African Pilot Newsletter No. 49 - 2011

African Pilot Newsletter 49 2011

Monday 5 December 2011

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Bill Gates

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African Pilot's December edition

The December edition of African Pilot has been fully distributed. A significant change in how to acquire African Pilot will be tested with this edition. Although the magazine has been available on our website: http://www.africanpilot.co.za/ as a full download FREE of charge since April 2010, our team will now testing Android and iPad applications this December. From the January 2012 edition the system will go live so that you can download African Pilot each month at a price of US2$ (about R17) per download. This will mean we will have less dependence on paper copies, whilst at the same time African Pilot will receive a small fee from each reader downloading the magazine. As the new system becomes viable, we expect the magazine to surpass all previous claims as far as readership is concerned. Fortunately our team has always kept at the forefront of new technological developments and this is the reason why African Pilot has become of significant importance within the African aviation industry.  

African Pilot's January and February editions

As the end of this year approaches our customers become increasingly focused on their annual leave over the Christmas / New Year period, therefore it is important that we plan for these months well in advance. The main feature of the January 2012 edition, which will be produced before we close down for the December holidays, will be Regional and Domestic airlines of Southern Africa. The February 2012 edition will feature all helicopter types.  

For advertising positions in these editions please contact Willie or Duncan at 0861 001130 or e-mail: marketing@africanpilot.co.za. The closing dates are as follows:

• January 2012 Friday 2 December already past, but we still have limited capacity for late advertisements.
• February 2012 Friday 6 January 2012.

Our 2012 advertising price guide has been published and is available on the African Pilot website: http://www.africanpilot.co.za/. However, if you require a 2012 media price guide, please your request to marketing@africanpilot.co.za. Thank you.

What is happening in the coming weeks in South African Aviation?

Final EAA 322 meeting of the year this coming Wednesday 7 December by Gordon Dyne

All members of EAA 322 and any other lovers of anything that flies are reminded that the last meeting of Chapter 322 in 2011 will be held this coming Wednesday 7 December at the usual venue of The Dickie Fritz MOTH hall in Dowerglen. 18h00 for 19h00 please. Everybody is welcome.

Sizzling, savoury, succulent, mouth-watering wors rolls will be available at a nominal fee, courtesy of Ron van Lear. Thanks Ron.

Chairman Karl Jensen will I am sure be on good form and he has assured me that some new risqué jokes will be aired for the first time during the formal part of the evening as we run through club activities of the previous month and what is 'going on' over December.

After a suitable break we will sit back to listen to our guest speaker Kevin Storie, the general manager the Aero Club of South Africa. Kevin will advise us as to how The Aero Club is preserving our 'Freedom of Flight' and as to why all aviators of all disciplines should belong to The Aero Club of South Africa. Kevin will also talk on paragliding, his passion and an audio-visual presentation will accompany his talk. Kevin is a renowned paraglider and has competed internationally on several occasions. Should be great. Don't miss it. I won't!

Karl will be running some of the many aviation video clips he has accumulated during the year, so as usual it should be a great evening. Look forward to seeing you there. If I don't see you, then may I wish you all a superb Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2012. Safe flying please. For more information on Chapter 322 please contact our fabulous P.R. lady Trixie Heron on editor@afskies.co.za. Thank you.

Wings and Wheels airshow at AFB Ysterplaat

The flying programme is available on http://www.wingsandwheels.co.za/ as well as the motor side of the show.  Parking will be available inside the base as well as at Ratanga Junction.  From Ratanga, the public will be directed by the Military Police to a shuttle service which will take all spectators to the event.  Exhibitions and a number of static displays will be all around, with a fun park, beer tent, food vendors etc.  A gymkhana track is built where spectators will physically be in the cars directing the driver.  A 4x4 track with a number of shows, super cars parading and displayed, approximately 200 vintage cars on display and will parade. 

There will be no chalet line as in the past, only one VIP tent, and this is to ensure that all who attend have a better view of the flying programme.  The final flying programme will be available from next week.  A map will be available on the website by tomorrow afternoon which will indicate all the possible entrances to the base.  Pre-paid tickets are available at the museum.  We have made more provision for entry into the base and this will assist with the traffic problems experienced in the past.

What happened in aviation this past week?

Commercial Aviation Association of South Africa news

At the AS Sub-committee of CARCom held on 24 November 2011, the CAASA delegation with AOPA and RAASA indicated to the SA CAA that no convincing argument was offered justifying a change (as shown below) in the requirements for keeping an Aircraft Certificate of Registration current (PART 47 Subpart 2). 47.02.9 (1) A certificate of registration, on renewal thereof, shall remain in force until expire on the date stated on the certificate, which shall be three years after the date of issue, in accordance with regulation 47.02.10. The unaccepted change to the regulation was referred to a special working group just to deal with the specific issue. The workgroup has members from CAASA, RAASA, AOPA and the SA CAA. The working group will meet on 29 November 2011 and submit a recommendation to the AS Sub-committee of CARCom. CAASA is committed to protect your commercial aviation interest!

CAASA AGM on Friday 25 November 2011

The sixty-seventh Annual General Meeting of CAASA was well attended at the Misty Hills Hotel and Conference Centre near Lanseria. Two new board members were appointed to the CAASA board:

• Tracey Elloff of Conlyn Corporate Aviation Services
• Martin Steenkamp of Comair

Martin Moritz of Comair received a life time service award from CAASA. The President's Trophy went to the Association of Non-Scheduled Operators (ANSO) for the most active affiliate of CAASA. The award was received by the ANSO president Russell Patterson. The CEO's Trophy went to Russell Patterson from Awesome Aviation for the best contributor to the successes of CAASA for 2011.

Several individuals received a Certificate of Appreciation for the year of 2011:

Cor Beek, William Modiroa, Roelof Botha, John Morrison, Marc Du Plessis, Johan Nell, Russell Patterson, Jeff Earle, Dave Perelson, Marette Fouchee, Andre Pretorius, Dennis & Ruth Du Plooy, Brian Frankel, Carl Reck, Rob Garbett, Anita Sardinha, Kim Gorringe, Gavin Sayce, Paul Hayward, Sharon Wecke, Anton Kruger,  Richard Wolfe and Lynette Loosen. CAASA's CEO Leon Dillman delivered his annual rapport which highlighted some of the significant activities of CAASA:

• Membership revitalisation and the emphasis of why commercial aviation companies should join CAASA 
• Better and more direct support to the CAASA constituency
• More emphasis on communicating the mandate of CAASA
• The CEO invited all the commercial general aviation organisations to join CAASA. 

Guests and members enjoyed a delightful lunch. Drinks were served at the award ceremony. The CEO indicated that next year's AGM will be even a bigger and better event.

Royal Air Force Officers' Club (RAFOC) December lunch last Friday by Gordon Dyne

More than 100 members of RAFOC and their ladies brought a glow to The Wanderers' Club in Johannesburg last Friday as they came together for RAFOC's annual Ladies' Christmas lunch. Lunch comprised of traditional turkey and roasted chicken leg followed by Christmas pudding. Some great wines selected by long standing member Bill Keil who turned 82 the previous Wednesday accompanied this delicious lunch and put us all into a relaxed mood to listen to our guest speaker who was no less than Lt. General Carlo Gagiano Chief of the South African Air Force.

The General was in a very relaxed mood; in fact I have never seen him in civvies before, as he related with much humour his early life and then the start to his career in the SAAF. What a career the General had too. The General only touched briefly on the fact that he had attempted to resign twice this year, but on neither occasion was his resignation accepted. A good thing too.

At the end of his talk Lt. General Gagiano fielded some interesting questions from the floor. Perhaps the most poignant question was to the availability of fuel for the SAAF in the future. The General was not optimistic. Worrying, but realistic.

So again another year of RAFOC lunches came to an end. A number of our elderly members have fallen off the perch during the year and we remember them with fondness. You have earned your place in heaven gentlemen. Fly safely with those angels. Thank you to Chairman Bruce Harrison and your hard-working committee for another most enjoyable year. We have listened to some great speakers, but what will always remain in my memory is the stimulating company and camaraderie at every lunch. Our next lunch will be on Friday 6 January. For more information on RAFOC please go to its website http://www.rafoc.org/. Thank you.

Ministers don't have to scan hand luggage

President Jacob Zuma has instructed the government protocol unit to ensure that no minister is ever again obliged to put hand luggage through an airport scanner. He emphasised that under the Vienna Convention, VIPs such as ministers are afforded certain privileges and protections. The president referred to an incident in September when International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane missed a flight in Norway when she declined to put her handbag through a scanner. The government had to charter a plane at a cost of R200 000 to get her to her next international engagement. The sections of the convention that deal with diplomats include privileges and protections meant to ensure that diplomatic missions can carry out their duties free from fear of interference

The Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations states:

1. The Diplomatic Agent's personal baggage shall be exempt from inspection, unless there are serious grounds for presuming that the baggage contains articles that the import and export of which are prohibited, or controlled by the Law, or by the quarantine regulations of the receiving State. Such inspections shall only be conducted in the presence of the Diplomatic Agent or recognised representative.

2. A diplomat shall be treated with great tact, since it would be contrary to the Convention to insist on searching their person or baggage. However, it would be reasonable to ask a diplomat to agree to submit to the same security screening process as other passengers and refuse their carriage unless they consent to a search of their person and baggage.

3. If the diplomat insists on taking hand baggage into the passenger compartment they shall permit (only if deemed necessary) an inspection for weapons or explosives. Confidential papers shall not be examined. If the diplomat refuses a request for such a search, the hand baggage shall be carried in the cargo hold or the diplomat off-loaded.

What happens if you lose your pilot's licence?

Your Commercial Pilots Licence or Air Transport Licence is your lifeblood, your licence to do what you love and your licence to earn your living. But what would happen to you and your family if a medical disability or impairment results in you losing this licence? Who would you turn to?

Discovery Life and Liberty recognises this key risk for commercial pilots. Through its market-leading benefits it provides insurance cover in the event of a pilot suffering a loss of income from them being disabled or impaired, and as a result of such disability or impairment, losing his or her pilots licence.

For commercial pilots disability or impairment cover is payable in circumstances where:

• Incapacity occurs as a direct or indirect result of an identifiable accident, disease or illness
• It is of such a nature that you are, continuously and wholly, prevented from engaging in your normal flying duties with your employer
• As a result, you have had your CPL/ATP licence permanently revoked by a competent CAA Medical Board as corroborated by the product supplier medical officer.

With the wide range of options and cover available contact ORDCapital on 086 110 2196 for assistance in your loss of license product.

'Jetman' flies with the Breitling Jet Team

Another top-flight feat makes aviation history. After crossing the Channel, flying alongside two Boeing Stearman biplanes carrying the Breitling Wing walkers, looping the loop around a hot-air balloon and hurtling across the sky over the Grand Canyon, Yves 'Jetman' Rossy has shifted up yet another gear with a formation flight alongside two jets from the Breitling Jet Team.

The world's first jet-powered man jumped from a helicopter with his rigid wing equipped with four jet engines. Adjusting his trajectory and altitude by his body movements alone, he then performed aerobatic figures above the Swiss Alps in the company of two L-39C Albatros planes from the Breitling Jet Team, the world's largest professional civilian aerobatics team performing on jets.

New life for old Twin Otters

There is new life available for old Twin Otters in the form of an STC obtained by a California aircraft modification company. IKHANA Aircraft Services at Van Nuys has received FAA approval to remanufacture the fuselages of timed-out DHC-6-100, 200 and 300 aircraft. Twin Otters, which were built in Toronto from 1965 to 1988, are among the hardest-working types in their category, and many have reached or are getting close to the 66,000-hour/132,000-cycle life limit. IKHANA's programme zero times an existing fuselage and gives it another full life limit. “This is not a standard aircraft refurbishment but an option for re-creating value by remanufacturing a previously timed out asset,” the company said in a news release. As we reported in 2008, demand for Twin Otters is such that Viking Air, of Victoria, B.C., has resumed production under the original type certificate.

MSB addresses TCM turbo engine problems

Owners of certain new and rebuilt turbocharger-equipped Continental 520 and 550 series engines should be aware of a mandatory service bulletin issued last week that will ground some airplanes immediately. There have been five instances where the starter adapter on engines produced since the beginning of 2011 has failed due to misalignment of parts within the adapter. Failure of the part causes the engine to ship all its oil overboard followed by catastrophic engine failure.

Turkey drop aborted, 'pilot' vows return

Thanksgiving feels like the right time to confirm that the town of Yellville, Arkansas, this year did break with tradition and did not punctuate its October Turkey Trot Festival by dropping live turkeys from an airplane, though it may next year. According to the Arkansas Times blog, the drop was effectively discouraged when the FAA promised to send observers and to enforce FAR 91.15. (The regulation prohibits pilots from dropping any object from an aircraft that 'creates a hazard to persons or property.') An effort by PETA also offered a $5,000 reward for the identity of the 'phantom pilot' responsible for the drop flight. And so, the 2011 Yellville Turkey Trot Festival turkey drop didn't happen. Other popular festival events, the Miss Drumsticks Competition, for example, went on without a hitch and the phantom pilot, or someone posing as that pilot, has vowed to return, according to the Arkansas Times

SAA delegates to COP17 conference

The 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which this year is hosted by the City of Durban has its origins in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), created in 1995 to alert governments to the threat of climate change. South Africa proudly plays host to this year's conference, where the nations of the world will again congregate to discuss the reduction of global warming over the 12-day duration of the conference.

As the official airline of COP17, SAA provided additional capacity between Johannesburg and Durban to cater for increased demand leading up to and after the conference which will take place between 28 November and 9 December 2011. “As with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, this conference offers SAA an opportunity to showcase the best that South Africa and the continent has to offer as thousands of international delegates will visit South Africa.

“As the national carrier, we are working closely with various public sector and state owned entities involved with COP17 and support the delegates as they begin what will be a successful conference,” says Barry Parsons, SAA Executive in the CEO's Office: Strategy, Planning & Project Management.

Since its first meeting 16 years ago, the Conference of the Parties (COP) has met annually to determine progress made in dealing with climate change. In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and it established legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. SAA was designated as the official airline for COP17 by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and as the official airline is offering discounted fares to delegates as part of its MICE (Meetings Incentives and Conferences) desk offering from all the airline's global network points. In addition, SAA will assist DIRCO with VIP facilitation and screen COP17 messages from Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane of International Relations and Cooperation and Minister Edna Molewa from the Department of Environmental Affairs on board SAA's aircraft. 

SAA's special airfares exclude all SAA code-share flights, as well as the domestic routes serviced by either SA Express, Mango or South African Airlink. Although MICE fares are applicable for travel 14 days prior and after the official conference dates, SAA has extended its offering for bookings and travel from 1 October until 23 December 2011.

Piper delivers twin-engine trainers to China

Piper Aircraft Inc. will deliver the last of seven twin-engine Piper Seminole advanced training aircraft to the Civil Aviation Flight University of China this December. While neither organization is disclosing the fleet purchase price, the retail value of seven new Seminole aircraft totals nearly $4.2 million.

Under the jurisdiction of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) is an institution of higher education for civil aviation pilots, as well as for technicians of other civil aviation specialties and for high-quality applied professionals in engineering and management. It is headquartered in Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, and has 8,000 students throughout a number of locations within the country.

Advanced twin-engine trainer

“Leading flight schools like CAFUC demand an advanced twin-engine trainer that is consistent and reliable,” said Piper Director of Global Fleet Sales Chuck Glass, whose headquarters are situated in Brunei. “The Piper Seminole has proven itself in over 30 years of service and hundreds of thousands of hours in flight school environments throughout the world”

The four-place Piper Seminole trainer is powered by two Lycoming O-360-A1H6 180-horsepower engines with a 2,000-hour time between overhaul. It comes equipped with the Garmin G500 avionics suite. Cruise speed at 75 percent power is 162 knots (300 km/h) and range with a 45-minute reserve is 700 nautical miles (1,426 km). The airplane's service ceiling is 15,000 feet (4,572 m).

Chapter 11 for American Airlines

On Tuesday American Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection, the last of the legacy airlines to do so. Flight schedules will not be affected, said AMR Corp. (PDF), the parent company of both American and American Eagle. American was the only major carrier that wasn't profitable last year, according to The Wall Street Journal. American said its labour contracts cost $600 million more each year than other legacy airlines pay. Those airlines, such as United and Delta, were allowed to void their labour contracts after filing Chapter 11, according to The Associated Press. Contract talks between American and its 8,000 pilots recently stalled.

Flying commercial? Don't expect oxygen

An FAA order to remove supplemental oxygen from airline lavatories puts passengers and crew at risk, the Association of Flight Attendants told USA Today last week. The order, made earlier this year in conjunction with the FBI and TSA, was a 'precautionary measure,' the FAA said, because the chemical oxygen generators were easily accessible and could be 'manipulated to create a flight hazard.' The backup plan, if an aircraft decompresses at altitude and passengers or crew members are in the lavatory, is for flight attendants to assist them, but the AFA says by the time it is safe for them to do so, it might already be too late.

Europe bans X-ray body scanners

The European Commission decided in November to ban airport body scanning X-ray backscatter machines after studies found a small number of cancer cases linked to use of the devices. The decision affects all airports in Europe, with an exception for U.K. airports that will be allowed to test them, but not deploy them permanently. According to the European Commission, “only security scanners which do not use X-ray technology are added to the list of authorized methods for passenger screening at EU airports.” The commission does approve of full non-X-ray body scanners (radio wave scanners are among those used in the U.S.) when operated under specific guidelines and restrictions. In the U.S., the TSA uses more than 250 backscatter machines at the nation's 100 busiest airports and is unmoved by Europe's position. The degree of cancer risk varies somewhat depending on the source, as does the degree of usefulness of the machines themselves.

Pipistrel promises $83k LSA trainer

While Cessna recently announced a price hike to $149,000 for its Skycatcher LSA, Pipistrel says it plans to introduce a new LSA trainer early next year and sell it for about $83,000. The Alpha trainer aims to be 'affordable to acquire and economical to maintain,' the company said. 'We believe no other LSA training aircraft is as cheap to run.' The trainer will feature a beefed-up tricycle-gear undercarriage to handle student landings, 400 nm of range, cruise speed of 108 knots and a fuel burn of 2.5 gallons per hour, Pipistrel said. The panel features conventional flight gauges supplemented by a Garmin GPS unit. The company plans to start U.S. deliveries as soon as April 2012.

Supreme Court hears pilot's medical case

Pilot Stanmore Cooper wants to sue the government for the emotional distress caused when the FAA obtained his medical records from the Social Security Administration, and on Wednesday the case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. A lower court already has ruled that Cooper's privacy rights were violated, but the Supreme Court will decide whether compensation must be limited to financial losses. Cooper, of San Francisco, was a private pilot until the 1980s, when he was diagnosed with HIV and let his medical lapse. In 1994, he reapplied for a medical certificate, but did not reveal his diagnosis for fear he would be denied. The certificate was revoked after the FAA checked the medical records. Cooper pleaded guilty to a charge of making a false statement and was fined $1,000.

New technology promises icing, corrosion protection

A new product scheduled to come on the market early next year promises to provide a durable coating on metal surfaces that can make them repel water, providing resistance to icing and corrosion. The coating, called NeverWet, is a 'super-hydrophobic' material that causes water and heavy oils to bead up and glide away. “Any object coated with our NeverWet coating literally cannot be touched by liquid,” says the Ross Nanotechnology website. “Any liquid placed on this coating is repelled and simply rolls off without touching the underlying surface. Not only is this amazing to see, but it solves a myriad of problems.” Although the company hasn't suggested the product has aviation applications, the GA community has already taken note. EAA said the possibilities seem 'endless,' from keeping wings clean and ice-free to reducing friction for seaplanes.

Russian lawyer to challenge aviation authority

Following a string of Russian aviation accidents, a Russian lawyer says he will ask Russia's Supreme Court to curb the authority of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), The Associated Press reported Wednesday. Formed in 1992, the IAC is a post Soviet Union era creation. According to lawyer Igor Trunov, it embodies a conflict of interest that prevents it from operating objectively in the interest of safety. Trunov would like to see the roles of regulatory oversight and investigation currently held by the IAC separated. He also argues that the IAC failed to determine a true cause in its investigation of the September crash that killed an entire Russian ice hockey team.

'LearJet tax' delay rankles UK carriers

Airlines in the U.K. are protesting a government decision to delay application of a passenger tax to business aircraft flights until 2013. The Air Passenger Duty is now paid by all airline passengers leaving a U.K. airport and private aircraft are exempt. It currently adds between $15 and $120 to the cost of an airline flight depending on its duration. It is scheduled to go up steadily over the next six years and the government was also planning to apply a heftier version of it to passengers on private aircraft. It's been nicknamed the 'LearJet tax.' According to the Guardian, the airlines have been lobbying hard to have the tax killed entirely, but Tuesday's announcement that the increases will proceed for them and application of the tax will be delayed for private aircraft brought cries of discrimination.

80-Year-old grandpa earns sport pilot certificate 

Ben Palmer fulfilled a lifelong dream when he earned his sport pilot certificate on 17 October through the Chesapeake Sport Pilot flight school in Stevensville, Maryland. The 80-year-old grandpa had longed to fly since 1951 when he had served as a radar technician in the Air Force on a B-25. When he completed his military service, he applied for flight school through the GI Bill, but all slots were full.

Aviation humour

A young guy in a twin-engine fighter was flying escort for a B-52 bomber and generally being a nuisance, acting like a hotdog, flying rolls around the lumbering old bomber. The hotdog said over the air, “Anything you can do, I can do better.”

The veteran bomber pilot answered: “Try this hot-shot.”

The B-52 continued its flight, straight and level.

Perplexed, the hotdog asked, “So? What did you do?”

“I just shut down two engines, kid.”

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

Athol Franz (Editor)

African Pilot 'Serious about flying'.