Newsdesk – General Aviation

Developed from a design by the legendary Bill Lear, the first Challenger flew in November 1978 with the type entering service in late 1980. Since then 242 have been delivered including 84 of the original Avco Lycoming ALF-502 powered Challenger 600. The remainder have been Challenger 601s in several variants, powered by General Electric CF34 turbofans.

Meanwhile, flight testing of the 50 passenger Canadair Regional Jet (which features a stretched Challenger fuselage) is progressing smoothly. The first RJ flew in May this year and was followed by the No 2 aircraft in August. The 12 month flight test and certification program will use three flying aircraft, one static airframe and an integrated systems test rig. The first delivery is scheduled to take place in mid-1992 to Lufthansa subsidiary DLT.

 Eastland Changes Hands:

Toowoomba based operator Eastland Air has been taken over by R R Moore & Co Pty Ltd (Moore’s Air Charter) along with Eastland Travel.

Moore’s Air Charter has been operating in the Darling Downs area of Queensland for more than 20 years and the merger will combine Eastland’s 14 times a week RPT service between Toowoomba and Brisbane with Moore’s charter operations. The fleet consists of one King Air 200, one King Air A90, one Baron B55 and one Navajo, the latter performing most of the scheduled work with the King Airs as backup.

Australian Flying Academy Picks up Tab for Failed Flying Schools:

In recent moves, Captain Geoff Westwood of AFTS, Bankstown has come to the rescue of student pilots caught up in the demise of two other flying training organisations.

The companies concerned are Kingsford Smith Aviation and the Royal NSW Aero Club. In the case of KSA, AFTS took over $50,000 up front payments already made by students and is running the flying school operation of KSA as a separate activity to AFTS. All ex KSA students took up the offer as did a number of KSA instructors.

In a separate move, AFTS has acquired two Tomahawks to enable ex Royal NSW Aero Club students to complete their training on that aircraft. Two instructors and a number of students have also taken up Geoff Westwood’s offer to help them out of a difficult situation.

AA Comment: In an increasingly cynical world it is indeed refreshing to see someone out there who is actually interested in helping out young students who, through not fault of their own, stand to lose heavily by the mismanagement of others. Well done Geoff and the team at AFTS.

New AG Rule Increases Efficiency:

A new rule applying to agricultural operations will help improve efficiency and make legal a practice which has been used for many years anyway.

Until now, pilots of aircraft undertaking agricultural work have been obliged to climb to a height of 500 feet above ground level (AGL) before turning back to the work area. Now, they can turn at not less than 100 feet AGL, providing the pilot has notified his intentions on the local area radio frequency.

AA Comment:

So Much for the Clever Country!

Perhaps it doesn’t have a lot to do with aviation, but the cessation of the Very Fast Train project is truly a blow for what is supposed to be the ‘Clever Country’ and something that certainly deserves further comment.

Essentially BHP was lobbying the Federal Government for a revised tax write off system that could accommodate unusual big budget projects such as the VFT. Total project cost would have run to something in the order of $10bn over seven or eight years and apart from shareholders funds, the project wouldn’t earn one single dollar till the first fare paying passenger boarded VFT 001, long after most of the infrastructure had been paid for.

Treasury refused to allow the introduction of a special case tax break on the basis that it would have cost them $1. 8bn in lost revenue over an eight or nine year time frame. So no VFT. What the brickheads at Treasury couldn’t seem to fathom is that zero of zero is precisely zero! In other words, how can you forsake taxation revenue on a project that doesn’t occur in the first place?

It might be worth mentioning that at a time of crucially high unemployment the VFT offered the prospect of creating over 20,000 jobs directly and indirectly through the six to eight year primary construction phase and probably in the order of 3,000 permanent jobs thereafter. The fact that much of the $10bn would have filtered back to government in one way or another is also something that seems incapable of appreciation by the Canberra bureaucracy. The immense R&D feedback to BHP, and dozens of other Australian companies, in gaining a foothold in this exciting 21st Century fast rail technology would have enabled us to become preeminent throughout Asia as VFT specialists.

But no, all that has been shot down by the same unthinking bureaucrats who will quietly some day discontinue most of the age pension on the basis that everybody is nicely covered by superannuation, which will also land the government of the day a windfall through the increasing use of this ‘retirement resource’ as little more than just another means of milking the taxpayer via an ever increasing array of super taxes.

In the decades to come there will be a number of major VFT-like projects of fiscally unusual status that will require special tax consideration in order for them to be financially achievable in the first place. The Darwin/Alice Springs railway link, the Cape York Spaceport and perhaps an eventual pipeline bringing water from the wetlands of the north down to an ever thirstier Adelaide and Perth.

The days when the government footed the bill for grand projects like the Snowy Mountains Scheme are long gone, yet Australia desperately needs projects of this ilk like never before if we as a nation are to forge into the next century as an economically viable and competitive country. We are most definitely not going to achieve this if petty bureaucrats and short-sighted politicians continue to destroy projects that have a major economic impact upon the future of this nation. The scuttling of the VFT perhaps typifies the incredible short-term thinking that is now part and parcel of both our political and bureaucratic regimes. Vale the VFT, perhaps vale also the Clever Country.

This will enable him or her to take the shortest direction back to the work area instead of climbing away from it and then turning back. The result will be savings in time and fuel.

For the Diary:

Private pilots are invited to attend a one day pilot’s refresher course at Warnervale, NSW on 17 November 1991.

Hosted by the Australian Branch of the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators in association with the Central Coast Aero Club, the day will discuss numerous aspects of flying with the all important intention of keeping general aviation pilots up to date with the latest procedures and developments in many areas. It costs just $25 and briefing notes, charts and lunch are provided. Con- tact Rob Britten on (043) 84 4812 (ah) or M Mason on (02) 2141111 (pager 28 2260).

Atc Delays at Brisbane and Adelaide Could Cause GA Bankruptcies:

Continuing delays (at press- time) at both Adelaide and Brisbane airports were potentially capable of forcing many GA operators to the wall.

This was the consensus of many operators at the General Aviation Association’s annual conference held at Adelaide in late August. ‘Conservative controlling’ is causing many operators to waste both time and fuel in extra holding and awaiting clearances that normally would not be required. And it’s not only GA that’s affected. For the month of July it was reported that Ansett had lost 565 minutes through delays at Adelaide whilst Australian had lost 474.

The situation in Brisbane was reportedly even worse with delays averaging 30 minutes and is in direct comparison with the much improved ATC situations at Tullamarine and

More Colour

Due to a revised production process Australian Aviation is proud to announce a major increase in the number of colour pages from this issue onwards.

This should effectively see a doubling of the number of colour pages found in your aviation magazine and will allow us far greater scope in future for using colour in our general layouts. We hope that you enjoy the results.

Sydney since SYMOPS and productivity based pay increases have been in effect. With a recent national wage accord increase of 2. 5%, Adelaide and Brisbane controllers were reportedly offered up to 11% with controllers demanding at least 18%.

Whilst the situation might ultimately flare up to become a major campaign, the controllers concerned might be reminded that contingency plans are already in place to prevent the potential damage to Australia’s air transport system that such a stoppage would bring. Perhaps the primary ATC union, the Civil Air Operations Officers Assc (CAODA) might well consider the fate of the AFAP before initiating action that would gravely damage Australia’s air transport industry.

New Epirb From Rfd:

Marine and aviation safety equipment supplier, RFD Australia Pty Ltd, has released a

New Epirb

(Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon).

Known as the Slacom Beepa Mark 3, the EPIRB complies with international requirements for satellite location, operates on eight standard ‘C’ size batteries and can transmit for 100 hours on 121. 5 and 243Mhz.

Its self erecting dual frequency flexible antenna is designed to eliminate any possibility of breaking off by accidental fouling (refer p. 23 June 91 AA for more details on EPIRBL

Calendar of Aviation Events:

Courtesy AOPA & RFACA Oct 1 Flight Instructors Symposium, Bankstown International Hotel, Aminta Hen- nessy (02) 708 5155, fax (02) 774 5516.

Oct 5: Pilot Awareness Seminar, Launceston, TAS, Tony Wilkinson (06) 280 4221. October 5-6: Coffs Harbour Aero Club Ltd 3rd Annual Gala Fly In.

Oct 6: Airshow and 40th Anniversary of No 5 Flight Air Training Corps, Mackay Airport. Ken Phillips (079) 57 2575.

Oct 6: Jamestown SA Air Pageant Fly In. Mal Axford (086) 64 1218 or Ivan Bain (086) 64 1378 (proceeds RFDS).

Oct 11-13. RAAF 70th Anniversary Air Show, RAAF Richmond, Sydney. (02) 630 2000.

Oct 18-20: The 1991 Great Western Air Race. Contact WA Aero Club (09) 332 7722. Oct 20: Strathalbyn SA Spring Fly-In, Southern Districts Flying Club. Don Dewar (085) 36 2070.

Oct 26: Pilot Awareness Seminar, Adelaide, SA. Tony Wilkinson (06) 280 4221.

Oct 26-27: Wycheproof Aero Club Fly-In and Air Show. Wycheproof Aero Club, PO Box 57, Wycheproof, 3527.

Nov 2: Round 3 NSW Interclub Flying Competition and Presentation Dinner. John Ciardi (045) 72 5724.

Nov 2/3: Great Western, Victoria Air Race Portland to Portland, by Portland Aero Club. Contact Gary Schulz (018) 52 7167 Nov 3. NSW Sport Aircraft Club Open Day and Fly-in at Wedderburn. Gordon Crampton (02) 59 6522.

Nov 9, 10: Seaplane Pilots Association’s Splash-In and AGM, Rathmines. Neville Ken- nard 725 3466.

Nov 16: Pilot Awareness Seminar, Perth, WA. Tony Wilkinson (06) 280 4221.

Nov 23-24: Round 4, Tas Interclub Flying Competition at Caveside. (004) 31 2019.

Feb 22-23 1992: Australia’s National Air Show. Two Day Bi-annual Air Show. Ballarat Airfield. Alan Roberts (053) 31 4222.

Mar 7: Round 1 NSW Interclub Competition hosted by Condobolin Aero Club. John Ciardi (045) 72 5724 AH.