African Pilot Newsletter No. 29 - 2010

African Pilot Newsletter 29 - 2010

Monday 19 July 2010

“Forgetting your mistakes is a terrible error if you are trying to improve your cognition.” Charlie Munger.

African Pilot's August edition

The August edition has entered its distribution phase a week ahead of our usual deadline in order that the African Pilot team travelling to EAA's AirVenture in Oshkosh will have the latest edition to show our American aviation fans. 

African Pilot's September edition

Traditionally the September edition carries a full report on our EAA AirVenture experience in Oshkosh. At the same time other African Pilot correspondents will be attending the British airshows, namely the Royal International Air Tattoo, Farnborough International airshow and Duxford Flying Legends airshow.

Visiting AirVenture every year allows me the opportunity to experience new aircraft types, new avionics packages as well as to interact with some of the finest aviators in the world who converge on Oshkosh for the largest gathering of aviation enthusiasts in the world each year. This will be my tenth visit in a row and as in the past I will be camping with Neil Bowden's Air Adventure Tours group on the airfield for the duration of the six day event.

African Pilot's annual aviation photographic competition  

The judging of the thirteen pictures is underway to select the annual winner who will be presented with R35 000 worth of Canon photographic equipment as well as the photographer placed second who will win a Canon camera to the value of R7 000. Judging will be completed by the end of this week and next week whilst in Oshkosh I will announce the overall winners of this fantastic photographic competition sponsored by Canon. It gives me great pleasure to announce that Canon has undertaken to sponsor this photographic competition for another year with the same level of prizes. This means that aviation photographers will have another year in which to enter their pictures to African Pilot's competition.

African Pilot' executive wall calendar

Now that the final design is complete, we have pleasure in introducing the 2011 edition of our annual African Pilot Executive Wall Calendar to your company. All thirteen pictures published in the calendar were winners of the African Pilot / Canon monthly aviation photography competition over the past year.

The idea is to provide your company with an exclusive Christmas / New Year gift for your favourite customers where your company's brand will be positioned on your customer's wall throughout the year. As with previous calendars the space available for your message is on the thirteenth leaf, which is longer by 100mm than the previous twelve leaves. This means that the area for your specific branding will be 428mm by 100mm. Once again our design team will assist you with the design of branding in the space provided.

A minimum order of 50 calendars at R120 each is required to make this exercise cost effective. Therefore the price for 50 calendars is quoted as R6 000 + VAT. However, this price does not include packaging and courier costs to regions away from Johannesburg. All Gauteng deliveries will be undertaken by out staff.

Calendars are scheduled for delivery to your business during final week of November this year. In order to complete the printing on time the final date of acceptance is Friday 15 October 2010. For further information please call Willie at 0861 00 11 30 or e-mail: willie@africanpilot.co.za

RIP Brian Slade

From the airshow and aviation family we are shocked and saddened by the accident in which WO1 Brian Slade lost his life. What a terrific person who had over 5 000 jumps and a life time of experience. Brian was 54 years old and had many friends within the inner circle that will miss his special contribution to sport and airshow aviation. Brian was sorely missed at the Durban Wings Club airshow and a missing man was flown by the Silver Falcons towards the end of the show. African Pilot's August edition has an advertisement for the Swartkops airshow depicting Brian parachuting into the event saying the words “I'm dropping in…. see you at Swartkop Airfield!” We all know that Brian will be there in spirit, but that we will miss his presence. I hope that many of the recipients of this newsletter will attend the Swartkops airshow and show your solidarity for a wonderful person who loved his skydiving.

What is happening in South African Aviation this coming week?

Our team; Cheryl, Marius and I will be flying off to Oshkosh on one of Air France's Airbus A380s this week to take part in the world's 'greatest aviation adventure'. We will be camping together with another hundred or so South Africans at Neil Bowden's Air Adventure Tours campsite called 'Plakkerfontein'. As the news unfolds and announcements are made I will be presenting the stories in next week's AP newsletter directly from AirVenture.

EAA South Africa's national convention to be held at Margate airfield between 6 to 9 August. Contact Neville Bohm e-mail: Nevillebohm@gmail.com or Karl Jensen e-mail: karlpix@icon.co.za. I will be flying my Cessna 182 to this year's convention so that I can undertake several air-to-air photo sessions for future African Pilot magazine.

Jabiru fly-in to Battlefields / Dundee airfield also 6 to 9 August. Contact Sias Truter e-mail: sias@dibsa.co.za  telephone: 083 4564813

The ultimate air race - from Robin Spencer-Scarr

Dear Fellow Air Racers,

You have heard whispered rumours around the paddock, at the fuel bay or even in the pub.

You may have heard it through the grapevine or even on AVCOM.

Well now it is official. The Ultimate Challenge Air Race is on again!

The race will be held at the Witbank Airfield on Saturday 21 August and is NOT a handicap race. It is open to anybody and any aircraft that can take-off and land on the Witbank runway. The format and rules are simple and easy to understand:

• GPS' are to be used 
•  The course is straight out from a flying start for 250 kilometers (135nm), a quick U turn and back again over the windsock
•  Jets, turbines, superchargers, turbochargers, diesels, petrol types, two-strokes and rotaries - all are welcome
• Categories are all based on the gross weight of the aircraft and its means of propulsion

Ok, so what does this mean?

It means that a Turbo Saratoga that weighs about the same as a 210 and both internal combustion engine driven, will race against each other. Now we know this is not fair because the Saratoga is obviously much faster than the 210 and will easily win but, maybe the 210 is faster than all the other 210s as well as the Bonanzas in the same category. Also, one wonders, is a Cherokee 235 faster than a 182? Last year we had some amazing performances from some awesome Jets (including a Boeing 737 with remarkable speeds attained by the likes of Pat Hanley in a Mooney and Chris Briers in the TBM 850. Perhaps a PC 12 or two this year?

The next exciting item on the agenda is the fact that this race will be recognised by the FAI as an official event. This means that, as we will be covering 500 kilometers, the category winners qualify for an official record in the both the 100 kilometer and 500 kilometer closed circuit fastest time. The entry fee is R500 per aircraft and that the pilot as well as the co-pilot must be SAPFA members (this is not negotiable). Please enter on-line on the SAPFA website: 

www.sapfa.org.za/records/ultimate-challenge-air-race-entry

Office: 014 597 3652 or mobile: 083 3102850.

Durban Wings Club Virginia airshow

If ever there was a perfect weather day, spectators at Durban's annual airshow were treated to fantastic almost windless conditions on Saturday 17 July for the staging of a most successful airshow sponsored by the Durban City council. The airshow was well managed and ran on time with the two most entertaining displays being that of the Mirage III expertly flown by Glen Warden and the Air Aquarius Boeing 737-200 flown by Menno Parsons. Both aircraft performed touch and goes to the absolute delight of the 16 000 plus spectators. In addition, the full programme featured several other exciting displays involving aircraft and helicopter types from all over South Africa. A full illustrated feature article will be presented in the September edition of African Pilot.

CAA strike ends

Following a lengthy negotiation session, which ended on Wednesday night, 14 July 2010 at 21h30; the leadership of the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SA CAA) as well as that of the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) finally reached an agreement that ended the strike. Both parties agreed that Bargaining Unit staff members will get a 9.5% salary increase for the 2009/2010 financial year, backdated to 1 April. Both parties further undertook to finalise discussions regarding performance based increases before the end of August 2010.

“The SA CAA is very pleased that the strike has come to an end, meaning that the authority can continue carrying out its mandate of ensuring safe and secure civil aviation activities. Moreover, SA CAA management is grateful to all the employees who enabled the SA CAA to offer services as per the norm despite the strike action”, said Captain Colin Jordaan, Director of Civil Aviation. The negotiation was concluded under the mediation of Thokiso Director and CCMA Commissioner, Mr Meshack Ravuku. Both parties have also agreed to embark on an RBO (Relationship by Objectives) exercise, which is a programme designed to help labour and management develop and maintain a plan to improve their relationship.

SAAF receives first upgraded Pilatus PC-7 MkII

The first Pilatus PC-7 MkII training aircraft upgraded under an avionics replacement programme was handed over to the South African Air Force (SAAF) on Tuesday. The first of 35 aircraft upgraded at a cost of R400 million under Project Ithambo was displayed to invited guests and media at Air Force Base Langebaanweg, home of the Central Flying School. Divan Muller (assistant editor) travelled with the SAAF to Langebaanweg to cover this story, which will appear in the September edition of African Pilot. 

Boeing calls hydrogen UAV 'game changer'

This week Boeing unveiled its latest UAV, the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye, which the company says will stay aloft at 65 000 feet for up to four days. “The capabilities inherent in Phantom Eye's design will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers,” said Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works, at the introductory press conference in St. Louis on Monday. The demonstrator is powered by two 150-hp engines and has a wingspan of 150 feet. It will cruise at about 150 knots and can carry up to a 450-pound payload. The aircraft will be shipped to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California this year to start ground and taxi tests, with flight tests expected early next year. The first flight is expected to last for four to eight hours, Boeing said.

Faulty heaters, bad air cited in jet cockpits

Pilots train for years to earn themselves a seat in a jet cockpit, but concerns about air quality and faulty cockpit window heaters suggest it may not be the healthiest work environment. The FAA plans to issue an airworthiness directive this week that will require operators to either inspect or replace some windows in the cockpits of Boeing 757, 767 and 777 aircraft, in an effort to prevent smoke, fire or cracking of the windows caused by faulty electrical connections. In the last 20 years, 11 fires have been reported, the most recent in May. Also this week, a former Qantas pilot said he suffered symptoms including difficulty concentrating, regular bouts of bronchitis and gastric illnesses as well as an episode of partial paralysis due to toxic gasses in the cabin airflow. A report on cabin air quality by the U.K. government is three months overdue, fuelling speculation that information is being suppressed, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

Polish crash pilots may have feared for their lives

The crash of a Tu-154 near Smolensk, Russia on 10 April that killed the then Polish president and all 95 others aboard has been the source of multiple unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and a report published on Wednesday by a Polish news service might not be an exception. According to the Polish news service TVN24, words that translate roughly to “if we don't land, they'll kill me” have been resolved from sections of the VIP flight's cockpit voice recorder previously deemed incomprehensible. Earlier transcripts that did not include the wording were provided by Russian investigators, but a government spokesperson last week said that Polish experts have now been able to decipher more of the recording. That may not yet be cause to believe TVN24's report.

Red Bull cancels two air races

With just three events left in its 2010 air-race series, Red Bull now has cancelled two of them, leaving the August race in Germany as the final event for this year. The cancellation of the race in Budapest, Hungary, was announced this week, while a race set for Portugal also was cancelled just a week ago. “We are obviously disappointed,” said Bernd Loidl, CEO of the race organisation. “Securing the future of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is paramount and making tough decisions is part of that process,” Loidl said. “We look forward to announcing the 2011 calendar after the final round in Germany, including a much-anticipated return to New York in the United States.” The races were flown in New York last month for the first time, drawing huge crowds to the venue along the Hudson River. The Portugal cancellation was blamed on delays in reaching a host city agreement, while “lengthy delays in the permissions process” were cited in Budapest.

No AVGAS? Here's how to burn jet fuel in a gas engine

All it takes is the right piston, a little tweaking of the cylinder and some trick fuel injection timing. That is the general idea behind something called Sonex Controlled Auto Ignition, which can best be described as residing somewhere between conventional spark ignition and true diesel cycles, according to Sonex's Andrew Pouring, who recently released a white paper on the technology. SCAI doesn't exactly mean you could convert your IO-550 to burn kerosene, but a purpose-built SCAI aircraft engine could take the same form factor and more important, would be nearly as light as a gasoline engine. How do they do that? By controlling the combustion event and keeping cylinder pressures less than 1000 PSI, just as in gasoline engines.

325 Citations in Special Olympics airlift

More than 325 Cessna Citations from all over the US landed at Lincoln on Saturday to deliver 2 000 competitors to the Special Olympics US National Games. This is the sixth time Cessna has organised the gigantic Citation Special Olympics Airlift and this year's effort is chaired by Citation owner Harrison Ford. The airlift is a logistical challenge as flights have to be co-ordinated to ensure smooth flow into Lincoln. It will take 15 hours to recover all the aircraft, which will be carrying between three and seven athletes apiece. Then they'll do it all over again a week later when they fly back to Lincoln to pick up the athletes. It's clearly a labour of love for Cessna CEO Jack Pelton who is in the thick of the organisation and execution of the event.

Harris-Moore arrested

A Washington teenager accused, among other things, of stealing several airplanes is behind bars in the Bahamas. Colton Harris-Moore, whose cult status earned him the nickname the Barefoot Bandit, was arrested by the Royal Bahamas Police Force in an ending fitting for the movie that will inevitably be made about the youth's crime spree. A source speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press officers shot out the engine of a boat Harris-Moore had stolen and was using to flee from police. The dramatic end to Harris-Moore's two years on the run came on an idyllic island where it is alleged he ditched a $600,000 Cessna Corvalis, stolen in Indiana, in the surf.

Circumnavigation 'first' for Australian aviation

Ken Evers and Tim Pryse returned to Australia, becoming the first Australians to circumnavigate the earth in an Australian-designed and built airplane, the Airvan GA8-TC, but they also had a greater cause. The trip was intended to raise awareness of malaria and raise money for malaria prevention programmes while also marking the centenary of Australian aviation. John Duigan is credited with taking the first Australian-made powered airplane aloft on 16 July 1910. That trip was about seven meters long. Evers and Pryse flew their Australian-made plane for 55 days, including 234 flight hours. They covered 52 000 km and touched down in 16 countries. The trip' timing meant the men saw, first-hand, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and violent uprisings in Jamaica. The two men say the trip has served to invigorate their campaign against malaria and the men now have plans to produce both a book and documentary about their flight.

Snowbirds crash report cites lack of training

The pilot who crashed a CT-114 Tutor during a photo flight with the Canadian Snowbirds in 2008 was not trained for the role that ultimately killed him and his onboard photographer, according to the flight safety report. Lead investigator Major Kevin Roberts told CTVNews that experienced pilot Captain Bryan Mitchell was manoeuvring with the formation and was probably looking back over his shoulder at the formation when he flew the aircraft and his passenger, photographer Sgt. Charles Senecal, into the ground. The accident took place near the team's home of Moose Jaw, Sask. “Fluid manoeuvring around a formation at low altitude is potentially a high-risk activity and typically involves specialized training,” according to the report. Mitchell had not received such training. According to the report, that fact was 'not fully considered' while planning the flight and was likely 'overshadowed by his overall high experience level and reputation.' 

Accident rates: Predator vs. GA

Last year Air Force Predators managed an accident rate per 100 000 hours that nearly matched GA's rate for the same period, according to The Los Angeles Times. On Wednesday the newspaper published an article that listed the Air Force Predator's accident rate at 7.5 per 100 000 flight hours in 2009. The rate for general aviation during the same period was 7.2, up from 6.86 in 2008. The military said the Predator's rate is 'comparable to that of the F-16 at the same stage' and 'just less than the 8.2 rate for small, single-engine private planes,' according to the article and the statistics may share at least one more similarity.

Boeing 787 to debut at Farnborough

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner will stretch its reputedly long legs next week in a coming out party near London. The company has confirmed one of five test aircraft of the largely composite airliner will be on display at the Farnborough airshow, which is the big tick mark on the commercial aviation calendar for this year. Serial number 003 will be available for tours on 19 and 20 July. The show is scheduled from 19 to 25 July, but Boeing is in an aggressive test and certification schedule that is geared toward a year-end delivery of the first 787 to launch customer ANA. “We've chosen Farnborough as a venue for spotlighting the breakthrough capabilities and innovations of our commercial airplanes and our defence, space and security businesses. We look forward to an optimistic mood this year as industry leaders meet amid signs of economic recovery,” said Tom Downey, senior vice president, Boeing Communications, in a statement.

Aviation humour

While working at a pizza parlour at OR Tambo airport I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go.

He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into four pieces or six. He thought about it for some time before responding.

“Just cut it into four pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat six pieces”.

Until next week, please be 'Serious about flying'.

Athol Franz (Editor)

African Pilot 'Serious about flying'.