New Zealand News

The other version, known as the CT-4CR, involves reopening the Hamilton production line and producing a new run of aircraft which will also incorporate an electrically operated retractable undercarriage.

Pacific Aerospace’s chief designer, Murray McGregor, considers an order book of more than 20 aircraft would make reopening of the line viable. CT-4 production ceased about six years ago after deliveries of the military trainer to the RNZAF, the RAAF and the Thai Air Force.

According to McGregor, performance figures for the three variants (maximum cruise at 10,000ft) would be: piston-powered CT-4A/B, 141 knots; CT-4C, 208 knots and 240 knots for the CT-4CR.

While the design of a retractable undercarriage aircraft was not trivial, it would be no great hurdle, McGregor said. It would call for a new wing structure, with the legs placed behind the main spar and folding inwards. The forward undercarriage would fold backwards.

Outwardly, the CT-4CR would be about 6 minutes longer than the piston-engined machine and have a slimmer nose.

Pacific Aerospace’s chief executive Andrew Hyde, undaunted by the recent RAAF selection of the Swiss designed PC-9 as a partial CT-4 (refer p18, Mar AA) replacement, is looking at re-engining the RNZAF and Thai aircraft. He also sees a possible market for the CT-4CR in the United States as a sports machine but emphasizes that the ‘catalyst’ to get the project going would have to be military orders.

Mogas Warning

The growing number of operators switching to the use of mogas have been warned that problems could arise if synthetic gasoline is mixed with the fuel.

The world’s first plant for manufacturing synthetic petrol from natural gas began production in February in Taranaki and it was intended to mix substantial quantities with ordinary road petrol for sale at the bowser.

According to the Shell Co. , Durene, described as a necessary high octane component (and as a future resource for the plastics industry) is to be found in the synthetic fuel.

“Durene is a waxy solid which will separate from motor gasoline at low temperatures and like wax in diesel engine fuel will clog filters and interrupt fuel flow. The concentration of Durene in motor gasoline will be controlled so that its performance in land-based operations should not be impaired. This has yet to be proven under all conditions. The use of this different motor gasoline in aviation raises the possibility of new hazards with which the present users will not be familiar,” the Shell bulletin says.

Civil Aviation’s airworthiness chief, Mr ‘Riz’ Heald, said the Department was planning talks with the oil companies and intended making a technical assessment of possible hazards before winter set in.

It did not intend to ban mogas on the basis of an oil company report. Mr Heald emphasized that mogas was ‘permitted’ for use in some aircraft, not approved.

A major problem in New Zealand, Mr Heald said, was the lack of a solid specification for road petrol sold. Nevertheless, no serious incidents attributable to the use of mogas had been reported, though there had been reports of minor cases of vapourisation within fuel systems.

As with all mogas operations, Civil Aviation would appreciate any defect reports that could be linked to the presence of synthetic petrol in the fuel. He suggested that pilots using mogas should carry out a thorough ground run-up, sufficient to indicate the effects of new fuel taken onboard.

Ansett to Enter New Zealand Market?

If the ability to arouse trepidation is a true measure of competitiveness (and we don’t doubt it), then the name of Ansett looms large in bad dreams of local protectionists.

Ansett Airlines is linked with what looks like becoming the big flyer in home-grown airlines planning to take on Air New Zealand. The promoters of the airline are the now well-established domestic carrier, Newmans Air and a consortium led by former Air New Zealand chairman, Mr Bob Owens and Ansett co-owner, Sir Peter Abeles. While Ansett won’t be taking a stake in the proposed airline, plans are for it to provide some technical maintenance and support.

At least, that was the way until it came to the ears of the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Richard Prebble. “All hell will freeze over,” said Prebble, before he’d allow a new national airline with links with Ansett to fly internationally in competition with Air New Zealand.

Mr Prebble’s obsession with Ansett (or the fears of his advisers within the industry) is becoming old hat. Ansett’s involvement with the proposed Cook Islands airline prompted a similar outburst a few weeks earlier.

Plans for the new New Zealand airline to fly domestically are based on the two years old services provided by the well-regarded Newmans. Having established this service as a major force in the market, the promoters plan to go international.

There is nothing to stop this, or the involvement of Ansett, in the Air Services Licensing Act, but the Minister has the power to veto any local application for international landing rights.

Prebble maintains Ansett’s involvement in the new company would provide an effective ‘backdoor entry’ for the Australian carrier into New Zealand – the same line taken over Ansett’s involvement with the Cook Islands airline.

The Minister said “The promoters realise their sort of arrangement allows Ansett to exploit a loophole in the law. If the proposal goes ahead, I won’t be knocking it back with something like retrospective legislation. But if they try to fly internationally . . . that’s another matter. ” Late in March, Newman’s chief executive, Mr Rex Loach, was in Australia discussing the proposal with Ansett. It appears the Union Shipping Group will take a major stake in the airline along with Newmans. There will also be a public float on the Stock Exchange.

Meanwhile, despite the official description of friendly talks’. There is no doubt that relationships between New Zealand and the Cook Islands remains badly soured over the question of bilateral rights.

This was made clear in March by Cook Islands Premier, Sir Thomas Davis, who is keen to see the establishment of a local airline following the Wellington Government’s handing over of Rarotonga Airport to the Cook Islands, on April 1.

Sir Thomas’ Government is keen to see the airline managed and operated by Ansett. According to Mr Prebble, this will allow Ansett to fly into Auckland ‘under a guise’.

Sir Thomas told journalists he had never been happy with the former monopoly Air New Zealand enjoyed on international services into Rarotonga. Sir Thomas said it was only the announcement of a Cook Islands airline that prompted a better service into Rarotonga (at a February meeting, Air New Zealand said it would increase its two weekly flights between Auckland, flown by a 747 and a 737, to four 767 flights a week. ) The bilateral talks between the two countries were expected to resume in April. Sir Thomas hoped the Cook Islands airline would begin flying by the end of 1986, with an Ansett 767 and a Fokker F27 on regional routes. He was hopeful it would also obtain an all-freight aircraft for international services.

Following Air New Zealand’s acquisition of a 77 per cent shareholding in the Mount Cook Group, Air New Zealand’s general manager, Mr Norman Geary, announced that he was standing down from this job to assume the chairmanship of the group.

He would remain Air New Zealand’s managing director with overall management responsibility for the airline. Two assistant general managers, Mr Norman Macfarlane, a former oil company marketing man and Mr J. McCrae, who has a technical background, would be appointed twin managers responsible. Respectively, for administration and marketing and airline operations and personnel. Airline sources said the company was also scouting for a good day-to-day manager to form a triumvirate.

Mr Geary’s shift bolsters speculation of a build up in forces to do battle with emerging Newmans Air which has made substantial inroads into Mount Cook and Air New Zealand traffic.

Over recent months, Mr Geary has repeatedly criticised deregulation (most recently at a Heathrow meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society) and predicted continuing failures and losses among airlines. On the home market, his public affairs man, Mr Bob Wallace, says there is no room for two national carriers in a country of New Zealand’s size.

Nevertheless, bright and breezy Newmans is studying options for jet aircraft will replace its two de Havilland Canada Dash 7s with three Dash 8s later in the year – and winning a growing following.

Conflicting Callsign Causes Near Miss

A dangerous loss of separation between two airliners near Rotorua Airport was apparently caused by the similarity in the call sign of one airline with the name of another. The aircraft immediately involved were an Air New Zealand F27 and a Mount Cook HS748. Both pilots took avoiding action after sighting each other, but passed with a vertical separation of 200ft, and 800 metres laterally.

The call sign of the Mount Cook aircraft was NM11. According to chief inspector of air accidents, Mr Ron Chippindale, an air traffic controller momentarily mistook this designation for that of a Newmans Air Dash 7 which was also in the vicinity.

Several years ago before the arrival of Newmans, the Mount Cook designation was changed from MC to NM. Following the Rotorua incident – one of several resulting from the same mistake – Mount Cook has now reverted to MC.

Control at Rotorua was also upgraded following the report. Mr Chippindale said the controller involved had returned to duty only the previous day after a ten-week overseas holiday and had been working for six hours without a break. Another controller failed to pick up the mistake because he was arranging for an ambulance to meet the Air New Zealand machine.

A more senior control officer was appointed to the airport, and procedures were reviewed.

Methanol Production Runs Into Bureaucratic Hitch

Pacific Aerospace’s plans for marketing a methanol conver- sion kit for piston engined aircraft has run into (not unexpectedly) a bureaucratic hitch.

Technically, trials have gone very well and Civil Aviation certification was imminent when this went to press. However, the company’s efforts to gain a Government undertaking that methanol would not be considered as a lucrative source of tax if widely adapted has come face to face with a classic case of buck-passing.

The request for consideration of this was made to the Minister of Energy, who passed it on to the Minister of Customs, who passed it on to the Minister of Finance. . . where it now rests. No doubt the Government will see the wisdom of sponsoring the fuel as a home-produced alternative to costly imported Avgas, but it’s slow in moving.

Avgas costs $1. 10 a litre in New Zealand, Methanol leaves the local plant at 26c a litre. Add on transport and profit margins, and Pacific Aerospace believes the market price should be about 55c a litre.

The longest-running trial aircraft, a Fletcher 950, has now accumulated 300 hours of work flying, well into time between overhauls, without any problems showing up.

The company plans to offer the kit conversion as part of a major overhaul at a total cost of less than $20,000.

Anz Acquires Offshore Finance

Air New Zealand has arranged for a $200 million loan from the Citicorp Investment Bank in London to help cover the cost of six new Boeing 737s and two Boeing 767s. The airline will be paying interest at around 8%.

An airline spokesman said the credit was established for the period of the aircraft purchase. It would no longer be needed when the company received all its money from the sale of six older 737s and two DC-10s. It is the first European securities transaction entered into by the airline.

Bell Demonstrated Tour for Sioux Replacement

Competition for the RNZAF’s Bell Sioux replacement was to bring a Bell 406CS Combat Scout to New Zealand for demonstration in April. The aircraft was to be shipped from the Singapore Asian Aerospace ’86 airshow.

Plans were for the aircraft to demonstrate fire power at Waiouru, then fly to RNZAF Base Woodbourne for technical evaluation. The 406CS is based on the US Army’s UH58D Scout. It has a folding four-bladed rotor powered by an Allison 250- C34C engine and a quick-change weapons system. Two of the helicopters can be transported by a C-130 Hercules.