Spring 2014 - Redstar Pilots Association

Transcription

RED Alert
THE MAGAZINE OF THE REDSTAR PILOTS ASSOCIATION
Spring 2014
2
Red Alert Spring 2014
Red ALERT
Features
Memorial.................................................................................................. 6
8
Dave Casey
Sequestration, Weather, Reactors, and History. . ............................... 8
Synergistic Bonanza
Safety Update........................................................................................ 12
How Are We Trending?
When The Hold Harmless Agreement Is Not Enough.................... 14
Protecting Your Assets
Standardization of Training. . .............................................................. 16
10
Communicating In Formation
The Current Position of Eastern Radial Engines............................. 18
Radial Sitrep
Mixed Flights........................................................................................20
Blending T-34s, Yaks, and Nanchangs In Formation
Bill Mills' Nanchang CJ-6A.................................................................22
Pirate's Treasure
20
9
9 Reasons to Bail...................................................................................29
'Three-Second Drill
DK 08
Informal Formation Clinic 2014.........................................................30
Sixth Annual Falcon Field Gathering
Flight Leader.......................................................................................... 35
Preparing For the Flight Leader Checkride
26
reasons
to bail
Helluva Deal On A Helmet..................................................................36
Don't Short-Change Your Brain Bucket
Columns
President’s Message. . ..............................................................................4
Spring Is Coming!
Aviation Medicine. . ...............................................................................24
What You Don't Know Could Hurt You
Training..................................................................................................26
Advanced Tactical Formation: Four-Ship
Your Flight Lead Said What?..............................................................28
Formation Standardization Rant
Contrails................................................................................................. 38
What Experimental Jet Should I Buy?
Aerobatics..............................................................................................42
Loop
Engines
That’s why they are just as happy to quit in
- and if that perfectly flat field sh
it’s ti
Fire
You tried the Emergency Procedures
but the fire hasn’t gone out.
This is no time for thoughtful
goodbyes.
Jammed controls. That Cell phone we
Or it could be a Camera Lens cap, Ball
you briefed yo
PIC Medical
30problem
They are not responding. They may be unconscious,
possibly blocking the controls. It may be possible to RTB
with an unresponsive body, but evaluate your options
if flight safety is compromised.
Collision
You came out to practice formation.
Trading paint with your wingman was not in the plan.
If you clearly don’t have the same control authority
that you took off with, you are now a test pilot.
Was this in the brief ? Get out now.
C
canopy
42
Before
at least
Now you have
That w
Ride it o
But maybe you got
can handle. When the plane is n
you may no l
29
Flight Lead Corner.. .............................................................................. 10
Anatomy Of A Break-Out
You bought it, maintained it, polished it and took care of it. S
It’s more than the prospect of making your first parachut
throwing away a possession. Having some criteria to help in
- when it’s really time to leave, says ex-DOSAAF Senior Fl
There have been several fatalities where an ea
may well have changed the outcom
H
Harness or lock malfuncti
can mean you are attached to t
If G force
the signpost is sayin
Make it a rule to always lan
took off with. If something brok
harness
www.flyredstar.org
3
President's Message
G
reetings, Comrades, what a winter this has been! In San
Antonio, we have had six distinct cold fronts bringing us
below freezing temperatures, ice storms, and widespread power failures. I flew a Pearl Harbor Day Ceremonial 3-ship over
the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, TX. The OAT was 26
F! Thanks to my EZ Heat system, and my insulated hangar, my
TW started like it was summer time! I was able to fly the sortie
with everything in the green but I had to keep the cowl flaps,
and oil cooler doors, completely shut!
Spring is coming! All our trees are leafing out, grass is greening
up, and the temperatures are in the 60s! So, as we kick off our
2014 flying season, I am going to talk about the web site, spring
training for your flying skills, NWOC, and AirVenture 2014.
As I write this message, the web site has been
live for six weeks. We did have a few issues
with members validating their passwords, and
using the new member application to renew
their membership. This should not be an issue
when renewing for 2015. The new site allows
an event host to create the equivalent of an
event web page complete with links to airfields,
FBOs, hotels, individual tickets for event fees,
meals, merchandise, and downloadable event
materials. However, the organizer must get an
admin password to get to the posting pages.
Any member wishing to list any type of event
should contact me to get his admin password. I
have also written a primer to guide all organizers through the listing procedures. This primer
will soon be available on the web site. We are slowly adding
more content. We now have one video posted on the home
page video link and would like to add yours. If you produce it,
we will show it.
Over the winter, proficiency and currency can significantly
suffer. To get tuned back up, start with the Pilot Operating
Handbook (POH). Review normal/ emergency procedures and
performance numbers. Then, spend some time in the cockpit. Re-familiarize yourself with instrument, switch, lever,
and valve positions, then, practice all POH procedures. Start
your airborne training with normal transition procedures, like
takeoffs and landings, in all configurations. Then, add stalls/
falls and aerobatics, if desired. Finally, add formation flying,
if appropriate. Don’t hesitate to get flight leads, IPs, and CPs
involved. A buddy can notice performance deficiencies, while
observing you better than you can, while knocking the rust off
your RPA flying skills. Besides, training with a buddy can be
more thorough and enjoyable than doing it alone.
At the NWOC conference in February, one of the topics in
the Check Pilot meeting was the Formation Proficiency Report
4
(FPR). All signatories reported some difficulty with flight leaders and wingmen having difficulty with who is current to give
an FPR, and who is current to take one. Fortunately, this is a
small number, but we have decided to help formation flyers by
adding FAST currency information to the FPR form. Look for
the new form on the website in the near future. Another topic
involved the care and feeding of check pilots. In December, the
RPA updated our CP Policy Letter to revamp how we nominate
and select new CPs, how CPs track their requirements/participation, and how they retire. Since many signatories don’t have
a policy letter as complete as ours, they were very interested to
discuss ours and get a copy of it.
I told you in my Fall Message that Warbirds of America (WOA)
wanted to increase the number of mass formation aircraft in the RPA, T-6, T-34, and
T-28 groups for the Thursday through Saturday, July 31st through August 2nd airshows.
The primary initiative is to improve the quality and time in front of the crowd for the
four groups. The WOA established a working
group consisting of the Air Bosses and Mission Commanders from the four signatories.
We are putting the finishing touches on our
air show options and will be presenting them
to you soon. As you know, the EAA buys your
fuel for all airshow flying if you hold at least
a Commercial rating. I have heard a rumor
that there may be an additional fuel payment
made to the mass formation signatory with
the largest increase in the Thursday-Saturday formation aircraft numbers. Just as soon as I have the airshow scenarios, and
the additional fuel-payment information, I will let you know.
In the meantime, please look at your schedule and see if you
can make it to Oshkosh for the Thursday-Saturday airshows. It
is sometimes easier to make early, tentative reservations that
can be cancelled later, rather than trying to make scarce, last
minute reservations. We will also have additional Oshkosh flying schedules out to you soon. There is only one Oshkosh. If it
has been a while since you flew here, this might be the year to
revisit it and enjoy the thrill of flying with your RPA buddies
in front of 110,000 people!
I am excited about the 2014 flying season! I hope to fly with
many of you at our exciting, formation events. Remember, Red
Alert is your magazine. We want to see you in it. Please send
the editors a "Picture and a Paragraph" about you, your aircraft, and how you fly it.
As always, train hard, and train often.
Terry “Mags” Slawinski yakski@earthlink.com
RedStar Pilots Association
VOLUNTEERS
OFFICERS
President Terry Slawinski yakski@earthlink.com
Vice President Scott McMillan aviatr@aol.com
Secretary David Jester djester@gjtbs.com
Treasurer Ron Lee ronlee@rjlpartners.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Southwest Scott Andrews onthegoaz@aol.com
Northwest Joe Griffith joegriff@chugach.net
Southeast Dave Jester djester@gjtbs.com
Northeast Rob Mortera robwork@robinhill.com
Northcentral John Shuttleworth jhnshuttleworth@yahoo.com
Southcentral Joe Wilkens yak52driver@aol.com
National Mike Carter beavcarter@cox.net
National Scott Glaser scott.t.glaser@defiantco.com
National Rich Hess hess737@aol.com
MANAGERS
Public Relations John Graham cubflyer1940@yahoo.com
Standardization Skip Slyfield norske@gmail.com
Maintenance Jill Gernetzke jill@m-14p.com
Flight Physiology Chuck Crinnian, MD chiefpilot@aviationdoc.net
RPA Store Byron Fox byronmfox@gmail.com
IT Dean Henthorn dinoh@clutchmania.com
RPA/FAST Records Mark Weidhaas dicepilot@yahoo.com
Advertisement Sales John Warwick john.warwick1@gmail.com
RED ALERT
Editor Mike Filucci mfilucci@gmail.com
Associate Editor Alan Cockrell yakpilot@bellsouth.com
Associate Editor Robert Genat robertgenat@yahoo.com
Associate Editor John Warwick john.warwick1@gmail.com
Sr. West Coast Correspondent Robert Genat robertgenat@yahoo.com
Contributors
Craig Barnett craig@schemedesigners.com
Chris Dilley s3onewire@yahoo.com
Robert Genat robertgenat@yahoo.com
Terry Shelton terrysheltonphoto@gmail.com
Don Spering f4don@aol.com
Robert Turchick rob@yipdogstudios.com
John Warwick john.warwick1@gmail.com
Advertisers
Ladd Gardner Aviation Insurance................. 2
Gibson & Barnes............................................... 7
The Yak Collection..................................... 7, 35
Don Mayer's Parachute Shop........................ 13
AirPower Aviation Insurance....................... 15
YSAir................................................................ 19
M-14P ............................................................. 25
Compressed Gas Systems.............................. 28
Merit Apparel.................................................. 34
WhirlWind Propellers................................... 34
Mort's Aero...................................................... 37
Air Capital Insurance..................................... 43
Red Alert is your magazine and would not exist
without your input-your stories and experiences are what bring the magazine alive.
Mike
2014 ISSUE DEADLINES
Summer: 25 May
Fall: 25 August
Please submit material to:
Mike Filucci mfilucci@gmail.com
Material contained herein is published for examination and evaluation of the reader. The RedStar Pilots
Association has made no attempt to verify any of the
contents and accepts no responsibility for any items
printed in this publication. Articles written and published in this magazine are for entertainment only and
are the opinion of the author(s). They are not intended to be instructional in nature nor promote deviation from a published flight procedure in any aircraft
or technical flight manual, FAR, law or other regulation. The contents are not intended to be construed as
offering legal advice or counsel.
RED Alert
THE MAGAZINE OF THE REDSTAR PILOTS ASSOCIATION
Cover
Cockpit shot of BJ
Kennamore's Nanchang CJ-6A
Photo by Chris Dilley
Spring 2014
www.flyredstar.org
5
David Brian Casey
"Slammer"
I
t all happened much too soon for Dave Casey. At approximately 1330, January 14, 2014, on a pristine day for flying, "Slammer"
took off from Santa Maria Public Airport with a friend in his Morrisey 2150. It was to be his last flight before departing West.
Dave was born in Seattle, Washington on June 10, 1950. He earned his BA degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1972,
and his MBA while he was stationed abroad with the USAF. Dave got the flying bug at twelve years old while aviating with his
uncle. That led to a long, fulfilling career and hobby in aviation.
He joined the U.S.A.F. in 1972 and was active with the Air National Guard for 30 years flying with the Reno High Rollers in the
F-4 Phantom and C-130. Dave flew in Desert Storm during the Gulf War in 1991. He was a highly decorated United States Air
Force Colonel (Ret), with 26 combat missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and three air medals. His military assignments and training included flight instructor, flight examiner, and Phantom demo pilot. He also served as a test pilot
for Learfan Jets in Sparks, Nevada from 1981 to 1982.
Dave was 63 years old and very close to retiring from American Airlines, for which he flew for 34 years. He flew and Captained
numerous aircraft while with American, his last being the Boeing 777, mainly flying international routes. While with American
Airlines, he continued his Air National Guard duties until retirement.
Not only did Dave own the 1958, two-seater Morrisey 2150, he owned an RV-8, and a 1987 YAK-52. Last year, "Slammer" joined
the Red Eagles Formation Demonstration Team, based out of San Diego, CA. He added diversity and talent to the team, and was
adept at flying the #3 and #5 positions.
Dave frequented Southern California to visit with his children, grand-children, and fly with the Red Eagles. His dream was calling the idyllic central California town of Avila Beach his home. He also shared time between Avila Beach and Roche Harbor, in
the San Juan Islands, Pacific Northwest.
In addition to being a great aviator, Dave was also a great guy. Quick with a smile and a laugh—he was such a pleasure being
around. He was the type of gentleman you just wanted to get to know better. A wonderful friend. He will be greatly missed.
Don Spering
6
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7
Sequestration, Weather, Reactors, NASCAR, and History—
Revisited
S
ometimes the idiocy of government
leads to a synergistic bonanza for us
little folks. And, you learn things from
this—like it takes one minute and 34
seconds to sing the national anthem. Or,
where hydrogen gas in a reactor comes
from. Or it's great to be friends with a
bunch formation pros.
Back to the idiocy of the government. With
the “sequestration,” a lot of the demonstration teams (Air Force and Navy) were
grounded for “budget cuts." The hue and
cry from the general public and congressmen got them back airborne, but with a
limited schedule. All other “f lybys” that
those services were doing were curtailed
and, at this writing, still are. But, the desire for aircraft f lybys is still there for a lot
of organizations. In fact, that desire has
trickled down to us civilian warbird formation groups. Since the start of this sequestration business, I have f lown no less
than eight "f lybys" for different opening
ceremonies. They include NASCAR races, and NFL football games. You can also
throw in a couple of big local high school
football games. Our gas and oil were paid
for, even when weather caused us to turn
back from a major college football game in
South Carolina. What’s nice is getting to
f ly formation, in a situation that requires
precise timing for time over target (TOT),
and, most importantly, getting to f ly with
your buds a little more often. Yep, there
are some government hoops you have to
jump through to satisfy the TSA and other
bureaucratic agencies, but once you know
the steps, what phone calls to make, and
what forms to fill out—it all goes pretty
quickly. That leads to the story of my twoday sojourn down to Homestead, Florida
(south of Miami), to f ly for the opening
ceremonies of the NASCAR race.
The day started early with Chris Dilley, our photographer, showing up at my
house/hangar at sunrise. However, we had
to wait for the weather to get up the VFR
minimums before departing. Eventually
we joined up with Rich "Smiley" Langar
over his home airport, Leeward, before
heading down and refueling at Clewiston
airport on the southwest corner of Lake
8
By Jim “Pappy” Goolsby cjpilot710@aol.com, photos by Chris Dilley
Okeechobee. With the weather right at
minimums, I lifted off from FD44 and
headed west between the restricted areas
that bracket our airpark. All went well
until I crossed the St. Johns River into
the Ocala National Forest. Very quickly, I
found myself down around 300' with approximately two miles of visibility. With
my faithful GPS and intimate knowledge
of the area, I was comfortable heading for
the better weather over Leeward.
Approaching Leeward, I gave a call to
"Smiley" who was waiting at the end of the
runway for takeoff. We were soon joined
up and heading south into rapidly improving weather. That was short-lived, however. The rain showers that trailed along
the line of the frontal system soon made
themselves evident across our course. Using the “radar” function on my IPad Foref light, I was able to lead
Smiley the last 20 nm, around the
really heavy showers, into Clewiston. Fueling up (fuel was quite
cheap, at $4.30/gallon), and, after a
quick hamburger, and chatting with
some weather grounded sky divers,
we blasted off for Tamiami Airport
and the Wings Over Miami museum (WOM). The weather was very
marginal at takeoff, but with Smiley glued to my wing, I found a hole
just south of the field that led to
beautiful skies over the Everglades.
Flight time into KTMB was two hours
and six minutes total. The WOM people
were there to direct us in and soon, our
intrepid leader, Hank "Hoot" Gibson, was
briefing us for the afternoon mission. At
the appointed time, we climbed into the
cockpits, started engines, and taxied out
smartly for a departure on 9L.
We were seven ships, starting out as two
f lights—a 4-ship, trailed by a 3-ship. For
the "run-in," we would be configured in a
big “V.” The first f light would stay in fingertip. The second f light would move up,
with two ships [#1 + #3 (me)] getting on
the wing of #2, while our #2 guy went on
the wing of #4 of the first f light. We were
to pass over head, smoke on, as the last
notes of the anthem were sung—that’s why
it's important to know how long it takes to
sing the national anthem. Then at Lead’s
call, we would execute a fan brake. Now,
here is the "vive-la-difference." At Lead’s
call: “circle the wagons,” we would reverse
course and head back toward the track and
enter a race track pattern in extended trail,
with smoke on. Two turns, and we would
break out and join-up over some lakes four
miles to the southwest.
For the recovery, "Hoot" briefed a sevenplane echelon for the pitch-out and landing back at Tamiami. One might think that
an echelon that long would be ragged and
wobbly, but there were a bunch of smooth
pilots in that formation. Being on the end,
what I saw was six helmets all lined up one
on top of the other, all the way to lead. But
crap happens.
Standing, L to R: Chuck “Rhino” Marshall,
Mike Wiggs (GIB), Sam “Lion of Judea” Sax,
Rich “Smiley” Langar, Gary “Popsicle” Pope,
Dennis Mayo (GIB), Dick Russell.
Kneeling L to R: Fred Shadf ly, Chris Dilly (GIB),
Hank “Hoot” Gibson, Jim “Pappy” Goolsby
The pitch-out was executed perfectly,
and I saw evenly-spaced airplanes arching around for the runway. It must have
been a thing of beauty from the ground.
Then I heard Lead transmit that he’s going
around. Chris Dilley, my GIB, says “Geee
Pappy that was close!” It seems that an
aircraft taxied out onto the runway right
in front of Hoot, who was on very short
final. This led to #2, #3, #4, and #5 going
around, also, and a very upset controller
on the radio. The runway was clear by the
time #6 and I were on final, so we landed
without any delay. One hour and six minutes, block to block.
During the debrief, the erring pilot (a
sheriff ‘s deputy) came by to apologize.
Evidently he thought a transmission he
heard was for him, when, in fact, it was for
another aircraft with a similar call-sign
on an adjoining runway. That was the only
item that required any discussion, as far
as deviation from the briefed mission. For
the deputy, his tribulations were just beginning.
With aircraft secured for the night, the
troops, along with WOM regulars, headed
for their favorite tavern, where I had the
best fish n’ chips in a long time, along with
a couple of Dos XX. One of my table-mates
was Sheila, who happened to be wife and
GIB in Fred Shadf ly’s Yak. She is an engineer in her daytime job at the Turkey
Point nuclear power plant, on the south
end of Biscayne Bay. Over beers I learned,
in detail, why the reactors in Japan blew
up. Yep, that hydrogen gas thing. Damn I
love science! But by 2030 hours, I was in a
very deep, deserved, peaceful sleep. It had
been a long day.
The next morning found the crews up early, and all joined for a meal at a very popular restaurant that specializes in breakfast.
It turns out it was Chuck “Rhino” Marshall’s birthday and, of course, we had to
celebrate it.
When we arrived at the airport after breakfast, we decided to take a closer look at an
A26 “Invader” that was part of a permanent memorial on the field. I soon found
myself reading names on its brass marker
that I knew and who had been part of my
life as a 21 year-old instructor. Names like
Alberto Sordo, Rafail Pujol, and Teliechea
were very familiar to me and are duly recorded in my log book from 1961. Here is
a short history lesson, and my small part.
Castro had taken over Cuba, and then
showed his true color as a communist. A
lot of Cubans left Cuba and formed counter-revolutionary groups in the USA. The
CIA "facilitated" these groups, and soon
the Bay of Pigs fiasco was in full swing.
In addition to the boats landing Cuban
troops on the beaches, a collection of A26s formed an air force, of sorts, for support. Many of the pilots were former
Cabaña Airways pilots who had defected out of Cuba. The details and
repercussions from the Bay of Pigs
failure would ripple through US
politics, to Watergate years later, and
even into 2010. When the operation
was cancelled by JFK, not only did
it leave several hundred Cubans as
POWs, but a bunch of pilots found
themselves without a home. But, the
effect on me back then was, I suddenly had
a bunch of Cuban pilots as students. The
government (I was told it was the CIA)
paid to have these pilots get the required
10 hours of dual with a US-licensed instructor (me) and then take a f light check
for the commercial rating and become US
citizens. That’s where I ran into these gentlemen in 1961. To see their names on this
memorial brought back political memories that shaped my belief system to this
day—and I had f lown with some unsung
heroes. It would not take many beers to get
me to tell the story, a long one, about those
days. But not here.
Arriving at the WOM hangar, we saw Dick
Russell, (T-34 junkie) from Spruce Creek,
coming in to f ly in an 8-ship mission. Airplanes were prepped and pre-f lighted, and
then the briefing began. This time, "Hoot"
briefed that we’d be two f lights of four
aircraft. We’d do element takeoffs and go
right into two diamonds. The lead f light
would stay in a diamond for the run-in,
however, the second f light would split,
with #1 and #2 going to the left side of the
front diamond while #3 and #4 (me) would
move to the right—again forming
a big V, but with an airplane in the
slot. Lead called “smoke on” during
the run-in, then, at the final note
of the anthem, (again that timing
thing) he called for the fan break.
But here’s where we changed things
around a little.
planes reversed course for the track. We
had determined, the day before, that fewer
airplanes could make a tighter circle over
the track. The rest of the group headed for
the rendezvous point and formed up for
the return to base. Lead discovered he’d
lost his transmitter so he turned the lead
over to #4 who took us home. Total time,
block to block: 1:05.
After a debrief and well-wishes to and
from the WOM pilots, Smiley and I (with
Chris Dilley in my back seat), headed
north on a course for Leeward, across
the impressive expanse of the Everglades,
passing well west of Orlando’s Bravo airspace. Abeam Disney World, I had the
pleasure of watching the sunset behind
Smile’s CJ, all the while listening to “Fan
Fair To the Common Man” on my IPod,
through my intercom. North of Leesburg,
Smiley split and set course for his base. A
little further on, I called “Sea Lord” to see
if I could transit R2910 for a short cut to
my field. I got a reassuring “all areas inactive, maintain VFR.” And so I started
over the darkest part of Florida you can
imagine. Ocala National Forest and Lake
George. As I crossed the north shore of the
lake, I spotted the runway lights—2:06,
block to block, with :45 of night time and
:15 of that in formation. Of course, Smiley
did the work—I was just leading.
And that was my weekend in a nut shell.
Gas, oil, and per-diem being paid for,
makes a weekend with good friends and
peers a whole lot more enjoyable. And so,
there you have it. The government screws
up the budget. My weather-f lying skills
are tested. I learned why nuclear reactors
blow-up. Had a great meal, and a few beers
with my comrades. I revisited my history.
Made a lot of NASCAR fans happy. Then
my night-f lying skills were refreshed.
And it didn’t cost me a dime.
This time when Gibson called for
"circle the wagons," only three airwww.flyredstar.org
9
Flight Lead Corner
Anatomy Of A Break-Out
By Mike "Blade" Filucci mfilucci@gmail.com
I
t's a beautiful, clear day as you lead your 4-ship through the
paces of an aggressive, extended-trail exercise. Then comes the
call: "Red 3 breaking out, blind on Lead."
Now what? How would you handle this? What are your options?
More importantly, what are your priorities?
Here are some of the answers I've seen Leads-In-Waiting give
when confronted with this situation:
•
Re-establish visual contact with #3
•
Determine #3's position and direction of f light
•
De-conf lict with #3
•
Determine why #3 broke out of the formation
All are legitimate answers, but, assuming you are also blind on
#3, there is a definite priority required to preserve the safety of
your f light. Your primary concern, anytime you are faced with a
blind/blind situation such as this, is to immediately de-conf lict
with the blind wingman.
This leads to the next question. What is the fastest and simplest
way to immediately establish positive spacing between your
f light and the break-out wingman?
Altitude!
If, in the course of the breakout, the wingman did not transmit
his altitude or altitude passing, (if not in level f light), your first
radio call should be an inquiry as to his altitude: "Red 3, say altitude." Once you know the wingman's altitude, you will be confronted with three possibilities: the wingman is above, below, or
at your altitude. Obviously, the worst-case scenario is if the wingman is at your altitude. In this situation, you have another decision to make—should you climb/descend to a different altitude,
or direct the wingman to climb/descend to a different altitude?
There is no pat answer to this question, it will depend on the situation. Some considerations that could come into play:
•
Proximity to the hard deck
•
Proximity to terrain/obstacles
•
Proximity to restricted or controlled airspace
•
Proximity to other practice areas (above, below, or adjacent)
One thing is certain, you do not want either aircraft to climb
or descend through the other's altitude until visual contact has
been re-established. Also, if you are looking for an expeditious
solution, it is likely that the break-out wingman can maneuver
to a different altitude faster than you can drag your f light to a
different altitude.
How much altitude differential do you think is necessary? That's
a decision you will have to make based on your assessment of
10
the wingman's capabilities and your own comfort level. For me,
500' would be the minimum acceptable altitude difference, with
as much as 1000' if there was any question as to the wingman's
capability.
So, you've de-conf licted your f light with the break-out wingman.
Now what? Let's see if we can re-establish visual contact. You'll
want to continue directing the actions of your wingman to facilitate the process. Now that you've established his altitude, you
will want to keep him somewhere in vicinity of your f light, as opposed to having him f ly, wings level, off into the hinterland. I've
heard breakout wingmen call out an altitude and heading—that's
useful information, because it gives you the all-important altitude information, and it also tells you he is wings level. Except,
you don't want him to be wings level—you want him to enter into
an orbit so that the distance between you and the wingman is not
increasing. By the way, if you are dragging the remainder of your
f light through the sky, straight and level, you will want to start a
turn for the same reason.
One of the beautiful things about f lying warbirds is that many
are outfitted with smoke systems. When it comes to re-establishing visual contact, it's hard to beat a smoke trail. If the wingman
has smoke, have him turn it on. Likewise, if you or someone in
your adjacent f light has smoke, turn it on. You have a very high
probability of spotting one another once the smoke trails start
blowing.
If you are unfortunate on this day and no one has smoke, you will
have to revert to the traditional means of getting the airplanes
back together—f lying to a prominent ground reference in your
area, using a DME fix, lat/long, clock position and distance from
the airfield, or some other reference. If nothing works for you
on this day, you always have the option of sending the wingman
home solo.
Now that you've re-established visual contact, the real work begins—getting the f light back together. This is another endeavor that has no single, or right solution. There are many ways to
skin this cat and I've seen some that are clever and imaginative,
and others where we f lailed around the sky for an interminable
amount of time with no hope of getting the f light together.
You will again want to be directive with your break-out wingman
to maneuver him into a position that will enable him to make a
safe rejoin. Here, again, you are confronted with multiple choices
and will have to decide how you want to execute this process. My
own preference is to simply keep my wingmen in trail, position
the break-out wingman aft of the f light, and have him join as
tail-end Charlie, in extended trail.
As an alternative, you may decide you want to rejoin #2 and #4 to
fingertip, and then bring the break-out wingman back on board,
using standard rejoin procedures (#3 would join to the outside of
the turn, outboard of #4). In this situation, no matter which of
these methods you choose, your wingmen will not be in the original order of the f light. You now how one last decision—renumber the wingmen to ref lect their new positions (#3 becomes #4,
and vice-versa), or shuff le the f light to get everyone back where
they were originally.
You might ask, why not just have #4 go to route position and
then have #3 slide in between, inside of #4? As the f light leader,
with the responsibility of managing risk, you have to ask yourself: which is less risky—executing a rejoin in a standard manner, the way we practice it day in and day out, or inventing a new
way to rejoin, in a manner the wingman has likely never seen or
practiced?
Let's walk through the radio calls you might hear in a scenario
such as the one we've been discussing.
#3: "Number 3 breaking out, blind on Lead."
#1: "Number 3, say altitude."
#3: "Number 3 is climbing through 3,900"
#1: "Number 3, maintain 4,000' and hold a left, 30° bank turn."
#3: "Maintain 4,000', entering a left, 30° bank turn."
#1: "Number 2 and #4, say position."
#2: "Number 2 is at your six o'clock, in sight."
#4: "Number 4 is at #2's six o'clock, in sight."
#1: "Number 2 and #4, remain in my six o'clock, 500' spacing."
The reason I prefer having the wingman rejoin in extended trail
is that he can use lead/lag—something that he is familiar with,
and it still preserves a nice safety margin, because he is joining
the f light in an extended position.
#2: "Number 2, remain in trail, 500' spacing."
Once everyone is on board, if you choose to shuff le the f light
back to its original order, it's actually quite easy—your work is
almost done. You will have #2 on one wing and #4 on the other
wing, with #3 outboard of #4. Using a radio call, direct #3 to
cross-under to the other side, outboard of #2. Then direct #4 to
cross-under to the other side, outboard of #3. You now have your
f light configured in echelon, back in the original order.
#1: "I have you in sight, at my four o'clock, high. I will continue
a left hand turn at 3,500'. You are cleared to rejoin. Maneuver to
join in extended trail."
There are many variations on this scenario. Sometimes, when
#3 breaks out, #4 will follow him because he has #3 in sight but
not #2 or #1 in sight. This actually makes things a bit easier, assuming #3 and #4 stick together, because you will not have to
reshuff le the f light after you get #3 and #4 back on board. If #3
and #4 do not stick together, you've really got your work cut out
for you. Good luck!
#2
#1
#4
#4: "Number 4, remain in trail, 500' spacing."
#1: "Number 3, I am at 3,500, smoke on. Turn your smoke on."
#3: "I have you in sight. I am at your four o'clock, high."
#3: "Cleared to rejoin in extended trail."
#3: "Number 3, is in."
Lead can then call for the rejoin on the radio, or roll wings level
and execute a wing rock to initiate the rejoin.
We can't possibly cover all the possible scenarios for a break-out
situation but this gives you an idea of how you should prioritize
and then problem solve your way through a fairly typical situation—other situations are simply variations.
Remember, de-conf licting the wingmen will be your first priority to ensure safety of f light.
#3
#4
First, #3 crosses-under to opposite side
#3
#2
#1
Flight now configured in echelon, in original order
Second, #4 crosses-under to opposite side
In this scenario, at the completion of a left-turning
rejoin, the wingmen will have to be re-numbered or
shuffled back to their original positions.
www.flyredstar.org
11
Safety Update
By Alan Cockrell yakpilot@bellsouth.net
How Are We Trending?
B
efore going in to this, I’ve got to tell you that I abhor statistics. They don’t begin to tell the sad stories of the men and
women that we knew, valued, loved and trusted, whose lives are
lost in these laundry lists of dispassionate numbers. Sometimes
numbers lie, but they do one thing well; they identify trends. So
let’s take a fresh look at how we’re doing.
In the Fall 2008 issue of Red Alert I reported on the accident and
mishap history of the RedStar f leet from 1994 through 2007, and
found some interesting trends.
Low-altitude maneuvering was the major cause of accidents
in our f leet, followed closely by Controlled Flight Into Terrain
(CFIT).
Yak-52s made up almost half of all our accidents and mishaps.
Pilots with commercial certificates committed one third of accidents.
Pilots with ATP certificates committed over one fourth of all airborne accidents and mishaps.
Our fatal accidents peaked in 2003, and spiked again in 2007.
Our gear-up landings peaked in 1999, and have been declining
(slowly) ever since.
Engine failures steadily increased to a peak in 2003, then spiked
again in 2007.
But back to the stats: In the period 2008-2013, the year 2012 was
our worst with seven accidents and nine fatalities, while the following year, 2013 was our safest with only three accidents and
two fatalities.
In the period prior to 2008, the Yak-52 was the airframe of choice
in which we committed our unpardonable aerial sins, but the
L-29/39 has surged ahead in that ignominious category. The Albatross and Delfin suffered five accidents vs. five for the Yak-52
and five for the CJ-6. One L-29 crashed on takeoff with a fuelstarved engine and another one attempted a wild aerobatic formation join-up that resulted in terrain impact. I don’t know what
the totals are for the various aircraft types in RPA, but you’ve got
to think there are a whole lot fewer jets than props, and yet the
jets were involved in a third of all the occurrences. Disproportionate? Seems to me.
In the period 2008-2014, loss-of-control overtook first place as
the biggest killer. This is especially disturbing, as it points an accusatory finger at our stick-and-rudder skills, or the lack thereof.
We are stalling in the traffic pattern (two instances), spinning
into the ground (two instances), and in one occurrence, losing
control via high-speed, accelerated stall. Another pilot became
disorientated and crashed during an ill-advised night IMC departure. Also, the Yak-52 jammed elevator monster raised its
head again in 2012, killing two in New Zealand.
So what’s happened in the time span since I did that study? Did
we learn any lessons from our past? Read on and be the judge.
We are doing better on the ground with only three incidents.
Only one was a mechanical failure. Of the other two, one was
failure to follow checklist (air valve closed) and one was pure
stupidity: landing hot on a short runway that had obstacles on
both ends. If I’m stepping on someone’s ego, he can meet me in
the parking lot.
Since 2008 we have had 15 fatal accidents, killing 24 people. That
compares with 24 deaths in the preceding 14 years. A sobering
way to look at it: We lost 1.8 lives per year 1994-2007 and 4 lives
per year 2008-2014. Not a happy trend.
I elected not to look at pilot qualifications and experience this
time—there’s no point. Regardless of the ratings in our wallets,
or the thickness of our logbooks, we are still bending metal, and
still giving business to the undertakers.
We have suffered three mid-air collisions, but one was in an air
race, so we’ll chalk that one up to show business. Both of the
other mid-airs were with non-RPA aircraft and were not formation related. In both cases the RPA pilot survived and the other
person didn’t.
In my estimation, nearly three fourths of all our accidents/mishaps were preventable. This excludes the non-pilot induced mechanical failures, and both mid-air collisions. (After studying
the mid-airs I concluded that the RPA pilots could not have seen
the intruder coming.)
Speaking of planes coming together, there have been no formation related mishaps in the reporting period. Thus it would seem
we are our safest when we brief up and join-up. Maybe that’s because we go into a formation f light with good briefings, good
training, and an awareness of the threats involved. Those old demons—complacency, over-confidence, and vulnerability to distraction, seem to ambush us more when we’re out alone. Just my
thoughts.
Here are absurdly quick summaries of each accident/mishap
that I found on U.S. NTSB and other Western nations’ databases
(F=fatal, NF= non-fatal):
We had four jammed elevator accidents between 1994 and 2008.
L-29, 2008: Engine failure on takeoff. Clogged fuel filter (F).
Yak-11, 2009: Departed runway edge. No mechanical failure
(NF).
CJ-6, 2009: Loss of control overshooting final (F).
CJ-6, 2009: Mid-air with RV-8 (F to RV-8).
12
L-29, 2009: CFIT during a “barrel roll” join-up (F).
Yak-3, 2010: Gear collapse due to actuator failure (NF).
Yak-52, 2010: Unable to recover from low altitude spin (F).
CJ-6, 2010: Forced landing due to engine failure (NF).
L-39, 2011: Attempted landing on insufficient runway (NF).
Yak-52, 2011: Spin (possibly a f lat spin) related to “tail chasing”
(F). (Occurred in UK.)
Yak-55, 2012: Mid-air with Lancair (F to Lancair).
Yak-52, 2012: Airshow CFIT (F). There is strong anecdotal evidence that fatigue and possibly G-induced loss of consciousness
(G-LOC) were factors.
L-39, 2012: Loss of control during night IMC takeoff (F).
L-39, 2012: Loss of control during takeoff, possibly due to loss of
canopy (F).
CJ-6, 2012: Loss of control in traffic pattern (F).
Yak-52, 2012: Gear collapse due to air valve being left in closed
position (NF).
This compares with 7.2 per 100,000 hours for general aviation
(U.S.), according to AOPA for the year 2009.
If my estimates of aircraft and hours f lown are reasonable, we are
35% more accident-prone than the red star-less multitudes. You
might be tempted to chalk this disparity up to the fact that we f ly
more high performance aircraft, in more challenging f light regimes. But it bears repeating: 76% of all the accidents I just summarized were preventable. Most estimates of human error in all
general aviation accidents return about that same percentage. So,
the numbers are telling us we’re doing no better than the average
Spam Can Joe in avoiding preventable accidents, and we’re worse
than they are overall.
Don’t you wonder how many RPA pilots read my 2008 safety
summary in Red Alert and never entertained the idea that they
might be statistics in the next update? I knew a couple of them.
Let’s see how we’re doing five years hence. In the meantime, how
can we improve our chances of living to ripe old ages, like Si Robertson, for example? By minding his placard:
Yak-52, 2012: High speed accelerated stall during aerobatics. Unable to recover prior to terrain impact (F).
Yak-52, 2012: Jammed elevator (F). (Occurred in NZ.)
L-39, 2013: Airshow CFIT, unexplained (F).
CJ-6, 2013: Loss of control during low altitude maneuvering offshore (F).
Disclaimer: Sometimes the NTSB gets it wrong. I know of twice
when it’s happened. If one of the above victims was your buddy
and you want to set the record straight, write it up and send it to
Red Alert.
Putting all this into perspective, let’s assume we have 300 aircraft
in the RPA f leet and each f lew 100 hours per year during the
period 2008-2013. The total hours f lown would then be 150,000.
At 20 accidents/mishaps, our rate is 11 per 100,000 f lying hours.
www.flyredstar.org
13
When the
Hold Harmless Agreement
is not Enough
By Gil “NAFOD” Lipaz glipaz@timefin.com
T
his is not a typical Red Alert article because it is on a very serious topic: how to protect your wealth and your family’s finances when the worst-case scenario happens. As a life insurance
agent, and specialist in the use of insurance for estate planning,
I have worked with countless clients to help them best protect
their estates from both estate taxes and from what I call creditors
and predators. As we all know, “stuff ” happens, and when it does,
we are all subject to lawsuits, even if we’re no longer around. It
seems that every year there are a few unfortunate accidents that
end in tragedy and, in our litigious society, the ensuing lawsuits
are inevitable. Having your passengers or fellow aviators sign a
hold harmless agreement is a good idea, and will at least give
you or your heirs a fighting chance at a defense. But, let’s realize
that anyone hurt on the ground would not have signed your hold
harmless agreement, and even if you are no longer around to be
sued, the lawsuits can come against your family and your estate.
There is a well-known lawsuit that came out of the 1999 accident
within the Lima Lima formation team. The team performed a
pop-top break to land, and two aircraft collided, leading to the
death of one of the team members. Even though the deceased
pilot had signed a hold harmless agreement to indemnify his fellow team members, his wife and two children still sued the other
team members claiming that while he may have signed away his
right to sue, he could not sign away their right to sue. The hold
harmless actually had language stating that he signed away his
heirs’ rights, but the court did not agree. When there is a lawsuit,
you may, or may not, be around to defend yourself, but you will,
for sure, be putting your family’s wealth at risk. So first, be careful, but second, protect your estate.
While I offer you no legal advice, I would like to suggest some
steps you can take, with advice from your attorney, which might
provide you and your family some significant asset protection.
To begin with, and as you may know, assets held in a retirement
account are generally protected from creditors. The classic example of this is O.J. Simpson’s NFL pension. While O.J.’s other
assets were taken from him by the court, his pension could not
be touched and, before he went back to jail for trying to steal back
some of his former property, was his steady source of lifetime
income. But, most of what we own is usually outside of retirement plans, and is subject to creditors and predators. Therefore,
many families seek out ways to secure their non-protected assets.
The easiest way to do this is to gift or sell assets to an irrevocable
trust to which you are neither the trustee nor the beneficiary. It
sounds like you are giving your asset away when you do this. You
are, kind of. In general, whatever is not yours cannot be attached
by creditors, so moving assets out of your name can provide you
with creditor protection. What if you could give assets away, but
14
into trusts that are for the benefit of your spouse or your children? That is the foundation of asset protection planning.
The easiest and most widely used creditor protected trust is the
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT). Often, pilots believe they
have protected their loved ones by the fact that they have life insurance. Maybe. The question is: who owns the policy? Suppose
you meet your maker in a less-than-desirable way, and in the process, cause harm to someone else, and your estate is sued—all
your assets, including any life insurance you own, are subject to
being attached by the court, which means you could be leaving
your spouse and family in a terrible financial situation, even if
you left them a nice big life insurance policy. So you should think
about transferring the life insurance out of your name. If you
have life insurance, even if it is just term insurance, you should
consider establishing an ILIT, of which your spouse or children
can be the beneficiary. That way, if the policy pays up (meaning
you bought the proverbial farm), the proceeds would be held in a
trust for your spouse’s benefit to which she or he would have full
access for income while keeping the death benefit protected from
law suits. Even if your estate got drained by legal fees and judgments, the assets in the ILIT, which could be substantial, could
remain protected and available for your spouse and children. One
important caveat to remember is this: transferring a policy into
an ILIT is considered a gift to the beneficiaries of the ILIT and
a gift has a three year look-back period, meaning that if you die
within three years of making a gift of any asset, it would revert
back into your name. That could be bad. But, instead, you could
fund the ILIT with some cash and “sell” the insurance policy to
it. That is not considered a gift and would not be subject to the
look-back provision. So, ILIT’s seem to be a no-brainer. They are
not costly and any good estate and trust attorney can draft one
for you. But, what about protecting assets other than your life
insurance policy?
While ILIT’s are specifically established for holding life insurance, you can establish other irrevocable trusts to hold your noninsurance assets. Once again, these trusts can be for the benefit
of your spouse and/or your children while providing asset protection by the fact that they hold assets that are no longer yours.
Our clients usually create these trusts to transfer assets out of
their estates in order to shield them from future estate taxes rather than just for asset protection but, regardless of the goal, the US
government has set limits on how much you can legally transfer
out of your estate and into irrevocable trusts. These limits are
not to hinder your ability to protect assets from creditors but,
rather, to limit how much you can protect from estate taxes. Currently, the amount that any individual can “gift” out of their es-
tate is $5.25 million. That means that a couple can transfer $10.5
million worth of assets out of their estate, giving those assets
protection from both creditors and from future estate taxes. And,
by taking discounts on eligible assets one can transfer even more
value than $10.5million.
Such trusts can be established in any state although some states, such
as Nevada, are becoming
renowned for being home
to strong asset protection laws. States such as South Dakota,
Alaska and Delaware allow trusts to remain in perpetuity (dynasty trusts) keeping them exempt from estate taxes and protected from creditors for future generations. Also, the state of Texas
has a unique rule where the cash accumulation within a life insurance policy, even if owned by the individual, has creditor protection. This does not help in case of death, (you would still need
an ILIT) but provides Texans the ability to use cash value life insurance policies to accumulate wealth that
is protected from
creditors. The Texas
rule is only for Texas
residents but trusts in
Nevada, South Dakota, and some other states can be established
by residents of any state. Again, I advise you to consult on these
matters with your estate and trust attorney and a trusted life insurance agent, but most important of all, let’s all be safe!
When there is a lawsuit, you may, or may not,
be around to defend yourself, but you will, for
sure, be putting your family’s wealth at risk.
Call Tom ‘TJ’ Johnson
@ 866 475-9199
TJ@airpowerinsurance.com
www.flyredstar.org
15
Standardization
of Training
By Mike "Viper" Maloco mmaloco@aol.com
A
s I write this article, I must confess to all of you, I found the
tallest soapbox I could find to present this sermon. I’m sure
at the end of it, some of you will be a little miffed, and if you are,
I apologize—however, the facts are the facts.
I will start off by saying that it’s critical that we who teach, are
there to pass on information, and techniques, to our students so
that they can f ly with almost anyone in formation, with a certain
guarantee they will successfully make it home to see their loved
ones that night.
Okay, what is the Sam %#@! am I talking about? Recently I lead
a f light of four. During the f light, I configured the f light into a
left echelon—I then gave the double pump signal to # 2, to pass
to #3, so #3 would move his element over to form a fingertip,
strong right. Number 4, at that point, got on the frequency and
proceeded to tell me that this is not a standard FAST move.
So let’s dissect this part of the f light.
•
Number 4 was the pilot with the least formation time.
•
Unless there is a safety-of-f light issue, wingmen should not
be challenging the Lead on the frequency. It disrupts the
f light, and challenges Lead’s authority.
•
Procedural questions are best addressed on the ground, during the debrief.
When I got home that night I sent an email to people I respect,
and I must tell you, the responses I got back were eye-opening:
"FAST does not support or recognize the f light maneuver I chose
to make!"
"FAST allows this maneuver only if a radio call is made!"
"FAST wants # 2 moved, then 3 & 4, then move # 2 again!"
Now I’m talking about these comments coming from military pilots, check pilots, instructor pilots, leads, as well as low-time
wingman.
Here is page 18 from what was one
of the original FAST formation
f light manuals, first published by
the T-34 Association.
Please note # 4: Echelon left to fingertip
Then I start to get the other email responses, one of which I have
pasted here.
Gentlemen,
Frankly, I don't know the origins of this prohibition on moving
the #3/#4 element from echelon to opposite side fingertip. Our
comm guide is an adaptation of the FAST comm guidelines and
the double-pump signal, passed by #2 to #3, has been a part of that
protocol for the last 17 years that the RPA has been associated with
FAST.
We've talked about similar situations before. It usually involves a
local group adopting a non-standard signal and then propagating
it throughout the region—I refer to this as "Continental Drift."
This is not an instance where the RPA has changed its methodology, it is a situation where one or more instructors where not
familiar with the RPA/FAST protocols and spread disinformation.
This discussion can serve as the starting point to bring everyone
back into the fold. As all of you know, standardization is an ongoing process.
I have also f lown with guys who will give a hand signal that I
don’t understand and when I ask them about it, the answer given
is, “That’s the way they do it on the XXXX Coast. Guys, this is
wrong, and not at all the way we should be teaching. No matter
where you f ly, no matter which group you f ly with, it should all
be the same. I’ve also f lown with patched pilots who don’t know
the hand signals. Let me give a few examples:
When you are in fingertip and Lead wants to turn left or right,
does he give a hand signal or does he move his head from the
upright position to the direction of the turn several times? Well,
the Air Force teaches one way, the Navy another, but there is no
"turn" signal anywhere in the FAST guidelines.
How about when you’re on the runway,
ready for a section take off—do you,
after checking that the wingman is
ready, move your head back, and then
give an exaggerated forward head nod,
or do you take your hand from a vertical position and then drop the hand
and move it forward? I’ve seen both
but I was trained one way.
Okay, so now let’s revisit my formation
in left echelon, and I want to move #3
and #4 to my right. Should Lead make
a radio call to initiate the move?
Really! Well you see, #2 has to take his
hand off the throttle to give the double-pump to #3. Is that dangerous?
16
Before you answer.
What about when Lead has the f light in fingertip and now wants
to move #4 to diamond? If the f light is in fingertip, strong Left,
#3 has to take his hand off the throttle to give #4 the signal.
If the f light is strong right, now #3 has to take his left hand off
the throttle, place it on the stick, then, using his right hand, give
the #4 to diamond signal.
I think my point is being made—if you have people who can’t
pass a signal because they feel it’s unsafe, they perhaps should
not be in a formation f light, or they may require more training.
Also, the FAST card is a privilege that allows us to f ly formation in waivered airspace. This is where it really counts boys and
girls—you’re in confined airspace, and making formation changes quickly. Briefings need to be well-defined, including a walkthrough of the formation changes with the f light on the ground.
When I have led formations in an airshow, I would be listening
to Air Boss on one frequency, and talking with my guys on another. I would be talking them through each of the maneuvers,
including when we are going to turn, when we’re going to level
our wings, and all the other details.
The Thunderbirds, Blue Angeles, Canadian Snowbirds all do
it, and they f ly two to three practice f lights, six days a week. If
it’s good enough for them, it’s sure as heck good enough for my
f light!
When we are out just doing a practice formation for fun, (not
getting ready for an airshow), it’s for fun. There is NO reason
that any maneuver has to be performed right away. If Lead gives
a hand signal that needs to be passed on, stabilize your aircraft if
you’re starting to get sucked. Fix it first, and then give the signal.
There is no need to panic.
We all make mistakes, all of us. One of the reference tools I use is
watching the DVDs of the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds and Snowbirds, especially the debrief. Everyone admits to their mistakes.
In one tape Commander Russ Bartlett, of the Blue Angels, makes
the comment “sometimes while in the debrief, and I’m being told
where I screwed up, I’m thinking, you've got to be kidding me,
what in the hell did I get into!”
Being told a mistake was made, is not to tear you down, it’s to
help us all become better formation pilots. It’s a tough pill to
swallow, but if you want to improve, it’s important we understand where a mistake was made, and how to correct it.
Be safe, be prepared, study the material. We all need to brush up
every once in a while. Most important of all, if you get a command you don’t understand, or the sun was in your eyes and you
couldn’t see the signal clearly, do nothing, and communicate you
don’t understand.
Fly safe, teach your children well!
Formation Comm
There are three ways to communicate in formation:
1. Hand signals
2. Aircraft signals
3. Radio call
The flight leader will use the appropriate comm protocol, depending on his briefed plan, and the circumstances at that
moment in the flight.
Hand signals can be utilized for most of the comm within a
flight—aircraft signals are a bit more limited since there are
no aircraft signals for some of our maneuvers. Radio calls can
be used for all maneuvers and provide the ultimate backup
(assuming you are not NORDO) when there is confusion, or
an abnormal situation, within the flight.
The RPA's comm protocols are based on the FAST Radio Communication and Visual Signals guide, which can be found in
the Documents section of the FAST website:
www.flyfast.org
Hand signals originated with the necessity to maintain radio silence so as to not give up the element of surprise to an
enemy monitoring the frequency. With triangulation radio
equipment, an enemy could possibly plot position and track.
Today, we use hand signals to maintain the tradition, mostly
for the fun of it. It also serves to keep the radio frequency
clear for use in case of an abnormal or emergency situation.
A proposed revision to the FAST comm guide has been submitted to the FAST BOD for consideration but it has not been
acted on as of this date. The proposed revision updates, simplifies, and clarifies some of the comm protocols. It also introduces photo-representations of the hand signals (manfully
portrayed by our very own Duke "MADDAWG" Molter).
When you start to teach a new student, use the material that’s out
there, the RedStar or the T-34 Association’s formation manual.
How about the Darton tapes—this was mandatory viewing for us
in the T-28 community, but the principals apply to us all. These
tapes also give your student a look-see at what he or she is going
to be doing before getting into the f light.
Formation f lying is a perishable skill, and as I keep telling my students and pilots, “you can get seriously killed doing this stuff!”
www.flyredstar.org
17
The Current Position of Eastern
Radial Engines
By Richard Goode www.russianaeros.com
I
was reminded that it was almost five years ago that I wrote
similar notes for Red Alert, and that people could be interested
in an update. Of course, I tend to write with a European perspective, although well over half our engine business is outside
Europe, including the USA. The main difference is that we are
far more controlled by our aviation authorities here than those
in the relaxed environments of the USA, South Africa, Australia, and other countries. This means that even if an engine is
going into a non-certificated aircraft—like a Yak-50 or -52, the
engine must be meet standard specifications, and can only be
overhauled by an approved workshop. In practice, a reasonable
number of customers are quite happy to have modified engines,
with a side letter from them, to confirm that they have installed
the modifications themselves.
Not in any particular order of importance, I thought the following items could be of interest:
Our relationship with Aerometal in Hungary
Having begun business in Russia in 1989, we obtained our engines from Vedenyeev (OKBM) for many years, since they were
the designer of the M-14P, but also had the ability to overhaul
engines. They were subsequently taken over by an entrepreneurial Russian group, but gradually ran out of money and began to
send out engines with very sloppy workmanship, and indeed began quoting quite ludicrous prices for overhauls. For a while we
then went to the Voronezh Mechanical Plant, which was a main
production factory for M-14P but, it was clear from some 10 years
ago, that they were not really interested in the business—although they had quite extensive stocks of spare parts. In theory,
they continue to produce new engines, but in small numbers, and
at high prices. Finally they produced a batch of 100 engines for
a state order of Yak-18T aircraft and, although notionally "new,"
they incorporated very large numbers of overhauled items, and
also pretty much exhausted VMP’s stocks of engine components.
Although they have not officially announced that the engine
business has stopped, in practical terms it has.
Some seven years ago we were fortunate to come across Aerometal in Hungary. They are a medium-sized business by local
standards, employing some 80 people in a wide variety of specialised engineering work, but with the advantage that they have
their own machine shop, fabrication area, painting workshops,
anodizing, and other related capabilities. In terms of engines,
their business had been the overhaul of the M-14V engine for the
Kamov 26 helicopter. Historically, there had been around 100 of
these helicopters engaged in crop-spraying in Hungary, so a significant amount of overhaul work resulted. However, when Hungary joined the European Union, Western agricultural experts
looked at the kind of chemicals that were being used and were
18
horrified. This entire business was effectively stopped so that
there are now only something like 10 crop-spraying helicopters
left in Hungary.
So, we came to an agreement whereby we would be their exclusive
sales agent for engine work, excluding their historic Eastern helicopter business. We have found them quite excellent partners,
superb engineers, and they produce lovely engines. Historically,
they had only produced completely standard engines, but are now
doing a variety of improvements such as assembling the engines
to much tighter tolerances than allowed in the Russian technical
manuals—and carefully polishing intake ports. In addition, they
have put a lot of emphasis on the cosmetic appearances of the
engines, and this has included the manufacture of new, but identical to the original, data plates—which we install on the engines,
importantly, with the original serial number.
We are currently overhauling a bit over 30 engines a year, which
I suspect is more than other people in this small world. Most
of our engines have the excellent Savarese plug conversion kit,
for which we have obtained permission from the European authorities. Also, an increasing number of customers are using the
pistons from Barrett but, officially, only for use outside Europe,
since, of course, they are not certificated here.
Our work covers all the AI-14 and M-14 family, and we've obtained an old HS-6 Chinese engine with intention of overhauling
them in the future. Interestingly, they are surprisingly different
to the AI-14 in many ways. Few of these are significant, but it
means that many parts are not interchangeable.
Other People Active in this Business
This is certainly a dwindling number. Venitza, in the Ukraine
has definitely stopped—the two Russian companies, above, have
stopped, and Shakty, also in Russia, claims to still overhaul engines, but, if they do, I would have grave concerns about quality and reliability. Of course, Motorstar in Romania, who built
quite a lot of the new engines for Yak-52 have an active business,
both overhauling engines, and manufacturing parts. Termikas,
in Lithuania, is also overhauling engines, and that, outside the
USA is, in my view, it!
The Supply of Spare Parts
I am beginning to see areas where we will have problems in the
future, and to a certain extent, the effect of this is dependent
on whether the engines have to be certificated or whether they
can be totally "experimental." The main parts of the engines are
robust and can continue for engine lives of well over the original
limit of 2250 hours. However, I am beginning to see a shortage
of exhaust valves—these are a very sophisticated item made from
five different types of steel with internal cooling from sodium.
Then there are pistons. The Barrett pistons are excellent but, of
course, are not certificated for general use. Motorstar makes the
improved SPC pistons but, again, these are not officially certificated. Several of us are working on magneto coils, which are
one of the weakest areas on these engines. Then there are other
items which can have shorter lives than one might think. Propeller shafts can corrode quite badly, particularly when the aircraft
left outside. The Russian technology allows for a certain amount
of hard-chroming and then grinding back to the original dimensions, but many shafts are corroded well beyond these limits.
There are no new carburettors being made, and we are finding
that quite a lot of the housings are cracked or corroded, making
them impossible to repair.
The Russian High-Performance Engines
We sold relatively small numbers of the M-14R (from OKBM)
rated at 450 hp, and the M9F (from the Voronezh Manufacturing
Plant) rated at 435 hp but, with the death of the industry in Russia, we don't expect any more of these engines will be produced.
Having said that, with a combination of high-compression Barrett pistons, the PF supercharger, and very careful assembly—we
get a genuine 430 hp, and a bit more if we use the Barrett electronic ignition.
The AI-14 Engine
This was manufactured in quite large amounts and, of course,
fully certificated for its installation in aircraft like the Wilga.
However, PZL, the manufacturer and type-certificate holder, is
now no longer supporting the engine, but also not making any
spare parts. There are sufficient numbers around for a while, but
if these engines are going to keep going, then someone will need
to produce new exhaust valves and other critical components.
Although not in any way supporting the engine, PZL nonetheless refuses to allow the use, within Europe, of the very-proven
automotive-plug conversion kit, despite being approved for all
the M-14P family by EASA.
Pricing It is inevitable that costs of spare parts, overhauls, and engine
themselves will continue to rise, but I do not see these ever exceeding the costs of comparable Western engines, where these
costs have also risen dramatically. What could well make a difference is if we run out of major components. For example, to
establish the manufacture of new exhaust valves would be extremely expensive, and demanding a significant production run.
Setting Engines Up
We are always surprised how few owners do anything more than
simply install their engines and then f ly. The carburettors on
these engines are extremely adjustable—and far better smoothness, fuel consumption, temperature control and indeed, power,
can be achieved by careful tuning. So often one sees the engines
with a rough and lumpy idle, with lots of black smoke, whereas they can be adjusted to run like a sewing machine! Also, we
strongly recommend to people to change the compensating jets
to obtain the best compromise between fuel consumption and
engine cooling—so many engines run with far too much fuel
consumption, while others run hot because the jets are too large
(being a compensating jet, larger means less fuel). Indeed, it is a
good idea to change these jets between summer and winter if you
have a big variation in temperature.
YSAIR LLC
Vladimir Yastremski
(619) 379-1860
YSAir@Mail.RU
Parts, Maintenance and Pre-Buy inspections....
for Yakovlev, Sukhoi and Nanchang.
www.flyredstar.org
19
Mixed Flights: Blending T-34s,
By Mike "Viper" Maloco mmaloco@aol.com, photo by Robert Genat
I
t’s a beautiful California morning, we are getting ready to get
into our planes and head up to Santa Maria for some lunch,
socializing and formation f lying. I’ve already given the briefing
and now, as we walk to our planes, I’m looking at these beautiful
machines, designed and built by craftsmen, they're a pleasure to
look at.
As I climb onto the wing my eyes are suddenly shocked, what
the #%^&*!, they're telling me to look away, at the sight that now
beholds them. Ignoring my senses, I climb into the cockpit and
soon it’s time to give the start engine signal. Battery switch on,
prime the engine, starter engaged, and the beautiful Continental, 300 hp engine of my T-34, comes to life with the roar of a
tiger. Next to me, I’m watching as the blades turn—it starts with
a belch, then a sneeze, a fart, and the engine comes to life. I look
over at the pilot with his gomer glasses and scarf, oil smeared
over his face, his newly whitened teeth, stained with the excess
oil belched out of the exhaust pipes—but, hey, a smile is a smile.
"What’s going on," you might ask? Well, today we have a f light of
mixed aircraft.
So what does it take to Lead a f light of mixed aircraft? The first
thing is we need to identify are the parameters for each pilot and
his aircraft. So, let’s take a look. In the respective aircraft, we
have many different engines that we need to think about—they
are:
In the Mentors we have, 225 hp, 260 hp, 285 hp, 300 hp, and a 310
hp. We also have the two and three-bladed props on our planes.
The Nanchangs and Yaks also have the 285 hp, 360 hp, 415 hp,
425 hp, and even a 450 hp engine, as well as different sizes and
styles of props.
Also, the CJs and Yaks have a shorter takeoff run, and can accelerate faster than the Mentor.
The T-34, with the big engine, can cruise at 165 knots, the CJ-6 at
140 knots, and the Yak cruises at 120 knots—so you see if I don’t
come way back on the power, the only time the Yak would be in
formation would be when we line up abreast on the runway.
In 2012, there was a f ly-off, performed for an AOPA article, between the T-34 and CJ-6, both aircraft had a 285 hp motor, the
test f light was f lown at 10,500'. The aircraft were f lown by Billy
“Smitty” Smith in the T-34, and Rich Romaine, in the CJ. (The
following is taken directly from Smitty’s article, I wish to thank
him for allowing me to use part of his article.)
Then came the first of the comparisons—the “speed Run.” The
T-34 was next to the A-36 with the CJ on my right wing. We
dropped back a bit and formed into line-abreast. The A-36 slowed
to 100 knots and, when ready, we went to full power (on the count
20
of three). The T-34 left the CJ in the dust! We reformed, did a
break away from the A-36 (for the photographer) and cleared
them to return to base. The next comparison was rate of climb at
Vy. From line abreast, we counted to three, once more the T-34
outperformed the CJ. Better rate, at a higher speed. The last comparison they wanted to see was a stall series—power off, clean
and dirty. Stalls in both aircraft were very close to the same
speeds and characteristics—so, a draw.
What about long cross country f lights?
The T-34s can have three different fuel profiles:
50 gallons: @15 GPH=3 hours 20 minutes
80 gallons (wing tip tanks): 15 GPH=5 hours 20 minutes.
102 gallons (under-wing tanks) 15 GPH=6 hours 48 minutes.
Pilots bladder, ????????
The Yaks have approximately 1 hour 50 minutes
f light time with standard
tanks, and the CJs have
2 hours 20 minutes with
stock tanks—both have up
to 4 hours with the larger
tanks.
Takeoffs with the lowerpowered engines make it
interesting as we need to
stay back on the power to
have a section take off, so
expect the rotation and liftoff to be farther down the
runway. In the climb, I like
to go with 110 knots—it’s a
shallower climb, but results
in better engine cooling. At cruise, I normally set about 1900
RPM and 21" MP, with the Yaks at 23-22" MP with 2100 rpm. For
the 225 HP T-34s, this gives the lower-powered aircraft plenty of
smash, and were cruising at approximately 110-120 knots.
Planning a f light with mixed aircraft can be fun, but as I’ve stated before, take the time to understand the limits of the other
pilots and their aircraft, that way everyone can have a fun time.
So Where was I, oh yes! After start up I have to wait for the smoke
cloud to disappear so I can see the other aircraft in the f light, my
fellow T-34 driver, who was parked behind the belcher, now has
to climb back out and clean his front windscreen from all the oil
sent back his way, his beautiful blue and white aircraft now looks
like it’s low-visibility gray. Oh well, enough said—it’s off into the
wild, blue yonder.
Yaks and Nanchangs In Formation
By Craig Payne cpayne@joimail.com
I
t’s a beautiful Florida afternoon, clean April air with no hint
of California smog. A couple of f lights are prepping for doing some airshow work at Sun ‘n Fun. As I walk up to my bird, I
can’t help but notice the strong, masculine lines on the Yaks and
CJs—sturdy, purpose-built birds, born from a long, proud line of
fighter aircraft from previous generations. Their wings are bristling with rivets, attaching thick skins to heavy spars that don’t
fall off when the going gets tough.
As I climb up on my wing, I notice some of the T-34s parked
alongside—kinda' squatted down, where I couldn’t see them before. Yes, they are pretty, but then, so are a lot of girls I have
known. I’m reminded that they were cobbled together from the
Bonanza for a government contract, where low bidder won.
At start up, my engine barks noisily into a rumble that only a radial
engine can make. Belching smoke
and oil all the time, much like a
thoroughbred stallion snorting at
the starting gate, before a race.
The wind drifts my smoke over
the T-34s squatting alongside—
clearly my CJ-6 has marked it's
turf, and issued a challenge to all.
Peering down from my perch at
them, I can’t help notice the huge
size of their pilot watches, framed
by carefully rolled sleeves on their
f light suits, which are adorned
with really big, colorful patches.
Why do guys with the smallest
warbirds have the biggest patches?
Maybe Dr. Phil can explain it, but
I can't.
This day, I drew the Lead straw. I know my guys, and their airplanes, so I know that this hop is going to be a pleasure to be savored. My CJ has the big engine, a stock Yak-52 is My #2. There’s
a Huosai-engined CJ as my #3, and a pair of 400 hp, -52TWs in #4
and #5. The T-34s are behind us as they were just emerging from
their near Death Dance with the FAA and straggling back onto
the air show scene.
Of course, I briefed modest air speeds—we will maximize our
over-crowd time with quick, 45° dog-bone turns on the ends. The
trick is to roll smoothly and gradually into the bank to stabilize
and then slowly roll out, timing wings level when on the show
line. The T-34s finally caught up to our quick climb-out, and are
now doing a journeyman’s job of trailing us. Yes I can go much
faster, but no, this is not the time or place. The sortie ends well
with minimal squawks. Both f lights did what they were asked to
do. I clean up my airplane's oil smears and the T-34 guys wipe off
their bugs.
So now it’s my turn to take a look at the airplanes. All have served
long and well, with honor, unlike some that killed more of their
students than expected. I believe that some T-34s are still in
military service, although I can’t remember when I stopped seeing Charlie model T-34s, out of the Panhandle, coming down to
Lakeland—but not long ago. Both Nanchangs and Yaks soldier
on in military service, but in places where Frommer’s doesn’t
publish a guidebook.
And then there was that AOPA magazine East/West Fly-off.
What a hack job. Unfounded statements claimed that Nanchangs
were purposefully designed with small fuel tanks to prevent pilots from defecting—defecting to where? The author also claimed
that when a Yak-52 lands gear up, you need only change the
wooden propeller and continue on. Boys and girls: don’t try that
at home. He also claimed that the CJ seat does not adjust at all,
huh? Statements about the CJ-6's looks such as: “Pig Pen meets
Brutus,” Really?
Given statements like this I also wonder why the evaluation took
place at 10,500’? 192 knots for a T-34? Wow, how come I never see
these guys at Sport Air Racing League (SARL) events or the AirVenture Cup. T-28s, T-6s, Yaks and Nanchangs have competed,
but where are those 192-knot wonders? Come on down to the
Sun-40 Sprints that I chair during Sun ‘n Fun, and we will see
who walks the walk.
I love Yaks almost as well as my CJ, when the T-34 guys bitch
about having to come back on the power when f lying with a Yak,
all I can say is pull that stick back, push up your levers and watch
what real power can do. Perhaps the T-34 is used only for f lat
f lying, or perhaps that’s what AOPA writers do most of the time
in Bonanzas. Kind of like—let’s go out on a good VFR day and
practice approaches. That’s not what RedStar aircraft are for. By
the way, we did recover from the airshow in time for a quick debrief so the T-34 guys would not miss the Ellen show coming on
at four pm, local.
To be fair, AOPA treated us no worse than EAA Warbirds Magazine does. Twenty two years of coming to EAA events and f lying
in their airshows and not once a cover shot or feature story. In the
end, we all enjoy f lying together and enjoy the experience, the camaraderie, as well as the friendly rivalry—that’s the part AOPA
and EAA Warbirds Magazine misses. And yes, I am a member of
both organizations.
www.flyredstar.org
21
Bill "Pirate" Mills
Upgrades/Mods:
Dynon D-10A Artificial horizon (efis)
garmin 396
straight, side exhaust pipes
oil filter
Smoke System
22
22
Red
Red Alert
Alert Spring
Spring 2014
2014
s' Nanchang cj-6a
Chris Dilley
Manufacturer : Chinese (1985)
Model: Nanchang CJ-6A
Engine: Housai 285 HP
Prop: stock, two-blade aluminum
www.flyredstar.org
www.flyredstar.org
23
Aviation Medicine
By Chuck Crinnian, MD
What You Don't Know, Could Hurt You, or
How Dumb Can You Be?
B
ack in the “glory days” of aviation, the professional airline
pilot had a mandatory retirement age of 60. Many died before
age 65. Why? Deferred maintenance and irregular inspections
of their own physiologic systems. If a pilot had a disqualifying
medical condition, they are out of a job, and worse, not in the air.
This mindset resulted in the usual S.O.P of just going to the every
six-month, first-class medical “screening exam.” But that exam is
very basic. It does not get detailed enough into today's accepted
health screenings that we now know are necessary. Typically, the
retired airline pilot had his first heart attack or major life modifying health event just after age 60. But in retrospect, this could
have been prevented just by following health screening guidelines. But, because of fear of losing one’s medical, that screening
was deferred indefinitely. “I don't want to find anything to screw
up my medical” was the typical mantra of pilots of yesteryear.
I now have to admit that I had this same mindset. Flying is too
important in my life to jeopardize it by finding some medical issue. It won't happen to me! This might come as a surprise from
a physician, but we are guilty of this mindset, as well. However,
my “day job” is in a large hospital and I see a variety of patients.
It used to be that all those sick people were really older than me.
But not anymore. I have seen folks in their 40s and 50s at the
“pearly gates” with prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer,
and heart disease. They checked into the hospital, but they didn't
leave through the front door.
I caught a case of “Medical Student Disease.” That is where a
young doctor begins to experience the symptoms of many of
the patients they see. This really was a walk-up call—I should
do what I teach. The FAA now has developed a very good system of special issuance medical certificates that, if one has some
health problem, you can still qualify for a medical. Don't wait
for a health event to totally end your f lying, and likely your life.
You check your aircraft every annual—why not check your own
systems.
So this is what I did—and what you need to do. First, if you are
male and older than 50, get your gown on and get your prostate
checked—yearly. It is not that bad, and missing this diagnosis
will result in prostate cancer traveling to your bones. This hurts.
You also will die a slow, painful death.
Next, get a colonoscopy. You need one every five to ten years. I
will admit that the prep is about as fun as an IRS audit—get a lot
of reading material for the bathroom. But the main event, I slept
through. Colon cancer is another slow, painful death. The “bore
scope” exam is not bad, it will give you peace of mind, or find the
24
start of something bad that can be corrected. A friend had this
done just for screening and they found the start of a cancer, she
is now cured. If she had waited a year, the story would be much
different.
The next thing to do is a cardiac screening. This is simple, just a
blood draw, and some measurements. Know your body mass index (BMI). If it is too high, lose weight and exercise. Know your
blood pressure—if it is high, get it lower. The labs will look at
any diabetes (high blood sugar) and your lipid (fat in the blood)
levels. Preventing heart disease and stroke is much better than
trying to recover from it. In fact, a lot of folks don't recover and
lie in bed getting nutrition through a tube in their gut and having
strangers put them in a shower a few times a week. Not a pretty
sight.
Another issue is skin cancer. Arizona (and Australia) have the
highest rate of melanoma in the world. If this type of skin cancer
get greater than one mm thick, cancer cells are traveling through
you circulation and setting up shop in your brain. You usually
find out about this when this cancer causes a seizure or sudden
loss of function of part of your body. By this time, your time left
on the planet is measured in days to months. Find this one early.
See a dermatologist at least yearly.
I am proud to admit that I did all this in less than one month. I
was shocked to find out my cholesterol was way too high. I exercise and eat relatively healthy. I just make extra cholesterol—it's a
genetic issue. So am now on the appropriate medication.
For the females, get breast mammography. A family history really puts you at risk. While you are at it, get your f lu shots for the
season.
The “annual inspections” for your health are more important
than your aircraft annuals. There are not a lot of spare parts you
can get to fix your diseased body. Even if you don't care, I'd bet
there is someone in your life that cares—so take care of yourself.
On a final note—who is responsible for your health? If you answer anything other than “I am,” you are dead wrong.
Chuck Crinnian MD is a RPA member, FAAST Lead Representative, ATP, CFI and AME. Please call Chuck if you have any questions regarding the FAA Wings program, safety, or medical certification concerns. Office#: 480-451-7676 or go to his website:
www.aviationdoc.net
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is a simple formula that provides a proxy for determining
body fat percentage by looking at the ratio between weight
and height. The term "body mass index" originated in a paper
written by Ancel Keys and published in the 1972 issue of the
Journal of Chronic Diseases. Keys was an American scientist
who studied the influence of diet on health, and was explicit
in citing BMI as appropriate for population studies but not for
individual diagnosis. Nonetheless, its simplicity has led to its
being used as an indicator for individual health assessment.
In that respect, the following ranges have become widely
used. A BMI less than 18.5 may suggest an underweight condition; 18.5 to 25 is typically associated with a healthy range,
while a BMI above 25 may suggest an overweight condition.
A BMI greater than 30 could indicate obesity.
BMI =
mass (kg)
[height (m)]2
BMI =
mass (lb)
x 703
[height (in)]2
Chuck Crinnian, MD is an RPA member, flies a CJ-6 and is based in Phoenix
AZ. He is an FAA Aviation Medical
Examiner and neurologist. Chuck welcomes any medical certification questions from RPA pilots, contact him at
AME@aviationdoc.net
www.flyredstar.org
25
Training
Advanced Tactical Formations: Four-Ship
By Mike "Beav" Carter beavcarter@cox.net
I
n the last issue of Red Alert, we covered how to f ly basic twoship tactical formation. Those skills need to be performed correctly, and you must be proficient before this next step can begin.
I’ll assume that you can now f ly all of the two-ship formations,
so we’ll work on advance tactical formations, all the way up to a
four-ship.
250' - 500'
500’ - 750’
#1
0°
30°
#1
#2
#2
70°
Figure 1 Wedge
45°
Advanced Two Ship Formations (the building blocks)
Mastering these advanced two-ship formations is a required step
toward four-ship maneuvering. The first formation we’ll look at
is the wedge formation. The wedge is used at low altitude, when
there is not enough room to f ly line abreast (narrow canyons,
etc.), or when Lead wants to perform random horizontal maneuvers in a permissive air-threat environment. The disadvantage to
wedge is that no one is checking six for poor #2.
The wingman will f ly the position shown in Figure 1 during level- f light station keeping. During turns, the wingman will maneuver as necessary to avoid Lead, and return to the wedge position as soon as possible through the use of lead and lag turns, not
unlike maneuvering in extended trail. Because this formation
assumes low-altitude operations, the wingman will f ly no lower
than Lead, will de-conf lict high as necessary, and should avoid
any exaggerated rolling or nose-low maneuvers.
The second advanced two-ship position is Fighting Wing. Fighting wing is similar to extended trail, although it is f lown much
closer to Lead, and without overly exaggerated vertical maneuvering. This position allows Lead the f lexibility to maneuver as
necessary for weather avoidance, threat avoidance, or as desired
in a f luid situation. For our purposes, it is important that wingmen are comfortable in fighting wing. Our normal fingertip and
route positions do not allow for Lead to make rapid f light path
changes. Fighting wing allows that f lexibility for Lead.
26
DK 08
30°
70°
Note: angle offsets measured from line abreast = 0
Figure 2 Fighting Wing
It is important to practice this position as a two-ship before adding more aircraft to the mix. It is critical that the wingman remain in the desired 250' - 500' spacing so as to not create conf licts
when f lown with a four-ship. The “maneuver cone” is important
so as to minimize the time when the wingman is in Lead’s deep 6
o’clock, and therefore not visible to Lead. The wingman will maneuver as necessary, using the vertical as well as lead and lag to
remain in the proper position. When station keeping in straight
and level f light, wingmen should strive to be at the forward edge
of the maneuver cone (30° aft and 250' – 300'), and slightly lower
than Lead. This allows Lead to monitor his wingman, and allows
him to maneuver quickly without fear of f light-path conf licts.
Fighting wing is not recommended at altitudes below 1000' AGL.
If employed at low altitude, the wingman loses half of the maneuver cone, as he must not drop below Lead’s altitude.
#1 and #3 fly line abreast
#1
30°
#3
30°
750' - 1000'
#2
70°
70°
#4
#2 and #4 Fly Fighting Wing
250' - 500'
250' - 500'
Figure 3 Fluid-4 Formation
Four-Ship Formations
The primary formation that we will use with our RPA aircraft
is the “Spread Four” or “Fluid Four” formation. Element leads
will f ly line abreast and conduct all turns as tactical turns previously discussed in the winter 2013 issue. Delayed turns, hook
turns, and check turns, all may be f lown in this manner. I do not
recommend doing cross turns in f luid four because there will be
four aircraft close to each other at the crossing.
The wingmen in f luid four should aid in visual lookout, but primarily anticipate the maneuvering required to stay in position
during and after turns. Wingmen should not get too far aft, nor
too far away from Lead, otherwise, they could be a conf lict with
the other element. It is acceptable for wingmen to be in between
#1 and #3 during turns and maneuvers, but they should return
to the outside of the formation as soon
as possible—move to the forward edge of
Fighting Wing, and anticipate the next
turn. Six o’clock coverage is good for the
four-ship, as long as #1 and #3 are performing their lookout responsibilities.
The last four-ship formation we’ll introduce is the “Battle Box.” This consists of
two elements f lying line abreast, with
the rear element either in trail, or offset
from the lead element.
During turns, the first element will execute a standard tactical formation turn.
The second element will delay so as to
execute their turn at the same position
over the ground as the first
element. Care must be taken
by #3 to not f ly so close to
the first element as to interfere with their tactical turns.
In addition, #2 cannot be so
wide in the first element as
to be a conf lict with the rear
element. For obvious reasons,
the hook or cross turns will
not work in this formation.
If Lead needs a 180° change
of direction, he should command an “In-place 180 left/
right, go.” This will result in
#3 and #4 being in the lead
element. Another subsequent
in-place turn will return the
formation to the proper order.
The Battle Box formation of-
fers good mutual support, and a good element of surprise, as both
air and ground threats will have a difficult time acquiring all of
the aircraft in the formation.
Conclusion
Over the past two Tac Form articles, we have introduced the concept of tactical formation, wingman responsibilities, and communication requirements, the maneuvers themselves, and deconf liction responsibilities. While this seems like a lot to digest,
if you have the proper instruction and a few practice sorties, you
will feel as comfortable in tactical formation as you do today in
close formation.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions. Good luck
and f ly safe.
0°
#1
#2
20°
750' - 1000'
1500' - 2000'
750' - 1000'
0°
Figure 4 Offset Battle Box Formation
#4
#3
20°
www.flyredstar.org
27
Your Flight Lead Said What ?
By Skip "Ranger Rick" Slyfield norske.fly@gmail.com
W
hen the ice dam on the roof let go with the sound of a 30.06
and about three tons of snow came sliding down, obliterating the railing and the willow bushes, I realized that the current
mini-ice age was coming to an end and that the Spring-Summer
f lying season was approaching. And my thoughts turned, as I'm
sure all of yours' did, to the contemplation of FAST formation
currency and proficiency. Of course, we all know that there is a
difference between currency and proficiency, but more on that
later.
There's actually a summary of much of that in the header paragraph that precedes the maneuvers section of the FPR. On another note, again from the Admin Officer, Lead pilots are reminded that they are responsible to determine if pilots have the
required logged formation hours BEFORE being recommended
for a checkride. And those numbers are 10 hours for a Wing Candidate and 30 hours logged as a FAST credentialed pilot for a
Lead Candidate. Look for a handy kneeboard card with those
numbers in the future.
Of late I've been informed by our Sainted and long suffering
Scribe 'Weeds" Weidhaas that he has observed some curious and
eccentric Formation Proficiency Reports (FPR) come across his
desk. So I thought to kick off my occasional Formation Standardization Rant (FSR) that we'd take a (mercifully) short look at the
RPA FPR that seems to be mystifying some of our RPA brethren.
And now for some Motherhood and Apple Pie. The Winter 2013
issue of Red Alert had an excellent article by Rich Hess about incorporating professionalism into our aviation endeavors. Along
those lines I'd like to point out that our currency requirements to
prove proficiency are, in reality, fairly minimal. So go forth my
faithful Brethren and get proficient by f lying.
A quick look at the FAST Protocols and the RPA FPR reveal the
following salient points:
In future columns I'd like to address some regional "Free Range"
Formation practices that Blade and I like to call "Continental
Drift." You know—high signals, low signals, extraneous head
bobbles, whifferdills and mysterious, proliferating radio comms.
•
Each Lead or Wing pilot must be observed f lying in a formation f light each calendar year by a Lead or a Check pilot.
•
A completed Formation Proficiency Report must be signed
by the Lead or the Check pilot.
•
The pilot is considered current until the end of the calender
year in which the proficiency f light was f lown.
•
A Lead must demonstrate proficiency (read as f ly) as both
wing and Lead, and cannot endorse himself in the same
f light. (I mean, Really!?)
•
The endorsing pilot must be current themselves.
•
Last and most import, somebody in the f light has to remember to send the bloody thing into Weeds!
I'd also like to hear from you as to what it means to be an RPA
Lead pilot. Best essay gets published and free cold beer from me
at the next f ly in.
I think that as a community we have the best formation program
going, and some of the most standardized pilots out there. So
observe the RPA formation manual, live by it, stray not from the
path of righteousness, and go forth and have some fun f lying.
In closing I'd like to leave you all with my personal Leadership
Rule taught to me by my Dad, Commander Blackjack Slyfield:
"Don't drive your men to drink. Lead them!"
air tank hydro
testing
little
sticker
28
big deal
CGS
Compressed Gas Systems
www. CGS.aero
13829 Artesia Blvd, Cerritos, CA 90703
(855) 875-2226
FAA 20XR229C
9
You bought it, maintained it, polished it and took care of it. Suddenly the relationship has to end.
It’s more than the prospect of making your first parachute jump* - it’s severing the bond,
throwing away a possession. Having some criteria to help in that instant may prevent you staying
- when it’s really time to leave, says ex-DOSAAF Senior Flying instructor Gennady Elfimov.
There have been several fatalities where an earlier bailout decision
may well have changed the outcome. Here are:
reasons
to bail
Foreign Object Debris
Jammed controls. That Cell phone wedged under your seat is flying the plane now.
Or it could be a Camera Lens cap, Ballpoint pen, Keys or twenty other pocket items
you briefed your GIB to leave on the ground. Too late now.
They are not responding. They may be unconscious,
possibly blocking the controls. It may be possible to RTB
with an unresponsive body, but evaluate your options
if flight safety is compromised.
Collision
C
canopy
Terrain
Engines have no idea what terrain is underneath you.
That’s why they are just as happy to quit in the mountains. Know your gliding distance
- and if that perfectly flat field shown in the training manual isn’t down there,
it’s time to take a closer look. Without your plane.
Fire
You came out to practice formation.
Trading paint with your wingman was not in the plan.
If you clearly don’t have the same control authority
that you took off with, you are now a test pilot.
Was this in the brief ? Get out now.
Weather
Ride it out? Slow down to Va in turbulent air for sure
But maybe you got yourself into more weather than both of you
can handle. When the plane is not controllable due to turbulence or weather,
you may no longer have the time to ride it out. Leave now.
You tried the Emergency Procedures
but the fire hasn’t gone out.
This is no time for thoughtful
goodbyes.
PIC Medical problem
Inability to control
The aircraft is not recovering from a spin
or other type of rotation.
Before you started maneuvers you allowed yourself
at least ‘two mistakes’ of 1500’ each plus 3,000’ AGL.
Now you have used up both mistakes. Confess and get out.
That way you’ll have the option to debrief the flight.
H
Accidental Ejection
Harness or lock malfunction at just the wrong time during a maneuver
can mean you are attached to the airplane - but out of reach of the controls.
If G forces are keeping you from controlling the plane,
the signpost is saying that the flight home is no longer an option.
Structural Failure
O
Make it a rule to always land with the same number of aircraft parts you
took off with. If something broke off, the insurance company owns the plane.
Time you were off.
harness
out
Dosaaf students were trained to do this in 3 seconds........Can you?
*Every student also had to perform a parachute exit from a Yak 52 annually, so that unfamiliarity did not play into a bailout decision
www.flyredstar.org
29
Falcon Field Mesa, AZ
By Scott "Munchie" Andrews with photos by Robert "Speedo" Genat, Robert Turchick and Terry Shelton
T
he Sixth annual Informal Formation
Clinic was once again blessed with
beautiful, Arizona winter weather—mild
temps, just a hint of a breeze, and clear,
blue skies, can only heighten one’s desire
to climb into an airplane and go play!
Leaving the stresses of work behind, this
is going to be a great weekend!
In the past, Allen House was kind enough
to allow us to utilize his large hanger for
the clinic, but this year we have our own
large hanger! Falcon Warbirds is fortunate
to have leased one of the original WWII
hangers built in 1941 to train US, British
and Chinese pilots during WWII—did I
mention CHINESE pilots!!! This historic
26,000 square foot hanger is now the home
of several Nanchang CJ-6As, and other
Warbirds. The hanger came with 1,500
square feet of heated and air-conditioned
office, equipped with the highly-prized
bathroom (the latter being of most importance in Arizona during the summer
months!).
Thursday had the usual arrivals, new and
Brian Macey brought his Yak-52TW from Colorado. His dedication to his formation f lying skills was rewarded with a wing patch.
30
Friday
morning
commenced
with
the pilot brief—“Be
careful out there
guys, the wind is
forecast to pick
up to a nasty five
knots today!” Many
started
debating
the wisdom of element takeoffs under
such harsh condit i o n s — s o m e h o w,
they managed, with
f lights arriving and
departing all day.
Michael "Viper" Maloco, at the far end of the table, is reviewing the
mission plan with his wingmen.
old friends getting back together, catching
up on what transpired during the last year,
which seemed to go by at a lighting pace.
We accomplish “Dust off Flights” and a
couple of training sorties before starting
the wingman ground school at the end
of the day, with a Scottish burr and all—
many thanks to Mike “Viper” Maloco for
conducting the wingman ground school.
Lead ground school was conducted by
RPA check pilot, Mike Filucci.
Saturday
arrived
with
the
same
dreaded “winds variable at five knots”
forecast—I believe someone pointed out
that there was also a cloud on the horizon!
Training f lights rolled out and returned
along with a check ride for a new wingman before lunch. During lunch, Parachute Master Rigger Chris License, with a
great sense of humor, briefed everyone on
the intricacies of parachute care and usage. Following lunch, the mass formation
briefing started—five, four-ship elements
combined into one mass formation for the
William’s Gateway Open House, just 10
miles south of Falcon Field. The formation arrived on schedule at the Gateway
Open House for a couple of passes before
returning to Falcon for another pass, before recovery.
Babbo’s Italian restaurant catered Saturday night’s banquet with a table of fine
food. At the end of the dinner each male
attendee was given a piece of paper, and
told to make a paper airplane. Two events
would be held with the first being distance
and the second aerobatics—with the women in attendance as judges. While many of
the participants can f ly a real airplane with
extreme skill, only a couple knew how to
make an airplane that could f ly more than
one foot. Those participants who’s paper
aircraft crashed and burned upon launch
were awarded with the loudest jeers and
laughter. Ron “Little Wood” Lee was the
clear winner in the distance contest, and
Chuck “Cowboy” Crinnian nailed the accro portion. The winners were rewarded
with $50 gift certificates. “Call Sign” ceremonies began with only one nomination
for the failure to set his aircraft’s brakes,
allowing it to roll across the ramp. (This
Craig "Kmart" McCully has been a fixture at the Informal Clinics for years in his spotless CJ. He's always the first to hold his hand up when someone needs a wingman for a f light.
www.flyredstar.org
www.flyredstar.org
31 7
Don "Stormy" Andrews shows excellent form with the launch of his paper airplane. But like so
many before him, his too ended on the f loor only attaining only minimal distance.
Don "Stormy" Andrews brings his CJ in on final at Falcon Field. Even though a lot of f light
training is conducted there, the tower staff went out of their way for the warbirds.
was quickly glossed over and forgotten as
nobody really wanted to nail the host for
an infraction, when he hosted such a great
and fun event… ed.) Although, a call sign
should have been awarded to the unknown
person who fouled the toilet. Therefore,
no new call signs were awarded. A round
of applause was given to Brian Macey for
successfully completing his qualification
for his wing patch. Brothers Steve and Stuart Glemba received a hearty round of applause for the work they did on several aircraft with what would have been downing
32
mechanical issues. If an MVP award had
been given, they would have won hands
down.
Sunday morning dawned as another perfect AZ chamber-of-commerce day, and a
fitting end to another great f lying event.
A couple of training f lights launched
and others got an early start on their way
home. The informal Formation Clinic
has quickly positioned itself as one of the
RPA’s best West Coast events. Thanks to
all for another great and safe, Informal
Formation Flying Clinic!
This area around Falcon Field provides one
of the very scenic views for f lights. Chamberof-Commerce weather combined with local
scenery made f lying a joy.
Tom "Monk" Mitchell is an Arizona resident and another regular at RPA
f ly-ins in his German paint scheme T-34.
Above: Warren "Floater" Hill taxis out to join his formation. He is one of
the several CJ owners who made Falcon Warbirds historic hangar home.
Below: Don Andrews competes in the paper airplane contest. There were
two categories: distance and aerobatic.
www.flyredstar.org
33
34
Flight Leader
Preparing For the Flight Leader Checkride
A
By Mike "Blade" Filucci
long-time T-34 check pilot once said to me, "Give me enough
bananas, and I can teach a monkey how to lead a standard
formation training sortie."
The FAST Flight Leader Practical Test Guide is very specific in
detailing the materials a f light leader should have in his possession as tools to carry out this duty.
We were discussing how to prepare a wingman for the f light
leader qualification. His complaint was that instructors were
teaching how to lead a canned training sortie, without ever challenging the students with simulated abnormal and emergency
scenarios.
Materials Required for the Practical Test
To be an effective flight leader and instructor, and to ensure standardization,
all applicants for lead pilot should have in their possession the following materials:
•
Four-part FAST Intercontinental Formation Guideline:
1. FAST Foundation and Principles
2. FAST Maneuvers Guide
3. FAST Radio Communication and Visual Signals
4. FAST wingman and flight leader practical test guides
•
Formation manual for applicant’s formation organization
•
All other applicable SOPs and policy guides for the applicant’s formation
organization
•
Formation proficiency report forms
•
Formation checkride forms
That was many years ago, but I still see the same situation crop
up from time to time within the RPA. By the time a wingman
is recommended for the f light leader checkride, he should have
had the opportunity to practice solving a multitude of simulated, abnormal and emergency situations. The responsibility for
providing that training rests on the shoulders of our lead pilot/
instructors. Certainly the f light leader signing off on the recommendation form should ensure that the student has had a good
sampling of out-of-the-ordinary problems to solve. After all, we
don't want our f light leaders seeing an abnormal or emergency
situation for the first time either for real, or on a checkride.
For a properly prepared student, the checkride should be anticlimactic. The challenge of the f light leader checkride may
produce a smoldering between the applicants ears, but there
should be no blazing helmet fires.
Once a student is getting the hang of leading and managing a
formation, instructors should start to incorporate simulated,
abnormal problems. To maximize the learning experience, I
would suggest that the instructor discuss the scenario in the
pre-f light briefing, including possible solutions. For many abnormal situations, there is no one, right answer—there can be
numerous, acceptable solutions.
Here are a few training scenarios to consider:
•
Break-out
•
NORDO wingman
•
Wingman experiencing partial-power loss
•
Pitot-static malfunction (no airspeed indication)
•
Midair collision between wingmen
•
Bird strike
This is just a sampling, there are others you can devise as well.
There is another area where we are not always preparing the
f light leader applicant adequately. When a wingman steps into
the roll of f light leader, he is bequeathed with two new "magic"
powers—he can endorse Formation Proficiency Reports (FPRs)
and he can recommend pilots for wing and lead checkrides.
We need to make sure our f light leaders are aware of their responsibility and roll in maintaining our standards.
A tremendous amount of responsibility is placed on our f light
leaders—let's make sure we are grooming them for success. Our
"Culture of Excellence" depends on it.
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www.flyredstar.org
35
Helluva Deal on a Helmet...
By John "Loo" Warwick john.warwick1@gmail.com
O
il paintings, jewelry, musical instruments—most things of
great value, have always experienced counterfeit problems.
So it’s no surprise that a combination of product development,
voracious bargain hunting from Commercial/General Aviation
users, and good ole opportunity, began creating a problem for the
premier US f light helmet manufacturer as far back as the 1970s.
better performance—some were still in their original packaging.
Many surplus helmets and parts, sold as surplus, were used, and
the Army considered them no longer serviceable.
Private dealers cleaned them up and salvaged the parts. Often
helmets were repainted, parts cleaned, retentions (the cloth system holding the outer shell to the molded foam inner liner) were
spray-dyed black and the helmets were resold in the commercial
market. Thousands of these obsolete, surplus helmets and parts
are still in use today, and are still being sold. But, by the 1990s,
supply of the military surplus helmets began to diminish. Dealers began to develop their own components to supplement the
decreasing supply of surplus parts. These non-conforming parts
looked like mil-spec parts, but were usually not made to the military specification, and did not perform as well as the military
standard.
Let’s take a second to recap. If you are reading this as a RedStar
Pilot, and you wear a recreational f light helmet—for protection
against bird strikes and because the RPA recommends it.
•
We are not f lying helicopters
•
We are not at work when we f ly
•
We are not currently engaged in the military
In fact, Gentex has now mobilized an entire information campaign to educate its loyal user base about what’s new—and what
maybe be lurking inside the helmets some of us wear every f light.
No government or regulatory body has ever developed a specification or a standard for commercial f light helmets. There are
no Snell or DOT standards for them either! Not only are there
no standards, but there are no testing or labeling requirements.
There are military specifications for f light helmets. Typically,
helicopter helmets have good impact protection, and hearing
protection, but they are large, bulky, and heavier than fixed-wing
helmets. One popular Gentex fixed wing helmet is the HGU-55
(shown below on blue background), which is designed and tested
to Mil-DTL-87174A. Fixed-wing helmets are lighter than Helicopter helmets, are smaller, have good retention characteristics
in wind blast, but compared to Helicopter helmets, they offer
limited impact protection.
So how did the line become blurred between refurbished ex-military helmets and suitable f light gear you can rely on to protect
you when the unimaginable happens?
Back in the 1970s the Army began to sell its obsolete and used
SPH-4 helicopter helmets and parts as military surplus. Private
dealers purchased them and many were resold to commercial
pilots and crews. Most of the helmets and parts the Army sold
were obsolete designs that had been replaced by new designs with
36
So why should we care about military spec helmets? Two reasons:
first—get a helmet designed for the f lying you do, fixed or rotary wing, as noted above. Second—if you don’t know your helmet has been tested, and meets a defined specification, what else
don’t you know about it? Even the Air Force bought a few HGU55 helmets two years ago from a supplier who claimed they met
Air Force specifications. These non-conforming (counterfeit)
HGU-55 helmets were tested and they failed the impact tests. The
amount of G-force they transmitted was more than three times
what the mil-spec allowed.
Whether we like it or not, like air-pollution standards, testing
standards get more stringent as more is learned about the dangers involved. If your 1970s helmet meets the prevailing standard
when it was made, do you know whether it is still safe today?
At least one non-military government agency is taking counterfeit parts very seriously. In April 2013, the US Forestry Service issued bulletin IA APB 13-02 for Aircrew Safety which emphasizes
the use of authorized helmet parts, and underscores that in many
cases, aircrew may just not be fully aware of the reliability of the
personal protective equipment they wear daily.
Gibson & Barnes, the oldest and best known distributor of Gentex Flight Helmets, would like you to be sure.
http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/av_safety/promotion/accident_prevention_bulletins/IA%20APB%2013-02%20Helmets.pdf
The US Forestry Service’s position is that outdated components,
even if authentic, don’t afford the same level of protection as the
latest, updated components. Again, because there is no commercial spec to comply with, some manufacturers are misrepresenting their products as "exactly the same" as mil spec helmets.
However, when challenged by the government, those companies
have been unable to provide any test data to support their claim.
Is the sky falling?
They know, for example, that the grey market has substituted fiberglass cloths of different weaves, one of which was never used
or tested in the military. They know that, across several years
and models, the expandable polystyrene, energy-absorbing liner
changed thickness. They also know that the retention systems
changed and improved, and that the ear cups went from a rigid
to a f lexible material.
They also know that secondary market dealers have put together
combinations of whatever parts they could in assembling f light
helmets for the commercial market because then, as now, no
commercial spec existed.
Probably not, and hopefully never for you, but in the meantime,
Gibson & Barnes invites you to contact them about your Gentex
helmet, of any vintage, and take advantage of a free helmet inspection. The inspection concerns structural parts only—namely
the outer shell, the retention, the energy absorbing shell, and ear
cups. Identification of suspect parts is straightforward, and some
of the images in their White Papers will surprise you.
Contact the Gibson & Barnes helmet department at 800-4405904, Extension 249, to ensure the continued airworthiness of
your f light helmet. There are four customer service representatives who can help.
Mort’s Aero
Conveniently located at THE FLYING W, N14 LUMBERTON, NJ
CJ6 and Yak Experts
MortsAero@comcast.net
(856) 495-3159
Morten Stoverud CFII, MEI, ATP, FE, A&P, IA
Mort’s Aero
www.flyredstar.org
37
Contrails
Which Experimental Jet Should I Buy?
W
hen I used to sit back and dream about owning an aircraft,
I never thought that I would see the day I could buy one of
these brilliant machines.
Over the years I have had the honor of owning, operating and assisting others in their acquisition of experimental jets. There are
many mistakes you can make along the way, so the focus of this
article is to suggest a process that may assist you in purchasing
your very own jet warbird.
To help frame the discussion outlined in this article, let's build
a vignette.
A 55 year-old individual, who we will call Bob, has approximately
15 years of f light experience, starting in a series of Cessna singleengine airplanes, advancing for ten years to a TBM 850, and for
the last year, he has been operating a Citation Mustang. Bob has
acquired about 2,800 hours of total f light time and holds a airplane instrument rating. He has expressed an interest in taking
his wife with him on cross-countries to airshows. Bob wants to
f ly to airshows but would like to limit his participation to static
aircraft displays. He has expressed interest in the Mig type of
aircraft. He was impressed with the ramp appeal of the Mig-21
that he saw at Oshkosh.
Bob’s scenario is more common than you think. He has a solid f lying background, and would be a perfect candidate for a
straight-wing jet trainer, but he is impressed with one of our
more difficult aircraft to maintain, and f ly.
With this vignette in mind, let’s look at the following eight steps
to help our buyer determine the right jet for him.
1. Determine the type of aircraft that you are ready to f ly
2. Define the desired performance level
3. Decide on an operating budget
4. Decide if you want the option of a passenger (one or two
seats)
5. Find the positive and negatives of each aircraft left in your
category
6. Decide on the type of aircraft
7. Discuss with experts
8. Set up a comparative decision matrix
Step One: Determine Type Aircraft You Are Ready To Fly
In aviation, given a healthy cash f low, you can quickly exceed
your skill level! Each category of aircraft requires a different skill
set. If Bob thinks he is ready for a swept-wing, supersonic fighter,
he may want to f ly one before he buys one.
The largest up-front variable is to ensure that our hypothetical
individual enjoys the experience every time he gets into the jet.
The only way he can do this is to be honest with himself. It will
38
By Zach “Z” McNeill Z@warbirdseast.com
not be any fun if he buys an aircraft that ultimately he will not
feel comfortable f lying.
Bob has taken the time to locate a couple of individuals who own
Migs, and f lown the Mig-21, Mig-15 and JJ-7 variants. He quickly
decides that he would ultimately like to f ly those aircraft, but
wants something a little less demanding to start. Bob notices that
the fuel burn on the Mig-21 was a lot higher than he expected.
Step Two: Define Desired Performance Level
For our example this was easy. Bob wants to f ly to the air show
and be a static display. Therefore, the greatest concern he has is
the range of the jet, and the fuel burn rate.
There are several other items that could have been considered:
•
Instruction services
•
Low-level aerobatics
•
Formation f light
•
Out-of-control f light
•
Unusual attitude recovery training
The biggest variable in our example is aircraft range. How far
away, on one tank of gas, can Bob f ly? Many of the aircraft in this
category (straight wing trainer) are limited on the distance that
they can f ly with VFR/IFR reserves. As he prepares to decide on
his jet he will need to set a minimum required distance for the
aircraft.
Bob has set his requirement at 500 nautical miles, with less than
a 250 gallons per hour burn rate.
Step Three: Decide On An Operating Budget
The cost of operating these aircraft can vary greatly, even for
ones that appear to have the same basic numbers. A very wise
man once told me that buying these jets is not expensive, but f lying them is.
The bottom line is, you need to look honestly at your wallet and
determine which jet is the right one for you. In some cases you
may find that the real costs of operating any jet are outside your
current spending capabilities. It never hurts to dream! When
you calculate your budget, do not forget to set a minimum level
of proficiency f lying. The last thing we want Bob to do is save
money by f lying less!
Bob has decided that he will f ly his jet once a week.
There are four major expenses involved with owning any aircraft. For Bob’s budget we will set our annual limits as follows:
•
Fuel $48,000.00
•
Maintenance $15,000.00
•
Storage $12,000.00
•
Insurance $15,000.00
thgir
It is much wiser to set a budget and find the right
aircraft, than to pick an aircraft and realize that
you cannot afford to f ly it.
Step Four: Passenger Option-One Or Two Seats
This is an easy choice for our vignette. Every one
of the aircraft has two seats. This is an important
decision in the higher performance categories. As
a general rule, the single-seat jets are higher performance.
There are several positives to a dual-seat aircraft.
The biggest positive is the ability to share the experience of these incredible aircraft with another
individual. Dual-seat warbirds also allow a CFI to
provide instruction in the aircraft.
Step Five: Positives And Negatives
At this point Bob has eliminated many aircraft.
For our example we will compare four aircraft.
The following is a sample list of the aircraft available that fall in the straight-wing trainer category.
Bob chose the following four aircraft for comparison:
•
L-29 Delfin
•
Jet Provost
•
L-39 Albatross
•
T-33
When doing the initial comparison, build a simple
spreadsheet, like the one to the right, to break out
the critical elements.
This chart is representative of many of the figures
and stats that we find important for comparison
between aircraft. It should not be used as a single
aircraft checklist. We will be discussing and developing an aircraft-specific checklist for our example, later in this article. There are several other
aircraft choices in this category of aircraft, but
this is a fair representation of aircraft that cover
the performance and operational cost spectrum.
Step 6: Decide On The Type Of Aircraft
Now that we have built our comparison spreadsheet, lets start analyzing our data. If we revert
back to our example, we know that our pilot is
interested in static display use of the aircraft. All
these aircraft will work fine for that use, but the
L-39 and T-33 are probably going to generate the
most attention at the airshows. The L-39 has very
sleek lines and looks like a small A-4. Every American military jet aviator f lew the T-33 in the late
50s up until the early 70s, therefore it generates a
lot of support and reverence at airshows.
W reerG
Jet Provost
L-29 Delfin
L-39 Albatross
T-33
Viper MK 202
Motorlet M701-C
AI-25TL
Nene-10
Thrust (lbs)
2,500
1,960
3,792
5,200
Empty Weight (lbs)
4,888
5,027
7,340
8,084
Max T/O Weight (lbs)
9,200
7,231
11,618
14,442
Engine
Power to Weight
@ Empty Weight
0.511
0.389
0.516
0.643
@ Max T/O Weight
0.27
0.271
0.326
0.36
Wing Span
35' 4"
33' 9"
31' 0.5"
38' 10"
Length
34' 0"
35' 5.5"
40' 5"
37' 9"
Height
Max Speed
10' 2"
10' 3"
15' 5 "
11' 8"
440 knots
407 knots
485 knots
515 knots
G-Loading
+8, -4
+8, -4
+8, -4
+7, -3
Ceiling
36,700'
36,100'
37,730'
46,800'
Fuel Burn/Hour (lbs)
190
150
160
300
Range (nm)
900
397 (internal)
528
1,345
Aeroshell 750
Royco 481
Royco 481
Royco 481
Hydraulic Fluid
Oil Type
5606
5606
5606
5606
Gear Speed (knots)
140
154
180
195
Flap Speed (knots)
140
140
160
175
Max X Wind (knots)
18
21
20
25
Pressurized
Y
Y
Y
Y
T/O Roll
2,000'
2,000'
2,600'
4,800'
Landing Roll
2,200'
1,800'
1,800'
4,500'
Min Runway Length
4,500'
3,500'
5,000'
6,000'
Y
Y
Y
Y
Gravity Fuel Feed
Pressure Fuel Feed
N
N
N
N
Number Built
520
3,500
2,800
7,000
Airworthy In US
70+
150+
230+
50+
Jet Provost
L-29
L-39
T-33
www.flyredstar.org
39
The L-29 and the Provost are neither sexy looking or used extensively in the United States, but are unique aircraft, that will draw
a crowd.
Let's add a requirement to Bob’s list—he wants to maximize the
fun, while minimizing the cost. Here is where the L-29 and Provost come in strong. The cost of acquisition of the L-29 and Provost is low, many times costing less than a used, sports car. Since
both of these aircraft are basic trainers, they are not encumbered
by complicated weapon systems, and associated hardware. They
are also designed to take an incredible amount of abuse. The L-29
especially, with its incredibly heavy trailing link landing gear,
looks like it should be landing on an aircraft carrier.
A strong point for the Provost is the side-by-side seating. For our
example, it is nice to have your wife right next to you.
The L-39 has a much higher acquisition cost but has better performance than either the L-29, or Provost, at about the same
fuel burn. The L-39 looks like a modern day fighter, both on the
ramp, and while airborne.
The first consideration that our example buyer has is the cost
per hour based on the fuel burn. The L-29, L-39, Provost are relatively close, the T-33 however is near double. The T-33 does have
the endurance edge represented in the above diagram, but it will
be considerably more per hour than any of the other choices.
Parts availability is probably the second most important consideration for many of these aircraft. Several types have been out
of service for many years. Others are being operated in foreign
countries still today. The T-33 is presently used by contract agencies for the U.S. government, and up until recently, was a military trainer for the Canadian Air Force. The L-39 is still in current operation in several countries. This means that the parts are
available, but may have a cost premium because other governments are competing for them. The T-33 does not have parts currently being manufactured, while the L-39 has many parts still
in production.
In our example, the individual completes his due diligence, and
he decides on the L-39 Albatross, because he likes the fuel burn,
and the sex appeal of the aircraft while on the ramp. This individual accepts the higher acquisition cost and counters that with
the abundance of parts and service facilities.
At this point, our example individual has decided on an aircraft
type, now the search will begin in earnest. Always remember, as
more information becomes available about the aircraft you have
decided on, you may want to re-visit some of the other aircraft
choices to ensure you have selected the correct aircraft.
Step Seven: Discuss with Experts
Many people skip this step in the purchase process. They usually
pay dearly for it. In this group of individuals you will discover
quickly that there are many people that are willing to help, but
there are also a few lurkers, waiting to prey on the ignorant.
40
The key factor to maximizing the positive, and minimizing the
negative impact, is information. Information is found easiest
through organizations that have it in their best interest to help
their membership. If you hang out on the forums, and ask simple
questions, you will be recommended to the good guys. I would
call someone for help only after hearing positive recommendations from more than one person.
On most associations' web sites you will usually find a list of instructors. This is also a great resource to utilize.
Visit a maintenance facility. There are several facilities that work
only on the L-39. It would be in Bob’s best interest to schedule a
tour of their facility and spend time with a mechanic going over
things to look for on his new aircraft type. As you visit these facilities, keep in mind that they sell aircraft as well. They may be
motivated by profit, not necessarily what is best for you.
The internet is an incredible resource for information. It will not
only assist you with purchasing an aircraft, but will give you access to the training requirements, and rules and regulations surrounding experimental jets. All you have to do is go into your
favorite search engine and type in the type of aircraft that you
want to buy. Ensure that you bring something to eat and drink, as
you will have a lot of information to read and review.
Time is a precious resource, and in many instances several of
us may not have the time to do the research. This is the type
of individual that will benefit from the use of an agent. If you
plan to hire an agent, you must ensure that you find a respected
individual that knows the aircraft you have chosen, and your desires. Be diligent, and find a warbird expert. Many brokers are
well versed on certificated airplanes, but the advice they give for
those is 180° from what you look at during a warbird purchase.
Step 8: Comparative Decision Matrix (Aircraft Specific)
The following is an example spreadsheet created by a past client.
It is an excellent template for Bob to develop his own checklist.
As you meet with several experts and owners, and go through
aircraft, develop a similar checklist. Pay particular attention to
terms like “that cost me a lot of money” and “if I would only have
known that beforehand.”
As you quickly scan through this checklist you can see that it
includes buyer-specific preferences, along with specific aircraft
performance numbers. The instrumentation, autopilots, and
similar equipment, can always be added, but as we all know, finding an L-39 with the equipment that you want in it already saves
time and money.
Once Bob has completed all eight steps he will have a very effective tool to help quantify the differences between the jets, and
most importantly, help him identify a purchase-price point on
his selections.
There are many possible outcomes, and many more variables to
consider, but I have found that having a process maximizes the
value of the jet you decide to purchase.
General
Miscellaneous
Owner
Exterior &
Systems
N#
Crew Comm Jack
0₂ Comm Plug
Asking Price
Landing Lights (pulse)
Nitrogen Fittings Gear
Serial #
Strut Status
A/C Year
Brake Status
Nitrogen Fittings
Accumulator
A/C Total Time
Tires: Rubber Status
Duel Inverter
Engine Total Time
Fasteners
Hot Seats
Engine Time TBO
Accumulator:
How Pressurized
Parachutes: Last Packed
Engine
Sapphire Unit Starts
Fuel Cell Status
Original Logs
US Logs
Last 100 hr Inspection
Last Annual
Maintenance Facility
15 year/1500 hr Inspection
Transponder Check
Import Papers
Avionics
Autopilot type
Autopilot-How Couples
GPS Front
GPS Rear
Comm #1 & Nav #1
Comm #2 & Nav#2
Parachute Type
Steps: Anti-skid SS
Steps: Microswitch-Down
Aux Fuel
Canopy Seal Status
Landing Light Glass
Strobes
Extra Storage
Map Case
CD Music Jack
Light For Sapphire
Oil Level
Certificate of Formation Qualification
Presented By The RedStar Pilots Association To:
____________________________
In recognition of the successful completion of the prescribed course of
formation training as required by the RedStar Pilots Association and the
Formation And Safety Team (FAST)
Aircraft Make, Model and Registration Number:
______________________________________________________
Recorded on this ______ day of __________ in the year __________
__________________________________
Qualifying Pilot
__________________________________
Check Pilot
Light For Engine Oil
Static Wicks
Battery Tender
Battery: Location/Type
Weight & Balance: CG
Canopy Glass
Transponder
Flight
Performance
Comm Box
Control Response
HSI
Trim In Flight
Rear
Braking Response
TCAD
Pressurization Function
CDI Type (102 vs. 106)
Seal Function
Marker Beacon
FSDO Maintenance Paper
Sandel HSI
Operations Paper
Instruments
Fuel-Gage Markings
Shadin (microflo L)
Back Up Attitude Indicator
Attitude Indicator
VSI Relabeled
A/S Indicator Markings
Master Caution On
Canopy Rim
Engine
Performance
0₂ Regulator
Congratulations
to our comrade
who has achieved
formation qualification
Wingman Brian Macey 3/8/2014
AOA Indicator
Start Temperature
Instrument Lights
Spool-Up Time
Hobbs Meter
Oil Sample Results
Caution/Warning Lights
Audible Warning
www.flyredstar.org
41
Aerobatics
LOOP
By Mike "Beav" Carter beavcarter@cox.net
The loop is one of the fundamental building-block maneuvers that, when combined with the aileron roll, can
be used to create more complex maneuvers such as the Cuban eight, the cloverleaf, and the split S.
Recheck wings level
Keep the nose moving at a
constant rate
Tilt your head back to find the
opposite horizon
Add rudder to maintain heading
as airspeed decreases
Relax rudder pressure as
airspeed is regained
Pull out on the same entry
heading
Keep wings level
Entry airspeed is 150-160 knots
Start the pull-up to obtain 3.5
Gs in 2 to 3 seconds
Note the entry heading
42
www.flyredstar.org
43
Forward all non-deliverable mail to:
RedStar Pilots Association
C/O Byron Fox
80 Milland Drive
Mill Valley, CA 4941
The RedStar Pilots Association is a notfor-profit organization dedicated to the
safe operation of all aircraft. For further
information or to become a member,
please visit: www.flyredstar.org
To advertise in this publication, please
contact the RPA administrator at:
admin@flyredstar.org

Spring 2014 - Redstar Pilots Association

Transcription

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