Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2020 i Australian Flying

Spoil yourself or a loved one this Christmas with a subscription to Australian Flying and never miss the latest aviation news, tips and reviews. WHY SUBSCRIBE? ♦ Only $35 for 6 issues (print + digital) ♦ Save 40% off the subscription price! ♦ Free delivery to your door ♦ Never miss an issue! ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? Simply extend your subscription to take advantage of this offer. TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW visit www.greatmagazines.com.au/christmas or CALL 1800 807 760 & QUOTE ADV/XM20 Conditions: These offers are open to new and current subscribers with an Australian postal address. Offers expire 31st January, 2021. The publishing frequency of the magazines vary so you may wait up to 12 weeks for delivery of your first magazine. Customer enquiries to subscriptions@yaffa.com.au.…

Melbourne-based flight training organisations fear they are being neglected in the Victorian government’s efforts to stifle the spread of coronavirus. Captured by the Stage 4 lockdown zone, they have been denied the ability to keep operating, unlike schools in regional Victoria or the rest of Australia that have not had their wings clipped by government measures. It is creating what they say is an unlevel playing field, tilted in the direction of the non-Melbourne schools. With recreational flying and flight training outlawed for weeks, FTOs have had their cash flows restricted to the trickle that comes from charter or business operations. Some have estimated that their turn-over has reduced to only 3% of what they would normally expect. Although by late September the Victorian situation had improved, operators feared the…

In late September, the final new-build GippsAero Airvan was test-flown out of Latrobe Regional Airport in Victoria as parent company Mahindra Aerospace shut down manufacture. According to Mahindra Aerospace CEO Keith Douglas, the decision to cease production was driven by a general down-turn in the market. “The general aviation utility aircraft market over the first six months of the year has seen an approximately 70% reduction in the number of aircraft sold and aviation market forecasts indicate it may take three years before volumes return to pre-COVID-19 levels. “As a result, approximately 45 positions [at GippsAero] will be made redundant. “The restructured company will continue to provide spare parts, technical and maintenance support to our existing fleet, as well as retaining some production and engineering capability.” After the staff reductions,…

I an Bell is a man of diversity: grape-grower, sheep and cattle farmer, pilot, aircraft owner and builder. He is not short of projects. However, like so many aircraft owners before him, he has had his heart and imagination captured by one aircraft type; in Ian’s case, it’s the Transavia PL-12 Airtruk. As a child, Ian vividly remembers watching ag aeroplanes working off the family farm airstrip at Maragle in rural NSW where he grew up. When he was seven, he saved up his pocket money for a joy flight in Wagga Wagga with aviation legend Don Kendell. Despite being the first pilot in his family, aviation was somehow in his blood, and he commenced flying lessons straight from school. While balancing a busy vineyard and farm with his flying,…

Young people cannot vote, drive a motor vehicle unrestricted, or go to the pub, but they can, with dedication and commitment, become pilots in command. One diverse group of six young student pilots learning to fly in advanced aircraft–both fixed and rotary wing–have very inspiring stories to tell, and it turns out they are surprising their instructors and breaking a lot of myths about young people. Ethan Jayamanna (17) Aviation family? Not an existing aviation family, but one that is fast becoming so. My father, who had a few lessons in a Cessna many years ago; stepmother; younger sister; and I, are all learning to fly. Why interested in aviation? Dad shouted me a trial instructional flight (TIF) in a Cirrus SR20. The views were amazing. I enjoyed the sense…

As announced by our Chair in September, after six-and-a-half years at RAAus I was presented with a unique, compelling and exciting opportunity. I have often said at RAAus, that if you only ever look back, your best days are behind you. This simple statement is ultimately what drove my decision. I love RAAus, its people, the product, but most importantly its DNA. But now it is time for me to look forward and embrace a new challenge. The DNA of RAAus is at the heart of our success. For six years I was its custodian: nudging it, guiding it, defending it. But mostly simply nurturing it. The fabric of our DNA is embroidered with the concepts of libertarianism, informed participation and the freedom to innovate, operate and aviate. Self-administration grew…

A consortium of pilots and owners took over Mooney International last September after taking an 80% stake in the company formerly owned and controlled by Chinese interests. New CEO Jonny Pollack made the announcement after months of speculation that the struggling aircraft manufacturer would close its doors again. “There is new management at Mooney and its made up entirely of pilots and Mooney owners giving the company a unique and valuable perspective going forward,” Pollack said. “You can expect to see some changes at Mooney which we believe are long overdue. Plan to witness a new culture and approach which is reflective of the new ownership’s love of aviation, flying and Mooney aircraft.” Pollack said that the company would now prioritise rebuilding the relationship with the Mooney community including owners,…

General aviation's traditional twins have been under pressure in the past decade from new entrants that leverage new technology in their construction. As a result, once all-conquering metal twins are being overtaken by the newcomers, reflecting trends also seen in the single-engine market. Established manufacturers have adopted new technologies in glass cockpits and three-axis autopilots, which has propelled their airframes into the 21st Century, enabling customer to select a tried-and-trusted airframe with modern capability. However, the market has clearly preferred the newer designs with their sleeker looks and lower per-hour costs. Potential owners of new twins are hardly spoilt for choice, with very few available on the market compared to singles. Australian Flying has collated data on all the new piston twins being offered new to make a buying decision…

As we reflect on a difficult 2020, it is timely to take a positive stance and mention some of the significant achievements and milestones of the ABAA in recent years. Despite COVID-19 induced setbacks this year, the ABAA is very confident that business aviation has a bright future in Australia and around the world. Advocating for business aviation During recent years, the ABAA has been represented at several aviation forums. These include the Deputy PM’s General Aviation Advisory Network (GAAN), the Australian Strategic Air Traffic Management Group (ASTRA), The Australian Aviation Associations’ Forum (TAAAF) and CASA Technical Working Groups (TWG). Also, the ABAA has met on many occasions with Federal ministers and Departmental officers. And, productive meetings have been held with the lessees of several of the 22 government-owned airports,…

Queensland-based Ryan Aerospace has won the Small Business of the Year Award in the International Military Simulation and Training (MS&T) category, a global awards program aimed to showcase the people, products, processes and organisations that deliver innovation, quality products and services to the military simulation training industry. Managing Director of Ryan Aerospace, Chris Ryan said he was delighted to take out the prestigious award, while giving full credit to his small but growing team. “It’s a recognition of many years of hard work, persistence and a yearning desire to continue innovating and disrupting traditional training markets,” he said. Ryan Aerospace specialises in the design, manufacture and through-life support of helicopter simulation training systems, and has had significant recent success with the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force and US…

Aviation journalists are a special breed of person; an all-rounder that is at the flick of a switch expected to perform as a political analyst, technical writer, creative writer and breaking news correspondent. Our man everywhere doing everything. Paul Phelan was a classic example of the trade. Fearless with content, shrewd with facts, brave with contention; Paul wrote with a claymore for a pen and to general aviation was a champion that was greatly needed. He made tilting at regulators an art. Paul died in August this year, aged 85, leaving shoes that the GA community can only pretend to fill. Paul was associated with Australian Flying for over 20 years, many of them as Executive Editor. During that time he not only produced a body work that enhanced the…

On 5 November 2020 the aerodrome forecasts at ten major airports and eight military aerodromes will become your single, definitive weather forecast for these locations. Teams of specialist meteorologists will provide the most accurate and responsive weather information in these forecasts to keep you flying safely and economically. For decades, the Bureau of Meteorology has been producing Trend Forecasts (TTF) for Australia’s major airports. While the TTF forecast is responsive to actual weather trends recorded during an observation (METAR/SPECI), the potential for ambiguity exists between it and the Aerodrome Forecast (TAF). Moreover, the format of the TTF is unique to Australia and as it is not ICAO-compliant cannot be provided in the new ICAO digital product formats. Following requests from industry, the Bureau began a review of the TTF service…

This definition from Australia Aerobatics Club (AAC) sets the scene: The sport should not be confused with the kind of aerobatics seen at air shows, commonly known as “stunt flying.” Competition aerobatics is a very exacting sport which demands high levels of skill, discipline, and concentration on flying. A predetermined sequence of manoeuvres is carried out in a small cube of airspace known as the “aerobatic box”. Competition aerobatics, according to Mike Heuer, former president of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), is like skiing or figure skating “where you first have to learn to stand up, then move, turn, stop, and eventually leap. The more you learn, the more demanding the sport becomes and the more you can enjoy a sense of accomplishment. “Ask a gold medallist if it’s worth…

Millions of words have been written about Qantas. John Gunn wrote the official history of Qantas in four 400-page volumes, the last of which was published in 2010. Qantas founder Sir Hudson Fysh wrote a trilogy of books on the airline and followed up with two more memoirs. A search on Amazon returns dozens and dozens more titles, including children’s books. Some recent titles include Jim Eames’ Courage in the Skies, and Elizabeth Fysh’s When Chairmen were Patriots. Writing a four-page summary of 100 years of Qantas is a difficult assignment, so this article focuses on the relatable period when Qantas was driven by aviators, visionaries and engineers, with flying in their blood; before jetliners, booking systems, loyalty schemes and yield management. In 2020, aviation means something completely different to…

As I sit here writing this article, which will be my last as I retire at the end of this year, I recall writing my first article for the April 2017 issue when I had been in the role for a mere six months. Reflecting on this I went back to review the matters the initial article dealt with and how the industry has changed in a few short years. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our industry, in some cases significantly, so it is hard to directly compare all things. However, I know that aviation professionals are resilient and passionate and will do their best to keep the industry going. CASA has shown its support to Australian aviation industry by providing various relief measures where possible and being flexible…

We know that having competent staff and contractors is one of the vital components of running effective and profitable companies. The question is how do you hire competence in either staff or contractors? I have had many years in the aviation fuels handling and refueling industry and most of that was trying to ensure we had competent staff and contractors as I am sure all pilots would want and expect us to have. After all, your lives depend on us doing our job properly and diligently. So, here was our solution. Don’t look to engage staff with the required competence as the primary attribute. Look for people with the right attitude and behaviours. If we could also get competence then this reduced the training required, but we would always rather…