Newsdesk – General Aviation

The Beechjet has a maximum speed of 530mph (461kts) and is capable of operating out of airfields of less than 4,000ft at sea level. Maximum range is 1,550nm with reserves, certified ceiling is 41,000ft and maximum payload is 1155kg. The Beechjet is powered by two P&W JT15D-5 turbolans of 2,900b thrust. Locally the aircraft will enjoy its first ever professional marketing opportunity via Hawker Pacific who are eager to support the aircraft in the year ahead.

 Defence Academy Good News, Bad News for Local Training Organisations:

The commencement of operations of the new Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra has brought with it mixed blessings for the local airport-based flying training organisations.

The good news is that up to 100 of the new recruits wish to undertake civil flying training and charter using the facilities of the Canberra Aero Club and a number of other training establishments at Canberra Airport. The bad news is that the RAAF has positioned a flight of five CT-4 Airtrainers at Fairbairn for a period of up to six weeks a year as motivation trainers. Problem is that with up to four CT-4s flying their Sight military-style circuits at the one time, plus the vast increase in RPT airliners and visiting aircraft using the ILS for training, there is little airspace left to accommodate regular flight training operations for the civilian flight schools.

The aero club has been on the lookout for many years for an alternative training strip beyond the control zone as it presently estimates the combined losses of Canberra’s four flight schools could exceed $20. 000pa il the RAAF increase their local deployment of CT-4 aircraft. Either way though the influx of new patronage into the area will certainly provide a boost for the local aviation industry.

Hawker Pacific Enters New Zealand Market:

Hawker Pacific has opened an aviation spares distribution centre in Auckland to serve the New Zealand market. The new 8,000sq ft facility, which opened February 1 with more than $NZ700,000 in spares will be restocked each week to ensure a high level of service to the NZ aviation community.

Hawker Pacific’s Auckland facility is the latest in a line of international spares and support centres that have been established by the Bankstown-based company. Other offices and centres are in Singapore, Hong Kong. Los Angeles and locally in Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. The Auckland centre will stock a comprehensive range of spares for the Avco Lycoming and Teledyne Continental engines which power the vast majority of GA aircraft in New Zealand. Hawkers will also stock a full range of spares for the Allison 250, an engine that is used widely in the booming New Zea- land helicopter industry.

Robin Looking at Composite Construction for ATL:

Avions Pierre Robin is looking to using carbon composite construction in place of wood for the wings of future ATL light trainers. At present around 1,000 hours are required to manufacture an ATL, Robin is looking to get this down to a figure closer to 750 by using carbon and Kevlar composites.

Closer to home, the Paxford Aviation ATL has won considerable acclaim in addition to much viable input from flying clubs on a number of small modifications to better suit the trainer to Australian conditions. Production is hoped to commence later this year and a Paxford team have been in France through January and February developing their skills in preparation for local manufacture.

 Hawker Pacific Usher in a Bright New Year With Two Falcon Sales:

Hawker Pacific finally broke a Falcon drought during the closing days of 1985 with the sale of a Falcon 200 to the Alan Bond Castlemaine Tooheys brewing group. The aircraft arrived in Australia during January and is already in service with its new owners.

Hawkers are also pleased that they appear to have the first sale of a Falcon 900 secured with Castlemaine Tooheys also wishing to take that aircraft for a 1987 delivery. A number of other used Falcons have become resident in Australia in recent months and these are more fully documented in this issue’s Traffic column.

Edgley Aircraft Set to Recommence Production With New Ownership:

Edgley Aircraft, manufacturers of the Optica low-speed surveillance aircraft, have been purchased by the UK firm of Aero Docks Ltd following their going into receivership last October. Edgley hope now to be able to build between fifteen and twenty Opticas this year though their facility at Old Sarum Airport has a potential for up to 100 units a year.

It is believed that Aero Docks paid $2m for the defunct company though they did not take over the debts or forward orders of Edgley resulting in potential customers having lost their holding deposits. Edgley is now looking for additional working capital in an effort to place the company on a more businesslike footing.

Airwork Launch Australian Support Base:

The international maintenance firm, Airwork has opened a support base at Melbourne’s Essendon airport. Airwork, with annual sales in excess of $130m specialises in the overhaul of gas turbine engines and in Australia is licensed to overhaul and repair the small GE, Garrett and P&W JT15 and PT6 series engines. Operating out of the Aero Support facility in Essendon, Airwork has already completed work for Lloyd Aviation, Skywest and Vowell Helicopters in addition to Eagle Airways and United Pacific in New Zealand.

Airwork is based in the US and provides various levels of contracted maintenance support to a number of well known carriers including People Express, Piedmont, US Air, Horizon, Continental and Jet America. Their US facilities, spread over four bases, are capable of handling a wide variety of engines and components ranging from Garrett and Pratt & Whitney corporate jet engines right through to Rolls Royce Dart and Spey engines. Airwork also have bases in Singapore, Colombia, Thailand, Britain and will open their China facility later this year.

 Can Anyone Help?

AirData are in the process of compiling a directory of all vintage and veteran aircraft resident in Australia. If you know of the whereabouts of any old aircraft (pre-1960), whether it be presently in a museum, still in service, derelict or stored awaiting restoration, then contact George Haldenby of 15 Tulloch Ave, Kuranjang, 3337

Gates Says Goodbye to Avant!:

Gates Learjet has officially withdrawn from the Avanti project. Gates had been weighing the option of abandoning its share in the US/ Italian programme for some time following disastrous 1985 sales wise which resulted in the laying off of additional employees along with the imminent closure of its once bustling Tuscon plant.

Gates originally shared the development cost of the Avanti with partner, Rinaldo Piaggio, with Gates being responsible for the manufacture of the fuselage and cockpit section. Piaggio will now continue to develop the aircraft independently and hope to have their first prototype flying by June.

The Avanti is a twin pusher-configured turboprop rather in the mould of the Beech Starship and is designed to cruise at up to 440mph at 27,000ft.

 Norfolk Airlines Looking To Expansion:

Norfolk Airlines are preparing to sell their Queenair, Baron and Cessna 402 aircraft in a move designed to expand their eventual route structure. The carrier presently operates 4 Beech King Air 200 aircraft and is looking to acquire a fifth in addition to a DHC Dash 8 airliner to serve its fast-growing Norfolk and Lord Howe Island routes.

Meanwhile, the Ansett group have cancelled their intended order for a single Dash 8 for Air NSW as the aircraft cannot operate at maximum payload from Lord Howe Island. It is not known if Norfolk Airlines would be prepared to operate this sector at reduced payload and DHC officials in conjunction with the DofA are still actively working on a solution to the problem.

Australia Sells the First Bandeirante in Asia:

Regional Embraer dealers, Bankstown-based Aeromil, have sold the first Bandeirante in Asia. The aircraft has been refurbished and will be used by Bangkok Airways on third level routes in Thailand. The number of Bandeirante operators now stand at 90 covering 23 countries while there are 22 Bandeirantes in service already in Australia and Oceania.

Fewer Aviation Accidents in 1985:

There was a significant decrease in the number of aviation accidents reported in Australia during 1985.

Provisional figures compiled by the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation showed that 220 accidents were reported in general aviation during 1985. This was 36 less than the average for the previous three years.

There were 18 fatal general aviation accidents, compared with the three-year average of 26. BASI said 36 accidents had involved helicopters, five of them fatal, compared with a three-year average of 29 (two fatal).

There were 8 accidents involving gliders, one of them fatal, compared with a three-year average of 15 accidents (one fatal).

Budget Air Services Expands Vee H Aviation Is the Latest:

Vee H Aviation of Canberra is the latest GA operator to come under the umbrella of the growing air charter operator, Budget Air Services.

Budget Air Services, part of Mr Bob Ansell’s Budget Transport Industries group, already

has facilities in Brisbane and Melbourne and plans to extend its services to other major cities in Australia. The establishment and expansion of Budget Air Services is the first part of a strategy to eventually extend activities into passenger airline service.

Budget’s objective is to provide the customer with a level of service and responsiveness seldom seen in general aviation in Australia. As part of that objective Budget, with Vee H will be improving lounge facilities at Canberra Airport.

Calendar of Coming Aviation Events(Courtesy of Aopa):

March 28-31: Australian Aerobatic C’ships at Old. Ag College, Gatton. Contact Bob Tail (07) 277 8454.

March 28-31: Mangalore ’86 – SAAA Convention at Mangalore, Victoria. Contact John Liddell, bh (03) 543 1233 or ah (03) 898 2725.

March 29-30: 1986 Jubilee Iron Triangle Air Race. Contact Race Co-ordinator, Glenn Sturges, PO Box 76, Whyalla SA, 5600 (086) 45 0467.

April 6: “Wagga Over the Top 86” Air Show at Wagga Airport. Contact Riverinair (069) 22 7260, Radio 2WG.

April 11-12:RFACA Australian Light Aircraft Championships, Swan Hill.

April 25-27: The ‘Mount Buffalo Fly-in’. Contact Geoff White, Noonameena Lodge, Porepunkah 3740. Phone (057) 56 2255. May 8-10: RFACA Annual Conference, Darwin.

May 31: Pilots Awareness Seminar, Coffs Harbour. Contact Coffs Harbour Aero Club.

July 3: NSW Interclub Flying Championships – Pt Macquarie. Contact Rob Britten (02) 51 0301.

September 14: Grafton Air Show, South Grafton ALA. Contact Mr Kerry Skyring (066) 421691 or Mrs Jean Cartwright (066) 425515.

October 5: Kempsey Flying Club – Air Show ’86. Contact M Riggs (065) 62 0233.

October 11: Pilot Awareness Seminar, Royal Newcastle Aero Club. Contact RNAC (049) 32 8888.

The Department Gets Tough:

Statutory liens have been taken out on 41 aircraft whose owners have not paid air navigation charges.

In response to calls by the aviation industry for stronger action against those who fail to pay their ANCS the department has been empowered to take such action to recover unpaid ANCS under legislation which came into effect on July 1st.

Of the 41, 15 are in Old, 6 in NSW, 12 in WA (3 others were created and paid out) and 5 in SAINT).

 Helicopter Camera Stabiliser to Aid Australia’s World Class Sports Coverage:

A recently released TV Camera Stabilised platform having Gyro stabilisation in the X-Y-Z axes has been announced by Navitron at Bankstown Airport. Navitron has been overwhelmed by interest from local TV stations wishing to use the platform to cover such events as the America’s Cup Challenge.

The platform manufactured by Japan Aviation Electronics of Tokyo is distributed in Australia by Navitron and is a third the price and just over half the weight of one of its competitors which also has to be externally mounted. Although primarily intended for mounting inside a helicopter, the mount may be used in fixed wing aircraft or on vehicles or vessels for camera, infrared scanner or other directional survey instruments, laser beam aiming or similar equipment control. The set- Sing of the device under control may be varied in Azimuth and Inclination by an operator using a control joystick.

Navitron are also offering a high quality lightweight radar altimeter which provides outputs for autopilot, fight director, GPWS and decision height alarm.

Licensing Ground Instructors:

The Department of Aviation is giving consideration to a proposal by the Association of Aviation Ground Training Organisations (AAGTO) that ground instructors be licensed.

Ground instructors are those who teach would-be pilots the theoretical subjects required to gain a pilot’s licence.

BOOKS

Harrier and Sea Harrier:

Braybrook. Roy If anybody is entitled to be called an ‘expert· on the Harrier then the honour must surely go to UK specialist defence writer Roy Braybrook. Roy literally grew up with the Harrier while a member of the design engineering group at BAe Kingston during the sixties and seventies. Since then he has become the source of many dozens of informative V/STOL articles for a large number of the free world’s specialist aviation press.

His latest book certainly lives up to the high standards set by the unique Harrier itself and documents the very beginnings of nonhelicopter VTOL flight to the projected upgrades that will take the Harrier II and Sea Harrier well into the 21st Century. A bonus is also the lengthy section devoted to the Falklands conflict which includes much data not previously published.

Of 200 pages, the book is well illustrated and good value and is available locally from Princeton Books, Cnr Mills & Heralds Sts, Cheltenham 3192.

The Historic Civil Aircraft Register of Australia – Vh-Eaa to Ezz:

Tony Arbon & David Sparrow.

A nation’s aviation heritage is only as safe as those who document it through the ages. Fortunately through the efforts of enthusiasts such as Tony Arbon, a Flight Service officer with the DofA and David Sparrow. An engineering inspector with HdH, the historic civil aircraft register has been well recorded in booklet form. Their latest offering covers all aircraft registered EAA through EZZ, a particularly interesting block considering the importance of this mark to Qantas over the decades.

We strongly recommend this little booklet which follows in similar style to their previously published effort listing the registrations of Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands.

ARP including postage is $5. 50 ($6. 00 of seas), available from Austairdata, PO Box 37, Sylvania Southgate 2224.