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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
CONTENTS
48 TABLE OF CONTENTS REGULARS 06 08 09 10 52 66
From the Chairman Events From the CEO Letters Classifieds Final Approach
COLUMNS 18 20 38 44 62 64
34
Legal Eagle Finding the time to fly From the Ops Team Power-off 180 degree Turn Milestones Maintenance
FEATURES 12 14 22 26 40
Aerolite 103 Ski Training STOL Comp 2019 Trike Flying 'Aerofred' Expo
AIRCRAFT REVIEW 34 48
14 3 / SPORT PILOT
Slipstream Genesis Westland Widgeon
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
3
CONTACTS
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CEO
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
5
COLUMN
FROM THE CHAIR: MICHAEL MONCK
WHAT’S GOING ON? I
t’s a funny thing you know. We spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on some things but refuse to pay for others. We talk about valuing things but when asked to chip in we don’t. Some might wonder why this is the case, but the simple answer is that while we say we care, our actions demonstrate that we are not actually too fussed about aviation. We’re just concerned about ourselves. Before anyone kicks up a stink and says that’s not true, I’m talking about some of us, not all of us. Having said this, before you dismiss the idea and put yourself firmly into the camp that does care, ask yourself where you really sit. Many years ago, I did some work analysing how traffic flows on roads. I won’t bore you to death with the detailed mathematical modelling that we did, or the psychological factors that we considered when talking to motorists, but I will talk a little about an interesting phenomenon we noticed. Apart from the mind-numbing job of watching traffic, counting cars and studying the real world movements of vehicles on the road, we spoke to a large number of people and asked them about their driving habits. Part of this line of questioning asked them how they rated themselves when they considered their own driving ability. The results were clearly misleading because most people said they were above average. Even the most rudimentary understanding of statistics will tell you we can’t all be above average, it just isn’t possible. When we apply the same type of thinking to whether we care about aviation or just our own ability to fly, we should also consider this funny psychological bias. I think about the things that we are trying to achieve at RAAus and the things that the sector is trying to achieve more broadly (which isn’t too different). We’re trying to grow the sector, we’re trying to spur interest in younger folk and we’re trying to get more people involved in the maintenance side of things. Despite this, a
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
couple of things jump out at me. The first is that this message seems to get lost. The second is that even though we all seem to agree on this, most people shy away from the heavy lifting or even doing the simple things to help. In a way, aviation is a lot like the federal election that has just been held. In the lead up to the day the voters get bombarded with negativity and public slandering of people and parties. I honestly struggle to recall what any particular party policies look like, but I do know that Labor will tax us to death and the Liberal party doesn’t care about the climate. I know these things because that’s what each party jammed down my throat in the weeks before the big day. Not the good things they were going to do, but the bad things the other guys were going to do. And this is not too different to what we experience in our sector. There seems to be a focus on the bad things that are happening and the fact that the sky is falling in. Aviation is struggling and we’re all going the way of the dodo if we aren’t careful. We’d best sell our planes, our hangars and the airports and get out of aviation because it is dying. The second part is that people don’t seem to care enough about their passion to prevent this from happening. It is really hard to convince people what they are supposedly so passionate about is worth preserving. If we put these two things together then certain perceptions will soon become reality. That is, if we shout loudly enough that the sky is falling and then demonstrate through our own inaction that we don’t care enough to do anything about it, the sky will probably fall. A couple of weeks ago I went to Wings Over Illawarra and had a great weekend. The weather wasn’t perfect but plenty of people had a lot of fun. I dropped in to see your team from RAAus (I was there on my own dime) and they had a similar experience. Although everyone seemed to have
a good time, the attendance figures were down. According to a recent news article the organisers look like they have lost some hundreds of thousands of dollars on this year’s show. Not a good outcome and I sincerely hope it doesn’t jeopardise the future of the event. When we consider this type of thing at a more local level we would probably say that we care. We would probably agree that these types of events should continue to thrill us aviators as well as the general public. We would probably agree that aviation should be supported and allowed to thrive. Yet I constantly feel as though we act like we’re in a constant election cycle and we’d rather throw stones at the other guys. I’ve just bought a new plane and while this is great news for me, the downside is that I won’t have it in time for the Rylstone fly in (which will have finished by the time you read this). I will still be there though. I will drive the 4 ½ hours it takes to get there by road and have a good weekend. Just like I drove about 2 ½ hours to Wings Over Illawarra. Why? Because I think these things are worth supporting and being involved in. Later in the year I will be taking my own company to AirVenture in Parkes and I will happily pay my costs to be there. As a director of RAAus I don’t ask for special treatment and I will fork out the full cost of the exhibition space that I need. Again, the reason I do this is because I believe that aviation is worth supporting and worth paying for. I don’t like the fact that I have to pay for a medical every two years to maintain my PPL. I don’t like that I pay a couple of hundred dollars for my ASIC. And the list of things I don’t really want to pay for goes on. In the bigger picture, however, these costs are small, five hundred dollars or thereabouts. In the grand scheme of things this is nothing compared to what I will put into my new plane in terms of buying it, keeping it fuelled up, maintaining it and so
on. I might moan about these costs from time to time, but I will pay them because I love aviation. Yet for some reason we don’t support our own industry even though we claim to love it. I hear of some industry people moaning about paying for exhibition space at fly-ins. I hear some pilots say that they fly into these events and so entry should be free. There are all sorts of other arguments but they all pretty much boil down to one simple premise – someone else should pay. The RAAus board, your board, has some processes in place around decision making. In recent times we have discussed the
potential for directors to be trained at the expense of RAAus and, while this has some merit, there was also discussion around an alternative, no training by RAAus. After debating the topic it was resolved that RAAus does derive benefit from having trained directors but those directors also get some external benefit from this training. With this in mind the board resolved to offset but not fully cover the costs of this type of education. I have always invested in myself and paid for my own education with the belief that if I don’t invest in myself then no one else should feel obliged to and the board feels this way as well.
If we apply this logic to aviation in general, we should ask ourselves, if we’re not willing to invest in aviation, then why should others do it for us? So again, let’s ask ourselves the question – our words say we care about aviation, but what do our actions say? If we are honest with ourselves then spending a couple of hundred dollars a year supporting events, organisations and our passion is a small price to pay and a simple action to take. Get along to your next club BBQ, fly in or industry event. Michael Monck
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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EVENTS 2019 NEW SOUTH WALES
QUEENSLAND
ORANGE. SATURDAY 15TH JUNE. Australia’s biggest morning tea. Orange Aero Club is again hosting a morning tea to help the Cancer Council in their fund-raising efforts. The morning tea is being promoted around the aero club network as a fly/drive event,. Morning tea will be available at the aero club from 10am to 12 noon, and a donation of $5 per person will go to the Cancer Council. www.orangeaeroclub.com.au
MURGON. SATURDAY 13TH JULY The Burnett Flyers will hold their bi-monthly breakfast fly-in at Angelfield. For $15 you get a hearty country breakfast with fresh coffee and tea, served in a country atmosphere at the airfield’s rustic ops centre. www.burnettflyers.org
MOREE. SATURDAY 22ND JUNE Moree Aero Club is celebrate 70 years of continuous operation and everyone is welcome to join in. 0428 526 010 GRAFTON. SUNDAY 23RD JUNE The Grafton Aero Club invites all aviation enthusiasts to participate in the 2019 Wings and Wheels gathering. Due to the very cold and windy weather over the past two years, this year’s event has been bought forward. With better weather there will be a lot more aircraft flying in as well as ground-based participants. Plenty of food, accommodation if required, no landing fees and a warm reception guaranteed. Kevin Wilson 0429 344 158 PARKES FRI 20TH TO SUN 22ND SEPTEMBER Airventure 2019. Come along and camp with your aeroplane. The event is topped off with an airshow on Sunday. airventureaustralia.com.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
IS YOUR CLUB HOLDING AN EVENT? Send the details to: editor@sportpilot.net.au
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
TRURO FLATS AIRPARK SUNDAY 7TH JULY The Barossa Birdmen will host a forum on electric aircraft and canopy maintenance. Local aircraft canopy constructor Ian Linke will give a talk on electric aircraft for about an hour, then a talk on canopy construction followed by a hands on workshop for maintenance and cleaning of canopies which will go as long as attendees require. Due to being hands on, numbers will be limited. Lunch, morning and afternoon tea provided for $10. Please RSVP Roy Phillips royp1948@gmail.com before June 26. All welcome
WARWICK. SATURDAY 20TH JULY QRAA Jumpers & Jazz Breakfast Fly-in at Massie Aerodrome. Following a hearty breakfast, transport will be arranged for those wishing to visit Warwick to enjoy some time checking out the town's quirky Jumpers & Jazz festival. www.qraa.info. Graham; 0427 377 603
VICTORIA ECHUCA. SUNDAY 23RD JUNE The famous Echuca Aeroclub roast lunch. Two roast meats, roast pumpkin and potatoes, honeyed carrots, corn, peas, gravy, bread and butter come first then a wonderful selection of homemade desserts prepared by club members. All this for only $20 a head, kids eat free if accompanied by an adult. www.echucaaeroclub.com.au KYNETON. SATURDAY 6TH JULY The Kyneton gourmet hot dog brunch returns for another month. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and interesting aeroplanes that are a part of the culture of this lovely country airfield. SHEPPARTON. SUNDAY 2ND JUNE The Great Shepparton pancake breakfast 8am to 11am. AIRLIE BEACH FRIDAY 6TH - 9TH SEPTEMBER Whitsunday Airport Shute Harbour will host their annual Airlie Beach Fly In. This will also incorporate the renowned runway dinner and airshow. Aviation enthusiasts are invited to fly into Whitsunday Airport to enjoy a wonderful weekend of aviation in the Whitsundays. www.whitsundayairport.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA YORK. SAT 21ST TO SUN 22ND SEPTEMBER Westfly is back by popular demand at White Gum Air Park. Enjoy the Mig 21 and Boeing 737 static displays. Mogas available. Camping and caravan park open. Accommodation cabins available Andrew Cotterell 0400 246 906.
COLUMN
FROM THE CEO: MICHAEL LINKE
MEMBERS FORUM I
was at a member’s forum recently and a member said to me and the group: “Great presentation Michael, but aren’t you preaching to the converted?” There were about 30 members in the room and I thought to myself, yes I was. I responded by saying, yes, this is something we need to do, engage with our members. As you will read in our Chairman’s column, engagement is one of our central themes and we’ve got a responsibility to ensure we engage and keep our existing membership based informed. That’s why we run so many member forums. See the side bar for upcoming dates. The flip side of this is of course encouraging new members, which is another theme in the Chairman’s discussion. If we keep saying the sky is falling, why would anyone want to get involved? RAAus, and I for that matter, don’t subscribe to the notion that aviation is dying. Far from it. At each member forum I attend, at each fly in we visit and at each training session we host, all we see is groups of keen, motivated and passionate people. We need to now extend this passion, extend this motivation beyond ourselves and onto the next generation of aviators, young and not so young. We often talk about getting kids into aviation, but it’s more than kids. It’s anyone really. I got into aviation as a 50-year-old. So many of our newest members are aged 35 – 50 and of course many of them are in their teens. The difficulty we face is meeting the needs, wants, expectations of such a diverse audience. At the same member forum where I was asked the original question, I was also asked about Australian Sport Pilot. The member wanted a low-resolution copy emailed to him, or at least a link so it made it easy for him to download. At other forums I’ve been asked for high resolution copies, a copy to be posted on Facebook and of course a printed copy posted to all members for free. As much as we try, we can’t be all things to all people. So we try and offer choice, options and alternatives, not only for our existing membership, but for those new
and future members. And this is where our existing members come in and as Mick said, get engaged, be involved. Things our members can do include: • Attending forums; why not bring a friend? Advertise the member forum through your own social media channels. Everyone is welcome at RAAus forums. • Write an article for Australian Sport Pilot. We love hearing your stories from across the country. Any aviation related topic would be appreciated. • Visit a local school or community group and talk about your love of aviation. • Write an article for your local newspaper. We all share one thing and that is our love of aviation, why not share that? With more than 10,000 of us imagine how big we could grow if we all introduced one person to aviation?
Nominations for the
RAAus Board of Directors Open 3 June and close 5pm 5 July. Visit raaus.com.au or email Maarit.Maher@raaus.com.au
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7 June - Canberra
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21 June - Bunbury
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12 July - Gawler
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9 August - Mildura
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30 August - Bathurst
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6 September - Cessnock
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
9
COLUMN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR STEVEN BROWN HAS AN INSIGHT INTO GETTING MORE YOUNG ADULTS INTO AVIATION.
I
applaud the efforts of RAAto get young adults into aviation through your scholarship program, but I feel that’s already preaching to the converted. Would it be possible for RAAus to write a simple presentation, that could be used by volunteers, for showing at school career days? I’m sure there are plenty of members who are retired, with time on their hands, who could do such presentations. Could this be followed up with try and fly days at the local airfield? I feel the way into getting kids on board is to show that learning to fly is both possible and with a bit of hard work, affordable.
From the CEO: Thanks Steven. Growing RAAus is a two-pronged effort. The first is of course preaching to the converted. As a membership-based organisation we offer existing members ongoing support and information. This enhances and maximises their experience. With youth engagement our member forums aid in giving people a taste of what RAAus is about, we encourage members to bring friends and welcome new people to the RAAus family. I like your idea of tapping into existing members to talk to schools and I am sure this is something we can explore further. We have a number of presentations we deliver and these could be adjusted for a more general audience. Stay tuned as we explore this one further. Also stay tuned for some new initiatives in the youth engagement space.
RON PETERSON WEIGHS IN ABOUT THE WEIGHT OF RAAUS AIRCRAFT.
I
really enjoyed the story about the Curtis Robin. In my mind we should be able to fly that sort of aircraft in RAAus as we can a 600kg two-seater. Think about it. Ok, 950kg AUW but it’s only carrying two people and only travelling 75kts. Yes, in VH it can fly in controlled airspace with a transponder but who would? A prudent owner of such an aircraft would try to limit their exposure to so called ‘'tiger country' when enjoying their flying museum piece. This applies to so many older aeroplanes. The weight increase can’t come soon enough.
LOUISE BRIGHT WANTS MORE CONTENT ABOUT FEMALE PILOTS IN THE MAGAZINE. Hi Mark. I love the magazine, but I’m concerned it’s a bit bloke-centric. I know women pilots are in the minority, but we still exist. Aviation is a pursuit where men and women are equal in ability as is evidenced by the number of female airline pilots flowing into the industry. So how about it?
From the Editor: From the CEO: Thanks. We expect CASA to start public consultation in the middle of the year
Send your letters to: editor@sportpilot.net.au
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
Hi Louise. Thanks for your letter. Yes, I have been amiss, and this will be corrected! I’m talking to the AWPA about getting regular content from them as well as trying to stir up some stories myself.
GEOFF WOOD RESPONDS TO A LETTER IN THE MAY MAGAZINE ABOUT LANDING FEES.
I
feel the need to respond to Sean’s letter to the editor in the May edition of Australian Sport Pilot. About landing fees. Firstly, I must say I am also allergic to paying landing fees and I avoid airfields charging fees if possible, but let’s be fair. Owning some land for an airfield is very costly. It is a privilege to be able to fly somewhere where the owner has no income from the land. They must spend time and money to keep it mown and/ or in good condition to have you fly in, land, hangar talk, have a rest and a pit stop at no cost to the pilot. Funny how pilots like myself are happy to pay for coffee and maybe food but object to landing fees. We encourage our local council not to charge a landing fee, especially for private aircraft to encourage activity around the town where more dollars are spent. For places like Porepunkah where the committee basically spend their time doing most of the maintenance, any suggested fee or donation is most welcome. Shepparton applied a landing fee only to find RAA guys avoided landing there. Landing fees for RAA aircraft have been removed which means I will now drop into the aero club again and
set it as a landing spot for students doing nav exes. So, I think it a little unfair to make excuses why we have the right to land at aerodromes who need to recover costs through a landing fee. Hopefully councils see the advantage of encouraging aircraft to use the airfield to attract more activity to their area. Privately funded airfields like Lethbridge have cost the owners a lot of money, and fortunately Gary, the owner, only charges commercial operations a landing fee to help recover the costs and time going into setting the place up. And yes, councils spend millions on sports grounds and swimming pools, so we need to balance where flying comes into the equation. ASIC cards I regard also as an insult and purely a money-making scheme. Pilots issued with a licence/certificate should have a permanent ASIC type card which passes the strict security checks necessary. We as pilots should united stand up against this system but apathy rules and even AOPA ignored my letter on the subject.
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11
NEWS
A NEW ENTRANT IN GRASS ROOTS AVIATION
L
ong Live the 95:10 category – The Aerolite 103 is coming to the Australian skies very soon. Bert Moonen from Ultralights Australia (who is also the agent for Quicksilver and Flyfox Aircraft) is adding this snappy little single seater to his aircraft stable. The Aerolite 103 is a three-axis aircraft utilising a pusher engine configuration and featuring a high wing with half-span flaps that are extended by use of an overhead bellcrank to a maximum of 40 degrees. The flight controls are actuated by a wheel mounted on a control column via flexible push-pull cables and conventional rudder pedals connected to the rudder by cables. The engine throttle is a twist-grip type and incorporates a brake lever to operate the non-differential mechanical drum brakes installed on the main wheels of the tricycle landing gear. The aircraft has conventional nosewheel steering connected to the rudder pedals. The main landing gear utilises sprung tubes for suspension and absorbing
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
landing loads. There is a fourth small caster-wheel under the tail, because when the pilot's seat is unoccupied the aircraft rests on its tail due to the aircraft's empty centre of gravity. The Aerolite 103 is currently the fastest selling ultralight in the USA, and with more than 700 aircraft built since it was released in 1996, it has gained a reputation for safety, and for being an easy to fly, affordable aircraft. It comes as a partly built “51%” kit with a variety of engine choices and enhancements. The Aerolite 103 is available in the USA under “Part 103” classification and does not need a licence to fly there. In Australia it will be available as a 95:10 aircraft, and you will of course need an RAAus Recreational Pilots Certificate. It’s a great way to get into grass roots, entry level flying, or a handy little farm hopper. More info at: www.aeroliteaircraft.com.au
SO YOU’VE HAD A CLOSE CALL? Often the experience is something you’ll never forget and you have learned from it. Why not share your story so that others can learn from it too? If we publish it, we’ll give you $500. 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. image: © Civil Aviation Safety Authority
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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ALASKA SKI FLYING – SLIDING INTO THE AIR
RAAus youth engagement officer Michelle O’Hare learns to fly the Piper Pacer in the remote Alaska Range.
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
FEATURE
W
hy would you go to Alaska to learn to fly skiplanes? You live in Australia? When would you ever use that skill again? These were typical of the responses I received from those I told about my upcoming trip. In one sense they were right. Snow opportunities are pretty limited in Australia and apart from one school excursion where I managed to ski, or more correctly fall down the slope, I didn’t have any snow or ski experience. Yet it was more than just learning to fly a new aircraft with a different undercarriage that attracted me to this opportunity. After watching a DVD on the Alaska Wing Men I was intrigued by their stories of effectively ‘stick and rudder’ flying their aircraft as they navigated through remote landscapes without the assistance of technology to guide them. These bush pilots used the environment around them to build their understanding of the constantly changing weather conditions and were ready to fly whatever pattern was required to make an emergency forced landing on the challenging terrain below, knowing that in this wilderness they may have to wait quite some time before help arrives. Skills like these would be transferable to any aircraft type and be particularly valuable when flying across the remote landscapes of Australia. Alaska Floats and Skis Situated on the edge of Christians on Lake Talkeetna, is Alaska Floats and Skis. This advanced flying school is operated by Don Lee, a pilot with extensive experience flying in and around the challenging terrain of Alaska, who is passionate about sharing his knowledge of off-airport techniques with others. The aircraft they operate here are Piper Pacers which for the duration of my trip were fitted with skis, although during the summer months their undercarriage is switched out for floats or bush tyres. The Piper Pacer is a taildragger, with a control column that looks more like the steering wheel from a car and a side by side seating configuration which made it a little different to the Super Legend Cub I did my taildragger training in. However, the biggest difference compared to any aircraft I had flown before was that this Piper Pacer skiplane had no brakes!
Lined up on a glacier
Checking the ‘runway’ and landing on the snow and ice Before taking the Piper Pacer skiplane into the Alaska Range I needed to be certain about how much space I needed to stop safely. As a hobby pilot who undertakes most of my flying from Bathurst and Bankstown it is easy to become complacent and used to landing on a runway of more than adequate length that is sealed and regularly maintained. However, just like the landings I was about AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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Michelle with the Pacer in the snow.
to undertake in Alaska, Australia also has a large network of remote airstrips of varying composition which require similar focus and technique. Inspecting the snow and ice reminded me of carrying out precautionary search and landings on dirt airstrips in outback Australia. There was no windsock on the frozen lakes and so the wind direction and strength was identified by the movement of the powdery snow off ridgelines and the birch and spruce trees that lined the frozen lakes. On a closer pass the sun created shadows on the surface to indicate how rough, or smooth, the landing would be along with the recent presence of caribou and moose herds that had left their footprints behind as a sign that we needed to keep a good lookout. During another pass I allowed the skis to slide gently across the surface of the frozen lake before climbing again for another inspection to determine if water had filled in my tracks as a warning that the ice was too thin to land on. During my time in Alaska the temperatures ranged from below freezing to around five degrees celsius and although this was
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the coldest weather I had ever experienced, it was unseasonably warm for Alaska resulting in a number of the lakes starting to melt earlier than expected. Power had to be used when taxiing across the soft surface of the lakes to avoid becoming stuck in the water overflow, similar to using power to avoid getting bogged on soft muddy airstrips in Australia. The one key difference was if you parked the skiplane or got stuck in the overflow, then the aircraft may become frozen to the surface when the temperatures dropped overnight making it a challenge to move the aircraft again. Depending on how rough the surface was I either made my next pass for a full stop or did a few more passes where I ran the skis across the surface to pack it down for a smoother landing. Unlike flying aircraft with tyres and suspension the skis were much less forgiving and you felt every single bump. Navigating the terrain and weather The instrument panel inside the Piper Pacer was simple and navigation was done by looking out the window and reading the
landscape. Rather than following a line on an iPad we followed rivers and looked for signs, such as the direction of fallen trees to indicate which way they would flow. The scenery was too beautiful to keep our eyes inside anyway. In addition to the weather report we had obtained before taking off, we continuously monitored the weather conditions around us. When flying into the mountains it was important to understand where the wind was coming from and going to so as not to get caught in downdrafts. Even in calm conditions the terrain surrounding Mt Denali (the highest mountain in North America, standing at 20,310ft) would be impossible to outclimb. Our flightpath into the mountains was made at an angle to feel the wind as we then continued the flight as tightly as possible to the rugged mountainside. This allowed the best opportunity for escape if we needed to turn around. At first flying so close to the terrain felt unnatural. However, as my training continued I built more confidence and skill in being able to effectively command the aircraft with stick and rudder tightly within the mountains and also low
Landing on a road.
level within riverbeds under obstacles such as powerlines that spanned the banks. Even though the terrain in Australia is very flat, mountainous effects can occur in any situation that disturbs airflow and being able to effectively and positively command the aircraft is important. Unusual landings and survival One of the highlights of this trip was being able to put these skills together to conduct a landing on a glacier. The glacier was surrounded by mountains and had a surface that sloped up around 4 to 6 degrees that was always changing as the ice melted. I learned to fly landing patterns that matched the surrounding terrain rather than the precise rectangular pattern I fly at Bankstown. The only traffic in the area were other aircraft from Alaska Floats and Skis and we kept in frequent radio contact regarding the surface and wind conditions on the glacier. The upslope of the landing meant that the approach was almost straight as the glacier slope came up to land the aircraft. However, after landing I needed to add power to keep the momentum going
to taxi the aircraft up the glacier ready for a take-off roll down slope when we were ready to depart. Even though I was dressed for the cold weather I could still feel the icy cold air when I stepped outside the aircraft and walked around the glacier. Even the engine needed a jacket to keep it warm! It was beautiful to view this remote scenery but at the same time it was clear why, before our flight, an importance had been placed on bringing the right survival equipment. In the event of a forced landing or if the engine would not restart, it may take quite some time for a rescue and so we had enough gear to spend a week out in the Alaskan range including sleeping bags, food, a stove to melt the snow for drinking water, snow shoes and a shovel in case we needed to build a shelter or dig the aircraft out. A large proportion of Australia is considered remote and so carrying survival equipment would be just as useful, although the checklist would be quite different. Other places I fly, such as Bankstown, are surrounded by urban developments which make rescue more likely with the
forced landing itself the greater challenge. In Alaska it is not uncommon for aircraft to land on the roadways and so this was something I definitely wanted to try out. For my first attempt I made a quick scan for obstacles including powerlines, signs and vehicles before lining up for a landing. However, as I started my descent one of the cars stopped in my path, either as an attempt to get out of my way or to watch me fly, which resulted in the need for a go-around. As we climbed up for another attempt my instructor advised me that it is better to get ready for the approach to the side of the road where you can watch the traffic and they aren’t watching you, and then quickly and positively command the aircraft into a suitable gap. This technique worked and after a few more road circuits I become more confident that I could get the aircraft in first time should an emergency landing be required in an urban environment with limited landing options. This experience of flying in Alaska was a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, the skills I learned will be useful across all aspects of my flying. AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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COLUMN
LEGAL EAGLE TWO TO TANGLE – MORE TANGLES
Lawyer and pilot Spencer Ferrier again asks just who is in charge when flying an aeroplane.
Y
ou are flying with a friend who is operating your aircraft. You have not discussed who is to be pilot in command because it is evident that it is your aircraft and you have a very careful approach to its care and management. On final approach, with a gusty crosswind you, in the right-hand seat see that your friend is not managing the landing and danger is developing. When do you decide that you will demand to take over? What do you say? What if the pilot says no? Have you interfered with the flight? This scenario has happened many times. Usually the most senior of the equally qualified pilots will take over, but have you prepared your mind for that? In one case two pilots flew together. The owner, an experienced high-time private pilot, was to demonstrate some of the flying characteristics of the aircraft during a circuit. The high-time passenger would hire it immediately after. Fuel seemed low, but the owner said there was plenty of fuel on board for the short flight (including legal reserves). Fuel was in both the main and auxiliary tank. The passenger had been endorsed to operate this aircraft type many years before but had no operating experience on the aircraft since then. He had flown aircraft of similar performance but, as it turned out, with a different fuel system. He was legal but out of date. During downwind the engine surged (lost power then resumed). The owner commenced a closer than normal base leg, and then final. The engine stopped on mid-final and the aircraft landed heavily just short of the field. The owner sustained a head injury and inability to recall events. During base, the passenger later said he had switched the fuel selector lever to the auxiliary tank. Unlike the aircraft type the passenger had hundreds of hours on, this aircraft required a pump to be switched on to activate fuel from the auxiliary tank. There was no indication in the wreck that it was ever on. The engine stopped because it was starved of fuel. How can an owner defend himself from prosecution in a case like this? He had no recollection of events; the other guy would never admit he wrongly interfered and forgot (or did not remember) the electric pump. His usual aircraft had no auxiliary fuel pump. The prosecution turned toward whether there was enough fuel. This is not a case of command. It might have been a case of over-zealous prosecution as the authorities ‘swished’ the tank with a stick and reported that fuel ‘seemed low’. It might be that the prosecution was unaware of the need to switch on the auxiliary fuel pump. Two senior pilots had fallen for the oldest trick – not conducting a clear, calm, agreed pre-flight briefing, no matter how much rush either of them happened to be in. Some years ago, two airline captains were flying a DC-8 for licence currency check. The senior captain was not current and was checked out by the junior-but-current pilot on the outbound leg. On the return leg, the senior captain acted as FO. Only operational crew were on board. During the return flight, weather led to a low-level in-cloud approach and a landing issue. Neither pilot made a command decision about the flight’s management and the pilots and the aircraft were
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lost in the resulting crash. Conversation on the voice recorder indicated neither pilot took command of the flight. No decision on what to do was settled between the pilots. In airlines, this issue has long been resolved, but in ultralight land it can emerge. The training, skill, seniority, experience and status of the two people on board all influence what will happen. If your survival is at risk, we teach that you must speak up if there is a problem. We are not only dealing with speaking up – it is a question of action or inaction under pressure. There is no rule book yet to deal with the immediate response to a situation where immediate action, not words, must take place where an emerging threat requires immediate response and there is no time to discuss or review checklists. With that in mind, it is vital before any flight to be personally aware of who will take over or respond in an emergency. At the very least that should be settled between those on board about who will be pilot in command and under what circumstances, extreme or otherwise, and if control is to be passed over, the manner of doing so. .
Kate Cooke
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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FEATURE
FINDING THE TIME
Luke Bayly tells all of us to get out and enjoy flying whenever we can.
The mighty River Murray
I
was at the Murray Bridge airfield before the sun came out, and setting up the aircraft in the light of the hangar was the perfect start to my Sunday morning. The cold air hugged the ground and as the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, the only thing left to do was flip the switch on Jabiru 949 and taxi to the runway. As incredibly supportive as my wife is with my chosen passion, she also raises the question of “even with everything going on, you still manage to find time for yourself to go and fly” to which my standard response is; “I don’t find the time, I have to make the time”. Take for example a normal Saturday night and we were just winding down from a great family day. The thought of flying pinged into my mind and I scanned the forecast for the next day’s weather which showed perfect conditions. One quick text message to the local instructor at Murray Bridge had the plane free until 9am and with authorisation sought from both instructor and my wife, I was booked in to go. Sunday morning at 5.45am I rolled out of bed in the dark and clambered around the house getting ready. Bleary eyed but excited, I headed out to the airfield in the dark and opened up the hangar to get Jabiru 949 out of bed as well. It was still
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dark as I arrived at the airfield, which gave me plenty of time to carefully check out the plane, refill the tanks and ensure the engine oil was at the correct level. I filled out the necessary paperwork in the cockpit for the hours and then checked that the clock rolled past the official day break
Painting the repair.
forecast at 6:28am. I fired up the engine to start my run up checks and then after a quick radio check that went unanswered (because everyone else was in bed), I taxied for the runway. By this time, it was nearly 7am as I stared down runway one-nine and as I ad-
vanced the throttle, the little Jabiru leapt into the air heading for the cloud base at 2500ft. Between the low set clouds, the sun breaking across the horizon and the Jabiru caught in the middle, it would have made for a sensational photo on the ground but at that hour of the morning there are seldom witnesses to such beauty. I made a quick turn to the south east and headed to Brooklands Airpark, south of Tailem Bend, for a few quick circuits to familiarise myself with the area. Cruising over the Murray River at 2000ft was as smooth as silk and I sat in a state of pure joy while scanning the horizon for any others committing aviation that morning. It seemed however that everyone else in the world was missing out and I had the entire sky to myself. After a couple of quick circuits at Brooklands to scare the local rabbits, I departed back towards Murray Bridge for a full stop landing. By the time I got back in of the airfield around 8am, I could see a couple of the hangars starting to open up such as Mike Chapman from Murray Bridge Light Flying School with his fleet of Jabiru 230 and 170s gleaming on the apron. Joining downwind for a full stop landing on runway one-nine was a non-event and as graceful as any I had done in a long time, so I departed the runway via taxiway bravo and headed back to the hangar. Putting the plane back into its bed, I closed up shop, jumped back in the car and by 8.30am I was home in time for my wife and three-year-old son to be waking up for breakfast. I hadn’t missed a minute of family time and had squeezed in a full hour of flying fun before the day’s activities. I must admit this is a busy period in my life and sometimes it can be incredibly hard to find
TL Stream Tandem Seat
the time to get out for a flight. I often go several weeks or months without getting into the air and this not only makes it hard for me to pursue my hobby, but actually makes me a worse pilot from lack of currency. My personal goal is to fly at least twice a month, even if only for just half an hour, to maintain my currency and remain con-
TL Sting S4 Low Wing
nected to the sport that I enjoy. I have to sacrifice some sleep ins and occasionally an afternoon with the family but the quality of the time I get back after flying with a huge smile on my face is well worth the effort. Without the scientific justification for the health benefits from recreational flying, my wife would tell you that it does wonders for my general mood and zest for life.
TL3000 Sirius High Wing
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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HOW SHORT CAN YOU GO? Peter Harlow gives his account of the inaugural Australian STOL Championships
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he engine is screaming at full power. My heart is pounding. The brakes are holding – just – and the aeroplane hasn’t moved. I’m waiting for the flag to send me off on my first attempt at a competition short take-off and, we’re off! Sunday April 14 dawned beautifully clear and sunny at Tyabb, an airfield about an hour’s drive south of Melbourne. A light crosswind was blowing from the east. The airfield was buzzing with activity. The warbirds, for which Tyabb Airport is famous, were being towed out and positioned on the apron. Paul Bennet Airshows, the event organisers, were briefing their people and confirming their measuring procedures. The food trucks and vintage car parking areas were alive with activity. By 9am the public were flocking in with their families, eskies and fold-up chairs, looking for the best vantage point. And the competitors were taxiing their aircraft to the hard standing, ready for the competition to start at 10am sharp. This inaugural Australian STOL (Short take Off & Landing) competition was split
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into five aircraft categories, with first, second and third medals to be awarded in each category. Each competitor would get three take-offs and landings, with the combined total distance of the best take-off and landing pair counting as their score. If you touched down before the landing line, that take-off and landing pair was disqualified. The lowest total in each category would be the winner. There was to be no overall ‘official’ winner, although after the competition, the overall shortest take-off and landing pair was ‘leaked’ – and the result was a bit of a surprise! First off was the Light Touring class – Cessna 150’s and the like, including a Brumby 610 and a SeaRey flying boat … an interesting class. At first, the Cessnas were making heavy weather of the task but after a couple of rounds they got better and better. I even saw one brave 150 pilot holding his door open after landing as an airbrake to reduce the landing roll. The great surprise in this category was second place to Michael Smith in the SeaRey
which, incidentally, had flown round the world! First place went to Matt McPhee in a 50-year old Cessna 152 – a great effort in a less than youthful aircraft! Second category was the ‘Light Sport and experimental (600kgs limit)’ class, probably the most varied of all the classes, consisting of a 65hp J-3 Cub, a couple of Savannahs, a Bathawk, a SportStar, a small 2-stroke home-built open cockpit Minimax and a new Alto low-wing. Hans Gouws in the 120hp Bathawk was hard to beat, although Tim Whitrow in his 4000+ hour SportStar ran a close second. It was great to see Ian Robinson in the tiny Minimax battling it out with the more conventional aircraft and securing a well deserved third place. Biggest surprise was the Savannahs, which failed to score a combination short enough to challenge the leaders; the take-offs were short but hitting the landing spot accurately and stopping quickly in the increasingly blustery crosswind eluded them. Last category before lunch was the ‘Heavy Touring’ class – including a Chero-
FEATURE
Photos: Duncan Fenn
Brett Patton lands the SuperStol XL
kee, a Maule, a couple of kit-built Bearhawks and an AgWagon. The easterly crosswind continued to pick up, swirling between the hangars and across the runway, in line with the take-off and landing point, making the fine line between disqualification and scoring a short one ever more difficult. However, as might be expected with their big engines and relatively light weight, the Bearhawks romped home with Brad Lange and Trent Carcuana taking first and second spots. The AgWagon, piloted by Ian Robinson (he also of the aforementioned Minimax fame) made a creditable third place; these AgWagons are big aircraft, not noted for their short-field performance, even when not filled with insecticide. The hour-long lunch break was filled with a variety of entertainment, including an excellent model aerobatic display with a very large-scale Extra. It was just amazing to see what a model of this type can do in the hands of an expert – in this case Josh Jewel and Craig Bavery demonstrating their skills. Paul Bennet gave us one of his high
Mike Smith in his SeaRey
Ian Robinson tries his hand in his Minimax
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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Hans Gouws in the 120hp Bathawk.
THE RESULTS
Tim Whitrow.
energy displays in the 400hp Wolf Pitts and Judy Pay let out a couple of her treasured warbirds to fly – the T28 Trojan and P51 Mustang. The sound of that 12-cylinder Mustang engine still gives me goose bumps! Then after lunch, back to round four of the competition – the ‘Foxbat’ class. The Foxbats qualified for a class of their own by dint of there being more than five similar aircraft entered in the competition, in fact six Foxbats of varying vintages. In the end, victory went to Stan Nowakowski in the oldest Foxbat. A very creditable third place went to Kathy Silvestri in her brand-new Foxbat, which she had flown less than 10 hours! Finally, we reached the class we’d all been waiting for – the ‘Bush’ class. Effectively this was almost an open class, with a Husky, a Super Cub, a Highlander and a Super STOL – a sort of Highlander on ste-
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roids with extra big wheels, a large engine and lots of slow-flying aerodynamic tweaks. Not surprisingly, this aircraft, piloted by Brett Patton, won the class. Marcel Hendriksen was the ‘rose between two thorns’ in his A1 Husky, followed by Rick Taylor in the Highlander. And so, a fantastic day’s flying drew to a successful close. All 35 competitors were able to try their skills. No mishaps or bingles and lots of non-stop spectacle for the crowds. And maybe the occasional disappointed competitor, who just perhaps didn’t get the right bit of crosswind to help them land in the right spot! Oh, and the unofficial overall winner? Stan Nowakowski in his 13-year old RAAus-registered Foxbat, with a total of 120 metres combined take-off and landing distance. The Super STOL made it in 123 metres….
Light Touring 1. Matt McPhee - C152 2. Michael Smith - SeaRey LSX 3. Ian Johnson - C152 Light Sport Experimental 1. Hans Gouws - Bat Hawk 2. Tim Whitrow - Sportstar SL 3. Ian Robinson - Minimax 1100R Heavy Touring 1. Brad Lange - Bearhawk 2. Trent Carcuana - Bearhawk 3. Ian Robinson - C188 Agwagon Foxbat 1. Stan Nowakowski – A22L Foxbat 2. Peter Harlow – A22LS Foxbat 3. Kathy Silvestri – A22LS Foxbat Bush Class 1. Brett Patton - SuperStol 2. Marcel Hendriksen - A1 Husky 3. Rick Taylor - JA20 Highlander
AND THE WINNER IS?
Mark Smith talks to the nominal winner of the STOL champs. Stan in his Foxbat
S
tan Nowakowski didn’t expect to do well at the first STOL championships held in Australia, given he’d only done about half an hour’s practice before the event. The flat tyre he had to repair on the day of the competition didn’t do much for his stress levels either. “I was really just going for the opportunity to have a crack at practicing some short take offs and landings and watch people who are more experienced than me, who are better at this style of flying, and learn from them. “I had no expectations coming in to the competition given I hadn’t done much practice in terms of doing a short field departure and landing. I was very surprised to win the group given I’d have been happy to get a place.” While the first STOL championships held in Australia wasn’t about winners and losers it’s an indication of the growing popularity of this unique aviation discipline that 35 pilots entered the event. Stan’s interest in STOL flying has partially come about by watching the exploits of Tim Howes and the Bush Flyers Down Under group. His choice of aircraft fits into his desire to really learn the skills needed to fly in and out of tight strips safely. “I bought my Foxbat to do this sort of
flying. I really want to improve my short take-off and landing skills so I can enjoy bush style flying, which I’ve not done a great deal of. I have been into some short strips in my Gazelle, the aeroplane I owned previously, which I really enjoyed and found quite challenging. The Foxbat makes STOL flying so much easier.” Stan describes the technique he used at the championships, though warns any pilot to get good instruction before trying to perform STOL operations. “For take-off we stop on the line, then apply full power and hold onto the brakes, which are hand operated on the Foxbat, let the power stabilise and let go. At 25kts, which takes about a second, I pull on full flap, pull back on the stick and up she goes. She’s airborne in about three seconds. I was happy with all three of my take offs, but my landings weren’t great. “On the first two approaches I only used one stage of flap because there was an eight to 10 knot crosswind, so I thought it better for controllability to stick with one stage. There was a lot of mechanical turbulence coming off the hangars so that made life exciting. “Over the threshold I was trying to aim for the line and make sure I didn’t drop short. In both of my first landings I floated a long
way; in fact, my first landing was so long I stopped 150metres down the runway. On the third landing I thought I have nothing to lose here so I put down the second stage of flap and that was the one that was the best. While I didn’t drop it exactly on the line it was a lot closer than my other two attempts, and I stopped in about 40 -45 metres.” That landing was good enough for Stan to win the Foxbat class and also take the unofficial title of overall winner. Surprisingly Stan has only been flying for four years after learning about RAAus from a friend who is a former Army pilot. “I’d always wanted to learn to fly from being a kid. I joined the Army in 1977 and went into officer training though my eyesight prevented me from becoming a pilot. My best mate, who I met during officer training, became an Army pilot so I managed to fly vicariously through him. We’d catch up on a regular basis and he would take me for a fly in various service aircraft. “Anyway, this same mate called me four years ago and said, ‘Have you heard of RAAus?’ at this stage I hadn’t heard of it and he said I might want to check it out. So, I did and, here we are four years and two aeroplanes later.” AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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TRIKE FLYING FOR BEGINNERS One of the joys of recreational aviation is there is always something different out there to fly. Mark Smith samples weight shift aviation and discovers it’s as much fun as it looks.
Ben flies the old Fairchild.
Catwalk's Jenny Fransson and Elisabeth Pedersen wingwalking flown by pilot Sus Jan Heden
HypeR Tiger trike
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
FEATURE
I
t wasn’t an entirely natural position for a three-axis pilot to find oneself in, strapped in a small pod with the wing above my head and the primary control being a cross bar situated at chest height. But Peter McLean from P&M Aviation at Yarrawonga was sitting in the back of the HypeR Tiger trike, so I knew I was in safe hands. Plus, I’m an experienced pilot and this is ‘just’ another aircraft, so how hard can it be? As it turns out not that hard, just very different. Earlier, during the pre-flight brief, Peter explained the key differences between flying a normal three-axis aircraft and a weight shift aircraft from normal three-axis. F-22 Raptor. AsUSAF a former Royal Australian Airforce and Navy pilot, he’s qualified on everything from Iroquois helicopters to Macchi jets, so after many years also flying weight shift aircraft, he knows the differences and more importantly how to guide someone like me through the conversion. “When a three-axis pilot is transitioning to a trike, the main thing to get used to is the reversed controls. When you want the houses to get smaller you push out on the bar, and when you want them to get bigger you pull back, which is counterintuitive to a pilot used to controls that work in the opposite sense. It’s the same when you turn. To go right you push the bar to the left and vice versa,” he says as we sit in his hangar that is filled with a combination of memorabilia from his military flying days and, of course, a number of trikes. “Generally, pilots cope well with the differences until I put them in task saturated environment like landing, and then they may pull back instead of pushing out to flare, but then they realise immediately and push out.” So back to the aircraft, and we are safely strapped in with the engine running. Taxying is back to front, thanks to what Peter describes as ‘billy cart steering’. Push with your right foot on the bar and the pod moves to the left. The throttle is under the left foot with the brake under the right. Adding power, remembering to steer in the opposite sense to my previous 35 years of flying and holding the bar in a neutral position is challenging to say the least, and I make a few darts left and right when my mind tries to do more than two tasks at once. Thankfully the taxiway is wide and the wind calm. Once we were lined up, I kept telling myself ‘push right, turn left’ to avoid the indignity of running off the runway. Holding the bar with the large wing pretty much
Hudson at sunset
Lined up on the runway.
A level turn
Paul Bennet makes a bang during his performance.
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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level with the ground, and it was time to let the Rotax 912 sing in full voice. The acceleration in the HypeR Tiger is strong, even with two large blokes onboard. Steering wasn’t as challenging as I feared, and as 40kts came up a push on the bar saw us break ground. Peter had briefed me on climb attitude, which was quite steep. Almost immediately I found myself pushing the wrong way for a second then correcting, and once in the air you really get the feeling you are flying the pod as it dangles below the wing. Peter explained that the pod is the same as the weight on a pendulum which swings in the direction of the turn. “When you try and do a wing wag to
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people on the ground in a trike, all they see is the pod shaking side to side and they wonder what you are doing,” he says. Reducing power with my foot, Peter set the manual throttle on the side and we trimmed for level flight. The reference point for attitude is the compression strut off the wing mount and where it cuts the horizon. The first exercise was power reduction and setting the control bar for descent. It became easy quite quickly to find the correct point to match the airspeed required. Then power on and back into the climb to work on the same thing. After a few climbs and descents, the tendency to move the bar the wrong way
faded, and it was lots of fun to work the whole wing to change attitude. Turns were next and after a few it became second nature to roll by pushing what was normally the wrong way. The sight picture forwards with the instrument panel was familiar, and coupled with the view it’s easy to see why people love flying trikes. The HypeR Tiger flies very much like an open RAA aircraft and is capable of 80kts+ in cruise, making it a capable tourer. Touring is enhanced by a fuel burn of about 10 litres per hour, giving you five hour’s flying with an hour’s reserve, before you need to refuel with Vortex 95 petrol, (or Avgas if you are on a trip). These figures are not true for all
Straight and level.
Puls R Trikes.
trikes, especially older four-stroke and twostroke designs, but trike technology and design has gone ahead in leaps and bounds in the last five years or so. Peter demonstrated the stall, which was more of a powered mushy descent, with no wing drop of any kind. Back to the field for landing and the circuit entry was the same as a conventional aircraft and by now I was used to the controls. A small crosswind had sprung up and given trikes don’t have a rudder it’s hard to crab them in like a conventional aircraft, so the technique is to fly as much into the wind on final as possible, even if it means you seem to be landing across the runway.
Touchdown is on the ‘downwind side’ and then the aircraft is turned in line with runway heading. Peter helped me through with this and we were down. My feet forgot which way to push and I had a bit of zig zag but nothing dangerous. Peter says the transition time for a three-axis pilot with normal skills is about five hours. One of his goals is to educate pilots about the trike and get them to see there is more to this type of flying than meets the eye when they see one across an airfield or in the air. “A lot of conventional pilots look at a trike and see it as Mary Poppins type of aircraft. Then they get close up and they
realise how big they are, and that they have dual com radios and all the instruments found in a regular aircraft. That tends to give them more confidence that it’s not just seat of the backside flying where you stick your finger into the slipstream to find the airspeed. They realise it’s the same as any aircraft they’ve flown, just with a different wing. Peter said, “I have gone from a trike to a 182, to a Jetranger and back to a trike in a single day. That’s three different aircraft, with different hand movements, and provided I spend 20 minutes in the cockpit refamiliarizing myself, I have never had a problem.” AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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FEATURE
WHY FLY WITH RAAUS? RAAus aviation development coordinator Neil Shaefer explains why he thinks RAAus is a great way to enjoy aviation.
Vanessa flies for QantasLink
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e often spend a lot of our time just getting down to the business of flying and tinkering with aircraft as RAAus members. It’s worth stopping, from time to time, to actually look at why RAAus is such an incredible avenue for us to commit aviation. For those looking skywards RAAus is a perfect way to get into the air and in many cases the ideal first step. Likewise, we all get to mingle with lots of people in our day to day lives and many will probably be fascinated and intrigued by our flying exploits; Isn’t it too expensive? You’ve got to be smart right? I would never be good enough! It takes a long time right? I’m too old or I’m too young! So let’s break it down and remind ourselves and our friends and all those who we touch with the “flying bug” what makes RAAus a great place to fly. Remember when you were 10? I do. Long bicycle rides up a big hill to the local airport, hanging around the fence just wanting to get in there and be close to aeroplanes and god forbid actually get to fly! I was too young to be a student, even at $45/hour it was still out of financial reach (I was earning $10/ week mowing lawns). But I thought, if I hung around long enough my time would come.
RAAus is the nursery, the playground and the retirement village for personal aviation. My break came with a school mate’s dad, who owned a Beech Musketeer, and saw the gleam in my eye. I made it into this magical world, grabbing the right seat whenever I could. I’ve never looked back. It wasn’t that easy for many and still today the dream of flight may still seem unattainable. But we all grew up, as did the aviation industry, and many chased other pursuits while getting about the business of “earning a quid.” Fast forward to today and my past self could start learning whenever I could reach the controls. I could apply for a scholarship to help pay for lessons. And to be honest, for not much more than a flash mountain bike or a smartphone and tablet computer I could be trained and commanding a slick modern recreational aircraft at 15 years of age with a Recreational Pilot Certificate. I could even be taking passengers, flying around the country and getting ready for a long aviation career. How things have changed!
And this is all because of the privileges and hard work that RAAus and its predecessors have done to keep flying accessible and affordable. So let’s break this down even further, following are just some of the advantages we have flying RAAus; • I can get a full Pilot Certificate at 15 years of age, not 16 as with CASA • I don't need a $400 medical every two to four years • I can fly/train the $150/$190 rental aircraft from my local school vs the $250/$300 Warrior/Cessna • It is not an RAAus requirement to have an aviation ID, unless the aerodrome you operate from requires it. • I can do basic maintenance myself and don't need to use a LAME if my aircraft is just used privately • RAAus members are eligible to apply for an RAAus scholarship. AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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• My fuel costs are roughly 40 percent of those for other pilots • I don’t need a tractor to move my aircraft • Third party insurance forms part of the benefits of RAAus membership. • I get a first-class free online aviation magazine every four weeks • I can deal with a member focussed organisation with easy to use online resources at my disposal. Many lament the “good ol’ days” of aviation, but looking at the above and the worldwide demand for pilots and technical experts all we see is opportunity. Every time we turn on the TV or scroll social media there’s another young pilot spreading their wings and conquering their own self development and future career. Oh and it’s just seriously great fun as well! Let’s look at a few recent examples of how RAAus both enables and fosters growth and opportunity in the aviation industry. Case 1. Vanessa is an intelligent 15-yearold whose dad was heavily involved in flying. She started training in RAAus gaining her pilot certificate then transitioned to a Recreational Pilot Licence and completed a commercial Licence course doing some hard yards in charter in WA before successfully gaining a QantasLink Cadetship. All under the age of 22 Case 2. A converting CASA instructor unable to gain employment in the industry initially transferred his qualifications as a converting pilot and now is on his way to senior instructor rating and plan to open up a new school in the next 12 months. Case 3. An ambitious 14-year-old undertook flight training with an RAAus flight school and gained her pilot certificate flying from her property to her school as part of her 15-year birthday celebrations. All before gaining a learners permit to drive! She is now training with QantasLink. Case 4. An RAAus scholarship winner has used their financial training support to gain his pilot certificate and is currently planning to be the youngest person to circumnavigate the country in a recreational aircraft, raising money for charity along the way. Case 5. A renowned ornithologist is planning to fly her microlight around Australia to support research and awareness of endangered birdlife. On the way she will provide education and awareness and highlight the challenge, diversity and accessibility of sport flying. And of course let’s not forget the phenomenal exploits of both Ryan Campbell and Lachlan Smart, getting their start in RAAus and showcasing their skill and adventurous determination to the world in successful record breaking circumnavigation of the planet in single engine aeroplanes. Finally let’s not forget Matt Hall from RAAus Drifter pilot to Red Bull Champion. Why RAAus? That’s why!
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
Lachie Smart
Milly Formby, ornithologist.
Bob Bramley
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AIRCRAFT REVIEW
GENIE THE GENESIS Rob Knight is no stranger to aircraft flight reviews. Here he shares his thoughts on his own aircraft.
S
he may not be the prettiest little aircraft around, and she has loads of design differences that set her apart from conventional aircraft, but my Genesis Revelation from the Slipstream stable is growing on me. I acquired her as a trade for my old one-of-a-kind Colby – all I needed to do was reassemble her after she had been trucked up from Heck Field in southern Queensland to Forest Hill in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane. Her previous life had been somewhat unfortunate as she was written off in 2001 on her first ever take-off: her then pilot/ owner ran off the runway and rolled her end-over-end into a ball. Her engine was sold off and her remains grew dusty in a shed until the intrepid group from which I
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
acquired her swapped her for an instrument panel for another aircraft. They shipped the bits to Heck field and rebuilt her over subsequent years. Then, in 2015, an engine failure put her into the cane fields near Jacobs Well causing substantial damage, but she rose yet again, albeit with another 912 UL engine at the back. Yes, just like a Volkswagen, the engine is in the rear. Her three owners decided after the rebuild that they might look for something a little less exciting and thus the trade between us came to pass. The Genesis is different. Not just a little bit, but in a whole lot of ways. The cockpit is the widest light two-seat aeroplane that I have ever flown, but it is also probably the shortest. There is plenty of leg-room but
nowhere to put even a small overnight bag if both seats are occupied. It is the easiest aircraft to get in and out of I have ever flown, but as the left seat is not adjustable, the most uncomfortable to fly without a couple of cushions at my back. But when these points and more are collated and assessed, this rare little aeroplane has more character and personality than almost any other aeroplane I have experienced. Her flying characteristics, likewise, are a very mixed bag, and several quite unique quirks caught me out early. The Genesis is short and, aggravated by being a pusher, the propeller is much closer to the tail fin and rudder than usual. With no fuselage to attenuate slipstream effect, stopping
Photos: Mark Smith
swing on take-off requires very substantial right rudder to the counter left swing, a factor, I suspect, in her demise on her first take-off. There is ample rudder authority available but the recognition of the swing and the required corrective action to arrest and correct it must be early and prompt to avoid very substantial control inputs. Unexpectedly, the now anticlockwise turning propeller causes left yaw requiring right rudder to correct. Having only half the usual distance between prop and tail fin reverses the anticipated yaw direction on take-off. The available flight manual runs to a whole couple of pages with great detail on how to do a pre-flight and little about the aircraft handling or advised airspeeds except for a minimum approach speed of 55
KIAS. Thus, the internet became my primary research tool. Climb-out is at 55 KIAS, or so various internet sources advised. That seems correct because it gives me around 850 fpm on the VSI whereas no other speed provides this. The second surprise was in the climb where I found that I needed a touch of right rudder to centre the ball. As a pusher the prop rotates the other way and I was expecting to need left rudder. But as explained above, the closeness of the propeller and fin results in a reversal in the anticipated yaw effect. Climb visibility is great. With just her pretty pointed nose-cone ahead, little restricts the view, but lateral visibility is only fair. Her pod depth is shallow, so her wings are low and extend ahead, plus her turned-
down wing tips act as blinds. Visibility downwards is fantastic. With no doors, you can see vertically down but just watch your sunnies don’t get ripped off in the airflow and minced through the prop. Levelling out is easy. I just ensure the speed has risen close to cruise before reducing power. If I don’t, the cruise speed won’t rise much above about 60 KIAS at cruise RPM. If I accelerate to 70 KIAS before I make the power reduction, the Genesis will accelerate comfortably to 75 to 80 knots depending on weight and turbulence. With the attitude established for level flight, a trim adjustment removes the stick pressure to zero. With small controls inputs, aileron pressures are light, but the ailerons quickly grow heavier with larger applications. AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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The elevator and rudder are light, quick, and positive. However, and herein lay another surprise, this aeroplane is almost neutrally stable in pitch. Except in the smoothest air, it is seldom possible to fly “hands-off” for any length of time, and the greater the turbulence, the shorter the time available. This is a hands-on, pilot’s aeroplane, requiring attention and control at all times air is under the wheels. The engine configuration provides yet another variation on a theme. In most conventional machines, pulling the power sees the nose sag as the remaining three aerodynamic forces compensate for the loss of thrust and pitch the nose down. In Genie, because the thrust line is high, pulling power sees the nose rise, and vice-versa. This was a bit confusing initially but the trim, lever operated, on the floor behind the central stick, is powerful and easily holds the stick loadings whatever power is applied. Turns are like any other conventional aeroplane: just a little into-turn rudder with the entry aileron to stop the abundant adverse yaw. The 30ft wing plainly demonstrates overbank from the arc/speed differ-
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
ential but holding a little out-of-turn aileron quickly sorts that out. Visibility is fair for a turning, high-winged aeroplane. With the inherent drag inclusive with the pusher configuration, an early application of power in turns using in excess of 45° bank reduces the speed decay. Turns at 60° are very ordinary in procedure. Here the speed decay is substantial, dropping to around 65 knots with full power applied and height maintained and with the ball centred. The high thrust line causes an issue here, too. Adding power during the turn pitches the nose down so added back pressure to compensate is necessary to maintain height. The stall is no serious issue if it is recognised. I find no undesirable characteristics in the exercise except, for me, perhaps it is too much of a non-event. There is almost no stick-shaking buffet to advise of the nearing critical angle, and just a “sigh” as the stall arrives and the aeroplane changes flight path and begins to sink. With just one-up, and preventing any yaw, I can hold it in the stall with the ASI pointing at about 35 KIAS, and the VSI indicating 540 fpm down but I haven’t yet tried this exercise with the air-
craft out of balance. The stall in a turn is classic, starting with a faint buffet and then the VSI starts pointing down. There was no tendency to roll into or out of the turn, with or without power. As I said - all very ordinary until the stall recovery is commenced. Herein lay another surprise for me until I figured it out. Much of the propeller arc is shielded from the oncoming air by the fuselage/pod, but as long as the airflow is roughly parallel to the longitudinal axis everything is fine, and normal power alterations follow normal power/thrust outputs. However, this goes out the window if the relative airflow is at a substantial angle to the longitudinal axis. Trying to blast through the stall and recover with the nose high just doesn’t work. Applying full throttle makes all the right noises but the thrust doesn’t match because the top half of the prop arc is shielded by the pod and wing roots in front. It is so much reduced that the aircraft continues to sink, nose high, with the engine protesting behind. The Genesis has an unusually pronounced drag curve and slow flight, necessitating a nose-high attitude,
has an extraordinarily large influence on the thrust available. But where this aeroplane really excels is in the descent. Not for range, I am talking about rate of sink. In the sink rate stakes, she’s highly talented and worthy of a good wager. With a stated glide ratio of 8:1 at best, flaps are quite unnecessary to give a steep approach angle. The best glide speed is given as 60 KIAS initially with a minimum over-the-fence of 55. This sounds high but is very necessary if a gradient is encountered. Even so, the float is not excessive and speed washes off very quickly with the draggy pusher arrangement. Landings are no more an event than other aeroplanes. There is plenty of elevator authority, even at low speeds, and the nosewheel can be kept clear until virtually taxi speed. In fact, it is easy to put the tail-wheel
on the ground if too much back stick is applied in the roll-out. So what does all this boil down to? The Genesis is a simple ultralight aeroplane with a cockpit spacious for two people. It’s relatively easy to fly so long as some fundamental differences are acknowledged and applied. It has four hours endurance at cruise, still retaining an hour’s reserve. It climbs ok and cruises at around 75 knots average. It is lively and not heavy to drag around the sky. What more would I want in an ultralight except a little more baggage space, and I don’t carry baggage on many flights, anyway. All aeroplanes are compromises and this one seems better than most in that field. Ssshh - I think I’m falling in love! Oh, I almost forgot to mention – it has both a nose wheel and a tail-wheel. Now just how good is that?
Rob Knight with his Genesis
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
37
COLUMN
FROM THE OPS TEAM RADIO CHECKS – THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN AND WHY?
A
n assessment of recent accident and incident reports from the RAAus Occurrence Management System (OMS) has revealed a recent series of near misses, proximity events and aircraft landing towards each other on a runway related to radio issues, which is what prompted this article. So we now need to consider the who, what, where, when and why of radio serviceability in aircraft. Who is responsible for ensuring the radio in the aircraft you are about to fly actually is working? What are your responsibilities as a pilot to confirm the radio fitted to the aircraft is serviceable? Where should you do this? When should you do this? Why should you do this?
So, who is responsible? Obviously the pilot in command of the flight is responsible for conducting the radio check as for all other pre-flight and inflight management of the aircraft. The what relates to the requirement for the pilot to ensure the radio is serviceable (in other words, capable of transmitting and receiving), which can be achieved using a variety of procedures or processes. These include triggering the Aerodrome Weather Information Service (AWIS) if available, confirming via the Aerodrome Frequency Response Unit (AFRU) or requesting a radio check from the relevant area frequency. Pilots can also request a radio check from other traffic in the area, but must remain aware that the lack of a response doesn’t mean there is no other traffic, as the example from the RAAus Occurrence Management System (OMS) below confirms. The where this must be completed
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relates is anywhere the aircraft is operated on the manoeuvring area of the non-controlled airport. Depending on the layout of your local airport this may require confirmation of a working radio prior to taxiing, or after you have taxied to a run up area, but in any case, prior to moving to the take-off area of the airport. When this radio check should be done is actually covered in the above where information, but pilots should be aware this should not be conducted only for the first flight of the day, as radios can and have failed during flights, on the ground and practically anywhere a radio can fail. Why this check is required should be obvious, even over and above the common sense reason of making sure the radio is working. Correct use of the radio forms a critical part of “alerted see and avoid” for pilots. If the pilot thinks the radio is correctly transmitting and receiving it may be assumed there is no other traffic in a location. As these examples show, this complacency or misunderstanding can lead to a range of potentially dangerous issues. Recent examples from the RAAus OMS include: A student and Instructor were operating at an airport where Regular Public Transport (RPT) also operate. During the flight from one airport to the next the radio volume was turned down by the student, resulting in lack of communications with departing Qantas traffic at the destination airport. The instructor had not identified the volume was turned down and proceeded into the circuit on the assumption that no radio calls had been made, meaning no activity was currently at the airport. As a result, the taxiing Qantas aircraft became frustrated with the perceived lack of response from the RAAus aircraft. Safety Outcome: The RAAus CFI has since imple-
mented a protocol to ensure radio volumes are not adjusted during flights. A pilot taxied out at a non-controlled airport and while a radio check was conducted, no response was received leading to the pilot incorrectly assuming there was no other traffic. While landing, the pilot noticed another aircraft on the reciprocal runway had conducted a go-around to avoid a conflict. The pilot later realised the frequency had been entered incorrectly on the radio, resulting in broadcasts not being received by the other aircraft. Safety Outcome: The pilots discussed the situation later in the clubhouse and resolved to ensure their visual scans would be increased when in the circuit as both pilots assumed the lack of radio calls was due to no other traffic being present. A pilot was operating at an airport which also had RPT operations. The pilot was not aware the radio in his aircraft was not working correctly. This resulted in the filing of a report from the RPT aircraft due to the pilot receiving a TCAS alerts with no radio communications from the RAAus aircraft. The pilot later determined the radio was working correctly, but the Push To Talk (PTT) had a fault, resulting in no transmissions being made. Safety Outcome: The faulty wiring for the PTT has since been corrected and the pilot will ensure the radio is serviceable prior to flight. What do these reports have in common? Lack of confirmation and or poor processes to ensure radio functionality, poor radio procedures and assumptions about traffic movements due to reduced lookout potentially reflect badly on RAAus pilots and the perception of their operations by the wider industry. On the positive side, all these reports were provided by RAAus pilots, indicating a good reporting culture about these
events. RAAus is committed to continuous improvement of pilot training and procedures and believes in general our pilots strive for professional operations at all times. When a trend is identified, such as these reports (which are all from the past three months), which indicates a potential lack of understanding of the requirements for radio serviceability by pilots, it triggers a need for further education.
So check the radio is correctly working, don’t assume no calls means no traffic and keep a good visual scan in the circuit and other areas even if no radio calls have been made, to stay safe and avoid conflicts. Fly safe, References: CAR166 provides the requirement for pilots to make broadcasts on a serviceable radio if the aircraft is operating on the manoeuvring area of an
aerodrome and the aircraft is fitted with a serviceable VHF radio. CAR242 provides the requirement for pilots to ensure the radio fitted to the aircraft is functioning correctly while taxiing to the take-off area. If the radio is determined to not be functioning correctly, the flight cannot proceed until a maintenance person has confirmed correct operation.
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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FEATURE
‘AEROFRED’ – THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Aeronautical engineer Rob Akron takes us through one of the world’s biggest aircraft expos.
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ero Expo Friedrichshafen brings its surprises every year, and this year was no exception. Billed as the largest GA industry exposition in Europe, it is the must-go event for those who want to stay up to date on what is happening in the market. Given that Europe houses some of the largest and most popular LSA manufacturers in the world, this is also the place to be if you want a peek into the future of light sport aircraft. Although the event in itself covers the GA industry as a whole, I would say that about a third of the halls are occupied by LSA and UL aircraft manufacturers and suppliers. It’s also been very interesting to see the trends changing over time, having visited here now for the past five years. Notable is that the hype in all-electric aircraft, which just about everybody jumped in on, seems to have peaked last year or the year before. The sheer number of electric aircraft and electrification projects displayed had been growing at an increadible pace, but seems to have dropped
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off significantly in the past two years. It seems only the major manufacturers, and those able to demonstrate solid technical development and financial backing, seem to have stuck around. I suspect that in coming years, survival of the fittest will dictate who will make it to successful market production. Pipistrel aircraft seems to be the dominant leader in the electric aircraft LSA field, holding what was probably the largest stand at Aero Expo 2019, and also using the event to announce several large-order sales of all-electric trainer aircraft including their Alpha Electro. Despite developments and progress in electrification, it still seems battery density would be the limiting factor, with most all-electric aircraft still struggling to prove reliable flight times beyond 30 minutes. I would expect this to remain the case for a while to come, as current Lithium battery technologies are approaching their physical theoretical storage limits (about one-sixth the energy density of fuels).
Because of this, the longer-duration electric flight projects appear to be focused on range extenders or hybrid-electric propulsion. In these cases, the motor powering the aircraft is electric, but the main energy storage is based on kerosene or fuel, with a generator continuously charging a relatively small battery feeding the propulsive motor. Again, Pipistrel appears to be leading the way in this field for production aircraft, having used their experience in hybrid and electric propulsion of LSA to develop the four-seat hybrid Panthera. There are some stand-alone electrification projects which seem to focus on taking existing airframes and modifying them for electric propulsion. Geiger Engineering are using a common C-42 platform to build in a generator in the back of the aircraft, feeding batteries and an electric motor mounted up front. There are, however, some all-electric stand-alone projects evident, with the ONIX project (pronounced Phoenix) being
ONIX Electric aircraft project
Bristell TDO bush plane.
one of the more elegant I have seen. With test-flights and initial EASA type certificate having been issued in November 2018, I expect this to be near the leading edge in terms of all-electric private aircraft entering the market. All serious full-electric projects seem to be shifting towards high aspect ratio, high-efficiency wings. There is, of course, much more to see other than electrification projects. The lovely girls at TL-Ultralight with their Stream aircrat were working hard to keep eyes away from worthy competitors like Blackshape, and Shark UL. (IMG: 5051) Breezer aircraft had a stand showing the internals of their new all-composite designs. Tecnam used the event to announce several new aircraft including the P92 Echo MkII, which is effectively a cleaned up and modernised version of the original P92 featuring a new and longer all-carbon wing mated to a monocoque fusalage, and including a glass panel cockpit. In similar fashion they presented the Sierra MkII, also a modernised version of their popular low-
All new Tecnam
The all new Breezer showing the internal construction.
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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FEATURE Peter flying at Portsea
wing with upgraded glass panel. Although perhaps not directly LSA, it should be noted that Tecnam also announced production of the first rotax-powered certified single engine IFR aircraft, which may well become a pathway to low-cost IFR training for those interested in upgrading their skills. Bristell aircraft proudly displayed their modified taildragger version of their flagship TDO Bush Plane. Although the original features a tricycle retractable undercarriage, for their low-wing monoplane, this change fits a shock-absorbing fixed gear with balloon wheels, allowing suitably trained pilots to operate the aircraft into rougher strips. Developments in the UL helicopter industry also deserve mention. Over the past two years a number of 600kg class helicopters have started to gain certification and begun operation within Europe. I would expect such aircraft to begin entering the Australian market within a few years, which could change the landscape for private light helicopter operations in terms of costs and maintenance. Interestingly, many of these companies seem to focus on co-axial helicopters, seemingly to take advantage of higher hover efficiencies and control system simplification. This would, however, require some retraining on behalf of the pilot, as control deflection limitations are required to ensure sufficient rotor clearances, and a reversal of yaw-control in autorotative situations means the pilot must maintain sufficient forward airspeed for the tailplane to remain effective. The diversity of of the UL scene is probably demonstrated from the NEXTH (IMG: 881) project, (with the looks, but probably also the aerodynamic properties of a tank), to the beautiful Shock Cub, which made another appearance this year. There is not much to say about this machine, except that I really, really, want to get a chance to play with it. We are living through an interesting time in the aviation scene, with improvements in technologies coming together with design capabilities to drive the personal aviation scene forward.
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Geiger Engineering have a generator in the back of the aircraft.
Geiger Engineering
NEXTH project with unusual looks
Peter (right) training new pilots
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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COLUMN
SAFETY
PERFECTING THE POWER-OFF 180 DEGREE TURN
It's unlikely you'll ever have an engine failure abeam the aim point markers on downwind, so why are power-off 180s so important to practice? The team at Bold Method have the answer. What Exactly Is A 'Power-Off 180?' Performing a power-off 180 is just what it sounds like. Abeam an aiming point on downwind, engine power is cut to idle, at or below 1000 feet AGL, and you manoeuvre to land as close to that preselected point as possible. Most pilots pitch for best glide speed, at least initially, to improve chances of making the runway point. While it's not usually a required manoeuvre for private pilots, it's a great manoeuvre to practice for any pilot. The aim is to touch down within -0/+200 feet from the specified touchdown point with no side drift, minimum float, and with the aircraft's longitudinal axis aligned with and over the runway centreline. A caveat and so listen up: one of the key killers in aviation is stall spin from downwind, to base and onto final. Which LSA you are flying will dictate the level of energy management required, though in essence this exercise is all about energy management.
So please, do it with an instructor first, especially if you are a low time pilot. But this manoeuvre doesn't realistically depict what to expect during an actual engine failure and emergency landing, so why are they so important? Simulated Landing Points Despite a lot of Australia being flat at times, you can't just land anywhere. Water, dense bush, and populated areas make emergency landings tough. While power-off 180s may not accurately depict real-life landing conditions, they do home in the importance of landing on a pre-selected spot. Your goal during a power-off emergency landing is a descent to landing following the format of a traffic pattern. Straight-in power-off approaches are dangerous, because you start farther away from your landing point, and it's difficult to judge glide and sink rate.
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Wind Correction Headwinds, tailwinds, and crosswinds provide unique challenges when flying power-off 180s. Unlike a normal approach, you don't have the backup of adding power to adjust for poorly anticipated wind conditions. The power-off 180 is the perfect way to learn how to control your descent path, while adjusting to compensate for wind.
Example 1: As you fly your downwind, you notice a high groundspeed with a corresponding tailwind. As you pull the power back, you'll need to make a base turn towards the runway sooner than normal. You'll be fighting a headwind and low groundspeed the whole way in on final. Example 2: On downwind, you experience a headwind. As the power is brought to idle, extend your downwind before making a base turn to prevent over-shooting your landing spot. Adjusting for differing wind directions and speeds takes practice and is one of the biggest reasons practicing power-off 180s is
so important. Over time, you'll get a feel for how long you need to wait before making a base turn. No matter the situation, improving this skill set important for any pilot. In practicing this you need to be aware if you are trying to line up, while being pushed away from runway heading by a crosswind. That’s the recipe for a cross controlled stall at low level. Remember this is an exercise. You still have an engine. If it gets all too much, go around.
Increasing Your Descent Rate Need to lose altitude? Try entering a forward slip. In most aircraft, you'll add full rudder in the direction away from the wind, while simultaneously using ailerons to maintain safe bank and directional control. This manoeuvre exposes a larger portion of the aircraft's fuselage to the free air stream, resulting in significantly increased parasite drag. You'll be able to descend quickly and get back on glide path.
s-turns as your only way of losing altitude. They're generally not the best option, because you destabilise your approach. Each of these manoeuvres exemplify another important lesson learned from power-off 180s. If you're caught in a situation where altitude loss is necessary, these skills will pay off in a big way. Configuration When should you add flaps? It all comes down to descent path. If you feel that you're high, start adding flaps. But avoid putting
flaps to full right away. Like the forward slip, use flaps incrementally, to ensure you don't overshoot or undershoot your target. There's nothing worse than adding full flaps, only to discover you didn't actually need that high of a descent angle and risk undershooting your landing point. And once you add flaps, don't take them out, especially down low. Retracting flaps with no power results in a significant sink rate - and possibly more than you can recover from, even with power. Don't add flaps, and especially full flaps, until you're absolutely certain you'll make your landing point. Ground Track It's not all about how the plane is set up or which manoeuvres you choose to fly. Your ground track directly affects your descent path. Squared turns from downwind-base-final result in more time spent in the air, steeper turns, and more altitude loss. Making a continuous turn, or nearly continuous, typically sets you up for a better final approach. Speed Control Throughout the entire power-off 180, speed control is key. As power is brought to idle, pitch for best glide speed. It'll give you the best shot of making the runway, and helps you judge your best glide ratio. Flying too fast or too slow means risking gliding distance. Be careful when flying over approach speed as you get close to the runway. You'll risk floating and missing your touchdown point entirely.
If you have not been trained in slipping, get an instructor who knows how to teach sideslips and make sure your aircraft is approved to slip in all flap settings. Treat these side slips as step-downs. Enter a forward slip for a few seconds, lose altitude, exit the slip, and reconsider your glidepath to the runway. If it looks like you'll need to lose more altitude, enter the slip again. Repeat. This way, you'll reduce your odds of undershooting the runway. S-Turns are another way to increase descent rates for landing. By turning, you'll simultaneously increase ground track, while lift is directed horizontally. Both factors result in a greater descent compared to straight-and-level flight. Be careful not to over-bank or use
Differing Glide Ratios Every aircraft glides differently at idle power. Some fly like a glider, and some like a brick. Practicing power-off 180s in a variety of aircraft demonstrates the importance of understanding your aircraft’s aerodynamics. That way, when you're ready to fly a new bird, you'll feel much more comfortable preparing for emergencies. A lot goes into flying a perfect power-off 180. Getting proficient in this manoeuvre don't just apply to engine-out situations, it helps you plan out any approach to landing. Courtesy Boldmethod.com AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
45
COLUMN
SAFETY
THE DAY I GOT IT WRONG!
Don Watson relates a story from a time long ago when he learned the value of knowing just who is flying the aeroplane.
I Stan
It was many years ago and I was still a teenager with the ink just about dried on my PPL. I worked at an aircraft maintenance shop and on this occasion, we had a Tiger Moth in for some engine work. It was the toy of an airline check captain and had gone U/S passing by our airfield. With the engine work complete and ground runs done, I managed to score a ride on the test flight. It was only going to be a quick circuit but I was excited to get a ride in an old biplane and a little intimidated about the fact that it was an airline captain flying, and it was his toy. So we got strapped in, fired up and got airborne; all very cool stuff. Once we were climbing out, above the mighty clatter the engine was making (it’s meant to make that noise?) and with the wind rushing past my head I heard my new hero pilot give me control. How cool it was to be in control of such a classic aircraft!
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
Downwind to base turn came and I heard my new friend say something over the intercom about speed and power so I obliged and down we went. At the base to final turn I heard him say something about side slip so I again obliged. As we were floating down final I was waiting for my new friend to call for control back. After all, it was his aircraft, and I only had a few coins to rub together and just a few hours in my log book. So I was surprised that he let it go until late final before he finally made the call. With all of the noise from the wind rushing past my head and the clatter of an idling gipsy it was difficult to hear exactly what he’d said but I called back and let go of the controls. The tiger straightened out, floated a little, and settled neatly down in a nice little three-pointer. We taxied back to the shed and shut down. Before I managed to unstrap and wriggle out my friend had
ejected out of his seat like the professional he is and bounded up to my dad saying “Your boy is a great pilot. That was a beautiful landing!” After I’d managed to unceremoniously extricate myself from the front cockpit, and after my new hero pilot had finished chatting with my dad, I casually wandered up to dad and said in a low, soft voice “I thought he had it.” I learned that day how important it is to have clear communication and how a preflight brief to review the roles of each crew and the planned flight is essential for each flight. This is something I have done ever since, especially making sure coms are clear during the flight. I also have a little giggle whenever I hear mention of how tigers are tricky to land, which is rare, but happens from time to time!
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47
PILOT PROFILE FEATURE
LEARNING FROM THE BEST
A veteran ag pilot is still passing on the art of aviation to anyone keen to learn its ways. Mark Smith caught up with him.
WIDGEON WONDER It takes lots of money to restore a vintage aeroplane. Mark Smith looks at one that is a tribute to some pioneering aviators who died in a tragic search and rescue mission
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
Photos: Mark Smith
I
n 1929, when Keith Anderson heard his friend Charles Kingsford Smith was missing in northern Western Australia while attempting another record-breaking flight, he didn’t hesitate to mount a search and rescue mission. The aircraft he chose was a Westland Widgeon he had purchased six weeks earlier and despite the airworthiness being suspect, he took off from Richmond with
engineer Bob Hitchcock and flew to Alice Springs where some repairs were made before the pair took off into the desert heading to Western Australia. It was the last time they were seen alive. Shortly after they took off Smithy and his crew were found. However by then the Paul and Karen Kookaburra, Strike Widgeon, named had suffered an engine failure in the Tanami desert and
despite Hitchcock being able to repair the aircraft they were unable to make a runway before succumbing to thirst. A search party found the pair dead with their aircraft. Due to also suffering from the effects of a lack of water the party buried the two men and left the Kookaburra. After a public outcry a second party returned to the site to exhume the bodies so they could be buried in their home cities; Sydney for AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
49
Up in the air and on her own Pilot Dave Greg
Anderson and Perth for Hitchcock. Again, the Kookaburra was left to its fate. Electronics entrepreneur Dick Smith mounted several attempts to find the lost aeroplane and in 1978 he was finally successful. The aircraft was recovered and was originally displayed at the Alice Springs airport. Today it can be found at the Central Australian Aviation Museum. Jump forward to 1998 and aircraft restorer John Gollagher received a call from Dick asking if he was willing to take on the restoration of another Widgeon as tribute to Anderson and Hitchcock. “I picked the aeroplane up at the Oaks where it had been in storage for many years and began the restoration. It was in a very poor condition, the fuselage particularly, and so the restoration involved making a completely new fuselage shell but incorporating some of the original wood,” he says. “The wings, to look at, appeared to be in good shape except they were like Pha-
50
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
raoh’s tomb. Touch anything on the leading edge and it turned to dust.” With such an old aircraft that had been abandoned for so many years it was inevitable parts would be missing. But John found whole assemblies that had to be built from scratch, without the aid of the manufacturer’s original drawings. Even Westland in the United Kingdom, who had built the aircraft, no longer had any of the original plans. “The undercarriage, trim mechanism, and the engine itself all presented problems. With the trim I was basically confronted with four bolt holes, so I had to fabricate the whole thing from scratch. A friend photographed the trim mechanism in another Widgeon, VH-UHU, that was in the museum at Wangaratta at the time and measured and drew it up for me. Another source of information and drawings was a bloke from Qantas called Ross Woodcock.
He was a champion RC scale modeller who had built a large-scale Widgeon and had a number of very useful drawings, including the trim mechanism.” Old aeroplanes always have old engines that normally don’t have a great supply train of parts but that didn’t stop John in his quest to get the aeroplane flying again. “The engine presented a number of challenges due to corrosion. The crankshaft is in three parts and the two front parts had to be remanufactured. When it came to pistons and valves, we did everything legally through a consulting engineer, but it actually has Ford Falcon racing pistons and it has Torana L34 valves. It runs extremely well and develops its full 75hp on a good day.” The project took four years, though through that time John was also working on other projects. He has an unusual view on watching the first post restoration flight.
“It was the same feeling you get when you come out from a hard examination. I’ve been through university and I was a forensic scientist and that feeling when you come out from an examination and you realise it’s all been good, that was the feeling I had when I first saw it fly.” One of the volunteer pilots who is lucky enough to command such a historic aircraft is Dave Greg. His day job is as an international flight planner with Qantas but he’s also an experienced pilot. He says flying the Widgeon presents few challenges. “It’s very nice to fly – much nicer than a Tiger Moth. The only vice is its ground handling because it has no brakes. We have wing walkers most of the time, though on wider runways and taxiways you can go a bit faster and use power over the rudder to steer. “The tail skid is great. When you load it up by pulling the stick all the way back it digs in and it’s like throwing an anchor out the back.” AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
51
AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS
5023 22 AIRPARK RD HOLBROOK AIRFIELD
Residential vacant Block. 22 Airpark Road Holbrook NSW 2644. Offers mid to low sixties considerd. EMAIL: donwoodward@outlook.com WEB: holbrook.simdif.com PRICE: $69000 CONTACT: Don Woodward 0417 696 461
5164 JABIRU UL3300 (6CYL)
5335 TYRO MK 2
5501 AIRCRAFT 23-8806
60 Airframe Hours, 40 Engine Hours, Tyro MK 2 Tyro MK 2 fully refurbished 4 years ago with stits polyfibre. VW 1600 twin port aero engine (60 hours). Holds 50L of fuel, with a burn of 7-10L/hour in cruise. Fully enclosed trailer included. Located in South East Tasmania. PRICE: $7500 CONTACT: Les Skinner 0437 616 135
550 Airframe Hours, 550 Engine Hours, J230D For Sale Jabiru J-230D PRICE: $88000 CONTACT: Bill Haynes 0429 054 205
5528 AIRBORNE XT-912, TRIKE/ MICROLIGHT ARROW S WING LSA
5439 SECURE HANGAR SPACE FOR RENT
610 Airframe Hours, 351 Engine Hours, UL3300 (6Cyl). Jabiru UL3300 (6Cyl, 3300, Camit engine, 4yo), Good Condition Extended wings. Frame: 610 hrs. Engine: 364 hrs (1/4/19). Engine top overhaul just done. Upgraded brakes, larger wheels. Climbs exceptionally well. Ideal for short take-off and landing.. Fuel: 14-15 l/hr @ 105Kn. Will consider delivery. PRICE: $29000 CONTACT: Johannes Luthy 0402 443 635
5189 SAVANNAH S PRICE REDUCED
Secure Hangar space for rent in Central QLD 50min from Rockhampton. $1330 Per Year 1700m Grass AirStrip. PRICE: $1330 P/Y CONTACT: Adrian Paine 0400 157 833
5458 HANGARS HOLBROOK AIRFIELD
156 Airframe Hours, 556 Engine Hours, XT-912 Airborne xt-912 trike; arrow s wing only 156 hours, winglets factory fitted 16/3/18, engine & base 556 hours, converted to LSA, fully factory performance tuned. All services done, always hangared. New bolley prop, tall screen, engine cowl, headsets. PRICE: $25000 CONTACT: Bob Thiemann (07) 5481 2025/0418 776 116
5541 SORRELL HIPERLIGHT 82 Airframe Hours, 70 Engine Hours, Savannah S Savannah S.Rotax 912iS 100 HP Fuel Injected Eng. 45TTIS. Factory built. No Accident. 144L Fuel. Garmin G3X 10.6" Touch Screen & GTX23 Mode S ES Xponder.Garmin GMC305 Auto Pilot & GTR200 Radio. AOA. DUC Prop. PRICE: $119000 ONO CONTACT: Lance Weller 0407 229 495
5300 33 TIGERMOTH AVE, PRICE DROPPED
Hangars blocks 18m x 18m freehold titles at Holbrook Airpark from $25,000 or land and new Hangars 15m x 12m available from $78,000. PRICE: Available from: $25000 CONTACT: John Ferguson 0413 990 400
5482 SKYFOX GAZELLE
108.4 Airframe Hours, 28.7 Engine Hours, SNS-8 Hiperlight. Fully rebuilt in 2017 including engine. Recovered in Oratex UL600, new bracing wires everywhere, new wiring, new fuel system. Empty weight 110kg, MTOW 226kg. Cruises between 5060kts, 20 Litre fuel tank. Strong +6 -3g. Detachable tail. Simple flying. PRICE: $7000 CONTACT: Ruben Daniel Martin 0468 359 784
5569 ZENAIR 750
Freehold hangar at Temora Airpark. 2yr old 15x15x6m 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. Due to shiftwork, email KRviators@ bigpond.com PRICE: $180000 CONTACT: Robin Wills 0401 023 271
52
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
1418.9 Airframe Hours, 1146.2 Engine Hours, Gazelle SKYFOX GAZELLE for sale. Great aircraft with nothing to spend G/BOX overhauled, New tyres, perspex roof replaced, Upholstery recovered. New 2 blade Bolly Prop fitted 1402 hrs. Airframe 1418.9 Hrs. Engine done 728Hrs. Manufactured 1997 by SKYFOX AVIATION. Serial Number CA25N074. Engine is Rotax 912 80hp. Reg Number 24-3432 (expires Oct 2019). Interior and... Price: $29000 CONTACT: Brian Stott 0410 401 139
ZenAir 750 130hrs Rotax914Turbo widebody bubledoors tundra tyres 10" Dynon Skyview. 100ltr fuel. Amazing short field take off. PRICE: $95000 CONTACT: Nat Jaques 0417 073 046
5580 JABIRU J200 + 1/2 HANGER AT HECK FIELD
480 Airframe Hours, 480 Engine Hours, J200 480 hours, 6Cyd, 3.3Ltr, 120 HP, Solid valve lifter, head done at 450hrs, Temperature gauges, GPS, Transponder, Auto Pilot, Disc Brakes, Fuel Filter, Radio, comes with ½ hanger at Heck Field QLD. $50,000-plane, $40,000 - 1/2 Hanger. PRICE: $90000 CONTACT: Bruce Smallacombe 0410 524 040
5630 COBRAM COBRA
653 Airframe Hours, 118 Engine Hours, Cobra Single seater, very nice to fly. Very light and responsive controls. Cruises at 75-85kts burning 11-12 litres per hour. Fuel capacity 48 litres. Engine is points ignition, and requires hand starting. PRICE: $7500 CONTACT: Tony Meggs (02) 6689 1009
5631 SAVANNAH VG
5653 RANS S6ES
624 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Rans S6ES Coyote II. 624TT Powered by Jabiru 2200 Fantastic Aircraft to fly, plenty of room for two large people. Two GPS units one Portable and one in dash, ballistic chute, full deluxe interior, Dual controls inc toe brakes, 2 noise reduction headsets. PRICE: $38000 CONTACT: Peter Tapp 0403 116 690
5690 WYREEMA AIRFIELD HANGAR SPACE/ STORAGE
Hangar Space/Storage for light aircraft, boats, caravans. Airfield is at Wyreema appr 15 minutes south of Toowoomba QLD. Water, electricity, toilet & avgas available. Prices start from $100 per calendar month. PRICE: $100 p/m CONTACT: Daniel King 0409 465 812
5703 BANTAM B 22S
5672 JABIRU 170C 24-5398
370 Airframe Hours, 370 Engine Hours, J170C For sale Due to present health issues Jabiru 170C 24-5398, aircraft hangared at Wynyard Approx 370 hours on both engine and airframe. In top condition. Maintained by John McBryde who is happy for calls 0427 757 922. PRICE: $56500 CONTACT: John Heidenreich 0419 324 250
414 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Bantam B 22S 414 engine and airframe hours located YCAB Brolga prop, 582 Blue head motor. New skins, detailed log book and flight manual. A new motor still in crate is available, but is NOT included in this price. PRICE: $12500 CONTACT: Kyle 0415 858 869
5730 AIRCRAFT 19-8492
5680 CFM SHADOW STREAK 85.5 Airframe Hours, 25 Engine Hours, PT-2 Protec PT2 STOL Aircraft for sale,912s 100hp. PRICE: $40000 CONTACT: Neal Livingstone 0407 347 255
250 Airframe Hours, 250 Engine Hours, VG Savannah VG 19-7575, 250hrs Engine/Airframe. Rotax 912ULS, Warp Drive Nickel prop. XCOM Radio. 4 Tanks 144ltr with fuel flow meter. Electric Trim, Garmin 695, carpeted cockpit - very quiet. Nil accidents, full service history, excellent condition. PRICE: $56800 CONTACT: Rodney Kinnish 0411 378 998
1600 Airframe Hours, 133 Engine Hours, Shadow Streak. HR blue head 582 electric start 3rd Engine. 133 HR bolly 3 blade prop. Nil accidents. ALL Ads performed. Rego till aug 19. VHF Radio and intercom. CHT EGT VSI Digi ALT Digi Compass. Dual Control. Still being flown. PRICE: $10500 CONTACT: Nicholas Turner 0422 033 161
5642 ARION LIGHTNING 3.3FI
5689 JABIRU LSA 55/3J
775 Airframe Hours, 683 Engine Hours, Lightning Owner builder, FI 3.3 Jab eng powered by Haltec F10X computer. Eng never pulled down. Cruise 140kts @ 2800, 19 lts per hr. Thompson prop 61x60. Lowrance 2000C GPS slaved to Dynon 180.ASI. Always hangared at Goolwa. PRICE: $59000 ONO CONTACT: Steve Biele 0407 218 203
2170 Airframe Hours, 435 Engine Hours, LSA55/3J Solid, factory built aircraft. Cruises at 95-100kts, 12-13L/hr fuel burn, 65L tank. Always hangered. Upgraded from LSA55/2j in 2003. Full covers provided. All AD's up to date. PRICE: $17000 CONTACT: Anthony Elms 0403 777 852
5731 JABIRU SPT-6
78 Airframe Hours, 78 Engine Hours, SPT-6 PRICE: $45000 CONTACT: Neal Livingstone 0407 347 255
5737 JABIRU J200B 19-4922
73 Airframe Hours, 73 Engine Hours, J200 B Jabiru J200 B 19-4922. Low hours TTIS 73 hrs. Jabiru 3300 engine solid lifters. ICOM radio with David Clark headsets. Garmin 296 GPS. 2 pack paint always hangared. Excellent condition inside and out. PRICE: $52000 CONTACT: Graham Moller 0458 785 035 AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
53
AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS
5748 SKYFOX CA21
5779 STORCH BY FLY SYNTHESIS
560 Airframe Hours, 560 Engine Hours, Skyfox CA21. Skyfox CA21 1990 55-0611, factory built in Queensland, TTIS 560 hours, Aeropower 78 hp engine, two blade wooden propeller, reg to July 2019, in dash Garmin Area 660 GPS, 100 hourly completed July 2018, good clean condition inside and out, based at Bendigo, Victoria. EMAIL: steve_broadbent@bigpond.com PRICE: $19000 CONTACT: Stephen Broadbent 0407 829 813
1000 Airframe Hours, Zero Hours Engine Hours, Fly Synthesis. Re-engined with Mercedes Smart car engine. TT Zero hours. Comes in a roadworthy, registered tandem axle enclosed trailer. The wings fold and the whole aircraft can be loaded into the trailer by one person. PRICE: $52000 CONTACT: Frank Shrenk
5797 WALLABY FLY SYNTHESIS 582
50 Airframe Hours, 50 Engine Hours, Wallaby Factory built Wallaby powered by Rotax 582 in as new Condition, genuine 50 hours TT and impeccable condition, suitable for training with dual pedals and controls. Comes with parachute and tundra tires. A great composite aircraft worth over $55K new. PRICE: $37500 CONTACT: Caz Monteleone 0404 897 452
5801 SONEX TRI-GEAR
5783 SKYFOX CA21 AND TRAILER
5751 TECNAM P92-2000RG
847.8 Airframe Hours, 325.8 Engine Hours, CA21. CA21 TAILDRAGGER with recent new rotax 80HP fitted. Engine only done 325.8 hours. Airframe only 847.8 hrs. The trailer was custom made for this aircraft and has electric winch and internal lighting etc. Happy to deliver. PRICE: $39000 CONTACT: Brian Stott 0410 401 139 708 Airframe Hours, 708 Engine Hours, P922000RG. Tecnam P92-2000RG. 2006 model
5794 STORCH HS FLY SYNTHESIS AIRCRAFT 24-4258
130 Airframe Hours, 130 Engine Hours, Sonex TriGear. Sonex Tri-Gear 19-8656, 130 hours, Aerovee 80 HP, MGL EFIS & V6 VHF radio & ASI. Built by the Sport Aircraft Club of South Australia to give members hands on building experience. Project details- sportaircraft.org.au and click on the Sonex picture. PRICE: $37500 CONTACT: Chris Moore 0411 196 232
5827 SYNDICATE SHARE A32 VIXXEN AT CABOOLTURE
707 hours since new, Rotax 912 ULS, retractable undercarriage, new leather seats, Trio Ezypilot A/P coupled to Garmin 195 GPS, Microair Transponder, Icom A200 VHF. PRICE: $79000 CONTACT: Merv Hargraves 0429 003 112
5763 JABIRU 24-4681 J-160C
205.0 Airframe Hours, 205 Engine Hours, Storch HS Factory built Storch HS, over 500 built and flying this amazing and safe aircraft is used for training in many parts of the world. Has docile flying and landing characteristics yet will cruise around 90 knots for some decent cross counrty trips. PRICE: $52000 CONTACT: Caz Monteleone 0404 897 452
600 Airframe Hours, 600 Engine Hours, A32 Vixxen A share is available to a suitably experienced pilot. Long running syndicate based at Caboolture Queensland. Has full Dynon avionics including autopilot. Professionally maintained. PRICE: $9000 CONTACT: Ian McDonell (07) 3886 5828
5837 AIRCRAFT 32-7042
5795 WALLABY FLY SYNTHESIS WITH 503 ROTAX ENGINE
2164 Airframe Hours, 266 Engine Hours, J-160C Certified Aircraft – Approved for flight training Airframe 2164 hrs, Engine 266 HTR to 500 HRS when through bolt replacement required. Annual Registration paid EXP 06/19. Full service history. Wood Prop. Located Launceston Tas. PRICE: $34000 + GST CONTACT: Tasmanian Aero Club 0418 500 111
54
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
12.2 Airframe Hours, 12.2 Engine Hours, Wallaby Built from Factory Kit by the Importer this two place aircraft looks and flies like new, Fitted with 503 Rotax electric start engine and only 13 hours TT. STOL characteristics, includes wing folding system. Selling as retiring from aviation business. PRICE: $29000 CONTACT: Caz Monteleone 0404 897 452
97.6 Airframe Hours, 97.6 Engine Hours, Outback Airborne Outback trike in excellent condition only 98hrs and always hangered. PRICE: $17000 CONTACT: Richard Perrett 0407 454 809
5842 JABIRU FOR SALE
5878 ZLIN SAVAGE SHOCK CUB AIRCRAFT FOR SALE
347 Airframe Hours, 347 Engine Hours, J160 Jabiru J160. 347 engine & airframe hrs, Sensenich ground adj prop. 2 spare blades & angle adj meter. Flys hands off , 65lt wing tanks. Satalite airmaps built into panel, microair & intercom 2 headsets. + extras $45,000. PRICE: $38500 CONTACT: Brad Salter 0417 385 250
90 Airframe Hours, 90 Engine Hours, Shock Cub $150,000 (inc. GST) AUD (approx. $108,000 USD) - will assist with export/import. Rotax 100 HP 912 ULS - 90 TTSN. Factory Built registered S-LSA. TK1 Shock Monster & tailwheel. 26" Alaskan Bush Wheels. Dual Caliper Beringer Brakes & park brake. Immaculate logbooks & maintenance. DUC Helices Flash 3 blade ground adjustable prop. Long range fuel tanks (105L capacity). PRICE: $150000 CONTACT: Damien Soward 0412 578 693
299.0 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, P92 Echo Classic. Tecnam P92 Echo Classic 8236. Hours- 298 Will sell with fresh 100 hourly. Always Hangered and Level 2 Maintained. Garmin GTX 327 Transponder Mode S. Garmin 695 moving map GPS. Trutrak Digiflight IIVS Autopilot 2 Axis. Oversize Main Wheels. PRICE: $100000 CONTACT: Stuart Reseck 0434 645 439
5893 XAIR HANUMAN
5909 PIEL EMERALD FOR SALE
5849 SAVANNAH
70 Airframe Hours, 70 Engine Hours, Savannah XL Savannah XL 70 hrs airframe 70 hrs engine luggage barrier upgraded door latch Xcom vhf uhf tundra tyres upgrade to 600 kgs owner reluctanly given up flying. PRICE: $69000 CONTACT: James Jardine 02 6454 6210/0408 167 863
175 Airframe Hours, 1750 Engine Hours, HANUMAN Beautiful XAIR HANUMAN 912 ULS 100 HP aera 500 GPS, XCOM VHF. Folding Wings. 92 knot cruise. Always hangared. Great fun plane. PRICE: $38000 CONTACT: Jason Bruce King 0418 986 609
5897 BANTAM ROTAX 582
5855 JABIRU SP FOR SALE
755 Airframe Hours, 374 Engine Hours, SP Jabiru Aircraft SP 19-3253 For Sale. PRICE: $34500 CONTACT: James Robert Rodgers 0457 054 123
5865 MICRO AVIATION - BAT HAWK
5905 TECNAM P92 ECHO CLASSIC 100
1059 Airframe Hours, 1725 SOH Engine Hours, 100 Piel Emerald Model 100, Built 1974. Continental 0-200, 100hp. McCauley alum prop. TTIS 1059 hrs. Toe operated hyd disc brakes. VH reg until 2018, now RAAus. 100 knot cruise, 84 ltrs fuel. Good condition for it's age.Fun and affordable flying. PRICE: $24500 CONTACT: John Kelly 0428 516 485
5912 JABIRU J160 - D FACTORY 9/10 PERTH
602 Airframe Hours, 100 Engine Hours, B22s This aircraft is in good order and maintained by an L2. The motor was rebuilt by Bert Floods and only has 100 hours on it. The aircraft is now surplus to requirements and is ready to find a new home. PRICE: $16000 CONTACT: Mark Gentry 0481 309 222
5903 DUEL SEAT AREOCHUTE
490 Airframe Hours, 490 Engine Hours, J160D Beautiful and ready to tour. It is just back from a trip through NT & SA where it behaved brilliantly. One owner 2009 to 2019 who maintained it to the highest standards. 95 Kts cruise, fully laden for touring (without spats) 80-90 knots 15-18 LPH. PRICE: $51000 CONTACT: Angus Macaskill (+4) 4796 7805059
5917 TEXAN 600
80 hours TTSN Airframe Hours, 80 hours TTSN Engine Hours, Bat Hawk The Bat Hawk is widely used as a surveillance and anti-poaching platform. It is manufactured to comply with the ASTM2245 Build Rules as well as South African Civil Aviation Type Approval. This is a true 'bush aircraft', easy to fly and cheap to run. PRICE: $39500 CONTACT: Johannes Gouws 0448 019 980
131 Airframe Hours, 131 Engine Hours, Aerochute Good Condition. 503 Rotax engine. Electric start. 58" IVO propeller. Standard prop guard for 58" prop. Tacho, hour meter, altimeter. 2 Flight suits. 2 Helmets with passenger intercom. VHF and UHF radio ready. Fuel funnel and 2 Jerry cans. Maintenance records. Operator and maintenance manuals. PRICE: $13500 CONTACT: Peter Oliver 0447 466 319
890 Airframe Hours, 890 Engine Hours, Texan 600 890 Engine and Airframe. AV-Map GPS coupled to auto pilot, 3 blade constant speed prop, BRS, Nav Lights, Mode S Transponder, I-Com radio, Excellent condition inside and out. PRICE: $100000 EMAIL: buildmac@bigpond.com CONTACT: Bruce McGill 0418 713 267 AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
55
AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS
5924 JABIRU 160-C
5934 FLIGHT DESIGN
5944 P&M AVIATION GT-LITE
11226.6 Airframe Hours, 1070 Engine Hours, CTLS Flight Design. CTLS carbon fibre construction. Solid 120 knots at 20litres per hour. PRICE $95350 559 Airframe Hours, 559 Engine Hours, 160-C This is a good clean low hours aircraft with a full suite of avionics. Flies beautifully with economical cruise. Fitted with Jabiru double brakes. All in good condition and always hangared. 100 hourly is due and will be completed prior to sale. PRICE: $51500 CONTACT: Malcolm Dow 0400 482 206
CONTACT: David 0419 343 544
5935 AIRBORNE TUNDRA XT 912, MICROLIGHT, ULTRALIGHT, TRIKE
5927 XT-912 TOURER - LOW HRS - 156 HRS SST WING
60.2 Airframe Hours, 60.2 Engine Hours, GT-Lite This GT-Lite comes with Radio, Covers, oil injection, and carbie de-icing. It's a dream to fly. The GT-450 with is one tof the best wings on the market. TTIS is 60.2 hours. http://pmaviation.com.au/inventory. PRICE: $35000 CONTACT: Peter McLean 0415-406-413
5945 2 PLACE LOW WING
307 Airframe Hours, 307 Engine Hours, Tundra. Date of manufacture: 2014; Rotax 4 strokes engine 80HP, Engine hours 307; brand new Merlin wing 0 hour, upgrade to cross country add 1000 AUD. You can choice any kind of new sail the airborne Factory 326 Airframe Hours, 326 Engine Hours, XT-912 Tourer. Excellent condition, always hangared fully maintained by LAME, full log books. 2000hr TBO engine. Includes brand new travel covers and trailer. PRICE: $25000 CONTACT: Jeffrey Thompson 0406 621 202
set up instant. With all logbooks. Radio, wate. PRICE: $29999 CONTACT: Feng Zhai
Partly finished 2 Place ultralight, one wing needs the "D" aluminium attached, tail group is complete, Under-carriage needs two main wheels. PRICE: $750 CONTACT: Paul Badcock 0417 513 414
5946 SUPERCAT
5938 SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE 2/3 SCALE REPLICA
5928 HUGHES LIGHTWING WITH JABIRU 2200 ENGINE 287.3 Airframe Hours, 88.25 Engine Hours, bobcat mkII. Genuine sale of my supercat (bobcat mkII). PRICE: $14000 ONO CONTACT: Marcus Legg 0428 834 314 2060 Airframe Hours, 360 Engine Hours, LW 1 Not flown since complete airframe rebuild. Jab 2.2 @ 360hrs, 60 hrs since overhaul. New fabric, paint, upholstery etc. Spare complete engine (condition NK). Hangered at Innisfail. Ex the late Carlo Prete CFI/L2. PRICE: $20000 CONTACT: Alan Yarrow 0407 961 055
120 Airframe Hours, 120 Engine Hours, 2/3 scale Supermarine Spitfire 2/3 scale replica. PRICE: $118000 CONTACT: Karl Schultz
5942 DYNAERO MCR 01 VLA SPORTSTER
5933 LIGHTWING GR582
440 Airframe Hours, 440 Engine Hours, MCR -01 VLA Sportster. Fast, Efficient 2 seat aircraft, that will TAS @ 145kts at around 17 LPH. Climbs fast at 500 Airframe Hours, 100 Engine Hours, GR582 Good reliable airoplane slways hangered snd well maintained, low hours on air frame and rotax 582 blue head. PRICE: $16990 NEG CONTACT: Phillip Ensabella 0468 464 101
56
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
5947 SG AVIATION STORM 300
1750 fpm. Superb direct stick handling and easy to fly. Privately Owned. Built by John Chesbrough Mechanical Engineer. Always hangared. PRICE: $83000 CONTACT: Stuart Norman 0438 196 010
657 Airframe Hours, 657 Engine Hours, Storm 300 Storm 300. 2003. 600kg max weight. 360kg empty. Max baggage compartment weight 20kg. 110kt cruise at 5000rpm 18lt/hour. 80lt fuel tank. Very nice aircraft and in great condition, adjustable rudder pedals, 5 year rubber replacement done 3 months ago. Willing to deliver. Has prop and canopy cover. We have purchased a Cherokee so. PRICE: $49500 CONTACT: Chris Hayhoe 0417 535 832
5949 WANTED - KIT PROJECT
If you have a kit (happy to look at any type) that isn't working out then please let me know. Partially completed or still in the crate - I'm looking for the next project. CONTACT: David Vaughan 0478 188 348
Office: 03 9531 1018
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
57
AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS
5952 MORGAN SIERRA 200
157 Airframe Hours, 75 Engine Hours, Sierra 200 Morgan Sierra 200. All metal, factory built by Gary Morgan, Jabiru 6 cylinder, good comfortable cross country aircraft. Buying a four seat aircraft for family travelling. $68,000 serious offers considered. PRICE: $68000 CONTACT: Glenn wilcox
5955 MICROLIGHT TRIKE
5958 X-AIR 618 ROTAX
298 Airframe Hours, 4 Engine Hours, X-air. Fully overhauled X-Air with 618 Rotax. this project aircraft and was rebuilt from the ground up. New Skins, Engine overhauled in USA, dyno data available. new suspension, wing ribs, pod repainted and vinyl wrapped. Efis included not yet fitted. Decea PRICE: $17500 CONTACT: Andrew Twigg
5959 SAVANNAH XL
383 Airframe Hours, 383 Engine Hours, Edge X Edge X classic 2002. Instrument data - air speed, EGT, ALT, Tacho, HR meter, water temp. After muffler. REGO - 8/09/2019. 383 Hours. Wing- streak 2B. Trailer included. Always stored in garage. 2 flying suits large and medium and 2 helmets with mic. PRICE: $12500 CONTACT: Peter Koch 0409 566 389
5957 PETREL AMPHIBIOUS
269.0 Airframe Hours, 269.0 Engine Hours, XL 2016 3 Blade Bolly Prop. 100 HP Rotax 912 Engine. Long range fuel tanks. 269 Hrs. Talosavionics A-3FIS. No beach landings. 6.006 Tyres. Maintenance release forms, extensive maintenance log by L.A.M.E. Upgrade to 600 kgs. PRICE: $68000 CONTACT: Colin Wood 0427 543 593
5961 SONEX TRI-GEAR FOR SALE
5964 CUMULUS COURT - VACANT LAND IN AIRPARK ESTATE
The freedom to fly has never been so close to home with this opportunity to join an aviation community and build your dream home. Lots in Cumulus Airpark start at 3000sqm. Custom build a house and hanger with stunning Mary Valley views. Sealed strip. PRICE: $280000 CONTACT: Dianne Gresham 0428 835 451
5965 ZODIAC 601HD
250 Airframe Hours, 250 Engine Hours, 601HD Previously VH-CCY, now RAA registered, built 1999, 250hrs tt, Aeropower 76-80hp, spare prop (new). Corrosion painted. Full build plans, engine logs, history. A22 radio with new intercom. Electric trim. Cabin heat. Carbie heat. Basic instruments. Flys great. Paint 9/10 Interior 9/10. MTOW 545 kgs. Flown regularly. Can deliver to SA or VIC. PRICE: $29000 CONTACT: Andrew Niblett 0408 801 900
5966 LOT 13 WHITSUNDAY AVIATION VILLAGE ESTATE $249K
Lot 13 Whitsunday Aviation Estate Village. Large square 1054m2 block at $249 000. Eastern side of runway, backs on to Conway National Park, direct taxiway access, soil test included. All ready to build your hangar home. Call Simon on 0400 799 788. PRICE: $249000 CONTACT: Gary Hughes 0428 124 470
5967 JODEL D11
195 Airframe Hours, 195 Engine Hours, PETREL Wings easy removed and refitted in under 1/2 hour making it trailer-able to take on holidays or be kept at home in your garage or hangar. New tyres, new Bolly propeller. PRICE: $35000 CONTACT: Margaret 0401 365 989
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
0 Airframe Hours, 2 Engine Hours, Tri-gear 3300 Completed Sonex Tri-gear 3300 for sale - forced sale due to ill health. Aircraft is complete but has not flown. Jabiru 3300 engine and Prince Propeller with test hours only. PRICE: $30000 CONTACT: Greg McCarthy 0428 569 712
1800 Airframe Hours, 1800 Engine Hours, D11 Jodel D11, 19-7519 Cont. O-200, 1800hrs, always hangered, radio & basic instruments. PRICE: $20000 CONTACT: Mark Tait 0413 289 604
5969 AIRCRAFT 24-4567
5975 2005 MK26 SPITFIRE
2270.7 Airframe Hours, 1210 Engine Hours, P92 Echo Super Tecnam P92 Super Echo Good condition and well looked after. Recent new battery. Always hangared, just not being flown enough (for owners liking) Very good avionics and instruments. Great plane for the price. Any questions call Greg 0419 836 754. PRICE: $55000 CONTACT: Gregory Moore 0419 836 754
5985 AIRBORNE TRIKE
305 Airframe Hours, 305 Engine Hours, MK26 Reg 19-4104, with 8cyl Inj. Jabiru eng. 305 TT, cruises 150kn@29L/hr. Electric flaps& retract. gear, Sensenich FP prop. VHF, Garmin 176C, TC, VSI, G Meter & full MGI monitor. Genuine RAAus aircraft located in SA, no accidents. Cost > $200K. Bargain! PRICE: $85000 CONTACT: Geoff Eastwood 0427 812 42 92.1 since refurb. Airframe Hours, 92.2 since refurb and crank case test Engine Hours, Edge Executive Airborne Trike. 2 place, 582 Rotax, Wizard 3 Wing. Good condition. Aircraft is registered with RAA and sale includes registered trailer. Also included are helmets with radio/comms and flying suits. PRICE: $6500 CONTACT: Grahame Chaseling 0414 659 262
5977 JABIRU J160D
5971 RURAL LIFESTYLE PROPERTY
Stacked_804C
Lifestyle property complete with 15 m x 12 m hanger and 600 metre airstrip. 100 year old restored stone cottage shearing shed and numerous out buildings. Contact Greg 0419 836754 for more photos and HorsHam aviation services details. Could be set up65as007 fly339 in 451 fly out B&B. ABN: PRICE: Now$480000 Importing the eurofox AircrAft: CONTACT: Gregory Moore Built 0419 836 754 • Quality Factory
585.7 Airframe Hours, 585.7 Engine Hours, J160D For sale , owner has to a GA aircraft PRICE: $48000 CONTACT: Kerry Fennamore 0409 342 501
5981 A32 VIXXEN IN A STUNNING SPECIAL ORDER "TRUE RED"
• Quick folding wing design
5973 MORGAN SIERRA 100to2012 • Glider Tow certified 750Kg • Short take-off & landing
And Dynon Avionics Products:
• Now with Autopilot capability • Solid state sensors • Checklists • Audible alarm capability PH: 03 5381 1727227 Engine Hours, Sierra 100 227 Airframe Hours, Morgan 100 2012 build with 227 hours. Email:Sierra info@horshamaviation.com.au Jabiru 3300 hydraulic lifter. Dual controls, Electric flaps, Matco wheels and brakes . Leather seating, Adjustable oil cooler airflow, LAME built with many improvements. Garmin 295 GPS Icom 210 radio. PRICE: $50000 CONTACT: Dave Henty-Wilson 0411 066 135
35 Airframe Hours, 35 Engine Hours, A32 Vixxen Practically new A32 Vixxen in a stunning special order " True Red" paint. TT 35 hours. extremely lightweight at 317.4 kg - MTOW of 600kg. Yoke controls with TRIG VHF and Transponder. Stall at 27kts, climb at over 1,000 fpm. cruise at 100 knots on 16l. PRICE: $138050 CONTACT: Ido Segev 0413 900 892
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AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
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61
FEATURE
MILESTONES Nathan Barsby (BELOW) Dan Compton from Wings Out West sent Nathan Barsby solo in Early May. Another tailwheel pilot!
Don Smith
(ABOVE) flew his first solo with
Strike Aviation at Caboolture in late April. AEROCHUTE
Steve Conte and his Aerochute team have been working hard training new pilots, with Jason Budd, John Kearney and Simon Zacher soaring on their own for the first time
Jason Budd (LEFT) John Kearney (BOTTOM LEFT) Simon Zacher (BELOW)
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
CABOOLTURE RECREATIONAL AVIATION
Caboolture Recreational Aviation have continued their great work promoting recreational aviation. Nick White, Harry Adams and Jimmy Stoodley enjoyed the thrill of solo flight at Caboolture in April and May.
Harry Adams (LEFT) Jimmy Stoodley (BELOW LEFT) Nick White (BELOW)
Michael Bruzzi was totally stoked after flying solo, for the very first thing time, in Bunjil, at Coldstream with Yarra Valley Flight Training.
AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
63
COLUMN
MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE, DESIGN, HANDLING OR COST? Stuart Erskine relates a maintenance issue with his Fly Synthesis Texan that all owners can learn from. What went wrong here?
T
ake a look at the picture of the Texan 550 steering plate, which is fixed at the top of the nose gear strut. Observe how it’s distorted, and draw your immediate conclusion from the options above.
History
I purchased this Texan aircraft in December 2018. Shortly after purchase, my aircraft went into a professional maintenance facility for its due 100-hour service. A first experience for me. I was relying on this 100-hour service to pick up any issues my initial inspections may have missed. The aircraft had been in use by a flying school immediately prior to purchase, (hence regularly L2 /LAME serviced) and was about to hired by another training school. The component shown in the picture, the steering plate, failed during manual handing of the aircraft on the ground. Once removed, and the extent of the damage to the component examined in more detail, I had to ask, how did this plate get bent like this, is this a common occurrence and will it happen again on my aircraft? Had the failure occurred during takeoff, the front wheel could have been completely uncontrollable on landing. Not a nice thought. Fly Synthesis do not list this steering plate on its own in the IPC. The steering plate is part of the nose gear strut, all shown as one piece. The failed component is not available separately. My untrained eye initially looked at the break and attributed the damage to the plate to heavy landings by students in previous flying schools, only because this is something, I’ve been trained to be conscious of (“look after your front wheel!”). Then the brain kicked in. This damage cannot be attributed to heavy nose-wheel landings. Why? Because, even if the nose gear strut exerted such a hard vertical force upwards, a) there would be other indications of the strut having moved vertically, and b) the ends of the plate would have
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
plate. Force 1, the pilot’s foot on the pedals. Force 2, the forces of airframe trying to maintain ground direction. This aircraft has spent a considerable amount of its >2000 hours on grass (bumpy) strips.
to have been held or forced into a downward direction for the plate to bend. The only components attached to the ends of the plate are the links from the rudder pedals. These links showed no signs of damage or deformity. The damage was not caused by heavy landings. The steering plate sits perpendicular to the nose gear strut. However, the nose gear strut is mounted at an angle to the aircraft, such that the wheel is forward of the top of the leg. This means that the orientation of the steering plate is not level. The links from the pedals are level and therefore there must be an angular adjustment for the pedal links to be attached to the steering plate. This is taken care of by the welded, angled threaded tubes which form part of the steering plate. So there are opposing forces consistent with the distorting of the steering
Closer examination of the steering plate shows what appear to be bench vice marks on one side the steering plate, and some flattening marks on the opposite side. It appears to me that, some time ago, the steering plate had become distorted before (due to the opposing forces exerted upon it). The plate would appear
to have been removed from the aircraft, inserted into a clamping device, and bent back into shape at that time. The plate also appears to have been reinforced with some surface welding. The stresses induced to the repaired plate continued to weaken the plate around the main connection to the nose gear strut. The apparent straightening of the plate beforehand, (moving the metal in the opposite direction) had created further weakening of the component. What happens to a piece of metal when you keep bending it?
cluded all ‘landing gear’ tasks defined above in the manufacture’s maintenance compliance list. The whole nose gear strut should have failed the 100 hour inspection. Sad to say, the component was never removed from the aircraft, it was not inspected, and worse, after that particular service, the aircraft was signed off, fit to fly (even with other defects found since!). The occurrence has been reported to RAAus and we now await follow up and a conclusion from RAAus. My own conclusions
Now we are getting down to it.
Why wasn’t the steering plate replaced? Well, that’s easy, because the steering plate is a component that’s not available on its own. The whole nose gear strut, as shown in the IPC, and as supplied by the manufacturer, should have been ordered and replaced.
Why wasn’t the whole nose gear strut replaced?
Because the cost of a new nose gear strut is in excess of $2000. I’ll probably never know who made the decision to attempt to repair the component rather than replace the nose gear strut, but I am sure it was the wrong decision, and I’m fairly confident that it was not a safe decision. The aircraft (in my opinion) should not have; a) been rectified by the straightening of a bent component b) should not have been certified fit to fly c) should not have had its safety comprised by budgetary constraints The manufacturer ‘Fly Synthesis’ Maintenance Manual for Landing Gear at intervals of 25, 50, 100 and 200 hours. There appears to be a very good reason for this! Fool if you think it's over The last maintenance, carried out some 25 hours ago, should have in-
Maintenance – Highly implicated. Poor initial maintenance was the direct cause of the problem and poor ongoing recent maintenance failed to notice, report or rectify the problem. Design – Not implicated. There does appear to be a weak point in the design, and the manufacturer will be made aware of this. However, the maintenance manual procedures, if followed, would have prevented this occurrence, therefore ‘design’ cannot be implicated. Handling – Not implicated. The airframe will always incur stresses on an uneven grass strip while the wheels are on the ground and the pilot has to exert pressure on the pedals! Cost – Highly implicated. A poor decision was made in order to save costs. Aircraft manufacturers have a role in this as well, the cost of aircraft parts is extortionate – simply because they are aircraft parts. This obviously encourages unsafe maintenance practices. It would be great to see aircraft manufactures taking an initiative by reducing the cost of spares and encouraging correct maintenance. I bet you thought it would be handling. I could have ended up paying far more than the $2000 price of a new nose gear strut, simply because of unprofessional acts and cost saving decisions. This could have easily been another preventable RAAus incident, accident or life.
From personal experience - a ‘tick and a signature’ does not make an aircraft safe to fly. I strongly believe that anyone who flies an aircraft should have some degree of technical knowledge of that aircraft and should be aware of how that aircraft is being maintained. We have adopted the term ‘grey maintenance’. Grey maintenance is maintenance you believe would have been carried out, or you’ve paid to have carried out, but you don’t actually know, or can’t see if it was carried out. Do not be afraid to challenge your maintainer! Here are some handy points if you are the victim of grey maintenance or runaway maintenance bills. 1) Outline to your maintainer what work is due, with a ‘WorkScope’. This details what needs to be done on schedule and anything else you are aware of, or want carried out. 2) Be aware of the last service replacement parts, and the condition of them (if possible). Read bulletins and be aware of parts you’ll be likely to need that may take time to order. 3) I nstruct your maintainer that you want to be made aware of every significant issue and decision by email. 4) Ask the maintainer to take photographs prior to removal or repairs. Keep the photographs logged as part of the aircraft's history. 5) Remind your maintainer that maintenance is supposed to be preventative. If maintenance is carried out according to the manufactures’ maintenance manual, then it should be preventative. Preventative is a really good word for pilots! 6) Always ask for a box or all worn and replaced parts (provide a box). 7) Provide your maintainer with a complete list of up to date AN’s, service bulletins and all other recent compliance documents. 8) The most important of all, be there, and be part of the maintenance yourself. AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
65
COLUMN
FINAL APPROACH
MARK SMITH EDITOR
SLOW OR FAST – BEING AIRBORNE IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT.
A
few issues back I ran a flight test about the Slepcev Storch. Flight tests are fun but you don’t truly get any appreciation for what it’s actually like to spend serious time in any aeroplane you do a one hour test flight in. It’s more like meeting someone you may like, having a nice conversation, then never seeing them again. There’s always the lingering thought – what if I spent more time with them? Sure, I can quickly learn if there is any bad vices from that first meeting, be they hyena-like laughing or terrible stall behaviour. Well I can say I really got to know the Storch. To follow my analogy we met up again, went dancing, shared a few drinks and really got to know one another. Was it love? A step back. I travel a lot for the magazine, and I think I’ve mentioned I intend to fly RAAus aircraft when I travel to airfields far and wide, even after arriving at cities on a kero-burner. So, I’m at Caboolture and the Texan I had intended to use as my transport became U/S. Paul Strike, from Strike Aviation had a solution which I jumped at. Take the Storch. He’d talked to the owners and they were agreeable provided I survived a thorough checkout and so that’s how I found myself custodian for a day of one of the more unique aeroplanes I’ve flown. I have a fair bit of tailwheel time, yet I still spent two hours with Paul making sure I understood the quirks of this design and was always way ahead of the aircraft. Ahhh you ask, how hard is it to stay ahead of a 65-70kt aircraft? Short answer, it can be difficult. I was probably ready after an hour, but I figured it’s better to be ready and confident than ready and worried. As an aside I was also checked out on a C-140 operated by Caboolture Recreational Training on the same day. That took half an hour and three circuits! It was drilled into me to fly the Storch with my mind pre-programmed to push the nose down whenever the power came back and hit the desired attitude. Failing to do so would see the aircraft almost stop in the sky.
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AUSTRALIAN SPORT PILOT | June 2019
The view from the Storch over the Queensland coast
Anyway after the checkout, including a practice forced landing that reminded me of a helicopter autorotation and a few solo circuits, I was ready for my trip to Biddadabba the following day, 70 odd miles to south. With YCAB almost due north of Brisbane, the way down to avoid the control zone was via the VFR route along Moreton Island before tracking over Heck Field and popping over a set of reasonable sized hills. The day was glorious. Very light winds coupled with a severe clear day pilots dream of. The leg from CAB took me initially over Bribie Island and then the water crossing to Moreton. Setting up at 3500 feet and seeing the ASI sit just on 65kts the view was beautiful. The whole route was laid out before me, though I still kept Ozrunways on to keep on top of exactly where I was. Now my own aeroplane does 105kts so the 75nm would normally take about 40 minutes. The Storch? Well let’s just say there was plenty of time to enjoy the view. While I planned on 70kts the reality was the moment I relaxed, swapped
hands to check the iPad, or took my feet off the pedals the aeroplane went a bit out of balance and the airspeed dropped to 60kts. It reminded me of flying a Tiger Moth, which has the same tendency to lose speed easily. The trip down and back took about 2.5 hours, but I didn’t care. It was about the journey, experiencing the simple joy of being above the ground. I had time to really watch the jetskis cavorting on the water, look at houses big and small and simply zone out to everything going on in the world except what was happening in and around that cockpit on that day. Landing on the private, 2400 foot, grass strip at Biddadabba was awesome though the Storch needed about 100 metres. The flight back, though slow, was again simply lovely. It was proof again it doesn’t matter what you are flying, or how fast you are going. What does matter is enjoying the unique perspective flying brings. Clear Prop.
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