Newsdesk – General Aviation

The aircraft returned a week later to take the athletes home. A nice thing to do.

Cut Price Skyfox:

Skyfox Aviation of Caloundra Qld, manufacturer of the Skyfox two seat light personal aircraft, has introduced a specially priced version of the aircraft.

The CA-22 Special compliments the existing CA-22 ultralight and CA-25 fully registerable versions and is aimed at the recreational pilot and comes at a price of $44,900 fully equipped for recreational flying Early customers can add to the value by taking up Skyfox’s offer of a free training course when they order an aircraft, which has got to be a pretty good deal in this era of high training cost.

 Calendar of Aviation Events:

Courtesy AOPA Feb 27-Mar 6: Skyrace Tasmania. Round Tasmania Navex & pylon racing. Austral- ian National Air Races (003) 91 8380, fax (003) 91 8662.

Mar 12: Round 1 NSW Interclub Flying Comp. Hastings District Flying Club, Port Macquarie. John Ciardi (045) 72 5724.

Mar 12-13: Airtourer Assn AGM & Flyin. Narrandera, NSW. Contact (068) 62 1270. Mar 13: Flyln Family Day, RANAS, Nowra, NSW. (044) 21 1920. Future dates May 8, July 10, Sept 11 & Oct 30.

Mar 13: Moomba Airshow, Point Cook, refer Warbirds this issue.

Mar 13: Armidale Air Show, NSW. Steve Berzenyi (067) 72 8227, fax (067) 71 2897. Mar 20-22: RFACA Annual Conference. Dingley International Hotel, Dingley, Vic. RFĂCĂ (06) 280 6696, fax (06) 280 6906.

Mar 24-25: Australian LACS, Moorabbin Airport, Vic. RFACA (06) 280 6696.

Mar 26-27: Warrnambool Aero Club Flyln. (055) 60 7251 or (018) 52 7242. Mar 27: Latrobe Valley Airport Expo, John Willis (051) 74 2591.

Apr 1-3: Warbirds Over Wanaka NZ. Torii Tours (02) 233 8500.

Apr 1-4: Mangalore ’94 Airshow. SAAA (03) 482 4716, fax (03) 482 3936.

Apr 24: Warwick Air Show, Qld. Bob Locke (076) 61 7099.

Apr 15-17: Int’l Fellowship of Flying Rotarians. Flyin to Twin Lakes Resort, Maroochydore. Ken Oliver (074) 44 3000. Apr 18-22: Int’l Fed of Air Traffic Con- trollers Assns annual conference. Ottawa, Canada ph (02) 543 2317.

Apr 30: Flyln, Mudgee Aero Club, NSW. (063) 72 2329.

May 14-15: Mt Gambier Aero Club Autumn Flyin, SA. (087) 25 0500.

May 21: Middlemount (Qld) Flyln. Colin Wells (079) 85 7589.

July 9: Round 2 NSW Interclub Flying Comp. Camden Aero Club, John Ciardi (045) 72 5724.

Jul 15-21: Int’l Comanche Society_21st Int’l Convention. ANA Hotel, Surfers Para- dise. Noel Pearson (075) 96 2222.

Jul 28-Aug 3 US Experimental Aircraft Assn (EAA) Int’l Flyin. Oshkosh, Wiscosin, USA. Torii Tours (02) 233 8500.

Sept 9-Oct 9: Across USA Safari. Stop off at Honolulu. Bernie Sarroff (049) 30 1577. Sep 25-30: Farnborough Int’l Air Show. Farnborough UK. (71) 839 3231 or Torii Tours (02) 233 8500.

Oct 15: Air Show Lambrook Station near Gunnedah, NSW. (067) 47 3932 Oct 16: Strathalbyn SA Spring FlyIn 1994. Southern Districts Flying Club. Don Dewar (085) 36 2070.

Oct 16-19: Aviation Law Assn of Aust & NZ 13th Annual Conference, Hamilton Is, Qld. (03) 428 3155.

Oct 22-23: Longines 10th Great Tiger Moth Air Race. Royal Newcastle Aero Club, Bill Hitchcock (049) 32 8888.

Oct 23: Gathering of Eagles Air Show. Venue Royal Newcastle Aero Club. Con- tact Bill Hitchcock (049) 49 8189.

Nov 7-21: Sanyo Electric Flight World Championships. Airworld, Wangaratta, Vic. Sandy Talbot (02) 763 2232.

Nov 12: Round 3 NSW Interclub Flying Comp. Schofields Flying Club, Schofields. John Ciardi (045) 72 5724.

Nearly New Cherokees:

A US company, Nearly New, is planning to set up a production line to renovate and refurbish Piper PA-28 Cherokees, plus Warrior IIs, Archer Ils, Arrows and Dakotas.

The comprehensive rebuilding process involves sourcing a used aircraft, inspecting, repairing and replacing parts; overhauling the engine; incorporation of LoPresti Speed Merchants performance enhancements, exterior painting and interior refurbishment. The rebuilt aircraft will be offered with a 100 hour warranty, with prices ranging from $65,000 to $112,500, depending on the model rebuilt.

As many as 16 aircraft may be remanufactured each year.

Student Pilots:

The students of Moruya High School in southern NSW have become the latest to embark on the building of an ultralight aircraft, following Kent Street High (Perth) and Ballina High (NSW).

The Lightwing will be built by students as part of their Higher School Certificate and included will be the study of aviation history, basic aeronautical knowledge, meteorology, navigation and model making. When the aircraft is completed, flying instruction will also be undertaken.

Luscombe Returns:

A famous name from general aviation’s past is due to make a return this year with the introduction of the Luscombe Aircraft Corporation’s Model 11A all metal, high wing, fixed undercarriage four seater.

Powered by a 180hp Continental piston engine, the prototype Model 11A is due to fly this September and the manufacturer claims 300 letters of intent have been received from potential buyers. The 11A will be certified under the existing type certificate for the Model 11 but incorporating computer aided design techniques. It will sell for $US109,900 plus avionics.

Engine Failure Caused Dove Crash:

A preliminary report into the crash of de Havilland Dove 5 VH-DHD after takeoff from Essendon Airport last December has blamed loss of power on the starboard engine for the accident.

The Dove, with 10 people on board, was departing Essendon for an evening dinner flight when the engine lost power immediately after lift off. The pilot retracted the undercarriage and increased power on the port engine but did not retract the flaps or feather the dead engine’s propeller.

Unable to, the Dove came down in a residential area adjacent to the airport and hit powerlines and houses before coming to rest on its side with severe damage. Despite this and the rupturing of the fuel tanks, there were no fatalities and amazingly no fire. The aircraft was coincidentally the 104th DH 104 Dove built, in 1948. It was originally a Series 1 but was later converted to Series 5 specifications.

The Bureau of Air safety Investigation is continuing its investigations and will issue a final report when these are completed. • LAKE LOOKS TO CHINA: US manufacturer Lake Aircraft, builder of the Renegade four/six seat piston engined amphibian, has received firm orders for 10 aircraft from China and is hoping for hun- dreds more. The order (plus 10 options and a letter of intent for a further 40) from the aircraft’s Chinese distributor is for a tourist operator who plans flying customers from Chengdu to a lake 110nm (200km) distant, a one hour flight in the Renegade or an 18 hour “Journey through hell’ by bus.

Lake hopes to sell 500-600 Renegades in China over the next 15 years – mainly for the tourism industry- and is talking with Chinese aerospace organisations about manufacturing the type. It is also investigating a version powered by an Allison 250 turboprop engine for operation in regions where Avgas is scarce, such as Latin America, Malaysia and Indonesia. Lake builds about 35 Renegades each year.

Lake Aircraft has been for sale for the last 18 months and it is reported that three groups have signed letters of intent to purchase the manufacturer, one of them a Chinese company.

 Australian Starter Motor Certificated:

The CAA has certificated AeroStar Aviation’s Lightweight Hi Torque Sky-Tec starter motors for Lycoming engines.

Caloundra based Aerostar had performed two years of field trials before receiving certification. The new starter motor is available for only half the cost of current units, while it has a longer in service lifetime, reducing operating costs for a wide variety of piston powered GA aircraft. Aerostar can be contacted on (074) 91 9190.

 Piper Looks Ahead:

Piper Aircraft should emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May this year with a new owner and plans for new and updated models.

Following a bid by Switzerland’s Pilatus Aircraft to take over the company being rejected by its creditors last year, Piper will now most likely be owned by a company called Vero Holdings which was formed by the private investment firm Dimeling, Schreiber and Park. If plans go ahead, Vero Holdings will purchase virtually all of Piper’s assets for $US35m, $US22m in cash and the remainder in assumed liabilities.

With the new ownership and capital comes plans for Piper’s first all new aircraft since the Malibu pressurised single, the prototype of which first flew in 1980. The new aircraft will replace Piper’s current high performance four seaters (the Arrow and Dakota) and is scheduled to be launched this year. Also on the agenda are an improved Malibu Mirage and Warrior III, the latter aimed mainly at the flight training market.

Returning to Piper’s product range in 1994 is the ubiquitous Super Cub. The company dropped the aircraft in 1992 but a change of heart will see 24 examples of the old favourite coming off the line this year.

Commander Expands Its Network:

Commander Aircraft, manufacturer of the former Rockwell Commander 114 retractable single light aircraft, has expanded its international sales and service network with the appointment of 35 representatives worldwide.

The appointments see the company represented not only throughout the USA but also in Australia, various European and Scandinavian countries, the United King-dom and the Middle East. Commander’s presence at this month’s Asian Aerospace show in Singapore is intended to sign up Far East sales and service representatives. The Middle East dealer in Abu Dhabi plans to establish a flight school equipped with Commander 114Bs. Australian sales are to be handled by South West Aviators at Warrnambool, Vic, (055) 65 9348. A full airtest on the new generation Commander 114 appeared in our April ’93 issue.

Commander Aircraft will build 38 normally aspirated 114Bs in 1994 plus four examples of the yet to fly turbocharged 114TC.

Elts Now Compulsory:

After several light aircraft accidents in which the fitting of an operational Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) almost certainly would have saved lives, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that almost all aircraft will have to be fitted with the equipment from July 1 this year.

Modern ELTs transmit a signal via satellite and are capable of cutting search time to only minutes in some cases, rather than hours, days or longer if no ELT is fitted.

This is particularly important in cases where pilots are not required to file flightplans but then display poor airmanship by failing to tell anyone of their intended route and times (refer Recce last issue).

There are few exceptions to the requirement to fit an ELT. These are balloons, airships, aircraft operating within 25nm of departure point or within the training area associated with the aerodrome of departure, and aircraft being ferried to a maintenance facility to have an ELT installed or overhauled. An explanatory article on ELTs appears on p32 of this issue.

 Mother Goose:

Readers may have seen a recent television news item in which a flock of geese in Canada ‘adopted’ an ultralight aircraft as their mother and followed it whenever it took off.

There was a serious scientific intent behind this. Operation Migration was an experiment designed to imprint a migration route on the 18 Canada geese, which followed the ultralight on a remarkable 700km flight from Toronto to Warrenton (Virginia) to test the feasibility of using an aircraft to establish new migration routes.

The ultralight was flown by William Lishman, who raised the geese from hatchlings and encouraged them to bond with the aircraft. They did, with remarkable results. Some of the geese were fitted with radio transmitters, enabling Mr Lishman to track them down and see whether they initiate a return migration trip themselves or have to be led back to Canada by the ultralight.

The real test comes next northern autumn, when it is hoped the geese will find their own way to Virginia. Another first for aviation?

Broadmeadows up and Running:

The new $12m Broadmeadows College of TAFE Aerospace Industry Training Centre is up and running with particular thanks to a wide range of industry sponsors who have supported the facility. Over $1m of goods and services have been provided by nearly two dozen aerospace affiliated companies to make the centre one of the best of its type in the world. Broadmeadows College will specialise in training the maintenance engineers and aircraft mechanics so important to Australia’s aerospace future. The College will also be hoping to attract foreign students, something for which Australia is becoming well known throughout Asia and beyond.

 Tiger Country:

The 10th Great Tiger Moth Air Race will this year take place on October 22-23 from the Royal Newcastle Aero Club’s airfield at Rutherford, West Maitland, NSW.

Timepiece manufacturer Longines will sponsor the 1994 event and the major prize for the winner will be the historic Lindbergh angle/hour watch worth $5500. The end of the race on October 23 will be marked with the traditional ‘Gathering of Eagles’ air display at Rutherford with a healthy contingent of warbirds and vintage aircraft present.

For details about this great annual event, contact the RNAC on (049) 49 8189.

 Corporate Jetstreams:

The Jetstream 31 19 seat regional turboprop is being promoted for the role for which it was originally designed by Handley Page in the mid 1960s-corporate transport.

British company Hunting Aircraft’s US subsidiary is planning to convert used J31s to corporate transports, the aircraft’s large cabin making it ideal for this role. The company will install interiors based on designs produced by the parent company for furnishing Hawker 800 and 1000 (ex BAe 125) executive jets, and eight and 12 seat designs have been produced.

Converted aircraft will also be fitted with EFIS flightdeck avionics and a TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System).

Bottom Line

Federal Airports Corporation, on an operating revenue of $429. 8m, has posted an operating profit before abnormals and tax of $89. 5m. Operating profit after an abnormal item and income tax was $23. 6m. Australian Defence Industries has reported an operating profit in 1992/93 of $34. 4m on revenue over $450m.