October 2014 - Sport Aircraft Association of Australia
Transcription
October 2014 - Sport Aircraft Association of Australia
OCTOBER 2014 HE MAGAZINE OF THE SPORT AIRCRAFT T AS SOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA Partners in Aviation Safety Apply for your SAAA Carnet card today. Install before flight CO N T E N T S H E L LO Cover photo Scott Palmer Please Allow me to Introduce Myself… FEATURES Blue Skies and Apple Pies 20 A stay at Lily Airfield Mission Impossible 22 Oshkosh - One Week Wonder Short Final 42 ?????? REGULARS President’s Report 04 Vice President’s Report 07 Calendar of Events 08 New Members 08 Members Vale 10 Tech Talk 12 Incident Report 14 Engine Management 101 16 Airmanship is much more than simply a measure of technical knowledge. Tales from the Toolbox 26 Skill, competency, and discipline are the hallmarks of Airmanship. Builders’ Log 32 Chapter Chatter 36 Qualities you also need in your insurance company. I’ve arrived at Airsport hot from the editor’s chair at the AOPA’s flagship publication, Australian Pilot. After two years as editor, and five as a columnist on AP - as well as 18 months as deputy editor on RA-Aus’ Sport Pilot - I was looking for a new challenge when I heard about Ryan’s departure. I’m going to confess - straight up - that while I know a thing or two about magazines and GA aircraft, I’ve had limited exposure to sport aircraft. However, having had the wonderful experiences of flying in a friend’s RV10, and of interviewing a Falco builder, I am really excited about learning more about the art of homebuilding. Since observing the One Week Wonder (see page 22) at Oshkosh this year, I have become more than intrigued about experimental amateur aircraft and their construction. So: while I promise I will endeavor to entertain you in this magazine, I’d be most grateful if you, in return, help to educate me in the finer points of amateur construction and other areas, in which I am less knowledgeable. And, in case you’d like to offer me a seat in your RV, Glasair or Falco, my credentials are as follows: 578 hours total time, PPL (but on the way to CPL having finally passed all seven exams in the nick of time) single engine, fixed wing, tail-wheel endorsed (but not current) and enthusiastic enough to rise at lark o’clock to fly anything from a powered parachute to a Cirrus. My weakness (other than single malt whisky) is the Beechcraft Bonanza, but I’m happy to be corrupted, should anyone out there have a finer alternative! I’m extremely enthusiastic about working on Airsport, and I bring with me Melinda Vassallo - an incredibly talented graphic designer and art director. It goes without saying that we’d both like to hear from you regarding your opinions on the magazine - we want to know what you like, what you want and where you’d like to see change. Most importantly, we want your stories, your adventures and your builder’s diaries. Please feel free to contact me at airsport@saaa.com and, in the meantime, should you see a vertically challenged red haired lady in heels poking around in a hangar near you - that’s me. Come and say g’day. Classifieds38 Explore Airmanship at airmanship.qbe.com QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited ABN 78 003 191 035. AFSL 239545 2 AIRSPORT J5345 How privileged I am to be in the editor’s seat of such a fine publication. Ryan and John Keen are an extremely hard act to follow, and I cannot thank them enough for their wonderfully organised systems, which I’ve so fortunately inherited. SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT Chapter Contacts 39 Kreisha Ballentyne SAAA Contacts 40 EDITOR The Sport Aircraft Association of Australia is a group of aviation enthusiasts assisting each other to build, maintain and operate sport aircraft. We educate members to continuously improve safety outcomes. Ai r S p o r t AT I SSN 0 1 5 6- 60 1 6 is the jo u r n a l o f the Sp o r t A irc ra f t A sso c iatio n o f A u stra l ia I n c . P O Box 9 9 Narro m i ne NS W 2 82 1 I nc n o . A 0 0 4 65 1 0 Z Tel ep ho n e: 0 2 68 89 7 7 7 7 / fax : 0 2 68 89 7 78 8 / Gen eral en q u i r i es : e m a il a i rs p o r t @ s aaa. co m / www. s aaa. co m Ed i to r : K re isha B a l l e n tyn e e d ito r @ s a a a . co m . a u / Ar t D i rec to r : M e l in d a Va ss a l l o w w w. f in e l in ed es i g n. co m . au AIRSPORT 3 P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E P O RT N AT I O N A L CO U N C E L LO R S Dear Members, Jarrod Clowes Welcome to my first edition of Airsport as your president. I must congratulate you all for the passion, interest and genuine concern I have seen from the membership. What we must not forget is: this is your association and the National Council is mandated to run it for you; the NC does not take ownership here. I am extremely grateful that some passionate members have not only reminded us of this, but have assisted in many ways to put in place your new council. September 13 was the date of our AGM, and we had nearly 50 people at the meeting. On top of that, there were a large number of proxies; again spelling out to us there is interest in your association from the membership. The AGM started off with a bit of fun with Neil Unger (incidentally Neil was elected on as your new vice president) making his property available for a mini fly-in via the Parkes Dish. Thanks Neil. It’s now down to business for the SAAA National Council. It has been a complex and interesting time for the association on so many fronts, with much to face moving forward, in terms of the way we operate as an association. SAAA certainly needs to mature as an organisation, and implement new business systems and management to secure its viability. CASR Part 149 is a part of that framework we are working towards. At the AGM, Tony White, our treasurer, introduced our base plan –our roadmap moving forward, and as an outcome from that meeting, our business plan is being drafted. There are some very important decisions to make and I am determined that as president, I will be assuring the National Council bring the members along with us in these decisions. There have been many passionate and hardworking past presidents, councillors and members who have brought this great association to where it is, and we must ensure that this hard work and passion is not misdirected by us in any direction other than forward. I strongly believe this National Council will mature the association with all that in mind to shape our framework forward. 4 AIRSPORT There are four key points during my first term as president that I am personally paying attention to in order to achieve results. 1. A usfly – There would not be one member that was not disappointed with the Ausfly cancellation. We, as National Council, were faced with some very difficult, complex and daunting outcomes: the main one being the damaging of the brand if unable to fulfil the requirements required to run it properly. Despite all rumours, the sole reason for this cancellation was the lack of manpower to run it, and the inability to deliver to our stakeholders, partners and authorities. I am pleased to report, the day after our AGM, an Ausfly Comittee was formed and work is well underway for your Ausfly 2015. Martin Ongley chairs this committee. 2. C hapter Engagement – The grass roots level of SAAA is the membership, and we are here in management to return benefits to those members. My pet project for this term is to engage and build a framework with our chapters so the National Council is open and in touch with the members. Currently I am working with some chapter presidents as a pilot to set some goodwill in place to better work with them, and this includes chapters hosting our National Council meetings and getting the NC out there amongst you to communicate and liaise. 3. C ASR Part 149 – Why are we doing this? The short answer is that government agencies are now outsourcing. CASR Part 149 is about us becoming a self-regulated body to manage our fleet. Everything is now becoming user pays, and if SAAA do not consider this, then our ability to deliver our traditional outcomes to members will diminish and we will possibly become no more than a social club. Part 149 comes with many complex and difficult angles, so we have formed a committee and team to work through this. This is headed up by Geoff Danes and as outcomes become clearer we will be communicating them out to you. 4. IT Systems – Our current IT and office systems are in need of an overhaul to cope with our growing business requirements. Tony White is currently addressing these SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT systems, and this will get attention and budget allocation as required. In finishing, I would like to thank you all for putting in place a new National Council and ask you to continue the passion for your association. Lastly, my first day as president met with tragedy when I became aware of the tragic accident involving Terry Fisher. I, as every member that knew Terry, was shattered by this news, and our hearts go out to his family and chapter 14 colleagues. Terry will be sadly missed. Until next time, keep up the good work, and above all enjoy the fellowship and enjoyment SAAA brings you. Jarrod Clowes Hon National President Deniliquin, NSW Mob 0438 395 214 President@saaa.com Neil Unger Hon National Vice President Parkes, NSW Mob 02 6865 3293 neil.unger@saaa.com Shirley Harding Communications co-ordinator Mundijong, WA Mob 0459 555 025 sec@saaa.com Tony White Hon National Treasurer Guildford, WA Mob 0419 421 632 treasurer@saaa.com Jarrod Clowes Hon National President Bruce Towns Braeside, VIC Tel 03 9580 8519 bruce.towns@saaa.com Martin Ongley Chapter Coordinator, Ausfly co-ordinator Colebee, NSW Mob 0438 014 877 martin.ongley@saaa.com Paul Holaj Chapter co-ordinator, TC co-ordinator Nairn, SA Mob 0408 008 379 paul.holaj@saaa.com Ken Garland Safety co-ordinator Camden, NSW Mob 0417 244 059 ken.garland@saaa.com Darren Barnfield National Councillor Hastings, VIC Mob 0408 351 309 darren.barnfield@saaa.com STOL Or cruzer ? - The chOice iS yOurS NEW Zenair Australia is proud to announce a new Zenith Aircraft: The CH 750 CruZer 103kt cruise 350ft required for takeoff or landing Kits from $20,980 USD CH 750 STOL 75kt cruise 125ft required for takeoff or landing Kits from $19,480 USD full details at zenairaustralia.c om.au or call Allan on 0417 121 111 ZEN 13028 3PC Airsport.indd 1 ZEN 13028 AIRSPORT 8/08/13 11:46 5PM V I C E P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E P O RT DIARY OF A HOME BUILDER Neil Unger “I’m going to build my own plane,” I announced to all who would listen ( and those who didn’t want to as well) with an enthusiasm born of stupidity and naivety. The reaction varied from rolling around on the ground laughing like they were having a fit, to looks of pity as I had obviously lost my marbles. They patted me condescendingly on the shoulder while silently motioning to the rest to quickly find a good” shrink” in the phone book to assist me in my obvious hour of need. hire a plane I was about 14th in line. There was obviously no future in attempting to hire a plane when needed, so I bought PA28. Oh joy, oh bliss, until the bills for the annuals started to arrive. Every time it went in suddenly half the plane had to be replaced or repaired. Being a slow learner, I progressed to a baron as the family grew, but the cost of annuals now grew to $15,000 per year, plus, plus. The millennium droughts soon put an end to owning a baron, so after 30 years with the baron I had to look for an alternative, or walk. Why not? I had spent all my pocket money on rubber powered planes during my early years and the fact that none actually successfully flew did not deter me at all. I had constructed many versions regardless, so my building skills were never in doubt. Then when I actually passed my final school exams in the 6th grade and returned to the farm to become unpaid labour for the rest of my life, my mother relented and bought me a powered control line model which actually looked like a plane many months later. However the engine required a 1.5 volt battery to make the glow plug hot enough and by chance that was the exact voltage of the big batteries that powered the farm party line phone. Having been taught to be very resourceful on the farm, I waited until I was alone for the afternoon, so that the phone would not be in use, pinched the battery and fled to the front paddock to fly my pride and joy. As usual nothing went like the instruction book said. An hour later with everything included me soaked in metho, petrol and anything else that might burn, not a kick. Totally cheesed off I half hearted gave a final flick of the propeller, and suddenly, did that engine howl! Long story short, I dropped the plane in fright, it self destructed, the control line finished up a totally tangled bird nest and I managed to return the battery to the phone battery box before anyone found out. Enter the SAAA after belonging to the ULAA some 40 years earlier. So what to build? The RV’s were popular even then, but after 35 years with a low wing I wanted a high wing, so I could inspect all the neighbours activities without a low wing to obstruct the view. A high wing could be taxied through gates and in the event of a forced landing a high wing was less likely to be wiped out on stumps, and it is much easier to sit in the shade of the high wing. I also had learnt after many years of flying that there is no substitute for power getting out of a paddock, so anything under 180 HP was ignored which eliminated a lot of popular choices. Finally I settled on the Glastar sportsman as it was touted as a 2 + 2 which I assumed meant I could squeeze in 4 adults if necessary. It is built from aluminium flying surfaces with a fibre glass fuse. Now I am expert with anything steel, I can weld, form, fabricate, temper, turn, mill, drill, you name it, so aluminium would be similar surely, just a bit lighter? Then I once had a tractor cab roof made from fibreglass, so again it did not seem hard to work with, just a softish steel? The glossy brochures really made the glastar look great and with an estimated build time of only 700 hours, why in two months, I would have this thing in the air with all the advantages and performance I required with a bit of extra night work surely? Totally disillusioned, I gave up building planes for many years, but never the passion. At age 16, I then learned to fly with the “Bald eagle” at Narromine to find that every time I went to 6 AIRSPORT SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT In hindsight, what a stupid, gullible, naive and incompetent fool! Neil Unger AIRSPORT 7 C A L E N DA R O F E V E N T S 2014/15 BRM Aero Bristell. NSW QUEENSLAND SAT 25 OCTOBER 2014 ALBURY AIRPORT OPEN DAY The Albury Aero Club has teamed up with the Uiver Memorial Community Trust and the Antique Car Club again this year. There will be a static display of light aircraft and warbirds that normally reside in hangars, invisible to the public. There will also be a presence by the Australian Air Force Cadets and the State Emergency Service (SES), who will be there to speak to the public about their respective organizations. Every hour on the half hour, a tour guide will be available to take a group around the aircraft to explain to them the history and specifications of each plane. A group of aero club aircraft will fly-over the Albury Race Course in a tribute to the 80th Anniversary of the Uiver rescue. Saturday evening there will be a special event, “High Flying Heroes”, at the SS&A Club from 6 to 9 pm. Visit: alburyaeroclub.com.au SAT 8 NOVEMBER 2014 WAGGA WAGGA CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY Australian aviation hall of fame 2014 induction. Gala dinner to induct nominees into the Australian aviation hall of fame, including the Southern Cross award. Contact Mr Kerry Carmichael: Phone 0411 222 205. www.aahof.com.au SAT 25 OCTOBER 2014 KINGAROY AERODROME Kingaroy Aerodrome is proud to host Wheels in Motion. Featuring aeroplanes, cars, tractors and motorcyles, if it has wheels, you’ll find it at Kingaroy on ordinator - Call Kevin Krosch 0428 622 749 SAT 15 MARCH 2015 CLIFTON AIRFIELD VICTORIA SAT-SUN 22-23 NOVEMBER 2014 MOORABBIN ROYAL VIC AERO CLUB The AOPA has announced the return of their safety Seminar. This event is open to all aviators and their friends. BBQ lunch, seats strictly limited. RSVP manager@aopa.com.au Darling Downs Sport Aircraft Assn. Inc. Annual Clifton Fly-In at Clifton Airfield (Bange’s) 8am – 2pm. This fly in has become an iconic event in the region and is the premy other flying machine. Contact: Trevor Bange 0429 378 370 A/h: (07) 4695 8541 Email: trevorbange@bigpond.com WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS A warm welcome to our following new members > NEW SOUTH WALES 01 - Simon Bleuler MT KURING-GAI 02 - Chris Charles DARLINGHURST 02 - Tom Kakouros DULWICH HILL Brett Mahlo CANOBOLAS Cameron Ritchie PORT MACQUARIE 01 - Jamie Schuts CRONULLA VICTORIA 14 - Kevin Edmonds YARRA GLEN 27 - Noel Lyons FRANKSTON SOUTHH 20 - Phil Pitt-Nynde TULLAMARINE 27 - Kenneth Smith TONIMBUK 14 - David Thompson SALE 8 AIRSPORT QUEENSLAND 34 - Simon Coombs EDMONTON 34 - Ross Franzi BLOOMFIELD 39 - Steve Stafford ROYAL PARK 15 - Greg Manzie KANGAROO POINT 19 - Kenneth Edwards JIMBOOMBA 22 - Gary Burns BUDDINA 15 - Michael Read GREENSLOPES 15 - Andy Coles KANGAROO POINT Integrity of design, quality of build and proven in perfomance. SOUTH AUSTRALIA Paul Humphrys CLEVE 3 - Wilfrid Jaksic MALVERN John Turner KINGSCOTE TASMANIA 42 - David Boarder YOUNGTOWN 20 - Adrian Port CAMBRIDGE 42 - Peter Mathew DEVONPORT WESTERN AUSTRALIA William Carmody CASCADE 13 - Anderson Dufty MT BARKER AUSTRALIAN CAPITOL TERRITORY 26 - Christopher Price GARRAN Byron Funnell CARNARVON 16 - Adam Price DARLINGTON 13 - William Waideman SPENCER PARK NORTHERN TERRITORY 35 - Graham Wallace HERBERT SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT Customised to suit your needs with your choice of Rotax or Jabiru power. Well designed, quality construction and outstanding performance from the masters of Czech aviation, BRM Aero. NSW demonstrations are now available through Central West Flying. Please call us for more information andersonaviation.com.au | Brett . 0428 355 266 AIRSPORT 9 IGUANA.4541.AS9/13 M E M B E R S ’ VA L E VALE, PETER CROOKE I first met Peter sometime in the late ‘80s when an acquaintance with a 2-stroke powered Quicksilver ultralight, which he kept at Peter’s Dixon’s Creek property, needed help in maintaining it. Around the same time, I had started attending the legendary Mangalore event and was co-opted by my acquaintance to join a four man syndicate to buy the somewhat tatty SAAA Lightwing aircraft, which we duly bought with the assistance of Brian Ham. We carried out a complete restoration of the aircraft at Peter’s property, and even used his camouflage-schemed Auster as the basis for our own. I was fascinated by his stories, including the time he had to put it SAAA MEMBERSHIP If you’re thinking about building your own aircraft, then the SAAA is your starting point. We provide advice and technical information. Our experienced Technical Counsellors can guide you through the challenges of your project and help you to build a competent safe aircraft. Membership includes a subscription to Airsport, published quarterly. down on a football oval due to engine problems, and the difficulties when trying to depart. This very aircraft (VH-KBI) now resides at our airpark in Queensland, flown regularly by a neighbour. During our time at Dixon’s Creek, Peter was busily engaged in building his Kitfox, and had built an Osprey amphibian before that. Thanks to Peter’s generosity, we made use of his hillside airstrip for our first flying lessons, but the strip was not suitable for this and we ended up taking the Lightwing back to Penfield at Sunbury. It was some time later when I got more involved with SAAA that I realised that Peter was not only a kind and generous man, but a passionate and enthusiastic driving force behind this great Martin Hone organisation. ? For when circumstances prevent a safe conventional landing The SAAA local Chapters provide an active and enjoyable environment where members work together developing building techniques and get together for local events and fly-ins. The SAAA has something to offer everyone with an interest in sport aviation, whether you’re a builder, a pilot or just enjoy being around aircraft and fellow aviation enthusiasts. SAAA MEMBERSHIP RATES Full membership $190 Concessional membership* $155 *Available to pensioners, member’s dependent family, approved Technical Counsellors Membership rates are adjusted July 1 annually in line with CPI MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES: PO Box 99 Narromine NSW 2821 tel 02 6889 7777 / email enquiries@saaa.com / www.saaa.com email airsport@saaa.com 10 AIRSPORT Sales Service & Support contact BRSAustralia.com info@BRSAustralia.com (02) 8355 7009 SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AIRSPORT 11 T E C H TA L K B U I L D I N G A ROA D M A P BUILDING A ROADMAP From your National Technical Manager - Geoff Danes Hello to all members. May I wish you all a warm welcome to this my first Tech Talk. I would like firstly to acknowledge the untold amount of dedicated effort by my predecessor, Mr. Brian Hunter. From the short time I have known Brian, and the small amount that I have learned about his input to the SAAA, I know that I have a big set of boots to follow. I would like to thank you Brian, both personally and on behalf of the members. You have more than earned the right to spend more time enjoying lots of safe flying. As reported in my earlier communications to our members, the priority matters that have been my initial focus for attention are: a)Weight and balance management negotiations with CASA b)Transition training and its integration in our procedures to support members to safely fly and enjoy their new aircraft c)Working with CASA to review the CASR 149 rules for appropriateness, to support your NC in their understanding of these rules, and to build a roadmap for SAAA’s transition into becoming a CASR 149 approved self-administering aviation organisation. I would like to take the time to give those of you who do not know me some background on my life in aviation. I was one of those kids who rode my bike miles to the airport to hang over the fence to watch aircraft come and go – I was fascinated then, and not much has changed in this regard in the 50 years since. Being in Goondiwindi, Qld in the early 60s, the rate of nourishment for my aviation diet was pretty sparse, but the seed was nonetheless sown. Come year 10 in high school, I made application to Qantas to become a LAME apprentice, but my dad was wise and blocked my path in this endeavour. After high school, I quickly found acceptance with the RAN on a direct entry 12 AIRSPORT pilots course which saw me trained on Winjeel and Macchi. My Wings graduation, from No 87 course at Pearce, was followed by an Iroquois conversion. The end of the Vietnam War and other political circumstances saw military reductions at this time, which resulted in my moving into commercial aviation in WA where I have resided since 1974. I flew for Skywest in their formative GA, commuter and corporate jet days for 16 years. I joined the SAAA in 1976 and built a Varieze (#2 in the air in Australia in Sept, 1979) my first ABAA project. My second project was a one of a kind composite aerobatic aircraft - the Maverick which was undertaken with Graham Swanell. First flown in December 1987, it was presented at the bi-centennial air show in 1988. A company merger saw me in Ansett for a very short airline career of six weeks in 1989 just before the pilot’s dispute after which I spent 9 years flying with Skippers Aviation. The last of my flying for Skippers came with a shifting of my focus into aircraft design as part of a team, again with Graham, to produce a prototype utility aircraft the Explorer. I spent five years involved in the development, manufacture, test flying and commercialisation aspects of this project, first in Australia and then further five years in the USA. During this period I also performed some production test flying for Eagle Aircraft and several EAB aircraft first/test flight schedules for builders (Sonerai, RV6, Lancair 235) here in Perth. My time in the USA exposed me to both the FAA and Transport Canada aircraft certification processes. I acted to successfully obtain FAA NVFR certification of the Eagle 150B aircraft on behalf of CTRM Malaysia (formerly Eagle Aircraft in Perth). Upon returning to Australia from the USA in 2004, I again flew B200/C441 on charter flights for a couple of years before taking up the SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT HAAMC appointment with Network Aviation. During my period as the maintenance controller with this company, the company acquired its first Fokker 100 aircraft. The company needed a high capacity AOC and I worked almost independently with CASA to achieve their approval of the company’s Maintenance Control Manual in a record short time. The Qantas group acquired the company in 2011 and they now operate 12 Fokker 100 aircraft. I now serve as their Technical Services Group Manager within the CASR Pt 42 CAMO, and was recently one of a small team that produced their CASR Part 42 Exposition. Despite recently accepting the NTM role in support of your NC, life as a homebuilder continues - however somewhat more slowly. My Varieze is now undergoing a rebirthing with turbojet power. Although the above dialogue is about me, my purpose for presenting it is to give you a little of my background and provide some reassurance of my ability to support and well represent you - our all-important members - on technical grounds. The privilege to re-engine my Varieze with a turbojet engine or to build any other experimental aircraft in Australia is one that is well worth working hard to preserve in my opinion. I believe that we are very fortunate to have the CASA representatives that we presently do in the SASAO office and CASR 149 development. They have a heart for our pursuit although they have their own governmental challenges. Whilst I am a person who can be very tolerant of those constraints, rest assured I will take up the defense of our right to safely and affordably pursue our favourite recreational activity. Unnecessarily complicated regulations, lack of standardization, and bureaucratic regulations without a commensurate, appropriate or affordable safety benefit are all high ticket items which motivate me to take up the defense. The KISS principle drives me strongly. I have a very sincere desire to see our organisation become the premier recreational aviation organisation in Australia. Technical Articles - a member challenge from your NTM. I have a book written by Dr. Jan Roskam of the DAR Corporation in Kansas, USA titled “Lessons Learned in Aircraft Design” VHN-DED Geoff and Bert Rutan Explorer 500T (ISBN978-1-884885-58-7). The author states that My motivation is three fold. Firstly, it is important the purpose of his book is to present lessons the information is passed on to prevent others drawn from accident/incident literature since learning your lessons the same hard way, 1945 in the hope that it will contribute to flight secondly to form a database of events to support safety. It draws largely upon airline type events, our safety management system, and thirdly to but it contains a large amount of content compile them all into a book for future use by directly applicable to our activities. I thoroughly experimental/recreational aviators. Articles recommend it to all members. will be de-identified and anonymity assured or My request is for any members who have similar authorship credit given as per the submitter’s experiences to share - associated with ABAA/ choice. I reserve the right to edit any articles EAB aircraft construction/flying - from which submitted to better fit the context required for lessons can be learned, to submit them to me for publishing. Come on folks; please support your republishing via e-newsletter or Airsport. fellow members through this initiative. AIRSPORT 13 I N C I D E N T R E P O RT E N G I N E FA I L U R E VM1000 engine monitor. The aircraft was cleaned up and engine set early after take-off for a cruise climb configuration. After reaching 1000ft, levelling out and accelerating to > 160 knots, the engine quit totally with no prior warning. There are two main reasons an engine will quit abruptly: a. Lack of fuel b. Ignition failure The aircraft was full of fuel and had been developing full power for 1 to one and a half minutes. The engine, a six cylinder Lycoming, was running smoothly, until it cut totally with no progressive loss of power, rough running, hesitation or coughing to indicate a developing problem. The aircraft was fitted with dual Light Speed ignitions. The ignitions were fitted with dual power supplies and the switches protected by location and switch detente to prevent accidental isolation. Andy George T.C., FIE(Aust) ENGINE FAILURE GLASSAIR III WESTERN AUSTRALIA December 2013 saw an unfortunate incident where two friends were seriously injured when the Glassair III they were flying suffered a total and abrupt engine failure. and very nearly the pilot and passenger. THE INCIDENT This article is not meant to pre-empt any ATSB After an extended pre-flight check and run up checks, the aircraft accelerated normally with all engine parameters reading normal on the landing on a postage stamp – only to be taken findings, but is written to air concerns felt by TCs and APs who were aware of the aircraft ignition 14 AIRSPORT How can this occur? There are many potential causes - vibration, impact during maintenance, broken alternator belts - to name a few. How is this potential issue solved; 1.Run one electronic ignition and one magneto 2.Protect your wiring loom from mechanical damage (this is recommended even with a single electronic ignition) In Chapter 24 we have seen several new aircraft with duel electronic ignitions that have exposed wiring, hence our concern. Post-crash examination showed the wiring had parted at a lock wired mil spec plug approximately 200 mm behind the sensor plate. In this case there is enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that the alternator belt may have been the culprit. Note: this is not a finding by the ATSB at this time. The aircraft was totally destroyed by fire - leaving little to base concrete conclusions upon. However we as a group (SAAA) feel that there is sufficient evidence to raise this as a safety issue that should be recognised. Do alternator belts fail very often? No they don’t. Do they fail? Yes they do. This was a well-built ignition system with all the normal dual protections and safety factors built in. The point of weakness was the wiring harness the only common point that if damaged could cause a sudden and total power cut. We would have preferred to wait until the ATSB findings were made public but the ATSB keep extending the time to issuing their findings. Therefore, we felt that this potential issue should be aired. The ATSB will issue their findings on this incident later in 2014. In no way does this article condemn the build or workmanship in this aircraft; the aircraft was exceptionally well maintained and presented. out by a goal post, totally destroying the aircraft a very high performance aircraft for a perfect SUMMARY. setup and have had a general concern regarding dual electronic ignition systems. Our Chapter (Chapter 24) has a strong safety culture. This article is an extension of that culture and a wish to air our concerns to a potential safety hazard. Through some exceptional flying they positioned All in all, a well thought out system with redundancies built in.The one potential point of failure that could take the system out totally was the cabling from the flywheel sensors to the control boxes in the cockpit. The wiring (as in all Light Speed I & IIs) runs from the sensor plate behind the flywheel - along the spine of the engine to the firewall. Unless protected by a substantial cover plate or supported tubing, this arrangement leaves the wiring exposed to mechanical damage. SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AIRSPORT 15 E N G I N E M A N AG E M E N T 1 0 1 THE BIG MIXTURE PULL! THE BIG MIXTURE PULL! gauge and they pulled to a 10% drop. This was done by complicated load cell arrangements on the front of the gearboxes, but effectively they did the same thing, just by using a different measurement device, and one we do not have thankfully. EGT has so many other diagnostic benefits that they did not have. So now that I have demonstrated how easy it is what are the key elements of the BMP and why and when is it to be used? David Brown and Walter Atkinson By David Brown About two years back I wrote an article about the use of too much fuel, and how to treat your engine better not only in the air, but on the ground. If you missed that article and would like a copy please email me. One of the most simple - yet most misunderstood - methods of engine management is something that should be discussed as a follow up to the “Too much of a good thing” (ref, which edition?) article, so here goes my best effort to do just that: the BIG mixture pull. No doubt over the years reading many internet forums, or the writings by John Deakin on AvWeb, the term BMP or Big Mixture Pull will have been used. So why is this simple yet misunderstood engine management technique so powerful in the cockpit and what are the benefits of its use? I should begin with a little story of real life use by none other than our new editor Kreisha Ballantyne in mid-2013. Yes even a girl can do it! (As I duck for cover). In fact, I will go on record here now, that of all the people I have coached with this technique, the men all, yes all of them have performed sub-optimal the first go but usually get it right on the second or third. But no, not our Kreisha, first go! 16 AIRSPORT So here we were at the Australian Women’s Pilot Association event in Hervey Bay, and Kreisha was keen to fly the RV10 again, as well as take a scenic around Fraser Island. We discussed the idea of my teaching her lean of peak ops and I said she would be doing it not long after crossing the coast and well before we got to Fraser Island. Those who know the end of RWY11 at YHBA and the Sandy Straits, you will realise she was in for a very quick lesson. So with Kreisha at the controls, away we go. I said level off at 1500’ and fly RWY heading to Fraser Island towards Lake Mackenzie. She did! The lesson was simply this: as we went through 700’, once we level off, let the plane accelerate, which happens quickly in an RV, reduce the RPM only, to about 2450 or wherever is smooth, and wait. Once the speed is stable, reach over, grab the mixture and close your eyes, then progressively but swiftly pull the mixture back at the rate that would get you to idle cut off (ICO) in no more than four seconds. As soon as you feel the plane decelerate, stop pulling the mixture back. She did. Kreisha opened her eyes with a giggly smile and said,”Is that it?” And I replied, “Welcome to the world of the BMP and LOP. It was that simple. She did not need hours of training, she did not need an engine monitor (her eyes were closed) all she needed was her calibrated butt telling her that the engine had passed right over the peak power curve and with the delay in sensation and the time it takes to have the fuel control unit (or carburettor) respond, it had parked itself nicely at a safe LOP power setting. Of course like any good woman she did not trust me. “Is that it? So what is all the hype that I hear all the time she claimed?” And hype it is! So as we cruised on over to Fraser Island I said, “Let’s see how well you did.” ( I knew she had nailed it, the BMP was 100% perfect and I knew the fuel flow we should have had, and it was spot on.) At a power setting of 80-82% when LOP, we should be around 60-80dF LOP, and knowing which cylinder peaks last on my engine, I suggested she take note of that EGT, which was around 1450dF. Then we slowly pushed the mixture back in until we found peak EGT, which was no surprise to me about 1520dF. Spot on first go! This works every time! Even at lower powers, say when up high and the % power is 60-65% where you might be after a target of only 10-20dF LOP, it works again. That’s exactly where you end up. Back in the days before EGT and all cylinder monitors, the big radial airliners used a BMEP SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT The key here is to have your aircraft in an already stable and accelerated state, either levelled out for ATC reasons or at top of climb. The plane accelerates, and as John Deakin says, “Do what all good airline pilots do: do nothing!” Let things settle for a minute or five if need be, but when it is stable and the CHTs are coming down, reach over and set a comfortable RPM. My suggestion is 2300-2500 range, and usually when at high power down low, at the higher end than say lower power at 9000’. If you are in the FLs you may want the extra power of having extra combustion events, so 2500-2600 might be what you need. Next thing is to do the BMP. The first few times, I suggest this is not done in a high traffic density area, as you need to close your eyes for 2-3 seconds, and having another pilot on board the first time may certainly be wise. (Otherwise your body will not switch its sensory inputs over and you will miss the deceleration). You are no less looking out for those couple of seconds as you would be reading your flight plan or looking at a map, so do not stress over that. Just use common sense. Once you have mastered the art, you will be able to do it while talking on the radio, reading a flight plan or even watching other traffic. It will be that easy. All you have to do is swiftly pull the mixture until you feel the deceleration, then stop. Of course if you go too far it will alert you accordingly and you need to do it again, or just squeeze a bit more back in. One other key here is you need well-matched fuel air ratios, and while some engines do not behave nicely, with either tuning injectors, or using some carby heat the vast majority can. You will need nice plugs and mags, and no induction leaks, but other than that any conforming engine will do this with ease. So why do we do this BMP thing? It is quick and simple and it works! In a busy ATC environment where you are surrounded by CTA and local CTAF traffic, while waiting that clearance, there is no point blasting away at max power and massive fuel flows. Simply reduce the power a bit with mixture, slowing things down a bit, cleaning up the combustion events, saving a heap of fuel (typically 45% or more) and cooling off the cylinders after take-off and before the next stage of climb. What is the downside? This is a simple no fuss procedure and while you are in a traffic congested area or dealing with ATC the very last thing you should be doing is having your head down mucking around with engine monitors and mixture knobs. This does everything it should, and nothing it shouldn’t. The second reason is a more scientific one, and one that will appeal to the inquisitive mind. Imagine you have arrived at top of climb, you use those “lean find” modes (not the best idea, but that is another story) and you slowly lean from a nice rich mixture, all the way up the curve, CHTs climbing, and then to peak EGT followed by slowly over the lean side and to your nominal, let’s say, 20dF LOP based on the last cylinder to peak. Once this has been done, the CHTs start cooling off nicely, your peak EGT was say 1460dF and you are settled on 1440dF, cruising along, you get that nasty inquisitive feeling, and decide to see what peak EGT is again. So knowing the last cylinder to peak, which is going to be the first one when moving back up the curve from the lean side, you start slowly winding in the mixture. As you go past 1460, you think to yourself…how is that so? You keep steadily increasing the fuel flow, 1465,1470,1475, 1480, maybe even 1485. Now you have a new peak EGT! So what do you do now? Assuming the fuel flow is such that your 10-20dF LOP is still appropriate, you should now lean back to just 1465-1475, which is much higher fuel flow and hence HP than before. So now you have found the new best brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) again, based on the “new normal”. So what is this new normal all about? What changed over the previous time period? Simply the only thing that changed was the cylinder head temperatures. With lower CHTs the volumetric efficiency of the cylinder improved marginally, and hence it is now capable of flowing more mass airflow. As a result the fuel air ratio leaned out further, and likely slipped away from the peak of the 1/BSFC you can see on the graph. (point 4) With all that said, a BMP at top of climb, followed by a period of doing nothing, will allow the engine to stabilise and then if you are really trying to squeeze every last bit of engine efficiency out, you can. But you can’t do it using a “lean find” mode from the rich side of peak EGT and with a hot engine. Go try this for yourself and log the data! Happy big mixture pulls to you all. If you have any questions, or would like a topic covered for the next issue, please email me at davidbrown@advancedpilot.com Until the next edition, safe flying, happy building and live life! Advanced Pilot Seminars Australia Please note: while these articles are written based on data backed scientific facts dating back to the 1950’s, you should always consider any limitations placed on your engine by the manufacturer. Please note LIMITATIONS. Most manuals do not go to the trouble to produce educational material and hence lack detail. Please consider taking further education if you are unsure of anything written above. The best source for education is www.advancedpilot.com AIRSPORT 17 A D V E RT I S E M E N T Did You Puke at the Cost of Your Last International Shipping Bill? How an RV-8 owner slashed HIS International Freight Costs by 65.2%....AND sourced cheaper parts from USA without having to worry about all the “Importing stuff” Ben Bowden is a LAME, and an RV tragic. He runs one of the most successful aircraft maintenance businesses in Queensland and is well known for his business acumen and involvement within the aircraft industry. In his “spare time” he also built himself one of his prize possessions, a VAN’S RV-8. One of his frustrations in building his plane and servicing his clients was the excessive freight costs of importing parts from USA. Often he could source MUCH cheaper parts from USA, not only for his RV-8, but also for use in the maintenance of many of his clients’ aircraft. However the exorbitant freight costs from these suppliers made it a lot less attractive. His research into the freight industry astounded him. He found that small operators are paying a huge mark-up on freight. In fact as much as 80% more than companies who have massive buying power. His research ending up finding a service that has negotiated a huge discount on freight on behalf of smaller operators. The service allows Ben to use a major freight company, UPS, to ship his US purchases, 40 - 70% cheaper than before. As Ben said, “Now I just source for the cheapest parts. The cost of freight is not even a consideration any more. It’s made my RV-8 a much more economical proposition.” For a free report on how to access this service, email ausconshipping@gmail.com. If you wish to speak to someone immediately, 0011 1 940 902 4743. 18 AIRSPORT SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AIRSPORT 19 T R AV E L F E AT U R E BLUE SKIES AND APPLE PIES BLUE SKIES AND APPLE PIES The Dakota fit out looks great! The Dakotasun deck Narrikup. Again we were met with some striking views; however, the wind had picked up and it was a bit bumpy. By Scott Palmer In July, Bunbury Aero Club organised a flyaway to the Lily Dutch Windmill. Scott Palmer and Gerrit Nienaber joined the convoy in VH-EZT My last attempt to visit the PC9 at Albany was met with a wall of thunderstorms south of Bunbury, so I was very glad to have another opportunity to head back. The forecast was for bad weather all week, but on the day we were greeted with clear skies and a perfect weather forecast for the rest of the day, after a little morning fog. Co-pilot Gerrit and I arrived at icy-cold Jandakot at 7am prepped for an early get-away in VH-EZT. Somehow luck never seems to go our way and joy of joys - during the walk-around I discovered the landing light was loose. Fixing it caused a short delay, but soon we fuelled up and departed Jandakot to the south east heading out over Boddington Mine and direct to the Lily. With a clear blue sky, the views were amazing. We had a tailwind to boot and arrived in just under an hour and a half after take off. The air was silky smooth the whole way and before long we found ourselves chatting with one of the BAC Cessnas as we approached the Lily. We overflew to get a good view of the strip then 20 AIRSPORT dropped down to join the others on runway 32. I always find these little unpaved runways exciting. The approach for 32 was slightly uphill but I put EZT down happily and taxied up to the windmill, where a small group had formed to watch everyone else coming in.A few more arrived after us and we parked got out to take pictures of the amazing landscape. Wow what a view! This is definitely somewhere to come back to for a longer stay. We were then distracted by the smell of apple pie and coffee and so headed inside for morning tea. The owner, Pleun, gave us a fascinating tour of the windmill. I was in Kinderdijk a few years back so I was expecting to see something similar; however, Pleun’s windmill was something else – absolutely immaculate inside and out. The workmanship was incredible - this guy really has some skill and patience Next up we had the briefing for Narrikup and then headed over to check out the Dakota where more amazing workmanship was on show. The Dakota is almost finished and the fit-out looks great.After watching the others depart, Gerrit took over the reins and we departed off runway 27 planning to fly around the ranges then head over the Porongurups then on to SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT As we approached the Porongurups, we heard the same BAC Cessna on the radio approaching the circuit for Narrikup. To our surprise we then heard that the previous aircraft had had a problem on landing. We assumed they might have burst a tyre or something and so carried on around the Porongurups. We heard another radio call from an aircraft joining the circuit and then on downwind, another radio broadcast provided more info about the previous aircraft which was apparently damaged. We were told everyone was ok. The second aircraft made a go-around and headed back to Bunbury, and so we decided not to land and overflew the airfield first to get familiar with it for the future. What a fantastic looking runway!We had a 30kt headwind on the way back to Bunbury, so it took us 2.3 hours from wheels off at the Lily to landing. We landed at Bunbury, refuelled and went inside to catch up with the other pilots and grab a quick coffee before heading back to Jandakot. From Mandurah onwards the wind started to die down. It was a quiet afternoon at Jandakot so we were given a straight in for 06L, we landed and packed up the plane. What a day – five hours in the air. I strongly recommend a visit to the Lily if you haven’t been. VH-EZT is owned by University Flying Club and the volunteers go to extraordinary lengths to provide an affordable entry into aviation for many pilots. The club is celebrating its 50th Birthday this month. If other pilots want to get involved in the club, and fly VH-EZT they should check out our website: www.uniflying.org.au/ The Lily Airfield THE LILY AIRFIELD STRIP INFORMATION The airstrip is adjacent to the windmill and you are able to park your plane close to the accommodation. For our fly-in accommodation visitors, hangar-space and a car may be available, please check. For general airstrip information and strip condition please call mobile 0427 279 206 or land-line 08 9827 9205. We are 47 NM from Albany and 173 NM from Jandakot Airport (Perth). Position: 34 deg. 13’ 25” South, 118 deg. 12’ 57” East. Strip directions: 14-32 and 09-27. Windsock: N/W of restaurant, WAC Chart 3463, Comm. Freq: CTAF 126,7, UHF: channel 33, Elevation 650 AMSL. Please check strip condition ON 0427 279 206, Avgas/Mogas: by prior arrangement. RUNWAY 14 - 32 Grass 660m - 14 slopes 2.5% down, tyre markers. RUNWAY 09 - 27 Grass 900m - tyre markers, possible sheep, check. Please check local weather and strip condition on Mobile 0427 279 206 or land-line 08 9827 9205. AIRSPORT 21 F E AT U R E O N E W E E K WO N D E R MISSION IMPOSSIBLE By Patricia Mawuli 22 AIRSPORT CODE NAME : ONE WEEK WONDER DATE : MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 TIME : 0800 LOCAL LOCATION : OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, USA MISSION DURATION : LESS THAN ONE WEEK OBJECTIVE 1 : BUILD A ROTAX 912iS SPORT POWERED CH750 CRUZER OBJECTIVE 2 : INVOLVE OVER 2,500 PEOPLE IN THE BUILD OBJECTIVE 3 : INSPIRE TENS IF NOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS REPORTING AGENT : PATRICIA MAWULI, GHANA, WEST AFRICA It was like some mysterious, off-the-books airframe - and, literally, hundreds of thousands of mission, shrouded in rumour and disbelief. passers by certainly sounds more like a story line The concept of a handful of core volunteers, for ‘Mission Impossible’ than an event at Oshkosh supported by a cast of 2,500 builders, most of 2014. But a real mission it was, and the clock whom would only learn to pull a rivet a few started as soon as Jack Pelton, EAA Chairman gave moments before pulling a ‘live rivet’ on the the ‘GO!’ at 0800 on the Monday morning. SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT E AA volunteers walk the One Week Wonder to the flight line on Aug. 3 after its completion in seven days during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014. (EAA photo) I was born, raised, live and work in Ghana, West Africa, where, until 8 years ago, I was living in a mud hut, fetching water on my head each morning. Then, by magnificent coincidence I had the opportunity to embrace a life-changing career in light aviation. It changed me - and led to my participation in this event. What an honour and privilege to be a part of the core team for the week. I was the only woman and the only indigenous African - full-time on the build. My initial role was to build the horizontal surfaces, and to train some youngsters in how to build light aircraft at the same time. They were bright, ready to learn and respectful of the knowledge that was being spilled freely before them by the whole team. From reading the drawings to following the photo guide manuals, deburring to trial assembly, mastering Cleco pliers to pulling rivets - and ultimately from a set of parts to a finished airplane! In just two days, my team had the horizontal stabiliser and elevator all but completed. All around there was a buzz and excitement - seeing these ‘factory standard’ parts come together and have my favourite Rotax 912iS engine hung on the front! In the same 48 hours, other teams had completed the vertical stab and rudders, almost completed the front and rear fuselage parts ready to join and achieved most of the build of the right wing, ready to go for riveting outside the main work area by the thousands of ‘wannabe builders’. In my time in Ghana, West Africa, where I install Rotax engines, build Zenith STOL aircraft and fly humanitarian missions for Medicine on the Move, I have come to understand that the big bits come together quickly, and so they did at the One Week Wonder event. We have a saying ‘90% done, 90% left to be done’ - there was a lot left to be done! By the Thursday morning, the fuselage was looking as if it was all done - but there was so much still to do. The Rotax 912iS team and Dynon touch screen avionics guys were busy fighting for space in the cockpit - and then the rudder and elevator installation team wanted them to stop ‘touching the stick’ and shaking the fuselage. It got quite challenging working with so many different nationalities, cultures and personalities in such a confined space - but it worked. I chose to work on the wing-tip electrics, and had the opportunity to discover some new tools and techniques along the way as well as to make some new friends! With less than twenty-four hours to go, the Saturday was ‘hot’ to say the least. Wings had to be fitted, dihedral set, those massive single AIRSPORT 23 F E AT U R E O N E W E E K WO N D E R Each attendee who participated in the One Week Wonder project at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh had a photo taken and uploaded to social media. Audrey Poberezny (left), wife of EAA’s late founder Paul Poberezny, secures a rivet on the One Week Wonder project. She is assisted by EAA staffer Charlie Becker (center) and experienced homebuilder Patricia Mawuli from Ghana. (EAA photo) struts that make the CH750 Cruzer look even more beefy had to be cut to length and drilled for the end fittings. During these times I had to hold up and adjust the right wing... nothing too much, but when being watched by so many, and answering questions about the build, engineering and flying - it makes any task a bit more of a challenge! It was fantastic to watch so many different people participate in this life-changing event. CEOs of major companies in aviation, veterans from the second world war, the Thunderbirds crew chiefs, pilots, engineers, lawyers, sheriffs, teachers, journalists, air-show performers... but most importantly for me, I saw and spoke with many mothers, fathers, grandparents and boys and girls of all ages, helping them to get involved, sharing in the passion that makes light aviation so, so exciting, educational and positive for all. Patricia working with Chris Heintz 24 AIRSPORT The Sunday morning dawned, with single-digit SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT hours left, and much to do... The crowds swelled, and those who witnessed the 100Hp Rotax fuel-injected work of art fire up for the first time were all thrilled beyond belief as it roared out it’s thousands of kilowatts of excitement. The general public got to watch all of the build during the week, and now to participate in the systems testing, weight and balance checks, and most importantly the dreaded FAA inspection. With no time left on the clock, at 1500 on the Sunday afternoon, the FAA man signed off the One Week Wonder as airworthy. Due to the large numbers of people, and in the spirit of safety, it was decided to simply do a taxi demonstration - right before the USAF Thunderbirds closing display. Tears could be seen in many eyes, mine included, at the beautiful sight of aluminium and steel brought together, in seven days, into that marvellous, inspirational, creation that we call ‘an airplane’. What better way to spend a week than to build an aircraft amongst my international family of aviators, inspiring and encouraging thousands of people, proving that aviation is not complicated. Aviation is simply magnificent. Aviation is for everybody. And for me to shout at the top of my lungs ‘ONE WEEK WONDER!’ OUTCOME : MISSION AND ALL OBJECTIVES ACCOMPLISHED CONCLUSION : MISSION POSSIBLE WHAT NEXT? The One Week Wonder aircraft will be touring the USA over the coming year to spread further the concept of inspiration to all, young or old, male or female, tall or short, black or white - aviation is for everybody and it is amazing. AIRSPORT 25 TA L E S F RO M T H E TO O L B OX Capacitance type T I P S F R O M T H E TO O L B OX MECHANICAL MUSINGS By Ken Garland One question I often get asked by builders is, “what type of fuel quantity indicating system should I use?” The answer to this question depends on the type and use of the aircraft itself. I am old enough to remember the cork float with calibrated wire coming up from the fuel cap and more recently the calibrated tube running up the side of the tank, but usually the question relates to the more modern float type potentiometer or capacitance type. Some aircraft use a sight-glass or tube to see what fuel is remaining, but these are notoriously unreliable in flight due to bouncing around. A lot of aircraft use a fuel flow-meter, which then subtracts from a known quantity during flight (either calculated automatically, or entered by the pilot at the start of the flight). The float type is simply a float mounted on a swinging arm. When there is no fuel, the float sits on the bottom – when the tank is full, the float rises to the top. The arm is attached to a variable resistor which, in most cases, is mounted inside the tank. An electric current is sent through the variable resistor to which a float is connected, so that the value of resistance depends on the fuel level. This system has potential risk as sending current through such a resistor has fire and explosion potential. Corrosion or wear of the potentiometer will provide erroneous readings of fuel level and these resistance sensors are also showing an increased failure rate with the incremental additions of alcohol in automotive gasoline fuel. Alcohol increases the corrosion rate at the potentiometer, as it is capable of carrying current like water. In automotive applications the potentiometer used in 26 AIRSPORT PRODUCT OF THE MONTH By Ken Garland conjunction with alcohol fuel use a pulse and hold methodology in that a periodic signal is sent to determine fuel level decreasing the corrosion potential. The other thing to consider when using the float/potentiometer type of fuel sender is that this type was designed for automobile use and very few automobiles are designed with aerobatics in mind. Even normal flight operations can produce quite violent movement of the float and moving parts will wear out eventually. The arm can get stuck or the float can get saturated and stop floating. Most fuel tanks sit at an angle due to the dihedral and angle of attack of the wing, the float sits at the inner edge of the tank, and therefore the float is fully submerged quite a bit before the tank is actually full. This means that you read full until you burn off as much as 20 litres. They are accurate at the end however, where you really need it to be accurate. level changes, so does the capacitance. The capacitance is part of an oscillator circuit. As the capacitance changes, so does the oscillator frequency. The frequency is converted to a voltage that is displayed with a fuel gauge. The advantage of a capacitance type fuel level probe is that there are no moving parts. The disadvantage is that the gauge must be calibrated each time that the type of fuel is changed because unleaded fuel, leaded fuel and gasohol each have different insulating properties. When the fuel tank is almost full, the capacitance fuel gauge will display different levels depending on the type of fuel in the tank. When the tank is almost empty, the fuel gauge will be more accurate because air is now the insulating medium and the probe does not know or care what type of fuel used to be in the tank. The variation in fuel insulating properties also includes avgas. The other option is the capacitive sensor. A capacitance fuel tank gauge utilizing a pair of diodes to rectify the capacitance signal before transmission to the fuel gauge, thereby eliminating effects of stray capacitance and the need for coaxial cables with the advantages of reducing weight and cost. The main advantages are no moving parts, very accurate from full to empty, they aren’t affected by sloshing fuel as much, the non-contact nature of these sensors address the fire and explosion hazard, and also the issues related to any fuel combinations or additives to gasoline or to any alcohol fuel mixtures. A good explanation from a post on the AeroElectric list: Both systems are available from most aviation hardware suppliers, and Van’s makes capacitive sensor kits for a number of their aircraft. A capacitor is constructed of two parallel conductors insulated from each other. The amount of capacitance is related to the distance between the conductors and the type of insulation. The insulation between the conductors of a capacitance fuel level probe consists of air and/or fuel. As the fuel If there is a topic you would like me to comment on for future issues please send a request to SAAA at ken.garland@saaa.com As always, the final word is mine but the final decision is yours. SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT As an aircraft builder, I am always looking for products and services which will improve my aircraft by making it better, cheaper or look better. Here is a product I have been using with great success. Designed initially for automotive use the product has made significant inroads into aviation and marine applications. My wife has also found uses for it around the home when I am careless enough to leave it lying around. FW1 – WATERLESS CLEANING WAX TS2 – TOUCHLESS TYRE SHINE FW1 is a high performance cleaning wax that is designed to clean vehicles without the use of water. You can achieve fast, amazing results in a matter of seconds. FW1 removes grease, tar, bugs, mildew, road grime, light scratches and marks, most faded paints and tree sap quickly, and with comparatively little effort. RGS Labs Inc.© has created a unique formulation to provide a long lasting, ultra black glossy shine that will complement great-looking wheels. FW1 is in high demand by crop-dusters out west because it removes squashed bugs quickly and effortlessly. I like the FW1 because it can be used on a variety of non-porous surfaces such as metal, composite, fabric, glass and even Perspex and Lexan. FW1 has been approved with a Smart Approved Watermark to show it satisfies water reduction criteria. It does not contain silicones, teflons, or CFCs, which are harmful to the environment and deplete the ozone layer. Considering it takes 32 litres of water to wash the average car yet one single can of FW1 washes four medium-sized cars, the choice for car cleaning is easy! Using FW1 requires only a few simple steps: spray on light coat of the product in a small section, then using a cloth rub in a circular motion. Using another cloth (preferably a microfibre towel) lightly buff to a shine. The special formula also limits residual spray or ‘sling’ on paint and heels. TS2 can be applied to your tyres with little or no wastage. It cleans and protects and its unique formulation helps revitalise the look and condition of your tyres. TS2 leaves a protective film to guard against fading, drying and cracking. Use on dry tyres only. •Easy one step application, shines in just minutes • TS2 creates an ultra black, glossy ‘wet’ look • Spray or wipe on • Low ‘sling’ formula • Water-resistant, long lasting• GP3 - GENERAL PURPOSE CLEANER This General Purpose Cleaner is designed to penetrate and break up oil, grease, dirt and soil with minimum effort. This special formulation cleans steel, plastic, rubber, tile, chrome, baked enamel objects and even glass! CU4 – CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY CLEANER CU4 technology makes short work of the toughest stains! The perfect companion for the car and home, CU4 interior treatment deodorises, removes stains and protects upholstery, fabric and carpet... without wasting time or water. CU4 eliminates both set-in stains and stubborn odours! With CU4 interior treatment, you completely remove stains. CU4 has no sticky residue to attract more dirt, and is designed to eliminate: • Messy kid stuff • Coffee spills • Food spills • Smoke odors • Pet accidents • Dirt and grass stains Other products in the range include Leather Wipes, Microfibre Cloths and Spray Gun applicator. To achieve that prize winning finish on your aircraft, car, boat etc, you can’t go past the FW1 range of products. For more details on the FW1 product range go to FW1.com.au and say you saw it in Airsport. AIRSPORT 27 SO YOU’VE HAD A CLOSE CALL? Often the experience is something you’ll never forget and you have learned from it. Why not share your story so that others can learn from it too? If we publish it, we’ll give you $500. Articles should be between 450 and 1000 words. If preferred, your identity will be kept confidential. Email us at fsa@casa.gov.au. Clearly mark your submission in the subject field as ‘SPORTAVIATION CLOSE CALL’ Please do not submit articles regarding events that are the subject of a current official investigation. Submissions may be edited for clarity, length and reader focus. 28 AIRSPORT SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AIRSPORT 29 TAKI NG AVIATION BY S TORM What makes the Tempest oil filters tough enough for the Australian outback? Magnetic Secondary Filtration Tempest is the only aviation oil filter that features an internal magnet that collects ferrous material that can otherwise re-enter the engine and potentially result in premature engine wear. World’s Best Aviation Spark Plugs and Oil Filters 30 AIRSPORT SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AIRSPORT 31 B U I L D E R S LO G VH-VBN B U I L D E R S LO G VH- RAR VH-POO VH-XBI BUILDER: ANSON NEEDHAM # 07334 BUILDER: BRADLEY LANGE # 07788 BUILDER: GUIDO MEENS # 06631 BUILDER: BARBRA SMITH # 07602 LOCATED: WACHOPE, NSW LOCATED: CORUNBIA, QLD LOCATED: AUSTRALIND, WA LOCATED: LEETON, NSW A/C TYPE: VANS RV-8 A/C TYPE: BEARHAWK A/C TYPE: RV-4 CH-7BT A/C TYPE: BJ-60 HOT AIR BALLOON COFA issued on 23/07/14 By Darren Barnfield COFA was issued on 17/08/2014 By Peter Lewis VH-NIT COFA was issued on 24/5/2014 By Peter Lewis COFA was issued on 18/08/2014 By Peter Lewis How to submit to Builders’ Log VH-OHV BUILDER: BEV HALL #07741 BUILDER: GREG VAN SCOY # 07745 LOCATED: NARRIKUP, WA LOCATED: WARRANDYTE, VIC A/C TYPE: MOSQUITO XE A/C TYPE: RV-7A COFA Issued on 7/06/2014 by Robert Hannington COFA was issued on 20/08/2014 By Darren Barnfield Email the following details to us at airsport@saaa.com – with your photos! > First and last name > SAAA membership number > Chapter number and location > Contact details (email, phone if you want others to be able to contact you) > Details of the aircraft you are working on (name, model, manufacturer, registration number, etc) > Information about the building process - share your stories! > Pictures in jpeg format (around 1 Mb in size is ideal but send whatever you have). VH- DPC VH- AGI BUILDER: ANTHONY CARMODY # 7418 BUILDER: GREG NCNAB # 06420 LOCATED: WURTULLA, QLD LOCATED: EARLVILLE, QLD A/C TYPE: CICARE CH-7BT A/C TYPE: VANS RV-8 COFA was issued on 24/5/2014 By Peter Lewis 32 AIRSPORT AIRSPORT SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT COFA was issued on 18/08/2014 By Peter Lewis AIRSPORT 33 11 Penisula Blvd, Seaford, Vic 3198 Phone (03) 9585 1211 Fax (03) 9585 1837 Email sales@aviaquip.com.au NEW FROM BOB TAIT’S AVIATION THEORY SCHOOL www.aviaquip.com.au ANNOUNCEMENT Aviaquip has carried out a strategic downsizing and restructuring. As a result we will no longer be supplying aircraft hardware and general spare parts to the General Aviation and Airline Markets. WE WILL CONTINUE TO STOCK ALL OF YOUR AIRCRAFT FABRIC COVERING NEEDS FULL RANGE OF FABRICS, TAPES, ACCESORIES AND COATINGS AVAILABLE ASIAPAC June 2013.pdf 1 12/06/13 11:03 PM iEFIS ...the Next Generation Home-study guides for RA-AUS BAK and RA-AUS Cross Country Endorsement Available as hard-copy texts in black and white or full colour Also as full colour e-texts Phone: 07 3204 0965 email: bobtait@bobtait.com.au See our web site for full details • www.bobtait.com.au A comprehensive flight, engine & navigation instrument designed for Experimental & LSA aircraft utilising a custom developed, pressure sensitive, sunlight readable touch screen. iEFIS combines the undeniable advantages of simplified operation of a touch screen with rich, traditional controls which are equally indispensable in the cockpit environment. The pressure sensitive touch screen operates like a tactile button preventing false activation when touching the screen in turbulent conditions. A simple and highly effective solution ... in 7", 8.5" & 10.4" displays. Complete iEFIS system (no servos) approx 2nd Generation Odyssey Complete Odyssey-Voyager G2 systems approx . . SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT $6,000 delivered! Extremely powerful, flexible, simple & intuitive operation in huge 10.4” and 8.4”, high quality, high resolution, sunlight readable displays Every conceivable function: all flight; HITS; VOR, ILS, GLS, GVOR; AOA; all engine; ‘black box’ recording; AH/Compass; GPS (m/map); terrain (2D/3D); integrated GPS & encoder; radio/transponder, ‘spoken voice’ alerts, integrated autopilot & much more! Complete range of light, accurate, multi-function, advanced instruments. Straight swap out for standard 2.25” & 3.5” instruments with brilliant one button interface & even more innovative features. website: www.lightflying.com.au 34 AIRSPORT $6,000 delivered! Including all the features of its sibling Odyssey series systems the 'touch & press' screen modular iEFIS continues the MGL tradition of leading the industry in features, flexibility & innovation. Delta VHF Antennas Exclusive Australasian distributer for the highly regarded Delta Pop Aviation range of VHF and transponder antennas. The XTreme Mini EFIS A 4.3” colour display, multifunction EFIS with remarkable functionality at a remarkable price. All Flight and Engine functions*; Integrated GPS & encoder; Navigation; Flight path (GPS based flight path/‘attitude’ indication); Artificial horizon.* Auto pilot* coming soon (free software upgrade); EFIS fits into std 3.5” instrument cut-out! *Requires additional equipment. $1,350 delivered! MGL VHF COM Radio New advanced features & design - 2.5”, large display, 230 grams. FCC approved. $1,255 delivered phone: (02) 6259 2002 or 0419 423 286 AIRSPORT 35 C H A P T E R C H AT T E R C H A P T E R C H AT T E R NEW SOUTH WALES QUEENSLAND CHAPTER 4 : SOUTH COAST CHAPTER 15 : QUEENSLAND RODGER’S WAIEX This month we had Rodger Connelly along to tell his story of the construction and flight testing of his V tail Sonex aircraft known as a Waiex (pronounced “Y-X”) and registered as VH-YEX. This aircraft was seen with the line-up of so many other aircraft at the Gathering of the Eagles fly-in at Watts Bridge on the 30 August and was the star of the show for the Experimental aircraft seen on display. This build is a perfect example of the aircraft and the glistening paintwork and digital panel along with the V tail design sure make the aircraft stand out in a crowd. WATTS BRIDGE GATHERING OF THE EAGLES The Watts Bridge Gathering of the Eagles was on Saturday 30 August. The event was well attended with approximately 80 aircraft in for the day and a huge crowd of flyers and drivers. recently elected Chapter 4 secretary Michael DeFeyter with chapter member Gordon Griffin. Recently Chapter 4 held another workshop meeting as part of our rigorous annual schedule, and this time it was my turn to get the biscuits, tea and coffee, as the group were coming to look at progress on my Rocket project. I am assembling the aircraft in John Cleary’s hangar at Wollongong and the meeting was scheduled for a sunny Saturday afternoon, so we had one fly-in visitor from Sydney, as well as a couple of others driving in from the Sydney basin area, also a good smattering of our own chapter members. The F1 Rocket aircraft is essentially a modified RV-4 fitted with an IO-540 Lycoming and constant speed propeller, (this one has a Harmon Rocket tipover canopy) and with the very able help of TC Peter Bowman good progress is being made. Recent developments have included fitting of the cowling and the air intake/filter box. This has required a considerable amount of filling and sanding to get a reasonable fit behind the spinner backplate. We are also now fitting the wheel pants and gear leg fairings, requiring custom fabrication of fixing brackets to provide adequate support and alignment, so plenty of time is spent working out how best to solve the myriad of problems we seem to be confronted with, but these are problems we enjoy solving so it’s really enjoyable hard work. Part of the assembled group Photos John deBattista WEIGHT AND BALANCE TALK Around 15 SAAA members turned up to have a look at the project, to share some time together and much discussion ensued over the finer points of firewall forward installations, which I must admit I never seem to tire of. Since we had such a good roll up, we also asked Ken Garland to give us all an update on proceedings at Headquarters, followed by Phil Ayrton the Chapter AGM so it was quite a busy afternoon. 36 AIRSPORT The weight and balance talk was a great success at the chapter 19 meeting on the 19 August. The talk was put on following the Chapter 19 AGM and there was a great turnout for the talk. We will look into this topic in greater detail over the next few issues as it is a subject that deserves a bit of time and a lot of detail. SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AIRSPORT 37 CLASSIFIEDS C H A P T E R CO N TAC T S NEW SOUTH WALES FOR SALE NEW SOUTH WALES ONE ACK30 ALTITUDE DIGITIZER Mod 5 Grey Code output up to 30750 feet. C/W manual and installation kit. Very good condition $150.00. Contact Mike Nolan Member 07016. Mobile 0428 358 333 or email atomike.nolan@ozemail.com.au ONE COMANT C121 VHF ANTANAE 118-137 mhz. New still in box. Spruce price $ 175 US dollars plus shipping to Australia. Will sell for $ 150 Australian dollars plus Australia post charges. Contact Mike Nolan 0428358333 or at kermik@ozemail.com.au BARRACUDA PROJECT FOR SALE Jeffair Barracuda project in advanced state for sale. Includes Engine, Instruments and avionics. For full details go to: http://planesale. blogspot.com.au. Aircraft expected to be relocated to Rylstone later this year but currently in home storage. Contact Gary at gary@modelfxs.com or 02-9622-1916 AH for more details. HANGAR RYLSTON Two slots available in late August at Hangar 49 located on the all new Rylstone Airpark. All new, insulated, painted floors, kitchenette for a casual stay over. Rylstone Airpark is located 2.5 hours from central Sydney. The township is 5km from the airport with a large selection of eateries and accommodation - perfect for that all flying weekend away. Not just a hangar space it a lifestyle. Full details at tucano-replica.blogspot.com.au - Click on Rental Hangar DRDT- 2 DIMPLING FRAMES DRDT-2 frames per OEM plans available ex-Canberra. AUD$250 plus shipping if required. Fabricated with a fully enclosed spine for a professional look. Allow three weeks if not already in stock. By comparison, the Front-End Kit (FEK) is US$170 ex-USA or US$370 including the frame plus a minimum of US$200 for shipping. RV12 25HRS TT, all new components,build by multiple RV builder and SAAA technical counsellor. Based in Mittagong YMIG NSW Asking $98 500.no GST. For questions please contact: Karl Ahamer 0411 290 472 TEXAS TAILDRAGGER, C150G, Xpdr, ADF, Intercom, Eng. 480 TBO, Prop. 1690 TBO $40,000 Incl. GST. Temora area. Clinton Ashton-Martin 0429 021 097, 02 6976 4280. 38 AIRSPORT Chapter 1 Sydney North President: Rob Lawrie Mob 0421 618 920 chapter01@saaa.com.au Meetings: Third Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm - rotates amongst members’ projects. QUEENSLAND RANS S-7S COURIER. Built 2010 270.00 Hrs TT. Twice 2011,2012 Natfly (Australia) Con Course deElegance winner plus best fabric-covered aircraft. Rotax 912ULS 100 Hp with Airmaster AP332 C/S three bladed prop with square tip Warp Drive blades and polished spinner. Fully optioned, far exceeds factory build in standard and equipment, interior superbly upholstered. Built by LAME,3 1/2 Hr range plus Turtle Pac,ferry tank available(extra to A/C price ) A/C plumbed and wired with QDs to accept. Aerodynanically balanced ailerons. Whelan strobes/Nav,custom made seats, Garmin SL40 VHF and ICS,Garmin GTX 327 Transponder..Mode “C” plus encoder, Garmin 296 GPS, electric trim, UMA quality aircraft instrumentation, Super baby Lakes VH-AVV Tundra tyres and 8” tail wheel, custom dashboard and glaresheild. Electronics International FP5 fuel computer, Steves aircraft Gascolator and 10 micron stainless steel cleanable fuel filter. A great short field performer, any inspection welcomed. Best Rans in Australia. Making room for new Carbon Cub project $85000.00 Firm. Contact Ken Edwards kenedwardsqld@gmail.com. Or phone. 0438 178 869 SUPER BABY LAKES VH-AVV. (SEE IMAGE ABOVE) C of A issued NOV 2013. Project was undertaken mainly for its long term construction challenge during my retirement . It is constructed to same high standard as my Concourse winning Thorp S -18 and is now surplus to requirement . Engine LYC 0-235 L2C of 115 HP . Airframe and engine time in service 50 hours . Stressed + and - 9 G . Cruise 100 kt at 75 % power . Basic mandatory VFR instruments and hand start . Stitts Poly Fibre fabric system . Great for cruise or aerobatics . Hangared Redcliffe, QLD . asking $38000. Call: Peter Ashley 07-38224240, 0438 749 213 prashley@ ozemail.com.au VICTORIA 1998 RV6A TT 1090HR. ENG 450hrs since new. Sensenich wood prop. 0- 330 160hp Lycoming .Navaid autopilot.Airmap 500 GPS. JPI EDM 700 eng monitor. JPI Fuelscan flow meter.. PS Engineering PMA1200 intercom. 2 VHF Terra radios. Terra Txp. MP gauge. Cabin heat. Very good condition. Nearly finished building RV7a. $87,000. Mansfield Vic . Ph 0417 335 799. Email : jkrowlands@gmail.com WANTED WESTERN AUSTRALIA RIGHT HAND RV6 ELEVATOR I’m seeking a right hand RV6 elevator. I would also be interested in the whole tailplane assembly (horizontal stabiliser plus elevators) should anyone have one. Member: Trevor Fernihough Classifieds Members’ non-business classifieds are free for two issues. Classifieds may be resubmitted. Non-members paid classifieds – no limit. Send to SAAA PO Box 99 Narromine NSW 2821 fax 02 6889 7788email enquiries@saaa.com SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT Chapter 2 Camden President: Graham Johnston Mob 0417 985 200 chapter02@saaa.com.au Meetings: Second Wednesday of each month, rotates amongst members’ projects. Chapter 4 South Coast President: Peter Bowman Tel 02 4229 5350 Secretary: Philip Ayrton chapter04@saaa.com.au Meetings: Last Monday night of each month Chapter 5 Central Coast President: Dean Nesbitt Mob 0418 757 383 chapter05@saaa.com.au Chapter 6 Coffs Harbour President: Dr Paul Foster Tel 02 6569 9484 (ah) chapter06@saaa.com.au Chapter 7 Mid-North Coast President: Bill Coote Tel 02 6559 9953 chapter07@saaa.com.au Meetings: First Friday of each month, Hasting’s District Flying Club Chapter 11 North-West Sydney President: Ian Woodhead Tel 02 9856 2703 M 0404 830 634 chapter11@saaa.com.au Meetings: Second Tuesday of each month, rotates amongst members. Chapter 23 Frogs Hollow NSW President: Drew Done Tel 02 6495 9484 chapter23@saaa.com.au Chapter 37 Southern NSW President: Jarrod Clowes Mob 0428 811 884 chapter37@saaa.com.au Chapter 38 Western Plains President: Daniel Compton Tel 02 6884 8887 Mob 0409 944 619 chapter38@saaa.com.au Chapter 40 Wagga & District President: Malcolm Bennett Tel 02 6922 4917 Mob 0423 101 855 Secretary: Tony Middleton Tel 02 6922 4990 chapter40@saaa.com.au ACT Chapter 26 Monaro President: John Morrissey Mob 0419 260 740 chapter26@saaa.com.au Meetings: Third Sunday afternoon each month, rotates amongst members’ projects. VICTORIA Chapter 18 Melbourne President: David Zemel Mob 0412 778 120 chapter18@saaa.com.au Chapter 20 Kyneton District President & Secretary: Mark Davis Secretary: Rodney Ashdowne Mob 0438 399 163 chapter20@saaa.com.au Chapter 16 Serpentine President: Bo Hannington Tel 08 9524 2000 Mob 0427 044 156 chapter16@saaa.com.au Chapter 24 Jandakot Secretary/Treasurer: Peter Mulhern Mob 0418 923 837 chapter24@saaa.com.au SOUTH AUSTRALIA Chapter 21 Moorabbin President: Stuart Trist Mob 0410 561 371 chapter21@saaa.com.au Meetings: Fourth Wednesday of the month at 7.30 pm, South Oakleigh Club, 1 Victor Rd (Cnr Clifton St) East Bentleigh. Chapter 27 Tyabb Victoria President: Darren Barnfield Tel 03 5979 1501 Mob 0408 351 309 chapter27@saaa.com.au Meetings: Third Sunday each month WESTERN AUSTRALIA Chapter 10 South West WA President: Peter Bairstow Mob 0419 048 832 chapter10@saaa.com.au Chapter 13 Albany District President: Ralph Burnett Mob 0427 200 673 Secretary: Ian Coombe Mob 0428 957 829 chapter13@saaa.com.au Chapter 25 Port Lincoln SA President: Michael Hart Tel 08 8682 1977 chapter25@saaa.com.au Chapter 39 Adelaide President: Paul Holaj Secretary: Patrick Pulis Mob 0408 008 379 chapter39@saaa.com.au NORTHERN TERRITORY Chapter 35 Northern Australia President: Vern Taylor Mob 0418 898 899 Secretary: Christopher McKay Mob 0418 799 469 chapter35@saaa.com.au Meetings: Last Saturday of the month, venues vary. Chapter 19 Gold Coast President: Robert Fraser Mob 0429 200 098 Secretary: Stanley Lewis Mob 0414 960 872 chapter19@saaa.com.au Meetings: Notified to members via email Chapter 22 Sunshine Coast President: Jamie Lee Mob 0401 770 230 Secretary: Conor McCarthy Mob 0439 518 777 chapter22@saaa.com.au Meetings: 3rd Sunday May, Jul, Sept, Nov, Jan, Mar Chapter 34 Far North QLD President: John Martin Mob 0419 536 668 chapter34@saaa.com.au Chapter 36 Central QLD Contact: John Gordon Mob 0418 458 095 chapter36@saaa.com.au Chapter 17 Pallamana Murray Bridge President: Don Fraser Tel 08 8363 3920 (ah) chapter17@saaa.com.au QUEENSLAND Chapter 15 Queensland President: Paul Smith Tel 0419 641 853 chapter15@saaa.com.au Meetings: 7:30pm at Royal Queensland Aero Club, Hangar 1, Beattie Rd Archerfield first Thursday of the month For any changes to Chapter details, contacts or to notify of errors, please email enquiries@saaa.com AIRSPORT 39 S A A A CO N TAC T S National Technical Manager Geoffrey Danes Mindarie Mob 0428 992 399 gdanes@iinet.net.au MPC/Training Coordinators 24 Colin Morrow Como WA Tel 08 9450 2130 colinmorrow@optusnet.com.au 26 Lou Szabolics Hawker Mob 0411 850 383 szabolics@bigpond.com 24 William Keehner Mt Pleasant WA Mob 0417 972 090 Barrie Bishton Kempsey Mob 0439 864 023 39 Walter Ogilvie Kingston Mob 0427 689 031 wogilvie@live.com.au 26 Kim Jones Monash Tel 02 6291 9377 kim_jones@optusnet.com.au 39 Paul Holaj Nairne Mob 0408 008 379 pn-holaj@bigpond.com 7 William Coote Laurieton Tel 02 6559 9953 bill@becominghealthy.com.au 25 Mick Hart Port Lincoln Mob 0407 424 607 mcdkhart@gmail.com 23 Drew Done Merimbula Mob 0409 833 646 dj.done@bigpond.net.au 39 Bruce Deslandes Whyalla Mob 0414 263 180 b.des@bigpond.com wkeehner@bigpond.net.au TECHNICAL COUNSELLORS NSW AND SA Ken Garland nswstatecoordinator@saaa. com.au Mob 0417 244 059 VICTORIA Brian Ham vicstatecoordinator@saaa. com.au Mob 0417 464 866 QUEENSLAND Peter Leonard qldstatecoordinator@saaa. com.au Mob 0417 758 272 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Fred Moreno wastatecoordinator@saaa. com.au Mob 0488 336 905 AP Coordinator 24 Geoffrey Danes Mindarie WA Mob 0428 992 399 gdanes@iinet.net.au CASA Authorised Persons 37 Jim Williams Albury NSW Mob 0408 480 445 11 Martin Ongley Colebee NSW Mob 0438 014 877 05 David Tennant Warnervale NSW Mob 0410 491 866 dltenno@hotmail.com 19 Peter Lewis Brinsmead QLD Mob 0439 714 617 skyworthy2@bigpond.com 19 Howard Mason Elanora QLD Mob 0417 621 655 14 Brian Turner Boolarra South VIC Mob 0429 172 740 btvair@wideband.net.au 27 Darren Barnfield Hastings VIC Mob 0408 351 309 13 Robert Hannington Albany WA Mob 0409 090 493 rhh@albanyis.com.au 40 AIRSPORT S A A A CO N TAC T S New South Wales & ACT 5 John Griffin Bangor Tel 02 9543 8404 Mob 0409 654 298 jreggriffin25@optusnet.com.au 1 Rick Harper Bohnock Mob 0416 041 007 rjwh@skymesh.com.au Karl Ahamer Bowral Mob 0411 290 472 kahamer@bigpond.net.au 4 Chris Byrne Bowral Mob 0414 603 644 jack.byrne@bigpond.com 4 Ken Garland Camden Mob 0417 244 059 ken@garlandaerospace.com.au 5 Grant Piper Coolah Mob 0438 890 242 grant.piper@wideband.net.au 11 Martin Ongley Colebee Mob 0438 014 877 martin.ongley@saaa.com 38 Philip Goard Cowra Tel 02 6342 9300 Tel 02 6341 1635 info@brumbyaircraft.com.au 37 James Ball Deniliquin Tel 03 5812 0079 Mob 0428 743 450 jtball@iinet.net.au 23 Rex Koerbin Pambula Tel 02 6495 1296 Mob 0408 138 409 rexavia@merimbulaaircraft.com 11 Ian Goldie Port Macquarie Tel 02 6582 4343 irgoldie@optusnet.com.au 40 Tony Middleton Springvale Heights Tel 02 6922 4990 a.middo@bigpond.net.au 38 Paul O’Connor Temora Mob 0427 090 087 vhpoc@hotmail.com 1 Keith Bridge Terrey Hills Mob 0417 290 814 Tel 02 9486 3034 kbaero@iinet.com.au 40 Malcolm Bennett Wagga Wagga Tel 02 6922 4917 Mob 0423 101 855 bennettbuilt@internode.on.net 40 Peter Middleton Wagga Wagga Tel 02 6922 4815 Mob 0407 016 429 p.middleton2@bigpond.com p.middleton2@bigpond.com Queensland 4 Peter Bowman Figtree Mob 0429 130 340 pean.bow@bigpond.net.au 36 Daryl Grove Aitkenvale Tel 07 4775 1604 grovedj@bigpond.net.au 5 Robert Redman Floraville Mob 0418 570 768 rlredman@bigpond.com 15 Mike Roselt Applethorpe Mob 0417 706 827 fay.roselt@bigpond.com 1 Geoff Shrimski Frenchs Forest Mob 0414 400 304 scuba@bigpond.net.au 15 Peter Karanges Sunnybank Hills Mob 0407 453 933 designt@bigpond.net.au Andrew Sieczkowski Grafton Mob 0408 573 130 andyski@exemail.com.au 34 Tony Ilyes Tully Heads Mob 0408 797 228 ilyesent@bigpond.com South Australia Tasmania Mob 0417 409 996 bernice.dan@bigpond.com 21 Stuart Trist Mordialloc Mob 0410 561 371 stuart.trist@esa.edu.au 20 Len Dyson Newport Tel 03 9391 2193 p51mustang@optushome. com.au Peter Austin Oak Park Tel 03 9306 1090 21 Robert Barrow Oakleigh South Tel 03 9558 0598 bobbarrow@bigpond.com 20 Peter Pendergast Ocean Grove Mob 0418 129 222 ppen@live.com.au 13 Fred Moreno Denmark Tel 08 9848 1431 frederickmoreno@bigpond.com 10 Terry Doe Eaton Mob 0437 256 229 terrdoe@gmail.com 24 Tony White Guildford Mob 0419 421 632 twhite@westnet.com.au 24 Andy George Kalgoorlie Mob 0418 920 404 andy.george@rapallo.com.au 24 Paul Blackney Leeming Mob 0417 091 763 pblackny@bigpond.com 21 Arthur Stubbs Port Fairy Mob 0419 357 648 vhxsi@aussiebb.com.au 24 William Keehner Mount Pleasant Mob 0417 972 090 wkeehner@bigpond.net.au Peter Schafer 21 Graeme Coates Richmond Mob 0417 108 427 coatbeam@melbpc.org.au 24 Geoffrey Danes Mindarie Mob 0428 992 399 gdanes@iinet.net.au Brian Turner 21 Brian Ham Templestowe Mob 0417 464 866 brian.ham@bigpond.com 16 Shirley Harding Mundijong Mob 0459 555 025 shirley.harding@saaa.com Mick Cuppari West Hobart Mob 0400 183 711 cuppari@netspace.net.au Victoria Balwyn Mob 0425 837 055 schaferpj@gmail.com Boolarra South Mob 0429 172 740 btvair@gmail.com 21 Bruce Towns Braeside Mob 0408 326 260 brucetowns@bigpond.com 21 Robert Taylor Ferny Creek Mob 0428 324 731 rwtaylor@bigpond.com 21 John Stephenson Hampton East Tel 03 9553 5075 JFS2@bigpond.com 20 Frank Deeth Heathmont Mob 0408 559 866 tr.9@westnet.com.au Rod Shearer Huntly Tel 03 5448 8669 Mob 0419 717 212 rybuck@iinet.net.au 20 Norm Edmunds Kyneton Mob 0407 098 242 idgara.aviation@bigpond.com 20 Rodney Thynne Melton Mob 0402 277 607 rodneythynne@yahoo.com.au 20 Daniel O’Sullivan Monegeetta Rob McAnally Templestowe Mob 0418 172 150 rsmcanallyrv6@gmail.com Western Australia 13 Brian Holman Albany Mob 0429 844 419 bmholman@australiaonline. net.au 16 Bo Hannington Baldivis Tel 08 9524 2000 Bo@elbo.com.au Robert (Bob) Redman Floraville NSW Tel 02 4947 0768 Mob 0418 570 768 rlredman@bigpond.com Andy Ski (Andrew Sieczkowski) Grafton Area NSW Tel 02 6642 1104 Mob 0408 573 130 andyski@exemail.com.au Gary Spicer Hope Island QLD Tel 07 5514 2196 Mob 0402 822 907 gary.spicer@saaa.com Peter McDougall (Helicopters) Haliday Bay QLD Mob 0408 345 507 qiepl@bigpond.com Jon Johanson Grovedale VIC Tel 03 5241 1605 24 Lindsay Danes Success Tel 08 9414 1122 lindsayd@primus.com.au Northern Territory 35 Albert Poon Casuarina Mob 0417 562 069 albertpoon@y7mail.com SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT SAAA Pilot AdvisorsCoordinator 24 Peter Cash Riverton Mob 0447 560 928 bee@bee-engineering.com 24 Peter Nelson Baldivis Mob 0418 949 943 peternelson666@gmail.com 24 Colin Morrow Como Mob 0412 069 490 colinmorrow@optusnet.com.au Grenfell NSW Tel 02 6343 3292 Mob 0409 076 277 xtp@activ8.net.au Goolwa SA Mob 0419 554 656 info@flymore.com.au Baldivis Mob 0419 043 161 gordon-jane@telstra.com 24 Mike Fletcher Bunbury Mob 0408 090 438 mikefletcher@dodo.com.au Keith Engelsman 13 Noel Stoney Redmond Mob 0447 453 242 nrstoney@bigpond.com 35 Bill Markey Acacia Hills Mob 0400 782 313 bdtsmarkey@bordernet.com.au Gordon Johanson Geoffrey Hook Flight Advisor & Test Pilot Coordinator Qatar Shirley Harding Doha Tel +974 660 99265 shirley.harding@saaa.com Aub Coote Ralph Burnett Albany WA Tel 08 9842 8963 Mob 0427 200 673 burnett@comswest.net.au Gordon Johanson BaldivisWA Mob 0419 043 161 gordon-jane@telstra.com 34 Laurie Wincen Atherton Mob 0408 725 050 lauremal@aanet.com.au Robert Veale Bokarina Tel 07 5493 5221 raveale@optusnet.com.au Bundaberg (North) Mob 0428 652 165 annieinport@hotmail.com 34 John Atkinson Cairns Mob 0427 534 806 long_lej@tpg.com.au 34 John Martin Cairns Mob 0419 536 668 j-martin@bigpond.net.au ERINGER THE WORLD’S LIGHTEST 4” BRAKE AND WHEEL Lance Sandford Dundowran Tel 07 4128 6015 Mob 0425 715 781 sandford@melbpc.org.au 34 Darren Jones Edmonton Mob 0432 575 824 cbar@aol.com.au 15 Paul Smith Ferny Hills Mob 0419 641 853 pk.smith@bigpond.net.au 21 Martin Unger Gatton Airpark Mob 0419 368 696 aerobiz1@gmail.com BERINGER HAS BEEN MANUFACTURING Peter McDougall PERFORMANCE, SINCE 1985. Haliday Bay Mob 0408 345 507 qiepl@bigpond.com WHEEL AND BRAKING SYSTEMS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE AND AVIATION INDUSTRIES, IN THE SAME SPIRIT OF QUALITY AND CERTIFICATION AND STRICT QUALITY PROCESSES ENSURE TOTAL RELIABILITY 19 Brian Hunter Maudsland Mob 0416 069 151 brian.hunter@saaa.com OF BRAKE PRODUCTS. 19 Gary Spicer Hope Island Mob 0402 822 907 dreamtime99@ngvemail.com GLIDER, OR HOME BUILT AIRCRAFT. BE R I NG E R BRAKE SYSTEMS OFFERS THE TOTAL BRAKING SYSTEM FOR YOUR CIRRUS SR20/22/22T, ROBIN DR400, After developing their innovative braking 15 Terry Grace Kenmore Tel 07 3878 6447 Mob 0488 141 415 terry.grace@bigpond.com technologies in automotive racing, Beringer are 36 Benjamin Bowden Longreach Tel 07 4658 3193 Mob 0427 682 211 blbowden@tpgi.com.au made of high strength CNC machined aluminium 15 John Gross Mt Cotton Tel 07 3206 6151 johnandjude@bigpond.com now applying their world class Brake Systems to the world of Aviation. Offering the world’s lightest 4” brake and wheel set, Beringer have developed a tubeless system weighing only 1.1kgs and alloy. Not only will Beringer’s braking system provide you with reduced rolling distances on touch down and weight savings on take-off, their Braking System will deliver more stopping power than any other braking system on the market – increasing your ability to land safely every time! Craig Aitken Boonah Tel 07 5463 4037 mcaitken1@bigpond.com Contact your Beringer representative today: GARY WILLIAMS E: GARY.WILLIAMS@AEROMOTIVE.CO.NZ PHONE: + 64 9 295 0883 LEESTON LAMING E: LESTON.LAMING@FLIGHTLINE.CO.NZ PHONE: + 64 9 295 0883 AIRSPORT 41 Have you flown one yet? S H O RT F I N A L A BAD DAY AT THE WORKSHOP the open, in a burn over, by yourself and Dead Man’s Zone meant from my training. The mantra is out of the green into the black and I just kept repeating it. As I watched my house and my old gal VH-LAG vaporize, I realised it was time to make a move myself. The transition through the fire zone was a bit surreal; it started to hurt quite a bit but I kept moving. I made it out alright and got picked up off the side of the road, a sorry smoky soggy pile. I evacuated in one of our light tankers and got treated for minor burns and shock. First sight of flames I thought that was the end of it - but it wasn’t. Once the fight and the adrenaline go out of your body and your conscious mind, there is more to come. It takes your subconscious about a fortnight to call a special AGM in the middle of the night to demand an answer from the committee, “What the hell just happened? You nearly got me killed!” From there on in relations degenerate and it becomes impossible to make decisions without murmurings of distrust from the rank and file general membership. I could smell the smoke By Mark Bolton The first sight was of the flames. I had smelt the smoke when my pager went off with the message “stay and defend or leave now” about ten minutes before. Time to bug out - but where to go? I am the last house on the street - after me only bush - so I couldn’t even think about trying to scoot across the creek bed, lush and green as it may have seemed. I had already burned off a safe patch at the front of the house: the Hail Mary option. I had my PPE from the Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, so I knew what the expressions being caught in 42 AIRSPORT People: if / when your blood stream feels like it is comprised of microscopic razor blades - pop a flare!! Don’t feel you are being weak or self indulgent - the process isn’t working at a level accessible to reason, or even consciousness. Like fires, PTSD modes can happen quite fast, so you don’t have time to muck around. Call time out and head off to Canada. Spend some time with family (or strangers - when you get there you won’t be able to tell the difference) and choose a Stetson. Chill and heal. So what have we learned from this? - Have a Bushfire Preparedness Plan. - Go see the guys at your local Volunteer Bushfire Brigade and they will set you up. - Have a Stress Breakdown Plan for members of your family and close friends. SAAA – THE HOME OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT Australian Distributor: Global Aviation Products | Errol van Rensburg | 0415 072 498 | evrensburg@gmail.com www.slingaircraft.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland THE NEW ENGINE REVOLUTION HAS ARRIVED Based on the proven concept of the Rotax 912 S/ULS engine the new 912 iS engine offeres all well known advantages of the Rotax 4-stroke engine series complemented by additional features, eg: engine management system. 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