Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2020 i Australian Flying

The Federal Government announced in May that it had approved projects totaling $41 million in the first round of the Regional Airports Program (RAP). The RAP is a $100 million program announced last year to upgrade Australia's regional airport infrastructure, with both private and public airports benefiting from the funding. Ballarat in Victoria and Merimbula in NSW are the biggest winners from Round 1, with Ballarat granted $5 million to lengthen and strengthen the runways and Merimbula to get $4.5 million to overlay and extend the existing runway and improve the infrastructure including taxiways. the local airport is an essential link "For our regional communities, the local airport is an essential link to the rest of Australia,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrstructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack…

AMDA Foundation announced in July that it was deferring Rotortech until June 2021 because concerns about the spread of COVID-19 are unlikely to allow restrictions on travel to be relaxed in time. Rotortech, Australia's national helicopter and UAV industry exhibition and convention, was originally scheduled for June 2020, but was postponed until October 2020 earlier this year. It has now been rescheduled again for 15-17 June 2021, remaining at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane. AMDA CEO Ian Honnery said that international and interstate participation was important to Rotortech, which couldn't be guaranteed under existing travel restrictions. "As the organiser of the Rotortech Helicopter and Unmanned Flight Exposition, AMDA Foundation Limited has continuously monitored the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on Australian domestic and international travel, in order to…

Aviat Aircraft’s A-1C Husky is a justified legend of US back-country flying. Built to outlast an apocalypse and out-climb a mountain range, the Husky has been a favourite of both tail-wheel and STOL flyers all around the world. Nowadays, the Husky is offered in 180-hp and 210-hp versions, with both engines swinging a Hartzell three-blade composite prop. The 180-hp will climb at a respectable 1500 fpm, take-off in 88 metres, land in 121 metres and carry 442 kg of useful load. Opt for the 210-hp model and your take-off roll shortens by 8 metres for no loss in landing distance and a 20-kg reduction in useful load. www.aviataircraft.com…

The P2002JF MkII is certified to 660 kg MTOW under FAR 23 and CS 23. The aircraft is equipped with Garmin G500 TXi avionics designed specifically for FAR 23 and CS 23 aircraft. The twin touch-screens are integrated with the GTN series navigators and the GPS series nav/comm units, and GDU700P MFD. A range of optional avionics including G5 back-ups are on offer. Still with the trusty Rotax 912 up front, the MkII will give you 122 KTAS max cruise and a useful load in VFR configuration of 250 kg. With the Rotax backed-off to 17 lph, the P2002JF MkII will give you a range of 620 nm. www.tecnam.com…

Flight simmers around the world had come to accept that 2006's Flight Sim X (FSX) was the tenth and final version of Microsoft's breakthrough flight simulation software. It seemed the platform had reached a maturity that left it nowhere to go. FSX was a zenith that would augmented, but never be surpassed. Then came an announcement last year. Technological development had proceeded apace in the background, and Microsoft was ready to launch Flight Simulator 2020 (FS2020) on the world. Due for release in mid August 2020, this new flight simulator for Windows PC and XBox promised a totally new experience for home sim users. Captured in real-time 4K, FS2020 delivers stunning graphics that are hard to discern from real world images and footage. Movement and rendering is so precise and…

A distant rumble caused me to look skyward one chilly morning in July in Canberra. Noise from above has become a rarity these past few months, but this noise, while a surprise, was familiar. It was distant, but it was there. And it was growing and coming my way. I scanned the clear blue sky; sky so blue you had to be in Canberra to see it. Intensely clear, the blue almost translucent stretching as far as the eye could see. The freshness in the air tickles my nose hairs as I take a deep breath, drinking in the morning chill. The sound grew louder and louder. Then the magnificent profile of the elegant 747 came into focus against the translucent blue. It almost hung there, motionless, above me. Like…

Got something to get off your chest? Australian Flying welcomes your input. Send your AirMail, with your name and contacts (which can be withheld from publishing upon request) to: stevehitchen@yaffa.com.au or write to: Australian Flying, GPO Box 606 Sydney NSW 2001. Head in the Clouds Dear Steve, It was very interesting reading Jim Davis’ article "Lessons from a Logbook" in the May-June issue of Australian Flying. His experience flying in cloud brought back vivid memories. I began training for a PPL as an 18-year-old at the end of 1974. As you would be aware this required two hours compulsory basic instrument training. So, one day my instructor said we are doing instrument training. All good. I don the instrument hood and off we go. I was getting on reasonably with…

1 Research Paper highlights GA Maintenance Issues 2 Letter to Minister urges Rethink on Bristell 3 BRM flies Prototype B8 4 Falcon 6X on Target for 2021 First Flight 5 Pipistrel makes Electric Motor available to OEMs 6 Carmody to leave CASA at Year End 7 ATSB sounds CO Warning amid Floatplane Crash Investigation 8 Bristell performed Aerobatics before Crash: ATSB 9 Utility plans for Post-COVID Diamond Tour 10 We got More Right than Wrong: CASA SIGN UP TO KEEP UP! The Australian Flying website is updated daily with the latest GA news stories. Visit us online now atwww.australianflying.com.au to also check out our free classifieds section, photo and video galleries, blogs, flying tips articles and comprehensive Warbird coverage. And be sure to register for our FREE weekly electronic newsletter,…

The inherent fragility of the general aviation industry is no news to those who exist within it. It operates tenuously at the best of times, and, heading into what is being touted as the worst recession in 90 years, it is nigh-on impossible to construct a linear story of the ripples of impact on industry due to COVID-19. Each corner of this symbiotic industry feels the impact on each other corner. COVID-19, most dangerous to the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions, has caused what some believe is structural damage to the aviation industry’s already immune-compromised system. Without aircraft, airports and humans, the aviation industry as we know it would really not exist. The student pilot seems like a good place to start in attempting to unravel the extent…

Flight Design’s F2 is a two-seat aircraft that can be registered as either an LSA with a 600 kg MTOW or as a CS23 aircraft with an MTOW of 650 kg. All composite like its more famous CTLS sibling, the F2 can be ordered with a Rotax 912iS or a turbo 915iS engine, giving a top speed of 126 KTAS. With an empty weight of 380 kg, the CS23 version has a useful load of 270 kg. With all 130 litres of fuel on board, there is still capacity for two 88 kg people. A BRS airframe parachute is standard, as are the Garmin G3X avionics. The F2 is something to look at if you’re in the market for an exceptional two-seater. www.flightdesign.com…

Rockwell is a big name in military aviation and space, but not in general aviation. Arguably, its most well-known product is the B-1 bomber, but Rockwell is an enormous conglomerate. It grew from a small company making truck axle bearings, to a large manufacturer of power tools. The founder of Rockwell, Willard Rockwell, had a knack for mergers and acquisitions, and selling off divisions of the company, and was not averse to moving into new fields. In 1958, a company named Aero Design and Engineering became Rockwell’s. The flagship product of Aero was the Aero Commander 500, a six-seat, light twin piston-engined retractable designed by the legendary Ted Smith, and made famous by pilot Bob Hoover. The Aero Commander, and it’s derivative the Shrike Commander, were sold under the Aero…

Human beings are the great engineers of the universe. We take what nature creates and change it to suit our purposes. We reshape it, heat it, bend it, paint it; convert it into something that will perform a desired function. Then mother nature does her best reclaim that material; relentlessly trying to revert it back to a more natural state, forcing the great engineers to find ways to stave off the inevitable destruction of their creation. We call it insidious, but nevertheless it is natural. We’re talking about corrosion. To make matters more dire, the aeroplane doesn’t even have to do anything for corrosion to occur, in fact, aircraft that sit around doing not a lot can even be more susceptible to corrosion than those that are used more often.…

Earlier this year the Civil Aviation Safety Authority marked its 25th anniversary. This gave us the opportunity to not only reflect on events, issues and challenges already faced but what we will focus on and improve into the future. CASA has implemented a wide range of safety initiatives over the years and made improvements to regulatory frameworks and the way we conduct our business–but there is always more to be done. For the remainder of 2020 my focus will be firmly on a number of key objectives: ♦ managing our regulatory business in the context of COVID-19♦ finalisation of the Consequential, Application, Transitional and Savings (CATS) regulations and Manuals of Standards (MOS) for the flight operations regulations finally made in 2019♦ implementation of commercial drone registration♦ completion of a review…

Poor aircraft shipment figures have fueled speculation that Mahindra Aerospace is looking to off-load GippsAero. Customer delivery numbers published by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reveal that just one Airvan 8 was sold in the six-month period from October 2019 to March 2020. There is also no sign that GippsAero has filled an order for an Airvan 10 single-engined turbo-prop that was placed by Botswana operator Major Blue Air in 2018. Credible industry sources believe that India-based Mahindra Aerospace will close GippsAero perhaps as soon as late August if a deal is not struck with a buyer. Another line of thinking is that Mahindra may be preparing to move the company to a factory built near Bangalore in India, although the company has denied that possibility in the past.…

Eviction notices have been sent to several Moorabbin Airport operators in order for the land to be made available for commercial development. Operators at the western end of the Northern apron–several who have freehold buildings on leased land–have been told they will have to be out by 31 December, and at the time of writing have not been offered suitable alternative premises on the airport. The area targeted for commercial development covers the grass aircraft park on Grange Road through to the western edge of Tristar Aviation and south to Second Avenue. The plans also call for Kingston Central Boulevard to be extended across the current apron heading southward. Companies believed to have been given notice to vacate include: ♦ Vortex Aviation♦ Blue Demon Aviation♦ Simpson Aeroelectrics♦ Boutique Helicopters♦ Ian…

Alpha Aircraft Formerly known as the Robin R2120 and R2160, Alpha Aircraft is still alive and living in Hamilton, NZ. The Alphas are low-wing, bubble-canopy two-seaters that have found some favour as aerobatic mounts. The baby of the fleet is the 120T, which is powered by an economical 118-hp O-230 engine, giving the aircraft a cruise of 100 KTAS and a range of 490 nm. The larger 160-hp aircraft comes in two varieties, the 160A and 160AI; the difference being a choice between a carburetor or injected fuel system. All are traditional aluminium aircraft with electric flaps, tricycle undercart and steerable nosewheels. www.alphaaviation.co.nz American Champion Two of general aviation’s classic taildraggers, the Bellanca Citabria and Decathlon, are being kept alive at American Champion Aircraft. Along with the back-country Scout, American…

Australia’s own utility aircraft is one of the most versatile in the single-engine piston category. An eight-seater with a large cabin and belly pod, the Airvan 8 is employed right around the world on short-haul airline, freight, parachute, special mission, law enforcement and humanitarian operations. Fitted with either a 300-hp Lycoming IO-540 or a 320-hp turbo-charged TIO-540, the Airvan 8 has a useful load of 780 kg for the normally aspirated engine and 828 kg for the 320TC. With slab sides and a large sliding door, the Airvan 8 is cavernous inside and lends itself well to loading and unloading cargo. The top speed of 130 KTAS or 135 for the TC model means it’s not the fastest aeroplane around, but it has remarkable STOL characteristics. www.mahindraaerospace.com…

Pilots told me “It’s the hardest check ride. It’s expensive. You’ll think you’ll never make it. But, as difficult, time consuming and expensive as it is, it will be worth it.” There are two main categories of pilots who tackle the Command Instrument Rating. Firstly, young ones on their way to commercial careers, who still have room in their brains and; secondly, older plots, who, have ticked the marriage, children, and career boxes. I am in the second group, having exhausted flying VFR, in multiple countries, in 60 aircraft types, over 800 hours flight time. As an aviation journalist, I chose the more comprehensive CIR over an Aussie-only private instrument rating (PIFR), to optimise opportunities to test fly high-performance aircraft, plus for business and private flying. Preparation Having passed the…

Everyone who laid eyes on the Garmin Aera 760 (officially “aera 760” but called “Aera” here) said the same thing, and asked the same question: “Looks like an iPad Mini, how much does it cost?” This was a natural reaction, as was “What!” when the price of US$1559 (~A$2400) was revealed. An iPad Mini, with Wi-Fi, costs just A$599, before adding aviation apps. Clearly there must be more to the Aera than meets the eye for Garmin to think it might knock the iPad out in a fair fight. Courtesy of Garmin Australia, I was able to get my hands on the Aera to fly with it and see if such a comparatively expensive flight device was indeed a heavyweight championship contender. The Aera measures 185 x 123 x 23…

Airbus Helicopters recently announced that it has joined with over 20 Australian partners to form Team Nightjar to offer Australia a fleet of the proven Airbus H145M helicopters along with a substantial in-country support sweetener. Team Nightjar was formed in response to Australia’s request for proposal for a four-tonne class, rapidly deployable, multi-role helicopter in support of Army and for the Australian Special Forces under Project Land 2097 Phase 4. The consortium brings together some of Australia’s best industry capabilities and academia. Team Nightjar members include: Cablex, Cyborg Dynamics, Deakin University, DEWC, ECLIPS, Ferra Engineering, Helicopter Logistics, Helimods, Kinetic Fighting, Kratos Australia, Microflite, PREDICT Australia, QinetiQ Australia, Safran Helicopter Engines Australia, Seeing Machines, Sigma Bravo, Rusada, TAFE NSW, Tagai Management Consultants, Toll Helicopters, University of Technology Sydney, Varley Group and…

Aviation has been amongst the most damaged economic sectors throughout the world since March this year. Business aviation in Australia suffered a major downturn in March-April followed by a reasonable month in May, including repatriation flights. Since July, activity has been increasing only modestly as many international borders have been closed. Also, Australian domestic operations have been adversely affected due to several state borders being shut. And, there has been a natural reluctance to travel by airline for business meetings, due to social distancing requirements. ICAO electronic bulletin The International Civil Aviation Organisation recently released a bulletin (EB2020/36), which provides guidance for implementing a public health corridor to protect flight crew during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the Collaborative Agreement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil…

Helicopters and unmanned aerial systems, or drones, as they are known by the general public, have an interesting and challenging future together. Military drones, mostly fixed-wing, have been operating at high altitudes for many years and mostly unnoticed. It is a case of out of sight, out of mind. However, the introduction of civilian drones into low-level airspace has energised the debate considerably and is the subject of ongoing formal research and regulatory development by a number of federal agencies. Recreational drones operate under strict CASA regulations designed to keep them away from other regular low-level airspace users such as helicopters, agricultural and fire-fighting aircraft. Commercial drones, mostly rotary-wing, will undoubtedly be regular users of low-level airspace in increasing numbers for the foreseeable future. The challenge is how to ensure…