Newsdesk – General Aviation

US Student Pilot Population Falling Dramatically While Australia’s Increases:

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has voiced alarm at the dramatic decline in the US pilot trainee community. The EAA claims that the number of trainee pilots has declined from 137,000 in 1978 to only 86,000 in 1982, the last year for which FAA figures are available. The EAA point to the need for cheaper basic trainers that use mogas and back this up with the statement that nearly 11,000 aircraft are presently operating in the USA with mogas in place of 80/87 grade avgas.

In Australia, despite ever-increasing costs, the figures are fortunately the reverse and while annual percentage growth has slackened in recent years, the basis of increasing user demand is there in the PPL training environment. DotA figures reveal that as at June, 1978 there were 17,749 pilots holding trainee licences in Australia as against 23,977 at June, 1984. Furthermore, this represents a growth of nearly 100% over the past ten years while during the past six months, most flying schools we spoke with have reported an increase in enquiries and flying training hours flown.

Also at June 1984, there were 27,381 pilots with a PPL, 5,705 with a CPL, 2,030 with an SCPL and 2,435 with an airline transport pilot 1st or 2nd class rating. Australia was also home for 794 Flight Engineers, 736 student helicopter pilots, 161 private helicopter pilots and 848 commercial helicopter pilots. In all, there were 64,091 flight crew licences current, an increase of 20% over the 1981 figure.

Big Moves at Aero Professional

David Maddock of Aero Professional Training has recently moved into brand new premises at Tower Road, Bankstown Airport from the temporary accommodation where he commenced operations three short years ago. At first David’s work was purely flight training and instructor rating but as his business has grown, he has expanded into other fields. Bernie Sheehy has recently taken over as Charter Operations Manager and is keeping their Nomad busy. Further plans for expansion in this field are envisaged. Graeme Taite completes the team as the Flight Training School Manager and he also oversees the operation of their newest venture, the ATC 810 Twin Engine simulator. It is one of only two of its kind in Australia, the other being in Perth. They can offer instrument training for Initial Class 1 and Class 4, instrument ratings and renewals. David sees 1985 as his best year yet.

 Westpac Rescue Service Gets New Chopper:

The highly respected Sydney-based Westpac helicopter rescue service has taken delivery of a new Tiale AS. 355F1 helicopter. This is the first time a twin-engined helo has been used in the specialised aero-medical rescue role. The AS. 355F1 is equipped with a swinging arm winch, dual sliding doors, has a range of 720km, can carry two stretchers and has a payload 500kg greater than the single-engine AS. 350 it replaces. The Sydney-based operation has now performed more than 3000 active missions since its inception in 1973 and is credited with saving dozens of lives in that time.

The sale commences what Rex Aviation helicopter sales director, lan Paull, quotes as “the beginning of a whole new era of rotary wing sales in Australia”. Already there are 24 Aerospatiale helicopters on the civil registers of Australia and New Guinea while the RAAF and RAN jointly operate a further 24. Front runner of the Aerospatial range is the Squirrel which comes in both single and twin-engined versions. Squirrels have in time taken over almost completely from the Bell 206, particularly in the media where Squirrels have replaced Bells used by the 9 Network in Sydney. Melbourne and Brisbane, 10 in Sydney, the ABC in Sydney and 0 in Brisbane.

 1984 Another Dismal Year for Us GA Manufacturers:

US General Aviation aircraft production for 1984 was again down on the figures of the previous year. A total of 2,438 aircraft were built against 2,691 for 1983. The number of aircraft exported dropped from 513 in 1983 to only 336 in 1984 reflecting the damage that an overly strong US currency is wreaking upon US export markets. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association believe that 1985 will be about the same as 1984 with a slight increase in billings owing to a trend towards higher value aircraft coupled with inflation. GAMA foresee the greatest problem with getting the US GA industry moving is the relative strength of the US dollar. During the eighties, traditionally some 30% of GA aircraft were built for the export market, in 1984 that figure slipped to a depressing 13%. Since 1980 the world’s ten premier currencies (including the Australian dollar) have slipped a massive 50% in relativity against the Greenback. GAMA point out that this is only assisting competitors to US aircraft by making their imported aircraft artificially cheaper than the home-built product. The pressure in the corporate aircraft field is very intense in this regard, claims GAMA.

Casualties through 1984 were Gates Learjet, who ceased commercial production of Models 35 and 55 aircraft and are still awaiting a decision on whether to commence operation this year, Gulfstream Aerospace who have dropped the Commander propjet line and Piper who have abandoned two of their three manufacturing centres to concentrate solely on Vero Beach, Florida. Piper also dropped the promising Aerostar line while Mitsubishi all but cancelled the Marquis/Solitaire programmes and slowed Diamond production to one aircraft per month.

The US military greatly assisted the financial viability of both Lear and Beech with deliveries of 40 C-21A (Lear 358) and 52 C-12 (King Air 200) respectively. Beech in all produced 463 aircraft of which the best seller was the Bonanza with 162 built, the King Air family again won the day with its combination of strong sales and high yield with 160 built, including 29 of the Model 300 which has all but taken over from the Model 200. Beech also built 93 Barons, 30 of the 1900 Airliner and 12 C99s. Development of the revolutionary Star- ship was slowed while test flying of the P38 Lightning has all but stopped owing to lack of funds and an unsure potential market for a single-turboprop powered aircraft.

Piper had a year of contraction with the closure of initially Lock Haven and at the end of 1984, the Lakeland, Florida facility. All production will now be concentrated on the Vero Beach, Florida plant. Piper’s biggest problem these past three years has been the lack of a top-end corporate jet in which to capture high-yield sales. Top selling Piper for 1984 was the Archer 2 with 112 produced. There were also 110 Warriors, 100 Malibu, 85 Seneca Ills, 47 Saratogas, 25 Aerostars and 37 Cheyennes built for a total of 664 aircraft. Cessna produced a total of 978 aircraft including 188 172 Skyhawks, 104 Model 210 Centurions. 65 Model 303 Crusaders and 101 Citation jets including 50 of the new Citation II. The training area idled along with sales of 95 Model 1528, an aircraft that in Australia has literally doubled in price since 1979.

Mooney shipped 151 aircraft in 1984 as against 154 in 1983, an excellent performance from a manufacturer who profited from staying small through the boom years of the late seventies. Mooney production was split between 91 2018 and 60 231s, Mooney is planning on building around 160/180 aircraft for 1985. Gulfstream delivered 21 turboprop Commanders and cancelled development of the Model 1200, an aircraft which was to rival the Piper Cheyenne 400LS, and decided instead to concentrate solely upon the large corporate jet market. In this area their Gulfstream III sold 37 examples including a number to military clients while the Gulfstream IV is scheduled to commence production in 1986 as is the single-pilot Peregrine executive aircraft.

The annual census of aircraft on the Australian civil Register as at June 30, 1984 showed that while growth has dramatically slowed in recent years nett growth is still achievable even in the midst of a severe recession.

The big three, Beech, Cessna and Piper all recorded minor falls in total aircraft registered. Beechcraft had a total of 589 aircraft on the Register which included 212 Bonanzas, 177 Barons and 21 King Air 200 models. It is the high yield value per unit sold that has assisted Beech worldwide in weathering the GA sales storm of recent years. Cessna saw itself again as clear market leader with some 2,837 aircraft registered. Top runner was the ever-popular 172 with 840 on the Register. Other popular Cessnas were the 150/152 trainers with 417 registered, 581 of the 182, 68 402s and 14 Citations. Piper had 1,543 aircraft registered including 116 of the Navajo/Chieftain commuterliners, 161 Cherokee Six series. 66 Seneca twins and 39 of the beautiful (perhaps timeless) Super Cub. Top selling Piper was the PA28 Cherokee series with some 681 on the Register.

Makes that basically held their ground were Auster, Victa, Mooney, Lake and Fokker in the bigger aircraft league. Makes that staged some sort of a comeback were de Havilland and CAC, largely through the re-emergence of reactivated Tiger Moths and ex-RAAF Win- jeels. On the rotary-wing side, both Aerospatiale and Robinson scored relatively strong gains against declines by both Hiller and Hughes who are fairly inactive in Australia nowadays on a sales basis. Bell held firm though most of the gain against the previous year was from offshore aircraft sales at the expense of sales via the local agents.

In a later edition this year Australian Aviation will publish the complete listing of the number of registered aircraft against individual model types on the current DotA Register.

Gulfstream Cease Commander Propjet Production:

Gulfstream Aerospace has decided to cease production of its line of Commander twin turboprops. This follows sales of only 21 aircraft during 1984 against 35 in 1983 and 54 in 1982. Peak Commander sales were attained in 1979 when some 96 were delivered. Over the years the Commander line has had a turbulent production history as the production line has been sold many times since the first Aero Commander flew in the 1950s. A total of over 3,300 aircraft have been built in that time.

Cessation of Commander production also sees the closure of Gulfstream’s Bethany plant in Oklahoma though the company will continue to fully support Commander propjets worldwide. It is believed that the line is for sale and Gulfstream hopes to have a buyer for the Commander series by mid year. Gulfstream will now continue to develop only their Gulfstream III and IV series of twinjets. The Gulfstream IV is due to fly later in 1985 and is set for FAA Certification during 1986.

USAF After More Business Jets in What Would Be a Massive Boost for GA:

The USAF is still interested in acquiring up to 215 business jets for their proposed TTB (Tanker, Transport, Bomber) trainer programme. The Pentagon plans to issue Request for Proposals in 1987 for 215 such aircraft in the twin-engined turbofan class. More recently USAF entered into a lease arrangement with Gates to lease 80 Lear 35s with a further 20 on option in addition to a lease of 40 Beech King Air 200s. These aircraft are primarily used as VIP and communication aircraft in the transport role and while they are only on a three-year lease, it is thought that USAF may purchase them outright when their leases expire.

The TTB programme on the other hand would be a firm purchase and would constitute a windfall for the winning GA manufacturer in these depressed times. The US GA manufacturing industry was sorely pressed to deliver 2,500 aircraft in 1984 as against a peak of more than 18,000 in 1978. Competing US- US-manufactured airframes are the Lear 35, Cessna Citation II and and the Gulfstream IV. Foreign companies expected to hotly contest the order will be British Aerospace with their 125-800, Dassault with the Falcon 10 and 200 (already in use by the US Coast Guard), Canadair with the Challenger 601, IAI with the Astra and Mitsubishi with their Diamond II. The winning type will be used as a primary trainer for all future jet transport crews in addition to being an operational trainer for tanker and bomber crews. It is expected that the winning aircraft will begin USAF training operations in 1989.

Budget Enters Aviation at Last:

Bob Ansett and his Budget organisation have at last entered the aviation field, establishing a group of franchises in the major GA airports throughout Australia. Objective of the new organisation, named appropriately Budget Air Services, will be to provide a high standard of uniform air charter and training throughout Australia. “A network of licensees spread throughout Australia will be established through 1985,” stated Budget Air Services Manager, Brian Major. “Each will be identified with the Budget name and will adhere to set standards of uniformity set by the Budget organisation. ” Benefits to consumers will be an overall improvement in the level of service in many of these organisations and a more uniform and competitive pricing policy throughout the organisation.

 Uprated Nomad N22-C Tries for Final Sales:

With still around sixteen Nomad aircraft unsold, GAF have unveiled the latest and final version of the Nomad in an effort to promote sales of the aircraft presently in storage. Designated N22-C, the basic N22 now features a revised all-up weight, to an MTOW of 4070kg allowing a useful lift in payload. GAF have also beefed up the undercarriage structurally, installed better oil cooling and filtration systems for the engines and revised the nacelle and flipper pods latching systems for greater longevity.

GAF representatives recently stated they were confident of selling on the open world market the remaining Nomads. If this does not eventuate there is a strong likelihood that the aircraft will through 1986 be given as aid to several of our Pacific and Asian neighbours in addition to a further batch for the Army.

Hawker de Havilland Go after the Civil Market:

Bankstown-based Hawker de Havilland are trying to play down their traditional role as supplier to the defence forces and heavy industry. Though the comprehensive service facilities adjacent to Bankstown airport have always been capable of providing maintenance support for the GA and light civil markets, most operators have been reluctant to enter what to them appears to be a large and security-bound organisation. As a national defence asset HdeH certainly do need security at their primary plant and so recognising the problem, the company has invested a considerable amount in their new and impressive GA overhaul and support facility on the GA side of Bankstown airport.

Specialising in Allison 250 and Pratt & Whitney PT6 overhaul, the new facility, in Hangar 121, has all the capability of the larger facility but operates in a manner more akin to the high-priority urgent work by the GA industry.

Third Learfan Joins Development Fleet, Certification Imminent:

Learfan now has three Model 2100 twin-turboprop aircraft in the flight development regime. At the time of going to press Learfan were optimistic of gaining FAA Certification by April. The first flight of prototype 01 took place on January 1, 1981 and since that time over 800 successful flight hours have been logged. Gaining FAA Certification for the world’s first all-composite aircraft though takes time and this has cost the company dearly. Near bankrupt, the original Learavia was kept alive by the British Government funding in company with a group of Arab industrialists. A large manufacturing facility was acquired in Northern Ireland for Learfan production but most of this was mothballed in mid-84 owing to further delays in gaining the all-important Certification.

A further injection of Arab funds, as recent as early 1985, will, combined with FAA approval by April, ensure that production at last gets underway in time for initial customer deliveries later this year.

Sydney Helicopter Operations Improved:

The Department of Aviation is to allow more flexibility for helicopter operations over part of the Sydney Metropolitan Area.

It is the first time that arrangements specifically for the benefit of helicopters have been designated in an Australian city. The aim is to provide greater flexibility for helicopter operations in the northern part of Sydney and allow better access to helipads in the area.

Under the revised arrangements, to become effective in July, 1985, helicopters will operate below specified altitudes along designated routes, outside the airspace required for operations at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport. Float planes taking off and landing at authorised landing areas in Sydney will also be able to operate under similar conditions.

Cessna Reports Improvement in First Quarter Sales and Earnings:

Cessna Aircraft Company reported increased sales and improved earnings in the first quarter of its 1985 fiscal year compared with the same period a year ago. The quarter ended December 31.

Sales for the period totalled $201. 6 million, up from $139. 0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 1984. Net income of $4. 7 million, up from a net loss of $5. 7 million a year ago, included $. 1 million in operating income and $4. 6 million of investment tax credits recognised in the first quarter.

Deliveries of 247 aircraft during the first quarter accounted for $180. 0 million of total sales, which included $27. 6 million of Navy T-47A Citation trainer sales. This compared with the aircraft business of $117. 9 million from 183 deliveries in the same period a year ago. Piston aircraft deliveries totalled 208 in the quarter, up from the 146 piston aeroplanes delivered a year ago.

Lockheed Jetstar and Rockwell Jet Commander Aircraft Face New Life:

American Aviation Industries of Van Nuys, California are hoping to pump new life into two of the earliest executive jet types still flying. AAI are offering an upgrade programme on the Lockheed Jetstar and the Jet Comman- der which in its time passed through many corporate identities to eventually become the Westwind II as built by Israel Aircraft Industries.

The conversion on the four-engined Lockheed Jetstar includes the installation of 2 General Electric CF-34s (same as on the Challenger 601) in place of the four Pratt & Whitney JT12 turbojets or Garrett TFE731-1 of the originally re-engined Jetstar II. AAI hope to sell a fully refurbished Fanstar, as the conversion is called, for around $A6m which delivers a 9-seat, 418kt long-range cruise, 3,500nm range corporate jet in the performance class of the Challenger 601, Gulfstream Ill and Falcon 50.

The converted Commander has been renamed Fan Commander and sees the two GE CJ610 turbojets replaced with two Garrett TFE7318 which reduce fuel burn dramatically while allowing an increase in payload and a near doubling of endurance. It is hoped that the Fan Commander will sell for around $A2. 4m which will make it extremely price competitive with the Cessna Citation I & II, Gates Learjet 35A, Falcon 100 and the Diamond II. AAI estimate that FAA conversion certification would be achieved by mid-1985 while the company hopes to eventually modify at least half of the 180 Jetstars and 130 Commanders presently in service.

New Aviation Tyre by Dunlop:

Dunlop Olympic has launched a new full-ply construction aviation tyre which has been specifically designed for long wear, particularly on rough, outback strips.

The new technology compound tyre features a deep tread, flat profile concept which is suitable for fitting to more than 70 percent of Australia’s GA aircraft. After 15 years as a market leader, Dunlop is now the only tyre manufacturing company still designing and manufacturing aviation tyres in Australia.

MBB Sell Well to Emergency Services:

MBB sold 27 of their BK117 and MB105 twin-engined helicopters to specialist emergency medical and rescue services during 1984. Use of this model helo in the rescue field has proven popular with operators in both Europe and the US. MBB recently released details of the uprated 105LS which now has a single engine ceiling of 8,400ft with 100ft/min climb reserve. Maximum useful payload is 2,372 b and the LS is powered by two 550shp Allison 250-C28C engines. The MBB B0105 will shortly be available in Australia.