Newsdesk – General Aviation

Ideal for the GA market, the Omtrack unit will retail for around $9,000 and is entirely Australian designed and developed. The Omtrack contains 720 preset waypoints in addition to having the capability of allowing 10 user definable waypoints to ensure maximum pilot flexibility when flying a non direct course.

The Omtrack actually displays a track with a DME like distance countdown. By monitoring the track the pilot can easily determine if a crosswind is affecting his aircraft and adjust heading accordingly. The use of the user definable waypoints also means that navigating around restricted areas, etc is relatively easy while Omega itself is far more reliable and accurate than relying purely upon the traditional ADF or VOR

One very useful feature is a find when lost function which will pinpoint the aircraft’s exact position at the touch of a button. How much would that feature alone be worth as dusk nears and you are over a major landmark that does not agree with your WAC chart?

The Omtrack, which was developed by Monash University in Melboume, has been flight developed in a Mooney 231 this past year with a considerable number of improvements having been made to the basic system in that time. ¡El will now begin to market the budget Omega system both domestically and internationally Australian Aviation hopes to be fight testing the revolutionary unit in our next edition.

Opticas for USA:

The Brooklands Aerospace (formerly Edgley) Optica three seat single engined observation aircraft has received a boost to its fortunes following the placing of a firm order for 6 aircraft from the Kansas City Aviation Centre (KCAC) in the USA

In addition, KCAC has placed options on another 126 Opticas to be delivered over the next five years. KCAC is a Piper dealer and sees a strong market in the USA for the Optica, which, with its high visibility fly’s eye’ cabin and quiet ducted fan 260 Lycoming IO-540 piston engine is optimised perfectly for power and pipeline inspection, traffic surveillance, aerial photography, television work and forestry. coastal and frontier patrol. The manufacturer claims the Optica can perform 80-90% of a helicopter’s work at only a third of the cost.

 Bicentennial Air Show Spawns Professional Pilot School:

The Schofields Flying Club, the organising body behind last year’s highly successful and profitable Australian Bicentennial Air Show, has now established itself in the professional pilot training market.

It has set up a new division called the Schofields Professional Pilot School, which is offering full-time theory and flying training from both Bankstown and from its base at nearby Schofields aerodrome. The school has imported a number of additional aircraft from the United States and now has a training fleet of 13 aircraft and six full time flying and ground instructors. Previously, the Schofields Flying Club operated only at weekends, with part time instructors catering largely for private flying “When we are organising the Australian Bicentennial Air Show, we made it clear that any profits would be ploughed back for the benefit of Australian aviation,” said lan Honnery the President of the Schofields Flying Club and Executive Chairman of the Australian Bicentennial Air Show Organisation.

“The air

did a show was hugely successful and it did make a profit, nearly half a million dollars has already been contributed to the Aerospace Foundation of Australia, which has been established to promote aviation and aerospace in this country

“The balance of the proceeds went to the Schofields Flying Club in recognition of its entrepreneurial endeavours in mounting the air show. Now, we have decided those proceeds should also be put to work for Australian aviation,” Mr Honnery said.

The club has already established a full-time school of aviation theory and this will be expanded and integrated into the new Schofields Professional Pilot School, which will offer a complete range of commercial pilot licence training. It will run three, 30 week professional pilot courses each year; the first will start at the end of January 1990.

The organisation has also established a facility at Bankstown airport to provide flexibility of operations for its professional pilot activities and has undertaken a major improvement and refurbishment programme at its Schofields premises.

 Mamba Progress:

The Melbourne Aircraft Corporation’s new high wing light aircraft, the Mamba, is in contention for an order from the Royal Thai Army for a light training and surveillance aircraft.

A prototype tandem two seat Mamba (refer p93 May 89 AA) has been flying for some months, a four seat military mockup has been completed and a four plus two flying prototype is under construction. The Thais are looking for between 50 and 100 aircraft to fill their needs and the military version will also be capable of carrying light ordnance on a pair of underwing stations.

By the time these words are read certification of the two seat civil version should be nearing completion with production scheduled to begin in the new year. Improvements incorporated since testing of the prototype began include moving the tailplane to a higher position, changing the angle of the lower rear fuselage to improve clearance during rotation and instal- ling a 160hp Lycoming O 320 engine in place of the original 118hp O-235. The more powerful engine will now be offered as standard in the civil versions of the Mamba while the 200hp Lycoming 10-360 will power military variants.

 New Rolls Turbofan:

Rolls-Royce and Allison have signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering the design of a new small turbofan in the 7,000lb thrust class

At this stage designated the R RB580, the new engine combines the high pressure core of the Allison T406 turboshaft (as used in the V-22 Osprey) with a wide chord fan and low pressure system based on the latest Rolls-Royce technology as applied to its Tay and RB211-534E4 turbofans.

Obvious potential applications for the new engine include the British Aerospace 146, Canadair Regional Jet, Embraer Amazon

Basi to Investigate Pilot Fatigue:

The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation is currently studying reports of pilot fatigue.

This problem has been known in aviation circles for many years, yet pilot reluctance to report fatigue means that investigators are still unsure of its true extent. For many reasons, such as fear of losing their jobs, pilots have traditionally been slow to report instances where their performance may have been affected by fatigue.

Under BASI’s new Confidential Aviation Incident Reporting programme (CAIR), pilots can now report instances of fatigue in complete confidence. Such reports will enable BASI to determine the extent of fatigue, identify those areas of aviation primarily affected; and to preventative action.

So far reports have demonstrated the safety value of the CAIR programme. With few exceptions, the programme has been accepted and used by the aviation industry. No reports of fatigue have been received yet from pilots of major airlines, confirming BASI’s current belief that pilot fatigue is confined mainly to the general aviation sector. However, BASI believes the practices of an unscrupulous minority of operators are denigrating the perception of the majority in the general avia industry.

Primarily involved are a small number of charter, commuter, flying training, corporate and cattle mustering operations. BASI is well aware that the majority of operators in these categories operate responsibly according to the regulations, and maintain high safety

standards.

BASI is monitoring carefully the content and frequency of these reports. If sufficient reports indicate that pilot fatigue is widespread, BASI wil make a formal report with appropriate recommendations to the Civil Aviation Authority and the aviation industry.

 Tomorrow the World:

Following the successful establishment of its Flying College at Prestwick, Scotland with its 48-strong fleet and its committment to a similar operation in conjunction with Ansett at Tamworth, NSW, British Aerospace is now looking further afield. The United States is the obvious next possibility and BAe is already talking with US carriers about their future training requirements. The opportunity to establish a school at the old Piper facility at Lakeland, Florida earlier this year was rejected as being too early but 1991 would seem to be a reasonable start up clate for a college training pilots only for US airlines

The Tamworth school is scheduled to begin operations in mid-1990. Another prospective location is Canada, where both civil and military plots are potential customers. Of the latter, the Canadian Government’s requirement for pilot training now involves the first 30 hours being performed privately.

Vested Interests Dept:

Not one of the most difficult reactions to predict has been that of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America to the General Aviation Standards Act of 1989, introduced to the US Senate by Republican Senator Nancy Kassebaum. The Bil-which has been rejected in other forms on previous occasions- attempts to do away with some of the inequities of the product liability situation by imposing a 20 year right of repose on light aircraft and their component parts. The lawyers’ association president William Wagner has said that endorsement of the Bill would be tantamount to “giving away the rights of our clients. ” Not to mention the huge fees they pay!

A Victory for GA:

Given the increasing number of restrictions being placed on General Aviation operations by airports handling ever increasing airline trafic levels, a decision by the US Court of Appeals offers some hope.

A controversial plan by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to restrict GA activity at Boston’s Logan Airport has been thrown out by the court, meaning that local airport authorities in the USA cannot now unreasonably restrict GA’s access to their primary airports.

Massport had taken the matter to the Appeals Court after the US Department of Transport had previously ruled in favour of GA operations, saying the Massport’s plans were “unlawfully discriminatory and an intrusion into an area covered by federal regulation. ” The decision could have far reaching effects in the USA and has been hailed as a victory by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the US Aircraft Owners’ and Plots’ Association (AOPA).

Piper’s Pocket Rocket:

In conjunc tion with its skunk works associate company. LoPresti Engineering, Piper has announced it will put into production an updated version of the old Globe Tempco Swift two seat, low wing, retractable undercarriage tailwheel light aircraft.

Called the Swiftfury, the highly modified aerobatic aircraft will be powered by a 200hp Lycoming 10-360 engine and will be capable of a cruising speed in excess of 173kts. Some 1,000 examples of the original Swift were built in the USA in the 1940s and early 1950s, the final model being powered by a 125hp engine. The Swift is about the same size as a Victa Airtourer, and Piper already claims 350 orders for its new version.

The aircraft was developed by Roy LoPrest (a former Mooney engineer) and is one of several experimental designs he is working on for Piper with a view to possible future production. A military version of the Swift (called Swiftfire) is also in the works powered by a 425 hp Allison 250 turboprop and offering phenomenal performance including a top speed of more than 290kts and a rate of climb in the order of 4,000 feet per minute! Deliveries of the piston engined Swiftfury are scheduled to begin in June 1990.

Bigger King Air:

Beechcraft appears to be planning to build a competitor for its own Starship advanced all composite corporate turboprop with the announcement of its new King Air 350, a stretched derivative of the existing King Air 300 which in turn is a more powerful development of the popular King Air 200 The KA350 features a cabin some three feet (0. 91m) longer than the 300 and a wingspan increased by a similar amount with winglets incorporated. The extra cabin length will allow an additional row of seats to be fitted, permitting a ‘double club’ arrangement similar to that offered on the Starship.

The new King Air’s pric• Mamba Progress:e should be similar to the Starship’s (about $US4. 5m), sales of which have thus far been a little disappointing thanks mainly to the inroads made by entry level light jets at that end of the corporate market.

 Challengers at Sydney:

Australian Jet Charter, based at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, has been appointed a Recognised Service Centre for the Canadair Challenger long-range corporate jet

Nine other such service facilities for the aircraft have been established around the world and AJC’s wil be the first in the Asia-Pacific region, offering service and support to both Australian based and visiting overseas Challengers.

‘Black Box’ Data Animation Wins Industry Award:

Silicon Graphics Pty Ltd and the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) have jointly won the Computer Graphics of the Year category of the Australian Information Technology Awards for an installation which provides real-time reconstruction of aircraft black box fight recorder data.

BASI, based in Canberra, has developed three software applications on a Silicon Graphics 40/70GT workstation which enable investigators for the first time to visualise the circumstances leading to an accident or other Incident

The BASI system takes the stream of digital data held on the flight recorder and converts sit into any of three different views using full colour animation of solid objects. Investigators can look at the inside of the fight deck showing all instrumentation, take a bystander’s view of the aircraft, or look at the view from the pilot’s t showing the instrument panel and the outside scene

An initial visual reconstruction can be created within one hour of BASI receiving the fight recorder. Eyewitness evidence, digital terrain data and weather reports can later be added to the system for even more realistic reconstructions

The BASI system was used to pinpoint the cause of a fatal mid-air light aircraft collision in Queensland last year. If also attracted international attention at an air safety seminar in Sydney earlier this year and will be marketed Overseas by Silicon Graphics.

 Atl’s New Engine:

The Robin ATL two seat light training aircraft has been re-engined with a slightly more powerful engine.

The 130 ATLS delivered so far have been fitted with a single ignition French JPX 4T60A four cylinder powerplant producing 65hp. This 2,050cc engine is a conversion of the Volks wagen ‘flat four air cooled motor car engine.

Its replacement, the Limbach L. 2000, is also a Volkswagen conversion of similar capacity but made in West Germany and featuring dual ignition and maximum continuous power of 70hp at 3,000rpm.

 Diesels in the Air:

Munich based engineer Michael Zoche is developing a pair of diesel radial engines for GA and military trainer use, claiming several advantages over conventional petrol engines including easier starting, the elimination of magnetos and a mixture control, better fuel efficiency and the ability to run on not only diesel fuel but also JP-4 and Jet A turbine fuels.

The Zoche 20-01A is a four cylinder unit producing 150hp and the 20-02A an eight cylinder radial engine of 300hp. Both operate on the two stroke principle and feature direct propeller drive, air cooling, fuel injection and a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger in conjunc tion with a mechanical supercharger. Over 500 hours of ground testing has been completed with fight testing scheduled for next year and certification in 1991.

 More Record GA Flights:

Mr Harold Wheatley, who is best known for his numerous record fights, has set a new batch of Australian records in his Mooney Turbo 252 M20K.

The latest attempts were successfully held over the 14th and 15th of September and took in 11 route sectors within Australia. All were speed attempts with the fastest two being. Perth Adelaide and Melbourne Sydney at some 197kts (365kmh). Official world class recognition is being sought via the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris.

 Calendar of Aviation Events (Courtesy Aopa):

Nov 4: Fishers Ghost Fly-By Campbeltown, NSW. 59 6522.

Nov 5: NSW Sport Aircraft Open Day Fly-In, Wedderbum, NSW. Contact 59 6522 Nov 11: NSW Interclub Competition Round 3. Final round for 1989 and presentation 72 5724. dinner. Griffith Aero Club. (045) 72

Nov 11-12: Splash-In, Rathmines, Lake Macquane, NSW. Seaplane Pilots Association Australia. Philip Dulhunty (02) 939 7822 Nov 11-12: Historic Air and Transport Show organised by Rotary Club, Camden Airport- exhibitors invited. Jim Drinnan (046) 55 2214. Nov 18. Neil Lassau and Bil Park Memorial Trophy Day. Contact Moruya Aero Club (044) 74 2182 or John Salmon (044) 71 1897. Nov 18-19: Antique Aeroplane Association Annual Auster Raly. St Amaud, Vic. Bill Baker (03) 583 4072 AH or fax (03) 8) 696 4296 Nov 25: Pilot Awareness Seminar, Moorabbin, Vic. Tony Wilkinson (062) 80 4221 Feb 10-11: SAAA Vic/Tas Region Fly-In, Latrobe Valley Aerodrome. (051) 34 1475. Feb 24: Round 1 NSW Interclub Flying Competition at Schofields Flying Club. Contact John Ciardi (045) 72 5724 AH.

Mar 4: Mt Gambier Aero Club Air Display, Mt Gambier Aerodrome, South Australia.

Apr 2-3: Aust Light Aircraft Championships, Launceston, Tas RFACA (062) 80 6696 Apr 5-7: 1990 General Conference. The Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia, Hobart. Contact Les Thompson (062): 80 6696 June 16: Round 2 NSW Interclub Flying Competition at Hastings District Flying Club (PMO). Contact John Ciardi (045) 72 5724 AH. Oct 27: Round 3 and Presentation Dinner, NSW Interclub Flying Competition at Goulburn (hosted by Canberra Aero Club) (045) 725724

The Bottom Line

• Texas Air Corp has announced a second Quarter loss of SA145m following a first quarter loss of $A320m. Continental has posted a SUS32m profit for the second quarter. AWA Ltd has posted a loss of $A41. 9m for the 88/89 year compared with a profit of $A34. 5m for the previous year

British Aerospace has doubled its sales for the first six months of 1989 to £4bn for a trading profit of £146m. Rolls Royce has posted an interim profit of £101m for the first half of 1989, up from £63m the previous year. Total turnover was up by 25% to £1,124m from £893 the previous year.

Fokker has reported a profit of D14. 1m for the first half of 1969 as against a profit of DI14. 3m last year and a full 1988 profit of D13. 3m. Lufthansa saw a 12. 8% increase in turnover for the t e first half of 1989 with sales of

DM5. 4bn, pre-tax tax profits total totalled DM87m, an increase of 8% on the previous year. • Cathay Pacific le reports a first half 1980 prote of SHK1. 59bn on a turnover of SHK8. 25bn, up from SHK1. 28bn and SHK6. 94bn respectively the previous year. HAECO has reported a six month profit of SHK170m on turnover of SHK696m against SHK137m and SHK583m respectively the previous year.

People

Mr John Mulcair has been appointed as the public relations officer for Capitol Airlines. Mr Jerry O’Day has set up a private consultancy firm named Aviation Consulting Services in Canberra. Mr O’Day was previously the GM of Safety Regulation with the CAA. Mr Stuart Fisher has taken up the position of Regional Sales Manager Australia NZ for British Air-

Mr Geoff McBeath has been appointed as the GM Human Resources for Hawker de Haviland. Mr John Riley has been appointed as a Director of Short Brothers Australia. Mr Terry Rose has been appointed as the GM of Aviation Turbine Overhaul, Mr David McDermott as Assistant Manager and Mr Joseph Giarrusso as Technical Services & Marketing Manager.

Books

Flights of Passage:

Samuel Hynes Another memoir-style book, this time of Samuel Hynes, a US Marine Corps pilot during World War and a man who flew more than 100 missions against the Japanese at Okinawa and Buthi.

Unlike some books of this genre, this one is particularly readable and it takes the reader from Hynes’ youth (including clumsy teenage groping sessions) to learning to fly in a Piper Cub and then on to a distinguished service career. Filled with anecdotes and incidents to which almost everyone will relate (both in the experience of Ife in general and hanging around aeroplanes in particular). Flights of Passage is an entertaining read which reminds us that even the heroes of the air in wartime were just ordinary blokes deep down. Well recommended.

Published by US Naval Institute Press Publications, 2062 General’s Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA.

Lincoln, Canberra and F-111 in Australian Service:

Stewart Wilson The third in Australian Aviation’s ‘Australian Air Power series has, like its predecessors, much to offer, telling the story of the three bomber types to serve the RAAF since World War

IL “Over 100,000 words and nearly 300 photographs (48 in colour) are within the book’s covers and much of the information presented is new. The format is as before-a general history of each type, its acquisition and/or manufacture in Australia for the RAAF and its subsequent service history-including in the case of the Lincoln and Canberra, war service in Malaya and Vietnam, respectively Supporting the text are tables listing individual delivery and finally, their serial numbers, examples of each  fate.

The Lincoln photographs must surely be the finest collection ever assembled and all but a handful have never been seen before, while as one of the most ignored aircraft ever to serve with the RAAF, the big bomber’s chapters contain a wealth of previously unpublished material.

The same apples to the Canberra and F-111, particularly in the case of the latter where official documentation dealing with its controversial purchase is used to tell the story. The reader is even put into the pilot’s seat for a low level, terrain following F-111 mission- something which is obviously best left to the professionals! Something very nice to see in the Canberra chapters is the use of the correct designations of the Australian built aircraft. Not Canberra B. 20 or T. 21 as always seems to be used but ut simply Canberra Mk. 20 and Mk. 21-a nice touch which is indicative of the general standard of research.

Lincoln, Canberra and F-111 in Australian Service are available in soft cover ($19. 95) and hard cover ($29. 95) and can be purchased from Aerospace Publications, PO Box 105, Weston Creek, ACT 2511. The soft cover edition is also available from most major newsagencies at $19. 95 RRP

Solo Around the World:

Peter Norvill Peter Norvill’s aim was to be the first Australian pilot to fly solo around the world in a fixed wing aircraft, in record time and to back in Brisbane at 10. 13am on June 9th, exactly 60 years after the first crossing of the Pacific by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in the Southern Cross The only thing that prevented him from achieving all his goals was an Air Tramo Control requirement at Eagle Farm airport which saw him touch down six minutes early. This book is Peter’s detailed account of that round the world flight told in a rather reticent fashion which gives the impression of an unassumingly shy author. Even so, the book is well worth reading and is more than aptly illustrated with over 90 colour photos mostly taken from the cockpit.

Highly recommended at $27. 00 and avalable mail order from P Norvill, ‘Rock Dhu’, Murrurundi 2338.

DC-3 Down Under:

Stewart Wilson A busy month for AA’s own and very prolific Stewart Wilson. This self published book is a gem, containing 128 pages of glorious colour photographs of Australian DC-3s supported by informative captions. Similar in format to the well known Osprey colour series, DC-8 Down Under has some wonderful and interesting photographs in an aircraft in Butler markings, another in old East West livery and numerous other surprises. The photographs date back to the 1950s and 1960s (all in colour, remember) and have been collected from various sources including the author’s own Don’t expect Stewart Wilson’s usual detailed text with this one. It’s not intended as a history of Australian DC-3s and Dakotas, but simply as a pictorial celebration of the world’s most famous transport aircraft. It’s the type of book you’ll want to flick through over and over again. DC-3 Down Under is available only direct from the publisher, Dylowl Pty Ltd, 13 Cunningham St, Moorebank NSW 2170 for $24. 95 post paid.

 Beyond Lion Rock:

Gavin Young Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific (refer p. 31 Mar AA) is now one of the world’s leading international air carriers and under the control of the Swire Group of companies has been subject to rapid expansion in recent years. What is perhaps forgotten is the fact that the airline’s formation in 1946 was the result of two World War II flying mates, American Roy. Farrell and Australian Syd de Kantzow getting together with a single war surplus Dakota flying cargo around the Far East. This 245 page hard cover volume traces the history of Cathay Pacific from its foundations to the present day. The text is described by the publishers as being “as stirring as an action novel” and this is a fairly accurate description of a fascinating and often humorous story. Maps and photographs support the text, telling the story of a modern-day adventure which just about anyone interested in aviation will find very worthwhile. Available in Australia through most book- shops or from Century Hutchinson Australia Pty Ltd, 88-91 Albion St, Surry Hills 2010.

Videos

 Great Planes – B-52 and P-38:

AVI and Australian Aviation This is the first of the new style Great Planes series of tapes from AVI and Australian Avia- sion. The series has had an excellent reception abroad and has played to television audiences in Britain, Norway and the USA in addition to having also been exported widely and translated into four foreign languages. The first tape i tape in the series deals with the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, an aircraft that has had Ia checkered career extending from the early ties when the first models became operational in the all powerful Strategic Air Command. What this reviewer liked about the Great Planes actually anes once concept the attention given by the producers of AVI in detailing visually the lead up developments to to the requirement for for each aircraft in the series. In this case the tape also includes much interesting footage of the early American jet bombers including the then bulwarks of SAC, the mammoth t ten engined B-36, the B-50 and the first of the new wave jets, the 8-47. From post Korea through Vietnam and into the nineties. the 52 is still regarded by many (particularly Soviet naval commanders!) as a highly potent threat Owing to its formidable and varied warload and its very long legs.

The second tape in the series (the tapes can naturally be purchased separately) deals with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, the fighter that the Luftwaffe dubbed The Fork Tailed Devi”. And not without good reason. The Lightning became operational at a time when the primary European mission was to provide fighter escort for the long ranging 8th USAAF bomber squadrons raiding into deepest Germany. For quite a time this arduous task was left to the P-38 and the later marks of the P-47 Thunderbolt. In fact, a P-38 was the first allied fighter aircraft to operate over Berlin, setting the stage for what the P-51D Mustang would declare as routine nearly a year later. This is an excellent tape with much footage never before seen of an aircraft that served throughout the Pacific, North Africa, Italy, Europe and even the Aleutians.

Available from Australian Aviation, PO Box 105, Weston Creek, ACT 2611 for $39. 95 for one tape or just $59. 90 if both tapes are ordered together. Per order p&p is $4. 00. Two new Great Planes I tapes will be released in each successive edition of Australian Aviation, watch for them.