Newsdesk – General Aviation

The Club was trying hard to trade out of its difficult debt situation, however it appears that the receivers have said “enough”. The door locks were changed on the club’s Bankstown premises, and RAC instructors lost a week’s pay plus entitlements. The real losers, however, have been the overseas students, who had each outlaid amounts in excess of $A30,000 for the RAC’s CPL course. Nobody appears to be able to comment on whether there is any possibility that the RAC may be resurrected in any form. (Gavin Pringle)

Williams-Rolls Powered Citation Flies:

The first Cessna Citation biz- jet powered by two Williams-Rolls FJ44 engines has flown.

The new FJ44 engine, jointly developed by Willams International and Rolls-Royce, is a relatively low cost advanced design turbofan rated at 1,900b thrust. The engine has already accumulated more than 400 flight test hours on a variety of aircraft, including the Citation I engine testbed. Rolls-Royce contribution to the project “lies primarily in the areas of reliability and durability, as well as the availability of [its] worldwide product support network”. Rolls also manufactures the FJ44’s turbine discs and blades and the low pressure turbine shaft. The engine is scheduled for certification in March 1992 with production deliveries to commence in mid 1992.

Mackay Launches Airshow:

The Mackay Aero Club in conjunction with the Mackay Port Authority and the local Air Training Corps will be holding an airshow at Mackay Airport on Sunday 6 October 1991.

The airshow is slated as a gala event with an attendance of military, warbirds and sport aviation groups anticipated. The airshow will form part of the opening ceremony for the new $14m airport terminal and also celebrate the 40th anniversary of No 5 Flight of the Air Training Corps.

For further information contact the Mackay Aero Club on Ph (079) 57 2575 or Fax (079) 57 3681.

Hargrave Flying Machine Redesigned to Fly:

A team of six University of Sydney students has produced an ‘improved redesign of a 1902 Lawrence Hargrave flying machine, the aim being to make the design fly. The students, from the University’s Department of Aeronautical Engineering. were chosen to compete in the International Student Design Competition being held in Canada in August. Each team one from Australia, plus others from Canada, England, France and Japan-is tasked with redesigning a pre-Wright (pre-1903) flying machine design so that it can in fact fly. The Sydney team has used original plans for the 1902 Hargrave Trimaran Float-Plane. (Hargrave never succeeded in building the machine himself because of a lack of finance and public support. ) The team has added control surfaces for easier manoeuvring and has overcome stability problems inherent in the design. A two metre long flyable model has been constructed to demonstrate the redesigned machine’s flight capability to the competition’s judges in Canada.

The project, however, has been costly and sponsors are needed to complete the model and get the team to Canada, only five being funded by the competition. For further infor- mation contact Mr O Querin on (02) 692 2338 or Fax (02) 692 2012.

Kingsford Smith Aviation Taken Over:

Bankstown based Kingsford Smith Aviation has ceased to exist as an independent entity as a result of financial troubles.

The long established flying school was recently taken over by the Australian Flight Training School who, according to reports, will allow KSA to continue operating as a separate school under its original banner until further notice. Fortunately, arrangements were made to ensure that most of KSA’s instructors retained their positions and students did not suffer financial loss.

Meanwhile, also at Bankstown, TNT’s move into the airport for the bank run services appears to be consolidated now that the freight corporation has taken over a hangar at Bankstown and is said to be about to commence modifying it to meets its needs. The hangar was previously occupied by Aerial Agriculture. (Gavin Pringle)

Pacific Aviation Links With Arl on T56 Mods:

Bankstown based Pacific Aviation, part of the Ansett Transport Group, is being signed up by DSTO’s Aeronautical Research Laboratory (ARL) to collaborate in the further development and commercial exploitation of ARL’S modification to the Allison T56 gas turbine engine, reports Tom Muir in the Australian Defence Intelligencer.

ARL has developed a modification to the standard engine combustor liner which can be incorporated during normal hot end or engine overhaul, or incorporated into new engines. Tests to date show that this modification reduces smoke emissions by up to 80% and fuel consumption by up to one per cent. Considerable interest in this technology has been shown worldwide by operators of aircraft equipped with T56 engines, primarily by air forces operating C-130 and P-3 aircraft. Some 15,500 T56 engines have been produced of which 12,000 are believed to be eligible for modification. Allison currently builds about 40 engines each month.

It is expected that Pacific Aviation will undertake sublicensing of the technology to overseas defence forces, engine overhaul companies and others.

Major German Airshow Moved to Berlin:

The venue for Germany’s biennial major airshow will in future be held in Berlin, rather than Hannover which has been the case up till now.

The first Berlin event will be held on 15-21 June 1992, just nine weeks prior to Farn- borough. The move is not, however, all political. Hannover’s increasing traffic and capacity problems, and the building of a new passenger terminal on part of the airshow site, have been noted as the primary reasons for the move. Also, after the spate of crashes at major US and European airshows in the last few years, the local populace has become increasingly hostile to the event, particularly against military involvement both for safety reasons and also as a result of the growing peace movement.

Ge CT7 Passes Three Million Hours Mark:

The General Electric CT7 turboprop engine family has passed the three million flight hours milestone.

This represents more than 1. 8 million CT7 powered flights on Saab 340 and Casa CN235 aircraft. The 1,900shp engine currently powers some 280 aircraft in 25 countries, with a reported despatch reliability rate of 99. 9% and just one inflight shutdown every 50,000 hours.

The CT7, the most fuel efficient engine in its class, is continuing to prove itself with growing 340 and CN235 sales. In recent months AMR Eagle (USA) has firmed up 20 of its 50 options to bring its 340 fleet order to 70; Aer Lingus has ordered 4 CT7 powered 340s, and Casa has finalised a contract to supply Turkey with 52 CT7 powered CN2358. In addition, GE has signed a contract to supply CT7 engines to power the new LET L610 regional airliner, the first two flight test engines having already been shipped to Czechoslovakia.

“Top Ten” Victorian Flying Schools Honoured:

The Civil Aviation Authority is honouring the “top ten” Vic- torian flying schools with awards for excellence in instruction. The Top Ten awards scheme started in Victoria in 1990, recognising results for the 1989 calendar year. Hence the 1991 awards recognise excellence in teaching during 1990, based on flying examination results for students. The top ten Victorian flying schools and their 45 instructors have achieved an 80% or better pass rate for initial flight testing, with the schools providing professional agricultural, helicopter and fixed wing instruction.

The ten schools honoured include Kestrel Aviation, Mangalore; Professional Helicopter Services, Moorabbin; and Wooray! Aero Services, Leongatha, all three of which were also in the Top Five in 1990. First time award winners are Civil Flying Service, Moorabbin; Geelong Airport Service, Geelong; Groupair, Berwick; Latrobe Valley Aero Club, Morwell; Mid-Murray Flying Club, Swan Hill; Peninsula Aero Club, Tyabb; and Peter Bini Advanced Flight Training, Moorabbin.

Flight Instruction Me Thods Course:

The University of NSW, Dept of Professional Studies has designed a three day course for trainee Flight Instructors. The course is approved by the Civil Aviation Authority, the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators, and the Australian Institute of Navigation. It is designed to address the syllabus requirements for theory of learning and principles of teaching required under CAO 40, Section 41. 1. 7, which stipulates that applicants for a Grade Three rating shall have completed a course of this nature. Potential participants therefore are trainee and current instructors, examiners and Inspectors of Airmen, and regular aviators considering changing to flying instruction. Successful participants are awarded a Flight Instructors Certificate of Professional Attainment. There are two courses scheduled for 1991, 23-25 July and 12-14 November. The cost of each is $350, which should be tax deductible. For details contact Rosemary Colman on (02) 398 3773, Brett O’ Halloran (02) 697 4752 or Fax (02) 662 8991.