Australian SportPilot Magazine - Issue #106 - August 2023

Official Publication of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd.

RRP $9.95 inc GST / ISSUE 106

200 KNOT SPEEDSTER!

BIG CHANGES AT JABIRU

We check out the Risen

We meet new CEO Michael Halloran

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF RAAUS A look at our past, present and future

FLYING THROUGH AN ECLIPSE

Barry Hendy’s bucket-list flying experience

ISSN 2652-6786

OUTBACK AIR RACE

STOL KITS

AEROCHUTES

GNOME ENGINES

The Blackshape Prime is now available with a MTOW of 600kg.

Featuring retractable undercarriage and in flight adjustable pitch propellor you cruise in comfort at a TAS of 140kts at 20lt per hour fuel burn. Go further and faster with 100lt fuel tanks with a safe endurance of 4.5 hrs, it doesn’t get better.

For more information or request a test flight contact Ian on 0417 402 965 or Nic on 0419 963 494.

PLA Aviation Services (Head office) PO Box 73 Seaford VIC 3198 Contact: Nic Waugh Phone: 0419 963 494 Email: nicwaugh@plapl.com.au

PLA Aviation Services (Hangar) Hangar 4, 86 Stuart Rd, Tyabb VIC 3913 Contact: Nic Waugh Phone: 0419 963 494 Email: nicwaugh@plapl.com.au www.plaaviation.com.au

EDITOR’S WELCOME 40 years is a mighty long time in aviation, and here we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of RAAus. What started off as a small bunch of rebels has matured into an organisation representing almost ten thousand members, pilots, school operators, maintenance providers, and aircraft owners.

We owe a debt of gratitude both to the people who fought those early battles and to the people that picked up the torch and carried it forward over those four long decades. I’ve been flying for a bit over 20 of those years and I got to witness the rebirth of light aviation, transforming the RAAus pilot from fringe dweller to mainstream.

In this edition you’ll find some great pics from those years, take a look and see who you recognise. This September we are coming together in Canberra to celebrate the 40-year milestone. I’ll be there with some of the SportPilot team, so come and have a yarn to us – safe in the knowledge we are happy to talk planes all night. For those of you who can’t make it, next time you’re with a group of pilots, raise a glass and remember those who have made it possible to do what we love.

As we move into spring, I guess more of us will be trying to get some flying done. I’m certainly due for a few laps at the airfield to keep my hand in before I set off on another adventure.

Happy and safe flying to you all!

NICHOLAS HEATH Editor editor@sportpilot.net.au

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EDITORIAL

RECREATIONAL AVIATION AUSTRALIA

(03) 5273 4777 editor@sportpilot.net.au

HEAD OFFICE PO Box 1265 Fyshwick, ACT, 2609

EDITOR Nicholas Heath

Unit 3, 1 Pirie Street Fyshwick, ACT, 2609 International: +61 (2) 6280 4700 National: (02) 6280 4700 Email: admin@raaus.com.au www.raaus.com.au ACN: 070 931 645

DEPUTY EDITOR Sophia Blakebrough STORY CO-ORDINATOR Tom Lyons

ADVERTISING (03) 5273 4777 advertising@sportpilot.net.au ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Simon Larcey ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Monique Pakzamir FINANCE Christine Heath

PRODUCTION

CORPORATE SERVICES EXECUTIVE Maxine Milera admin@raaus.com.au HEAD OF SAFETY Cody Calder cody.calder@raaus.com.au HEAD OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS Jill Bailey jill.bailey@raaus.com.au ASSISTANT HEAD OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS Marty Peters marty.peters@raaus.com.au HEAD OF AIRWORTHINESS AND MAINTENANCE Jared Smith jared.smith@raaus.com.au ASSISTANT HEAD OF AIRWORTHINESS AND MAINTENANCE Darren Barnfield darren.barnfield@raaus.com.au GENERAL ENQUIRIES admin@raaus.com.au

DESIGNER James Conte

PILOT AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES members@raaus.com.au

PROOFING Sam McMillan

AIRCRAFT AND MAINTENANCE ENQUIRIES tech@raaus.com.au

DIGITAL Nick Jones Budda Pile Matt Dwyer

SAFETY ENQUIRIES

SportPilot Magazine is an official publication of Recreational Aviation Australia and is published three times a year by Pace Marketing Pty Ltd. ABN 33 052 999 925.

6 Brougham Street Geelong VIC 3220.

As part of their RAAus financial membership, all members, flight training schools and clubs will receive each issue of SportPilot free of charge.

Alternatively, readers are welcome to undertake an Affiliate Membership with RAAus with an annual charge of $39*.

To subscribe visit raaus.com.au

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CEO Matt Bouttell ceo@raaus.com.au

SENIOR DESIGNER Regina Mari

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

CONTENTS

safety@raaus.com.au

DIRECTORS Michael Monck (Chair) michael.monck@raaus.com.au 0419 244 794 Luke Bayly (Deputy Chair) luke.bayly@raaus.com.au

32 THROUGH THE EYE OF AN ECLIPSE

FEATURES 14

Trevor Bange trevor.bange@raaus.com.au Mark Ferraretto mark.ferraretto@raaus.com.au Simon Ozanne simon.ozanne@raaus.com.au Paul Reddish paul.reddish@raaus.com.au

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RISEN TO THE TOP WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE HIGH-ACHIEVING RISEN

Andrew Scheiffers andrew.scheiffers@raaus.com.au

TERMS AND CONDITIONS All content published within this magazine is the property of Pace Marketing Pty Ltd. ABN 33 052 999 925. It is protected by Australian and International Copyright and Intellectual Property legislation. You are unable to interfere or breach any of the legislation or intellectual property rights that protect this publication. All rights not expressly granted under these terms of use are reserved by Pace Marketing Pty Ltd. Unless stated otherwise, you are forbidden to copy or republish any content or property within this magazine without the copyright or trademark owners’ permission. The magazine title, as well as the associated logo of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd, are the property of Recreational Aviation Australia. Pace Marketing Pty Ltd reserve the right to be acknowledged as the magazine’s designers.

While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of content within this magazine, no warrant is given or implied. Content within this magazine is available to you on the condition that you undertake full responsibility for assessing the accuracy of the content and rely on it at your own risk. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the individuals named or referenced within this magazine.

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Advertisers and buyers within this magazine are responsible for ensuring that all products advertised and/or purchased via this magazine meet all appropriate Australian Certification and Registration requirements, particularly those pertaining to Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Recreational Aviation Australia. Please note that all aircraft featured within this publication are registered and legally permitted to fly. Please be advised that photographs of aircraft within this publication may be altered without notice for editorial purposes.

40 YEARS OF RAAUS A LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE IN CELEBRATION OF RAAUS’ 40TH BIRTHDAY!

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THROUGH THE EYE OF AN ECLIPSE A BUCKET-LIST JOURNEY WEST

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STOL KIT & CABOODLE THE ANYWHERE, EVERYWHERE OPTION

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AEROCHUTE DIARIES WHAT IT’S LIKE TO FLY POWERED PARACHUTES

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FROM NO IDEA, TO ‘KNOW, IDEA’ DIVING INTO UPRT TRAINING

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LITTLE JAY BEATS THE BIG BOYS HOW A JABIRU J160 WON THE OUTBACK AIR RACE

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RISEN TO THE TOP Image Credit: Porto Aviation

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THE AEROCHUTE DIARIES

STOL KIT & CABOODLE

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FROM NO IDEA, TO ‘KNOW, IDEA’

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REGULARS 06

LETTERS

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NEWS

10

FROM THE CEO

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FROM THE CHAIR

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TEACHING ‘OLD DOGS’ NEW TRICKS NEIL SCHAEFER: TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

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82 84

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THIS EDITION IN PICTURES

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COMPLIANCE MATTERS

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PITOT-STATIC CALIBRATION JARED SMITH: AIRWORTHINESS AND MAINTENANCE

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WHAT’S NEW AT JABIRU MEET THE NEW JABIRU CEO

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HERITAGE & PRECISION THE RAYMOND WEIL FREELANCER PILOT FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH

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WHAT’S HOT PRODUCT REVIEWS FOR FLYERS

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ISLAND GIRL TO AIRLINE PILOT REVIEWING SILVA MCLEOD’S INSPIRATIONAL NEW MEMOIR

CODY CALDER: HEAD OF SAFETY

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GIVE ME A GNOME AMONGST THE GUM TREES ROTARY ENGINES AND THEIR MODERN REPLICAS

SAFETY SUMMARY JAN-JUN 2023 SAFETY DATA

HANDING OVER PASSING ON THE AVIATION GENE

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AVIATION MARKETPLACE

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EVENTS

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FINAL APPROACH

WEIGHTY MATTERS JILL BAILEY: FLIGHT OPERATIONS

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SPORTPILOT

LETTERS

WRITE IN: We love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at editor@sportpilot.net.au or on Facebook & Instagram @sportpilotmagazine

RE: UPRT Training Hi Editor, Firstly, I’d like to give a huge thank you to RAAus for offering the UPRT course as one of their prizes in last year’s Safety Week. I was the extremely lucky recipient of that prize and I’d love to share my experience of it with everyone!

I wasn’t really sure what I was going to be in for so it took me a while, but I’ve finally completed one of the most interesting aviation courses I’ve ever done!

Basically, they train you to suppress the surprise of an upset by taking a deep breath and verbalising what is happening. If you just react without thinking about the moves to recover, most times you could make the situation worse. What would you do if you stalled during a turn and put it into an incipient spin? Or got caught in wake turbulence and ended upside down?

Really scary stuff.

The course covers lots of human factors and aerodynamics, and, of course flying. In an Extra 300 no less! It opened my eyes to so many things, I learned heaps, and loved the flying. So much fun! I would recommend this course to everyone who flies and especially to low hours pilots.

Jenny Heron

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Editor: Thanks Jenny, glad you enjoyed it and learnt something. I don’t think any of us can have enough training, especially in dealing with aircraft recovery from infrequent situations. I had a very enthusiastic instructor when I first started and I became quite proficient at recovering spins with a hood on. If you’ve ever wanted to feel airsick, this is the recommended procedure! Happy and safe flying! Ed.

RE: Gone with the Wind (SportPilot 105) Dear Editor, There are several limitations of the Windy service that were not mentioned in your article.

The data displayed is NOT reality. It is a computer model prediction. Further to that, the available models (ACCESS G [Australian], ECMWF [European], US GFS [USA], and ICON [German]) have varying degrees of accuracy from run-to-run, place-to-place, and weather phenomena-to-weather phenomena.

Switching between them (bottom right corner) will give the user an idea as to how much consensus there is between the models, and checking the current observations from weather stations against the current prediction will give a trust level you can place on each model. Use a balloon sounding from a major airport to check the winds aloft. This is what is done

by professional meteorologists prior to generating a forecast product. But in any case, do not automatically trust the model just because it has a full-colour picture.

Windy does give a handy visualisation of weather features that can be hard to understand from the TAF, GAF, or GPWT, but it must not replace the official forecast guidance required under law. If that guidance is short of your needs or standards, contact the Bureau, CASA, or RAAus to complain.

Concerned Meteorologist Editor: Thanks for that, great information to know. I guess like all these services we have to understand their limitations and benefits. I think the greatest feature of Windy (as you pointed out) is its ability to generate easily digested information. I have complained in this forum before that the weather information we are supplied is intrinsically harder to understand than it needs to be and confusing for the average pilot. We are reading communications that have been abbreviated for sending over a teletype machine – which hasn’t been a thing for several decades. We are spoiled now with airfield cameras and all these other resources. Perhaps our own weather service needs to update. Ed.

LETTER OF THE MONTH RE: Stepping into the Light (SportPilot 105) Dear Editor, Just received my first hard copy of the Australian Sport Pilot Magazine in the mail and I love it, thank you.

The article “Stepping into the Light” was written as though someone had been following my life. I started flying a Cherokee 180C from Tyabb, VIC which I part owned with 2 other pilots over 20 years ago.

We had the plane for around 10 years, during which time I flew it regularly down to a 300-acre property I owned on Flinders Island. I had constructed an 800m strip on the property. It was a fabulous location to base ourselves from on holidays, particularly once we took a caravan, car, and boat down to the island. As happens, life got in the way of flying until 2022. Living near Tyabb Airport, the love of flying never went away.

Then I discovered RAAus. After a 13-year break, a few lessons later in the PAC Foxbat I completed by PPL to RAAus conversion. Along the way I managed to pick up some hours in one of the Blackshapes that was located at Tyabb – I already had my retract and CSU endorsement from my PPL days. What a beast that is to fly, and a bit of a head turner. I also recently had the pleasure of completing some circuits in the WT9 Dynamic around Tyabb. Another very sleek RAAus aircraft. Right now, grabbing the PAC Foxbat and going for a low and slow scenic flight around Victoria is just the perfect way to spend a couple of lazy hours on a nice day.

Thanks again for the magazine, loved it.

Peter Ritchie Editor: Thanks Peter, great to hear positive feedback and to hear a bit of your flying journey. It’s amazing how often I hear about people’s flying getting interrupted by life matters and then they came back to it and fulfill their ambition. I’m jealous of your time in the Blackshape! One day I might get the chance to squeeze in one. Happy flying! Ed.

Don’t forget to send us your letters and stories to editor@sportpilot.net.au.

Best story wins a coveted SportPilot cap!

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SPORTPILOT

NEWS

STAY UP-TO-DATE

CASA Outlines Requirements for VTOL Vertiports CASA has recently released new guidelines concerning the design and construction of ‘vertiports’ for Vertical Take Off & Landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as air taxis.

The guidelines outlined by CASA in the July report concern the location and placement of wouldbe vertiports, essential features, physical design and obstacle limitation surfaces.

“With Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) evolving rapidly, these specifications have been prepared to support the progress of necessary aerodrome infrastructure.” CASA said in a statement. “[The guidance] is flexible and structured such that it can evolve with this emerging industry.”

The guidelines have been welcomed by the VTOL industry, particularly Air Taxi companies such as Skyportz, who intend to create operational networks across the country. Having

a formalised set of guidelines will allow these companies to further develop AAM operations in Australia both safely and effectively.

CASA Releases New Student Guides CASA have announced the release of two new guides designed to help students get started in the aviation industry.

The Pilot Student Guide and the Engineer Student Guide will support students, parents, teachers and career advisors in understanding what opportunities exist, the different styles of careers and how to get started.

was received and the guides have been adjusted and enhanced for a better reading experience.

A limited print run of the student guides was available at the Avalon Airshow and quickly sold out. Feedback

You can download the Student Guides for free at www.casa.gov.au or order a print version for a small fee.

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SPORTPILOT

FROM THE CEO G’day folks, It’s an exciting time here at RAAus as we approach our 40th anniversary.

During our preparations we’ve spoken to many of our long-serving members and been regaled with stories of how and why we came into existence.

We’ve heard of the trials and tribulations of 40 years in operation and, whilst hilarious in some cases, shared stories that probably don’t cut the mustard or meet community expectations today! Regardless, the 40-year history of RAAus is something we can all be proud of.

MATT BOUTTELL CEO As a 30 year industry veteran, Matt joined RAAus as CEO in January 2021. He is a passionate advocate of RAAus and for keeping aviation accessible for Australians. ceo@raaus.com.au

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Whilst our name and corporate structure may have changed from the Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF), Recreational Aviation Australia Incorporated, to Recreational Aviation Australia Limited (RAAus), we have not wavered in our pursuit to ensure simplicity and cost-effectiveness when Australians take flight. Of course, both of these pursuits have morphed and evolved over the years. For example, what we now perceive as simple –

such as using a handheld computer to do our flight planning and assist with navigation – was probably inconceivable in 1983. From a cost perspective, we simply need to look at the increased price of fuel over the past 40 years. Once upon a time, in 1983, we paid a mere 41.9c per litre for fuel, nowadays, a litre of 95 ULP will set you back $2. As the famous song goes, ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.

Our freedoms and privileges have remained relatively static for quite a few years. However, I’m pleased to announce that the finishing touches are being applied to our preparations for the introduction of Group G (up to 760kg Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW)).

I’m also thrilled that CASA’s GA Workplan outlines their intentions for RAAus members to gain access to controlled airspace within the coming year, noting appropriate training and an endorsement will be required. The work associated with obtaining these two new privileges has been long, tedious, frustrating, and at times confusing. With unwavering resolve however, we’re almost there and after 40 years, we can say ‘about time!’

Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles soon to take to the skies in large numbers. Our aim is to develop our capability and be prepared for our members’ wants and needs when these vehicles arrive. This includes seeking partnerships with new entrants to our industry, developing standards and procedures for operations and airworthiness, as well as establishing a market for private operations.

Now that we’re almost there, what’s next? By the time this article is printed, the FAA and EAA will (hopefully) have made announcements at the Oshkosh Airshow regarding the standards for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and the intention to expand the entitlements of sport pilots. We understand the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates (MOSAIC) program will likely include the ability for LSA aircraft to have a MTOW of up to 3600 lbs (1632kg), carry four people, and permit expanded sport pilot operational activities.

This will include aerial photography, pipeline patrols, search and rescue, aerial application, fire spotting, and the list goes on. We have already flagged these changes with CASA and advised that RAAus will seek the immediate replication of these new rules in Australia, to which they have been receptive.

RAAus has been a significant enabler of employment and business in Australia for the past 40 years.

We take our role very seriously, as there are many businesses that rely on RAAus and its members.

Those that rely on our community include flight training schools, instructors, maintainers, aircraft manufacturers, distributors, and many more. Our community has contributed greatly to the economic wellbeing of the industry and has also played a significant role in modernising Australia’s fleet of light aircraft, introducing new technologies and improving safety outcomes.

In addition to traditional aviation activities, our Strategic Plan is looking towards the future of aviation in this country, with devices including Electric Vertical Take-

There is much to be proud of for RAAus and our members... it’s the people that make this community great.

There is much to be proud of for RAAus and our members. Apart from the aviating many of us get to participate in, it’s the people that make this community great. From all the directors, staff, volunteers, members, and supporters that have built this community over the past 40 years, I say thank you and wish the very best for the next 40 years and beyond.

HORSHAM AVIATION SERVICES SPECIALISING IN QUALITY GA MAINTENANCE AND AVIONICS UPGRADES Only authorised Australian distributor for

Dealer for

Dynon & Garmin Certified Installations info@horshamaviation.com.au | 03 5381 1727 | www.horshamaviation.com.au

Dynon HDX Cessna P210R

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SPORTPILOT

FROM THE CHAIR One of the most appealing things about flying is that we constantly learn.

I recall a story about Matt Hall when he was at a CASA seminar and the speaker asked the question, “Who here is learning to fly?”. His response was yes, he was still learning. The speaker laughed at his response and queried it and Matt stayed true to his belief that he was indeed still learning.

MICHAEL MONCK Chairman Michael is the Chair of the Board of RAAus and has held this position for 7 years. He holds flying qualifications from RAAus and CASA and advocates for the broader industry in a number of different forums.

Michael is an active pilot and owns a CTLS aircraft which he regularly flies throughout Australia. michael.monck@raaus.com.au

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Recently I took my learning to a new level and did my instructor rating. I was privileged to have access to a number of very experienced people whose knowledge I could tap into throughout the entire process. Absorbing as much as I could from my instructor, whilst also considering alternative points of view, gave me a number of different perspectives as I took this step towards a new type of flying.

After getting my rating, I gained my first hours teaching from the righthand seat in the context of a private school in South Australia. I had the opportunity to introduce flying to about 27 high school kids enrolled in an aviation program run across years 10 and 11.

This program usually involves a few instructors performing tasks ranging from teaching theory to practical instructing and supervising of junior instructors like me. One of the things that struck me during my involvement in the program is the amount of trust that people put in us as pilots.

As I reflect on the past few weeks it becomes increasingly clear to me that we take peoples’ lives in our hands when we go flying. At the school, I had 15-year-old kids who put their faith in me that I would bring them back safely. Their parents, teachers, the school principal, and others all trusted me to take care of the lives of our next generation. And if we extend this a little further, we can include people on the

ground that are trusting us as well as anyone else who takes a seat next to us as we embark on each flight.

Each morning I got up and drove to the airfield and we would begin with obvious tasks like a pre-flight inspection (and of course the daily for the first flight), fuelling up and so on, while also looking at the less obvious from a physical perspective.

At the school, I had 15-year-old kids who put their faith in me that I would bring them back safely.

We sometimes think we know what is going on and fail to check our maintenance records. Looking for something that has just been done like an oil change can help guide us for things to look for in the physical inspection. We might pay closer attention to the sump plug or oil filter to check for leaks for example. Moving onto the flights themselves, we do prestart checks, run ups, line up checks, after take-off checks, downwind checks and so on.

Let’s not overlook the importance of checking things like weather and NOTAMS, while also checking ourselves. Are we feeling well? Are we stressed or fatigued? None of these things makes for a perfect flight, God knows they have no impact on the quality of my landings! Nor do they eliminate risks, it would be folly to think so. What they do achieve, however, is a reduction of risk and a perhaps better performance when something does go wrong.

Imagine an instance where you have an inflight engine failure. Now imagine that same scenario when you are

tired or stressed. The series of events that determine the outcome of that engine failure can be very much affected by those factors so it is worth having a think about how well prepared you are.

In my case, doing the checks revealed a failing fuel pump. By not skimping on our preparation, we avoided a potential inflight emergency. My plane was grounded and parts ordered. It was frustrating, but as they say: it’s better to be down here wishing you were up there than being up there wishing you were down here.

I don’t know what would have happened if we flew that day. What I do know is that I can hold my head up high and say I made the right decision.

Those people that were counting on me, the ones who trusted me to make the right decisions and look after their wellbeing might not realise it, but the choice I made that day may well have been the difference to someone going home to a loved one or a less appealing alternative. It could have affected a number of different people had I made another choice.

So have a think about it. When you put yourself in the seat next to someone else, have you done everything right? Are you gambling with their life or are you taking care of it? And even if you are solo, who is trusting you to make the right decisions so you can come home and spend more time with them?

Next time you go flying, picture your loved ones, maybe even your dog, and imagine how much they would miss you if you didn’t come back. You may learn something on your flight that day but if I was to guess, the ones you love and pictured in your mind wouldn’t want to learn to live without you.

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YEARS OF RECREATIONAL AVIATION A LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE IN CELEBRATION OF RAAUS’ 40TH BIRTHDAY! Words Paul Middleton & Tom Lyons

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SPORTPILOT

The Wheeler Scout, where it all began.

1983 was a hell of a year. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was topping the charts, millions tuned in for the final episode of M*A*S*H, kids flocked to arcades to play the newly-released Mario Bros. and – in the small town of Mangalore, Victoria – a fledgling organisation was born.

That organisation, the Australian Ultralight Federation, had a mission; to enable ordinary Australian citizens to chase the sky, learning to build and fly ultralight aircraft. Forty years and a new name later, Recreational Aviation Australia continues to fight for the rights of its members, and encourage the next generation of pilots to chase their dreams. In celebration of RAAus’ 40 years, let’s take a look back at how far we’ve come, and where we’re headed!

50s & 60s: The Birth of Ultralight Aviation In the US during the 1950s, NASA began researching the recovery of space vehicles and was experimenting with Rogallo wing kites. These kite design ideas were picked up by the water-skiing fraternity and used by water skiers to become airborne behind their speed boats.

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In 1968, Sydney engineer and water skier Bill Moyes discovered that he could actually control the towed kite using a triangular trapeze and shifting his weight.

At the 1969 World Water-Skiing Championships in Copenhagen, Bill amazed the crowd when he detached himself from the tow line and proceeded to glide the kite to a smooth landing. The hang-glider was born, and from this point, lightweight aviation moved quickly.

70s: Refining the Craft Enthusiasts for the new sport appeared everywhere and clubs formed around suitable open sites. “The Quarry” in outer western Sydney was one such site, where in 1974 Ron Wheeler, a semi-retired boat builder, took his prototype “Scout” to The Quarry and flew it for the first time.

The Wheeler Scout was a three-axis conventional layout machine, built out of marine aluminium tube and yacht fittings with Dacron skin coverings. The engine was a “souped up” Victa mower engine – go-cart technology. Ron’s Scout was a real success story and Ron became an advocate for official recognition of microlight aircraft.

Clockwise from bottom left: A Grasshopper, a Sapphire and a Quicksilver GT400.

“One of the early fliers told me proudly that he had survived over 300 forced landings. He also claimed that if he was going cross country, he would take a spare piston and cylinder with him!”

were a lot of buyers, and the ultralight story was well and truly on its way.

The advent of ANO 95.10, even with its severe limitations, was an absolute godsend for the ultralight movement. People who had dreams of building aeroplanes now embraced the ultralight. New materials were adopted and amazing machines were designed and flown.

80s: Enter the AUF People having fun in aeroplanes without “Big Brother’s imprimatur” was of course noted! In 1976 Air Navigation Order (ANO) 95.10 was promulgated and was a world first. It legitimised the operation of single seat aircraft weighing less than 300kg. The restrictions were onerous; participants could not operate above 300 feet and were not allowed to cross roads or fly over people, but the operation was legal. There were no training requirements! You built your aircraft, took it to an open paddock, and then you tried to fly it!

ANO 95.10 was a green light for Ron to put the Scout into production. His kits were widely advertised in popular magazines for a price of around $250. There

With the success of machines like the Scout, more ultralight clubs were appearing along with new aircraft designs, little operational control and still no formalised training. In the early eighties it became evident to the authority of the day that these “minimum” aircraft were here to stay and something needed to be done to formalise the movement. The search began for an organisation who could become the “peak body” and spokesperson for the scattered clubs.

In June 1983 at the SAAA Convention in Mangalore, Victoria, the Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF) came into being, with David Betteridge named as inaugural president.

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SPORTPILOT

The original concept was to have a simple overarching organisation presiding over ultralight clubs. After 12 months however, some 700 individual members had joined the Federation. It became apparent that the majority of pilots were not interested in the “club” scheme but preferred to belong to one national body. By 1985 our membership was growing rapidly.

Unfortunately, the accident rate was also climbing and the press and the Authority were taking notice.

ANO 95.10 was a world first and a piece of enlightened legislation. It was also the key to Pandora’s Box! Many of the enthusiast participants had very little knowledge of flying per se, nor of the inherent pitfalls for the unwary. Many had the Australian dislike for authority or rules!

While it is easy to be critical of a rapidly climbing accident rate, many of the pilots were trying to teach themselves to fly. We also need to look at the regulatory regime of the time. The maximum weight limit plus the wing loading limitations meant very flimsy machines with an extremely limited performance envelope. Engines were mainly 2-stroke, often unreliable and borrowed from stationary engines, mowers and snowmobiles. The 300 feet ceiling limit forced the pilots to operate in a regime where any stall situation which developed into a wing-drop was going to be an accident!

In the mid-80s, the House of Representatives launched a review into Sports Aviation. Their recommendations would have a major impact on the Sports Aviation scene for many years to come. In 1985 the Authority promulgated an interim ANO 95.25 pending the final outcome of the review. This Order opened the door to factory-built, two-seat aircraft and the use of these aircraft for flying training.

Once again this was a world first, and gave Australian builders a chance to be at the forefront of the ultralight movement worldwide! The two-seat Thruster Gemini was approved to be used for flight training and went on to become the mainstay of training in the Southern states. In Northern NSW, Howard Hughes built his prototype 2-stroke Lightwing which had been designed

by Aeronautical Engineer Bill Whitney and developed using the ANO 101.28 amateur built system. This aircraft slotted right into the new 95.25 scheme. Howie

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Suddenly, not only did the AUF have members and single seat aircraft to worry about, but now there were flying schools, training and the provision of an Operations Manual to meet the requirements for Authority approval. always liked to claim that he “built the first ultralight aircraft that you sat in, all the others you only rode on top!”

90s: Formalising the Sport Suddenly, not only did the AUF have members and single seat aircraft to worry about, but now there were flying schools, training and the provision of an Operations Manual to meet the requirements for Authority approval. Requirements for training also had to be sold to the members and policed! It is not surprising that the organisation started to struggle.

Part of the problem was that the AUF organisation had grown so fast, and by the early 90s these matters were coming to a head. The Authority was pushing for up-to-date Operations and Technical Manuals, and were wanting to phase out ANO 95.25 and replace it with ANO 101.55. This would introduce new standards for the factories and meant much greater CAA Airworthiness input from the Authority into the building and testing of these aircraft.

This was a whole new ball game. We became an Association Incorporated in the ACT and John McCarron became our first president. The AUF entered a brand-new exciting phase and once again our membership was on the rise. Flying school inspections and check rides with CFIs became an annual event.

Standardisation across the schools worked and the fatality accident rate, which had been going down since the inception of flying training, continued to improve. In 1985 and 1986 the accident rate included 1 death per 100 members. By 1990 we had reduced the numbers to 1 death per 500 members. By 93/94 we were trending 1 in a 1000 and by 95 it was 1 in 1800.

Clockwise from bottom left: A Supapup MK IV, a Jabiru SP-470 and the AUF Board in 1992.

Early 2000s: Insurance and The Search for a New Name In the late 90s a Tiger Moth crashed in South Australia and caused fire that led to major damage of property and infrastructure. The pilot/owner was sued for damages. This was a wakeup call for the AUF, introducing a scheme where every member paid a $30 surcharge which went to third-party insurance. All good, but further down the track the London underwriters started to get nervous about insuring ultralights! At this time our accident rate was quite respectable and close to mirroring GA. However, particularly to the press, ultralight was a very dirty word.

As time moved on, our broker simply couldn’t find an underwriter who would insure ultralights. It became obvious that we had to try and break away from the old ultralight tag. At this stage aeroplanes like Jabirus and

Lightwings using 4-stroke engines were becoming the norm. We ran a competition in the magazine for a new name and came up with Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA). We were pleased, and set about registering the name. However, the Royal Automobile Association of SA were very unhappy and said so very loudly!

Eventually, we came up with RAAus – our brand-new moniker. We finally registered our new name with ASIC and we formally became Recreational Aviation Australia Inc. The early 2000s were also a time where terrorist activity was at the forefront of all governments and their agencies’ thoughts and actions. Part of the flow-down effect from the 9/11 attacks was that CASA decreed the issue of GA Student Pilot Licences would be put on a six month hold while the applicant was scrutinised in minute detail. However, the Authority also decided that RAAus student pilots would not be affected.

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We now have a large selection of very desirable machines coming into the country via the Light Sport Aircraft category.

Obviously, here was an opportunity for an enterprising organisation! We set about selling the idea to GA flying schools, pointing out that we could issue Student Certificates in 24 hours. They could train on RAAus aircraft up to a pilot certificate, by then the GA Student Licence would be issued and would be a simple conversion over to a GA ticket. It worked and our membership blossomed.

It seemed like a great idea at the time, but in hindsight it spelt the demise of the old AUF philosophy and the motto Maximum Fun, Minimum Cost, Minimum Rules. Instead of being all about the members, there was a drift toward being a self-administered, GA organisation. The new membership just wanted to get their qualifications and move on. Flying just for the fun of being airborne was fading away!

2010s: The Years Roll On By 2016 we had a new company structure, a new Board of Management and a (slighty) new name; Recreational Aviation Australia Limited. Some old hands, such as Rod Birrell and Eugene Reid, were still present, however it was mainly new faces headed up

by Michael Monck. There was a new Technical Manual that no longer used some of our old exemptions but heralded the introduction of some CASA requirements to our aeroplanes.

We now have a large selection of very desirable machines coming into the country via the Light Sport Aircraft category. While some are exotic, these aircraft are not low cost! Jabiru, who has built more aeroplanes than any other Australian manufacturer ever, soldiered on building great aircraft, its engine building section going from strength to strength with engine production numbers.

The old days of AUF/RAAus butting heads with CASA appear to be long gone. These days our organisation Top to bottom: An Airborne XT-912. A Bumblebee. RAAus event at Temora 2017.

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The current RAAus team fighting for you!

works closely with CASA to the point where we are virtually a delegate administering the lightweight end of General Aviation.

2020s: New Horizons 40 years on and RAAus is continuing to fight for its members, and adapt to changes in the recreational aviation world. Members are waiting with bated breath for the formalisation of the 760kg MTOW increase, set to open up the membership to a wide range of new flying opportunities, and bring new pilots coming from GA into the fold. On the heels of this could come even more expanded freedoms for RAAus members, such as access to controlled airspace.

Of course, there’s no telling what the future holds, but all trends point in the direction of electric aircraft. The

demand for electric-powered aviation is booming, and Australian builders are at the forefront of this revolutionary era in aviation history. Could we see widescale adoption of electric aircraft in both flight schools and private ownership? Time will tell.

No matter what happens, you can be sure RAAus will be here to deliver our mission; to be a respected organisation that continues to advance safe aviation and encourage training across our industry. We do this by creating opportunities for a wide range of aviation activities, through industry leadership, fostering a diverse community and innovating across light aviation.

40 years, more than 10,000 members, a fleet of 3,200 aircraft and 174 flying schools. It’s safe to say our organisation has been a roaring success!

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FLIGHT TEST

REVIEWS OF GREAT AIRCRAFT

RISEN

TO THE TOP THE HIGH-ACHIEVING SPEEDSTER THAT’S BREAKING MULTIPLE RECORDS

The Risen is the ultimate blend of comfort and speed.

Credit: Voghera AtA

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The unique shape and aerodynamic characteristics are the reason the Risen holds category speed records. Credit: Andrea Colombo

In the late 1980s and early 90s, Alberto Porto had a vision that would soon influence the science of aerodynamics — from aviation through to Formula 1.

Alberto Porto’s dream was a silhouette of what would become the Risen aircraft: a light sport aircraft design born out of a new understanding of fluid aerodynamics.

In 1995, however, the timing wasn’t right. The market wasn’t in a state to desire such an aircraft, and Alberto needed the resources to find out if his dream would even work.

Meanwhile, Alberto owned a company that consulted on fluid dynamics, with expertise across high-level engineering that resulted in improvements in Formula 1 teams like Minardi and Ferrari. The research and findings also influenced the marine racing world of America’s Cup, for teams like Swedish Victory Challenge Team, Volvo Ocean Race Team New Zealand and Amer Sport One. In 2016, it was time to bring the dream to life – years of hard work in fluid dynamics would mould the aircraft Alberto had only imagined, until now, when Alberto and

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his business partners started to piece together the first prototype. It was the success, experiences and feats during these years of research and consultation that resulted in the refinement of Alberto’s original idea – efficient, safe, and attractive. On March 12, 2012, the first Risen protype made its maiden flight. The pilot’s first comment upon touchdown? “It’s unbelievable!”.

The Risen aircraft’s design involved a new interpretation of aerodynamics. It would soon see unparalleled efficiency, matched with a luxury interior without compromises on avionics. Following flight testing and refinement, Alberto’s group made the decision to disclose the project to investors, and it took off. In 2015, the first production aircraft and production tools began. By December that year, the Risen set a new world speed record at 323 km/h with the standard Rotax ULS 100hp engine – with Alberto Porto as PIC. Today you’ll find Alberto at Porto Aviation Group on their flight test site located in Voghera Rivanazzano Airport (LILH), northern Italy, in the Lombardy region.

The factory currently produces only 12 of these aircraft per year, with plans to upscale currently underway.

Inside the Risen you’ll find an abundance of comfort and style, without compromise. Credit: Andrea Colombo and Porto Aviation

On March 12, 2012, the first Risen protype made its maiden flight.

The pilot’s first comment?

“Unbelievable!”.

Now that we have the Risen’s childhood and upbringing well-covered, let’s take a look at what this incredible aircraft has grown into – and be prepared to be blown away!

The Risen is a 3-axis nosewheel setup with a retractable undercarriage. There’s also a fixed-gear variant called the Siren.

For specifications and performance, we should start by covering the baffling speeds that this aircraft achieves with ease. There are two speed records that it holds at present, in the 472.5kg MTOW category. The previous recordholder was a Frenchman named Eric De Barberin-Barberini, who previously covered 50km in 10 minutes and 56 seconds with an average speed of 274.80 km/h (148.4 knots) in a Shark ultralight.

Alberto Porto covered the same distance with an average speed of 288.33km/h (155.7 knots). In a straight-line flight, the fixed gear version broke another record, flying at low altitude for 15km and averaging 337.5km/h (182 knots). They’ve also put a Rotax 914 in a Risen and passed the 400km/h mark (216 knots).

If you’re sitting there thinking these speeds are an insane achievement, we tend to agree.

The Super Veloce variant drops 40cm off each wing, making it 80cm less in width overall, but maintaining the same wing profile and fuselage. The 50L fuel tanks are centrally located in each wing, with optional 30L tip tanks to create a combined fuel capacity of 160L. The two tip tanks feed to the main tanks with electric fuel pumps, with fuel only drawing from the main tanks.

The efficiency is abundantly clear the moment you take a look at the fuel efficiency, range and speeds where the Risen is happiest. The fuel range at maximum power on the 100hp model is 788 nautical miles.

Wind it back to 75% power, and you’ll see 17 litres per hour cruising at 160 knots (sea level), and a range of 1,910km (1,031 nautical miles).

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SPORTPILOT Risen 912iS

Risen 915iS SV

from 717 lbs

from 772 lbs

1323 lbs

1378 lbs

Wing span

29.5 ft

26.9 ft

Wing area

104.4 sq ft

91.5 sq ft

WEIGHTS Approximate empty weight (depending on the configuration) Max take-off weight DIMENSIONS

Length

22.31 ft

Maximum cabin width

4.04 ft

Fuel tanks capacity (2x)

13.3 US gal

15.85 US gal

1575 ft/min

1968 ft/min

Stall speed with flaps IAS

38 kts

42 kts

Engine maximum power (Rotax engine)

100 hp

141 hp

Best climb speed IAS

86 kts

92 kts

2 US gal/h

2.25 US gal/h

104 kts

108 kts

1260 NM

1470 NM

119 kts

124 kts

1520 NM

1600 NM

4.5 US gal/h

6.9 US gal/h

159 kts

181 kts

820 NM

744 NM

3.7 US gal/h

6.9 US gal/h

162 kts

197 kts

Range at 75% power @FL90

1040 NM

850 NM

Consumption at max horizontal speed @Sea Level

6.6 US gal/h

11.1 US gal/h

175 kts

210 kts

PERFORMANCE

Consumption at Long Range speed Cruise speed at Long Range power @Sea Level TAS Range at Long Range speed @Seal Level Long Range at cruise speed @FL90 TAS Range at Long Range speed @FL90

LONG RANGE

Maximum climb rate

Range at 75% power @Sea Level Consumption at 75% power @FL90 Cruise speed at 75% power @FL90 TAS

Max horizontal speed @Sea Level TAS Range at max horizontal speed @Sea Level

MAX POWER

Cruise speed at 75% power @Sea Level TAS

75% POWER

Consumption at 75% power @Sea Level

605 NM

505 NM

5.3 US gal/h

11.1 US gal/h

175 kts

210 kts

Range at max horizontal speed @FL90

770 NM

550 NM

VNE IAS

184 kts

205 IAS or 240 TAS*

Consumption at max horizontal speed @FL90 Max horizontal speed @FL90 TAS

Max rough air speed IAS

153 kts

170 kts

Max loas factors (gust load factors)

+5.0/-3.0

+5.0/-3.0

23:1

20:1

Best glide ratio

Note: Ranges are computed with a 30 min Reserve with long range power setting. *Above 4150 mt AMSL VNE 242 kts TAS will be the limit.

The Risen looks just as sleek on the tarmac as it does in the sky. Credit: Voghera AtA

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First-person view of the Risen’s impressive cockpit instruments. Credit: Andrea Colombo

The maximum long range is over 1,500nm, with the standard 100 litres of fuel across 2 x 50 litre tanks. By comparison, the 141hp 915iS ‘Super Veloce’ variant has a range of 836 nautical miles cruising at 180 knots, burning only 26 litres per hour. With this fit-out, you can see a maximum range of around 1,600 nautical miles on long-range settings with the 2 x 60 litre tanks.

“By December that year, the Risen set a new world speed record at 323 km/h with the standard Rotax ULS 100hp engine.”

You’ll also find that the glide ratio is 23:1 in the 100hp fit-out and 20:1 with the 141hp option. For comparison, most light sport aircraft will sit between 7:1 and 13:1. The design doesn’t just allow the aircraft to fly at high-speeds, but it is also happy at low speeds with a 42 knot stall speed.

Talking to Peter, he actually made the trip to Italy to meet Alberto and see the factory. Peter already owned a Magnus aircraft, but wanted the best fuel efficiency and speed available to him. Peter’s model features two main Dynon touchscreen avionic setups, for both pilots, with a centre smaller Dynon screen for navigation – although you could configure the three screens in any way you please.

Internally, it’s the usual story – you can get leather seats, you can specify your avionics – there’s plenty of space and plenty of options. If you haven’t seen one of these in the flesh yet, that’s because there’s only one in Australia, owned by Peter Loone, that was recently type accepted and registered by RAAus. For his regular trip between Canberra and Tasmania, he’s looking at 2hrs flight time each way, burning 34L a leg.

And yes, you just read those numbers correctly.

The retractable landing gear has separately batterypowered emergency controls. The landing gear clearly doesn’t have the profile of an I-beam, but Peter always trusts the landing gear and has never hesitated to land on an unsealed runway. “The fabrication is made from layer upon layer of carbon fibre, and the strength is evident”, Peter says.

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The Rotax 912, 914 and 915 all fit in the Risen — with impeccible use of space. Credit: Andrea Colombo.

At 6 ft 4”, Peter had the fit-out adjusted for his height, but width-wise there’s more space in here (1.23m) compared to a Tecnam P92 Mark II (1.17m). That said, this is a bit more like sitting in a low sportscar.

The throttle has since been moved forward in newer models, to the centre console, which has been the only issue he’d run into due to his height. Behind the pilot seats is a ballistic parachute system, and there are a number of other options to consider beyond that.

For example, you’ll see some of the Risen aircraft are fitted with a Beringer Brakes ALIR Anti-Skid system, which is a differential braking regulator allowing you to adjust the pressure settings from 290 to 725 psi, preventing wheel locking by limiting the maximum pressure in the system.

When I spoke with the designer of the Risen, Alberto Porto, the first part of his vision became clear immediately; Porto Aviation Group make no false promises. “We tell our customers what the plane delivers and achieves, and we’re also happy to show them.” We’ve all seen manufacturer specifications that are at least 10% higher than reality, so I found

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“We have simply focused on aerodynamics, knowing that efficiency and high speed are the consequence of that focus.” it refreshing to see the same numbers on the dashboard that I’d see in the brochure.

For every light aircraft that is designed and built, the designers are normally chasing certain objectives and fighting to beat the trade-offs. If you want speed, you need power. With power comes weight.

For Alberto, the Risen started with a blank sheet of paper.

“The goal was accommodating two people as comfortably as possible. We were inspired by the world of gliders, where aerodynamics are essential to characterise the plane and its efficiency.” The efficiency of the Risen is the result of several factors: the airfoil design, the wing design , the fuselage, the

integration of the engine and propeller, the shapes and everything else that is part of the aircraft. The V-tail design for example, came out after several designs.

With the use of the most modern technology, the team measured the efficiency of similar shapes with similar stability, resulting in a tail that performs like the others in terms of stability but offering improved aerodynamics.

“We have simply focused on aerodynamics, knowing that efficiency and high speed are the consequence of that focus. Our goal has always been to be able to fly long distances in maximum efficiency and comfort.”

If there’s anything to learn from the Risen beyond its style and incredible performance, it’s that there is a huge amount of scope within aviation for vast improvement to efficiencies. The fact that recreational aircraft are pioneering some of this technology, and that it’s available in Australia, has us sitting on the edge of our chairs in anticipation of what’s to come next!

Whilst sleek and sporty, the Risen has more cabin width than most cruising aircraft.

Credit: Voghera AtA

For now, anyone who’s keen on the Risen should arrange a call with Porto Aviation Group – and potentially an Italian site visit. After all, surely the best way to have a Risen trial flight is above Lake Como with the Swiss Alps in view – isn’t it?

SPORTPILOT

TEACHING

‘OLD DOGS’ NEW TRICKS

RAAus is celebrating its 40th year, and what a ride it’s been for many of us.

I began my ultralight adventures in 1985, while involved in hang gliding.

I remember it vividly; a towing day at Watts Bridge, a squadron of different flying contraptions and an opportunity to “fast taxi” a Wheeler Scout. I got airborne, scared myself witless for about 20 seconds and somehow managed to get it down and avoid the boundary fence! We’ve come a long way indeed.

NEIL SCHAEFER Head of Training Development Neil Schaefer has been involved in General and Sport Aviation for over 45 years. A qualified instructor, examiner, accident investigator, auditor and SAFA Senior Safety Officer, Neil has had a vast range of experience in the aviation world.

Currently serving as the Head of Training Development, Neil previously spent 4 years running an RAAus flight school and worked 7 years as Assistant Operations Manager at RAAus. neil.schaefer@raaus.com.au

In these early days, rules were meant to be broken, fortune favoured the brave and road signs had black circles with a line through that meant no limits. I don’t ever recall seeing a syllabus, just some typed written pages on what I needed to do to get my next rating.

Fast forward to today and it’s hard to see this link to the good ol’ days. Fast aircraft, digital navigation, electronics, and devices we never dreamed of, with prescribed lessons, exams, tests and countless rules and regulations. The detailed and prescriptive elements we have in today’s syllabus cover all phases of flight, both expected and unexpected, planning, aeronautical and human knowledge, and specific endorsements.

Some might ask why we had to change; it was self-regulation right? We would only hurt ourselves, and hurt we did.

I witnessed countless accidents, many serious, and quite a few intrepid pilots paid the ultimate price for their freedoms. It was enough to make me

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step back from powered flight for a few years. Many of the pilots that did survive those early days became instructors, teaching the next generation with the wily voice of experience, and so the cycle of training began. The Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF) and our forefathers pushed for change, the inclusion of two seat aircraft meant experienced pilots were able to teach the art of flying.

Since the dawn of flight, there have been two constants in aviation; a human desire for flight, and the importance of learning. This is where the value of robust standardised training finds its place.

Initially it started with some notes, “they need to know how the controls work, watch for the stall, keep the power on in the climb, immediate actions when the engine stops”. The “fast progression model” was adapted, which became the Day VFR syllabus used universally to teach private pilots and ultralight pilots alike.

Credit: Learn To Fly

The syllabus is the fundamental reference for flight schools and students throughout their learning journey. Significant work has been undertaken this year reviewing the syllabus, effectively unchanged for over 20 years. Incorporating practical human factors, identifying areas of competency within articulated skill sets, expanding on control management understanding and primacy, while also focusing on understanding aircraft upsets and unusual attitudes. The primary objective is to ensure pilots’ preparation for the range of situations they may experience, with an extended understanding of basic meteorology, traffic, and airspace awareness.

There have been two constants in aviation; a human desire for flight, and the importance of learning.

Psychologists have unpacked a lot in how humans learn over the last 100 years. In essence, exposure and repetition conditions our behaviour. This is the basis of rote learning, but rote learning has its limitations. We’ve all heard the expression “practice makes perfect”, but that’s not quite true, it’s more likely to make the behaviours permanent. We all have experienced an automatic reaction that is programmed into our brains, such as learning to touch type. If there is a change however, we often revert to primacy. In aviation, the unexpected calls for our best skills to come forward.

That primacy can sometimes work against us.

Carving out circuits until our instructor is just a passenger is a great example of repetition. It can get

you solo quickly but in a very narrow groove of skill and experience. Throw a low-level circuit or emergency into the mix and that primacy is tested. Other than preparing you for the unexpected, it’s a way instructors can confirm you have the embedded understanding and judgement as well as the skill to be safe on your own.

When learning to fly recreationally, the diversity of personalities and life experience is enormous, from aspiring teenagers to grandparents fulfilling lifelong dreams. Their learning styles are often vastly different, so for instructors, we need the ability to change and adapt. For those of us given the privilege to teach, it’s a significant responsibility to ensure we help create the most rounded, skilled, and behaviourally conscious pilot we can, and this often means we must be continually learning as well. The old dog must also learn new tricks.

Which leads to my final point, the environment.

Learning principles show us the environment we are immersed in has a big impact on the way we learn and how we formulate our behaviour and ultimately our beliefs. The training environment, whether it’s a busy professional flight school, or a small, isolated airfield far from others, or the social flying club, will influence what and how we learn. People learn best when they are having fun, immersed in the journey but supported with knowledgeable, creditable, and humble mentors.

All pilots have this responsibility; to demonstrate the standards, to lead by example and be the support for the next generations of aviators. Learn from example and be the example — it’s the cycle of life, and especially valid in aviation.

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THROUGH THE EYE OF AN BARRY HENDY’S JOURNEY WEST TO FLY THROUGH AN ECLIPSE Words & Images Barry Hendy

En route to the Exmouth Peninsula.

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I am not sure when I heard about the total solar eclipse that was to clip the Australian mainland on the Exmouth Peninsula. Soon though, the idea of flying through the centre, as high as possible, and seeing the shadow running across the ground, got into my head and became a quest I had to pursue.

There was a problem though; Exmouth is as far as you can travel on the Australian mainland from my hangar at Benalla.

Touring motorgliders are my idea of the ‘perfect aircraft’. They are a unique subset of the gliding world and a bridge between gliding and powered planes.

All the planning, preparation and flying paid off though on April 20 at 11:28am. The sun went dark, the stars came out, the corona of the sun sparkled and the ground beneath me went into the shadow, while I could see sunlight on the other end of the peninsula, reaching out onto the mainland.

THE PHOENIX MOTORGLIDER Gliding has always been my preferred form of flying.

While I have my RAAus certificate, my passion is turning the engine off and facing the challenge of finding lift and staying up. It adds a whole new dimension to flying. Traditional gliding, however, has its challenges in terms of logistics and infrastructure needed to fly, plus the always-present risk of outlanding and needing to retrieve by trailer.

Touring motorgliders are my idea of the ‘perfect aircraft’. They are a unique subset of the gliding world and a bridge between gliding and powered planes.

They look like a traditional 2-seat powered plane but with long wings, making them capable of gliding while being able to self-launch and travel long distances.

My aircraft is the only Phoenix motorglider in Australia.

There are about 60 flying around the world and are originally made in the Czech Republic. Here and in the US they are operated as LSA certified aircraft, whilst in Europe they are operated under ultralight regulations. There is a very interesting electric version now available, but mine is powered by a 100hp Rotax 912 ULS. With 100L of fuel in wings, 2 comfortable side-by-side seats, 50kg of baggage allowance behind the seats and a cruise speed of around 110kts TAS at 16L/h, it is more than capable as a long-distance

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Barry at the helm of his trusty Phoenix motorglider.

cruiser. Slow down a bit and the fuel burn quickly drops to around 12L/h. Turn the engine off and feather the prop, you’ll have a 15m wingspan glider with flaperons, a glide ratio of 30:1 and a (claimed) minimum sink rate of around 160 ft/min.

The Phoenix is all carbon fibre and tips the scales at only 349kg, despite the glass panel (Dynon and a LX9000 gliding computer), autopilot, 2-battery power system and ballistic parachute. For eclipse chasing, or just normal flying, the bubble canopy gives a fantastic view.

I fly the Phoenix under Gliding Federation (GFA) jurisdiction as a self-launching glider with my Glider Pilot Certificate. As I frequently turn the engine off in order to glide, GFA is the only option despite a lot of my operations looking more like RAAus than GFA.

THE TRIP This was my first serious cross-country trip, and starting with such a big expedition was pretty daunting.

If you break it down day-by-day, leg-by-leg, it all becomes manageable; the old one mouthful at a time routine. I booked a hotel room in Carnarvon well in advance and planned to make that my base, having a rest day there before flying north for the eclipse.

I started watching the weather as the long-range forecasts came into range and noticed a nasty system developing up north. This system progressively developed into Cyclone Ilsa, with the remnants meeting up with a big cold front and coming across from the west, just as I was planning to head across the Nullarbor. Fortunately, I had the flexibility to head off 2 days earlier and fly to Wudinna on the Eyre Peninsula

where I could put the covers on, tie down and head to the pub for 3 nights and wait for the weather to pass.

Once Ilsa passed, the weather was perfect for the rest of the trip and I was ready to cross the Nullarbor.

A quick top up at Ceduna then along the coast and cliffs, turning inland to Forrest. The Rotax purred along, and the autopilot held a perfect track towards the amazing outpost of Forrest. The 2 bitumen strips slowly appeared on the horizon, sitting right next to the train line, for a welcome rest and top-up. Forrest is the definition of the middle of nowhere. From Forrest I simply followed the train line due west and into Kalgoorlie, over the Big Pit and joined the circuit with plenty of runway and a welcoming parking area.

With 745nm and 7.5hrs in the air but only 104L burnt the sense of achievement was huge, but I was also

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feeling pretty isolated if anything went wrong. The only problem with Kalgoorlie is the exorbitant, FIFO-worker oriented cost of a hotel for the night!

The next day was a short one, about 300nm up to Meekatharra with the only sign of civilisation being the mines. Most had a strip next to them, so options were plentiful. The glide ratio of the Phoenix means you nearly always have a strip in reach, highlighted on the LX9000 glide computer with a comforting gliderange map.

Next stop was Carnarvon on the WA coast, my base for 3 days. The town was quite busy with all the eclipse chasers pouring in, but the airport wasn’t too busy, and it looked as though there weren’t many people planning to be in the air for the big event.

THE ECLIPSE The weather on eclipse day was perfect. The wind was even forecast to drop in the middle of the day just for my planned return. The stars were lining up for a great day. My plan was to climb up to 14,000ft to have the best chance of seeing the shadow below.

Being a GFA operation I am allowed above 10,000ft, so I brought along a Mountain High on-demand pulse oxygen system.

I headed up the coast to a holding point at 9,000ft, then with an hour to go I slowly climbed up to 14,000ft and positioned myself just off Ningaloo reef. This is where the centreline of totality came in over the ocean from the south-west and headed out towards the north-east over the Exmouth Peninsula. There were about 20,000 people on the ground, but I was up here, all alone.

As the sun slowly fades our eyes adjust, so it’s a bit like the frog-in-boiling-water scenario. The radiant heat of the sun fades and with the solar viewing goggles you can see the sun slowly get covered. With a few minutes to go it was clearly darker out to the southwest, but I couldn’t see the shadow. Then totality started and I only had 62 seconds to take it all in. The corona sparkled with a number of flares clearly visible around the moon, and Venus was visible sitting very close to the sun. I think the people on the ground saw more stars since it was not totally dark for me. I could Top to Bottom: The perfect adventurer. The Western Australian coastline from above. The ultimate cross-country journey.

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Watching the eclipse roll across the Western Australian coastline.

clearly see the sun shining all around me, with the circle of totality only about 40km across.

My mission, however, was to see the shadow, so I was looking down as much as up. While I couldn’t see it coming, as the shadow passed over the peninsula, I could clearly see the huge dark spot. At first the far end of the peninsula was still in light, as well as where it joins the mainland. When the sun returned for me, the shadow was now covering most of the peninsula, as the sand dunes below me lit up. It took nearly 4 minutes for the shadow, travelling at about 1,000 mph (16 miles per minute), to travel up the peninsula. An absolutely stunning sight and well worth the trip.

I had a 360-degree camera running right through the eclipse, as well as a handheld stabilised camera. I have posted a few videos, with my personal favourite being the time-lapse I posted on my new YouTube channel @flightsofthephoenix.

Just like that, after about 2,000nm and 19.5hrs flying to get there, the show was over and it was time to start thinking about how to get home! First to Carnarvon for the night then along (some of) the coast home. I was only halfway to a successful and safe trip. More people die coming down from Everest than climbing up!

THE SAFE RETURN Time pressures were now off, but the next big weather system was brewing in the southern Indian Ocean.

I would have liked to take my time and follow the coast, but I really wanted to stay ahead of the next front, so the plan became overnights in Bindoon at the Superlight Aircraft Club, Esperance, Nullarbor Roadhouse, and Renmark.

Bindoon Hill is under the RAAF Base Pearce training area and closed during the week until 5pm, but a phone call to the base suggested I should get clearance, so I tracked down the east side of their airspace, made the call to Pearce Centre and got clearance into Bindoon Hill (Once again, being a GFA operation, the rules are a bit different and I have a controlled airspace endorsement). As always, the controllers were very helpful as I muddled the read back, but they had me identified (ADS-B out) and I was able to thread between the grumpy neighbors and the always-closed special forces restricted area and into the great little strip at Bindoon Hill for dinner with some of their members.

The next day I refueled at Northam and for the first time, I got a dollop of water in my tester. I have always

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Cruising above Esperance on the return trip.

rolled my eyes as I took the sample thinking this is a professional fuel supply and wouldn’t have water in it, so I was quite shocked when I found about half the tester was water. At least I now know what water in the fuel looks like!

From there I headed south for my next stop in Esperance. The weather was still perfect and my plan was looking great until I pulled up at the fuel bowser in Esperance to see a sign saying ‘Out of Service’. Guess who forgot to check the latest NOTAMs! A quick look on OzRunways reminded me just how far I was from any other airfields with fuel.

I was very lucky to meet yet another helpful local who had a few jerry cans in his shed and offered to drive me out to the airfield the next morning and fill her up.

We gave the cans a rinse before using them, and left a little in the bottom of each. It all worked out in the end. I was a little nervous after the water in the fuel and then the fisherman’s jerry-can-fuel, but I headed out along the coast over some pretty isolated beaches, listening intently to the Rotax. After so many hours of cruising, the mind can start to play tricks on you, but that is where the benefits of a Motorglider with a 30:1 glide ratio comes in. My reach is probably twice as far as most powered planes, so I was able to keep within

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touch of either a country strip, a salt lake or mud flat pretty much all the way. My glider pilot training means I always have my instructor in my ear asking ‘what are your options?’.

The beautiful white sand dunes turned into cliffs, and then at about Cocklebiddy I headed inland to my new friends at Forrest for another top up (and some carrot cake!) before heading back across the Nullarbor to the Roadhouse for the night. It is very cool to land on the strip out the back then taxi up to the tie-down points, park in front of the Grey Nomads in their campers and caravans, and wander in to your hotel room for the night.

I was now comfortably ahead of the next weather system, so I was able to slow down a bit for the last 2 days. A fuel and lunch stop in Wudinna set me up for a comfortable afternoon flight to Renmark for the night.

My only issue in Renmark was the 2 big helicopters parked right next to the visitor tie-down points. Even tied-down, I didn’t like the idea of their downwash lifting my Phoenix, so I parked around the back and trusted the forecast of no-wind.

Nearly there, a last stop in Swan Hill before my inbound calls to Benalla. Wouldn’t you guess it; after flying into

While I couldn’t see it coming, as the shadow passed over the peninsula, I could clearly see the huge dark spot.

14 new airfields, the only one I messed up with the wrong CTAF frequency was my home base.

Safely on the ground in front of my hangar, it was a long sit after shut-down taking in what I had just achieved. My little Phoenix had performed beautifully.

My planning had paid off. I had largely done a pretty good job with all the navigating and communicating, and the weather gods had been especially friendly to me.

As always, I learnt a lot and most of my gear worked well. The new caddy I bought was fantastic on the seat beside me, keeping all of the bits and pieces together. My new Zoleo tracker had done a pretty

good job keeping the home-base ‘responsible SAR watch team’ up to date. However, it did drop out for about an hour on the first Nullarbor crossing, which was quite stressful for the home team, and counter to the objective of them knowing you’re safe. I had the unit hanging from the dash but Zoleo say you should have it with the top facing up. It worked fine once I positioned it on the headrest next to me. The autopilot was a savior – I don’t think I could have done it on my own without it. It is definitely safer when you are free to look out and monitor everything without a constant watch on heading and speed, especially when cruising fast in a very slippery aeroplane, and when there are no features on the horizon to keep a heading against.

The next total eclipse in Australia is July 2028 which is a big one (around 4 minutes) and crosses over NT, SW Queensland and directly over Sydney. It will certainly be on my plan sheet to do it all again, just a little closer to home.

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SPORTPILOT

SAFETY SUMMARY 2023 JAN-JUN

SAFETY DATA

Words RAAus

0

FATAL ACCIDENTS

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5

AIRCRAFT DESTROYED

33 9 41 AIRCRAFT DAMAGED

INJURIES

FLIGHT TRAINING OCCURRENCES

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PRIVATE OPERATION OCCURRENCES

MOST COMMON OCCURRENCES BY PRIMARY CAUSE Airspace Infringement Near Collision Engine Failure or Malfunction Loss of Control Hard Landing Runway Excursion Bird Strike Number of Occurrences

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

NEAR COLLISION Near collision reports continue to rate highly in RAAus’ occurrence reporting data, with 12 occurrences reported within the first 6 months of 2023. All pilots are reminded of the importance of maintaining an active lookout and making regular radio communications, particularly when operating within the vicinity of an aerodrome.

Technology, such as the use of ADS-B and EFB traffic information may provide improved awareness of other traffic, however, this does not replace the requirement for pilots to maintain an active lookout.

The Australian Government has extended their ADS-B rebate program until 31 May 2024 for eligible aircraft owners who are interested in fitting ADS-B equipment to their aircraft.

The adjacent map shows locations of near collision occurrence reports reported to RAAus over the past 5 years.

ENGINE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OCCURRENCES RAAus had 11 engine failure occurrences reported during the first half of 2023. Of these 11 occurrences, 5 were in aircraft with Rotax engines, 5 with Jabiru engines and one in an aircraft with a Lycoming engine. These events occurred due to a range of different contributing factors including fuel issues and mechanical failure.

LOSS OF CONTROL Loss of control events continue to be the highest cause of aircraft damage and injury within RAAus operations.

Of the 9 loss of control events reported to RAAus within the first half of 2023, 7 were reported to have occurred during the landing phase. Three aircraft were reported to be destroyed due to loss of control events with an additional 4 occurrences resulting in significant aircraft damage. Two occurrences took place during dual flight training operations and one during solo flight training. Pilots are encouraged to review the RAAus’ loss of control video series at www.raaus.com.au/loc

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TURNBACKS

OCCURRENCE SUMMARIES

In the first half of 2023, RAAus recorded two serious accidents where the conduct of a turnback was attempted following a partial or full engine failure after take-off. In both occurrences the aircraft impacted terrain prior to reaching the runway threshold, resulting in serious injuries, and the aircraft were destroyed.

Occurrence Classification: Defect Report Injuries: Nil Damage: Nil

RAAus reminds pilots of the importance of conducting a pre-takeoff safety brief before each flight and to prepare for possible emergencies during take-off. All members should consider the dangers of conducting a turnback. A turnback can lead to a stall-spin, which has previously led to a number of fatal accidents following a partial or full engine failure after take-off.

COMPLIANCE

RAAus received a defect report following identification of a rudder cable with approximately 50% broken strands, located at a pulley behind the rear seats.

Maintainers are reminded of the importance of conducting thorough inspections of aircraft control cables during routine maintenance in accordance with manufacturer requirements. Review of this occurrence identified that the rudder cable damage occurred due to normal wear and had not been replaced in 15 years. Wear of the cable should have been detected during previous maintenance inspections and had the potential to result in serious or fatal outcomes.

RAAus would like to remind all pilots, aircraft owners, and maintainers to regularly review their compliance requirements prior to operating or maintaining an aircraft.

The following non-compliances are commonly identified within RAAus operations: Member Non-compliances 1. Conduct of flight by pilot without a current BFR 2. Operation of an unregistered aircraft 3. Flight conducted without holding current RAAus membership 4. Maintenance of an aircraft without holding a current maintenance authority Maintenance Non-compliances 1. Failure to complete instrument and transponder calibration requirements, required every 24 months 2. Failure to comply with mandatory service bulletin requirements

Occurrence Classification: Loss of Control Operation type: Private Injuries: Serious Damage: Destroyed During landing in gusty conditions with a strong crosswind component, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind and subsequently commenced a go-around.

NEAR MISS EVENTS ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON OCCURRENCE TYPES REPORTED TO RAAUS: As of 12 August 2022, the Australian Government is offering an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) Rebate Program with grants of up to $5,000 available to eligible aircraft owners to fit ADS-B equipment to their aircraft. The objective of this program is to incentivise voluntary uptake of ADS-B equipment to improve safety and efficiency for Australian airspace users.

For more information or for eligibility criteria go to BUSINESS.GOV.AU and search ADS-B Grant program closes 30 June 2024.

Accident, Incident and Defect Reporting is a mandatory requirement. Report at reporting.raaus.com.au

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Video footage captured by an airport camera shows that the aircraft initially levels out, then pitches upwards followed by a stall and entry into a right-hand spin from approximately 50ft before impacting terrain right wing first. The aircraft was destroyed and the occupants received serious injuries.

Pilots are reminded of the importance of managing the aircraft during the conduct of a go-around to ensure that a safe climb speed is achieved prior to setting a climb attitude in order to prevent a loss of control event. Pilots are encouraged to regularly practise go-arounds which are otherwise often only conducted in an emergency.

NOTE: The aircraft involved in this accident contained a Ballistic Recovery System (BRS). Emergency services were only notified of this after the occupants had been extracted from the aircraft. BRS systems may result in serious or fatal injuries in the event of an uncontrolled deployment following an accident. Members are reminded that aviation accident sites may contain a number of hazards which need to be managed in the event of an accident to avoid further injury.

Occurrence Classification: Illegal Low-Level Flying Operation type: Private Injuries: Nil Damage: Nil A recent occurrence reported to RAAus contained video footage of an RAAus aircraft conducting lowlevel flight over a private property. The aircraft was conducting a low pass over a tractor and passed below high-voltage powerlines. The passenger of the aircraft recorded the footage and uploaded this online, stating in the video that they were unaware of the location of the powerlines at the time. Luckily, this occurrence did not result in an accident. The pilot did not hold a low-level endorsement and was operating illegally. The pilot was issued a safety related suspension and was required to undertake further training. This occurrence was also reported to CASA in accordance with RAAus’ reporting requirements under CASR Part 149.

RAAus members are reminded of the dangers of low-level flight and urged to avoid making impulsive decisions to operate at low level. Low-level flying requires additional training and thorough assessment of the hazards in the area prior to flight. Low-level flight has been determined to be a contributing factor in a number of fatal RAAus accidents.

A recently released ATSB report (AO-2022027) investigated a fatal accident in very similar circumstances, involving a Cessna 172 on 18 April 2022. The ATSB established that the pilot was likely conducting an intentional low-level pass over a tractor before their aircraft struck a powerline. This report is available on the ATSB website.

Occurrence Classification: Bird Strike Operation type: Flying Training — Dual Injuries: Nil Damage: Substantial A student pilot and instructor were conducting a circuit lesson. After a touch and go, at approximately 200 feet, the aircraft suffered a bird strike. The instructor immediately took control of the aircraft and there was a noticeable vibration from the engine. Power was immediately reduced to idle and the aircraft landed straight ahead on the remaining runway.

Inspection of the aircraft identified that the wooden propeller suffered substantial damage to both blades, with sections of the propeller missing. Pilots are reminded to be aware of the presence of wildlife, particularly when operating from airports where wildlife hazards are known to occur frequently. Pilots should review additional information contained within the En Route Supplement Australia (ERSA) which may contain information on known wildlife hazards.

The ATSB have recently released two separate fatal accident reports from 2022 involving bird strikes in both fixed wing and helicopter aircraft.

LOSS OF CONTROL: 3 PART SERIES

SCAN TO WATCH NOW

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FLIGHT TEST

REVIEWS OF GREAT AIRCRAFT

THE ANYWHERE, EVERYWHERE OPTION

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The Swish Projects demo CH750.

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If you’re in the market for a STOL aircraft, there’s one particular option you simply can’t walk past.

The love of aviation in Australia is on the rise, and with it comes more adventurers who see the value in touring our country with a machine that can do it all – fly anywhere, land anywhere. There’s also a bigger league of STOL aircraft becoming available. But what does it take from a flying machine to fulfill the requirements of the great southern land? As it turns out, the answer is in versatility.

Introducing the Zenith Aircraft Company, makers of the CH701 & CH750 aircraft. The CH750 comes in three versions; the aptly-named CH750 STOL, the extracargo-carrying CH750 Super Duty and the speedier CH750 Cruzer. They can be registered for RAAus straight out of the box, and they’re a VH or Group-G candidate if you’d like the extra MTOW capacity. If you haven’t heard of them, Zenith are a Missouri-based manufacturer of kit aircraft who specialise in light sport utility and STOL aircraft. They’re not new, Zenith have sent well over 10,000 kits to over 50 countries worldwide, and are just about to hit their 50th year of manufacturing all-metal kit aircraft.

“When I’m going off grid my runway rule is this: if I can drive along the ground safely with a bowl of curry on my lap, I’ll take it.”

Victorian-based James Fisher from Swish Projects is the Australian distributor of Zenith aircraft – and a proud owner of the CH750 STOL. When I asked James about the differences between models, he quickly said “bugger it, let’s go and fly in all three and you can see for yourself”.

In my aviation experience, I’ve met three types of aircraft owners. The first wants to buy the plane built, tested and ready to go. They’re ready for adventure and might not have the hours or interest to build a plane in a hangar. The second type wants to build, but they might have a few more dollars than they do spare hours. They’re more likely to buy a quick-build kit, or something mostly ready to go. The final pilot is currently

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Top: Kelvin’s unpainted CH750. Bottom: Scott’s meticulously-built CH750.

turning these pages with a riveter eagerly waiting for their kit to arrive. The benefit of all Zeniths is that they’ll please all three pilots.

For the benefit of you readers, I’ll stick mostly to James’ aircraft as a base for our discussions, the CH750 STOL model. Then we can talk about some of the variations and options you have to play with, using the aircraft of two other CH750 pilots James had introduced me to; Scott and Kelvin.

I jumped into James’s CH750 at Bacchus Marsh airport in Victoria. He’s fitted his all-metal CH750 out comfortably, with ADS-B out, 2-axis autopilot, and a Garmin G3X with accompanying navigation iPad running AvPlan. Up front is a 130hp Viking CSU; a 1.5L Honda engine converted for aeronautical use. James is using his CH750 to tour, but to also get on/off the ground quickly on adventures. That explains the horsepower.

The Viking engines all ship with a complete firewallforward bolt-on kit. Anyone that has ever installed an engine will know that work stops almost every day

The perfect machine for blue-sky adventures.

while more and more parts need to be ordered to finish the job. With the Viking FWF – everything you need is provided. Every hose, clamp, bracket, bolt and accessory is there. You have a variable pitch propeller running on a hydraulic system with no manifold pressure to worry about and a liquid-cooled engine with no external oil lines, ensuring you’re at temperature before you’ve reached the run-up area. If you want a lot of power from an engine it’s naturally going to generate heat, so liquid cooling can be a good answer. “That’s what I like about it, it never runs hot,” James tells me.

James’ STOL was going through 21 litres of 95 Octane fuel per hour with a cruise at 85-90 knots, but could also drop the power for 17L/h at 70 knots. He carries 90 litres in two wing tanks that gravity-feed into a 15L header tank with integrated dual fuel pumps behind the baggage compartment. This system does not use any fuel tank selector – both tanks are always draining and balance themselves. One less thing to worry about.

For any southerner that likes to cruise around in winter, the other notable difference was the heater. Rather

than engine smells filling up the cabin, the airflow heats via the radiator and creates a clean, ambient warmth with two 12V fans (one for ‘low’, both for ‘high’).

Simple, but a nice touch on a cold day.

For the short take-off we went full flap, a bit of nose-up trim, a decent amount of right rudder and a fully fine pitch. With big full length flaperon-design wings, you’re off the ground at 25 knots at MTOW and the thing climbs steeply at 1,000fpm and 55 knots - sucked into the sky like a homesick angel. The outside air temperature was 16 degrees, with an approximate density height of 1,000ft AMSL. In cruise, we quickly saw a TAS of 85 knots at 4,150rpm with the oil PSI at 95 the whole way, and with a VNE of 108 knots you have plenty of breathing space.

For landing, we were on a 40-knot final and it cooperated the whole way down. You’d prefer 300m for landing, but with a bit of practice James could pull up in 150 pretty easily. “When I’m going off grid my runway rule is this: if I can drive along the ground safely with a bowl of curry on my lap, I’ll take it.” Even with

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The CH750 is highly customisable, allowing you to pack it out with extra features.

the current stock tyres and suspension, bumps are hard to notice. He pointed out a spot on the runway to me, landed on it, and exited the runway with a ‘nice landing’ comment coming over the radio from a couple of Amber Aviation instructors in the clubhouse.

This machine is precise, straightforward to fly, cooperative and forgiving. It’s exactly what you’d want for a touring STOL aircraft. As we completed a Melbourne city orbit, I noticed the Garmin G3X was the perfect dashboard for the job, with its ‘highway in the sky’ to assist your flight path and terrain assistance. It’s an impressive piece of kit for any plane.

When I asked James about the build time, it took him about a year with ‘life’ in-between. All three pilots make it clear to me that if you can rivet, you can build a Zenith CH750 in as little as 2 months. James’ plane (including avionics) would carry a price tag of around AUD$155,000. The standard kit option arrives in a timber crate that will cost around AUD$60,000 landed.

The price varies with the exchange rate and freight prices, but this is a good guide. Then you can decide on an engine, avionics and extras.

With a 100hp Rotax you’d be looking at an MTOW of 653kg. As a builder though, the airframe has a 703kg MTOW. Depending on your fit-out, you can have around 390kg of useable weight to play with. We’re talking a tentative Group-G aircraft where you can shove skis, fishing rods, camping gear or beach gear. Every adventure awaits, it’s literally a Sky Jeep. Sidewards space is just as good, you have four more inches in shoulder width compared to a Cessna 172.

By now I was already impressed with what the CH750 had to offer, but this was just one variation of a highly customisable plane. With Scott and Kelvin both keen to

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“I don’t really find myself selling these things. I say ‘This is what Zenith do, this is what Viking do’, and people generally figure it out for themselves.” show me their own take on the CH750, I knew there was more to come.

Scott spent around 1,000 hours over 18 months on his RAAus-registered build. He’s ex-RAAF, a meticulous type, and I’d say it’s safe calling this the upper-limit for time it’d take to build one of these things if you wanted to go all-out on the details. In the RAAus 600kg MTOW category, your useable weight is everything. Scott is familiar with Australian-made Jabirus, which led him to install the light, four-stroke, flat-6 Jabiru 3300 engine at a cost of around $28,000 and a fuel burn of 23L/h, which gave him a 377kg empty weight. Kelvin went in-between with a 100hp Rotax CSU at around $33,000 (albeit he managed to find one much cheaper) and registered his in the VHexperimental category.

Kelvin’s build story was particularly interesting. He’d only accumulated 30 hours on the plane when I met him. He built it, had it signed off and flew straight to the 2023 Avalon Airshow – unpainted – and managed to take out the ‘Best Home Built’ award at the event.

He also designed, built and installed a vent in the nose, mechanically controlled from the cockpit, so that he can get the engine up to temperature – a custom modification he made later in the build process. The Rotax tends to run cool, so a closed vent accelerates the oil temperature rising before applying power from

James’ immaculate demo CH750.

a cold start. Once in the air and flying with two people and three-quarters of our fuel capacity, we were flying one bar below centre on trim – it’s a perfectly balanced aircraft.

“People can get stuck on ground speed – which is why I went for this plane over a Cub – but I think you should just focus on what the plane is rather than chasing 90 knots.” Kelvin told me. Despite weight being ‘everything’ in a STOL aircraft, all three builders have gone after some luxury upgrades rather than the bare minimum. That’s a perk with the CH750 – you have room to play.

Kelvin’s Rotax is fitted with an Airmaster inflight adjustable propeller and burns 20L/h at 5,000rpm with a manifold pressure of 25” to 25.5” and 86 knots of cruise. With paint still to come, he’s dropped around $90,000 and he’s ready to throw his surfboard in the back and go down to surf Tassie with his mate. He picked up a semi-started kit that was collecting dust, picked up the engine cheap, found an exhaust and engine mount and he was ready to get started. He shopped smartly and it saved him a lot.

In terms of extras and options, the guys all have different opinions about what’s a good upgrade. James and Kelvin are using the plane for more utility purposes and they’re in agreement that Berringer brakes, tundra

tyres and a tail skid are a good option. That’d take Kelvin’s 6” rim to an 8”, and his 21” main gear up to 25”, giving the capacity to land just about anywhere.

You already have spring suspension with compressible pucks and a bungee spring on the nose wheel, so you can modify for the ride you want. We happened to spot Berringer brakes on a SeaBear L-65 sitting at Tyabb.

“If they can stop an 1800kg SeaBear, they can stop me.” Kelvin chuckles.

One of the benefits of building a Zenith is you have a large international community of owners and builders to support you. Rather than thinking ‘oh my god, I don’t have these build skills’, one could actually think ‘I have a bunch of seriously-equipped builders who would love to help guide me on this’.

All put together, most STOL pilots are looking for the plane that provides the best framework for them to work from, and then customising from there. If you’re on the market, you’d be silly not to take a Zenith CH750 for a spin and find out what a known-quantity-aircraft with 10,000+ builds feels like, backed by a huge community of owners and builders to guide you. Happy flying!

Thinking of buying a Zenith STOL? Start with Swish Projects.

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SPORTPILOT Ian McDonald

THIS EDITION

IN PICTURES

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE AMAZING IMAGES CAPTURED BY THE RAAUS COMMUNITY! SOME SHARED WITH US IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, OTHERS DUG UP FROM THE ARCHIVES. Submit your photos to editor@sportpilot.net.au or tag us on Instagram @sportpilotmagazine

RAAus

Joe Costanza

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Golden Plains Aviation

Erin Douglas

Bas Scheffers Georgia Rundle

Thruster Oz

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COMPLIANCE MATTERS Recreational Aviation Australia is proud of our just culture and philosophy of providing member support through education first, and regulation second.

CODY CALDER Head of Safety Cody has been with RAAus for 4 years as Head of Safety. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Transport Safety Investigation, Diploma in Aviation, Diploma in Business, Commercial Pilot Licence and a Multi-engine instrument rating. Cody is passionate about all aspects of aviation, with experience in skydiving and charter operations (Fiji/NZ), gliding, aerobatics and warbirds. cody.calder@raaus.com.au

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Unfortunately, some members may be mistaken in believing that this is an opportunity to disregard the rules and regulations, underestimating the possible consequences of their actions.

If caught, they might expect a mere slap on the wrist before continuing merrily on their way. It is extremely important for all members to understand that this may not be the case, and with wilful violations come significant penalties, such as suspension, cancellation of authorisations, or even criminal convictions (including possible jail time).

So, let’s break down what it means to have a just culture. A just culture is where individuals are not punished for actions, omissions, suggestions, or decisions that are commensurate with their experience and training, but also where gross negligence, wilful violations and destructive acts are not tolerated.

In simplified terms, this means that individuals will not be punished for making a genuine mistake. After all, we accept that incidents and accidents happen and that these may occur due to slips in judgement, lack of experience, or poor decision making. In fact, I love nothing more than receiving a proactive occurrence report where a pilot admits that they made a mistake.

Perhaps they unintentionally breached controlled airspace, or had the wrong frequency tuned on their radio, resulting in an incident. What’s important here is the opportunity to own the mistake, learn from it, and implement processes to minimise the likelihood of a reoccurrence.

On the other side of this equation, is the fact that a just culture does not absolve members from their requirement to abide by the rules. In fact, when

it becomes obvious that someone has chosen to wilfully ignore the rules when they know, or would be reasonably expected to know their requirements, this behaviour is not tolerated. Examples of this include failing to comply with aircraft maintenance standards, operating without the required certificate, endorsements, membership and a BFR, or operating illegally at low level.

In the past few months RAAus have varied, suspended or cancelled a number of aircraft registrations, pilot certificates, and flight training school authorisations based on; • Failure to comply with maintenance standards, including conduct of maintenance by unauthorised personnel, failure to conduct mandatory service bulletins, or aircraft operating non-compliantly on condition (over TBO).

• Conduct of unauthorised low-level flying.

• Falsification of records, including aircraft and pilot logbooks.

• Operation of an aircraft without holding the required authorisations.

• Operation of an aircraft above maximum take-off weight (MTOW).

In addition to any actions taken by RAAus, we also have a mandatory requirement to report noncompliances to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Whilst in most cases no further action will be taken, it is possible for CASA to issue further charges for breaching the Civil Aviation Act. Non-compliance identified in an accident may void your insurance, and individuals may also be held legally liable for their actions. According to multiple news reports, a Queensland pilot has recently been charged with manslaughter after a plane crash killed his passenger in December 2021. Police allege the pilot was unlicensed and failed to carry out required maintenance on the

aircraft. If found guilty, manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

RAAus does not enjoy taking disciplinary action against any of our members. We would much prefer to spend our limited resources educating and supporting members, naturally improving awareness and compliance. In reality, many of the non-compliances for which further action may be taken can result in unsafe actions, incidents and serious or fatal accidents. Sadly, our staff have attended many fatal accident scenes which have uncovered non-compliant actions and, in some cases, heard reports and rumours of previously unsafe actions by the pilot, which went unreported.

We urge all members to consider their actions and keep up to date with their requirements. Remember that a particular action may seem harmless in the spur of the moment, but could lead to unintended consequences. Nobody intends to have an engine failure due to non-compliant maintenance, an accident due to exceeding weight and balance limitations, or to impact terrain because of low-level flying. These are possible consequences that could not only impact you but also your family, friends, witnesses, first responders, and the entire aviation community.

We must use self-reflection to ensure that we are not allowing complacency to creep into our daily operations. What are we accepting that we know is not 100% by the book? Are we accepting information about rules from well-intentioned fellow pilots, without confirming the rules ourselves? Just because we got away with something once, twice, even 100 times, doesn’t negate our responsibilities to comply with the rules. As a pilot, maintainer, instructor, or flight training school we all have duties and responsibilities to stay up to date, and comply, with the requirements of our authorisations. It is essential that we continue to develop our skills and education over time and continue to operate compliantly and safely.

We’re here to help – If you are unsure of your requirements as an RAAus authorisation holder please review our manuals online or contact our team who will be more than happy to assist.

More information on RAAus’ occurrence and complaint handling procedures can be found online in the Occurrence and Complaint Handling Manual.

If you are aware of, or observe non-compliant operations or unsafe activities, please submit a confidential complaint within the RAAus Occurrence and Complaint Management system at reporting.raaus.com.au or call the RAAus office on 02 6280 4700. Reporting unsafe operations aids in improving safety for all airspace users and may prevent a serious accident.

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THE AEROCHUTE DIARIES WHAT IS IT LIKE TO FLY A POWERED PARACHUTE? Words Tom Lyons

Back in 2021, I was invited out to an unassuming paddock in Werribee to try my hand at a completely new way of flying. Jumping into an Aerochute for the first time was a thrilling experience, one that changed my perspective on what flying was all about.

To me, flying an Aerochute embodied a sense of freedom in flying that’s hard to find anywhere else. There’s a sense of playfulness involved that’s maybe not as present in 3-axis flying, one that reminds me of another sport I love; skiing. Both encourage self-expression, choosing your line down a mountain or a pathway

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through the sky, blurring the lines between sport and art. For me, that’s what gravitates me toward this unique little sector of the RAAus community.

There are a million good reasons for you to try flying powered parachutes. My experience is just one of thousands of pilots coming from a wide variety of different backgrounds, each with their own reason to jump into these flying go-karts. We’ve collected some stories from pilots all across the spectrum, from brand-new pilots to long-time flyers and those crossing over from 3-axis machines!

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A Brand-New Pilot ROBBIE OFFICER Wow, what an achievement gaining my Recreational Aviation Australia Pilot Certificate for weight shift aircraft group!

My first introduction to Aerochutes was at work a year ago, when a customer arrived with an enclosed trailer on the back of his mobile home. After some chatting, he opened the trailer and began to brief me on what this amazing machine was and how easy they were to fly.

It’s always been a dream of mine, but I was convinced that the expense of flying wouldn’t be achievable. The commitment to training hours and rising fuel costs made that dream out of reach. It was explained to me that this wasn’t the case with powered parachutes. They have low running costs, and buying your own machine makes that goal a reality at a very affordable price.

So off on a Google tangent I went, and that’s when the gears clicked in and got me thinking... I want to have a go! I found the Aerochute company and began to talk with Stephen Conte about what I needed to do to gain a licence. We set up a date for a trial flight to see the Aerochute in action. After the initial flight, I was hooked and have since purchased my own Aerochute with Stephen’s help and good advice.

I have completed my training and now have my Group D Powered Parachute Certificate. I’m looking forward to the many hours of flying to come, it’s such a great way to see the views from your flying armchair in the sky.

I’m having so much fun!

Robbie Officer preparing for his first flight.

Credit: Aerochute International

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“I’m looking forward to the many hours of flying to come, it’s such a great way to see the views from your flying armchair in the sky.”

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Crossing Over TOM McGRATH My interest in flying began way back when I was still at primary school age. We were on a family holiday in Mildura when Ken, a neighbour and close family friend of ours, flew up from southwest Victoria in his Cessna 172 to collect my father, brother and I, enroute to Mungo National Park.

It’s reported that my brother and I would stay perfectly upright throughout the flight, regardless of the angle of bank, as if we would simply slide off the seat and out the closed door if we didn’t. I remember sitting in the café at Mungo, completely oblivious to the fact that I would one day learn to fly myself, but feeling very lucky to have been given my first flying experience. I’ve since had the benefit of flying with Ken and other neighbours, several times in fixed wing aircraft, and multiple scenic flights in helicopters.

It wasn’t until mum’s 60th birthday, when my siblings and I surprised her with a balloon flight in Northam WA, that I experienced a new form of flight. This was pleasant and a good experience, but quite slow and less exciting.

The next time I graced the skies was in the same location, but for a tandem skydive. Now that was more like it! My brother and I both requested to do flips as we left the plane, and our wishes were granted. We flipped onto our backs to watch the plane disappear, before going into somersaults, spins and what felt like could have been a circus act before the chute opened and we experienced both positive and negative G forces, hitting the ground with grace and a feeling of elation.

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Tom McGrath after a successful flight. Credit:Tom McGrath

This would lead to me working on getting my skydive ticket after moving to QLD, a thrill that I thoroughly enjoyed. After several solo jumps though, I realised it wasn’t for me. A couple of dislocated fingers and a very sore bum helped to cement this decision.

I went on to getting my RPC (Recreational Pilot Certificate), in a Tecnam. I do very much enjoy flying the Tecnam, but with the amount of travel I do through work and leisure, I wanted something that could be easily transported. Something where I could be anywhere, whether it be the Kimberly, the Flinders Ranges, the tip of Cape York, or anywhere in between, and go for a fly.

“The feeling of freedom in the open air, with nothing to inhibit my view — I was in my element.”

My first port of call was to try out a weight shift trike.

After several hours of learning to fly a trike, I came across Aerochute International. After speaking with Stephen, the owner of the company, we arranged to meet near Werribee for what would become the first flight of my PPC Pilot Certificate training. We left the air strip/paddock with Stephen at the controls, and after ensuring that I was comfortable, he showed me how safe and secure these machines are. We did 360 turns, low flying in the training area and chased the kangaroos off the runway for our touch and goes.

This was a lot of fun! We gained some altitude, and I gained control of the aircraft. It was a combination of some experiences I had from skydiving and weight

shift, but better. The feeling of freedom in the open air, with nothing to inhibit my view — I was in my element.

After just a few weekends I’d achieved my PPC Pilot Certificate, and my new Hummerchute was under construction in Melbourne. I took delivery just before Christmas and by the second week of January, my brother, my 75-year-old mother, my partner and other friends had experienced the joys of flight with me in my new toy.

As I said, I have experienced many types of flying machines, but the Aerochute ticked all my boxes. It’s one of the best kept secrets in flying, so if you ever get the opportunity to have a go in one, take it and you may just catch the bug like I did. Enjoy the skies!

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A Long-Time Pilot GRAHAM LYONS I took a Trial Introductory Flight in an Aerochute in 1994 and was hooked. From there it took a while to line up my ducks, but I was licensed in 1997. Later that year I was retrenched from my job and I bought a secondhand machine from Steve Conte of Aerochute.

That machine now has 570 hours of service clocked up. Steve has consistently updated and added to the Aerochute products. Larger parachute, wider headplates and the new Hummerchute model to name a few.

Over the nearly 30 years since my TIF I have seen and experienced some magical moments.

I have: • Flown coastal with beaches and seas, where you can see the laws of physics demonstrated by the waves.

• Flown in hilly terrain and seen snow-capped mountains (I needed warm flying gear for that!).

• Soared with Wedge-tailed Eagles in formation, who peeled off after they safely saw me leave their area.

• Seen on two occasions a completely circular rainbow.

• Taken land owners for a fly who know the ground view of their land so well, but get a whole new perspective of it from the air.

• Taken a geologist friend for a fly over a practical field area from his training, but he saw the lava flows in a grand panorama scale that amazed him.

• Traversed 3 states in a couple of minutes at Cameron Corner and saw the sand dunes marching off into the distance.

• Experienced the Sunshine Coast in QLD and seen the magnificent Glasshouse Mountains.

• Taken in untold spectacular sunsets, where the eastern clouds take on a soft musk pink hue to contrast the brilliant setting sun colours in the west.

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An Aerochute coming in for landing. Credit: Tom Lyons

• Flown through the Lockyer Valley in 2013 after the bad flood and saw the effects of the water cascade there. Physics and flow dynamics were all plain to see.

• Seen flocks of cockatoos from above wheeling and diving, splitting and joining along a row of roadside trees giving a kaleidoscope effect.

• Flown through central Victoria in clear and calm air but could see Melbourne getting a proper

The Aerochute can be described as both an aerial lookout for the vistas seen and an aerial motorbike for the capability to go and see interesting features.

drenching from a storm. There was lightning and a very dark cloud bank and I had an armchair front row seat to observe it.

the capability to go and see interesting features. Nearly half of my flight time has been with passengers, sharing the passion.

I like the peace of flying the Aerochute. The mind is concentrating on flying and forgets all the day-to-day humdrum leaving me free to enjoy the experience and the view.

I have flown enough hours now that I no longer need to fly in all weathers. I choose the weather and if I don’t think it will be totally enjoyable, I don’t go. This means each fly is bliss on a stick.

The Aerochute can be described as both an aerial lookout for the vistas seen and an aerial motorbike for

It is flying for fun after all.

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UPRT Australia’s Extra 300L in flight.

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FROM NO IDEA, TO

‘KNOW, IDEA’ WE SIGN UP FOR UPRT AUSTRALIA’S INNOVATIVE PILOT COURSE Images UPRT Australia

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Loss-of-control in flight is, statistically speaking, the most fatal incident a pilot can encounter. Countless investigations have proven that failing to recover from an upset is not a hands-and-feet issue, but a psychological one. So, is it preventable?

Recently, I was lucky enough to make the journey north and meet with Jeremy Miller from UPRT Australia, an Archerfield, QLD flight training school dedicated to teaching us pilots how to handle the aircraft, and ourselves, in a loss-of-control scenario. While there, I was able to undergo the company’s Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) Course, where pilot psychology and startle responses were explained to me in a way I’d never thought about.

If you’ve ever read about a loss-of-control incident, you might’ve assumed it’ll never happen to you – or if it does, you’re ready to handle yourself. I’ll admit I’d had that thought, but this training taught me how misguided that mindset was.

When Shane and Jeremy realised that it was pilots’ minds causing problems, UPRT Australia was born.

UPRT Australia is the brainchild of Directors Shane Tobin and Jeremy Miller. Together, they created this specialised training syllabus in order to save pilot lives, given loss-of-control incidents are the largest cause of loss of life amongst pilots.

UPRT Australia have been winning awards for this course because of their innovative approach to connecting aviation training with the psychology industry. When Shane and Jeremy realised that it was pilots’ minds causing problems, UPRT Australia was born, pioneering a new benchmark for UPRT courses in Australia.

Psychologists have helped shape and inform the course to safely encapsulate human responses and limitations when things go pear-shaped. That’s the ‘prevention’ focus. The ‘recovery’ focus is about resetting a pilot’s mind so they can get themselves and the aircraft back in order.

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I signed-up with UPRT Australia without a great understanding of what all the fuss was about. My instructor was Rob Crass, a 20,000+ hour ex-Qantas pilot who has worked on developing UPRT courses for the commercial aviation world. When he’s not instructing, Rob’s happy place is flying his RV-8 or soon-to-be-hangared Pitts Special at his local aerobatic club. It was clear I was in seriously capable hands for this course.

On our very first day of training in UPRT Australia’s Extra 300L, Rob put us into an upset position and unexpectedly said “recover, go”. I wanted to act, but

The UPRT course takes students through various upset recovery methods and techniques.

I couldn’t respond to it – my training simply hadn’t covered this. Rob explained to me that the ‘normal flight envelope’ that we train in only covers a fraction of possible aircraft flight characteristics and manoeuvres, so the reality is that I didn’t have sufficient training to handle the situation. One thing was clear to me – if something unexpected occurred to me in flight, I wasn’t as ready as I’d thought.

I asked Rob about some pilots being naturals, but he pulled me up on it. “Pilots are not naturals at UPRT, the correct responses are all unnatural — that’s why the training is so important.”

Fundamental aviation training sets us up to be a safe pilot at an ‘acceptable standard’. But you can’t just jump in a plane and start practising barrel rolls and hammerheads — there’s more to learn after you get your pilot certificate.

“UPRT is not just about recovering the aircraft, it’s about a pilot knowing how to recover themselves psychologically and then try to recover the aircraft.”

Rob tells me. “It means you are more likely to recognise an approaching issue and you can prevent it, but if it does happen, you have recovery skills to lean on.”

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UPRT Australia offers courses across all levels of pilot certification.

Rob told me a story about Neil Williams, an aerobatic pilot in the UK who was rehearsing some aerobatic sequences when he heard a loud bang at +5G and 1,000 feet of altitude. That ‘bang’ was the wing structure falling apart. He must have had seconds to live at 1,000 feet, but Neil knew his aircraft and mindset so well that he realised he could still fly inverted, and he walked away from the landing. A landing! Whilst most pilots would have panicked, Neil had trained himself to stop, breathe, assess and act.

That mindset saved his life.

When an unexpected event occurs in flight – outside of the area we’ve trained for – every pilot is going to suffer from startle. The UPRT course explores pilot skills that are a big extension to your basic aviation training. I learned about my own brain-overload limits and performance, and why. The ‘why’ part is what takes this course into so much necessary depth, because you’re involved in every aspect of the training before putting it into practice in a highly capable aerobatic aircraft – in this case, an Extra 300L.

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The course included three full days of training, working through a section of theory and then jumping into four flights to put the theory to work. If you’re worried about your stomach, don’t be – the instructors work at your pace, and most of your time is in the classroom.

Jeremy pointed out to me how the aviation industry has struggled to innovate in training, and the need to do so to save more pilot lives. “That’s why Shane and I developed this course – if we want pilots to have these fundamental aviation skills, and we want to reduce the incidental statistics, then we need to change how we’re doing things”.

Right now, Jeremy and Shane are working closely with RAAus and CASA to further integrate UPRT into the fundamental pilot training syllabus. RAAus and CASA are running at this as we speak, there’s an entire syllabus update inbound. Talking with Neil Schaefer, Head of Training Development at RAAus, the RAAus team are working solidly with consultants and CASA. “By demonstrating the extent of the

“normal” operational envelope, students will develop effective recognition of what might be outside the “normal” operating envelope and start to develop tools to effectively manage the aircraft from the first lesson”, Neil explains. “This will create a more effective platform for pilots who wish to undertake further upset prevention and training as part of their progression.”

A huge benefit to the course is safely exploring outside the boundaries of usual attitudes. I experienced where the safe flight boundaries were, recognised when I was approaching those boundaries and experienced how to handle myself, and the aircraft, when something surprises me.

When I completed the course, Jeremy asked what I thought. “UPRT Australia has a new advocate”, I replied. Completing a UPRT course puts you well on your way to becoming a better pilot. Loss-of-control in flight is a killer on the loose amongst pilots, and your best defence is to learn and maintain UPRT skills.

Beyond my fundamental pilot training, my time with UPRT Australia was the most useful and eye-opening training I have ever undertaken. It turns out that taildraggers aren’t what separate the kids from the adults, it’s UPRT and being able to recover yourself back to being the pilot. UPRT skills are perishable and need maintaining like any other pilot skill though, so it’s

the sort of thing I’d like to be doing at least as regularly as my BFR. If you’re thinking about a UPRT course, do it. A highquality course will make anyone a better pilot. My time during the UPRT Australia course is as memorable as my first solo – that’s how much of an impact it’s had on my flying. I’ll definitely be going back for more.

RAAUS’ GROUNDWORK FOR BETTER UPSET AWARENESS, RECOGNITION & PREVENTION Unusual attitudes principles were not effectively referenced in the previous syllabus and the inclusion of information about what is an unusual attitude and how it is avoided was also limited to spiral dive and stall recognition and recovery. In many cases unusual attitudes was delivered using a purely demonstrative technique in addition to basic recovery techniques for spiral dives and stalls. In simple terms, and for the purposes of this syllabus, rewrite unusual attitudes is now focused on what should be demonstrated from lesson one. By exploring the effect of controls on pitch, roll and yaw and simply demonstrating the extent of the “normal” operational envelope, the candidate develops effective recognition of what might be outside the “normal” operating envelope and starts to develop tools to effectively manage the aircraft from the first lesson. Expanding these through each element of the syllabus will also create an effective platform for pilots who wish to continue to undertake further Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) as part of their flight training and career progression.

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THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF

PITOT-STATIC CALIBRATION A crucial component that plays a vital role in maintaining aircraft safety is the pitot-static system. This system measures air pressure and velocity, providing essential data for instruments such as the airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator. It is an area that is often overlooked when it comes to aircraft maintenance. Ensuring the accuracy and calibration of these instruments is critical. Let’s explore why proper pitot-static system calibration is vital for aircraft owners and operators.

JARED SMITH Airworthiness and Maintenance Jared Smith is Head of Airworthiness and Maintenance at RAAus. He holds a Graduate Certificate of Aviation, Bachelor of Technology (Aviation) and Business Management, a CPL, an instructor rating and L2 maintenance authority. Jared has been with RAAus for the past five years, initially working as the Assistant Technical Manager for three years. jared.smith@raaus.com.au

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THE IMPORTANCE OF PITOT-STATIC SYSTEM CALIBRATION Accurate Airspeed Indication:

Reliable Altitude Measurements:

The airspeed indicator is a fundamental instrument for pilots, indicating the speed at which an aircraft is travelling through the air. Proper calibration of the pitotstatic system ensures precise airspeed readings, enabling pilots to maintain the optimum speed for a safe and efficient flight. Whether it’s monitoring climb rates or approach speeds during landing, accurate airspeed indications are crucial for making informed decisions.

For pilots flying in any airspace, and particularly in and around controlled airspace, maintaining accurate altitude measurements is essential for terrain and airspace clearance.

The altimeter, driven by the pitot-static system, provides altitude information based on air pressure changes. Calibration ensures that the altimeter reflects the actual altitude accurately, enabling pilots to navigate confidently and avoid potential conflicts with other aircraft. This is of course important when flying the circuit at aerodromes. If aircraft are not all reading accurately off the Area QNH then there is potential for conflicts.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PITOT-STATIC SYSTEM CALIBRATION Regular Inspections:

Qualified Maintenance Personnel:

Aircraft owners must adhere to a regular inspection schedule for their pitot-static systems. This involves checking for leaks, blockages, or any physical damage that may compromise the system’s functionality. Visual inspections should be conducted before each flight, and more thorough inspections must be performed every 24 months by qualified persons.

Please review Section 12.4 – Instrument and Transponder Checks in the RAAus Technical Manual found at raaus.com.au for specific requirements.

Calibrating the pitot-static system requires specialised knowledge and expertise. It is essential to engage qualified maintenance personnel who possess the necessary skills to accurately calibrate and test the system. A Part 66 Licence holder with a B2 qualification can ensure that the instruments comply with the manufacturer’s specifications and regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of erroneous readings.

Pilots must never overlook the importance of pitot-static system calibration. Accurate airspeed indication, reliable altitude measurements and consistent vertical speed indications are all critical for safe and efficient flight operations. By adhering to regular inspections, engaging qualified maintenance personnel, and complying with regulatory standards, aircraft owners can prioritise safety and enjoy aviating with peace of mind. Remember, a calibrated pitot-static system is not just a requirement — it is an essential aspect of good airmanship that ensures you operate your aircraft safely and confidently.

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WHAT’S NEW AT

JABIRU

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MICHAEL HALLORAN SHARES HIS VISION FOR THE ICONIC AUSTRALIAN BRAND Words & Images Michael Halloran

New Jabiru CEO Michael Halloran.

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I first met Rod Stiff and Phil Ainsworth as wetbehind-the-ears engineering graduates in the early 1990’s. I was working for Don and Peter Adams at the time, as their in-house engineer at Seabird. I was designer, analyst, prototyper, test engineer and regulator wrangler all in one.

It remains to this day, the best job I ever had.

Rod is responsible for the design of an original aircraft, an original engine and has run an aircraft manufacturing company for 30+ years. Any one of those, would in itself, be an incredible achievement.

All three is quite extraordinary. I encourage the community of Bundaberg to consider that Bert Hinkler is not their only aviation hero.

To supplement my minimum wage, I qualified for my weighing ticket and spent my weekends flying Ziggy (the Seeker prototype, VH-ZIG) up and down the coast between Caloundra and Mackay, weighing homebuilts and gyrocopters and all sorts of airborne machinery on portable cattle scales that I had certified for aircraft use. That led me to Rod and Phil’s door when they needed someone to formally weigh their VH-registered Jabs, write some flight manuals, prepare TCDS’ and do some process engineering — all the things they didn’t want to do.

Jabiru is one of the great Australian success stories. My job is to eventually leave it better than I found it, which is no small challenge given what Rod and the team have achieved.

While we created a great aircraft and manoeuvred successfully through the regulatory process at Seabird, commercial success didn’t follow and with lessons learned, I packed my bags and ventured into the big corporate world. I spent time at RMIT, British Aerospace, GKN and Lockheed Martin, working throughout the USA, Europe and at home, on everything from the original design of the Joint Strike Fighter to complex ground systems being rushed into operations.

In the meantime, Rod bought Phil out in 2005 and continued the adventure at Jabiru. After 35 years of inspiration and perspiration, Jabiru stands as Australia’s premier aircraft manufacturer, with one of the world’s best affordable touring aircraft and even more remarkably, one of the few light aero engines in continuous production. Rod built a team that has delivered (at the time of writing) 2,124 aircraft and 7,223 engines, has a customer list that spans the world and a complex international supply chain. It’s a global enterprise run from a couple of sheds in Bundaberg.

Two months ago, I took over the business.

For the last decade, I have built from scratch a business in Australia called Supacat. In that role, I have had the humbling privilege of working alongside the men and women who wear the uniform of the Australian Army. Supplying kit to an army that has been on active, deployed service focused my mind on what’s really important. It comes down to two things; the capability to successfully complete the mission and to get everyone home safely.

It’s not so different at Jabiru. Rod’s approach to product development could be summed up by two simple questions; does it improve the product and is the cost worth the improvement? That mantra won’t change. It means rigorously demanding that every change, every nut and bolt, every addition or subtraction from our products makes it a better aircraft or better engine. And by better, we mean it makes it better for the owners, the pilots and the maintainers. Just as the soldier has always been the focus at Supacat in developing the world’s best cross-country vehicle, the people who buy, fly and fix Jabs will always be our focus as we continue to develop aircraft and engines for the global market.

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Michael with a Jabiru in 1994.

With regard to getting home safely, to my mind there are six elements to an all-encompassing safety model for Jabiru, incorporating: design, manufacture, crew proficiency, maintenance, shared knowledge and regulation. The last few years have left us with a mature engine design in the Gen4 engines and a timeless aircraft design with the J430/230/170 series. Our manufacturing has come home to Bundaberg and the local team have an incredible mix of knowledge and skills to deliver excellent quality.

For those other key areas, I intend to develop partnerships throughout the aviation sector, particularly with RAAus, ATSB, flying schools and clubs, and the maintenance providers. We will also work closely with CASA in those areas where they retain direct regulatory control.

but most of all I look forward to meeting all of the good people who are the buyers, flyers and fixers of Jabiru.

Jabiru is one of the great Australian success stories. My job is to eventually leave it better than I found it, which is no small challenge given what Rod and the team have achieved. I am looking forward to the challenge,

My ambition is simply that every Australian pilot should learn to fly in a Jabiru. Whether your ambition is to fly a F-35, a 787 or a rag-and-tube ultralight, I hope you will start your aviating life with us.

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LITTLE JAY BEATS THE BIG BOYS HOW JENNIFER DOUGLAS’ JABIRU J160 WON THE OUTBACK AIR RACE Words & Images Jennifer Douglas

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Jennifer’s Jabiru ‘Little Jay’ gave the competitors a run for their money.

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If anyone had told me that my midlife crisis would find me flying a tiny aircraft throughout Australia’s remote outback skies, I would’ve said they were crazy.

But that’s exactly what I did in April 2023, competing in the Sydney Flying Club (SFC) Angel Flight Air Race.

I’m sure anyone who saw my tiny Jabiru 160, parked next to one of the team’s Cessna 182, would have thought we had a slim chance of winning.

But win we did, with Gretta Kingston as navigator and myself as pilot. It turns out ‘Little Jay’, as she’s affectionately known around my local aero club, was perfect for the challenge.

Despite the other five teams flying larger aircraft – including a Cessna 182 with autopilot, three Piper Archers, a full glass cockpit Piper TX and a Sling – Little Jay held her own, coming a very close second in every one of the five official legs, before sneaking in with a cumulative high point win.

Gretta’s experience as a glider pilot spurred on my eagerness to use the thermals to make up time, which resulted in my favourite new skill; thermal wave surfing.

‘Little Jay’ proved to be a serious contender. Credit: David Sickerdick

“The race is more about precision navigation and airwomanship than size and speed.” Miss Kingston said.

Our main aim was to raise lifesaving funds for Angel Flight, but probably the other essential mission was to have fun. And that’s exactly what we did.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS Taking off from my home airport in Wentworth NSW, with Gretta hailing from Northern Tassie, we set off for Mungo Lodge on our first leg and my first ever air race.

It was a practice leg, and my first taste of the cryptic adventure to come, the only clues for this leg were “the women’s tee of the 18th hole of the Coomealla Golf Course and where the runways meet.”

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After studying Google satellite images of the Coomealla Golf Course, I found what was the most likely coordinates and used them as my outbound gate, with the inbound gate being the intersection of the Mungo Lodge runways.

It must have worked, as the tracking unit we had onboard provided the race organisers with our daily results and we were delighted to learn that we came in first place. Being a practice leg though, it didn’t count towards the final score.

The race legs were scored on precision navigation and our planned flight time between the outbound and

inbound gates, which had to be submitted within 30 minutes of departure.

NAVIGATING WEATHER, OUTBACK THERMALS AND INTERPRETING CLUES After finding the needle-in-a-haystack outbound and inbound gates from the cryptic clues, calculating Little Jay’s speed through the hot bumpy outback thermals was just one of the many factors entered into our navigation plan.

Gretta’s experience as a glider pilot spurred on my eagerness to use the thermals to make up time, which resulted in my favourite new skill: thermal wave surfing.

The race organisers found wonderful ways to trip us up, making the cryptic clues even harder to find precise locations, let alone flying precisely overhead the gates with crosswinds and outback heat turbulence to contend with.

Thankfully, if faced with becoming hopelessly lost, teams were able to buy additional clues with a donation to the winning team’s Angel Flight fund.

As far as I know, nobody got too lost.

“We all helped each other with clues and then focused on perfecting our skills, having fun and learning from the awe-inspiring knowledge of all aviators in the race.”

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Gretta Kingston & Jennifer Douglas.

FRIENDSHIPS AMONG KINDRED SPIRITS RAISING LIFESAVING FUNDS The teams were made up of 12 pilots, three women and nine men, from a diverse range of aviation experience. From commercial, general and private pilots, to military, flight instructors and recreational pilots, all joined the race to raise awareness and lifesaving funds for Angel Flight.

We had such a great time with all the teams, and we made some lovely friendships.

SO MANY OUTBACK HIGHLIGHTS There are so many memorable moments along the journey, from the First Nations peoples’ history of Mungo to the starlit skies of William Creek, or the big red sunsets of Birdsville. Not to forget the magnificent vistas of Lake Eyre.

Two moments stood out more than the others. The first was holding short while ‘giving way’ to cattle trucks when taxiing across the Oodnadatta Track after landing at William Creek. The other was during an

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We had such a great time with all the teams, and we made some lovely friendships. impromptu visit and delicious lunch at one of South Australia’s most remote northern cattle stations, Clifton Hill Station.

LITTLE JAY WINS THE AIR RACE The race took us from Mungo Lodge to Broken Hill, Leigh Creek, William Creek, over Lake Eyre, to Birdsville and Tibooburra, before returning home via Packsaddle and Broken Hill. In total, we travelled 1,304nm.

Despite Jabirus getting a less than favourable rap over the years, this ultralight aircraft didn’t miss a beat when put to the test. Other than using a bit more fuel than planned when surfing thermals, Little Jay was an absolute delight to fly. I look forward to our next adventure flying to Bathurst to collect our trophy.

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WEIGHTY MATTERS The increase in the Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) of RAAus aircraft is moving steadily closer to approval and implementation, so now is a great time to revisit a range of pilot planning factors relevant to weight and balance.

JILL BAILEY Flight Operations Jill Bailey has been Head of Flight Operations for over 10 years. Jill holds a CASA PPL (A), has RAAus Pilot Examiner and Instructor Training Approvals, was a former RAAus CFI and has been an instructor with RAAus for over 15 years. Jill and her husband Norm previously owned a music store for 20 years and built a Jabiru taildragger kit which they flew all over Australia. jill.bailey@raaus.com.au

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Weighing an aircraft accurately prior to flight testing is a critical part of the process. If the MTOW or Weight and Balance (W&B) are calculated incorrectly, the test flight is likely to be a short one, ending in tragic injury, aircraft damage, or turning the pilot’s hair grey.

There is so much more to W&B than simply assessing whether or not the manufacturer MTOW is being exceeded. Consistent balance in RAAus aircraft can be maintained by simply nominating the maximum baggage weight permitted in the area behind the seats and specifying the MTOW limitation in the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH). Provided these limits are not exceeded,

the aircraft will remain in balance throughout the flight.

However, the more common method is to provide a W&B calculation process using moment arms, locations, or charts to permit the plotting of the W&B. While not commonly operated in RAAus, there are aircraft which have a moveable W&B limitation as fuel is used during the flight.

Regardless, it is still critical to read the POH, understand the aircraft manufacturer limitations and operate the aircraft as directed.

Even if the aircraft has completed its flight test period, similar to humans, aircraft gain weight over time. It might be as simple as carrying a tie down

kit with a hammer to drive in those pesky pegs, spare equipment, the addition of new avionics, a change in propeller, or the flight might include a new passenger who has gained a little weight.

Aircraft owners could also consider asking a suitably qualified person to complete a new W&B for the aircraft. It’s worth noting it is not a requirement to complete a new W&B if the total change does not exceed 5kg.

Likewise, if you are taking passengers, or delivering instructions, having a set of scales at your hangar or office will provide a simple way to ensure the MTOW of the aircraft is not exceeded by “self-loading freight”.

Let’s play out a hypothetical scenario. The aircraft is 15 years old, the owner added a new EFIS system and requires pilots to carry water, a tie down kit and spare tubes for the main and nose wheels. Your friend arrives and you notice since you last flew together, and possibly thanks to COVID, they have added a few kilos.

But how do you know you are still compliant to safely fly? A laminated checklist that includes the empty weight of the aircraft, pilot and passenger weights, as well as the expected fuel load, will ensure that the flight operates within W&B and MTOW range.

After weighing your friend (explaining the importance of this calculation, and not your intention to embarrass them), you realise you will have to reduce your intended fuel load by 15 litres (10.8 kilos). This will also require a

“It is still critical to read the POH, understand the aircraft manufacturer limitations and operate the aircraft as directed.” change in location, so you adjust your flight plan, take off and enjoy your planned flight.

Let’s take this example a little further. Assume you didn’t weigh your friend, they arrived late, so you take off 2 hours after intended from your private grass strip of 550 metres. You were supposed to mow the strip last week, but it was raining, and the surface is still too soft for the tractor. By now, the temperature has gone up by 10 degrees, and for “some reason” the aircraft doesn’t seem to accelerate like it should. As the fence at the other end of the strip looms, you realise you have just played out the classic “she’ll be right mate” scenario, which RAAus sees regularly in accident and incident reports.

So, what am I really trying to say? As the pilot in command, we must all challenge ourselves to ensure we use all the information available to us. Always check information from the manufacturer, and use the 5P Principle (Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance), to ensure flights are compliant and most importantly, safe.

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SPORTPILOT

HANDING

PASSING ON THE AVIATION GENE Words & Images Owen Zupp

For our son Hayden’s 14th birthday, my wife and I decided to organise a RAAus membership and his first lesson with Orange Flight Training. I guess you could call aviation a “family business” for us.

mimicked the control inputs for pitch, roll and yaw as I called them out and then asked for primary and secondary effects. It reminded me of a time when my father did the same with me.

Both my wife, Kirrily, and I are commercial pilots. Both of our mothers served in the RAAF while Hayden’s two grandfathers flew as well. My father flew 201 fighter missions in the Korean War, while Kirrily’s dad flew Caribous in Vietnam. I had my skepticisms about whether or not the aviation gene would be passed down to him, but now, our son seems to have caught the bug.

An RAAus Instructor Rating is on my radar but for the time being I entrusted Hayden’s education to a good mate, John Hunter. A former RAAF Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) and current airline training captain, John instructs at Orange Flight Training.

Following his birthday, Hayden and I drove to Orange, discussing the first lesson, “Effects of Controls”. With the assistance of a plastic cricket stump, Hayden

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Following a thorough preflight briefing, John and Hayden ran through their pre-start checks in the Bristell as I stood on the grass verge, a keen observer. As they taxied past, I was taken back to a time when I had tentatively edged a Cessna 152 towards the runway and imagined my father’s anticipation.

“Hayden mimicked the control inputs...

It reminded me of a time when my father did the same with me.”

As the yellow Bristell climbed away into the sky over Orange, it was another moment for me to mentally savour. As I awaited their return, the rural setting and uncluttered sky was occasionally interrupted by another light aircraft taking to the sky on a cloudless afternoon.

All too soon for Hayden, they were back overhead and joining the circuit, before landing and offering an excited wave. After an extensive debrief and a wipedown of the aircraft, it was time to call it a day.

The excitement in Hayden’s voice was priceless as he recounted the flight that evening and all the way home. Inevitably, he asked when he could fly again. His enthusiasm was infectious and that excitement for flight remains with me to this day, just as it did for my father

Hayden learning to fly with Orange Flight Training.

before me. Across three generations, flight has been a common theme and passion shared by Hayden’s family.

Whether Hayden ultimately seeks to pursue a career in aviation or flies solely for recreation is his choice alone.

Either way, flight has created cherished memories for all in our family and will undoubtedly continue to do so for generations to come.

Almost 8 in 10 pilots told us one of the best ways to learn new things is to hear from other pilots.

If you have ever had a narrow escape from danger or disaster in the air, you may have an important lesson to share.

• This month we’re looking for stories about flight planning.

• Send us your first-hand account, between 600–1200 words.

• Meet the topic and word count and receive a free gift!

• If we publish your close call, you will receive $500.

2307.4720

• You can remain anonymous.

Submit to

fsa@casa.gov.au

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SPORTPILOT

TECH TALK

GIVE ME A GNOME AMONGST THE GUM TREES Words Andrew Willox

This is a photograph of what is considered one of the oldest surviving rotary engines — a fivecylinder design that powered a tricycle designed

by Félix Millet and which dates from 1888. Early rotary engines were popular for their compact size and light weight. Lighter, certainly, than the more “conventional” engines in existence at the time.

For example, Millet’s rotary weighs only 13kg.

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The lightweight nature of the rotary engine made it an enticing option for budding aircraft designers. In 1908, the Seguin brothers used this principle in their first aero engine — the 7-cylinder 50hp Gnome. Their first variant, the Omega, was a complex but fairly reliable valve-in-piston crown arrangement that required some constant fine tuning to work reliably. Mismanagement of the timing function could provoke the engine into catching fire, earning it the unfortunate moniker of the “Catherine Wheel”. They were also prone to shedding the occasional cylinder, but over 60 early aircraft types utilised this engine to great success.

Because it was far too complicated to devise a recirculating oil system with the whole engine rotating, it had to be a total loss system with a gear-driven oil pump delivering oil to the mains and big ends.

Everything else was splash-lubricated. Oil entered the combustion chamber with the mixture and was ejected through the exhaust valve (which is open to atmosphere), and the spray from that kept the exposed rocker gear lubricated — as well as the airframe and pilot!

The rotary was the engine of choice throughout WWI because of its excellent power to weight ratio, (relatively) good reliability, and lack of susceptibility to action damage.

The further development of the 9-cylinder version generated about 65hp and was used extensively on military aircraft in the early part of WWI. Nonetheless, there continued to be two big problems; adjusting the inlet valve timing required removal of the propeller and front plate, it was also very twitchy. Trying to get all 9 cylinders set evenly was a complex procedure but the biggest problem was that the valve quickly became coked up, causing it to jam open. The spark would then ignite the entire contents of the crankcase, either blowing the engine apart, or setting fire to all the oil inside the cowling.

The rotary was the engine of choice throughout WWI because of its excellent power to weight ratio, (relatively) good reliability, and lack of susceptibility to

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Original Gnome Type A at Solent Sky.

action damage. They were even flown home with one cylinder shot off, although the developing vibration must have been rather disconcerting! Because there are no reciprocating parts, they are relatively smooth, unlike inline engines.

The Omega’s valve-in-piston arrangement was bound to be improved, and this was achieved with the 7-cylinder Type A which was the first monosoupape (single valve) design. This brought a new level of simplicity and reliability to the 7-cylinder concept that quickly developed into a 9-cylinder arrangement. This

9-cylinder variant became one of the most widely used engines of WWI. Rated at 80hp, the 7-cylinder Type A only had a brief period of popularity, powering early variants of the Avro 504, the Avro 511, a Bristol-Coanda monoplane and the Sopwith Pup, as the more powerful 9-cylinder version became the preferred option by manufacturers.

There was also a brief flirtation with what we would now describe as Variable Valve Timing which can be spotted on the Type A on display at the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton. Engine speed could be

controlled by varying the opening time and extent of the exhaust valves using levers acting on the valve tappet rollers, but this was not successful and was later abandoned due to engines overheating and a scorching of the valves. Amongst the range of rotary engines used during the War, the biggest ever built and used was the 200hp Bentley BR2. Anything bigger became hampered by the large windage losses caused by rotation, difficulty in breathing, and the very large Coriolis forces which affected the handling characteristics of the aircraft they were fitted to.

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SPORTPILOT

The Gnome 7 on display.

Most World War I enthusiasts, especially those who are constructing and flying veteran aircraft, are aware of the New Zealand-based Classic Aero Machining Service’s 9-cylinder Gnome monosoupape rotary engine — the 9B — and its success in powering some of the more authentic reproductions around the world today. The modern 9B, developed by CAMS owner and chief engineer, Tony Wytenburg, is a masterpiece of analytical improvement on the original type which delivered around 100hp. Today, with some very tiny modifications to the shape of the aspiration vents around the base of each cylinder, Tony’s engines deliver a little over 120hp and can be taxied extensively without “oiling up” as the originals were prone to do. They also start reliably and they do not rich-cut like other rotary engines can do.

They’re simple and easy to operate.

With Tony’s 9-cylinder Gnomes enjoying success today, I believe there is a gap in the market for an engine with a little less power whilst still retaining some authenticity in the way only a rotary feels in flight, not only for the constructor market, but for museums that fly early types that are wondering just how long their original engines will last. With this intent I am working with CAMS on

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The modern 9B, developed by CAMS owner and chief engineer, Tony Wytenburg, is a masterpiece of analytical improvement on the original type. the development of a Type A prototype (#701) with the belief that our small community needs this option available for the future.

The CAMS Gnome 7 Type A is expected to be a little over 90hp, based on the developmental experience of the 9B. Its appearance is authentic to the original, with the improved strength around the base of the cylinders and, of course, it can be used in both tractor and pusher variants. The prototype 7A is scheduled to be seen at the Classic Fighter Omaka Air Show in New Zealand Easter 2025.

For technical information on this new development, contact CAMS on Facebook (@camsaeroengines), sales@cams.net.nz or on +64 (0)3 579 2033.

HERITAGE AND PRECISION THE RAYMOND WEIL FREELANCER PILOT FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH Words Tom Lyons

Aviators and watchmakers have a lot in common.

Both have an impeccable eye for detail, aim for complete precision and appreciate the value of master craftsmanship. It’s always exciting when these two worlds collide, and this new limited-edition timepiece is no exception.

Expertly crafted by master Swiss watchmakers, Raymond Weil, the Freelancer Pilot Flyback Chronograph is the perfect marriage of mechanical precision, vintage aesthetics and functional features.

This special-edition timepiece was inspired by the Maison’s namesake, whose passion for watchmaking was matched only by his love of flying above the beautiful Swiss countryside.

Following timeless design of traditional pilot watches, the timepiece features a green textured face, onionshaped crown and brown calf-leather strap with

Freelancer Pilot Flyback Chronograph, 42mm, $6,995.00 at raymond-weil.com rivets, reminiscent of those found on aircraft. Inside the timepiece is an automatic flyback chronograph movement that allows for simultaneous reset and restart of the chronograph, perfect for pilots timing their flights.

A true heirloom-to-be, the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pilot Flyback Chronograph has been produced in a limited edition of 400, with just ten of these immaculate timepieces available in Australia. A perfect amalgamation of vintage aesthetic and modern performance, be sure to visit raymond-weil.com to explore this timepiece in further detail.

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SPORTPILOT

WHAT’S HOT

COOL PRODUCTS & REVIEWS FOR FLYERS

RAAus Unisex 2023 Polos Discover the latest addition to the RAAus wardrobe! These speciallycrafted polo tops cater to both pilots and the general public. Featuring a stylish gradient design, these polos also boast functionality, making them the ideal choice for aviators’ attire.

With their breathable material, you can count on maximum comfort whether you’re soaring through the skies or simply going about your daily tasks. $60 from shop.raa.asn.au/ unisex-polos

RAAus Belt Wear the RAAus logo on your belt buckle!

Tailored to suit aviation enthusiasts, these RAAus belts exude both style and versatility.

At 3.5cm wide, the belt is sleek and professional, but can be worn as your daily belt too! The sturdy alloy automatic buckle not only adds a touch of refinement, but ensures effortless adjustments. Experience a soaring elevation in your aviation style with this exceptional belt! $30 from shop.raa.asn.au/accessories/ raaus-belt

RAAus Drink Bottle Introducing the ultimate solution to maintain your drinks at the perfect temperature – this Stainless-Steel Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle. The timeless bottle design not only adds style but also ensures durability and effortless grip. It’s expertly crafted with premium grade stainless steel both inside and outside, featuring double-wall vacuum insulation that excels in preserving the temperature of your beverages, be it hot or cold, for extended periods. Whether you’re soaring through the skies, stationed at the office, or in the great outdoors, savour your favourite drinks just the way you love them. $15 from shop.raa.asn.au/accessories/ drink-bottle

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RAAus Baseball Cap and Aviator Sunglasses Combo Take your aviation style to new heights with this baseball cap and UV400 aviator sunglasses bundle, adorned with the sleek RAAus logo.

The buttonless design is intended to provide ultimate comfort for long headset wear and offer sun protection while soaring through the skies! Coupled with a classic pair of aviator frames, you’ll be looking the part at home, around the club and in the air. $50 from shop.raa.asn.au/hats-and-caps/raaus-baseball-cap-blue-and-raaus-aviator-sunglasses-combo

RAAus Wings RAAus Glider Got a little one that’s interested in the world of aviation?

This glider is designed with a double-wing structure and a lifting body design, enabling it to effortlessly glide through the skies. Crafted with a keen focus on aerodynamics, it delivers unparalleled gliding performance, promising hours of pure enjoyment. Specially tailored for young aviators aged 4 to 14 years old, this glider is constructed from EPP high-polymer material, ensuring a lightweight build coupled with outstanding flexibility and impact resistance.

Soaring gracefully through the air, it can bend without breaking, guaranteeing endless moments of airborne adventure, wonder and awe. $10 from shop.raa.asn.au/accessories/glider

You’re a member, show it with pride! The RAAus Wings Badge is a remarkable emblem that embodies accomplishment and recognition within our aviation community.

This exquisite silver badge stands 1.5 cm tall and spans 7.5 cm in width, encapsulating the very spirit of flight. Its design showcases the iconic RAAus logo and wings, meticulously scored with horizontal lines, symbolising the unwavering dedication and fervour of pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike. Wear it with pride and affix it to your jacket, hat, or bag to proudly display your esteemed affiliation with RAAus and showcase your profound adoration for aviation. $10 from shop.raa.asn.au/accessories/ raaus-wings Prices are correct at time of publication.

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SPORTPILOT

BOOK REVIEW

ISLAND GIRL TO

AIRLINE PILOT SILVA MCLEOD’S STORY OF LOVE, DETERMINATION AND CHASING DREAMS Words Sophia Bazalicki

In Island Girl to Airline Pilot, the inspiring Silva McLeod details her extraordinary journey to become the first Tongan female airline pilot. Recounted with candour and wit, McLeod takes the reader through the trials and tribulations that guided her to success.

Born and raised on the island of Vava’u in Tonga, Silva was born into a life abundant with traditions and customs. Growing up, she hoped for a life beyond marriage and motherhood, dreaming of becoming a doctor or – even better – a pilot. When Ken McLeod, an Australian electrician, showed up in Vava’u one day however, those dreams were put on hold. Despite their social, cultural, and family differences, Ken and Silva married and started a life together in Australia.

Living in Australia as a woman of colour was not without its challenges, but through hopefulness and sheer grit, Silva persevered. The biggest challenge of all came when Ken was diagnosed with cancer.

Through his diagnosis, Ken encouraged Silva to follow her dreams of becoming an airline pilot, so she did just that. Love, sacrifice, and ambition transformed her fantasy to reality, and Silva became the first Tongan woman to be an airline pilot, flying for Royal Tongan Airlines, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Virgin Australia.

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Credit: Exisle Publishing

If you’re in the market for an invigorating and heartwarming autobiography, full of flying inspiration, Island Girl to Airline Pilot is the perfect fit for you. Made for women from all walks of life, Silva’s triumphs are sure to leave a mark on your mind and in your heart.

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SPORTPILOT

AVIATION MARKETPLACE

aviationclassifieds.com.au

BROWSE AIRCRAFT FOR SALE OR REACH A LARGE MARKET TO SELL YOURS WITH AN ADVERTISEMENT IN SPORTPILOT SportPilot cannot endorse any aircraft for sale in classified advertisements and recommends that you meet the vendor and are satisfied with the aircraft before parting with any money.

Jabiru J230B

Jodel D18 Sovereign

VANS RV4

Evektor Sportstar

Fisher Super Koala

Jabiru SP500

Roodt Sunbird MKI

ROTAX 912 ULS

Jabiru J160

Zenair 601 XL

293 Airframe Hours, 293 Engine Hours. Second owner, full flight history, great plane to fly. Always stored in a hangar. Covers, wheel spats included.

Brett Dwyer — 0429 980 426 Price $65,000

223 Airframe Hours, 203 Engine Hours. Fun Aeroplane.

Graham Smith — 0427 472 349 Price $18,000

200 Airframe Hours, 160 since major overhaul Engine Hours.

Craftsman built 2 seat aircraft in excellent condition. Cruises genuine 85 knots. 80 litres of fuel in 3 tanks. Consumption 16 litres/hr.

Aircraft fitted with brakes and flaps, steerable tail wheel. Delight to fly Stephen Smith — 0400 776 484 Price $20,000

1069.7 Airframe Hours, 304.7 Engine Hours.

Cecil Cain — 0418 680 432 Price $30,000

239 Airframe Hours, TTIS 739 TTSO 239 Engine Hours. Great performer, cruise prop fitted. 160TAS @ 75%.

34L/hr. 117L useable.

Greg Blades Price $110,000

78.5 Airframe Hours, 79.5 Engine Hours. Roodt Sunbird rag and tube.

2 seats. EFI BMW. Bodie Cooper Heyward — 0424 442 638 Price $17,000

1248 Airframe Hours, 1248 Engine Hours. 2006 Evektor Sportstar, proven cross country machine.

John Gray — 0428 421 585 Price $88,000

Rotax 912 ULS 100hp 2000 hours replacing engine with new engine to put plane in flying school. Good condition no problems good leak down results.

Jon Bown — 0410 264 702 Price $5,500

AIRCRAFT RECOVERY SYSTEMS Supply, Repacking and Parts

335 Airframe Hours, 335 Engine Hours.

John Lindner — 0448 497 989 Price $4,500 P : 0 2 8 3 5 5 7 0 0 9 - E m a i l : i n f o @ L E A V 8 . c o m / w w w. L E A V 8 . c o m

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30 Airframe Hours, 30 Engine Hours.

John Lindner — 0448 497 989 Price $60,000

BULAR PARK WITH AIRSTRIP AND HANGAR

This outstanding rural property is well suited to the discerning buyer.

Fly in and land on your own private 900m airstrip (6 seater aircraft have used this airstrip) with 15m x 12m hangar to your 124.59ha (307 acre) grazing and cropping property.

Fewtrell Realty — 0432 111 501 Price $2500000

JABIRU SP500

222 Airframe Hours, 15 Engine Hours. After agonising over this for a number of years and precipitated by a pending interstate move, I have made the decision that my aeroplane should be owned by someone who will actually fly it on a regular basis.

First flight Oct 2002, TT 220 hours.

Roger Garment — 0411 214 106 Price $47000

Thruster T85

638 Airframe Hours, 10 Engine Hours. Beautiful classic ultralight single seater taildragger Thruster for sale to good Pilot. This is a reluctant sale as I purchased Skyranger V Max and two aeroplanes are too many for me. Very good condition, new engine, new gearbox, new carbs, refurbished.

Milan Anthony Vlasak — 0412 784 019 Price $9,750

Jabiru 230

410 Airframe Hours, 410 Engine Hours. Now on E registration with LCH, Tbi, alternator and electronic ignition. 410 TT airframe and motor.

3300 jabiru engine. Full engine monitoring. Dynon AP74 autopilot.

Complete log books etc. Located Charters Towers (YCHT) or Cloncurry (YCCY).

Mark Bredden — 0414 585 096 Price $85,000

SPORTPILOT

EVENTS

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY

If you or your club has an event you would like to advertise, please send the relevant information to editor@sportpilot.net.au

18-20 August 2023

17 September 2023

Born in Huntington Beach, California, the Pacific Airshow is coming to the Gold Coast to redefine the airshow experience. The three-day weekend event will feature a full display of aerobatic performances, VIP events, and social parties. The demonstrations will take place on the beach, with 4 hours of non-stop action each day over the water, creating a spectacle for patrons. Book your tickets at pacificairshowaus.com

The airborne entertainment at Tocumwal Airshow is set to be a must-see spectacle, with over 4 hours of nonstop flying displays. Catch rare and unique Warbirds that once called Tocumwal home, turn back the clock to World War II with exciting displays you may not see again! From spine-tingling solo performances to hairraising formations, the Tocumwal Airshow has it all! tocumwalairshow.com.au

18-19 November 2023

1-3 March 2024

PACIFIC AIRSHOW

NEWCASTLE WILLIAMTOWN AIR SHOW Hosted by the RAAF and the City of Newcastle, the Newcastle Williamtown Air Show 2023 (NWAS23) is set to be a thrilling celebration of the connection between the Air Force and the Newcastle community.

NWAS23 will run over two days, with overwater flying displays at Newcastle beaches and rivers on the Saturday and a non-flying Open Day at RAAF Base Williamtown on the Sunday. airforce.gov.au/ Newcastle-williamtown-air-show-2023

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TOCUMWAL AIRSHOW

WINGS OVER ILLAWARRA Australia’s largest annual airshow, enjoy endless aviation action against a picturesque backdrop at Wings Over Illawarra. The diverse program includes ground displays and flying demonstrations of historic, military, modern and aerobatic aircraft as well as vintage car and motorbike displays, children’s rides and other aviation and technology related exhibitions. Fun for the whole family! wingsoverillawarra.com.au

12-14 April 2024

27-28 April 2024

Building on the success of the inaugural 2022 event, RAAus’ own Fly’n For Fun is set to return to Parkes next autumn with even more to see and do! Static displays, seminars, trial introductory flights, vendor exhibitions and more can be found at the event, with under-wing camping for pilots flying in from across the country! www.flynforfun.aero

Presented by Wellington Shire Council, Pace Events and Paul Bennet Airshows, the 2024 ANZAC Weekend Airshow is back, bringing amazing aircraft, aerobatic demonstrations and displays to West Sale Airport, Gippsland. Showcasing wings of all shapes and sizes, get up close and personal with some incredible machines including RAAF, aerobatic, commercial and recreational aircraft.

Whether you’re a veteran pilot or a budding enthusiast, the ANZAC Weekend Airshow is sure to provide hours of heart-racing, aweinspiring fun! saleairshow.com.au

FLY’N FOR FUN

ANZAC WEEKEND AIRSHOW

Search for Aeroprakt A32

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Stall 27 knots

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Carry 210+ kg after full fuel

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Average under 20 litres/hr

SPORTPILOT

FINAL APPROACH

BY NICHOLAS HEATH

It turns out the air isn’t free. I remember the old cynical joke about one day they will tax air. Well, they mightn’t have taxed it yet, but they are well on their way to controlling it.

and take off. Ok, so that was me and I’m to take off on 27 left and hold course of 230. Now let’s fly the plane.

As commercial air traffic builds, calls will continue to come for more and more areas to become controlled airspace. That’s not good for RAAus pilots right now, because we’re precluded from using controlled airspace. When I’m in my GA aircraft though, we can transit controlled airspace – with the right endorsements.

At first, that’s daunting. Eventually it becomes a habit.

Remember when you first flew, how just getting the aircraft off the ground seemed like a big job? Same here. If there’s two of you it’s a lot easier, because one can handle the radio while the other does the aviating.

The point is, if I can do it, anyone can. Which means there’s nothing stopping suitably endorsed RAAus pilots from accessing controlled airspace areas – other than the rules right now, and that needs to change.

I find ATC to be helpful (mostly) and willing to assist.

The biggest issues for a newbie are the speeds they work at. When you are sitting waiting at the holding point and the call comes from ATC along the lines of “Uniform Foxtrot Sierra fly heading two three zero, runway two seven left, cleared for take-off” it all comes in a 3-second burst. You’ve got to realise it’s you they’re talking to, respond back with the call confirming the details, get your plane on the runway

As more and more air gets locked up, we are going to need access just to get from point to point. Have you looked at a map of the east coast recently? Not a lot of gaps left. I think after we sort out Group G (aircraft up to 760kg MTOW) that access to controlled airspace has to be the next priority. Like everything, it won’t be easy and it will take time. But that’s not a reason to avoid it.

RAAus have been doing a pretty good job on Group G, I’m sure they have controlled airspace in their sights.

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