Newsdesk General Aviation

Call for Human Factors Unit

The Director of the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI), Dr Rob Lee, has called for the establishment of a human factors unit within the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to identify systemic and organisational problems. The crash of a Monarch Airlines Piper Chieftain at Young in 1993 is at the heart of the call, the BASI report on this accident identified major organisational deficiencies within the former CAA which contributed to the accident. Dr Lee says that human factors professionals can identify such problems before they lead to major accidents. Many of CASA’s equivalents around the world (notably in North America and western Europe) have human factors units which are dedicated to the improvement of air safety. Dr Lee also suggested that the ‘pipe dream’ of a perfect safety record was achievable and should not be regarded as impossible. He gave the examples of Qantas, the RAAF’s fleet of Hercules transports and many small general aviation operators as examples of this level of safety being achieved.

The Gulfstream V prototype flew for the first time on November 28. The ultra long range business jet is the first aircraft to fly powered by BMW Rolls-Royce BR700 series turbofans. First Gulfstream V customer deliveries are planned for the end of this year. (BMW RR)

Top Talent for Skyrace

Organisers of next month’s Country Club Casino Skyrace Tasmania have confirmed the participation of three top US racers. Three Reno Gold Unlimited Champions will bring their skill and expertise to Tasmania and tackle the event in a Yak-3 fighter (one of the new aircraft now in production in Russia) and possibly a Yak-11. Allan Preston, Bill Destephani and R William Rheinschild plus full support crews will dismantle and ship the aircraft from the USA to Tasmania, where they will be reassembled in preparation for the Valleyfield event. Destephani’s Team Strega has won Gold at Reno in 1987, 1992, 1993 and 1995 flying Strega, a Mustang purchased from Australia in 1983. Strega is heavily modified for racing with clipped wings and a 3500hp (2610kW) Rolls-Royce Griffon engine. Destephani also owns the famous Mustang Dago Red. R William Rheinschild’s team has been racing the P-51 Risky Business on the US circuit since 1988, finishing third in the Super Gold at Reno in 1994 and third in the Silver Class in 1995. Alan Preston is the only person to have raced all four classes (Formula 1, Biplane, T-6 and Unlimited) at Reno and has won Gold Championships no fewer than six times. The presence of the Americans plus the creme of local talent makes this year’s Skyrace look like a ripper!

Barry Murphy is the FAC’s new Chief Executive Officer. Qantas MD James Strong is the Orient Airlines Association’s new chairman. A reshuffle of Qantas top management sees Col Hughes become General Manager International Operations and Gordon Howlett Executive General Manager International Operations. Robin Southwell has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Executive of British Aerospace Australia Holdings. Doug Roser is the head of the recently established Airport Industries Australia industry association. Hazelton Airlines has opened a new office in Wagga, headed by Margaret O’Dwyer. Newly established New Zealand charter operator Freedom Air’s Australian manager is Tim Wagg. Gary Charles is Qantas’ new manager Taiwan. Helitech has announced the appointment of Mark Dunn as its manager of Helitech (PNG). Brian Flanagan is the new head of PR at CASA. Peter Taylor’s Peter Taylor Aircraft Sales has been appointed the authorised Australasian sales agent for the Dassault Falcon family of business jets. Cathay Pacific’s new Australian Regional Manager is Martin Cowley. Rob Robson has rejoined Qantas in the newly created position of Sales and Marketing Manager Victoria. Sandy White has resigned from the FAC where he was General Manager of Sydney West Airport (Badgerys Creek).

Bottom Line

Lufthansa has posted a DM506m ($A501m) profit before tax and special items for the first nine months of 1995, a DM4m improvement over the corresponding period in 1994 despite high currency losses, which cost the airline DM440m ($A435m). Revenue increased by 4.7% to DM14.2bn ($A14.1bn).

United Airlines has recorded its best ever quarter result for the three months to September 30 with net income of $US242m ($A327m) up from $US82m, on revenue of $US4.13bn ($A5.6bn) (up 8%).

International Directory of Military Aircraft 1994/95: Gerard Frawley & Jim Thorn

This full colour reference work is the first time to our knowledge that almost every single military aircraft currently in service has been detailed under the one cover. The 200-page International Directory of Military Aircraft details 308 separate military aircraft of every mission and type from the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15 to the Su-35 and F-22, with everything in between, ranging from the CT-4 Airtrainer, to the C-130 Hercules, Tu-160 ‘Blackjack’, UH-1 Iroquois, Boeing 707, Cessna Bird Dog, Hawker Hunter, K-8 Karakorum, E-8 J-STARS, Soko Orao and Atlas Cheetah, and so on.

Fighters, bombers, tankers, transports, helicopters, trainers and special mission types are all detailed. Each aircraft entry features a colour photograph, specifications including powerplant, performance, weights, dimensions, accommodation and armament, a listing of operators and a concise but comprehensive description of the aircraft’s history and development and different variants. In addition, important aircraft families are broken down into multiple entries to give significant model developments the coverage they deserve. An example of this are separate entries on the F-15A/C and F-15E Eagles.

As well as the 308 aircraft listed, the International Directory of Military Aircraft features a current listing of the inventories of the world’s air forces and naval and army air arms, as well as a glossary of military aviation terms and acronyms and a review of the status, recent past and future of the military aircraft industry worldwide.

The Directory of Military Aircraft is the sistership to the very successful Directory of Civil Aircraft and like the civil book, Military Aircraft will be updated and thoroughly revised every two years, with the second edition due for release in early 1998.

The International Directory of Military Aircraft is due to go on sale in mid-February. It will be available in softcover from major newsagencies or direct from Aerospace Publications, PO Box 3105, Weston Creek ACT 2611, ph (06) 288 1677, fax (06) 288 2021 for $26.90 for softcover inc postage or $36.90 for hardcover inc postage. Advance orders are welcome.

Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1995/96: Edited by Paul Jackson

This edition of the recognised definitive aircraft reference work is the first under the leadership of Paul Jackson and features a number of worthwhile minor revisions to the format.

JAWA continues to follow its tried and true format of listing aircraft by their nation of manufacture and then alphabetically with all aircraft featured currently under development or in production, except for some Russian types. The Russian section is particularly comprehensive and is probably the best available reference source on the plethora of emerging aircraft projects from that nation. The growing use of production tables, cutaways and diagrams is welcome, while again JAWA features a fleet listing of the world’s airlines.

Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1995/96 is available in Australia from most major aviation bookshops for around $434.

The Story of the Spitfire: Network Entertainment

Spitfire fans have been well catered for over the years on video, this one adding to the previous efforts and contributing some interesting footage and a slightly different approach.

Although it covers the bulk of the Spitfire story, most of the video’s 55 minutes deal with the period until the end of 1940 and therefore covers the type’s development, the political and military background of the times and the early part of the war, with emphasis on the Battle of Britain. This in itself is very interesting, although it does leave the sections dealing with later Spitfire marks less detailed.

Unlike many aviation videos, there are few errors of fact in the script and the one or two which do appear could have been easily eliminated with just a touch more care by the script editor. Statements like “only two types of engine were fitted to the Spitfire” are meaningless and should also not get past the first edit. One sequence which did prove annoying was that on the Mark IX. While the narrator (British actor Patrick Allen) was talking about this model, the pictures were mainly of vastly different Mark XIVs taking off and landing.

The problem with Spitfire videos (and books) is that the vast majority of people who might buy them already know an awful lot about the subject. This one will teach them little that is new but it does have some footage which is of interest. For a young person starting out on the road to Spitfire knowledge, The Story of the Spitfire is a good introduction.

The Story of the Spitfire costs $24.95 and is available from SkySupply, 7/44 The Grand Parade, Sutherland 2220. Phone 1800 636 707, fax (02) 521 2451.

25 Years in Kiwi Service – Boeing 737: Media Force

As its title implies, this excellent video is an in-depth analysis of the career of the 737 in New Zealand airline service with NAC, Air New Zealand and Ansett New Zealand.

25 Years in Kiwi Service — Boeing 737 is the end result of three years of research and filming almost singlehandedly by director/producer Paul Brennan, and the results reflect this. The video is a first-class production and quite interesting despite its fairly narrow subject area.

The video features details of the background to New Zealand’s National Airways Corporation’s hunt for a new jet airliner to augment Viscounts, the selection of the new type, early crew training and delivery and subsequent service use with NAC and Air New Zealand through to 1995, and then later Ansett New Zealand’s operations of 737-100s and -200s in the late 1980s.

Further, the video also features a ‘from the cockpit’ view of an ANZ 737 sector between Christchurch and Queenstown narrated by the flight’s captain. This in itself is very interesting and is a great look at what happens on the flight deck through the various stages of a typical flight.

Features of the video include interviews with several key National Airways Corporation/Air New Zealand personnel involved with the selection and operation of the 737, and some excellent air-to-air footage of Air New Zealand 737s.

Available from Aviation Collectables Downunder, PO Box 444, Mundaring 6073, ph 1800 623 044 or (09) 295 6026, fax (09) 295 1105 for $44.90 inc postage within Australia, or overseas airmail $45.90 inc postage.