RECREATIONAL AVIATION AUSTRALIA / FEBRUARY 2018 VOL 78 [2]
FLYING PEARL THE LIT TLE
RRP $8.80 inc GST
WATCH OUT FOR THE SNEAKY STALL THE TRUTH ABOUT CABLES – IT’S ALL RIGGED A RESURGAM RESURGENCE
Garmin D2 Bravo Titanium Watch
Garmin G5 Electronic Flight Instrument for CertiďŹ cated Aircraft
Smart and sophisticated this watch has a premium titanium band, wrist heart rate and much more. A premium aviation GPS smartwatch it combines contemporary design and sophisticated connectivity to bring pilots and aviation enthusiasts an elite timepiece.
Boasting a bright, 3.5 inch sunlight-readable liquid crystal display (LCD), the G5 is approved as a primary source for aircraft attitude or turn coordination information and secondary source for altitude, airspeed and vertical speed in a single instrument.
Icom IC-A15 Air Band Transceiver
The IC-A15 air band transceiver is compact, lightweight and has a high capacity Lithium-Ion battery pack, so it can be used all day and great audio output to cut through environmental noise. It’s built extremely rugged... and rain-resistant too... enough for the rigours of the aviation market.
Lightspeed Tango Wireless ANR Headset The first premium wireless aviation headset, Tango blends outstanding noise cancelation, renowned Lightspeed comfort, and wireless convenience. Tango creates an entirely new level of flying enjoyment and untethered freedom.
Visit our website to see our full and comprehesive supplies of aviation products
Suppliers of all leading manufacturers
ON THE COVER
30 The Lisa Akoya “ The aircraft has been designed with the LSA market in mind”
Photo: Lisa Aircraft
REGULARS 07 09 11 66
Chairman’s report Calendar of events Letters to the Editor Happy Landings
NEWS 14 14 15
COLUMNISTS
41 Pilot talk T HE O P S D EP T 45 Professor Avius 47 Home builder DAV E ED M U ND S 48 Tech Talk DA RREN B A RNFIEL D, T EC HNI C A L M A N AG ER 56 Right seat anecdotes DAV ID P E Y RE 57 Learn to fly M A R T IN C A ST IL L A
17 18
19 20 21
Improvements to portal login Professional Development Seminar dates and locations CEO’s report MI C H A EL L INKE Pilots choose multicom WM Rotax maintenance KE V A ND C A RO L E M C N A L LY Donation boosts Uiver project A flying first for Bega Weather plays hell with Icarus
FEATURES
22 The sneaky stall Part 1 RO B KNI G H T 30 A little pearl DAV E TO NKS
READERS’ STORIES
25 So what is it about QuikR? PE T ER A ND A NNE M C L E A N 28 One of those things B RI A N H A M 37 Hangar talking G EO FF WO O D 3 8 Taking on the tailwheel LU KE B AY LY
EXTRAS
07 Digital directions 36 Poster Opportunity Little yellow thing C L I V E C U NNIN G H A M 5 8 Aviation Classifieds 6 5 Quiz 6 6 Where is CAGIT?
21 Sport Pilot Magazine is an official publication of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd and is published twelve times a year by Stampils Publishing.
38
EDITOR Brian Bigg editor@sportpilot.net.au All enquiries 1300 838 416 ADVERTISING SALES editor@sportpilot.net.au MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS Non-member annual subscription rates - postage included are available by contacting Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd, Po Box 1265, Fyshwick A.C.T 2609. (02) 6280 4700 or admin@raa.asn.au. 3 / SPORT PILOT
HEAD OFFICE ONE MAGAZINE TWO FORMATS
RAAus members get Sport Pilot free of charge online at www.raa.asn.au. But if you are not a member or would prefer a hardcopy magazine, here is how you subscribe. Email RAAus headquarters at admin@raa.asn.au. Prices include GST.
PO Box 1265 Fyshwick ACT 2609 Australia Unit 3, 1 Pirie Street Fyshwick ACT 2609 International: +61 (2) 6280 4700 National: (02) 6280 4700 Fax: +61 (2) 6280 4775 Email: admin@raa.asn.au www.raa.asn.au
NATIONAL SAFETY, RISK AND COMPLIANCE MANAGER Philip Fox safety@raa.asn.au 0418 445 652
ENQUIRIES
CATEGORY
6 MONTHS (6 ISSUES)
12 MONTHS (12 ISSUES)
24 MONTHS (24 ISSUES)
Member (flying)
$49
$69
$129
Member (non-flying)
$49
$69
$129
Maxine Milera admin@raa.asn.au
General Enquires: admin@raa.asn.au Aircraft and Maintenance Enquires: tech@raa.asn.au Pilot and Membership Enquires: members@raa.asn.au ACN 070 931 645
Non-member (Magazine Sub only)
$53
$100
$179
CEO
DIRECTORS
NATIONAL FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
Michael Linke ceo@raa.asn.au
NATIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGER
AVIATIO RECREATIONAL
N AUSTRALIA
/ FEBRUARY 2018
VOL 78 [2]
F LY IN G PEARL THE LIT TLE
RECREATIONAL
AVIATION AUSTRAL
IA / FEBRUARY 2018
VOL 78 [2]
F LY IN G PEARL
THE LIT TLE
RRP $8.80 inc GST
SNEAKY STALL WATCH OUT FOR THE
CABLES – IT’S ALL THE TRUTH ABOUT
Jill Bailey ops@raa.asn.au 0400 280 087
Tony King 0400 226 275 Tony.King@raa.asn.au
ASSISTANT OPERATIONS MANAGER
Alan Middleton 0407 356 948 alan.middleton@raa.asn.au
Neil Schaefer ops@raa.asn.au 0428 282 870
iPad
Trevor Bange 0429 378 370 Trevor.Bange@raa.asn.au
NATIONAL TECHNICAL MANAGER
Eugene Reid 0428 824 700 Eugine.Reid@raa.asn.au
Darren Barnfield techmgr@raa.asn.au 0417 942 977
Rod Birrell (03) 9744 1305 Rod.Birrell@raa.asn.au
ASSISTANT TECHNICAL MANAGER
Jared Smith jared.smith@raa.asn.au RE0418 CREATIO 125 NA393 L AVIATION AU
RGAM RESURGENCE RIGGED A RESU
Michael Monck (Chairman) 0419 244 794 Michael.Monck@raa.asn.au
Luke Bayly 0421 463 967 STRALIA / FEBR UARY 2016 VOL 54 Luke.bayly@raa.asn.au [2]
RRP $8.80 inc GST
WATCH OUT FOR THE
DON’T RISK MISSING OUT ON SPORT PILOT EACH MONTH
SNEAKY STALL THE TRUTH ABOUT
CABLES – IT’S ALL
RIGGED A RESUR GAM RESURGENCE
FIND YOUR NEAREST FLIGHT SCHOOL OR CLUB www.raa.asn.au/schools
I want to subscribe or renew my subscription Call: (02) 6280 4700 Web: www.raa.asn.au I want to change the address of my subscription Call: (02) 6280 4700 Australia Post didn’t deliver my magazine this month Call: (02) 6280 4700
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
I want to provide a story or picture for the magazine Email: editor@sportpilot.net.au Call: 1300 838 416 I want the editor to know about my event Email: editor@sportpilot.net.au I want to find out about advertising prices Email: editor@sportpilot.net.au
All content in this magazine belongs to Stampils Publishing and is protected by Australian and international copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may not do anything which interferes with or breaches those laws or the intellectual property rights in the content. All rights not expressly granted under these terms of use are reserved by Stampils Publishing. Unless expressly stated otherwise, you are not permitted to copy, or republish anything you find in the 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 RAAus. However, Stampils Publishing, Daniella Banco of Spank Design and Karin Middleton, of Cachekat, reserve the right to be acknowledged as the magazine’s designers. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content of this magazine, no warrant is given or implied. The content is provided to you on condition that you undertake all responsibility for assessing the accuracy of the content and rely on it at your own risk. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of people named in this magazine. Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd and Stampils Publishing reserve the right to decline any article, letter or comment deemed unacceptable for whatever reason. No endorsement or responsibility is implied or accepted for any product advertised in this magazine. Advertisers and buyers are each responsible for ensuring products advertised and/or purchased via this magazine meet all appropriate Australian certification and registration requirements, especially those pertaining to CASA and RAAus. NOTE: All aircraft featured in the magazine are registered and legally permitted to fly. However, photographs of them may be altered without notice for editorial purposes. The Editor’s Choice column is designed to draw attention to potential safety issues through exaggeration and humour and is not meant to be historically accurate. 4 / SPORT PILOT
5 / SPORT PILOT
Now available in Australia in kit build or factory build
Affordable | Simplistic | Rugged | Quality LSA | Fun
Contact: info@gap.aero, t 1300 659 228 / c +61 400 639 388 Join us at the "Oz-Kosh" Aviation airshow in Naromine, 19-21 Oct 2017
KIT BUILD OR FACTORY ASSEMBLED TO YOUR PERSONAL WANTS AND NEEDS Breaking boundaries and taking you places! Sling Aircraft for Light Sport or General Aviation. Pure performance, Absolute quality. License required: the 2 seater Sling 2 - RPC (Recreational Pilot certificate) or RPL or PPL. The 4 seater Sling 4 - RPL (Recreational Pilot License) or PPL.
1300 659 228 or Errol 0415 072 498 | sales@aero.gap
www.gap.aero or visit The Airplane Factory (Pty) Ltd website at www.airplanefactory.co.za
6 / SPORT PILOT
CH AIRMAN ’ S REPORT
Reality vs perception BY MIC HAEL MONC K
M
ANY years ago I was told by a mentor of mine not to worry about reality but to focus on perceptions instead. The reason given was that if you can manage people’s perceptions, what they think, then the rest won’t matter. It seems I have forgotten this message because over the past few years I have chosen to focus on reality, but no one seems to have noticed. RAAus has worked hard in recent years to reduce our fatality rate because, while we think it is important to go flying, it’s more important to come home safely. Our families, friends, colleagues and so on, all depend on us in one way or another. So it is essential we come home in one piece in order to fulfil our obligations outside of flying. Plus, there’s no doubt it is much better to wake up in the morning and take another breath of air. Sarcasm aside, the focus by RAAus has resulted in an actual improvement in safety. Going back many years, we had a fatality rate nearly five times higher than GA’s. Today we are safer statistically. And it is no accident that these days you are slightly less likely to die in an RAAus aircraft, piloted by an RAAus pilot, when compared to the equivalent operation in GA. It has been, and continues to be, hard work. A quick look at the history of the Civil Aviation Act and accompanying regulations shows there have been numerous revisions and amendments. There have been 61 versions of the Act since 1992 and 77 versions of the regulations since 1999. Furthermore, the regulations have grown from a little under 200 pages then to more than 1,800 today. In contrast, after 30 years of operation, RAAus is only up to version 7.1 of its Operations Manual and version four of the Technical Manual. Given that the Act has, as its primary objective, “maintaining, enhancing and promoting the safety of civil aviation”, it is clear the RAAus system is serving the regulator well. It is worth asking how we have done it. The answer is simple. Literally. I recently read an article by Norm Sanders, a former Tasmanian MP and federal Senator, who is also a commercial pilot and flying instructor. Norm argues that, by trusting pilots, we create safer skies. His logic is that pilots are not suicidal by nature and the regulator needs to work with them instead of policing them, in order to improve safety. This is what RAAus is doing. RAAus keeps things simple. We don’t have 2,000 pages of law and regulation to sift through (although please be aware that we are not exempt from much of it), we have a simple set of rules which rely on the fact pilots never set out to kill themselves. We couple this with programs to educate maintainers and to improve the skills of instructors. Individuals can access better material than they have been able to previously, allowing them to learn more about safe aviation practices.
We have a medical system based on years of evidence and a history of safe operation. This standard is being recognised across the world. Similar requirements have been put in place in the US and the UK. The standard is also being recognised in Australia. AOPA’s Ben Morgan, in his November 2017 letter to the regulator and the minister, urged CASA to “implement a driver’s (sic) licence standard, supported by self declaration”. So if pilots aren’t setting out to kill themselves, if our maintenance standards are improving, if our medical system is recognised around the world as the best practice, if our fatality rate is declining and RAAus is unquestionably the strongest part of private aviation in Australia today (we grew by six per cent in 2017 alone), it’s disappointing that some people still look down on us. We have achieved all of these things by forming relationships with pilots and working with them to solve problems. We have built relationships with maintainers in the same way. We have a good relationship with the minister’s office, the department and the regulator. We work well with the ATSB and AirServices. Perhaps we also need better relationships with our fellow pilots. AirVenture Australia was designed as an event to bring together all forms of aviators and it did this quite well. Along the way it also highlighted some of the factions which still exist within aviation. While I haven’t the space here to analyse why they still exist, the point remains that its clear our industry needs to work together to achieve great things. Australia is full of wide open spaces and is one of the best places in the world to fly. It has great weather and great landscapes. We have a whole heap of class G airspace to explore. And RAAus provides pilots with a low cost, simple and accessible way to take of advantage of these things safely. The reality is that we have been focussed on saving lives. There is a false perception by others in the industry that we are the unsafe cousin of general aviation. The reality is that we growing because of the great work we are doing. The perception is that we have no respect for the rules. The reality is that we recognise our obligations and respect them. The perception is that we have complete disregard for any regulation. RAAus members are our organisation’s best marketing material and it is incumbent on each and every one of us to help change these perceptions. Without for a moment losing sight of the realities. Because no matter what you think of me as an RAAus pilot, I’d rather come home to my wife safely each night. That’s my reality.
“We are growing”
ARE MANY WAYS TO DIGITAL DIRECTIONS THERE INTERACT WITH RAAUS: Website: www.raa.asn.au Member portal: www.members.raa.asn.au/login RAAus shop: www.shop.raa.asn.au Lodge an occurrence: www.oms.raa.asn.au/lodge Back issues of Sport Pilot: www.raa.asn.au/ sport-pilot-magazine
Subscribe to printed Sport Pilot: www.raa.asn.au/sport-pilot-magazine-application Sport Pilot online: www.raa.asn.au/sport-pilotmagazine ENewsletter: www.raa.asn.au/become-amember/member-benefits/e-news
7 / SPORT PILOT
CA LEN D AR OF EVEN TS
A. 24 FEBRUARY 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Kingston S.E. Flying Group celebrates the anniversary of the opening of the airfield. It’s a fully sealed 1,000m long strip with another beautifully maintained 725m grassed runway beside it. Kingston S.E is an idyllic destination with uncluttered airspace, easy access to the southern ports and unlimited aerial access to the beautiful sights of the Coorong National Park. A generous BBQ lunch and a celebratory dinner will be held. Plenty of local hotel/ motel accommodation and the airport/ town is RV and camper-friendly. For more information, Robin Crouch 0409 691 923 or robnbarb3@dodo.com.au.
B. 11 MARCH CLIFTON FLY IN
Lone Eagle Flying School’s annual fly-in includes International Women In Aviation Week. This has become an iconic event in the region and is the premier attraction for all types of aviation in southern Queensland. See various types, shapes, sizes and models of recreational, ultralight and homebuilt aircraft including sport, vintage, general aviation and any other flying machines. Come late pm Saturday, 11th for BBQ, drinks and hangar talk. Fly or drive in, see ERSA. On field camping, bring your swag. Advise for catering. For more information www. loneeagleflyingschool.org.au, Facebook. com/LoneEagleFlyingSchool or Trevor Bange 0429 378 370.
D. 17 MARCH
CENTENARY OF FLIGHT AIRSHOW It will be 100 years since the first operational military flights in Australia. These were conducted from Yarram in a FE2B aircraft out into Bass Strait looking for the German raiding ship The Wolf. This operation was flown by Capt. Frank McNamara VC from the Australian Flying Corp. Yarram Aero Club will honour the centenary of the event. For more information, yarramcentenaryofflight.com.au , Brian Lucas 0428 527 237 or Facebook.com/YarramCOF.
E. 25 MARCH
WARBIRDS OVER SCONE Lots of noise and spectacular heavy metal thunder. Paul Bennet will also perform. For more information, www.facebook.com/ WarbirdsOverScone.
C. 11 MARCH TYABB AIRSHOW
An impressive day with some of the best performers. The Peninsula Aero Club has a proud tradition of supporting local community service clubs from the proceeds of its shows. All visiting aircraft should plan to arrive before 10:30 because access will not be granted after that time. For more information, www.tyabbairshow.com.
8 / SPORT PILOT
CA LEN D AR OF EVEN TS
H
B E
I G
A
F
D C
H. 21-22 APRIL
TAVAS GREAT WAR FLYING DISPLAY This will be The Australian Vintage Aviation Society’s third (and possibly final) event to commemorate all pilots of all wars over the past 100 years. The display is expected to attract tens of thousands of people, be the largest event of its type in Queensland and involve the only collection of flying pre-WWI and WWI type aircraft. The display will also feature aircraft from WW2, Korea and Vietnam and aircraft currently in service with the ADF. The 21st will also be the centenary of the shooting down of the Red Baron – so expect an appearance by the famous Fokker. For more information, www.tavas.com.au.
F. 31 MARCH
G. 13-15 APRIL
Holbrook Ultralight Club invites you to fly-in for this unique recreational aviation event. Experience, learn and share with forums on Saturday afternoon and see an interesting collection of historic aircraft on display. Stay overnight for an enjoyable dinner Saturday and breakfast Sunday– all at the airfield. Fly-in trophies will be awarded. Underwing camping and transport to and from Holbrook township for fuel and accommodation will be available. For more information, www. holbrookultralightclub.asn.au or John Harley 0456 357 735.
Opening of the first stage of the recognition of WW2 No7 Flying School Deniliquin. Weekend will include a mini airshow, OzRunways presentation and hangar dinner. A highlight will be a presentation by Sky High Opera- CoOpera of ‘The Barber of Seville’ in a WW2 hangar. Stay for the famous Deni Aero Club Sunday breakfast. For more information, www. deniliquinaeroclub.com
HOLBROOK EASTER FLY-IN
DENILIQUIN AERO CLUB FLY-IN
I. 21-22 APRIL
COFFS HARBOUR AIRSHOW Postponed from last year. Lots of flying activity in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. For more information, facebook.com/CoffsCoast-Airshow. 9 / SPORT PILOT
10 / SPORT PILOT
L E T T ERS TO TH E ED ITOR
PSEUDO ADS-B With the advent of the ADS-B rollout and the cost of installation, I would like to propose an alternative which would seem to be a logical extension of current technology. This would only apply to the LSA or RAAus style of flying due to Visual Flight Rules. Also with constant upgrades and advances the system would become extremely accurate. According to AirServices, ADS-B is a system in which electronic equipment on-board an aircraft automatically broadcasts the precise location of the aircraft via a digital data link. The data can be used by other aircraft and air traffic control to show the aircraft’s position and altitude on display screens without the need for radar. The system involves an aircraft with ADS-B determining its position using GPS. A suitable transmitter then broadcasts that position at rapid intervals, along with identity, altitude, velocity and other data. Dedicated ADS-B grounds stations receive the broadcasts and relay the information to air traffic control for precise tracking of the aircraft. Automatic – Requires no pilot input or external interrogation. Dependant – Depends on accurate position and velocity data from the aircraft’s navigation system (eg. GPS). Surveillance – Provides aircraft position, altitude, velocity, and other surveillance data to facilities that require the information. Broadcast – Information is continually broadcast for monitoring by appropriately equipped ground stations or aircraft. I propose that if we are ever forced to apply ADS-B technology, RAAus pilot carry their mobile phone with the location setting enabled. A signature set up on the phone, identifying the registration of the aircraft, could be included as part of the pre-flight. Being that mobile phones use the UHF band for transmission, tweaking the system to see these devices from an ATC perspective would be a simple matter. This would allow the relevant ATC to, in effect, become a phone tower which the mobile phone in the aircraft would interrogate because it is designed to search for the nearest serviceable tower or GPS satellite constellation. A simple computer program, already available, would show the aircraft as an LSA flying VFR and would be visible to the ATC controller on a computer screen. Incursions into controlled airspace could become a thing of the past because the ATC controller could now use the information to radio the aircraft, identify and prevent the incursion before it occurred. Other uses are too many to list here. This ADS-B pseudo system is already in use and available through a simple computer
program (just trolling the net gives dozens of examples). Retail and governments already use it to identify your location through the internet, using the GPS system, when purchasing online or filling out census forms for example. GPS information already transmitted from your phone now gives the ATC controller the person as the PIC. If necessary, the phone could even be called to identify the aircraft if the radio becomes unserviceable. Other programs are the manufacturer’s ‘Find My Phone’ which also uses the GPS system. Again there are too many to list here. Although there is no requirement for the ADS-B to be fitted to LSA aircraft, if the need arose I would be presenting this as an alternative to an expensive and unnecessary system. MIKE SWAN From Ops. RAAus has been part of a working group, involving industry, CASA, AirServices, GFA and ADS-B manufacturers, studying appropriate standards and affordable equipment to permit recreational aircraft to carry non-TSO’d (therefore cheaper) ADS-B out equipment. There is currently no requirement for VFR aircraft to fit ADS-B equipment and RAAus remains committed to this. The development work is ongoing and offers a commitment to recognition of similar activities in the US by EAA, lobbying for relaxed, but standard equipment in aircraft operating in the US. I doubt AirServices would consider relying on mobile phone technology for confirmed positions of aircraft, being, as it is, required to abide by ICAO requirements.
A TIME TO CHANGE Dave King’s letter ‘The exact time’ (Sport Pilot October 2017) indicated that, for simplicity, he rounds time broadcasts up or down to the nearest five minutes. He invited comments from readers. I think that Dave’s system is a recipe for disaster. It contravenes CAO 20.18 Appendix 1 requirement for instruments under VFR, which stipulates that an accurate timepiece set to the correct time must be carried during all flights (1.d). I imagine many pilots now use their mobile phone rather than a watch. ENR 1.1 paragraph 6.15.1.2 has a table with recommended information for the pilot to broadcast when inbound to an aerodrome, which includes the estimated time of arrival for the aerodrome. There is a further reference in AIP ENR 1.1 para 10.8.1 to pilots providing an ETA at non-controlled aerodromes. Dave’s supposed simplicity is not part of the game for safety. Rounding up or down to 5-minute intervals sounds fine but consider the following scenario. Say Dave transmits he “is inbound to YBOR (Bordertown in south east S.A) from the east, letting down from 4,500ft to overfly at 2,000ft 11 / SPORT PILOT
AGL for joining circuit,” Say it was only 2.4 minutes past the five minute mark, so he rounds the time down and gives an estimated “over the top” circuit area call of “Oh five”. I happen to be inbound to YBOR from the west and, by the time Dave has finished his broadcast, my watch indicates 2.6 minutes past the five minute mark. If I adopt the same system and round up to the nearest five minute mark, I will give a call stating “Inbound from the west, letting down from 3,500ft to overfly at 2,000ft AGL for joining the circuit, estimated over the top at “one zero”. It sounds like there will be no potential conflict, because there is a five minute separation in the arrival time of the inbound aircraft. We both note this safe separation and click it into our memory. We then both start observing runway layout, wind direction and other ground aircraft activities. We don’t start looking for another aircraft until we have completed the overfly and initiated our circuit joining turns. Even then, some pilots start to concentrate on configuring the landing set-up as they get busy in the cockpit and may only do a cursory look-out. However, due to the rounding up and rounding down, there is actually only 0.2minutes, or 12 seconds between when the two aircraft arrive overhead from opposing directions, and at the same altitude. No-one will understand why these two planes with experienced pilots flew straight into each other, killing all on board. Hopefully Dave forgot to change his watch to S.A time when he crossed the border at the same time he gave his inbound call. Or his mobile phone hadn’t clicked over to S.A time and for either reason, he has beaten me to Bordertown by 30 minutes, and safely landed by the time I get there. When I learnt to fly 35 years ago, we were given two options, with a clear preference for the first. 1. Either give estimated arrival times in minutes to arrival, so other pilots in the area can note the current time and add the amount indicated to whatever his clock indicates so he/she will know exactly what time I will be at the point referred to. Or 2. Give the exact projected arrival time in UTC or world time so everyone knows exactly when our arrivals will be, regardless of which state I am coming from. I opt for the minutes to arrival broadcast, because not all pilots run UTC as well as local time. Since minutes to arrival can be added to any indicated time on any time piece, regardless of what-ever time zone it is set for, or whether it is some minutes slower or faster than the actual time, the time piece will move forward by the number of minutes I have indicated as my estimated arrival time and the owner of that time piece will know immediately if this arrival time is in conflict with their approach.
L E T T ERS TO TH E ED ITOR
Finally, if you are using your mobile phone as your timer, be aware of the confusion that the quick automatic time changes can generate as you pass over time zone boundaries. An 05 broadcast may suddenly need to be a 35, or some other time, depending on which time zone you are passing over, and whether there is daylight savings or not. Most of you will also have found there is sometimes a considerable pause between when the phone has passed into a new time zone, and when the phone updates to the new correct time. You will be running on the wrong time for that airspace until it updates to the right time. Time I went flying! ROB ENGLAND
AIRVENTURE IMPRESSIONS I have been going to air displays and meets for over 60 years and SAAA and RAAus fly-ins for some 20 years. I go to the latter particularly to wander round in an uncontrolled relaxing environment, meeting and yarning with other pilots, seeing what’s new and what everyone else is flying. 2017 AirVenture was a shock. First impressions were that the Correction Centre at Canberra had been relocated in miniature. Having driven a long way to get there, my wife and I looked around for the toilets before entering, but discovered all the accessible ones were locked inside endless security fences! To get there, we had to get past the guards at the gate and were told that entry was $20 each per day! “I am a pilot member and we are pensioners” I told them. “It’s still $20 each!” There weren’t many aircraft there, and the display area looked rather confined, and we debated whether we
should bother to attend. But nature could not be ignored, so we coughed up and joined the inmates. The large area we used to be able to wander around in past fly-ins had been changed into a confining cage. Hardly any of the agents from past years were displaying, even Jabiru, and only two new design recreational aircraft were to be seen, one being on display last year. On speaking to agents, I discovered they were being charged thousands of dollars to display their aircraft, which explained the absence of others. Then we looked through the pavilion which was expensive luxury with an actual wooden floor, and suppliers again being charged a fortune to be there. Pilots flying in also had to cough up for the first time ever. Access to the field was, for the first time, being restricted by the fences, and pilot and aircraft numbers were drastically down. Admittedly the place was saturated from rain, but the previous day was perfect and in past years it would have been humming regardless. Having seen it all, with not many pilots around, and little of interest, we left after only an hour, and will never attend another fly-in again like this. Why has this happened? To be frank, I believe the fly-in was ill conceived and RAAus has lost a lot of money as a result. It needs to be rethought from scratch, because after this years’ experience, it is very likely many RAAus members, GA pilots and suppliers will not attend again. By past standards, the venue was very unfriendly to both supplier and members. In the past, the concept of our meets was one of a social fly-in, not a regimented meeting place with a formal air display. It is a classical mistake of businesses and organisations to not carry out proper
www.airparkgoolwa.com.au 12 / SPORT PILOT
market research to find out what the customer or member wants, and instead supplying what they think should be provided, which is not what the end users want or need. RAAus needs to survey the desires of suppliers, RAAus and GA pilots and then replan and promote it accordingly. I know a lot of dedicated work had to be spent on AirVenture, but the planning seems to have been with a mindset towards a super organised and controlled public attended air display, rather than a friendly fly-in which most members prefer. There didn’t seem to be consideration for limiting expenses, with the costly security fence to keep a few gate crashers out, a lavish display tent with a special wooden floor, seminar tents in a crowded row with a noisy generator behind and expensive insurance to cover the air displays. That both pilots and suppliers are very short of spending money nowadays was not recognised and needed to be a major consideration. The most important reason for members to attend is an informal setting to see what is new and available, to test fly aircraft of interest, to look over all the other aircraft attending and to meet old faces again. Seminars are the cream on the cake, not the prime reason for attending. GA pilots, who are our potential members, come particularly to see new recreational aircraft, which were not there, with the view of converting them to RAAus. Agents and suppliers have a considerable expense in just obtaining goods to display, and in organising and getting them on site. Having to pay thousands of dollars, just to get a few square metres for their displays, is the last straw. Most of our aircraft and related suppliers are very small businesses indeed and just can’t afford these fees. If the suppliers can’t come, which is what happened here,
L E T T ERS TO TH E ED ITOR
even to the old regulars, then pilots don’t have that incentive to come. Also our source of new members from GA dries up, because there is nothing useful for them to see. Charging entrance to members who already pay significant RAAus fees, adds another deterrent to them coming. The point is that suppliers are a major key to the success of our fly-ins. The burden of costs that were imposed prevents them from attending and this has a negative effect both on our future fly-ins and for new members. The present concept of our annual fly-ins has proven itself to be a failure and has to be changed by reversing current thinking. We have to minimise our organisational and other costs to get back to what we successfully did in the past. RAAus needs to do an unbiased marketing survey with our suppliers, members and GA pilots if possible, foreshadowing this change and gaining feedback from them as to what they would like to have. Then to act upon the results. However, RAAus needs to develop some marketing skills to obtain these inputs effectively. The feedback should drive this change, but these are what I think should be done: The event should be a fly-in, designed expressly for pilots, or would-be pilots, however they arrive at the field. Forget the fancy titles for the event. Call it for what it is. Advertise it as a recreational aviation fly-in, displaying the latest advances in our type of aircraft and anything related to recreational flying. This type of promotion might help to keep insurance costs down and fewer demands from CASA. Arrange for an airfield asking little, if any, money for its use, pointing out to the local council that the adjoining town will substantially benefit from increased business, and that charging is counterproductive. Also, that the town would benefit even more if the council actively helped in the organisation. Every possible supplier needs to be contacted with information about the new venue, the expected increased attendance and asked whether they would be prepared to attend. Point out there will be no site fees and that, the more suppliers there, the greater the incentive for increased attendance, for them to expose their goods to. Follow this up afterwards with the results, to encourage those hanging back. A large area should be set aside for agents and suppliers to spread themselves around free of
charge, anywhere that they wish. Better too large than too small an area in case lots of displays turn up unexpectedly or need extra space. Why organise it? Let them set themselves up as simply or as lavishly as they please, using the town’s resources to help if they require it. Arrange with the local chamber of commerce to supply the names of relevant trade contacts for needy suppliers to approach. Those suppliers needing to fly aircraft be given flight priority, and access to the runways, for flying demonstrations using their aircraft. Cut out all forms of air displays, with the resulting substantial insurance costs, which would interfere with our operations, or those of the suppliers. Leave the accommodation up to pilots to arrange with the local caravan parks or motels, with underwing camping offered free. Provide a list of accommodation from the local chamber of commerce for pilots to choose from. Lectures would best be organised in hangars or nearby structures donated for this use, and not by hiring and erecting special tents. To avoid all charges for suppliers and those who attend, why not add $5 or $10 to membership fees, specifically to cover the fly-in? With RAAus’ 9,000 members, it would surely cover all basic essential expenses and encourage attendance. Temora or Cowra come to mind as possible viable and friendly places which could fulfil these needs. Disregarding the rain, this has been the least successful and most user unfriendly meet I have seen in 20 years. Our organisation has made a significant financial loss and a drastic
change of thinking is needed for the next year to get back to a popular low cost RAAus fly-in, one where everyone wants to be. This is a request to our Board to provide directives for appropriate changes to this vital event. BARRY WRENFORD From the CEO- Much of what you suggest has, and was, part of our planning and discussions. Much of what we delivered this year was the result of feedback from last year when we conducted a detailed survey of exhibitors and participants. Exhibitors wanted a better quality space to exhibit - we delivered that. Seminar hosts complained last year about noisy hangars being not suited for seminar hosting, so we created dedicated seminar space. Yes we got the placement of generators wrong, that will be fixed. Members wanted a fly-in combined with a limited air show - we delivered that. AirVenture ran for three days, 24 hours in total, and the air show component ran for just two hours of that. The event has a tag line of The Great Aussie Fly in™ and, to my mind, is a national fly-in. All the things that were historically on offer were there: exhibitors, seminars, food and drink and opportunities for mates to sit down and talk all things aviation. In terms of success - yes the event was a huge success. More than 2,400 visitors and over 440 aircraft. I don’t think it would be fair to charge all members a levy for an event that, in reality, only a few can attend given the geography of Australia. We are also currently surveying participants, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ airventure2017survey to have your say.
WRITE IN: EDITOR@SPORTPILOT.NET.AU The state of the organisation is reflected in the Letters to the Editor columns. The more letters – the healthier the organisation. So don’t just sit there – get involved. Your contributions are always welcome, even if no one else agrees with your opinion. The Editor makes every effort to run all letters, even if the queue gets long at certain times of the year. (By the way – the Editor reserves the right to edit Letters to the Editor to shorten them to fit the space available, to improve the clarity of the letter or to prevent libel. The opinions and views expressed in the Letters to the Editor are those of the individual writer and neither RA-Aus or Sport Pilot magazine endorses or supports the views expressed within them).
13 / SPORT PILOT
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MEMBER’S PORTAL LOGIN IF you’ve visited the RAAus the member’s portal recently, you will have noticed quite a few improvements in the way you log in. The changes went live on December 5. Now when you first go to the member’s portal, an orange pop up box will appear explaining how to log in.
ONCE you logged in, another pop up box will appear asking you to verify your details in the ‘manage my membership’ section. You will also be asked to hit ‘ok and go to ‘my member account details’ to verify that your name, email, phone numbers and postal address are correct.
AFTER the pop-up box, you will be taken to the login screen, you will notice it will ask for your member number/email. Obviously enter either your member number or the email you normally would log in with, then your password.
IF you have any issues logging in contact the office on (02) 6280 4700 or email websupport@raa.asn.au.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR SERIES PRELIMINARY DATES AND LOCATIONS
(subject to change, specific locations are yet to be determined) 28-FEB
Mildura PDP
8-APR
Aldinger PDP
8-MAR
Launceston PDP
3-MAY
Wagga PDP
9-MAR
Launceston PDP
4-MAY
Wagga PDP
16-MAR
Lethbridge PDP
16-MAY
Calboolture PDP
17-MAR
Lethbridge PDP
17-MAY
Calboolture PDP
18-MAR
Lethbridge PDP
19-MAY
Tamworth PDP
22-MAR
Latrobe PDP
14-JUN
Bindoon PDP
22-MAR
Latrobe PDP
15-JUN
Serpentine PDP
23-MAR
Latrobe PDP
16-JUN
Serpentine PDP
5-APR
Gawler PDP
27-JUN
Townsville PDP
6-APR
Gawler PDP
28-JUN
Townsville PDP
7-APR
Aldinger PDP
30-JUN
Rockhampton PDP
14 / SPORT PILOT
CEO’ S REPORT
A big thank you for a small year! BY MIC HAEL LINKE, C EO
A
S we move into 2018 many of us will have set goals, or aspirations, in our personal and professional lives. For me it is to continue to work hard to make RAAus the best we can be - and to eat a little less chocolate. Sometimes it’s also worth looking back at the achievements of the previous year and pause to sensate for a brief moment. I sensate a lot. It’s where I take a moment and really experience my surroundings. It may be taking in the sun on an early morning flight or sniffing the air just before a thunderstorm. I just take a moment. It can be said that yesterday’s successes are yesterday’s news but, as a member based organisation, we think it’s worthwhile to stop, reflect and acknowledge the efforts of every member who has contributed to make RAAus a safe, enjoyable and professional organisation to be part of. It’s no secret that both internally and within the broader industry, we are all judged by our accident rate, and tragically those which result in loss of life. RAAus has worked hard as an organisation over the past few years with you to share, learn from and ultimately reduce our serious accidents.
I am pleased to report all our combined efforts have yielded one of our lowest fatal accident rates in recent years, with 2017 finishing with the loss of four members in four separate accidents. Of course, even this is four too many but, in a pursuit where there is inherent risk, we can only aim for an outcome which is as low as reasonably possible and you have taken this on board. In all, RAAus members performed some 400,000 movements in 2017, which makes RAAus one of the safest, if not the safest, aviation body in Australia.
THANK YOU
On behalf of the team at RAAus, I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you. For every moment you have stopped to err on the side of caution. For the times you have planned effectively. For your efforts to self-improvement. For not succumbing to temptation. Or just simply for being 100 percent focussed on a safe flight. Every effort and every decision build the pathway to a safe and therefore enjoyable flight. These things require effort and don’t happen by accident. May 2018 be even safer and more fun.
“It’s worth looking back at the achievements of the year”
15 / SPORT PILOT
When you are up here you need to know what is happening at a glance.
Glance EFIS
Proudly brought to you by Ph: 0412 702 680 E: info@sapphireavionics.com.au W: www.sapphireavionics.com.au 16 / SPORT PILOT
IN TH E N EW S
I
PILOTS CHOOSE MULTICOM
N February 2017, CASA asked for our views on which frequency should be used at low level in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace and at uncharted aerodromes where there is no discrete frequency or broadcast area.
The options were: •maintain the current practice of monitoring the relevant area frequency; •monitor and broadcast on 126.7 MHz (MULTICOM). According to CASA, more than 80 per cent of respondents supported establishing MULTICOM 126.7 MHz as the frequency to use. So at the end of last year CASA issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to put a final decision into effect. According to CASA “The proposed changes reflect the preferences of the aviation community, while taking into account future airspace design and safety considerations for both VFR and IFR pilots. “The intent of changing the procedures for radio frequency use in low level airspace is to maximise the opportunity for aircraft operating at low level in Class G airspace to be on the same frequency and to make and receive broadcasts for ‘alerted see-and-avoid’. To ensure safe and effective implementation, common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) areas would be expanded under the proposal. This will ensure that aircraft conducting instrument approaches are on the same frequency as aerodrome traffic, prevent multiple frequency changes during climb and descent and ensure transmissions at busy aerodromes do not experience clutter from the MULTICOM frequency.”
This proposal has two elements which to be implemented together: •Establish MULTICOM below 5,000ft This change would allow VFR and IFR aircraft to monitor and broadcast on the MULTICOM frequency of 126.7 MHz up to but not including 5,000ft AMSL in Class G airspace where a discrete frequency, such as a CTAF or broadcast area, does not exist. And •Expand the airspace volume of CTAFs At non-controlled aerodromes this change would expand the volume of airspace contained in the CTAF to a 20nm radius laterally and up to, but not including, 5,000ft AMSL vertically. For the few aerodromes with an elevation of 3,000ft AMSL or higher, the vertical limits would extend to 3,500ft AGL. Next steps Following consultation, these changes may be implemented by mid-year and the aviation community will be advised. If adopted, CASA will provide an awareness and education program to ensure pilots are aware of the new procedures and have the necessary guidance and information. CASA says it will continue to review radio broadcasts and establishing further discrete frequencies would be considered if any issues of congestion arise as a result of any changes to radio frequency advice. A final decision was due at the end of January.
The proposed changes to radio frequency use in low level airspace. 17 / SPORT PILOT
IN TH E N EW S
WM/ROTAX MAINTENANCE BY C AROLE AND KE V MAC NALLY
THE Southern Districts Flying Club, together with Adelaide Airsports, are our most proactive team for these courses, which is why South Australia is now our base. A big thank you to Larry, CFI at Adelaide Airsports, who once again gave up his weekend to ensure we had access to everything we needed to hold the course. We had a good mix between students and pilots, RAAus and GA, as well as 912/582 pilots this time. A big thank you also to Austin for allowing our small group to look over, and practice their wire locking, on his brand new Airborne M3Sport 912 and to Bevan for offering his 582 for the 2-stroke practicals. Without people allowing us the use of their aircraft, our courses would not be able to run. The most popular part of the course is the practical, allowing techniques to be passed on and practiced in a safe environment. Austin was also able to check his aircraft for the recent SB-912-070 compliance (inspection of the valve push-rod assembly) during a break in the course, which thankfully revealed that his aircraft was clear. Our next course at Strathalbyn will be March/April. For more information, kmacnally@bigpond.com.
From left , Austin Rugless, Bevan Hancock, CFI Larry Jones, Jacob van Raalte, Tony Siciliano, Kev MacNally, Adam Talbot and Matt Jackson
18 / SPORT PILOT
IN TH E N EW S
A DC-2 engine nacelle after removal from wing
A DC-2 nacelle being cleaned
DC-2 fuselage with nacelles in background
One of the nacelles in its repair jig A bench full of undercarriage components after beadblasting, rust-proofing and awaiting repair
Main undercarriage during early disassembly in 2016
19 / SPORT PILOT
DONATION BOOSTS UIVER PROJECT THE restoration of the Uiver DC2 aircraft has been given a boost with a $90,000 donation. Several tasks, which had been deferred because of a lack of funds, will now go ahead after the early Christmas present arrived in the mail from an anonymous donor. Chairman of the Uiver Community Trust, Pieter Mol, said the benefactor wanted the money to go directly to the hands-on restoration of the DC2. “The donation was extremely timely and we are very grateful,” Peter said. “We will now be able to proceed with engine nacelle repairs, restoration of the undercarriage systems and purchasing of materials and tooling required to carry out the work.” The latest donation follows a grant of $2,500 from 1494 Radio 2AY, a Border Trust partner, which will help pay for the specialist restoration required on the plane’s two propellers. Volunteers are continuing to work on the aircraft every Wednesday and Saturday at the SmartAir hangar at the Albury airport. It’s a five-year project to bring the DC2 to a display condition as the centrepiece of a museum telling the story of the Uiver’s rescue at Albury during the 1934 London to Melbourne air race. For more information, Facebook.com/UIVER.ABX/
IN TH E N EW S
A FLYING FIRST FOR BEGA A recreational flying school focussed on the booming Chinese and broader Asia-Pacific recreational aviation market is preparing for take-off in Bega on the NSW south coast. Sports Aviation Flight College Australia announced it had secured the land and existing airstrips at Frogs Hollow for the development of a facility which will host hundreds, and ultimately more than a thousand, Chinese and other asian students annually, bringing jobs, skills and income into the district. The planned Frogs Hollow Sports Aviation Flight college, for which a Development Approval proposal has been lodged with the Bega Valley Shire Council, is based on an existing-use regional aviation facility which has hosted flying for more than 70 years, about 13kms south of Bega. The new development will be led by the youngest man ever to circumnavigate Australian by air, SAFC Director Mitch Boyle. Mitch was just 16 when, in 2008, he flew his light aircraft more than 90 hours to circumnavigate Australia, a feat not equalled since by one so young. According to the proposal, the major benefits to the region will include:
•Many local jobs in the construction phase as accommodation and facilities are added to Frogs Hollow; •More than 200 permanent full-time jobs as the college ramps up activities. The company says hundreds of other jobs will be created due to the flow-on effect of the college. •A growing community of students living at the college and spending in the community, with a first intake of 120 by December 2018, doubling in 2019 and ultimately rising to 1,200 per year. •A growing advanced technology skillsbased business with high potential, high income clientele of the type needed by diversifying regional centres such as Bega. According to Mitch, China’s 12 existing pilot schools, catering to the country’s growing wealthy middle class, are already at full capacity. “Bloomberg estimates China will need to hire 100 pilots a week for the next 20 years to meet skyrocketing travel demand. It will need to build more than 500 general aviation airports across the country to accommodate more than 5,000 all-purpose aircraft
SO YOU’VE HAD A CLOSE CALL? Why not share your story so that others can learn from it too? If we publish it, we’ll give you $500. Email us at fsa@casa.gov.au Articles should be between 450 and 1000 words. If preferred, your identity will be kept confidential. 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.
20 / SPORT PILOT
Mitch Boyle
by the 2020s. It is estimated China will need 10,000 light aircraft to meet the general aviation sector’s rapid expansion,” says Mitch. For more information, www.sportsaviationaustralia.com
IN TH E N EW S
WEATHER PLAYS HELL WITH ICARUS THE toughest race for powered parachute pilots, the Icarus Trophy, was run in Australia for the first time in November. The organisors describe the trophy as a whole new breed of air race - man and machine vs the skies. They set it up to be the toughest thing you could do with a powered parachute, a 1,600km adventure where pilots fly across some of the most challenging terrain on the planet. The Race Division pilots cover up to 640kms a day. They must fly unsupported throughout and get there first to win.
They can only progress by flying or walking. If they walk, they must carry their equipment. The other division is called the Adventure Division. Pilots make it to the finish line under their own (or borrowed) steam. Pilots can accept outside support and travel using transport other than flying. Many pilots start in Race Division and then choose to drop down to Adventure. The Icarus X Series final event of 2017 took place in Gloucester, NSW. The weather didn’t play ball. The wind was 20kts, gusting to 25kts, which was too much to be dangling
under a little bit of a sail and a fan. Rain and heavy cloud along the route also made conditions tough. Andy Kalkman was awarded the Adventure Class Trophy, flying the most miles and all the way back to Gloucester airfield after conditions ahead meant continuing was impossible. Casey Butler won the Race Class. He completed the course not knowing many of the other pilots had pulled out due to the poor weather. In 2018 the Icarus Trophy will go to southern Africa. For more information, www.icarustrophy.com.
Andy Kalkman, Mr Dan, Casey Butler, Nikole and Dave Wainwright at the closure of the Icarus X Australia 2017.
21 / SPORT PILOT
FEATU RE
THE
SNEAKY STALL PART 1
BY ROB KNIGHT
S
OME say stalls are caused by flying at too low an airspeed. Others claim stalls happen when pilots try to climb too steeply. Yet others are simply so scared by the propaganda put out about stalling and its dangers, they cannot overcome their trepidation to become conversant with them. What’s the issue here? The cause of a stall is simple and should be well known. Stalls are predictable. Deliberate stalls are not dangerous. Pilot entered stalls are corrected/recovered from with simplistic ease and in complete safety. But note the qualifying phrase, deliberately entered stalls. I cannot ever recall hearing or reading about any serious accident, or even an incident, involving a deliberately entered stall. But stalls are sneaky. Stalls can appear at any time, at any speed. Indeed a major 21st century mystery, some would say. Obviously, stalls are not fairytales so let’s take a realistic look at their simplicity and safety. Let’s start by dispelling some myths. Stalls really can occur at any airspeed, anywhere from an aeroplane’s VNE down to a zero reading on the ASI. Stalls can also be experienced at any nose attitude, from vertical climb to vertical dive and anywhere in between. They can occur when an aeroplane is inverted, straight and level or right-side-up. So is there any time when an aeroplane is safe from a stall? When can a pilot relax their vigilance? The answer is a resounding yes! An aeroplane is safe from a stall at any point when its angle of attack is less than the aerofoil’s stalling angle. Generally, aerofoils (airfoils in Trumpland talk) stall at about 15° angle of attack, so as long as the aeroplane’s angle of attack is less than the 15°limit, the aeroplane simply cannot stall. To better understand this, we need to look at a couple of definitions. We say the stall occurs because the angle of attack is too high i.e., greater than 15°. The angle of attack is the angle between the chord line of the aerofoil and the relative airflow (relative wind in more Trumpland talk). So, what’s an aerofoil? An aerofoil is the cross section of a wing. A cross section that displays the shapes and the curves of the upper and lower surfaces as in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1
The chord line is a straight line joining the leading edge of an aerofoil. The angle of attack is the angle made between the chord line and the relative airflow as shown in Fig. 2. If the angle of the chord line changes, or the relative airflow changes direction, the angle of attack will change. In Fig. 2, the angle of attack is about 4°, the angle of attack where the best lift/drag ratio occurs and where the aerofoil is most efficient.
Fig. 2
If the aeroplane stalls at 15° angle of attack, then we could call 14° the critical angle because, if we increase the angle any further we will induce the aerofoil to stall (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3
Now the cause is ascertained, what actually happens when a stall physically occurs? The word stall is usually associated with something that stops and, in this sense, the same applies. However, what has stopped is not the aeroplane, but the smooth flow of air passing over the upper surface of the aerofoil in normal flight. At the stall, the relatively smooth airflow over the aerofoil breaks away from the surface and tumbles in a series of eddies and swirling currents. Because the previously relatively smooth airflow provided about 80% of the lift, at the stall, you will lose a large proportion of lift. So the next obvious question is why does the air break away? You are driving on a motorway and proceed around a bend. Doing 100kmph, the time to drive around the bend is comfortable and there is no adverse effect by the vehicle mass to force you away from the curve. But what if you tried to drive around the curve at 200kmph?
22 / SPORT PILOT
FEATU RE
It is quite possible the vehicle would not be able to take the curve and would slide/skid/roll towards the outside of the curve and into the barrier positioned there for that very purpose. The cause is that the inertia of the vehicle prevents it from following the change in direction around the curve. Air behaves the same way – the inertia of the air prevents it from following the change in direction over the upper surface of the aerofoil aft of the point of maximum camber. The air will behave in exactly the same manner as the vehicle. It, too, will not be able to take the bend and will ‘spin out’, breaking away into turbulent flows and eddies. And with no smooth flow, there’s much less lift and much more drag.
Fig. 4
The change in lift and drag is indicated in Fig. 4 by the green and the yellow lines which clearly illustrate the magnitude of the change in lift and drag values. The simplicity of the stall can now be easily seen. It is just the breakdown of the smooth airflow over the wing to turbulent flow and it’s caused by an angle of attack which is too great. Remove the excessive angle of attack and the aeroplane will resume normal flight – it really is as simple as that. Let’s put some proportions in this change in lift and drag. Let’s look at how the lift and the total drag on the aerofoil change with changing angle of attack. The easiest way to display this is on a graph. The graph displays the value changes in both lift and drag plotted against the angle of attack. Fig. 5 shows the rise in lift (the black line) as the angle of attack increases until, at 15°, the stall occurs. Notice how rapidly the lift decreases after the stall angle has been exceeded.
Fig. 5
It means that, if you exceed the stalling angle of attack, the loss of lift may be savage, and the rise in drag can be extreme. With all this emphasis on the stalling angle, why does everyone keep referring to a stalling speed? Alas, to say that an aeroplane stalls at a particular airspeed is something of a misnomer, perhaps even dangerous. The often flight manual quoted stalling speed is only the speed where the aeroplane reaches the stalling angle of attack in straight and level flight when being flown by a test pilot, with no slip or skid, perhaps with power and all the available high lift devices applied. This is most often quoted as being applicable on approach which, of course, it can’t be because it is in level flight where the speed is ascertained. As previously discussed, any aeroplane can stall at an angle of attack, so an aeroplane can stall at any speed. However, using the stall speed as a guide does have one attribute. It allows us to compare the effects of variations we can make to the aeroplane. For example, if we accept that an aeroplane stalls at 40kts without flap or power applied, we can then see how effective the use of flap or power is to lift by noting how much slower we can fly before we reach the stalling angle. Thus, if the aeroplanes stalls at 38kts with flap down, we can accept we will have a lower stall speed when the flaps are lowered. Not that it will always stall at 38kts now the flaps are down, because it won’t. Its just that we need less speed to fly with flaps lowered, so we might have an increased safety margin. We also talk about the stall speed because we don’t have a simple means of measuring or seeing the angle of attack. Without a practical angle of attack indication, we use a rule of thumb system which, if we follow, should mean we are not about to stall. Alas, the stall/crash statistics clearly indicate there needs to be a better understanding of the whole issue so a better appraisal can be made by pilots instead of feeling happy because their airspeed is above the stall speed. This will only help sometimes. Most modern aeroplanes are provided with high lift devices, such as slats/slots and flaps. These have the effect of lowering the speed at the stalling angle in level flight. Earlier I used an analogy of a motorway with a physical metal barrier to stop vehicles leaving the roadway – the safety barrier. Slats are exactly the same thing and provided for the same reason – to force the airflow around the curve of the aerofoil and delay the stall until an angle of attack higher than the previously mentioned 15° occurs.
0 5 10 15 Angle of Attack
But also notice how quickly the drag (the red line) soars upwards with the increasing angle of attack. At the stall angle, its rise is almost exponential (Fig. 6). Fig. 7
Fig. 6
0 5 10 15 18 Angle of Attack
Slats can raise the stalling angle of attack to as much as 25° (Fig. 7). Note that a slot is the gap between the wing and the slat and that some wings have slots built into them so there is no drag creating protuberance above the wing to kill cruise speed. Slats are not a new invention. They were fitted by de Havilland to Tiger Moths in the 1930s and to airliners ever since. Storch makes great use of them to aid its STOL capabilities, and Cessna 177 Cardinals have an inverted slot on the leading edge of their horizontal tail surfaces to delay the stall when the stick is pulled right back. 23 / SPORT PILOT
FEATU RE
The sneaky stall cont.
Flaps vary from simple hinged surfaces, to types which descend below the lower wing surfaces and extend rearwards to increase the wing area and provide slots to prohibit the flaps stalling. These are called Fowler flaps and excellent details are provided via the internet if you Google fowler flap, slotted flap, or jetted flap. Fowler flaps can make very substantial changes to an aeroplane’s slow speed flight profile, but come with weight, complexity and cost penalties. It simply means an aeroplane fitted with one or more of these high lift devices can fly in level flight at a lower speed. But don’t be complacent – any aeroplane can and will stall, and will do so at any airspeed if the angle of attack exceeds the stalling angle of attack. However, there are other things which can change the stall speed. Such as changing the weight. Not only extra weight at take-off, but the apparent increase in weight when an aeroplane turns or pitches. The greater the turn rate or rate of pull up from a dive, the greater will be the lift required from the wings, so the greater will be the stall speed. Flying the aeroplane with slip or skid will cause shielding of part of one of the wings and this, too will result in a raised stalling speed. Imagine the scenario – set up on approach, descending through 600ft, turning from left
base onto finals, a bit much into-turn rudder to pull the nose around and pulling a bit of G. There is a sudden buffet. What’s that you wonder? Then, before you can answer your own question, the port wing falls out of the sky. The aeroplane has rolled in a fraction of a second and now the nose is pointing vertically down. The left wing is still dropping – the world rotates in front of the windscreen with the nose so low all you can do is pull back on the stick to try and pull it up but it’s not moving. The world is rotating even faster and the trees and buildings on the ground are screaming up to you. Next month: What happens to the aeroplane, its potential; movement and direction of motion changes at and post stall. The pilot most likely to need a good recovery technique is one who will never do a stall because it is too frightening. Faced with an unexpected stick buffet, the frightened pilot will assume it is just turbulence. They will not instinctively check the stick forward. They have trained themselves that they don’t ever stall, so it just can’t happen. How dangerous is that?
MTOW 600Kg Empty Weight 300-305Kg Cruise 90 Kts Stall 26Kts Take Off/Land 45m Photo shows some options
Eastern Australia: Reg Mob 0418 157 044 24 / SPORT PILOT
New Zealand Agent Philip: 64 21 747 494
SPECFICATIO
NS
ROTA X 912 80 HP/912ULS 10 0HP EMPTY WEIGH T 215KG FUEL CONSUM PTION 13LPH FUEL CAPACIT Y 65LTS MTOW 409KG WING AREA 10 .6SQM WING SPAN 8.3 5M MA X STRAIGH T & LEVEL SPE ED 87KTS NEVER EXCEED SPEED VNE 10 0KTS STALL SPEED 3 4KTS CLIMB RATE AT MAUW 1200F T MIN ULTIMATE STR ENGTH +6G -3G
?
So what is it about the QuikR BY PE TER AND ANNE MC LE AN
My students vote with their feet
25 / SPORT PILOT
R EAD ER STORY
You can really go places and fast
An easy aircraft to maintain Easy to see instruments
?
So what is it about the QuikR? BY PE TER AND ANNE MC LE AN
A
FTER flying and training in most of the trikes available in Australia today, I have come to one conclusion - my students vote with their feet. And I have more students wanting to fly the QuikR than any other type of aircraft I have owned or trained in.
SO WHY IS THE QUIKR SO POPULAR?
It’s simple. The QuikR is a nice looking aircraft with a safety record second to none. Not to mention the QuikR is easy to fly with the STARS (Stability Trim And Roll System) taking the hard work out of it. However, in saying that the QuikR is easy to fly, you still need to do the hard yards with the training if you have never flown before. The QuikR is more like a standard three axis aircraft to fly, rather than a trike. Students adapt more quickly to flying the QuikR, due to its speed, range and stability, especially in the circuit and landing. My students often tend to solo quicker and also move through the training syllabus easier. The cockpit is just what you need for a training aircraft. Easy to see instruments in the angled panel are just right. On top of the instrument panel is a perfect space to put your charts, gloves, or anything you need to store for use in flight.
26 / SPORT PILOT
R EAD ER STORY
A cost effective training aircraft Angled panel for charts or gloves
SO HOW IS THE QUIKR FOR THE INSTRUCTOR?
Sitting in the rear seat for hours on end is the hardest part for any instructor. I have really only had two aircraft which made it easy for me to do that. They are the Tanarg and the QuikR. The QuikR is very easy for me to reach the cutoff switches, electric trim, hand throttle and choke. The training bars are also in just the right position for me. The windscreen design also minimises the wind on me sitting in the rear. So for me, as the owner, there is another question. How does the QuikR stand up to the hard work of being a training aircraft? Of all the trikes I have used as training aircraft, the QuikR has got to be the most cost effective. For one, after flying over 400 hours and over 700 landings, the tyres still look like new. The QuikR has not had any of the problems I had with any of the other aircraft I have ever owned, or used for training. The QuikR is also one of the easiest aircraft to maintain. Some of the other trainers we have used have had rear tyres wear out within 50 hours, and others have had brake problems. That’s not only expensive to repair but also time consuming because it means the aircraft is offline while all of this has to happen. It really makes the QuikR a truly economic training aircraft.
SO HOW IS THE QUIKR AS A CROSS COUNTRY AIRCRAFT?
It has a speed range to make it not only a great for training but it also makes a fantastic cross country aircraft. The QuikR can fly along at a cruise speed of 70 to 80kts all day. So you can really go places. And fast. It is not uncommon for me to fly a navigation flight at 90kts. It’s quite funny when we pass a Cessna (yes, we do get the comments after landing from the other pilots). For students doing their navigation training, it is also cost effective. The student can fly a longer flight and get to more aerodromes for circuits on different types of runways, as well as fly over more different types of terrain. The student can plan a real navigation flight and know they can make it back on a tank of fuel, instead of just doing a small flight around the local area and calling it a navigation flight. It’s not unusual for our students to plan a flight covering three or four different aerodromes and flying over 150 nautical miles. The weather is also less of a problem due to the speed and stability of the QuikR. At the end of the day, most of our students have made their decision to only fly the QuikR. For Anne and I at Yarrawonga Flight Training, it’s not just a great aircraft to fly, it’s a cost effective training aircraft as well.
27 / SPORT PILOT
R EAD ER STORY
T
One of those thi
HE next time you attend an air show, or any other place where there is a gaggle of ultralights performing, you will observe a small huddle of people standing 20 metres further back than the general onlookers. This closely knit, stern faced group will all be GA pilots, standing with arms folded and speaking in hushed tones. If you manage to get within earshot you will hear statements like; “Look at that flimsy machine, it looks like it’s going to fall apart;” “Listen to that screaming lawn mower engine, it sounds like it’s going to blow up;” “A decent gust and those canvas wings are going to fold inside out;” “You will never get me up in one of those things.” I have to admit I was one of those pilots - just the ordinary, weekend flying variety. In 1983 I had been flying for nine years and had managed to clock up about 350 hours. Not many, but like all readers of this magazine, I love flying and I had recently joined the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia so I could get a closer look at the beautiful GA homebuilt machines. The urge to build one myself led me to purchase a partly completed Cvjetkovic CA65 from an SAAA member in Victoria and I was anticipating many hours of happy flying in this two place 150hp, retractable sports plane when I completed it. In the meantime, I had been watching the progress of two fellow members of our newly created ultralight group, Dennis and Larry, who were each building a Resurgam ultralight. I was impressed with the professional design and easy to follow documents. All of this, combined with the simple materials and methods required, formed the ingredients of an enjoyable building project. Dennis and Larry were making good progress and taking every opportunity to further improve the safety and integrity of their aircraft by constantly communicating with the designer and other builders. Dennis and Larry approached me and said they were looking for a pilot to fly them up to meet the designer of the Resurgam, Gordon Bedson. I immediately volunteered and, after a couple of weeks of preparation, we departed Moorabbin one Friday morning in a Cherokee Warrior and headed for northern NSW. Gordon resided at a small town called Bundarra, south of Inverell. Larry who had a restricted PPL and Dennis with a student licence did their share of flying, while I battled with the one in sixties and adverse winds. It must have been their flying that put us off course so often. It could not have been my navigation. From the moment of our arrival, Gordon and Celia Bedson made us feel at home and we enjoyed every moment of their hospitality for the remainder of the weekend. On Friday evening, after a restaurant style dinner by candlelight, the
conversation naturally got around to aircraft and many hours were spent talking about ultralight construction. Before retiring, Gordon announced that we would be rising early to take his Resurgam out to the local agricultural strip to do some flying. Then, slowly, the realisation dawned on me that Gordon expected me to fly it. Within a microsecond, my thoughts went from “No, I don’t want to fly one of those things” to “maybe I could give it a little bit of a go”. Surprisingly, in the next couple of seconds, I was already facing the challenge of flying a completely new type of aircraft. It was as though Gordon had said “you can fly my P51 Mustang in the morning”. At 7am we were at the ag strip in the still morning air, assembling the Resurgam with a clear blue sky above. Assembly was only a two-man job and even, with the four of us getting in each other’s way and driving Gordon mad with questions, we were still completed in 12 minutes. This was a special moment when the little craft seemed to come alive and took on its own personality, as it stood proudly with the morning sun reflecting off the bright little airframe. Although functional by design, the high wing pusher with tricycle undercarriage has very pleasing lines 28 / SPORT PILOT
which are enhanced by the high empennage connected to the fuselage by a tubular aluminium boom. The semi enclosed cockpit with no doors give it a robust and business-like appearance. With half a revolution of the starter motor, the four-cylinder Konig two stroke radial engine came to life and emitted a pleasant little throaty roar as it drove the three bladed Bedson prop via a 1.8 - 1 reduction belt drive. With run ups completed, Gordon lifted off effortlessly in the smooth air and climbed away into the distance over the surrounding farmlands. Shortly we heard the little craft return and Gordon carried out some overhead circuit work before demonstrating a feather touch landing. Then it was my turn and, with anxiety mounting at an alarming rate, I found myself being strapped in while Gordon was calmly briefing me on the finer points of flying an ultralight. I kept thinking to myself “This must be what the astronauts feel prior to blast off in the space shuttle” and “what in earth am I doing here anyway?” With nerves settled and concentration focused on the task ahead, I started the engine and taxied away for man and machine to become familiar.
R EAD ER STORY
ings
BY BRIAN HAM
ZZ
practically non-existent compared to the Cherokee. With full throttle applied, lift-off speed of 40kts was reached very quickly. During the short take off run, directional control was exceptional while the nose wheel was on terra firma. Then, with pronounced back pressure, the nose lifted off and immediately set the correct angle of attack to vault the airframe skyward.
FIRST LESSON
The instant the nose wheel lost its purchase on the runway, the noticeable propeller effect at full thrust yawed the airframe to the right and I was left with a deficit of opposite rudder. My first lesson in ultralight flying was that the secondary effect of control is instantaneous, i.e. the right yaw generated more lift in the faster – travelling outer left-hand wing, resulting in a climbing turn to the right and would have been easily controlled if I had been more responsive to correct rudder inputs. Climb out was exhilarating as my mind raced to remember the correct climb out speed and I battled to obtain a climb attitude over the unfamiliar and very low instrument coaming. The Resurgam continued in a flat climb until I was brave enough to pull the nose up and feel the power of that little Konig push my 73kgs into a real climb.
eye view of life below for a full 360°. Because the Konig only turns at 4,000rpm under full power and has a reduction drive, the engine and propeller noise are more than acceptable at all power settings. Wishing I could cruise around all day, common sense advised me to prepare for a landing so, after executing a low pass over the field, I joined a left crosswind position for a landing. Because there are no flaps, there was little else to do on base leg but adjust lower power settings to arrive at the correct glide angle.
THIRD LESSON
Here I experienced my third lesson which was that, with the absence of weight in these small airframes, you suffer the loss of inertia and momentum to continue penetrating the air at a constant glide angle. Any abrupt power change results in an instant up or down deviation from the glide path, so maintaining a constant glide path is directly proportional to the sensitivity in the tip of your throttle finger. Consequently, my first approach was a little high and too fast, so I continued around for another try. On the second attempt and with my throttle finger more in tune, I arrived on short final with speed and attitude well established and steady as a rock. Over the threshold and with the confidence of a good approach, everything felt great as I entered the flare for a copy book landing – but alas.
“The airy cockpit is very comfortable”
The only apprehension left about the machine was the performance of that tiny two stroke engine. But these were soon allayed during a fast taxi run, where I was amazed at the throttle response and very good acceleration. The runway surface was clumpy grass and the small undercarriage negotiated it with ease, making ground handling superb at all speeds. On the ground, the Resurgam was very reminiscent of a Cessna with the undercarriage rocking and creaking as the wheels rolled over the uneven ground. With no wheel brakes, a 180° turn on the narrow ag strip was accomplished with application of right rudder and two short bursts of throttle. The propeller then took over and thrust the airframe into a tight right-hand turn. It was my intention to taxi at speed and play with the elevator while the nose wheel was off the ground but, with the long wheel base and the rearward position of the main wheels, this wasn’t possible without attaining lift-off speed. However, the increased slipstream over the control surfaces made the stick pressure feel responsive, so, without further ado, that was it. Gritting my teeth, I gave Gordon a nod and lined up on the runway. Pre-take off checks were
SECOND LESSON
My plan was to gain plenty of altitude before experimenting, so a glance down by my left elbow suggested to me there was at least 300ft clearance from the grasslands below. But I was surprised to see only 100ft registered on Gordon’s very accurate altimeter. My second lesson was that, with the absence of a bulky airframe around us, the pilot’s intimate contact with the environment gives us a feeling of increased height, making it feel quite secure manoeuvring around at 300ft. (The regulations in 1983 said ‘do not cross a sealed road and do not fly above 300ft’. Crazy, wasn’t it?) To establish a 65kts cruise, I ignored the trim control and just set the appropriate power setting for my weight, which seemed to be a setting of 3,700rpm. At this stage, I began to relax and fell in love with this new flying experience as the aircraft continued to deliver everything asked of it from the control inputs. The airy cockpit is very comfortable and the full-length windscreen protects your face and upper body from any slipstream blast. I found the panoramic view breathtaking and gave a bird’s 29 / SPORT PILOT
FOURTH LESSON
The difference between the seating height of a Cherokee and the Resurgam is approximately 76cms and give or take a few centimetres, that is by how much I misjudged the flare height. My arrival was accompanied with a firm bump as the three wheels descended hard onto the runway (sorry Gordon). However, this remains as further tribute to the integrity of the laminated timber and fibreglass undercarriage. While taxying back to the trailer, I remember thinking that the flight would forever be a highlight in my flying experiences.
EPILOGUE
After a couple of years, I sold the Cvjetkovic before it was completed and purchased a Wittman Tailwind, which I operated for 18 years. In recent years, I constructed a Sonex. In 1988, I took lessons and gained an RAAus Pilot Certificate. I now have 15 different types in my log book and have enjoyed flying every one of them. I guess you could get me up in one of those things after all.
A little pearl the Lisa Akoya BY DAVE TONKS
30 / S P O R T P I L O T
A I RC RAFT FEATU RE
With so many interesting aircraft on the market, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d seen it all – apparently not. The Lisa Akoya breaks new ground with a number of firsts, employing a combination of features never seen before in a single airframe.
31 / S P O R T P I L O T
A I RC RAFT FEATU RE
A little pearl The Lisa Akoya
O
F these features, the only new concept is the use of hydrodynamic fins as the way of managing the landing/take-off function of the aircraft on water. The major features which make this aircraft unique are its ability to take-off and land on land, water or snow and its folding wings. This amazing combination of functions makes the Akoya a fascinating method of travel. Imagine this scenario: Store the aircraft in a building no larger than a garage; tow the aircraft to a land-based runway/boat ramp for water launch or snow-covered field for take-off. Take off from any of the above and then land on your choice of the above. So you could tow your aircraft to your local grass field, fly to your destination lake, land on the water, extend the landing gear, taxi up onto the beach, picnic, taxi back into the water and fly home. Other amphibians can do this, but without the major advantages of folding wings and ability to land and take off from snow. Most of the design features of the
Akoya have been seen on other aircraft, including the pylon-mounted engine and amphibious/ snow capability – but not combined in a package like this. The aircraft has been designed with the LSA market in mind and the US market is seen as a major target. With a 650kgs MTOW, the Akoya can be flown in Australia with an RAAus licence, making it the bucket list aircraft of all time for pilots like me – I wonder if they’d take a Drifter as a tradein? Not that I’d ever consider parting with my little dinasoar (sic). The asking price is as spectacular as the aircraft itself at 300,000 Euros. Without doubt, I would need some considerable help from the numbered ping-pong balls before I could consider parking one of these in my hangar, sorry, garage. Videos on the Lisa website show a spectacular little flying machine gracing the air and water. The iconic design of the Akoya looks absolutely at home, both in the air and on the water, including a cockpit which looks like something out of a 32 / S P O R T P I L O T
spaceship. The power of the motor (Rotax 912) pushes the very slick aerodynamic fuselage of the Akoya through the water until the patented technology seafoils come into effect, after which a little back pressure on the stick lifts the aircraft into the air. Videos showing the Akoya skimming along the surface of the water with just the tips of the seafoils touching the surface are simply amazing. Both the folding wing and forward-tilting canopy are electrically operated, the latter can be opened during taxi on both land and water – one of the promotional pictures of the aircraft show it snuggled up (with wings folded) to the mooring pontoon at the stern of a yacht. I guess if you can afford the yacht you can afford the Akoya. Lisa Airplanes is a French company, located in the French Alps, founded in 2004. As a dedicated French car owner (Renault 10 and 16) I can attest to the wonderful quirkiness of French design – my Renault 16 actually has a longer wheelbase on one side than the
A I RC RAFT FEATU RE
other. How French is that? Specifications of the Akoya include a standard fuel capacity of 70 litres with an option for a second tank of 110 litres – with a stated fuel consumption of 5.6 litres/100km; this gives range of around 2,000kms. Cruise is listed at 113kts, with a stall speed of 35kts (flaps down). Incidentally, the flaps are actually described as ‘trailing edge extensions’, with the fuselage and wings described as constructed from carbon reinforced polymer composite – the aspect ratio of the main wing is stated to be approximately 18:1, quite high for an aircraft of this type. The history of the Akoya is as interesting as the aircraft itself. The first flight of Prototype 1 was in 2007, but with investors failing to provide further funding, a 75% share of the company was sold to the Heima Mining Company of China in 2013 for US$20m. This was apparently in response to Chinese government policy encouraging the business community to invest in the aviation sector, primarily due to an expected
“The asking price significant increase in that to own a 25% is as spectacular funds arena. While the Chinese share in such a magic investment will initially alaircraft. One particular as the low the establishment of two fly in the ointment (at least production lines in France, the in Queensland – I’m not aircraft” intent is to move the lines to sure of the situation in other China sometime in the near future. Some of the early images show the Prototype 1 with quite a nose-high taxi stance on land, resulting in restricted vison to the front – this was corrected in Prototype 2, with lowered main landing gear of the ‘knuckle’ type (as seen on aircraft like F-18 Hornets). These changes also allowed revision of the fuselage seafoils to a more horizontal positioning, resulting in a significant improvement to the taxi stance on the water. The second prototype first flew in August 2017. Disadvantages of the concept are few and far between – obviously, price has to be top of the list. Having said that, I could see how four pilots would jump at the chance of pooling their 33 / S P O R T P I L O T
states) is the backward and discriminatory attitudes of SEQ Water, a government department which has deemed that, while it is perfectly safe for a 16 year old to roar around a dam in a high-powered speedboat, it is not safe for amphibious aircraft to land and take-off from those same waters. When a government department states on its website that “We own and operate 26 dams and 51 weirs” you get an idea of the mindset – they actually think they own the dams. With the Chinese investment, there must now be certainty that the Akoya will succeed where many others have failed. I’m looking forward to the day I see one of these magic little aircraft in the flesh.
POSTER
LITTLE YELLOW THING BY C LIVE C UNNINGHAM
This is a picture of X-Air 19-4447 touching down at Rowland Flat for the Barossa Airshow in 2017. She is known at her home field, Gawler SA as ‘the Little Yellow Thing’. She performed wonderfully as part of the Adelaide Soaring Club LSA display. She mixed in with the ‘real’ planes and got a few comments like “what sort of tape do you use to hold the wings on?” I just pointed out to the questioners that she was cheaper to run than my Harley.
POSTER OPPORTUNITY
Want to see yourself or your aircraft larger than life on your clubhouse or bedroom wall?
Sport Pilot is offering subscribers the chance to show off their favourite aviation photo in this double page centre spread of the magazine each month. Each edition one photo will be chosen (We will try and make sure every photo sent in gets a run). If you are an aircraft seller, it’s a great chance to show off your product.
36 / S P O R T P I L O T
If you have a fancy paint job, now is the time to show it off. And if you have a great photograph of you and your mates at a fly-in, it will make a good memento. Send your photos (as separate jpeg attachments) to editor@sportpilot. net.au. It obviously has to be in landscape, not portrait, mode and be as big a file as possible please.
R EAD ER STORY
Hangar talking BY GEOFF WOOD
A
FTER our hangar talk at WangaratIf the aircraft nose is not above the horita, I thought some of what we cov- zon a stall is unlikely, even on low power with ered would be of interest to readers neutral trim set. of Sport Pilot. The primary audience was And remember, if an aircraft does not pilots with limited experience and within the stall, it cannot get into a spin (It can, of accident zone. course, still get into a spiral dive, which is Firstly, some facts about the ages and generally the result of flying into cloud withhours of pilots at higher risk. From RAAus out the proper training). If you stall and enfigures, I was surprised to learn that the ter a spin below 500ft in most aircraft, you average age of pilots having accidents was probably won’t be able to recover it in time. around 60 and those with around 1,760 This is why the rules say turns should only be hours logged. 87% of the accidents have a made above 500ft. human factors element. In the book “The Killing Zone” by Paul Craig, the author reveals that in the U.S the pilots most in danger of an accident are those with between 50 and 350 hours logged. The most common cause of fatal accidents in the U.S. (I am assuming here also) in general aviation is from flying into IMC from VMC conditions i.e. entering cloud. The most recent fatal accidents in Australia have been due to stall/spin loss of control. In “The Killing Zone” the order of accidents (after flying into non-VMC), comes takeoff and landing, approach and landing, mid-air collision, fuel mismanagement and pilot health. Others I would add for Australia would be wire strikes, low level flying and A student comfortable carburettor icing. with unusual attitudes is So how safe is it to fly RAAus far less likely to panic aircraft? It is quite safe and it can be even safer for pilots who reduce or Also, by restricting eliminate the potential causes of accidents. your turns to gentle ones, If we remove the 84% of accidents caused by you are far less likely to human factors, it is extremely safe indeed. stall inadvertently. Your If you can avoid flying into non-VMC, if you aircraft will only stall at its don’t unintentionally stall, if you pay atten- published stalling speed when tion on the runway and learn (and practice) no extra G forces are applied. If what to do to make a safe forced landing, you do a sudden pull-up or even a steep your risk of being hurt in an aeroplane is re- balanced turn, the aircraft can stall at douduced by a huge amount. ble its published stall speed. At 72 degrees Avoiding unintentional stalls is one sub- bank, you will pull three Gs. Your 600kgs airject I stress to student pilots at Wangaratta. craft will effectively weigh 1,800kgs. A sudBack in my own learning days, I recovered den pull up can pull over two Gs. At two Gs, from a stall then was surprised to stall again the stall speed will have increased by 40%. on the pull out. My instructor informed me I At 75 degrees bank, the stall speed will have had done a high-speed stall by pulling up too doubled. It is not the published stall speed quickly and had stalled again even though any more. It is prohibited to spin an aircraft the airspeed I was at, was a lot higher than registered in RAAus, but on our flight simuthe published speed. Many a Cessna 150 lator, the Tecnam takes up to 1,000ft to be pilot has crashed after doing a beat up and recovered from a spin entry. high G pull up. A sudden gust of wind on the flare when It is nearly impossible to stall if you are not landing can also induce a stall even though holding back stick. you might still be above the stall speed. It’s a
good reason to add around 50% of the wind speed to your approach speed on a gusty day. An inexperienced pilot, landing from a tailwind base leg, can easily overshoot the turn onto final. If they then use left rudder in a skidding turn, trying not to bank too steeply, it can cause a wing to decelerate and stall. If not corrected, it can develop into a spin. That can be fatal. The CAA in New Zealand has good information including graphs on G forces and related stall speeds. I am all for students extending their experience by going to a gliding club, or to a school which uses an aerobatic aircraft, and actually doing spins and recovery. A student comfortable with unusual attitudes is far less likely to panic in a bad situation.
ENGINE FAILURE
As much as 30 percent of an RAAus pilot’s time is spent in the circuit. An engine failure here should not be dramatic. There is no reason (except at busy strips) you should not to be able to land back at the airfield if you have an engine failure. I encourage students to conduct close circuits. It helps not to hold up other pilots arriving at the airfield and I am reminded about a fatal accident at Katherine when an aircraft low on fuel, crashed, killing all on board. The likely cause was because the pilot was flying a wide circuit when the engine stopped. So how do we reduce our chances of having an accident? How do get past the “killing zone”? The difference between an experienced and a novice pilot is the quality of their decisions. The decisions of experienced pilots are helped by their experiences. And there is only one way to get that experience. Go aloft and practice stalls and prevention. Practice landing exactly on the nominated spot, practice cross wind landings, study summer weather and how it affects your approaches and landings, go somewhere you can try slope landings, fly anything different you can and always practice at being a professional pilot. Doing this you will gain Airmanship much more quickly than flying hours.
“Always practice at being a professional pilot”
37 / S P O R T P I L O T
R EAD ER STORY
Taking on the tailwheel W
HY do pilots choose to fly in an inherently unstable aircraft type when there are safer options? After a weekend spent in a Skyfox CA-22, I would have to answer, because it is just plain fun and a challenge to develop my experience. Because I bought an airplane type I had not flown before (see Luke’s story in Sport Pilot November 2017), I quickly realised tailwheel training would be something in my future. I assumed that because thousands of pilots had flown tailwheel aircraft before, it couldn’t be that hard. I didn’t anticipate just how intimidated I would be with the prospect of piloting an airplane which, with one false move on landing, could put me into a spin, bruising both ego and airframe. Added to this level of pressure, was the problem that I
BY LUKE BAY LY
couldn’t get a tailwheel endorsement anywhere locally, so I had put off the training side of things until a suitable solution could be found. Some time ago, during a visit to Ingham for a member forum, I had stopped at Bluewater airport on the way home. Sitting in the back of a hangar of one of RAAus’s newest training schools, a pretty little yellow Skyfox caught my eye. Being inquisitive, I looked it over and imagined how much fun it would be to fly. When it came time that my own aircraft was close to flying, I thought about training options again and remembered the little Skyfox. One email through to Wayne Cutter at North Queensland Recreational Aviation and I was confirmed for tailwheel training the following weekend. Wayne offered to me the use of the onsite 38 / S P O R T P I L O T
beds and amenities. A simple bunk house style bedroom, basic kitchen, toilet and shower setup made it very comfortable to stay right on the airfield itself. ts an ideal waypoint for a journey north. But I had brought my own accommodation for the night, a swag under th stars. At the crack of dawn the next morning, we went straight into the ground based theory with the help of diagrams, models and hand puppets. Wayne explained the sequences we would follow in the air. Then it was out to the hangar to complete a thorough pre-flight inspection of the aircraft and maintenance logs to ensure I was confident with the aeroplane. Wayne is a LAME himself, so went through his owns checks of the aircraft and engine while I listened carefully and picked up a few tips of my own, such as looking
R EAD ER STORY
for paint marks on the firewall engine mount which might indicate vibrations. The engine purred to life and I taxied down to the end of runway 02 ready for my first tailwheel flight. Wayne follows the ‘Donald Duck’s Mother’ method of instruction. The first time he Demonstrates, the second he Directs and the third time he sits back and Monitors. We had discussed this before the flight and I was sure of my role in each sequence. After Wayne’s first demonstration of the take-off, it was my turn. With feet ready to dance like Sinatra (as I had been warned), I applied full power and started rolling - instantly toward the left. This was followed by shouts of “more right rudder”. I realised quickly that this was going to be less of a soft shoe shuffle with light rudder inputs and more like a Mike Tyson onetwo bout with commanding dictation of the nose to keep it aligned with the runway. I must admit the strength of input I needed had quite surprised me on the initial surge and it caught me again on my first landing. It’s not something difficult to achieve, but there certainly needs to be sense of authority in the way you approach flying a tailwheel aircraft. Corrections need to be affirmative and immediate. After Wayne demonstrated the first landing, it was then my attempt to get the aircraft onto the ground. I am not sure exactly what I did the first time, but we managed to bounce high enough that I applied full power to conduct a go around instead of printing the belly of the plane into the ground. Luckily, by my third attempt, I had worked out the lumps, so to speak, and was confidently pinning the airplane to the runway with tail still flying behind me. Next it was onto the three-point landing, which I had assumed was going to be easier.
“It climbed like a home sick angel”
After all, you simply line the plane with the runway and put it into a stall, right? Alas, this is not quite the approach and we had a few more good bounces along the runway until I learned to put the stick right back as we touched down. With some guidance and feedback from Wayne, he had me gently putting the Skyfox back on terra firma, conducting greaser landings, in a way that would have stroked anyone’s ego. Now he was satisfied I wasn’t going to destroy his plane or dig trenches with its propeller, Wayne hopped out and let me take it solo around the airfield to practice my landings and experience the plane without the additional weight of an instructor. This subtle change made the plane float longer down the runway on landing and had it climbing like a home sick angel on take-off. It really impressed me with the capability of the Skyfox. With a number of landings now under my belt, we shook hands and I was finally tailwheel endorsed. Of course, it does not mean I am capable of jumping into any tailwheel aircraft and confidently getting it back on the ground. I plan to pursue more instructor time before taking solo control of my own machine. One final observation I made during this experience was the issue of how different it is to fly different aircraft. I had recently flown an ICP Savannah, operated by Matt’s Flying School in Mackay. This aircraft was docile, forgiving and a real joy to take passengers, as well as a perfect platform for ab-initio training. My only criticism is that, because it is so easy to fly, the first 10 minutes of my Skyfox experience was spent getting my balanced turns under control. I realised that too much time spent flying in easy planes limits your experience to just that type and solidifies your technique into concrete processes. The chance to fly other aircraft should be pursued. There are several schools in Queensland which offer tailwheel training in a range of aircraft. Even if you don’t intend to own or fly one regularly, give it a try. What’s it like to fly tailwheel? Best find out for yourself. It’s fun.
My chosen accommodation 39 / S P O R T P I L O T
40 / SPORT PILOT
PI LOT TA L K
With great power comes great responsibility BY THE OP S TE AM
USING MY IPAD/TABLET AS AN EFB
As technology advances in any industry, regulation tends to lag and this can allow misinformation to spread. In the vacuum of guiding regulation, it is possible for normalisation of deviance issues to arise as individuals rely on the advice of others who haven’t researched the rules or decide the rules don’t apply to them. This situation has arguably occurred with respect to the use of electronic devices or Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) in the cockpit. And why wouldn’t it? The regulations surrounding EFB usage are certainly not straight forward. And because an EFB can provide a wealth of information for pilots and RAAus is not naïve enough to think pilots are only using devices for approved purposes. There can be serious safety implications if pilots use these devices without an understanding of the limitations in the information displayed or their legal requirements. As Spiderman said, “With great power comes great responsibility”. Therefore, RAAus pilots need to operate with an understanding of the limitations of EFBs and their legal requirements. There is an entire world of different apps which can be installed on an EFB device. These applications can provide flight planning, enroute navigation, weather, or a mix of those functions. Some apps on the market use innovative methods to present information, such as visualisation of traditionally editorial information. However, it is important to understand that many apps or websites do not necessarily comply with the accuracy and data integrity standards required for aviation applications. Data integrity and accuracy refers to the displayed truthfulness of the data and includes factors such as the way the data is refreshed or sourced, and how resilient the data is to external interference. When flying in Australia, any application which is to be relied upon for aeronautical information must be approved under CASR 175. In Australia there are only three companies whose applications are CASA approved as sources of aeronautical information; OzRunways, Jeppesen and Avsoft. A good example of the hazards of unapproved sources of aeronautical information is aviation weather. Weather information which is not validly sourced from an approved source has no assurance of integrity or reliability. So whilst there are an amazing number of fantastic weather apps that display the weather using innovative visualisation techniques, there is no guarantee that what you are seeing can be relied upon in an aviation context. Even where unapproved weather sources display Airservices Australia aeronautical met data, without a CASR 175 approval there is no guarantee this informa-
tion is accurate or timely. There can be lag or delay in how often the weather data is updated which can be critical when there is marginal weather phenomenon about. Therefore, it is critical that pilots source information from approved source such as an EFB app which is approved under CASR 175. But just because an app is approved under CASR 175 doesn’t mean it is a panacea. It is still important to understand the generic limitations of EFB software, as even the approved products have their limits. An example of one limitation of EFB apps is the display of the activation status of restricted airspace. Not too many years ago, pilots would embark upon flights with handfuls of printed paper NOTAMS containing details such as activation status of restricted airspace. But now by using an internet connected EFB, the pilot can be presented an ‘up to date’ graphical representation of the NOTAM status of restricted airspace in near real-time. The limitation with the presentation of information in this way is that it can give the impression of absolute reliability when in fact it is not much more useful than the ‘printed NOTAMS’ of old. The reason is because some restricted airspace, such as military restricted areas, can be ‘re-activated’ at very short notice; in some cases the re-activation occurs much quicker than an updated NOTAM or Restricted Area briefing is able to reflect. This means that even where a NOTAM, be it printed on paper or shown graphically on an EFB app, reports an area as deactivated the airspace authority can still activate that airspace contrary to its NOTAM status. Such short notice activations will not necessarily be shown in an EFB before the activation occurs. This can, and has, lead to airspace incursions. This example shows that despite that despite the convenience provided by the EFB in determining the status of restricted airspace, the requirement remains for the pilot in command to check the status of the airspace with ATC prior to entry in to that airspace. The NOTAM information, whether in text form or pictorially displayed as a map overlay on an EFB app, is not authoritative for the purpose of indicating the status of some restricted airspace.
PLAIN TEXT WEATHER AND NOTAM
RAAus often is approached by pilots who hold what seems a reasonable point of view that the current CASA requirements don’t seem relevant or realistic for recreational use. The point is made that all pilots could benefit from plain English versions of weather forecasts, clear waypoint or aerodrome identifiers and other simplifications. 41 / SPORT PILOT
However, if RAAus pilots want to fly in the same airspace as Regular Passenger Transport (RPT), the fare paying public, charter flights, fire bombers or at aerodromes used by these pilots, we must all be able to speak the same aviation language and obey the same set of rules. To be issued with Certificates or Licences, pilots must have demonstrated competence in the use of specific aviation data when flight planning. Aviation data is standardised internationally from the organisation tasked to set standards and rules for flying, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). ICAO was formed in Chicago in 1944 to assist the coming boom in civil aviation after WWII. Currently there are 192 countries who have signed agreements with ICAO to conduct their civil aviation flying in the same way. Check the ICAO website for more information https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx ICAO are the only organisation who can initiate change related to the format of aviation data. Most of the 192 countries would have to agree to these changes and only once they were enacted in each countries legislation could they become legal. Not an impossible task and one RAAus will pursue through CASA on behalf of members, however until these changes are enacted, we have a community obligation to plan and use the same aviation data as the rest of the industry, or we may put at risk our reputation amongst the aviation community. Although some apps you might have on your EFB can provide you with aeronautical data in a plain text format, this information is not permitted to be used as the basis for aviation planning. RAAus is developing a plan for the regulator on members’ behalf which proposes changes for recreational flights in areas where the likelihood of other airspace users being present is low. These flights would relate to local flights to and from private airstrips, or where no regular public transport (RPT) or charters operate. We will shortly be asking for member feedback on this subject and we are always happy to discuss or receive emails .
RULES AND REGULATIONS
To make sure we are all singing from the same hymn book and avoid inaccuracies that occur with word of mouth information, here are specific legislative references and definitions relating to the use of EFBs. Let’s start with the legislative basis upon which an EFB may be used. Unfortunately, there isn’t one ‘magic bullet’ that states this in black and white; it requires the interpretation and application of several sources. First is federal legislation called the Electronic Transactions Act 1999.
With great power comes g In a very basic sense, the applicable statement this act makes is that a document is still a valid document if it is in a digital format. This act is what makes the digital presentation of aeronautical documents and information equivalent to the same documents in paper form. In terms of aviation specific rules, a good starting point is CAAP 233-1(1) which provides the definition of an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) as a portable digital information system for flight deck members which allows storing, updating, delivering, displaying and or computing digital data to support flight operations or duties. Whilst this CAAP is primarily aimed at AOC holders, it provides useful information for all pilots and is a must read. Beware though; the requirements of CAAP 233 are advisory only for private operations. This CAAP does provide some sensible guidance for private operators though, such as minimum screen size and the carriage of backups. Next is the Civil Aviation Regulations. CAR 233 (1A) states the pilot must have access during flight to aeronautical data and information applicable for the route proposed to be flown. This information may be published by the state
Aeronautical Information Service (AIS, which in Australia is Airservices Australia) or a data service provider or the holder of an approval from CASA under CASR 175. Any aeronautical information which is sourced from other than a CASR 175 approved source cannot be used to fulfil the requirements of the CAR 233. CAR 239 provides flight planning requirements which include requirements for pilots to study all available information relevant to the planned flight. This is particularly important in the case of flights away from the vicinity of the aerodrome and must include current weather forecasts for the route and aerodromes to be used (including alternates). NOTAM information must be read to ensure the aerodromes are usable. Alternate fuel or alternate aerodromes must be carried or planned for in the case of forecast problems at aerodromes. Again, met and NOTAM information, which is a part of the Integrated AIP, must be supplied by a CASR 175 approved entity. There are a lot of unapproved apps out there which provide unofficial sources of met and NOTAM information; none of these can be relied upon to satisfy CAR 239. The next is CAR 78. This regulation provides
SAFETY Robust construction and four point safety harness STRENGTH Built like a light G.A. aircraft, solid & all metal Large cockpit width with adjustable seating SIZE
that the pilot in command shall keep a log of navigational data which enables them to determine the geographical position of the aircraft at any time during flight. Thanks to the operation of the previously mentioned Electronics Transactions Act, a navigation log may be in a digital format. When it comes to finding an app to log information, it really is dealers choice; no approval is needed for software to be an appropriate way of logging you navigation, so long as you log the appropriate information to enable you to know your geographical position as per CAR 78. Having said that, obviously applications which are designed for the purpose of navigational logging make more sense than a simple note taking app – but there is nothing stopping a pilot using a basic word processing app to run their navigation log, if they so wished.
APPROVED EFB APPLICATIONS
As previously mentioned, as of January 2018 when operating in Australia with an EFB pilots have three choices of EFB providers; OzRunways, Avsoft and Jeppesen. All three of these providers have been approved by CASA under CASR Part 175.295 which permits users to
DENILIQUIN AERO CLUB FLY-IN 13th - 15th April 2018 Opening 1st stage of the recognition of No7 Flying School Deniliquin WW2 Mini Air Show Oz Runway Presentation Hangar Dinner
. .
.
BRUMBY AIRCRAFT AUSTRALIA 112 AIRPORT ROAD, COWRA AIRPORT NSW 2794 TEL: +61 2 6341 1635 | FAX: +61 2 6341 1636 EMAIL: info@brumbyaircraft.com.au WEB: www.brumbyaircraft.com.au
Sky High Opera South West Music and CoOpera present The Barber of Seville in a WW2 hangar Famo us De ni Aer o Club Sunda y Brea For more details kfast regarding the program accommodation Opera and dinner tickets visit
www.deniliquinaeroclub.com 42 / SPORT PILOT
great responsibility meet all requirements for documentation carriage in flight for private and commercial operations and for both VFR and IFR flight. These companies have all met the standard required to be approved as Data Service Providers under CASR 175.295 and are therefore a trustworthy source of official aeronautical information. However, there are several unapproved EFB apps on the market which do not hold CASA approval, so take care; even if they are ‘big name’ companies or they are using ‘official looking’ maps, if they don’t have a CASR 175 approval, these applications cannot be used. Unapproved EFB apps are typically poorly designed, poorly maintained and can often be downright dangerous. When using an EFB, keep in mind that documents you require for a flight must be stored locally on the EFB device – or ‘downloaded’ fully to satisfy the requirements of the CAR’s. For a document such as a map or ERSA, using a ‘on-demand’ or live downloading service does not meet this requirement because you cannot guarantee you will always have internet coverage throughout the flight. Just like you do with your aeroplane prior to flight, an EFB must be ‘pre-flighted’ to ensure it has the necessary configuration and data stored on it. If the pilot hasn’t downloaded all the necessary information for the proposed flight prior to take off and then cannot establish an internet connection, aviation critical information is just not there – such issues can be alleviated by simply having a disciplined and methodical approach to conducting a pre-flight check of your EFB. In terms of updated information, one significant safety advantage of the three CASR 175 approved EFBs is that all three apps are incapable of displaying out of date met, NOTAM, maps and charts; indeed, this is a requirement for a Data Service Provider to gain certification for an EFB application. This is a significant safety advantage for pilots, as the risk of inadvertently taking out of date information flying is all but eliminated when using an approved EFB
correctly. This is no different to using a circular slide rule, but often the automation provided by EFB’s can induce unwanted complacency toward planning accuracy. To head off unwanted planning problems when using an EFB for planning, make sure you take extreme care when setting up your EFB planning system. It is a very good idea to have another experienced pilot review your EFB aircraft profiles to look for any potential errors. Additionally, you should always do mental dead reckoning to back up the calculations made by your EFB during planning. These simple steps will ensure any data entry errors are detected before a safety issue can arise.
NOT APPROVED FOR NAVIGATION
So what does this all really mean? Can a pilot grab an EFB, look at the weather and NOTAMS, study the maps provided by that software and go fly? In a word, yes, BUT – while It is perfectly legal to use an approved EFB app to access aeronautical information required under CAR 233 (1A), there are still some things the EFB cannot do for you. One example is using the GPS derived position information for primary navigation. Put another way, you cannot use the GPS position from a tablet based EFB to ‘fix’ yourself. An EFB GPS derived position can only be used to assist with your approved method of navigation; for RAAus aircraft, that is visual navigation. In practice, this means the pilot must still perform visual fixes at the required intervals. The EFB GPS position can be used to supplement your visual navigation only, just as a panel mounted or handheld ‘VFR GPS’ can be. The typical iPad and Android tablet GPS information is very accurate, which is how such devices can be used to navigate between buildings in cities, but remember: your iPad or Android tablet GPS is not certified for navigation so what it tells you about your position must not be relied upon. Tablet computer GPS failures can and do happen, albeit they are extremely rare.
PLANNING AND USE FOR NAVIGATION FINAL THOUGHTS OzRunways and Avsoft EFB apps both feature flight planning systems. Despite the convenience of having the ability to automate calculations in the planning process, a pilot still must plan the flight diligently; a failure to carry out thorough planning can have serious safety implications. These are regularly seen by RAAus when following up reports from pilots becoming lost, entering cloud and committing incursions into controlled airspace, restricted airspace or running out of fuel. Automated flight planning is not infallible; it is a case of ‘rubbish in, rubbish out’ with software planning systems. These systems are simply a dumb calculator which has no way of knowing if you have entered your fuel flows correctly, or set your units
Remember, the EFB is not a pilots’ panacea; it does not replace good airmanship, captaincy and a diligent approach to flying safely. We all need to think about what implications might exist when we rely solely on software for our planning and execution and don’t have the “big picture” needed to safely navigate an aeroplane. If your EFB has become a crutch for your planning or piloting, it is probably worth revising how you operate with it and you should seek the assistance of an instructor to assist with this. EFB’s are certainly the norm in aviation now (Airservices sells only 2000 copies of paper maps every cycle, with the remaining thousands of Australian pilots using EFBs). But just because EFB systems are the norm now, doesn’t 43 / SPORT PILOT
mean the challenges to operating with them have been overcome or are even fully understood by the industry. Nearly all pilots who use an EFB have never been taught by an instructor how to safely operate with one, and there seems to be a fair number of instructors who don’t themselves know how to use them! If you are one of those instructors who has resisted the rise of EFBs and doesn’t use one yourself, it is time to learn. The best defence to the safety risks of EFBs is an industry of pilots who are adequately educated on their use. Instructors are critical to this strategy. EFB’s are also a very good topic to discuss with respect to the conduct of a BFR; there is little utility to assessing paper map skills for a pilot who now only maintains that skill for BFR time but uses an EFB the remainder of the time. Realistically, if their EFB isn’t available, many pilots don’t fly – because they don’t even own paper maps any more! Also, there is no regulation which requires a BFR to be conducted with paper maps – that is an urban myth. It certainly pays to check for a candidates underpinning navigation planning knowledge and procedures, but this can be done with an EFB is the instructor knows how to use the common EFB applications. During the flight, disabling the location services of an EFB will remove any assistance the GPS provides, so the instructor can also still easily assess the candidates visual navigation skill. As a BFR candidate, it is worth getting value from your BFR by insisting your instructor assess your operations with an EFB. As an instructor, you should be providing your candidates with instruction on what is arguably the biggest recent technological change to cockpit operations in years. As an innovative organisation, RAAus is taking the lead with encouraging our pilots and instructors to safely embrace EFB technology. So use your iPad or other electronic device in the cockpit but do it the right way; make sure it is giving you everything you not only legally need as a pilot, but what you need to remain safe. The determining factor remains, as always, the pilot in command. REFERENCES: CAAP 233-1(1), CAR 233, CAR 239, CAR 78, CASR 175, ICAO member state information
Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen www.foxbat.com.au
Cruise 115+ knots Stall 27 knots Carry 210+ kgs after full fuel Average under 20 litres an hour Believe it!
Search for Aeroprakt A32
44 / SPORT PILOT
FLI G HT IN S TRU CT OR ’ S F OR U M
Running scud BY PROFES SOR AVIU S AV I AT I ON GU RU
S
CUD running has significant potential to be terminal and, if continued, will eventually catch you out (the statistics reflect accordingly) – but what is scud running? Wikepedia describes scud running as a practice in which pilots lower their altitude to avoid clouds or instrument meteorological conditions. The goal of scud running is to stay clear of weather to continue flying with visual, rather than instrument, references. This practice is widely accepted to be dangerous, and has led to death in many cases from pilots flying into terrain or obstacles, such as masts and towers, normally referred to as controlled flight into terrain. Remember the Safety Month topic ‘Normalisation of Deviance’? It worked today so now it becomes the accepted standard. Tomorrow becomes the next step down in standards, and the outcome – front page news. SO HOW DO WE GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO RAAUS PILOTS? Articles such as those by Dave King’s ‘Due regard to weather’ (Sport Pilot November 2017) form an important and relevant part of the communication network. As instructors we need to embrace and reflect on our own personal experiences, then do our utmost to communicate that message to pilots. It much better “being on the ground wishing you were up there, than being up there wishing you were on the ground”. The situation Dave found himself, returning from the Old Station Fly-in at Raglan, resulting in an off aerodrome landing due weather, was (I believe) primarily because of the symptoms of get-home-itis! The apprehension expressed by the comment from the Ops Manager, the decision to presson (even after passing Wagga Wagga airfield) is likely factored by the “I’m nearly there” factor in bad or deteriorating weather, ”It’s not that far to go now!” A great honest, frank, and spine chilling article. The article made me reflect on some of my own experience. Sometime back, I was the duty pilot at the local aero club. A member came in and asked me what I thought about the area forecast. He was planning a flight in his aircraft, from the coast to inland NSW and return, to attend to some urgent business. I reviewed the forecast and advised him that, at best, it would be very marginal VFR. His destination TAF had an Inter requirement. I suggested he should re-think. After a minute or so he asked if I would accompany him? The aircraft was IFR approved and I was the holder of a CPL and a Command Instrument Rating and current on type. I discussed it with the aero club Chief Pilot/CFI who suggested I should do the flight with him, but with me as pilot in command (in the left-hand seat) and prepare a back-up IFR plan. The CFI suggested that the owner should be the decision maker until I wasn’t comfortable then I should take over (with an IFR back up plan). At 150kts, the time to make decisions in murky weather is considerably reduced. The flight was subsequently planned VFR by the owner on the basis that he would call the shots, but it was only about 30 minutes into the flight when, confronted with low cloud and rising terrain, I asked the owner “what now?” He correctly said we’d better turn back, but when we made the turn, we found the weather behind was fast closing in. At least the terrain was getting lower. I took over, changed the plan to IFR, advised flight service, climbed to lowest safe altitude on a reciprocal heading and continued to the destination (although we did need to complete an instrument approach). The owner completed his business and we returned IFR, above the soup. I learnt from that trip that the pressure of business and getting there was the most significant influence on the man. Once the business was over the pilot realised that his decision had been suspect. He had learned one thing that day. If you have time to spare, travel by air. He thanked me for going with him and getting him to his business appointment and home. Another weather related event for me happened at night into a controlled aerodrome. The leg was a single pilot IFR journey of about four hours
- mostly in cloud. Certainly more than 50%, but the autopilot was of significant assistance. On arrival, the ATIS was giving four octas at 750ft, with lower patches and passing showers. The tower was scheduled to close approximately 10 minutes before arrival, but the duty controller advised he would remain until the landing was complete. A straight in Runway VOR/ DME approach was selected and with a minima of 550ft, it all seemed relatively simple – but it wasn’t. I had relied on the accuracy of the ATIS – but the ATIS didn’t know what was coming through. At the decision height it was black (no lights visible) and raining; and I hadn’t looked up the missed approach plate. I went into a cold sweat. Local knowledge saved me that night. I turned onto a heading I believed would be appropriate and went to a maximum angle of climb, all the while frantically looking up the missed approach chart. When I found it I was only 5 degrees off heading – what a relief. The second approach was textbook and the field was, thankfully, visual at 750ft. What did I learn from that? It wasn’t really the weather. I just hadn’t completed the flight situation management appropriately. THE MESSAGE. Always have a what-if (way out) plan. While the second experience is not directly applicable to RAAus flying, the first certainly is! The important messages are: •Analyse the weather forecast and build in appropriate fudge factors to your planning; •For general flight planning, communicate the real meanings (and implications) of ‘inter’ and ‘tempo’; •If the TAF includes ‘inter’, what are my alternatives? What if turns into ‘tempo’? •If ‘tempo’ is forecast for the period of planned arrival, maybe you should reconsider deferring or delaying the flight to another time; •Remember the purpose of precautionary landings and the science behind them. Back to Dave King’s experience: As the situation deteriorated, action to manage a critical situation were needed, but his options were running out. SO WAS THE TIME TO CONSIDER: •Was the aircraft slowed, giving him more time to see, think and assess? •Did he suspect there were major potential obstacles, eg HV transmission lines – even if they were not visually identified. Full credit to Dave for having the courage to admit he stuffed up in the decision making department – “I crossed the hill. Almost immediately I flew into the murk, so I made the decision to turn around. I distinctly remember my face flushing as I started to sweat. The door behind me had been closed by incoming weather. I swore out loud and it took a few moments before I gathered myself … huge transmission line … the cloud base lowering … tree top level … very frightened and sick in stomach.” At least he’s still here to tell the story and, by writing it, has given others the opportunity to learn and hopefully change their ways from his experience.We as instructors, shouldn’t (,I for one, won’t be) be going anywhere near such extremes to demonstrate. But we need to communicate to each and every pilot the potential of such a situation and the possible outcome. The opportunities to do this are not just limited to general training but also include as discipline reinforcement when assessing a BFR.
“Local knowledge saved me that night”
P.S. Editor – please send Dave King a Sport Pilot Cap – most deserving for his preparedness to share his predicament (even if it wasn’t such a great decision at the time). From the Editor - Done
45 / SPORT PILOT
AVIATION INSURANCE
EXPERIENCED AVIATION INSURANCE SPECIALISTS Stewart & Gladys Smith would like to assist with your Fixed Wing, Helicopter, Hangarkeepers and Public Liability needs. We have recently been joined by Grant Gerni who not only knows aviation but also excellently handles all other types of business and personal insurances. Our team is friendly & helpful to deal with and we normally obtain for you multiple competitive quotes from all suitable insurers. We service clients in all parts of Australia! WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
Cerni Kalser Insurance Pty Ltd t/a Insure Planes
Phone: 03 9816 3264 Email: aviation@insureplanes.com.au Web: www.insureplanes.com.au Stewart Smith 0433 278 700 Gladys Smith 0425 759 322 Grant Cerni 0427 779 649
AVIATION FINANCE
Australian Commercial Credit Pty Ltd in affiliation with Phillips Basile Equipment Finance Pty Ltd may be able to assist with funds from prime lenders. Good bank fixed rates, normally over 5 years with security over only the plane. Ring Stewart Smith for an obligation free initial discussion. WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
BOOK NOW Gympie Queensland 07 5483 5112 recreationalflyingco.com
46 / SPORT PILOT
HOM E B UIL D ER
Making a flying Daihatsu T H E B E S T B I T S ABOU T BU ILDIN G YOU R OWN BY DAVE EDMUND S
N
O doubt readers will remember the Daihatsu Charade. This little car, produced around 1990, was notable for its complete lack of distinguishing features. Perhaps because there was nothing much to admire, it became the unlikely target for an electric powertrain conversion. They work, but are of limited use outside of town. Google it, you will find plenty of links. I thought it might be time to see what a home builder could do to electrify a plane. The basic idea was to look at replacing an 80hp Rotax or the like with an electric power plant. Unfortunately, it doesn’t yet all add up, but we can produce the aircraft analog of an electric Daihatsu Charade. The easy part is the motor itself. The economics here are remarkable. Golden Motor is a Chinese company which makes electric power systems for bikes, motorbikes, golf carts and the like. I installed one on a friend’s bike and the quality of their products is superb. This is a large company with an extensive product range. They produce a motor with a nominal 70hp output. It is not designed as an aircraft powerplant, but should be adaptable. There are, of course, alternatives from other companies. For aircraft use, the electric motor should be electronically controlled, that is, it should be a brushless design. Electric motor power output cannot be directly compared to petrol engines because there is no problem running them at considerably higher outputs than rated. There is nothing much to break. If the small amount of additional heat generated at high power outputs can be dissipated, there is no problem at all. So, this motor is a reasonable replacement for an 80hp Rotax and will produce a higher peak power for longer. It weighs 39kgs and is 90% efficient. There are no power pulses and the motor will regenerate on descent, that is, it will work like a windmill and pump energy back into the battery. The cost? $3,000, including all electronics. It is rated for 20,000 hours before major overhaul. A major overhaul would comprise the replacement of bearings at a cost of a few dollars. A Rotax engine costs around $20,000 and has a TBO of 2,000 hours. The installation of the Golden Motor would be very simple, but may require an additional bearing on the drive end to cope with the gyroscopic load of the propeller. The Golden Motor is not light. There are better alternatives, but at much higher prices. The problem is the battery. Assuming the Rotax-engined aircraft carries 60 litres of fuel, you could install around 70kgs of batteries to come to the same weight as a fully-fuelled Rotax-engined aircraft. This would provide a bit more than 6 kilowatt hours of energy, or the equivalent of a little over a half a litre of fuel. This would allow just 20 minutes of flight time with no reserve. The commercial electric aircraft now trickling out into the market are all designed as such from the ground up, with weight reduction being the prime consideration. A good example is the Sunflyer (Sport Pilot November 2017). The lower-weight airframe can then carry more batteries, giving an endurance of perhaps an hour and a half. Then there is the problem of charging. Fast chargers are coming, but we are a long way from electric aircraft infrastructure. The batteries in an electric aircraft are dead weight, unlike Avgas where the weight varies depending on capacity remaining. On the upside, the power of electric motors is not related to altitude or temperature. Battery chemistry is not changing rapidly. There are a fair number of potential improvements, some of which have been described in this column, but none that yet substitute for petrol. Most of these battery chemistries still rely on lithium. Most general-purpose lithium batteries are still produced in the 18650 form factor. This is a shape very similar to the traditional AA battery but around 50% bigger.
The Tesla car uses squillions of them. There is a considerable saving to be had by using a larger package which has more chemistry, and less packaging, and these will become more widely available in time.We still need a step change in the energy density of batteries to make home-built electric planes a realistic alternative.
Fast charg ers are coming, but we ft are a long way from electric aircra infrastructure
For all that, clever design has allowed the makers of electric cars to hugely increase range, up to around 1,000kms now. This will ripple on down to aircraft over time. The cost of batteries is also crashing and this will incentivise the move to electric aircraft. For the experimenter with initiative there are 18650 batteries available second hand. They have been used in equipment which requires mandatory battery replacement after a certain time, and in all probability still work perfectly. Building them into a reliable battery pack is not trivial however. There is an opportunity for a few inquisitive builder pilots to get together and see what could be done. If an old airframe could be found for not much money, preferably missing an engine, the cost of electrifying it, adding a bit more weight to increase the range, would be a nice project. A syndicate of 10 pilots, all investing around $1,500 might do the trick. As the cost of flying a few circuits and a few short local hops would be around $5 per hour, the investment is not unreasonable. I would be in it, if only Canberra, where I live, had an airport where such a project was possible.
AND ANOTHER THING
I was discussing the introduction of tablet GPS systems such as OzRunways with my friend and occasional writer for this magazine, Rick Frith. He suggested it would be interesting to find out what had happened to airspace infringements since their introduction. And, he was quite right, it is interesting. Anybody who reads my column will know this issue causes me considerable angst. OzRunways and AvPlan were introduced in 2011. The ATSB stores information on GA and commercial airspace infringements. Unfortunately, they do not have data on recreational aircraft airspace infringements. You might ask, why not? But that is a story for another day - when I find out. What their data shows is that, in the years leading up to the introduction of the tablet systems, reported infringements by the VH fleet occurred at a rate of around 70 per year. Since 2012 there has been a rapid decline and, in each of 2015 and 2016, only 22 infringements were reported. This continued a trend that began around 2007. If you filter the data so that only single-engined, recreational flights are included, you get the same proportional reduction. Now, if CASA was the responsive and innovative organisation it claims to be, it would be intensely interested in these figures. Instead, it produced an entertaining video emphasising the legal requirement not to use these systems as a primary source of navigational information. They just forgot to remind pilots to wind up their watches before take-off, check the castor oil level and dismiss the batman.
47 / SPORT PILOT
TE CH TA L K
It’s all rigged
BY DARREN BARNFIELD R A AU S T EC HNICAL M AN AG E R
I
TYPES OF CONTROL CABLE TERMINATION INCLUDE:
THERE ARE VARIOUS TYPES OF CABLES:
A hand-woven 5-tuck splice used on aircraft cable. The process is very time consuming and produces only about 75 percent of the original cable strength. The splice is rarely used except on some antique aircraft where the effort is made to keep all parts in their original configuration.
n recent months there have been a number of cable related issues. Members are reminded to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance and inspection schedule. In lieu of this, for an amateur built aircraft, refer to 43.13-1B - Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices - Aircraft Inspection and Repair.
MATERIAL
Aircraft control cables are fabricated from carbon steel or stainless (corrosion resistant) steel. Additionally, some manufacturers use a nylon coated cable produced by extruding a flexible nylon coating over corrosion-resistant steel (CRES) cable. By adding the nylon coating to the corrosion resistant steel cable, it increases the service life by protecting the cable strands from friction wear, it keeps dirt and grit out and it dampens vibration which can work-harden the wires in long runs of cable.
CABLE CONSTRUCTION
The basic component of a cable is a wire. The diameter of the wire determines the total diameter of the cable. A number of wires are preformed into a helical or spiral shape and then formed into a strand. These preformed strands are laid around a straight centre strand to form a cable.
CABLE DESIGNATIONS
This is based on the number of strands and wires in each strand. The 7 × 19 cable is made up of seven strands of 19 wires each. Six of these strands are laid around the centre strand. This cable is very flexible and is used in primary control systems and in other locations where operation over pulleys is frequent. The 7 × 7 cable consists of seven strands of seven wires each. Six of these strands are laid around the centre strand. This cable is of medium flexibility and is used for trim tab controls, engine controls, and indicator controls (Fig.1).
WOVEN SPLICE
NICOPRESS PROCESS
A patented process using copper sleeves which may be used up to the full rated strength of the cable when the cable is looped around a thimble (Fig.2). This process may also be used in place of the 5-tuck splice on cables up to and including 3⁄8- inch diameter. Whenever this process is used for cable splicing, it is important the tools, instructions and data supplied by Nicopress be followed exactly to ensure the desired cable function and strength is attained. The use of sleeves fabricated of material other than copper requires engineering approval for the specific application.
SWAGE-TYPE TERMINALS
Manufactured in accordance with Army-Navy (AN) and Military Standards (MS), are suitable for use in civil aircraft up to, and including, maximum cable loads (Fig.3). When swaging tools are used, it is important all the manufacturer’s instructions, including ‘go’ and ‘no-go’ dimensions, be followed exactly to avoid defective and inferior swaging. Compliance with all the instructions should result in the terminal developing the full-rated strength of the cable. The following basic procedures are used when swaging terminals onto cable ends:
Fig 1. Cable construction and cross-section
48 / SPORT PILOT
Fig 2. Typical Nicopress thimble-eye splice
Cut the cable to length, allowing for growth during swaging. Apply a preservative compound to the cable end before insertion into the terminal barrel. Measure the internal length of the terminal end/barrel of the fitting to determine the proper length of the cable to be inserted. Transfer that measurement to the end of the cable and mark it with a piece of masking tape wrapped around the cable. This provides a positive mark to ensure the cable did not slip during the swaging process.
formed. (Fig.4). Accomplish the swaging operation in accordance with the instructions furnished by the manufacturer. Inspect the terminal after swaging to determine it is free of die marks and splits and is not out of round. Check the cable for slippage at the masking tape and for cut and broken wire strands (Fig.5).
NOTE: Never solder the cable ends to prevent fraying since the solder greatly increases the tendency of the cable to pull out of the terminal. Insert the cable into the terminal approximately 5cm and bend it toward the terminal. Then push the cable end all the way into the terminal. The bending action puts a slight kink in the cable end and provides enough friction to hold the terminal in place until the swaging operation is per49 / SPORT PILOT
The basic component of a cable is a wire
I TS A L L R IGGED
Fig 3- Swage-type terminal fittings 50 / SPORT PILOT
Fig 4. Insertion of cable into terminal
Using a go/no-go gauge supplied by the swaging tool manufacturer or a micrometer and swaging chart, check the terminal shank diameter for proper dimension (Fig.6 and 7). Test the cable by proof-loading locally fabricated splices and newly installed swage terminal cable fittings for proper strength before installation. This is conducted by slowly applying a test load equal to 60 percent of the rated breaking strength of the cable listed in (Fig .7). This load should be held for at least three minutes. Any testing of this type can be dangerous. Suitable guards should be placed over the cable during the test to prevent injury to personnel in the event of cable failure. If a proper test fixture is not available, the load test should be contracted out and performed by a properly equipped facility.
Fig 5. Gauging terminal shank dimension after swaging 51 / SPORT PILOT
TE CH TA L K
It’s all rigged cont.
Fig 6. Straight shank terminal dimensions
Fig 7. Flexible cable construction 52 / SPORT PILOT
CABLE INSPECTION
Aircraft cable systems are subject to a variety of environmental conditions and deterioration. Wire or strand breakage is easy to recognise visually. Other kinds of deterioration, such as wear, corrosion and distortion, are not easily seen. Special attention should be given to areas where cables pass through battery compartments and wheel wells. These are prime areas for corrosion. Special attention should be given to critical fatigue areas. Those areas are defined as anywhere the cable runs over, under or around a pulley, sleeve or through a fairlead; or any section where the cable is flexed, rubbed or within 30cms of a swaged-on fitting. Close inspection in these critical fatigue areas can be performed by rubbing a rag along the cable. If there are any broken strands, the rag snags on the cable. A more detailed inspection can be performed in areas which may be corroded or indicate a fatigue failure by loosing or removing the cable and bending it. This technique reveals internal broken strands not readily apparent from the outside (Fig.8). Fig 9. Pulley wear patterns
Pressure seals should be inspected at regular intervals to determine the retaining rings are in place. If a retaining ring comes off, it may slide along the cable and cause jamming of a pulley (Fig.10).
Fig 8. Cable inspection technique
CABLE GUIDES
Pulleys are used to guide cables and to change the direction of cable movement. Pulley bearings are sealed and need no lubrication other than the lubrication done at the factory. Brackets fastened to the structure of the aircraft support the pulleys. Cables passing over pulleys are kept in place by guards. The guards are close fitting to prevent jamming or to prevent the cables from slipping off when they slacken due to temperature variations. Pulleys should be examined to ensure proper lubrication; smooth rotation and freedom from abnormal cable wear patterns which can provide an indication of other problems in the cable system (Fig.9). Fairleads may be made from a nonmetallic material, such as phenolic, or a metallic material, such as soft aluminium. The fairlead completely encircles the cable where it passes through holes in bulkheads or other metal parts. Fairleads are used to guide cables in a straight line through or between structural members of the aircraft. Fairleads should never deflect the alignment of a cable more than 3° from a straight line. Pressure seals are installed where cables (or rods) move through pressure bulkheads. The seal grips tightly enough to prevent excess air pressure loss but not enough to hinder movement of the cable.
Fig 10. Cable guides
TRAVEL ADJUSTMENT
Control surfaces should move a certain distance in either direction from the neutral position. These movements must be synchronised with the movement of the flight deck controls. The flight control system must be adjusted (rigged) to obtain these requirements. The tools for measuring surface travel primarily include protractors, rigging fixtures, contour templates, and rulers. These tools are used when rigging flight control systems to assure that the desired travel has been obtained. Generally speaking, the rigging consists of the following: 1.Positioning the flight control system in neutral and temporarily locking it there with rig pins or blocks; 2.Adjusting system cable tension and maintaining rudder, elevator, and ailerons in the neutral position; and 3.Adjusting the control stops to the aircraft manufacturer’s specifications.
53 / SPORT PILOT
TE CH TA L K
It’s all rigged cont. CABLE TENSION
For the aircraft to operate as it was designed, the cable tension for the flight controls must be correct. To determine the amount of tension on a cable, a tensiometer is used. When properly maintained, a tensiometer is 98 percent accurate. Cable tension is determined by measuring the amount of force needed to make an offset in the cable between two hardened steel blocks called anvils. A riser or plunger is pressed against the cable to form the offset. Several manufacturers make a variety of tensiometers, each type designed for different kinds of cable, cable sizes, and cable tensions (Fig.11).
The barrel has matching right- and left-hand internal threads. The end of the barrel with the left-hand threads can usually be identified by a groove or knurl around that end of the barrel. When installing a turnbuckle in a control system, it is necessary to screw both of the terminals an equal number of turns into the barrel. It is also essential turnbuckle terminals be screwed into the barrel until not more than three threads are exposed on either side of the turnbuckle barrel. After a turnbuckle is properly adjusted, it must be safetied. There are a number of methods to safety a turnbuckle and/ or other types of swaged cable ends that are satisfactory. A double-wrap safety wire method is preferred.
Fig 12. Typical turnbuckle assembly
Some turnbuckles are manufactured and designed to accommodate special locking devices. A typical unit is shown in Fig.13.
Fig 11. Tensiometer
CABLE CONNECTORS
RIGGING FIXTURES
Rigging fixtures and templates are special tools (gauges) designed by the manufacturer to measure control surface travel. Markings on the fixture or template indicate desired control surface travel.
TENSION REGULATORS
Cable tension regulators are used in some flight control systems because there is considerable difference in temperature expansion of the aluminium aircraft structure and the steel control cables. Some large aircraft incorporate tension regulators in the control cable systems to maintain a given cable tension automatically. The unit consists of a compression spring and a locking mechanism which allows the spring to make correction in the system only when the cable system is in neutral.
TURNBUCKLES
Fig 13.Clip-type locking device and assembling in turnbuckle
A turnbuckle assembly is a mechanical screw device consisting of two threaded terminals and a threaded barrel (Fig.12). Turnbuckles are fitted in the cable assembly for the purpose of making minor adjustments in cable length and for adjusting cable tension. One of the terminals has right-hand threads and the other has left-hand threads.
In addition to turnbuckles, cable connectors are used in some systems. These connectors enable a cable length to be quickly connected or disconnected from a system. Fig.14 illustrates one type of cable connector in use.
SPRING-BACK
With a control cable properly rigged, the flight control should hit its stops at both extremes prior to the flight deck control. The spring-back is the small extra push needed for the flight deck control to hit its mechanical stop.
54 / SPORT PILOT
Fig 14.Spring-type connector
Fig 15. Push rod
PUSH RODS (CONTROL RODS)
Push rods are used as links in the flight control system to give push-pull motion. They may be adjusted at one or both ends. Fig.15 shows the parts of a push rod. Notice it consists of a tube with threaded rod ends. An adjustable antifriction rod end, or rod end clevis, attaches at each end of the tube. The rod end, or clevis, permits attachment of the tube to flight control system parts. The checknut, when tightened, prevents the rod end or clevis from loosening. They may have adjustments at one or both ends. The rods should be perfectly straight, unless designed to be otherwise. When installed as part of a control system, the assembly should be checked for correct alignment and free movement.
Fig 17.Torque tube
CABLE DRUMS
Cable drums are used primarily in trim tab systems. As the trim tab control wheel is moved clockwise or counterclockwise, the cable drum winds or unwinds to actuate the trim tab cables (Fig.18). Fig 16. Attached rod end
It is possible for control rods fitted with bearings to become disconnected because of failure of the peening which retains the ball races in the rod end. This can be avoided by installing the control rods so the flange of the rod end is interposed between the ball race and the anchored end of the attaching pin or bolt as shown in Fig.16. Another alternative is to place a washer, having a larger diameter than the hole in the flange, under the retaining nut on the end of the attaching pin or bolt. This retains the rod on the bolt in the event of a bearing failure.
TORQUE TUBES
Where an angular or twisting motion is needed in a control system, a torque tube is installed. Fig.17 shows how a torque tube is used to transmit motion in opposite directions. 55 / SPORT PILOT
Fig 18. Trim tab cable drum
RI GH T S EA T A N E CDOT E S
De fairy queen BY DAVID P. E Y RE
I WAS THE CFI OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC AERO CLUB IN PNG AND, AS PART OF OUR FLEET, WE HAD A CESSNA 182. THIS AIRCRAFT HAD THE REGISTRATION VH-DFQ AND WAS NICKNAMED DE FAIRY QUEEN AFTER THE HENRY PURCELL OPERA, THE FAIRY QUEEN. ADDENDUM
Keystone Kops were a bunch of insanely funny cops shown in the silent movies of the 1920s. I clearly remember seeing some of their antics when I was a nipper. Femme Fatale is typically a beautiful and charming lady who uses her wiles and guiles to have power over men. Eve is perhaps an example of the very first femme fatale. Tannoy is an outside loudspeaker system typically found outside a briefing room especially at old wartime airfields. Ginger beer = Engineer David welcomes your own aviation anecdotes. Email them to editor@sportpilot.net.au
AVIATION INSURANCE
I
had employed a dashing young instructor from Australia going by the name of Tony. One day, this young fellow hired de Fairy Queen to take his girlfriend for a joyflight over Port Moresby. Now, I must say, this girlfriend was really very attractive, so a small group of us was gathered near the tarmac to watch the young chap do his pre-flight. I swear this was our only interest! When the pre-flight was finished, the pair climbed aboard and the aircraft taxied out. The aircraft was at the holding point for some time, presumably while the pre-take off checks were done. It was then seen to move onto the runway and commence its take-off run. Suddenly the aircraft began to lift off and then bang down on the runway. These violent manoeuvres continued until, at last, the aircraft became fully airborne. ‘Mayday-Mayday-Mayday- lost control’, was heard coming through our club Tannoy. The aircraft could be seen swooping and veering all around the airfield, being chased by two red fire engines. For all the world it looked like an episode from the Keystone Kops. But, of course, this was no laughing matter. At about circuit height Tony seemed to have gained some element of control over de Fairy Queen even though it was still cavorting around like a magpie in the swooping
season. At one stage the aircraft was lined up, more or less, with the runway, but when Tony reduced the power to descend, the aircraft started up again with its frightening swooping. After another attempt, the aircraft swooped down and, as its wheels touched the runway, Tony cut the power and de Fairy Queen, after a few bounces, settled down and stopped on the runway. The fire crew delivered a very white faced and frightened Tony and girlfriend to the club and took me out to de Fairy Queen sitting forlornly on the runway. The aircraft appeared to be undamaged and my inspection showed it would be okay to taxi back to our hangar. As soon as I sat in the pilot seat I spotted what the trouble was. The aircraft had just come out of a 100 hourly and the ginger beer*had inserted a small bolt in the control lock slot. The bolt was nearly invisible but, to make matters worse, the proper control lock was clearly visible in the pocket alongside the pilot’s leg. It was obvious the Tony had become somewhat distracted by the beautiful femme fatale and had neglected to do the full control check. It is of mystifying interest that the girlfriend’s name was Eve and, in a way, nearly brought down de Fairy Queen. 56 / SPORT PILOT
EXPERIENCED AVIATION INSURANCE SPECIALISTS
Stewart Smith, Gladys Smith, and Grant Cerni would like to assist with your Fixed Wing, Helicopter, Hangarkeepers, and Public Liability needs. Grant can also quote you on all other types of business & personal insurance. Our team is friendly & helpful to deal with, and we obtain for you multiple competitive quotes from all suitable insurers. We service clients in all parts of Australia! WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
Cerni Kalser Insurance Pty Ltd t/a Insure Planes
Phone: 03 9816 3264 Email: aviation@insureplanes.com.au Web: www.insureplanes.com.au Stewart Smith 0433 278 700 Gladys Smith 0425 759 322 Grant Cerni 0427 779 649
AVIATION FINANCE
Australian Commercial Credit Pty Ltd in affiliation with Phillips Basile Equipment Finance Pty Ltd may be able to assist with funds from prime lenders. Good bank fixed rates, normally over 5 years with security over only the plane. Ring Stewart Smith for an obligation free initial discussion. WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE
LEAR N ING TO FL Y
Return to the cockpit BY MARTIN CA S T ILL A
S
everal months had passed (see Sport Pilot July 2017) since I last had a flying lesson. I was busy taking care of family and business matters. Early in 2017, RAAus posted in Sport Pilot magazine an invitation to financial members to apply for a GYFTS scholarship, including an Adult Scholarship. I decided to apply. Fast forward to August when I received an email invitation to attend RAAus’ scholarship presentation, to be held in conjunction with the AGM in Canberra. Turns out I’d been successful: I was awarded a scholarship. I immediately called Adelaide Biplanes’ CFI, Karl, and booked some pre-lesson time to review the school’s, and my, expectations for the next few lessons, my progress thus far and to make a plan to best use the scholarship funds. We agreed I would book lessons as frequently as my commitments would allow, to optimise the learning. An alternative was to stretch the scholarship funds over several months, but in the past, I found that way often became a matter of two steps forward and one step back. Regularly flying should ensure I quickly picked up where I left off on the previous flight, the information fresh in my mind, my responses and control inputs fresh and accurate, so I could make solid progress. I went for my first lesson the following Sunday. The winds were blustery from ground level up to 600ft. The upwind leg had a strong inconsistent wind on the nose, which made crosswind ‘interesting’, downwind smooth and fast, then base and final a fun, unpredictable moment-bymoment lottery. Late final and flaring to land saw sudden upor down-drafts and sideways lurches, requiring constant footwork on rudders and stick. On one occasion as we flared, a gust lifted us sideways then just as suddenly the wind vanished, greatly reducing lift. As we sank I pushed the throttle forward and went around. I remember reading or seeing somewhere about a flying school in Queensland that teaches its students to plan every landing as a go-around. Unless something goes wrong and everything is so perfectly on profile you have to land instead. Food for thought. We completed 10 circuits and met the challenging conditions well.
Despite my lack of recent flying hours, CFI Karl was generous in his comments, stating he was pleasantly surprised at my unflustered control in the testing circumstances. He reported that he’d expected to be more involved, taking control, but that I’d done well. He said I once again was ‘solo ready’ – I first soloed exactly a year ago, but hadn’t since because I paused the lessons. All going well I’d be soloing again next lesson. But all didn’t go well on the next lesson, four days later. There were calm blue skies over the airfield and the wind socks hung limp as I pre-flighted the SportStar, so my expectations were high. Once ready, we took off what turned out to be the messiest first circuit of the day I’d flown in a long time. I noticed climb airspeed was low so I over-corrected and flew too fast, nose low, wasting climb progress. My stick movements lacked finesse. My left foot involuntarily squeezed the rudder when entering downwind on a left circuit (CFI Karl: “You’re not driving a go-kart!”) and we were unbalanced. Adding flaps turning base, I kept the nose level too long, instead of lowering it, so airspeed got slow, not dangerous slow but below the aimed-for 60kts in the SportStar.
“Messy flying is intensely annoying”
57 / SPORT PILOT
L
And more than once we were below profile altitude turning final, so had to add power to stretch the glide. All perfectly normal learner pilot stuff and common adjustments I’ve seen when I’ve flown with other pilots. But as a student I’m under scrutiny and must get it right, especially when they’re considering sending me up solo again. I must (and want) to fly accurately. Messy flying is intensely annoying and not what I visualise when hangar flying every day. Plus, frustratingly, I knew I had flown more accurately the previous lesson on the blustery Sunday. It also meant I didn’t get to solo again that day. I’m now at that point I read about so often where students plateau at different stages of their learning, seemingly stuck. That familiar two steps forward Sunday, one step back Wednesday story. Dang. Never mind; as you’ll read next time, it all came right on the next glorious, fun-filled and exciting lessons. I’m deeply thankful to RAAus and principal sponsors Airservices Australia and OzRunways for the scholarship, which will help get me close to my first pilot endorsement. This learning to fly caper is equal parts exhilarating and challenging, isn’t it? Find out more about the scholarships and the sponsors at www.raaus.org/.
A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S
5016 SONEX 3300
5032 MORGAN CHEETAH
6.5 Airframe Hours, 6.5 Engine Hours, Sonex Sonex taildragger, 3300 jabiru, sensenich prop, MGL velocity avionics, engine management & radio. May be able to arrange delivery. PRICE $38000 CONTACT Tony Messenger 0400 610 076
326.2 Airframe Hours, 55 hours Engine Hours, Morgan Cheetah, Camit 2200 engine, 55 hours on the motor, 350 airframe, no accidents, 115 KTS cruise, PRICE $28000 CONTACT John Murphy 0409 308 232
5023 HOLBROOK AIRFIELD, 22 AIRPARK ROAD
5039 RANS COYOTE II S6ES
Stacked_CMYK
5080 JABIRU J120
450 Airframe Hours, 114 since Zero timed Engine Hours, J120 Engine 114 since Zero Timed.Many new parts used. Crankshaft magnetic particle checked Aircraft could go back into commercial work with check.1/2 share in Steel Hangar near Bega/ Merimbula available cheap PRICE $38000 CONTACT Neville Jollands (02) 6494 4125
S
5095 TOPAZ
25m wide 30m deep residential vacant Block. 22 Airpark Road Holbrook NSW 2644. $69,000 ono Don. 0417 696461 Email: donwoodward@outlook. com Web: holbrook.simdif.com PRICE $69000 CONTACT Don Woodward 0417 696 461
270 Airframe Hours, 270 Engine Hours, S-6ES Coyote II Registered till June 2017. Rotax 582 UL engine 260hrs. New BRS recovery chute installed December 2015. Large roomy cockpit with sliding seats. Folding wings for easy storage/trailering. All VFR instruments. Search Youtube for “Tuflux RANS Coyote”. PRICE $22000 CONTACT Gordon Bailey 0409 348 293
5057 RV-3
5026 JABIRU
709 Airframe Hours, 709 Engine Hours, UL500 Jabiru UL500 2200cc Solid lifter LCH conversion A reliable, delightful, simple, no vices aircraft. Long wings with winglets provide stability, reduced take off, approach and stall speeds. PRICE $37500 CONTACT Daniel Cosgriff 0468 931 895
5140 PARADISE P-1
Stacked_804C
286 Airframe Hours, 626 Engine Hours, RV-3A RV performance with Lycoming reliability. Lycoming O-320-A2B 150HP,150-160kt TAS cruise @32lph. New prop, instruments & paint. A/C can be registered VH if aerobatics required, and can be delivered anywhere in Australia for cost. PRICE $55000 CONTACT Peter Gilbert 0428 719 639
HorsHam aviation services
S 286 Airframe Hours, 286 Engine Hours, P-1 PARADISE P-1 PRICE $85000 CONTACT John Darby 0402 210 913
To subscribe email RAAus admin@raa.asn.au
ABN: 65 007 339 451
Now Importing the eurofox AircrAft: • • • •
340 Airframe Hours, 340 Engine Hours, Topaz 24-8438 ttis 340 hours (engine and airframe) Rotax 912UL cruise 105 kt at 15 lph. Ballistic parachute. Analogue gauges, electric flaps, trim on central joystick and arm rest, leather seats, 40kg luggage. PRICE $85000 ono CONTACT Bob Meldrum 0400 230 895
Quality Factory Built Quick folding wing design Glider Tow certified to 750Kg Short take-off & landing
And Dynon Avionics Products:
• Now with Autopilot capability • Solid state sensors • Checklists • Audible alarm capability PH: 03 5381 1727 Email: info@horshamaviation.com.au
SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW
and get a 10% discount voucher in the RAAus shop
58 / SPORT PILOT
A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S
5202 FLIGHT DESIGN MC.
5237 SEAMAX AMPHIBIAN
2010 model. 751 TT. Price reduced. Garmin 430W GPS 743 Airframe Hours, 743 Engine Hours, MC. MAF owned since new. VH-Registered. (Option to LSA) 100 HP Rotax. All Garmin. G430W GPS/Nav/ Com. 2ND Com. EFIS x 2. Mode S transponder. Audio/ICOM. ELT. FDR. night VFR. Comfort pack. Side by side seats. PRICE $89500 CONTACT David O’Connor 0407 522 346
32 Airframe Hours, 32 Engine Hours, M22. Compare this Seamax with any other amphib LSA. 100kt IAS in cruise 18L/hour 95 octane mogas Reverse thrust and water rudder for water handling 279kg useful load Salt water friendly composite /stainless steel , no alum frame like searey. PRICE $145000 CONTACT Terry O’Brien 0400 747 401
5208 ROTEC RALLY
1191 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Rally Rotec Rally/Pather, slight damage to one wing strut via transport. A strong built, easy to fly aircraft, cruises at 75 kts, 50Ltr long range tank. PRICE $2700 CONTACT Charles Darmanin (02) 6496 7254
5223 X-AIR 3194
5302 X AIR STANDARD
320 Airframe Hours, 228 Engine Hours, Standard 2003 X air Aircraft Wide Entry Doors Brand new seinhesser headsets Garmin GPS In very good condition inside and out. Skins are in very good condition it has been hangared its whole life. PRICE $14000 CONTACT Adam Melhuish 0447 364 694
5309 SHARE IN AEROPRAKT A32 VIXXEN
5268 JABIRU J250 2004
345 Airframe Hours, 345 Engine Hours, J250 Jabiru J250 2004. Solid Lifter eng. VGs, Elect Flap, Trig Mode S Txp, Area 500 GPS, Microair VHF, Area 500 GPS, All 10 Ply Tyres, Gt Touring A/C PRICE $55000 CONTACT Ian Berry 0427 997 441
5297 RV6 VH-MJH
250 Airframe Hours, 250 Engine Hours, A32 Vixxen A share is available in The Davewood Syndicate Vixxen based at Caboolture. Long running syndicate dedicated to providing a low hour high (currently 150) standard machine at reasonable rates of $85 per hour wet and $100 per month fixed. PRICE $10000 CONTACT Ian McDonell (07) 3886 5828
5310 JABIRU J160-C
450 Airframe Hours, 450 Engine Hours, X-Air 3194 Excellent Condition 450 Hours TT.E/AF Always Hangered Rego October 2018 Rotax 503 Engine Performs well 3 Blade Brolga Prop. Reluctant sale due to health reasons $9,000. PRICE $9000 CONTACT Ron (03) 5382 4766
290 Airframe Hours, 290 TIS Engine Hours, RV6 TT AF/ENG/Prop 290 Hrs LYC. 0 360 180 HP Metal FP prop. Nil accident. Best SAAA ‘All Metal Aircraft’ in 2006 CRZ 160 KTAS on 30 ltrs. CoA, Day/Night VFR with NO flight over built up area restrictions. $100K. E: rv6mjh@bigpond.net.au PRICE $95000 CONTACT Mike Horneman 0417 931 872
5231 ACROLITE 1B
5300 37 TIGERMOTH AVE, TEMORA AIRPARK
560 Airframe Hours, 290 hours (18th April 2008) Engine Hours, J160-C Jabiru Immaculate condition. Garmin 296 GPS, Transponder, iPad holder, Illuminated Compass, Electronic T&B indicator (for Auto Pilot) PRICE $48000 CONTACT Dave Lloyd 0417 328 435
5318 WAIEX
94hrs Airframe Hours, 94hrs Engine Hours, Acrolite 1B Single seater bi-plane. 2200 Jabiru solid lifter. Disk brakes, Matco tail-wheel, new tyres & battery. Always hangared, covers. Timber spars. 85kt cruise, 50litre alloy tank. Ailerons upper and lower. Reluctant sale. PRICE $21500 CONTACT Dennis Walker 0427 555 727
Change in circumstances means #37 Tigermoth Ave Temora Airpark is on the market! Brand-new 15x15x 6m high hangar on a 50 x 25m freehold block, it has unrestricted views across the entire northern side of the airport. Power, water, gas & sewer avail. PRICE $190000 CONTACT Robin Wills 0401 023 271 59 / SPORT PILOT
260 Airframe Hours, 5 since rebuild Engine Hours, Waiex, Kit built plane, Recent winner Avalon Air Show,Best in show, light recreational aircraft PRICE $47500 CONTACT Keith Jeffs 0438 508 576
A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S
5321 THRUSTERT300
1420 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, T300 1988 Thruster T300 25-0238 1420 Hrs 582 grey head, electric and pull start, 74 lt. tank,alloy wheels, fluorescent yellow wings, red tail and pod. Good looking aircraft, great to fly, always hangared and currently hangared at Lethbridge Victoria. PRICE $6500 CONTACT Paul Fallon 0423 966 756bh P.98733701
5326 JABIRU J230C
575.6 Airframe Hours, 575.6 Engine Hours, J230C Factory built 2007. Excellent condition. All AD’s up-to-date. Glass cockpit: Dynon D100 EFIS, AvMap EKP IV, GPS, Sentient AirNav GPS touch screen. Lots of extras. Hangered at Warwick (Qld). $75,000 or nearest offer. Phone (after-hours) 0438 66 3371. PRICE $75000 CONTACT Gwenith Tyburczy 0421 322 618
5334 JABIRU J200 19-5073
624 Airframe Hours, 240 Engine Hours, J200 Build 2003, Owner purchased 2010, Airframe TTIS 644 Hrs, nil accidents, repainted at Factory 2013, GA analogue instruments, vacuum pump, A/H, D/G, Electric T&B, voltmeter, keyed ignition, Microair radio, dual headsets and 2 x GPS’s, 140 lit fuel PRICE $57500 CONTACT Jeff Nott 0418 843 954
5335 TYRO MK 2
5338 SLING
5368 ALLEGRO
61 Airframe Hours, 61 Engine Hours, Sling 2 912 ULS engine, Automatic carburettor heat, Cabin Heater, Strobes, Efis, Altimeter, Airspeed indicator, Turn and bank indicator, Factory leather interior, Lame assist build, PRICE $115000 CONTACT Geoff Scott 0435 248 483
610 Airframe Hours, 620 Engine Hours, Allegro 2009 Allegro, rotax 80 hp, 610 hours total time. Usable load 250kg, Endurance 4.5 hours @ 105 knots tas. PRICE $39000 CONTACT David Buchanan 0427 210 083
5373 SPACEWALKER SW1
5348 JABIRU 120C PRICE REDUCED
1050 Airframe Hours, 180hrs Engine Hours, 120C Reduced to Sell 2200 engine, full rebuild 180 hrs ago L.2 maintained, oil and filter changes every 25hrs, A/D and service buletins , Std VFR intruments, Garman GPS wheel spats, always hangared, Mark Griffen 0427 887 311 PRICE $33990 no GST CONTACT Arnold Niewand 0429 857 275
MEMBERS’ MARKET ADS CAN NOW ALSO BE PLACED ONLINE. VISIT AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS.COM.AU
Unk Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Spacewalker SWI Single seat SW1 Spacewalker. Restoration job. All structure complete, condition 6/10. Outer wing panels OK, Centre section requires rebuild. Engine mount for A65. Located Sydney. PRICE $5000 CONTACT Neale Dunstan 0424 944 697
5382 SIGMA 4
330 Airframe Hours, 330 Engine Hours, SIGMA 4 Factory built, Rotex 912s/uls Engine, Garmin Area 500 GPS, 1x IPad Holder, ICom 200 Radio. PRICE $58000 CONTACT Barry Heard 0417 473 780
5384 SAPPHIRE 5355 MINICAB J14
60 Airframe Hours, 30 Engine Hours, Tyro MK 2 Tyro MK 2 fully refurbished 4 years ago with stits polyfibre. VW 1600 twin port aero engine (30 hours) with new Ark tech propeller. Holds 50L of fuel, with a burn of 7-10L/hour in cruise. Located in South East Tasmania. PRICE $8500 CONTACT Les Skinner 0438 017 256
168.5 Airframe Hours, 168.5 Engine Hours, J14 Minicab J14 built by K Jarvis in 2002. 95 knot cruise @ 2800 rpm. Fuel 13 litres per hour. Reliable solid lifter 2200 Jabiru Engine S/N 744. TT only 168 hours. Exceptional condition and easy to fly. Aldinga SA. PRICE $30000 CONTACT Ian Jarvis 0419 838 925
61 / SPORT PILOT
535.6 Airframe Hours, 140 Engine Hours, Sapphire Summer is here! Don’t be left on the ground, looking up, wishing you were flying. For a very affordable price you could be flying too! The Sapphire is a classic and well respected Australian built design. Rebuilt with new electric start Rotax 503, new Bolly 3 blade prop, new instruments PRICE $13000 CONTACT Mustafa Bozkurt 0408 516 816
A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S
5386 QUICKSILVER GT400
King KT76 mode C transponder, Icom A220 VHF, AvMap digital A/H, Garmin Aera 500 GPS. Tidy aircraft, always hangared. PRICE $32000 neg CONTACT Victor Taylor 0427 113 637
5405 J-230 D
5395 LIGHTWING GR582 317 Airframe Hours, 99.6 Engine Hours, GT400 Quicksilver GT400, single seat, very good condition, always hangared, pleasure to fly. PRICE $6800 CONTACT Mark Bartleman 0407 344 466
5387 TECNAM RG
300 Airframe Hours, 300 Engine Hours, GR 582 Factory-built Hughes Lightwing. Professionally recovered and painted. Rotax 582, panel-mount Icom VHF, long-range tanks. Exceptionally low hours (300 from new) and in excellent condition throughout. Forced sale due to medical conditionPRICE $21000 CONTACT Martin Hone 0419 368 696
1100 Airframe Hours, 700 Engine Hours, P922000RG Tecnam RG For Sale PRICE $80000 CONTACT Michael Riddle 0477 000 343
5397 BUCCANEER2 ULTRALIGHT
5389 JABIRU J170-C
2200 Airframe Hours, 350 Engine Hours, J170 - C J170-C-Manufactured 2010, 22B Gen3 Engine with no restrictions (350hrs). Transponder, Garmin GPS, Jabiru composite propeller. Currently cross hired to Adelaide Soaring Club with opportunity to continue arrangement (STCA) $59,000 Inc GST PRICE $50000 CONTACT Glenn Schwarz 0425 661 112
342 Airframe Hours, 342 Engine Hours, 1996 Updated electric actuators and Tundra wheels and tyres. Brand new icon A210. Needs some work on the tail-wheel for water landings. Condition report included. Registered until September 2018 Contact: Evan 0409 660 716 Email: bluepeace24@yahoo. com.au PRICE $29000 CONTACT Ivan Lizarralde 0409 660 716
5401 TECNAM P96 GOLF
5390 EUROPA CLASSIC
244.1 Airframe Hours, 244.1 Engine Hours, Europa Classic Constructed 1999 Trailer, Conventional tail wheel undercarriage 4 stage flap 120Kts @20.lph -Jabiru 3.3 engine VHF, Transponder, Lowrance GPS. Mary 0417 003 281 PRICE $40000 CONTACT Douglas Gregory 0408 386 175
1302.6 Airframe Hours, Tecnam P96 Golf 100 aircraft. 24 registered. Awesome and reliable aircraft in great condition. Dream to fly. Rotax 912 S. engine PRICE $65000 CONTACT Michael Van der Heiden 0412 393 334
5404 JABIRU J160-D
5393 SKYFOX GAZELLE CA25N
2250 Airframe Hours, 2960 Engine Hours, Skyfox Gazelle CA25N. A/F hrs - 2250. Eng hrs - 2962. Second owner, all A/Ds complied with. Rotax 912.
583 Airframe Hours, J160-D Factory Built 2013 583 hours Total time. Composite propeller (250 hours since new) Re-painted 2016 Dynon EFIS D10A MicroAir M760 VHF MicroAir T2000SFL Transponder Excellent condition inside and out PRICE $59000 CONTACT (07) 4092 2043 62 / SPORT PILOT
660 Airframe Hours, 240 Engine Hours, J-230 D Built 2007. TT 660. Eng. 240. Prop. 120. One owner. Nil accidents. Dynon D10. VHF. Tranponder. All SB’s up to date. Meticulously maintained. PRICE $70000 CONTACT John Ruffle 0414 947 530
5410 JABIRU 430
106 Airframe Hours, 106 Engine Hours, J430 2015 registered VH can transfer to RA. Immaculate condition suit new buyer. Airframe/eng TTIS 106hrs, Cruise 120ktas @ 20l/hr. SDS fuel injected CAMit 3300, IVO IFA Prop, Glass panel, Auto Pilot. Contact Simon 0417793902 sccoombs@westnet.com.au PRICE $75000 CONTACT Simon 0417 793 902
5414 SUPAPUP MKII
202 Airframe Hours, 186 Engine Hours, SupaPup MkII, single seat, Fab. covered molyb. tube frame/ Fibreglass cowls/Alum. L.Edge. Powerfin Prop. Rotax 503 DCDI TT186 Hrs. Wings removable and custom open trailer. Can be inspected at Rylestone Airpark PRICE $10900 CONTACT Garry Dukes 0400 709 801
MEMBERS’ MARKET ADS CAN NOW ALSO BE PLACED ONLINE. VISIT AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS.COM.AU Advertising rates start at $33 (incl GST) per month for online advertising. You can include up to 5 photos and 1000 words of text online. Advertising rates include an ad in Sport Pilot Magazine
A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S
5415 HANGAR FOR SALE - HUNTER VALLEY
5422 JABIRU 230D 1/2 SHARE $38,000
914Rotax turbo +hyd con prop. Full cockpit. 2 radioes. Transponder. DG gyro. 2GPS’s. Autopilot. Dynon FFIS-DIOA. Altimeter. 2 airspeed indicators. All engine guages+turbo boost Always hangared PRICE $70000 CONTACT Ray Allen 0416 204 472
5428 CESSNA SKYCATCHER 162
Near New, fully-enclosed steel hangar at Scone Airport. 12m x 12m concrete floor. Full width 3.6m high doors on rollers. Bitumen-sealed apron and taxiway to 1400m bitumen runway. Freehold (Torrens) Land Title - no annual lease payments. CONTACT Geoffrey Pinfold 0429 810 008
540 Airframe Hours, 540 Engine Hours, J230D Excellent Condition, true 120kt cruise,Nil Accidents, Autopilot, plus many more, Full Analogue Instruments, All AD,s current, 515H Airframe and Engine, Factory built, Customised Leather Seats, great for travelling, GCSFS Jacobswell Qld PRICE $38000 CONTACT Colin Worthy 0403 669 564
5423 JABIRU 230D
5417 J6 KARATOO
98 Airframe Hours, 98 Engine Hours, 162 CESSNA SKYCATCHER 162 2011 TT 98 hrs. Australian delivery. One owner. Dual screens PFD and EGT, all options. Currently registered GA but can be registered RA. 10/10 $90,000 plus GST Contact Alan 0439 805 540, alank454@hotmail.com PRICE $99000 CONTACT Alan Kirwan 0439 805 540
5432 FULLY ENCLOSED AIRCRAFT TRAILER
J6 Karatoo unfinished project, 2 seater side by side, 32’6” wing span, 20’ long, wooden spruce wings, hydraulic disc brakes, fabric for covering, all plans and instructions included, many hardware parts and tools included also, all in good condition PRICE $5000 CONTACT Robert Stuart (03) 5854 8377
977 Airframe Hours, 236 Engine Hours, J230Dfactory built, exc condition, always hangared, no accidents, never used for training. Jabaru composite, scimitar propellar, dynon d100 EFIS, garmen transponder, itom radio, AvMap EKP-IV GPS, fuel scan FS-450 PRICE $65000 CONTACT Barry Mock 0418 381 790
5424 ZENAIR ZODIAC CH601
5418 RANS AIRAILE S12
360 Airframe Hours, 360 Engine Hours, S12 Excellent condition-nil accidents. Flown 360 hours only with Rotax 912UL and Warp Drive prop, boost pump, radio, intercom and 2 headsets. Long rego. Always hangared. Currently located at Wedderburn. PRICE $17000 CONTACT Rodney Holzwart 0438 123 767
Fully enclosed trailer built to house RV12. Hydraulic brakes, single axle. Not registered. Heavy duty aluminium chequer plate rear ramp with spring assist to open and close. 8000mm long x 2540m wide. Solar panel. PRICE $5000 CONTACT Alan Phelan 0411 253 156
5434 SAVANNAH VG XL
800 Airframe Hours, 800 Engine Hours, Zodiac CH601 tricycle under cart, low wing, 2 person, full instrumentation,100 litre fuel capacity, 3 blade Bolly Brolga propeller, set of speed wings, wing tanks and lockers. always hangar-ed. Delivery available by qualified CFI. suziandlawrie@gmail.com PRICE $28000 CONTACT lawrie barton-johnson
5425 MICROLIGHT 348 Airframe Hours, 348 Engine Hours, XT Airborne XT912 CRUZE WING 2006 PRICE $30000 CONTACT Greg Oldfield 0424 195 317
5419 IBIS MAGIC GS 700 19-7591
430 Airframe Hours, 430 Engine Hours, XL VG Savannah VG XL built maintained by L2 2011 TT430 hrs std Sav instruments strobes micro radio tspdr long range tanks nil accidents always hangared making way for new project ideal STOL cruise 85kts Rotax ULS 912 3 blade Bolly PRICE $65000 CONTACT Rod Riddle 0428 843 062
5437 JABIRU 230D GEN 3 ENGINE 24-7491
5427 JABIRU 230 Two seater aircraft 470 Airframe Hours, 470 Engine Hours, IBIS GS 700 19-7591. Glass cockpit with autopilot and backup instruments Excellent cross over of stol and cruise 24kt stall with 100kt cruise Recent annual, low hours selling due surplus to requirement. PRICE $70000 CONTACT Yulio Spadina 0439 003 633
500 Airframe Hours, 1000 Engine Hours, 230 - was a 430 Airframe J430 built to GA standard. Eng 63 / SPORT PILOT
2000 Airframe Hours, 350 Engine Hours, J230D Nice mix of Dynon D10 IFIS, analog instarments, 2 radios, GPS and Transponder. 10 ply tyres fitted and there is a collection of spares.CHT / EGT about to be fitted. Fuel lines and undercarriage bolts will be replace before sale. PRICE $70000 CONTACT Rene Smit (+6) 1437 272 645
A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S
5439 HANGAR SPACE FOR RENT
5447 JABIRU J170-D
Secure Hangar space for rent in Dixalea Central Qld $100 per month, with 1700m grass runway PRICE $100 CONTACT Adrian Paine 0400 157 833
348 Airframe Hours, 348 Engine Hours, Jabiru J170-D Factory built in 2013 always hangared, no accidents. Micro air transponder & radio, leather seats, map pockets, strobe light, 2 blade Jabiru Carbon fibre propeller, replaced 38hrs ago PRICE $68000 CONTACT Margaret 0401 365 989
5441 SKYFOX CA25/912
5451 JABIRU LSA 55/3J
5448 SAVANNAH XL VG
2149 Airframe Hours, 445 Engine Hours, Jabiru LSA 55/3j Easy and fun to fly. Good condition L2 maintained, solid, factory built aircraft. Cruises at 95-100kts, 12-13L/hr fuel burn, 65L tank. MTOW 430kg, EW 248.3kg. Always Hangered (YBCM), full aircraft covers provided. PRICE $28500 CONTACT Anthony Elms 0403 777 852
5453 WANTED 1080 Airframe Hours, 1390 Engine Hours, CA25/912 SkyFox CA25/912, re-conditioned prop, GA pannel, Transponder and Garmen 295 GPS, 2 David Clarke headsets, stall warning, 12mth rego, cabin heat, throttle lock system, spare lower cowl, spare prop, jack, fully inclosed purpose build trailer with winch PRICE $33000 CONTACT Phillip Bennett 0405 382 235
Oil system thermostat made by Camit to suit Jabiru engines. CONTACT Contact Peter Ayson 0407 077 219.
5454 WANTED - WIZARD 3 HANG GLIDER WING 130.0 Airframe Hours, 130.0 Engine Hours, Savannah XL VG 8326 First reg. 18/12/13. PRICE $70000 CONTACT Kevin 0477 222 344
Wanted - Wizard 3 hang glider wing for trike, any condition CONTACT Eric Stallard phone number not provided
5449 JABIRU J230/430
5442 LOW HOURS CATALINA LSA 24-8662
35 Airframe Hours, 35 Engine Hours, Catalina NG The Fly Synthesis Catalina NG seaplane is an economic & safe entry to the wonderful world of seaplane flying. It’s probably the easiest seaplane to fly and store, with its folding wings. With 5 hr. water training and balance of factory warranty. PRICE $78800 CONTACT Greg Doyle 0400 114 747
5455 2011 KOLB MARK III XTRA
156.50 Airframe Hours, 156.50 Engine Hours, J230 Built 2009 J430. Now Reg’d with RA-Aus. Easily converted to VH again. Garmin Navcom/Transponder. Autopilot, Altitude Hold, Electric trim, 10” Odyssey EFIS inc AH & monitor all cyls CHT/EGT. 10 ply tyres. A magnificent a/craft PRICE $65000 CONTACT Garry Connelly 0428 446 236
86 Airframe Hours, 436 Engine Hours, 2011 KOLB Mark III Xtra. 2 pl side-by-side, tail-wheel Rotax 912A 80 HP engine. 3 Blade Kool Prop. Max continuous cruise 80kn (5500 RPM), economical cruise 70kn (5000 RPM), clean stall 30 kn, half flap stall 25 kn, full flap stall unknown (ASI lower limit 24 kn). PRICE $30000 CONTACT Cameron Obst 0427 616 945
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ADVERTISING ONLINE AND IN THE MAGAZINE To advertise online and in Sport Pilot magazine Visit: www.aviationclassifieds.com.au/
| Call: (02) 6280 4700
|
Email: sales@aviationclassifieds.com.au
Advertising rates start at $33 (incl GST) per month for online advertising. You can include up to 5 photos and 1000 words of text online. Advertising rates include an ad in Sport Pilot Magazine, which is limited to one photo and 50 words. Advertisers are responsible for cancelling their ad. No refunds will be issued for ads where the advertiser sells a product and fails to cancel their ad. RAAus offers advertisers the opportunity to auto-renew ads, it is an advertisers responsibility to turn off this feature. The deadline for ads to appear in Sport Pilot is the 15th of the month prior to the cover date of the issue. The Aviation Classifieds section in Sport Pilot is subsidised by RAAus and its members and is for non-commercial sales only. As such, even though your ad is guaranteed to be online, inclusion in the magazine will be at the discretion of the Editor. Before purchasing any aircraft/engines/equipment which appears in the Aviation Classifieds, make sure the technical details and registration information is correct for that type and model of aircraft/engine/equipment. RAAus and Stampils P/L take NO responsibility for the technical accuracy of the details and information attached to each ad online and in Sport Pilot magazine and may not be able to transfer the aircraft purchase. RAAus also reserves the right to edit or delete advertisements deemed inappropriate or misleading. RAAus and Stampils P/L reserve the right to withdraw from publication, without refund, any ad deemed unsuitable, including low quality or faulty images. Neither RAAus nor Stampils P/L accepts responsibility for advertising errors or omissions. Advertisers are also responsible for assessing both the integrity of potential buyers and the risks which attend online transactions. The long standing principle of caveat emptor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor) applies. Since phishing scammers may contact advertisers using the RAAus website, you are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with the ACCC’s guidelines for recognising and guarding against online scammers (https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-protection/protecting-yourself-from-scams). 64 / SPORT PILOT
QU IZ
A QUESTION OR TWO BY OUR NE W QUIZMA STER
2. When tracking to the north in a strong westerly wind, the skid ball should be a. slightly left of the centre. b. slightly right of centre. c. in the centre. d. either side of centre depending on the instrument location on the panel.
3
3. A momentary jump in the readings of the airspeed indicator and altimeter when the cockpit door is closed or when the cabin ventilation is altered in flight, indicates a a. static system leak. b. static system obstruction. c. pitot system leak. d. pitot system obstruction.
4
4. One technique for landing in a left crosswind is to touch down first on the a. right main wheel with a side slip to the right balancing the drift to the left. b. right main wheel with side slip to the left balancing the drift to the right.
5 a. b. c. d.
5. When hand starting a piston engine, the non-impulse magneto should be switched on to aid starting. off to eliminate the risk of kick-back. on to advance the spark. on to retard the spark.
ANSWERS
2
c. left main wheel with a side slip to the right balancing the drift to the left. d. left main wheel with a side slip to the left balancing the drift to the right.
1. c Raising the tail reduces the angle of attack and prevents the aeroplane staggering into the air at a dangerously low speed (and probably staggering back on again). Drag reduction during the ground run is a bonus. 2. c The instrument shows slip or skid but not drift. Drag is increased if the ball is not centred. 3. a The momentary increase in cockpit pressure into the static system causes momentary changes in the pressure instrument indications. 4. d This is one common method. Right rudder would be required to keep the aircraft aligned with the runway. 5. b During hand starting, the rotation is normally too slow for the non-impulse magneto to produce a useful spark but if it does, the likely result will be sudden reverse the propeller rotation and goodbye fingers.
During takeoff in a tailwheel aircraft, the primary 1 1.reason for raising the tail early in the ground run is to a. minimise the wear on the small diameter, fast-rotating tailwheel. b. minimise drag. c. control the speed at which lift-off occurs. d. to improve the forward visibility.
ADVERTISERS INDEX AeroKits
24
CASA
20
Lowe Flight
Asia Pacific Light Flying
67
Coominya Flight Training
46
Mendelssohn Pilot Supplies
Atec Aircraft Sales
16
D-Motor Australia
60
MKY Tours Oshcosh
40
Australian Aircraft Kits
46
Deniliquin Aero Club
42
PSB
67
Australian Lightwing
40
Foxbat Australia
44
Recreational Flying Co Gympie
46
Bert Flood Imports
10
Goolwa Air Park
12
Sapphire Avionics
16
Bill Owen
40
Horsham Aviation
44,58
SEQFTA
60
Bolly Props
60
Horsham Aviation
58
Brumby Aircraft
42
Insure Planes
46,56
Sport Aviation Tocumwal
60
6
Jabiru Aircraft
68
Starfox Aircraft
16
Leading Edge Aviation
60
Tecnam
Bushcat C & H Freight
18
65 / SPORT PILOT
Sling
60 2
6
5
HAP PY L A ND IN G S
A third generation pilot BY FRED NOL AN While most of Moree townfolk were just waking, 21 year old David Burey from Brownleigh near Moree, flew his first solo in early December. He was in command of the Moree Aero Club Jabiru J170. David departed off runway 19 at 07:09, in light south westerly winds and flew a perfect circuit in perfect weather. David will be the third generation pilot from the well-known Burey family of Moree. He follows the footsteps of his grandfather, John, and his Dad, Geoff. He is also a step closer to flying the family Cessna 182 VH-KAT, parked in the Brownleigh shed.
David Burey
SEND IN YOUR STORIES Got an aviation moment you’d love to share? Your kids or maybe your club get together? Send a photo as a jpeg attachment and a short explanation to editor@sportpilot.net.au
CAGIT on the move Finally! After being wedged in John Reymond’s grip at Karakin (10nm east of Lancelin) in southern W.A since last year, the Come And Get It Trophy has finally taken flight again. In early January, Tony Messenger swooped to John’s property and made off with the prize. He’s taken it as far as Pingelly, still in W.A. But the quiet word is that it won’t be perched there for very long. Watch out CAGIT, there’s a posse coming for you. If you, or your crew, are contemplating a high-speed heist of recreational aviation’s most coveted prize, it’s best to keep upto-date with its latest location by checking the CAGIT hunter’s Facebook page, administered by Dexter Burkill, Peter Zweck and David Carroll - Facebook.com/cagithunters.
John Reymond ( L ) han ds the CAGIT to Tony Messenger
For a full list of rules about how you can grab CAGIT for yourself, check out the RAAus website.
66 / SPORT PILOT
WHERE IS
CAGIT?
INSURANCE AND SAFETY PARTNERSHIP FOR RAAUS MEMBERS PSB Insurance Brokers is pleased to provide a tailored insurance program exclusive to RAAus members, underwritten by QBE Insurance and Agile Aviation Underwriting Services. The partnership has safety at it’s core with Australian Red Bull pilot and RAAus member, Matt Hall delivering a number of safety initiatives. For a range of Aviation insurance solutions, including Aircraft Hull, Top Up Liability visit psbgroup.com.au for instant cover* or call (08) 8271 9677 | (03) 8841 3303.
• ONLINE INSURANCE QUOTING AND DELIVERY
• DISCOUNT OPTIONS INCLUDING NO CLAIM BONUS AND HIGHER EXCESS
• INSTALMENT PAYMENTS AVAILABLE
• CASH BACK TO RAAUS FOR POLICIES PURCHASED ONLINE
PSB Insurance Brokers, together supporting RAAus and its members. *Subject to acceptable underwriting criteria - AFS241402
agile aviation
UNDERWRITING SERVICES
ASIA PACIFIC LIGHT FLYING iEFIS Series
Comprehensive flight, engine and navigation instrument for Experimental and LSA aircraft • • • • • •
Vega Series
XTreme Mini EFIS
Accessories • • • • •
The XTreme
Compact, multifunction EFIS • Standard 3 1/8” aircraft enclosure • Multiple display screens (model dependent)
The Stratomaster Vega Range • • • •
12 versions Large backlit colour graphic display Standard 2 1/4” aircraft enclosure Multiple display screens (model dependent)
67 / SPORT PILOT
7”, 8.5” and 10.4” display Sunlight readable Touch screen Customisable interface Autopilot Integrate Radios and Transponder
Probes and Senders Wiring Harnesses Tubing and Fittings GPS and VHF antennas and fittings. DYKEM® Cross-Check™
Want to know more?
(02)623 83665 or 0419 423 286 Paul@lightflying.com.au
www.lightflying.com.au
68 / SPORT PILOT