hold on…do you even have one?

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ASA Carbon Monoxide Detector, $9.95 at flightstore.com.au Credit: Aviation Supplies & Academy

RAAus Carbon Monoxide Detector, $80 at shop.raa.asn.au Credit: Recreational Aviation Australia

Guardian Avionics Carbon Monoxide Detector Model Aero-452. Credit: Guardian Avionics

There’s a lot of things to consider when heading out for a flight, and that little card stuck to the dash can often be considered an afterthought. The effects of carbon monoxide can start quickly, and there’s a good chance it will catch you by surprise.

Further investigations found pre-existing cracking of the seaplane’s engine collector-ring, which may have led to exhaust leakage. There was also a breach in the firewall, which may have allowed gases from the engine to enter the cabin.

Right now, a carbon monoxide detector is an optional feature in every aircraft. If you’re an open-cabin, string-and-canvas kind of pilot, you’re probably more concerned about bugs up your nose than this harmful gas, but when a sub-$10 device can save you and your passengers from a very confronting issue, there isn’t really an excuse for flying without one.

You might think that L2 or L4 maintainer should be responsible for letting you know there’s a crack in your exhaust that needs fixing – most of us like to push maintenance onus onto L2 or L4 maintainer – but what if it was missed? What if something occurred between your 100-hourly checks? We need to take responsibility as pilots, too.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic, tasteless, and odourless gas — which is part of what makes it so dangerous. It is caused by the incomplete combustion of your fuel and/or additives and it can reach dangerous levels from poorly vented, improperly adjusted or malfunctioning burning appliances, such as engines. CO has an extremely high affinity for haemoglobin, 240 times that of oxygen, and when it binds with haemoglobin it then prevents the transfer of oxygen around your blood stream. The end result is hypoxia, which can slowly settle in and softly put you to sleep. It’s almost calming, because your heart rate is slowing, but you can recognise symptoms such as headaches, weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion and blurred vision, before loss of consciousness. In 2017, carbon monoxide poisoning was attributed to a seaplane crash in Sydney. The accident killed all 6 people on board, with the ATSB finding the pilot had elevated levels of carbon monoxide in his blood, likely adversely affecting his ability to control the aircraft.

“If your detector does alert you to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, there are a few things you should do immediately.” There are a number of options available for carbon monoxide detectors, from the price of a coffee through to around $1,000. The cheaper end includes colorimetric detectors with an adhesive back, displayed in the cockpit and featuring a circle spot that will change colour when there are dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the air. The ASA Carbon Monoxide Detector features an orange spot, which will turn grey/black when it detects CO in the air. These should be replaced at least every 12 months, sometimes sooner due to certain conditions or manufacturer’s advice. Ensure you check the detector regularly during flight so you will be alerted in the event of a carbon monoxide leak. The higher-end of the market includes a variety of electronic detectors, which sound an alarm. It is still

important to ensure these devices are tested before each flight and that they are recalibrated as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Some are simple alarms, but the top-end of the market includes devices that pair to your smartphone and alert you through your headset (from around $1,000 plus installation). The Guardian Avionics AERO 454 unit also pings your GPS location to your iPad or iPhone and integrates into a range of Garmin and Bendix King instruments, plus a range of apps.

While carbon monoxide detectors are a valuable piece of safety equipment, it is always better to be proactive rather than reactive. Ensure that you conduct all pre-flight checks to ensure your equipment is in good, working order. Check your ventilation and exhaust systems to ensure there are no cracks or defects which could cause an exhaust leak. Ensure your aircraft is maintained regularly and checked by a certified mechanic.

If your detector does alert you to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, there are a few things you should do immediately. Turn off your heater; if there is a leak, carbon monoxide can flow through the heater into the cabin. Increase the rate of fresh air ventilation to the cabin and open your windows to ensure adequate ventilation. Consider using supplemental oxygen, if you have it. Then land as promptly as safely possible and seek medical attention. It almost goes without saying, but ensure your aircraft is checked and cleared by a mechanic before resuming flight.

While carbon monoxide incidents are infrequent, they do occur - and a carbon monoxide detector might save your life.

HOT TIP: Pick up your pre-flight checklist. If ‘Check/test carbon monoxide detector’ isn’t on there, you need to update your list.

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WORLD CLASS IN THE HEART OF FRASER COAST This article has been produced in partnership with Aquila Estate & Flying Club.

You could live just a short taxi away from your very own airstrip. Credit: Goldie Group

Picture this. The warm Queensland sun hits your face as you wake up on Sunday morning. You climb out of bed and look out the window. It’s another beautiful, clear day along the Fraser Coast; not a cloud in the sky. You decide it’s the perfect day for a fly, so you get ready and prepare yourself for the trip down to the hangar. You step into your garage… and your trip is complete. Your plane is sitting right there waiting for you. It sounds like a dream, right? But this could be your reality at the new Aquila Estate & Flying Club. Backing onto the Ferguson State Forest and only minutes from Maryborough, the Aquila Estate & Flying Club is Australia’s own world-class fly-in gated community. Built with a love of aviation at the forefront of planning, the Aquila Estate aims to foster a community of like-minded people that value the peace and tranquility of country living, and the blissful ease of access to your very own runway. Imagine taxiing out of your driveway and down your street. You wave to your neighbour as you go by. They’ve just pulled their aircraft out for pre-flight. You continue down the street and notice all your

neighbours are doing the same. You’re living in a community with a shared passion for flying and it’s absolutely incredible. The defining feature of the Aquila Estate is the 800m manicured grass airstrip, perfectly designed and engineered for your aircraft. From here you can take off on countless adventures, be it solo, with loved ones or with a group of friends. Hervey Bay is only 20nm away, with the spectacular Fraser Island lying just beyond where you can stop into Orchid Beach airstrip in your aircraft and enjoy their famous burgers. Taking off from the Aquila Estate airstrip, you’ll immediately notice you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to beautiful locations to fly. The pristine Fraser Coast is on your doorstep, and spectacular locations like Noosa Heads, the Glass House Mountains and Stradbroke Island are only a short flight away. Perfectly located between South East Queensland and the state’s tropical North, there are plenty more adventures from which the Aquila Estate makes the perfect base. Once you’ve returned for the day, you’ll taxi your plane back to your bespoke home.

There are adventures to be had back at home too, with Ferguson State Forest at your back door. Nature trails abound in the surrounding bush, be it for walking, birding or mountain biking. There’s also ample opportunity to kick back and relax, with a purpose-built clubhouse for residents to enjoy as they please. Not far away is the magnificent Wongi State Forest, where you can immerse yourself in a landscape of pine and eucalypt forests surrounding stunning waterholes, fringed by paperbarks, making it a photographer’s dream. Aquila Estate makes it an easy process to build your dream home to perfectly suit your family and lifestyle needs. With their Design & Build option, it gives residents a complete turn-key package; allowing you to use Aquila’s architect, project manager and builder.

Hangar or garage? Don’t fret, you’ve got both! Credit: Goldie Group

Furthermore, Aquila has put into place carefully tailored covenants and development standards to protect your asset and investment for years to come. As aviation lovers, the Aquila Estate & Flying Club offers a way of living that is truly unavailable anywhere else in Australia. It gives its residents the ability to live within a harmonious community of pilots and enthusiasts, in one of the most picturesque corners of the country. It may sound like a dream, but it’s time to live it. To express your interest, contact Russel Segal. 0412 234 649 | russelsegal@remax.com.au

62 lots with DA approval ready for sale

Contact Russel Segal 0412 234 649 russelsegal@remax.com.au aquilaestate.com.au

SPORTPILOT

THE POWERS THAT G

NICK JONES DELVES INTO GROUP-G AIRCRAFT CANDIDATES AND WHAT THE NEW WEIGHT INCREASE MEANS FOR RAAUS PILOTS.

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The ever-elusive weight increase is finally upon us! It has been a long trek and a lot of the industry discussions have been around the technicalities of the regulatory changes, but let’s bring it back to basics with some RAAus Group-G aircraft that are on the cards.

VAN’S RV-6 With its maiden flight in 1985, the RV-6 kit has been a phenomenal hit with over 4,000 units produced in a bit over 30 years of production. That means that the RV-6 takes the impressive crown as ‘the most popular kit plane ever’. The RV-6 is a twin seat, low-wing aircraft built for speed, aerobatics and a general all round good time. Van’s Aircraft are famous for what they call the ‘RV smile’ and if you have ever met an owner of one (take our Editor, for example), they will tell you they’re not lying! It’s a tail dragger at heart, with a nosewheel variant known as the RV-6A. Due to the weight restrictions for RAAus, this plane has been inside the General Aviation sector, until now. Coming from an LSA background, the small weight increase brings with it some very noticeable changes to the way you fly. For starters, the width of the cockpit is 1.1 metres, which makes for a much more comfortable flight when you don’t have to fly with someone’s elbow in your ribs. It is snug though, don’t get me wrong. The power plant is a jump, too. No longer are most planes limited to your common engines like Rotax, Jabiru and the

variety of RAAus power plants that we’re used to. The RV-6 with a Lycoming O-320 would be my choice under the Class-G rules. If you went the bigger Lycoming you probably wouldn’t make the Group-G MTOW. However, with the change in engine comes a significant change in cruise speed of around 140 knots (depending on configuration). Most GA pilots will tell you it will completely change how you look at touring, opening up many more destinations.

“The most exciting part of the change is the new learning opportunities that now exist for pilots.” The RV-6 is a fully capable of aerobatics, with controls (especially roll) much more responsive than my experiences in RAAus aircraft. I originally thought you couldn’t fly aerobatics under RAAus, at all. However, technically aerobatics are permitted in suitable RAAus aircraft if CASA approval is obtained and the pilot is appropriately qualified.

JABIRU J-430

Credit: Jabiru

Jabiru J-430. Credit: Supriya Ghosh, Alchetron

Jabiru J-230D.

The J-430 is a 4-seat version of the composite J-230D, the current LSA version you might already see around on RAAus registration. Manufactured in Bundaberg, Queensland, they’re the same body – the main difference is the seats. They’re both a high-wing tricycle design, fed with 120hp from Jabiru’s 3300 sixcylinder four stoke.

access the J-430 variant that features a 760kg MTOW in the Amateur Built experimental category.

LSA is actually an international standard, which means the J-230D cannot be upgraded from its current place at 600kg MTOW and into the new Group-G. The J-430 is basically the same plane without the LSA caveat. Only Type Certified or Amateur Built Aircraft capable of operation above 600kg maybe be registered in the Group-G category and operated/maintained in accordance with the requirements... in comes the J-430! This is good news for us aviators. The J230-D is an amazing all-rounder, but the 600kg MTOW for the J-230D basically meant we couldn’t use the plane to its full potential. Group-G changes that, as we may now

Similarly to the Tomahawk, which we’ll get to in a moment, the 45 knot stall speed discussion is still underway and it would need to be removed or altered for the Jabiru to qualify for Group-G (the J-430 stalls around 50 knots at maximum weight). My fingers are crossed - if I were in the market for a Cessna-like aircraft in this weight range then I’d be sitting tight until the Group-G stall speed discussions are final. The J-430 would be a nice addition to any hangar. Now, an RAAus certificate won’t get two additional passengers in those rear seats – so we’re met with a technicality. But, I suppose you could strap your luggage in whilst you make use of that 800nm range, cruising at an impressive 120 knots at 24 – 29 litres per hour. That’s the thing about this new weight change: it’s not just about weight, it’s about a change in the utility.

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PIPER PA-38 TOMAHAWK The Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk is a two-seat, low wing plane produced from 1978 until 1982. During this very short period, Piper manufactured a massive 2,484 aircraft. These planes were produced primarily as trainers but were also common amongst private pilots looking for a tourer – a market that was largely controlled by Cessna at the time. Interestingly, although largely competing against the 150 and 152, the Tomahawk’s design and flight characteristics are entirely different. At the time, most planes were designed to be both hard to put into a spin but also naturally come out of a spin without pilot input. When Piper was collecting information from flight instructors in the design phase, there was a significant number of instructors who wanted a plane that they could put into a spin and hold it there until the pilot’s inputs took it out. From anyone that has done spin training in a Tomahawk, they will tell you that Piper delivered on this. However, the 45 knot stall speed limit will need to be dropped for the Tomahawk to make the Group-G cut stay tuned!

CESSNA 150/152 The Cessna 150 is a high wing, twin seat plane, which developed into the Cessna 152. With 23,839 150s produced from 1958–1977, and 7,584 152s produced from 1977–1985, the plane was prolific. Combined, the Cessna comes in as 5th most produced aircraft. The only aircraft more prolific are the 172 and fighter planes, which were mass produced during the second world war. The small Cessna gained its popularity as a reliable trainer, its affordability to operate and as a great allrounder for private pilots. Since its inception, many different variants and modifications have been made to the original, with Cessna producing float planes all the way through to aerobatic versions, commonly used in spin training. The Cessna 150 was powered by a Continental engine which was then swapped for a Lycoming O-235 when the 152 superseded it, due to the longer time to overhaul. Again, there are some learnings to be had with the change in engine. For most members who are used to flying behind a Rotax like myself, you have probably been fortunate enough

to forget about things like carb heat or mixture control. This is not the case for these engines and adds to the workload within the cockpit. Even the subtle things like getting used to the correct engine hum is different. It’s not quite like jumping in a Tecnam after a Jabiru. For a pilot looking to continue through to their RPL or PPL, this plane will help familiarise them with a lot of the aircraft features they will see in a Cessna 182 or Piper PA-28. Another example of this is the yoke control, which is uncommon on any aircraft with with a 600kg MTOW. Some pilots will find they prefer it.

There are more subtle impacts that the weight increase brings, besides the obvious fuel and luggage perks. I deliberately chose the above aircraft to help illustrate the nuances that Group-G will bring and the new experiences to the way that we fly. For me, the most exciting part of the change is the new learning opportunities that now exist for pilots.

Even something simple, such as learning to fly with a yoke and putting my weights and balances to proper work. Things such as understanding the nuances of flying with a Lycoming or Continental engine aren’t something I need to get my RPL to learn about, anymore, as it will be accessible to RAAus members very soon.

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GROUNDS FOR ENDORSE WE TALK TO JOSHUA SAUNDERS – SYDNEY FLYING ACADEMY CFI – ABOUT UPGRADING YOUR FLYING TICKET AND WHAT’S INVOLVED. Words Ed Jones | Photos Sydney Flying Academy

So, you’re signed off on your RAAus certificate – the dream came true, you’re a pilot! But the journey of adventures and learning has just begun. Next, you can look at pushing yourself into more areas of aviation by gaining different skills. Young or old, half the fun is learning something new.

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Some people want to get their pilot licence and muck around on the weekends, then call it a day. Perhaps you want to fly different plane types and configurations, learn with different instructors, meet new people and travel to new places. Learning new things refreshes the joy of aviation and even pushes us to be better pilots – but it’s all about personal preference. That’s why Joshua Saunders, CFI at Sydney Flying Academy, always starts with the question “what is your goal?”.

RATINGS & ENDORSEMENTS EXPLAINED RAAus and CASA talk in terms of Aircraft Ratings, Class Ratings, Type Ratings and Endorsements. I know, right? Just when you passed your exams and thought you knew everything... Don’t worry though, we’re about to break things down into bite-sized chunks. In RAAus, you earn a Recreational Pilot Certificate (RPC) for a specific Aircraft Group. You then add relevant endorsements to this RPC for the Aircraft Group. Then you’ll have your CASA Type Rating. This covers everything like multi-engine or turbo-jet powered

aircraft, but under RAAus you’re mostly looking at hanging out with Single Engine types with up to two seats. Planes you’ll see or fly in RAAus are known as Group A (3-Axis) aircraft, Group B (Weightshift Microlight) and Group D (Powered Parachute). To be certified in any RAAus aircraft type, you’ll cover: take-off, control in normal flight, circuits, emergencies, forced landing and managing abnormal situations. By contrast, endorsements are essentially variations, attachments and additional privileges that you can add to your ticket. For many, cross-country and passenger endorsements are often at the top of the list so you can enjoy your adventure with some company. There’s also instructor ratings, but we won’t get into that right now, and a list of design features – such as floats – they’re articles for another day.

HOT TIP: If you’re looking to brush up on your knowledge, Part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) is the bible for obtaining and maintaining all licences, ratings and endorsements. Scan to view more.

THE MAGICAL NUMBER 5 When you’re looking to add an endorsement, “Think in terms of about 5 hours to achieve most endorsements. A bit of classroom, the rest in the cockpit”. That’s a rough estimate from Joshua Saunders, CFI at Sydney Flight Academy.

“It’s not about being a pass or fail exercise, it’s about putting in the sufficient time and practice for you as a pilot.” This is not a rule, however — it is all based on RAAus and CASA minimums, plus pilot competency.

TAKE ME HIGHER If you’re looking to go beyond, your RPL (Recreational Pilot Licence) is the next logical step (or PPL, if you really want). Under RPL, you can have up to five passengers plus yourself, you can fly 1,500kg MTOW aircraft (Cessnas and Pipers are common, for example) and you can become endorsed for controlled aerodromes and airspace. You can also think about gaining an aerobatics or specific design feature endorsement that becomes available in this licence category. Some answers to a few common questions though: Yes, you can still fly RAAus aircraft when you have an RPL – as long as you continue to meet RAAus requirements. Yes, you need a RAMP-C every 2 – 4 years depending on your circumstances, but your GP can sort out a Basic Class 2 medical nowadays. There are catches, however, such as not being able to do aerobatics on a Basic Class 2, so you might decide to choose a DAME (Designated Aviation Medical Examiner) to assess you for a Class 2 Medical instead. Yes, you need to do a flight review every two years for currency.

Price? Think in terms of $2,500 – $3,000, (depending on aircraft type and competency) for an RAAus (RPC) to RPL conversion. When you upgrade, you also have to transfer your endorsements. That means an instructor needs to re-sign off on your cross-country, for example. Subject to your personal circumstances, you might only need to do a cross-country as a competency check flight, rather than the entire syllabus. You can put it to good use, too – I dropped into Essendon a few times on my cross-country check flight so that I could also tick off my controlled airspace requirements.

HOT TIP: If you want to know specifics of any training, log into the RAAus Member Portal and search “Syllabus of flight training”. For some endorsements and privileges there are minimum requirements in addition to the training syllabus, such as minimum hours PIC. The syllabus is the master checklist your instructor will be using to sign you off.

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CROSS-COUNTRY When you go for cross-country, all your flying skills are put to work. It’s the most complex endorsement, but it’s easily the most rewarding when you can finally leave that 25nm-diameter bubble to explore. You’ll learn weather observations and interpreting meteorological reports, compensating for wind speed and direction, correcting your course mid-flight, picking safe and preferred altitudes and tracking your trip as you fly. It’ll teach you how to use and interpret maps and references, plan and manage fuel, plus you’ll learn further radio requirements such as inbound calls, changing radio frequencies based on your location, and additional circuit joining procedures. You’ll learn traditional printed map planning, as well as using Apps like AvPlan or OzRunways. You’ll learn how to plan to one location and back, multiple locations and waypoints. The moment you go to other aerodromes, you’ll learn new intricacies – different circuit patterns, different local geographic and weather features, plus a long list of smaller but important lessons that help build your airmanship.

PASSENGER If you want to share flying with friends, this is a must! You’ll need to have 10 hours solo pilot in command, and be signed off by your CFI. You’ll learn to brief your passengers for flight, tell them about safety considerations and procedures, plus you will need to fly in a manner that is comfortable for them (re-think those steep turns or stalls!). You can adjoin this endorsement into any flight, such as your cross-country flight test, so that you’re not paying for unnecessary flight time.

RADIO In order to operate the radio on board any aircraft, you must be trained and issued with the relevant qualification. The radio in any VH registered aircraft may only be operated if the pilot holds a CASA issued Flight Radio Operator Licence (FROL) or CASA Aviation Radio Operator Certificate (AROC). For RAAus aircraft, the pilot must hold a current RPC and RAAus Radio Endorsement. Expect to be studying some literature, reviewing flight pattern diagrams to understand when to make calls and intentions, understanding the radio

equipment, the intercom, transponder, plus use and procedures (normal and emergency). Radio calls can be daunting at the start, but it comes with practice. If you’re trying to learn the phonetic alphabet, try and read numberplates for practice – Tango…Whisky… Foxtrot…

ADVANCED PILOT AWARD This will step-up your skills to the next level. Your general airmanship will be reviewed, such as engine handling, ground handling, adhering to VFR, plus your engine failure knowledge and preparation. You’ll run through balanced flight, steep lazy eights, steep 360 degree gliding turn, sideslipping and slipping turns, stall recognition and recovery – even a gliding approach from overhead the field. All are good preparation and skills to master!

“It’s all about personal preference. That’s why Joshua Saunders, CFI at Sydney Flying Academy, starts with the question “what is your goal?” FORMATION Formation flying can be super fun to join air adventures with more people and planes. It’s a great skill for anyone who likes a fly-in or aspires to travel with other aircraft, too. The skills covered include your airmanship considerations, flying lead, and flying non-lead. It’s in your non-lead position that many find there’s more thinking involved: maintaining station whilst taxiing, take-off, maintaining station mid-flight, joining and breaking manoeuvres, changing leaders, plus your circuit approach and landing. You’ll also cover safety and emergency information too.

GLIDER TOWING & HANG GLIDER TOWING These are two separate endorsements. Towing is broken-up into normal and abnormal procedures. Normal procedures include ground preparation, takeoff, climbing, release, descent, approach and landing. For gliders, it also includes cruising and descending on tow. The abnormal procedures you cover include take-off run abortion, partial power failure, glider

airbrakes opening during climb, an order to the pilot to release the glider, and ‘unable to release’ situations.

HOT TIP: Book an endorsement with a different instructor. They have different methods, different backgrounds, different experiences – with their collective instruction, I’d argue you become a much better pilot… and you meet interesting people!

You’ll need to be competent with the syllabus requirements, plus training and a flight test. There are some rules, too, such as needing permission from the landholder, a general or one-off permit from CASA. You need 50 hours PIC prior to commencing training for a Low Level and 100 hours PIC prior to a Utility endorsement. You’ll cover flight preparation and ground assessment (fuel, taxiing, aircraft readiness etc), radio requirements, ground handling, safety factors such as obstacles, weather and hazards, then handling and managing the specifics of low-level flying.

RETRACTABLE UNDERCARRIAGE

CONTROLLED AIRSPACE

Under retractable undercarriage, you’ll need to have a good theoretical understanding, plus practice normal operations – gear extension, retraction, and understanding the gear indication system of the aircraft. You’ll also cover abnormal and emergency procedures associated with the endorsement – such as the total or partial failure of gear extension, retraction or gear indication.

You can’t fly in controlled airspace in RAAus…yet. That one is a work in progress. The exception to this is if you’re training at one of just a dozen flying schools, in their registered aircraft, who have a Class D CASA exemption. In my opinion, a combination of regional and controlled airspace makes for a better pilot. If you’re able to, I’d recommend getting a biennial flight review or some lessons in a flying school located in controlled airspace, to gain some experience. There’s more radio work and a bit more to think about, but it’s great preparation if you’re looking to get this endorsement one day.

TWO STROKE For this endorsement, RAAus expects us to have a solid theoretical understanding of two stroke engines, as well as appropriate pre-flight planning. Beyond that, the two areas of focus become your in-flight operation of a two stroke and your considerations and requirements around refuelling.

LOW LEVEL & UTILITY The Utility endorsement covers safety and training for safe farm flying, fence and water trough inspections and stock spotting operations below 500’ AGL.

A few of the SportPilot team are about to undertake some of these endorsements – watch this space to follow their experiences. Are you undergoing training, or thinking about it? Send in your stories, photos and hot tips to editor@sportpilot.net.au and we’ll send you a SportPilot cap!

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WHAT IS THE BOARD AND WHAT DOES IT DO? Words RAAus

As RAAus grows in both size and responsibility, it’s worth considering how it functions and how this has evolved over the years. If we wound the clock back almost 40 years to when we first started, we would see a very different organisation to the one we have today, but why is that so? Today, we are responsible for almost 10,000 flying members, some 3,300 aircraft and about 190 flying schools. Over time we expect this to grow organically, as we gain more freedoms to engage in the activities we hold close to our hearts. To achieve this, we have a structure that consists of a board, a management team and some contractors that we use to gain expert advice on a range of topics. Our paid staff consists of 17 people located predominantly in Canberra, but also spread across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Overseeing the management team is a CEO who takes direction from the board. The board usually comprises of seven elected directors and can, from time to time, have additional people appointed by the elected directors. Given that the

board is volunteer and part time in nature, it stands to reason that they generally do not get involved in the day-to-day operational tasks of RAAus, nor should they. The board’s primary role is to govern the organisation and set our overall policy objectives, which the CEO is then entrusted with executing. This means that the board is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the organisation has the appropriate policies, processes and procedures in place to provide members with services that they value. So, if the staff are overseen by the management team, and the management team is overseen by the CEO who is themselves overseen by the board, who oversees the board? The answer is fairly simple, but also a little complex.

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At the end of the day, members are granted the power to appoint and remove directors. To an extent, directors can appoint new directors, but only within the constraints set by the members in the constitution. Beyond that, members have all the power. Additionally, the Corporations Act explicitly states that directors cannot remove other directors. It also outlines the duties and powers of the board, requiring directors to adhere to several principles, including exercising care and due diligence, acting in good faith and not abusing their position to gain advantage. If a director is found to have done any of these, they may be found guilty of an offence. One of the areas we are very conscious of policing on the board relates to any interests directors may have. This includes businesses they may own or be involved with inside the scope of RAAus’ operations. These matters are also covered in the Act, and so a director who fails to adhere to these requirements may be found guilty of an offence. While this sounds a little extreme on the surface, it is important to remember two things. Firstly, matters relating to interests that a director may hold can be managed by declaring the interest and allowing the remainder of the board to assess whether that director (or directors) should be allowed to continue to participate in the discussion. If they are allowed, then

“The board’s primary role is to govern the organisation and set our overall policy objectives.” the question becomes about how that participation is conducted - Can they make decisions or simply provide input? - and so on. The second point, and perhaps the most important, is why this and the other governance controls exist in the first place. Our organisation is small in terms of the money that we manage, but our responsibilities loom large. We are responsible for looking after the flying privileges of our pilots, aircraft owners and schools. Our governance policies and the laws that govern us are there to ensure that we perform these functions to the best of our ability. Members have the power to appoint and remove directors at their desire and the law has the power to penalise directors who are found guilty of abusing their position. All of this provides a degree of protection to the organisation as a whole, to ensure that we minimise the chances of losing our ability to fly. That is what matters most to our community.

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RED CARDS IN A POST-9/11 WORLD Words Dr Luke Howie

In Edition 99 of SportPilot, we featured an article ‘Getting Red Carded’ – explaining some ‘how to’ with Aviation Security Identification Cards (ASICs). Reader letters have been rolling in since: Why does it exist? Why is it necessary? Why does it cost so much? Why do I have to submit my identification every 2 years, from scratch? Well, here’s an answer to the first question – from Dr Luke Howie, who is an internationally-renowned anti-terrorism expert. Where the next terrorist attack will occur is not an easy thing to predict. Before the attack on the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017, counterterrorism professionals had not really considered a concert for teenagers to be a serious target. Mass gatherings of people have always been vulnerable to terrorism, but such gatherings regularly occurred in busy cities prior to the Covid pandemic. Why Ariana Grande? She was never an outspoken political figure or a public enemy of Islamic State terrorists. Counter-terrorism experts understood, of course, that opportunism played a huge role in the decision to attempt an act of terrorism. It seemed clear in the aftermath of the attacks that an Ariana Grande concert was an ideal way to spread a violent political, religious or ideological message.

“Where the next terrorist attack will occur is not an easy thing to predict.” Before the attacks on the London public transport system in 2005, counter-terrorism experts felt such an attack was possible but unlikely. Bombing trains and buses was more of an IRA-style approach, and not the ordinary practice of groups like al-Qaeda. This was the perspective despite a similar al-Qaeda attack occurring just over a year earlier in Madrid. After the London attacks it seemed obvious that public transport networks were highly vulnerable to terrorism. Over time it became clear than preventing terrorism was often a reactive exercise. Counter-terrorism experts understood after London, better than they had before, that if we were not careful, we would only ever be responding to what the last attack looked like.

In the mid-1990s a popular spy novelist approached his publisher with an idea. What if terrorists hijacked aircraft and crashed them into cities around the world? The publisher rejected the idea on the grounds that it was implausible. It was, literally, beyond our wildest dreams. Air travel was, and remains, among the safest ways to travel. But 9/11 really did change everything. Counter-terrorism experts had worked hard to keep guns and bombs off planes and the idea that the plane itself might be the weapon had not seriously crossed anyone’s mind before 9/11. But here we are, over 20 years later, and strict security around aviation is the norm. Experts have often commented that a 9/11 style attack is close to impossible now, as evidenced by the numerous foiled plots involving aircraft since 9/11. Cockpit doors are heavily fortified, there are extensive restrictions around what can be brought on a flight, and extensive security screening of passengers is standard practice. Pilots and their cabin staff from all walks of life require special security clearances to fly. “Red Cards” are administered under the Aviation Transport Security Regulations. These regulations fall under the control of the Department of Home Affairs. When a counter-terrorism expert is asked to go to Canberra to meet with “Home Affairs”, we understand that often means ASIO, who are administered under this department. Successfully obtaining a red card requires that the applicant undergo an ASIO background check, the purpose of which is to determine whether someone poses a national security risk, usually related to their involvement in a politically motivated and potentially violent activist group (i.e.: a terrorist group or a group of people who may become one).

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According to the Home Affairs website, red cards are designed to mitigate the possibility of terrorism or other ‘unlawful interference’. From early 2005, as part of processes to improve airport security after 9/11, it became a requirement that staff requiring unsupervised access to landside and airside security zones would need an ASIC security card. There are three levels for ASIC security cards; they are red, grey and white. They cost $234 and have to be renewed every two years. It would be reasonable for sport pilots to doubt the need for such security screening. There is a certain reactiveness, a type of panic, in requiring every single person with unsupervised access to secure zones to have a red card. But governments and experts were panicking after 9/11. There are also, perhaps, inconsistencies in the red card requirement. We do not require detailed security checks for people who direct other types of vehicles like buses, trains and cars since drivers of these vehicles do not need unsupervised access to secure areas. After the attacks on Bourke St, Melbourne in 2017 where a mentally ill man ran down and killed six people in his car, perhaps we should. Security guards only require red card-style clearance when their jobs specifically require them to have access to secure areas. It is well documented, however, that airport security and other ground staff can easily gain access to secure areas that others require red cards to access. It is noteworthy that many marine-transport staff do require similar red cards when their jobs require incidental access to secure areas.

It is also pretty clear that security arrangements are not the same across all airports. Security processes at Avalon Airport are not of the same scale as the security processes at Tullamarine, primarily due to passenger volume. It is easy for counter-terrorism planners to imagine scenarios where smaller scale security services at airports can become overwhelmed. In the most practical example, a small terrorist cell faces fewer security challenges in attempting to carry out a plot on a plane leaving Avalon than they do on one leaving Tullamarine or Mascot since there are fewer police and fewer guards.

“It is easy for counter-terrorism planners to imagine scenarios where smaller scale security services at airports can become overwhelmed.” In counter-terrorism practice this is a type of systemwide vulnerability. A plane hijacked from a regional or rural airport could be used to inflict as much damage as one leaving a major airport even if it does not possess the same size and fuel load of the 757s and 767s hijacked from major airports on 9/11. Even Hobart airport, which no longer has the same Australian Federal Police presence as other airports, poses certain risks to the security of the air-travel network. Security screening also does nothing to address the risks posed by stress and the mental health challenges experienced by pilots, especially in the aftermath of the Germanwings tragedy. Tragically it was post-9/11, fortified cockpit doors that prevented people breaking into the cockpit once the co-pilot enacted his suicidal plan. So, we might ask, why are things like red cards necessary? In research conducted following the London bombings in 2005 in an organisation that provided public transport services in Melbourne, it was discovered that senior managers felt terrorism was not a serious risk to the public transport network. Even after major attacks in Madrid and London in the previous 18 months, efforts to prevent terrorism were still seen as a costly annoyance, rather than an important part of business security.

Regional airport security is on the rise.

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But these senior managers knew that doing nothing was not an option. They asked themselves a simple question: What would we say to the Coroner’s Court or Royal Commission after the (hypothetical) attack? They realised that whilst frustrating, there were good reasons to undertake simple and cost-effective efforts to reduce the possibility of terrorism. Security screening of the kind conducted for red cards is a basic element in this approach. Terrorism risk managers see the possibility of terrorism in Australia as a “low-risk, high-consequence” scenario. In the business community, the possibility of a major act of terrorism occurring was considered so low that it was mostly not worth worrying about, yet this belief was combined with an understanding that basic security processes must still be undertaken. Partly in response to this, the Victorian government introduced the Terrorism (Community Protection) Act 2003 (Vic) which required many (but not all) businesses to plan for the possibility that they might be impacted by a terrorist attack. In 2021 this Act was reviewed and its continuation was deemed necessary in light of the evolving nature of the terrorism threat towards more domestic, rather than just international, threats. Of particular concern to security agencies are so-called ‘lone-actor’ or ‘lone-wolf’ threats. Lone-wolf actors are notoriously difficult to stop. Luckily, lone-wolf terrorists seldom act alone. Security screening and background checks will often be enough to identify red flags in someone’s past that may be leading them down a violent path. The 9/11 hijackers enrolled in flying lessons and began their training on small aircraft. This fact will not be

Luke Howie is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Deakin University and an affiliated researcher at the University of California at Berkeley. He is a former director at the Global Terrorism Research Centre in Melbourne, and former Researcher at the Australian Homeland Security Research Centre in Canberra. He has led projects on counter- and anti-terrorism for the state and federal governments, as well as the government of Thailand. Dr Howie is the author of five books and numerous research articles, and he has appeared on MSNBC, Today Tonight, and Voices of America.

forgotten quickly by security and intelligence services and weighs heavily on their minds. Security checking of the kind conducted for red cards would have gone some way to preventing 9/11. Red cards represent more than mere background checks. Holders of red cards have unsupervised access to secure locations that are part of larger transport networks. Security and intelligence agencies need to be sure that this privilege is only possessed by those who can be trusted with it. And if concerns about individuals that hold red cards do emerge, then they know where to find them! The murkiness surrounding the activities and movements of the 9/11 hijackers in the months they were undertaking flight training is enough to make any counter-terrorism professional nervous. Red cards, despite the understandable reservations held by many, are a vital weapon in our efforts to ensure that terrorism remains a distant and abstract threat.

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Dynon HDX Cessna P210R

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SPORTPILOT

CLUBS & RUNWAYS

Credit: Ed Jones

Daly Waters (YDLW), NT

The main attraction is the famous Daly Waters Pub. You’ll find the walls and ceiling decorated with strange memorabilia including hats, shoes and bras left behind by visitors. This is just where the weirdness begins. Keep following your nose and you’ll spot a derelict helicopter strapped to a tin roof, Australia’s most remote traffic light and plenty of other unusual paraphernalia around town. There’s a surprise around every corner and exploring is half the fun.

The Daly Waters Aviation Complex is home to the oldest hangar in the Northern Territory and is the site of Australia’s first international airport. It was used as a vital airbase during WWII and played a big part in the movement of troops, supplies and mail. You can read about its interesting history inside the complex.

EAT & DRINK The Daly Waters Pub is the epitome of Aussie bush hospitality. Make sure you stay for a drink and hear the bar staff tell a few stories. Enjoy the pub’s signature Beef ‘n’ Barra BBQ cook-up held each night (April – October). Plus, there’s free entertainment each evening if you would like to kick on a bit longer.

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Surrounded by bushes and gum trees

STUART HIGHW AY

HISTORY

Unless you’re looking to venture beyond Daly Waters, you can easily get around on foot. The airport is just on the edge of town. Email or call the Daly Waters Pub for airport collection.

GETTING AROUND 14

Even if you’ve never heard of Daly Waters before, we guarantee you’ll have a memorable visit. Located 589km south-east of Darwin and 916km north of Alice Springs, this tiny remote town packs a punch with its quirky attractions and outback hospitality.

EXPLORE

STAY Daly Waters is a popular stopover for those travelling along the Stuart Highway, so it’s best to book ahead. Take your pick of camping, a budget pub room or an air-conditioned cabin.

ELEV: 700 ft RWY: 14/32 2100m Sealed CTAF: 126.7 RWY LIGHTING: Nil AD OPR Daly Waters Pub P: (08) 8975 9927 dalywaterspub@bigpond.com FUEL: Available by prior arrangement AD CHARGES: Nil REMARKS: Uncertified airfield Permission required

Tocumwal (YTOC), NSW

HISTORY Tocumwal was the first airfield built by the US in preparation for Japanese invasion in 1942. It was also used as RAAF Station HQ for training bomber aircrews. Several historic buildings are still standing today. The Tocumwal Aviation Museum is on site, so make sure you pop in and learn about the interesting history – stop by the popular ‘Drome café when your stomach starts to grumble.

EAT & DRINK Dine al fresco on the foreshore and enjoy a delicious meal at The Old Bank, just one of the many quaint historic buildings in town. Cool down with a treat from Tocumwal Ice Creamery while enjoying the view of the Murray River.

CLUBS & FACILITIES

1273

Glider Operations Parallel to RWY

1200

The Tocumwal airfield is home to the Murray Border Flying Club and Southern Riverina Gliding Club. Operating out of the terminal building, club amenities include a function space, kitchen, BBQ facilities and licensed bar as required. The Murray Border Flying Club has hosted a number of competitions, fly-ins and historic events.

With arguably some of the best weather conditions for flying in the country, Tocumwal is an idyllic spot to fly in and enjoy the Murray River. This laid-back part of the world is steeped in unique WWII history and the Tocumwal airfield has played a big role in that story.

253° 1NM Tocumwal

36 ELEV: 372 ft RWY: 09/27 1200m Sealed 18/36 1273m Sealed

EXPLORE

CTAF: 125.5

There is usually plenty of sunshine in Tocumwal, making it a great year-round destination for fishing, swimming, boating and bushwalking. Stop over for a round at of golf at one of its two championship golf courses. If you have a thirst for aviation history, Tocumwal Historic Aerodrome Museum also holds a wealth of artefacts and history. Finally, your visit isn’t complete without a selfie with the ‘world’s biggest codfish’ located at Tocumwal forshore.

MELB CENTRE: 118.6

STAY From golf resorts and holiday parks to motels and more off-beat riverside camping, options are aplenty!

RWY LIGHTING: 09/27 125.5 AD OPR Berrigan Shire Council P: (03) 5888 5100 0408 167 885 FLIGHT PROCEDURES: See ERSA for details FUEL: AVGas - 24/7 credit card – Aero Refuellers, Visa, Master Card AD CHARGES: Nil CLUBS: Murray Border Flying Club Matthew Loffler - 0418 134 608 Southern Riverina Gliding Club Judy Renner - 0427 141 241

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SPORTPILOT

AVIATION MARKETPLACE

aviationclassifieds.com.au

BROWSE AIRCRAFT FOR SALE OR REACH A LARGE MARKET TO SELL YOURS WITH AN ADVERTISEMENT IN SPORTPILOT SportPilot cannot endorse any aircraft for sale in classified advertisements and recommends that you meet the vendor and are satisfied with the aircraft before parting with any money.

2013 Alpi Pioneer 300 Kite

A32 Vixxen Syndicate Share

Morgan Cheetah

Skybat AR5 19-1884

Jabiru J170 - C

2 x Sapphire LSA Mk2 & 1 x Sapphire 10

Brumby R600

Drifter 19-1426

Jabiru J170 A

1995 Taipan Biplane

Skyranger Nynja

Sonerai Stretch

FP-202 Super Koala

Thatcher CX4 19-8328

X-Air Hanuman

2015 A22LS Foxbat

532 Airframe hours, 532 engine hours. Rotax 912 ULS. Carbon fibre. Stunning Italian design. Cruise 115 – 120 kts, 17 L/h. Empty 315 kg, MTOW 560 kg. Electric flap & trim. AvMap GPS & Garmin Electronic EFIS with fuel consumption alarms, volts, temps. Matthew Connors – 0431 339 001 $92,000

5,754 Airframe hours, 406 TTIS engine hours. Ex-flying school training aircraft, purchased new in 2008. Always LAME & L2 maintained, hangared. Low hour Gen 4 engine, always run on Avgas. Aerozone P/L – 0417 402 965 $60,000

1,826 Airframe hours, 1,714 engine hours. Rotax 912 ULS. Robert Musgrave – 0407 502 782 $40,000

223 Airframe hours, 203 engine hours. Fun Aeroplane. Graham Smith – 0427 472 349 $22,000

10 4

1,200 Airframe Hours, 1,200 approx. Engine Hours, A32 Vixxen. Syndicate share of 2016 Aeroprakt Vixxen A32. Hangared at Caboolture. Dynon Skyview & integrated autopilot, cruise speed of 105kts at 17l/hr. $9000 ONO + fixed monthly & hourly costs. Jim Thompson – 0407 590 636 $9,000 ono

Aircraft project. Proven ultralight, potential for UAV applications or electrically powered flight. 2 x Sapphire LSA Mk2 & 1 x Sapphire 10. Call for information. Will separate items, all offers considered. Steven Dumesny – 0418 301 916 $60,000

100 approx. airframe & engine hours, Rotax 912. Taipan sports biplane. Robert Russell – 0418 912 871 $25,000

99.9% complete. 2300 GPAS VW with about 5 hours. Always hangared. Comes with unused canopy cover. Kalon Barrett – 0418 253 719 $19,000

471 STC airframe & engine hours, Cheetah Mk.2. Fantastic fun little aeroplane, great cheap hour builder at 15L/hr cruising at 90kts with 4 hours endurance. Very easy to land even in strong crosswind. Steerable Jabiru nosewheel & hydraulic brakes, Jabiru 2200 with Petroni prop. Tim Fowler – 0457 939 350 $28,000

180 Airframe & engine Hours, Rotax 912ULS. Cruise 110kts @ 17L/h, always hangared. Nil accidents. As new condition, factory built at Cowra NSW. AVmap5, GPS, radio, wheel chocks, tie down ropes. Trevor White – 0419 881 140 $120,000

439 Airframe & engine hours, 912ULS 100hp. Michael Gearon – 0488 585 980 $58,000

60 Engine hours. Imported, factory built. Good condition. Always hangared. Easy to fly, very forgiving. See on YouTube. Make an offer. Greg Moore – 0488 068 848 $37,000

7 Airframe hours, 1571.6 engine hours. Fully rebuilt. Chromoly fuselage, composite wing. Rotax 912 ULS with a new 3 blade Kool prop. Ready for test flights, current permit to fly. Genuine reason for sale. Will also consider trade for suitable 2-seater. Bodie Heyward – 0424 442 638 $20,000

1143 Airframe hours, 103 Engine hours. Rotax 503 Electric start, ‘C’ gearbox. Long range aux. tank, 4.5 hrs endurance, 2 seats, 3 blade Brolga prop. Good skins and full maintenance history. Bruce Taylor – 0418 882 138 $13,995

600 Airframe hours, 600 engine hours. Well presented, low hours. Taildragger. Michael Seccombe – 0439 568 508 $48,500

190 Airframe & engine hours. Trig mode “s” transponder. Electric fuel pump (back-up option). Dynon D3 panel EFIS. Hangared at Bairnsdale VIC. Ron Gardiner – 0409 959 032 $115,000

Jodel D18

260 Airframe hours, 160 engine hours, Jabiru engine and airframe. Nice example of a proven design, very nice to fly. Selling as it is a bit squeezy for me but would suit a pilot under 6’. Shawn Leigh – 0407 626 431 $25,000

2008 Jabiru J120

797 Airframe & engine hours. Factory built. Fitted with analogue & digital instruments. Spats included but not fitted. Excellent aircraft, flies well, professionally maintained. Never used for training or hire. Cheap and reliable flying. Hamid – 0412 399 143 $29,500

2007 Airborne Redback

Rotax 503. 403 Airframe & engine hours. Registered to RAA. Tundra tyres, dual EGT gauges, dual Flycom helmets & Intercom. Comes with flight suit, covers for travel/storage. Zac – 0491 615 412 $11,000

2017 Tecnam Sierra MKII LSA

Airbourne M3 Microlight Trike

2004 Jabiru 450

Challenger 2 Floatplane

Jabiru J160

Jabiru J160-C

16.7 Airframe & engine hours. Immaculate, always hangared. twin Garmin G3X GDU460 MFD, PFD, Garmin GSU25 ADAHRS, Garmin VHF GTR200, GTX 23 Transponder, Garmin GMA 240 Audio panel, Sensenich prop, Rotax 912ULS engine, Kannad 406 ELT. John Kennedy – 0419 591 929 $242,000

470 Airframe Hours, 200 Engine Hours. Rotax 582. Lowrance 2000 GPS, Icom radio, BRS 900 recovery system, launching dolly, fully enclosed trailer, aux fuel tank, full Lotus inflatable floats, 503 Rotax, spares inc. Steve Ridley – 0408 284 799 $30,000

555 Airframe & engine hours. Excellent condition, full service history, always hangared. Trig VHF radio, MGL glass panel instruments, strobe, Lynx intercom, 2 helmets, 2 flying suits. Rotax 912UL has been faultless. Inc. trailer & spares. Dean Snow – 0417 329 326 $58,000

310 Airframe & engine hours, the first J160 Kit. Completed & first flown in 2004 (Seat throttle, 85L fuse tank). 2200 solid lifter with through-bolts done by Jab. Tundra tyre & other off-field mods. 88kt cruise. 800fpm. Will consider swaps Heath Birley – 0432 142 998 $35,000

1,085 Airframe & engine hours. Max weight 500kg. 170 wing extension. I have owned this Plane from new & it has been fantastically reliable. Motor top end overhaul at 1,000 hours at Jabiru. Plane has great short field performance due to bigger wing. Walter Buschor – 0418 981 597 $25,000

533 Airframe hours, 201 engine hours. Second owner, always hangared, factory built 2007. Electric flaps, spats included but not fitted. Excellent aircraft, flies well. Located Mittagong NSW. Will Eddowes – 0423 356 190 $42,000

2019 Bushcat Syndicate Share - 23-2508

212 Airframe & engine hours, hangared in Caboolture. 2 syndicate shares available. Currently 3 owners. Rotax 912ULS. Enquire for fixed monthly/hourly operating costs. Karen Strike – 0422 174 871 $20,000

Rotax 912 ULS , Jabiru 2200B & Cessna 310R Parts Amber Aero Engineering aerospace/aviation maintenance & spare parts distribution company. Tooradin Airport VIC. ROTAX 912 ULS (2x), Jabiru 2200B engine, Cessna 310R parts & many other components available. Alvin Prasad – 0451 053 716 $ POA

2003 Savannah VG

960 Airframe & engine hours, Rotax 912 UL. GRT EFIS, Auto Pilot, EMS Transponder TT21. Long range fuel tank: 136L. Cargo pod. Serviced by LAME. Always hangared. Nil accident history. Full records. Ready for touring! Xavier – 0437 793 228 $52,000

Rotax 912 100 hp

2,050 hours complete and as removed. Good leak down figures. Maintained to Rotax manuals. William Owen – 0429 098 032 $6,600

Zenith Zodiac 601XLB

207 Airframe & engine hours. Amateur build, complete June 2011. Originally VH registered, now RAA. Immaculate condition, always hangared. Third owner purchased three years ago. New alternator & electronic ignition, Jabiru 3300 with water-cooled heads. Cruise 105kts @ 18-20 L/h. Wing lockers & 2 x 50L fuel tanks. Will include Evolution helmet purchased new two years ago. Andrew Dowsey – 0478 686 119 $47,000

Airborne Edge XT912 Microlight

Trike with Streak III wing. 1,197 Airframe hours, mast & base tube 250 hours, Wing frame 667 hours, 1,493 engine hours. Superb cond. L2 maintained. Timed items up-to-date. Brand new sail. 65kt cruise. Only 2 owners. Belly bag, iPad mount, extras avail. Ozee suits, Flycom helmets, custom trailer. Duane Stapleton – 0408 269 070 $15,000

Mini Moony

Modified Teenie Two. Not flown. Being run-in on ground – unknown Engine Hours. Deceased estate. Engine was being run-in & aircraft being prepared for painting. This is the second Teenie Two Ron has built &due to his love for his Mooney, he decided to modify some of this aeroplane e.g. retractable undercarriage. Ken – 0437 323 077 $11,000

2013 Aquila Aircraft

77.9 Airframe & engine Hours. Price by negotiation, all reasonable offers considered. John – 0491 669 350 $ POA

Rotax 503 Engine

Brand new Rotax 503. Never run outside factory. Complete with exhaust system & new Bolly propeller. Bought for project that never proceeded. Arnold Millett – 0476 180 622 $5,300

10 5

SPORTPILOT

FINAL APPROACH

BY NICHOLAS HEATH

SO LONG OLD FRIEND

Credit: Ed Jones

Did you ever experience having a beloved pet, that after years of wonderful memories and loyal service finally went to meet its maker? That’s how I feel right now about 24-4679, a Tecnam P92 – a little heartbroken and empty inside.

bottle and sprayed the entire roof of the aircraft with pressurised water…then did it again a bit later. Or the ubiquitous packet of M&Ms that would sit on the dash in long trips. And the lack of foresight in packing egg sandwiches on a long trip...

The aircraft unfortunately made a forced landing a short distance from Lethbridge (YLED). From the single picture I have seen of the incident, it must have hit pretty hard. The aircraft is almost certainly a write off. Fortunately, the pilot is ok. That is testament to the aircraft, as 4679’s final act was to protect its pilot and, in the process, destroy itself.

Anyone who has spent time with one particular aircraft tends to form an attachment. Each aircraft has its own personality. When you’re 60 miles north of Menindee and there’s nothing to see other than red earth stretching out in front of you, having an aircraft you could rely on was important. 4679 was such a plane. When it was buffeting like hell and a crosswind on final, 4679 would hold its line. The engine never missed a beat. Dozens of trainee pilots learned their craft in 4679. The powers that be will investigate and a dry, rational explanation for what occurred during the incident will no doubt be forthcoming. That will talk about the aircraft, not its personality. But for me 4679 gave everything to protect its pilot. If there is a Valhalla for aircraft, I like to think 4679 will be there, buzzing along into an endless horizon.

I did quite a bit of my training in this aircraft and completed several trips to Broken Hill, Swan Hill and Gippsland in it. I like its strengths and its foibles. What a great plane to land. All Tecnams go where you point them, but 4679 was a joy. Very forgiving. A tendency to drift off its heading if you weren’t watching kept you vigilant. I completed my conversion to RAAus in 4679 and there were many fun times. Co-pilot, Ed Jones is probably still trying to forget the day I opened my drink

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