Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2023 i Australian Flying

Tecnam announced in June that it had ceased development on its P-Volt electric short-haul aircraft, citing the need for speculation on technology to make the aircraft practical. The P2012-based P-Volt was planned as a nine-seat aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce electric motors and targeted at passenger, cargo, medevac and special mission operations. Tecnam was three years into development, when it elected to stop the program because of a lack of certainty with emerging technology. "Since the beginning of the P-Volt development, Tecnam’s focus has been to provide operators with the ability to fly an all-electric passenger aircraft profitably, efficiently and sustainably in terms of operating costs, emissions, performance, turnaround and time to market," the company says. "At present, Tecnam believes that these can only be achieved by extremely aggressive speculation on…

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation report published in late June has concluded that a Direct Factory Outlet was built too close to a runway at Essendon based on current standards. The Bulla Road retail precinct (DFO) came into question in 2017 after a Beech King Air crashed into the buildings on take-off from runway 17, killing all five people on board. The five-year ATSB investigation found that the DFO was built based on it not infringing the obstacle limitation surface (OLS) for runway 26, which was set at 180 m wide (90 m from the centreline) even though airport standards require the runway width to be set at 300 m wide. According to ATSB investigators, in 2003, “a CASA officer provided EAPL with a letter stating that the…

For a magazine, the cover photo is surprisingly important to the success of the edition. Designers say the cover has to entice the person glancing through the newsagent shelves to pick up the magazine. In February 1963, a new magazine appeared in newsagencies, with the masthead Australian Flying – Light Aircraft Monthly. The cover image selected by editor Stanley Brogden was of Beechcraft 23 Musketeer VH-DHM. The Musketeer had just been released, so the image was attention-grabbing. A potential reader picking up the magazine could then find an “Exclusive Evaluation Story” by Peter Brown on page 12. Sixty years later, Musketeers are still flying, although the cover aircraft didn’t survive the passage of time. The DHM registration was significant, as the sales agent in Australia was the de Havilland Australian…

It was 1°C in Cowra at the 0700 start on a frosty Saturday morning in June. The first minibus was already full, with the windows starting to steam up. As the dashboard clock’s second-hand reached the 12, Glenn in the driver’s seat engaged Drive and the HiAce started its first run to the airport (via McDonalds to pick up breakfast, as little else was open in Cowra that early). It’s hard to coordinate a bunch of pilots, particularly early on this cold a morning, but the Freedom Formation team is not an ordinary bunch of pilots. And the minibus trip from the motel to the airport nicely illustrates why this team works: dedication, discipline, teamwork, professionalism, and a little dose of weird. The 13 pilots had all managed to take…

On 21 September 1983, the Hon. Kim Beazley, Minister for Aviation, wrote to the president of the newly formed Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF), informing that his department "will recognise the AUF as the body representing the interests of those enthusiasts wishing to operate under the provisions of Air Navigation Order 95.10 and the proposed new Air Navigation Order 95.22.” With this, recreational aviation was legitimised as a sector in the Australian aviation landscape. Forty years on, and the AUF has transformed from a federated model into Recreational Aviation Australia Limited (RAAus), a not-for-profit company whose objectives are to advance aviation in Australia and to encourage the training across all facets of aviation. On 9 September 2023, this milestone will be celebrated with a gala dinner being held in the Australian…

This discussion contains extracts from the SACAA’s accident report. It is compiled in the interest of aviation safety and is not to establish legal liability. Aircraft registration: ZS-FAI Date and time of accident: 13 Oct 2016 1010Z Type of aircraft: PA28-235 Type of operation: Private Part 91 PIC license type: PPL License valid: Yes PIC age: 67 PIC hours on type: 619 Total in the past 90 days: 11.6 Last point of departure: Manzengwenya Airfield Point of intended landing: Brakpan-Benoni Gauteng Location of accident site: Jozini Kwa-Zulu-Natal Meteorological information: Surface Wind: Calm. Clouds: SCT018 BKN018. Cloud base: 1800 ft AGL. POB: 1+1  People injured: 0 People killed: 2 Synopsis On 13 October 2016 at approximately 0915Z, the private pilot accompanied by a passenger, who were German nationals, took off from…

In a move that looks sure to shake up the aircraft manufacturing industry, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a pre-publication version of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will redefine light sport aircraft. The 318-page NPRM was released in the lead-up to EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh in late July. Known as the Modernisation of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC), the NPRM is intended to permit manufacturers to take advantage of new technology and safety features without the constraints of the current LSA definition and the costs of full certification to FAR Part 23. The NPRM proposes to remove the maximum take-off weight limitations from the category and instead define LSA using other parameters. LSA rules, which the FAA implemented in 2004, contained many restrictions including an MTOW limit…

By any measure, 60 years in aviation is a long time. The first aircraft to fly in Australia, unsurprisingly, was a balloon, built in England and flown by an Englishman, in 1858. An Australian, George Taylor, flew a glider at Narrabeen Beach near Sydney 51 years later; and just after that, imported powered biplanes first appeared. John Duigan constructed and flew the first Australian-built aeroplane in 1910. It was a time of rapid change that must have amazed those who lived through those years. The world was getting smaller, fast, driven by technology that progressed from lighter-than-air designs, to heavier-than-air aircraft that derive their lift from reaction forces against fixed wings, generated by horizontal motion. In our time Australian Flying was first published in 1963. By then, waves of aerospace…

With the Northern Hemisphere experiencing a continuously hot summer this year, a number of Australian helicopter companies deployed their aerial firefighting assets overseas to assist in battling large blazes. McDermott Aviation who regularly deploys a portion of their helicopter fleet overseas once the Southern fire season wraps up has taken its largest number of machines across this season. Ten airframes comprising of four Bell 214ST and six Bell 214B machines equipped with a mix of belly tanks and Bambi buckets have been deployed to Greece where they will assist local fire authorities on firefighting operations. Five airframes were loaded onto a Silkway Boeing 747-400F freighter at Toowoomba Wellcamp airport with more aircraft coming from the company’s USA base in Alabama. South Australian based operator Aerotec has put two of its…

Working with operators to improve safety is one of CASA’s primary objectives and it was also a major thrust of our new flight operations regulations. When the new rules came into effect in late 2021, we knew that people would need time to introduce some provisions and that there could be some unexpected consequences. This was why we didn’t ask operators to transition to all the rules at once. Among the requirements deferred to later dates were those relating to safety management systems (SMS), human factors and non-technical skills, rotorcraft performance and training and checking. It became clear earlier this year that many operators needed more time to introduce these changes – and so did we. Part of this was recognition of the tougher than expected environment many people and…

It’s timely that I’m writing this for the 60th Anniversary Edition of Australian Flying, because without it, I may not have become an aviation writer. Back in 2007, when I started to learn to fly, this magazine was a source of encouragement as well as information. Shelley Ross was the editor, and her frank and honest articles kept me, many times, from giving up altogether. Not only was it a huge inspiration to have a female editor–after all, you can’t be what you can’t see–but also it was heart-warming to read the work of a pilot who admitted that learning to fly can be tough. As luck had it, I did my PPL at the same school as Shelley, and as a student who was struggling with learning to fly,…

The Federal Government finalised the Terms of Reference and membership of the Australian Jet Zero Council in June, simultaneously announcing a $30 million investment in a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry in Australia. Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King first discussed setting up a Jet Zero council at Avalon in February with the aim of reducing carbon emissions in the aviation industry. The council members have been drawn from across the aviation industry and include Qantas, Rex, Virgin Australia, Brisbane Airport, BP, the CSIRO, the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) and the Department of Defence. "Aviation is critical to our nation’s way of life, particularly in our regions," Minister King said. "It connects families, friends and communities with each other, links businesses to markets,…

Moorabbin’s long-delayed 2021 master plan has been pushed further out to September this year. The master plan has been in abeyance since then Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Barnaby Joyce rejected Moorabbin Airport Corporation’s (MAC) Preliminary Draft Master Plan in March 2022. In June this year, current minister Catherine King sent a note to the Moorabbin Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group stating that MAC had withdrawn a Fresh Draft Master Plan (FDMP) submitted in March this year. "On 16 June 2023 [MAC] wrote to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Hon. Catherine King MP seeking her permission to withdraw and resubmit the Moorabbin Airport fresh draft Master Plan 2021 [FDMP], " the note says. "MAC advised that the proposed amendments, while minor in nature and only…

As they say, “Back in the day”, venturing into controlled airspace and landing at major capital city airports was once a commonplace aspect of flight training. It was not a lone cross-country flight designed with the specific purpose of experiencing the world of Air Traffic Control, rather each navigation exercise would frequently arrive or depart via controlled airspace – if not make a landing at a major airport. The sight of a Royal Aero Club Piper Tomahawk dwarfed between a Boeing 727 and a 737 at the holding point at Sydney Airport was not uncommon. However, as they also say, times change. Today, operating in the airspace surrounding major airports is less commonplace for light aircraft, with landings all but extinct. The pandemic did open a rare window for such…

God, I’m exhausted. Hitch says give us your top 10 outback destinations. Well that’s all very well, but I’ve got 50. It’s not easy choosing favourites. Anyway, here we go. You can easily Google any place I mention here, so my aim is to just throw some light on destinations we love, that you may not have considered. Take it as read that each place has comfortable accommodation, full catering and a decent airstrip. It’s nothing like the full menu on offer out there; let’s just call it the Specials Board. Jarramali Camp Find the pinprick town of Laura (YLRA), 43 nm west of Cooktown in far north Queensland, tie your aircraft down and put yourself in the hands of Johnny Murison for 24 hours. You’re not going to forget…

Inspired by the Outback An Aussie aviation bag collection with a touch of serious class. Purchasing an aviation bag is a quest. A cursory glance around a flying school or aero club reveals a black rucksack with multiple pockets is the popular–and perhaps only–option. Frustrated by a lack of stylish designs, pilot and interior designer Yolande Woods founded Aerohart – a collection of stylish, sophisticated products designed by pilots. Having become disillusioned by the lack of options – everything came in one colour (black), with designs clunky and few allowances for aviation advancements such as the use of iPads – she decided to create her own line of flight bags and aviation accessories. Yolande’s designs are inspired by the contrasting colours of the Australian outback that she regularly flies over…

Earlier this year, I was able to attend the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. Jointly hosted by the NBAA and the EBAA, it attracted 11,000 attendees from 111 countries, close to 300 exhibitors and a static display of almost 50 aircraft. This set the scene for a truly global perspective on some of the industry’s recent achievements and greatest challenges. Business aviation’s commitment to decarbonization was at the forefront of the event, with a two-day Sustainability Summit featuring leaders in next-generation propulsion systems, advanced air mobility, carbon-reduction advances and other sustainability initiatives. Said Ed Bolen, NBAA President and CEO, “We had a first-hand look at the fuels, propulsion systems and technologies that will lead to net-zero flight. We were inspired by the trailblazers in our industry…

AMROBA supports the short-term solution to import foreign Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAME) to address shortages, and the new government-supported solution for the long term. That is, for the first time in Australia, make education responsible for trade and basic licensing training and qualifications in accordance with Australia’s obligations of convention annexes (1&8) and providing training packages to support each aircraft maintenance engineer licence. At last. The competence of the LAME is critical to aviation safety. Pilots, passengers and the general population rely on their expertise. Worldwide, LAMEs inspect completion of work to certify aircraft as airworthy, and sign releases to service when aircraft are serviceable. Australia’s competency-based training was introduced in the late 1980s to improve the skill levels of the Australian workforce. Competency qualifications are different from the…