Newsdesk – General Aviation

 More Support for Aviation Coun- Cil:

The Australian Aviation Council (AAC) has strengthened its position as the voice of the industry when leading industry associations recently unanimously endorsed its role.

After a strategy meeting in late May in Sydney, Deputy Chairman Bill Bedsor said that nine industry groups and ups and several companies had pledged financial and other support for AAC’s campaign against huge increases in Commonwealth charges.

Supporters represent regional and commuter airlines, charter firms, helicopter operators, sports, gliding and ultralight aircraft associations, aero clubs and women pilots. More organisations are expected to join soon.

Mr Bedsor said the Government’s policies were aimed at reducing activity in country areas in particular and may cause the closure of services at some airports.

“Our job is to convince the Minister for Aviation that the cost revenue gap in aviation can be closed in two ways, Mr Bedsor stated. “Department of Aviation costs must go down and the Government should encourage industry growth, not stifle The AAC is assessing evidence from throughout Australia on the downturn in business that will result from the increase in Government charges. Some small airlines will be paying 200% to 300% more, forcing fares up and discouraging passengers from travelling now

Cessna Stretch the Caravan:

Cessna has gained certification for their stretched version of the Model 208 Caravan L The new model has been stretched by 4ft, a move that increases internal volume by a full 450 cubic feet. Developed specifically for Federal Express the new variant will also be available in addition to the standard version which was attested in our March edition. FedEx has ordered 109 Caravans, 70 of which are the new stretched version and hold options on a further 90 machines.

Aerospatiale Strive for Higher Market Presence in Australia:

Aerospatiale has joined with Rex Aviation and OFEMA (the official French aerospace agency) to form a joint company for the sales, marketing, technical support and service of the full range of Aerospatiale civilian helicopters in the region.

The new joint venture is headquartered at Rex’s Bankstown facility and will be aimed at providing a greater degree of after-sales support to existing and future Aerospatiale helicopter operators. The Squirrel Light Help has been top selling helicopter in its class for several years now and this new move of consolidation is expected to increase its market share considerably in the years ahead.

Bae 125 Fleet Grows With Latest Imports:

The Australian BAe 125 executive jet fleet has swelled to some eight aircraft with the recent addition of two new aircraft to the scene.

Skywest of Perth, whose owner, Pic Stowe, already owns a Falcon 50, has taken an operating lease on a 125-800 for use as a corporate charter aircraft. Skywest naturally feels that the aircraft will get plenty of work during the America’s Cup period. This will now give West Australia its second 125 jet.

Skywest claims the overall time saving compared with a commercial flight is considerable. For example, a client can fly directly from Temple a Perth to Canberra in three and a half hours, attend afternoon meetings, and return to the same day. Using commercial carriers, the same journey entails 14 hours of travelling time with a stop in either Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, thereby requiring at least one night’s accommodation interstate. Similarly, a fight from Perth to Port Moresby could be undertaken non-stop in just five hours against more than a day by a commercial airline.

To the east, Pacific Aviation have taken delivery of a 125-700 which will be used in the charter role and will replace VH-JCC which is now owned by Lang Hancock.

Sydney Aerobatic School in an Upward Spiral:

By now well known for his high standard of aerobatic training. Noel Kruse’s aerobatic school has now moved to larger premises just opposite the airfield at 457 Marion St, Bankstown and increased the range of training and services available.

In addition to straight aerobatic training. Noel offers private pilot training with or without an aerobatic endorsement in conjunction, one-to-one ground training with Ace Flight Theory Centre as well as having a Tobago with full IPA and multi-axis auto pilot available for private hire at only $74 per hour, reportedly the cheapest on the airfield.

Noel had four of his trainees in the recent aerobatics competition at Gatton, one came second in the advanced category and the other came first in the intermediate category in what was his first competition. Noel wants to build up a good club atmosphere at his new premises and we wish him well for the future.

 Large Civil Buy a Barometer of the Increasing Value of Used Aircraft:

Moorabbin-based Civil Flying Services have recently purchased one of Sydney’s largest fleets of aircraft in a single purchase.

new Civil’s have purchased 9 aircraft from JBA Aviation of Bankstown ranging from Piper Tomahawks to Chieftain commuter aircraft. The purchase underlines the increasing resale value that used light aircraft are attracting due to the lack of new imported GA aircraft into Australia in recent years. Many dealers are now proposing to buy for cash and watch their inventory appreciate as a shortage of good used light aircraft begins to strengthen in the coming years. At the end of April, Civil’s held 47 aircraft in inventory ranging from propjets down to an SES replica and expected to sell more than 70 used aircraft during the 86/87 financial year.

Us GA Sales Sink to New Low in Quarter Quagmire:

Sales of new US General Aviation aircraft in the first quarter of 1986 reflected an all-time low. While shipments dropped 38%, billings declined by almost 54% making it the worst quarter since World War II. world war.

In all a total of only 284 aircraft were delivered compared with 456 for the same period in 1985, itself a record low. In the period, Gates delivered only three Learjets, Fairchild four Metro Ills while Gulfstream sold a 1000 and two Gills. Gulfstream fortunately has a healthy order book for the new GIV, worth more than $A2bn, which is due for FAA certification this September.

Hawker Pacific to Import 1900 Demonstrator:

Hawker Pacific are trim. Port a Beechcraft 1900 for demonstration purposes. Hawker hope to have the aircraft in the country by this October which should be perfect timing to capitalise on the results of the NSW Air Services Report which heavily endorses the widespread use of 18 and 36 seat The 1900 is pressurised and maintains a 3,000ft cabin at 15,000ft in addition to being able to cruise at 255kts at ranges of over 600nm. Other features include full economy class seats of 17in width a of 17in width and a large baggage area which makes the type ideal for operations in larger airports where passengers wish to interline with longer ranging jets. Hawker is are also importing two new Baron twins and is presently preparing Australia’s first-ever Excalibur conversion of a Queen Air.

Trans Australian Record Broken:

On April 26, 1986, 43-year-old pharmacist David McDonald from Turramurra, NSW, broke the record for a single-engine piston aircraft for a non-stop flight from Carnarvon, WA to Coolangatta, Old set in October, 1983 by a Cessna Hawk.

-7141 Flying his single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza David set a new record of 13 hrs 24 mins beating the old record by just over 7% hours. David thought it fitting for the Bonanza to attempt the record in its 40th year of production and the attempt followed months of preparation and planning. Aquila Aviation of Bankstown Airport did the preparation for the fight including stripping out all unnecessary weight and fitting long-range fuel tanks.

 Piper Restart Production:

Piper have decided to restart production of their piston-engined twin and single range following their shock announcement earlier this year that they were pulling out of mass production light aircraft. Piper will now carry their own insurance liability and will channel the saved capital into developing new and innovative aircraft for the next decade. Foremost amongst these will be a twin-engined version of the highly successful Malibu pressurised single. Closer to home, Pacific Aviation, the regional Piper agents, have been restructured in a move that makes the company more flexible and capable of meeting the challenge challenges Pacific recently lost the DoD target towing contract to Lloyd Aviation but feel that this won’t be too much of a blow to them due to the low yield achieved on such projects. It is too early to tell whether some of Pacific’s Lears will now be ahead.

Exported though it is believed that they will move to deploying greater charter capacity via Cheyenne 400LS and BAe 125 aircraft.

Birdstrikes No Joke:

‘Aircraft hitting birds has always had a comical style to it, not helped over the decades by the famous chicken gun that fires pre-sized frozen chickens at aircraft in an attempt to determine which is the strongest.

Military pilots appreciate probably better than any of us the potential destruction that a birdstrike can create. Indeed Australia has lost at least one F-111 through birdstrike in addition to a number of Mirages over the years. During the early eighties the entire crew of a RAF Nimrod, with an Australian pilot in command, met their deaths in a massed heir exchange birdstrike that involved more than fifty seagulls. When an aircraft as big as a Nimrod can fall foul to such relatively innocuous creatures it is perhaps time we all learn to respect our feathered friends a little more.

A special birdstrike section in the current edition of the Aviation Safety Digest is enlightening. During 1984 the DotA received 586 reports of birdstrikes which cost the industry more than one million dollars. In 1982 a 747 hit an entire flock of racing pigeons transitting Tullamarine. Fortunately, the aircraft was headed for Sydney and thus was only lightly loaded. Safety investigators feel that the outcome may have been different if the aircraft had been near max takeoff weight as it would have normally been for the long haul to Asia. Needless to say the damage to two of the engines amounted to more than $1. 5m.

If you suffer at a birdstrike then the Bird Hazard The Investigation Laboratory of the DoA can ascertain the bird type even if you only have the remains of a single feather. However, they report that around 25% of birdstrikes are from unidentified types and occur at night.

There are some interesting facts about birds that are worth noting claims the Department. For instance, the impact force of a mere 2kg bird is some 3. 8 tonnes at only 120kts, the highest recorded birdstrike occurred at 37,000, and the greatest mass of birds hit by an aircraft in Australia was 6 swans weighing a combined 34kg. Over 90 different species of birds have been known to have been struck in Australia while the most common types are kites, hawks, gulls, plovers and galahs. Birds will usually dive to avoid a collision with an aircraft while some Australian birds weigh up to 8kg and some, such as the Albatross have wingspans of up to twelve feet. Another unusual strike were a snake at 3000ft (all AGL). Chicken at 800ft, a mouse at 8000ft (obviously Mighty Mouse!) and a flying squirrel at 5000 As nearly all birdstrikes occur within the vicinity of an airport you might like to enter “birds” on your downwind checklist!

India Establishes Pilot Training College:

Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, recently opened a new multi-million dollar civil pilot training college in India. While this may not be earth-shattering news for we Australians it is still nice to appreciate that there is not only a government somewhere in the world that actually publicly encourages civil flight training but is also headed by somebody who really does know something about aviation and does not religiously take as gospel all that his bureaucrats tell him.

The new centre will train pilots primarily for Indian Airlines, India’s domestic airline. Aircrew for Air India are usually then sourced from their domestic counterparts. In Australia, aviation is the only trade, career endeavour or skill that a man or woman has to learn without some form of tertiary assistance (refer Short Finals, p114, this issue) despite the fact that the twenty thousand plus dollars it costs for a basic CPLis also totally non-tax deductible! In Australia, the situation is becoming serious as all four major carriers require additional aircrew. Their normal source is either the higher ranks of GA or the military. Nowadays though many from the airlines, and particularly Qantas, are lamenting the so-called poor standard of GA recruits while at the same time doing nothing to assist, promote or help the GA training industry to provide future pilots that the airlines inevitably require. Talk of Qantas reintroducing its own pilot cadet scheme continues to be heard though many observers question why they simply do’ get together with the other airlines and give a little support to the training organisations that already exist.

 Aeromil Relocate to Ksa:

Aeromil, the Australian and South East Asian distributors of Embraer aircraft, have relocated to new premises at Kingsford Smith Airport The new facility, adjacent to Flight Facilities, includes a customer lounge, spares stores and an operations area. Additionally, Aeromil will be able to accommodate up to three large aircraft in their hangar complex. Aeromil is hoping to receive its first Brasilia later this year and to import a second aircraft during 1987.

Pelandok:

Ken Bullock. If the Indonesian High Command took fence at the recent articles published by the SMH then I hate to think what they will do when they read Pelandok! But then it’s only fiction. Pelandok itself is elf is about a renegade Indonesian Navy submarine that has an ambition to wreak havoc upon one of our East Coast industrial enclaves. The hunt is on and the resultant action makes for interesting reading.

The realism of Pelandok is enhanced by the sm of Pendok is erinn author’s long experience as an airborne ASW warfare specialist in the Canadian and Australian Fleet Air Arms. Ken Bullock also has a keen interest in Australian and Indonesian affairs and feels that he most definitely won’t be spending his next holiday in Ball. RRP is $27. 95 and Pelandok is published by Brolga Books, 41 Orsmond St, Hindmarsh, 5007.

The Spitfire Book:

Stewart Wilson. This unique book, sort of a booklet really, is excellent value in that it accurately lists the relative differences between each of the dozens of marques of Spitfire and their sub-variants. Up till this time, it was always a black art defining the pedigree of this famous warplane, fortunately, this simple book at last sets out in basic detail the differences between each type. Available direct from Stewart Wilson, 9 Lodge Ave, Old Toongabble, 2146 for only $6. 00 post free this book is indeed excellent reference value.

Advanced Technology Warfare:

Bil Gunston Much has changed in regards to the technological aspects of warfare this past decade. Much of what was conceived during the sixties has now been perfected in operational terms and indeed surpassed as another new generation of smart weapons enters the R&D phase. This 208 page book is excellent value in that it covers the advancing military technologies in all four stu land and four spectrums-naval, air, and more recently space.

If you enjoy our Technology Explained series then this book should be a part of your present reference library. Excellently written and Illustrated the RRP is $24. 95, published by Hodder & Stoughton, Advanced Technology Warfare is on sale at most major bookshops.

Birth of a Legend, the Spitfire:

Jeffrey Quil There is hardly a better person to write a history on the legendary Spitfire than Jeffrey Quill Deeply involved with the type since its first flight this excellent book also details the other partner in the Spitfire success story, the RR Merlin. Of 160 pages the book goes into great detail as to the initial gestation of the type and its early years of service, a time when it and the Hurricane helped save a nation and later provided the springboard for the liberation of Europe.

Available from most major bookshops or direct from Mainly Motor Books, cnr Mills & Herald Sts, Cheltenham, 3192.

 Race to the Swift Thoughts on Twenty-First Century Warfare:

Richard Simpkin. With a personal outlook shaped by a deep career involvement in the practice and theory of land warfare, Simpkin has created a balanced work in which he reviews many of of the principles of modern land warfare. Funda mental ideas are introduced informally and developed developed through views of attrition and manoeuvre-based strategies. Considerable attention is paid to current and projected Russian doctrines and the weaknesses in their implementation. The dominant role of the battlefield helo in future Western (AirLand Battle) and Soviet scenarios emergence of is examined, as is as is the possible eme nuclear-powered submarine assault (helo) carriers as a strategic tool for intervention.

Simpkin steers away from the technologists view of future warfare perhaps to the detriment of this book (little attention is paid to the explosion in artificial intelligence and sensor technology) which irrespective of the reader’s posture on strategy is well worth owning for the extensive 11 page bibliography alone.

RRP is $33. 00, published by Brassey’s Del ence Publishers and distributed by Pergamon Press Ltd.

 Marine Air:

John Trotti. Marine Air is an interesting book outlining the present inventory status of the air component of the USMC. The book al ok also outlines briefly its history and includes a chapter on the F-18A Hornet. John Tromie himself is both an entertaining writer in addition to knowing what to his being a USMC pilot who flew Phantoms in Vietnam. This book does justice to his writing abies and to those it serves to commemorate.

counts due Of 150 pages, many in colour, RRP is $14. 95 and the book is published by Capricorn Link and available from most major bookshops.

Phantom Over Vietnam:

John Trotti.

John Trotti, with the experience of over 600 combat missions over Vietnam during two tours, has written an excellent book that is both instructive in technical terms and readable as a more than interesting reflection upon the activities of war.

The reader experiences the life of a fighter pilot, from the boredom of the Hot Pad, waiting for a scramble, to moments of terror as a SAM pops out of a cloud heading straight for your arcraft. To Trotti, flying and fighting becomes an obsession in that only the best will ultimately survive the battle. The book also is a fount of all those practical ‘real-world problems associated with air-to-air combat that often tend to equalise technology at the price of agility.

Of some 250 pages, this hard-cover book is well worth reading and is available for $42. 50 RRP from Princeton Books, Cnr Mills & Herald Sts, Cheltenham 3192.

Warplanes of the Future:

Bill Gunston Of more than 200 pages this book details the present generation of operational combat aircraft in addition to comprehensively updating the reader on the emerging technologies of the warplanes of the future. Stealth technology and the new breed of sophisticated Soviet fighters were portrayed. If you enjoy our are all Engy Explained series then this regular book is for you.

Produced to a very high standard, Warplanes of the Future has an RRP of $24. 95, is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available from most major bookshops.

Modern Fighting Aircraft Migs:

Bil Sweetman.

in the superbly illustrated Hodder & large format series, this book details the history of perhaps the world’s best known fighter concern, Mikoyan and Guryevich. From the early piston-engined MiGs, born in a conflict of survival through to the first jets, from Fishbed to Foxbat, from Flogger to Fulcrum, this book outlines the history of them all including an in-depth chapter on the new MiG-29 and MIG-31 types.

RRP is only $14. 95 and the book is available at major book shops.

 Wings:

The photography of Mark Meyer. Probably one of the most apt phrases ever conceived is “A picture speaks a thousand words”. Wings is a collection of some of the finest military aviation photos of the present generation. Shot by Time specialist photographer, Mark Meyer, Wings is not cheap but with every page in full colour represents excellent gift material at any time of the year.

the The only criticism I would have of the book, and this is a personal thing, is that many of photos are spread across two pages with the inevitable gutter breaking up the continuity of the picture. Why do layout artists continually do this? of RRP is $45. 00 as a special price to readers of Australian Aviation. Available from Mainly Motor Books, Cnr Mills & Herald Sts, Cheltenham, 3192.

 Spitfire! Spitfire!:

Michael Burns. Of some 61 pages this book takes the reader through each stage of development of the venerable Spit. It also evaluates the aircraft’s role in theatre operations which includes a good reference section on Spitfires in the RAAF. Produced mostly in black and white the book is good value at only $8. 95RRP, is produced by Blandford Press and is available at most major bookshops.

VIDEOS

Historic Airpower & Warbird Film Festival:

AVI.

This tape was advertised in our March issue and the distributors tell us that they were overwhelmed by the response. After recently enjoying same on a wet Saturday afternoon can see why it proved so popular. This is an excellent video for all who have an interest in www I airpower and with a total running time of 113 minutes presents very good value. The tape actually includes three separate stories. The first traces the operations of a typi cal USAAF B-17 bomber around und 1943. The second joins the first-ever Theber group in England’s B-29 raid on Tokyo in 1944 and is a coincident ally narrated by Ronald Reagan. The third and om the final story tells of the air war over Italy from left based view of a With the Alles tied down in Southern Italy it was to airpower to stop the flow of supplies to the German Army. How they did this is t is graphically shown in this excellent video. All three videos are in colour and serve literally as historical time capsules of an aviation era the like of which the world had never seen before.

Available from Aviation Video International, PO BOX 384, Willoughby, 2068 for only $34. 95.

 So You Want to Be a Pilot:

The Unhurried Explorer.

This half-hour tape outlines the requirements needed to become a pilot in Australia. Noted personalities in the industry tell exactly what is required in terms of finance and time to achieve the variable. The tape also of private and commercial ratings that are available. The tape also gives advice and insight into future career potential. Could be a worthwhile aid for the training school and would certainly be useful in creating a greater aviation career awareness amongst high school students if used correctly. The same company has also produced two one hour tapes on Mangalore 86, one of which is on the conventions. The Pilot tape is $25. 00 while the individual Mangalore tapes are $49. 95 each or $75. 00 for the two, add $7 for freight.