PATRON
His Excellence the HonourableChris Dawson Governor of Western Australia
COMMITTEE
Ray Challen President ray@challen.com.au
Stephen Pearce Vice President spearce@outlook.com.au
Jim di Menna
Treasurer Jim.diMenna@zetta.com.au
Haydn Vernon Club Captain Haydn.vernon@gemcorail.com.au
Brendon Cox Committee Member coxyb76@gmail.com
Vaughan Emery Committee Member vaughanemery@bigpond.com
Michelle Yeates Committee Member michellekyeates@yahoo.com.au
Alison Glew Committee Member alison@alisonglew.com
Louise Kemp
Committee Member lekemp40@gmail.com
Welcome to our new club members
Angus Gebers
Charlotte Hull
Greg James
Bhursharan Bhullar
Craig Martin
Lachlan Delphin
Udo Mentlein
Sebastian Walker
Andina Ridley
Lachlan Emanuel
Aiden Irwin
Joel Ross
Chloe Stead
Richard Watson
James Moore
Seth Abbott
Linlin Yang
Mark Simpson
Alexander Pigneguy
Adrian Baddeley
Jens Ingenhaag
Mohamedamin Nour
James Chia
Timothy Lindley
David Morris
Paul Shaw
Mandivavarira Maundura
Dave Forster
Michael Fowler
Julee Hohepa
Tom Houghton
Telisha Jovicevic
Adam Khalil
Robert Donaldson
Bradley Inman
Kane Bates
James Burgess
Max Trevor
William Mckee
Kate Molan
Neil Morrissey
Ryan Swartz
Callum Ryan
Leo Wrobel
Przemyslaw Wrobel
Philip Baillie
Sharron Patrick
Andrew Benedict
Matthew Augustin Catchick
Hugh Costello
Lortoria Jona Fono
Ryan Hoang
Thi Thanh Thao Le
Darcy Mcgough
Thomas Craig Nelson
Ciaran Bredenhann
Anthony Vo
Neave Sian Harrop
Neel Manish Joshi
CLUB PRESIDENTS REPORT
Written by Ray Challen
Hello Members
What a strange summer it has been. “Dry as …” in the South West but wet everywhere else throughout the State. At least it has made for good flying weather out of Jandakot, especially once we moved into Autumn and the wind calmed down.
Of course, what are aircraft and pilot’s licences for? In March I played the weather tourist (along with a very enthusiastic hours-building CPL student) and took a flight out to the west to see the Nullarbor in flood, and of course to stop over in Forrest for dinner (best aviation overnight stopover in Australia, I reckon). Have a look at the photos to this article – the Nullarbor has turned green (at least by Nullarbor standards) and is covered with lakes. Quite spectacular –except of course if you were at Rawlinna homestead why the station founders built in a depression all those decades ago!
Back at Jandakot, our Club and the Western Australian Aviation College have had a great start to 2023 with a lot of flying hours being done.
On the Club scene we had another very successful February flyaway and “Pilot’s and Partner’s Dinner” at Jurien Bay. Now in its third year and going from strength to strength, this February event has become a highlight of the Club Calendar. A destination on the coast with a flight over water (no turbulence!), a nice hotel and very good restaurant is the
perfect way to get your partner into the passenger seat and share your passion for aviation.
This was followed in March with the annual Bun Run to Rottnest with about 30 aircraft in total and packed-out parking on the Rottnest apron.
As usual, these great events have been organised mainly by club members volunteering their time – and these events take a lot of effort to organise. Well done to the flying committee and other members that have produced exceptional events.
The College is going from strength to strength due to both the efforts of the college staff and with strong demand for pilots. In 2024 we are looking to have more than 50 CPL students pass through the college, as well as students for IFR and instructor ratings. This is an exceptional result after several years of building this training business.
The increasing flying hours in both the Club and College is putting a lot of pressure on our fleet. Those of you that have kept on eye on the rank will have noticed that we now cross hired the C172 ECU to accommodate demand. We have also commenced the rebuild of C172 EEP after its bingle last year and this rebuild will include a full refurbishment with glass cockpit so it will return to the line in a few months’ time as for all practical intents and purposes a new aircraft.
You will all need to have the tissue box to hand in the near future as the time has finally come when we are going to have to start saying goodbye to some of our C152 fleet. Five of these troopers now have over 25000 hours and are on their last engines before unavoidable retirement in the very near future
But on the bright side, shiny new fleet is imminent. We are currently finalising procurement decisions, and you can expect an announcement on new fleet in the very near future. Stay tuned.
Until then, get out and enjoy some flying and stay safe.
Nullarbor Lakes
CLUB CAPTAIN’S REPORT
Written by Haydn Vernon
Hello Club Aviators it’s your Club Captain back to start a whole new year of Club and Flying Activities, January saw a subdued activity of flying events which gave everyone that well deserved Christmas break from the 2023 calendar.
Four members of the club including myself managed to attend the Annual Fly in to Bremer Bay on 13th January in which a total of 33 planes attended mainly from the Great Southern. Good to see the club represented and also fully recommended.
The breakfasts held both at White Gum and Bunbury are well attended in which I have been fortunate to attend on a regular basis. This is a great opportunity to catch up with fellow aviators. Though on a club perspective I will entice other members to attend these throughout the year, a good promo for us.
The month of February saw the beginning of the competitions both at YMUL and YPJT, which we achieved good numbers in both, thanks to all that contributed .Winners at the YMUL Force landing were 1st Rod Garnaut, 2nd Vaughan Emery and 3Rd Richard Smith and at the YPJT Glide approach 1st Anthony Buckley,2nd Michael Stenson and 3rd Duncan Watkinson. Congratulations guys.
On February 3rd the club held a busy bee, in which we had, despite the heat, a good turnout of members rolling up on a Saturday morning to lend a hand which was coordinated by Caroline Watson. Refreshments and a Sausage sizzle were provided afterwards.
Then on the 17th of February it was time for the big Fly Away into Jurien Bay were we had a total 16 Planes and 40 members attend. Vaughan Emery and Louise Kemp done a wonderful job of coordinating the event with a delightful dinner at the Omah restaurant and good accommodation at the Jurien Bay Holiday Resort.
Preparation is under way for a team to attend the ALAC competitions which this year will be held at Cessnock
between the dates 22nd May through to the 26th May and hosted by the Sydney Flying College. Also, in conjunction with the ALAC Event we also have our own WALAC competition which is scheduled for the 5th and 6th April. Pilots that are interested in competing in either events can get in contact with me.
April will see the first of our Night Competitions take place and will be held at YMUL with camping overnight along with other activities, hopefully sprinkler free this year? This year’s YPJT night competitions will now be changed from a Wednesday to a Thursday night to coincide with the Café and Bar being open for business, these have proven to be popular in the past and draw considerable interest.
Until our next edition happy and safe flying.
HEAD OF OPERATIONS REPORT
Written by Jarod Rowe
An open letter to Club Members:
Recently we had an unfortunate incident in the carpark with a partner taking a tumble off a mobility scooter that required the services of St John ambulance service. In that time numerous members, partners, parents and Saturday lunch patrons passed by and asked if they can be of any assistance.
I’d like to thank everybody that stopped to see if they could help in that time, one of the reasons I love working here is the club spirit. We also wish a speedy recovery.
Scenario based training renders the best outcomes:
For the CPL guys, they’ll get it. For the outsider looking in you may think who cares how many pairs of shoes Mrs Brown can carry or what’s the big deal if you need to divert to another location? These are the things that are faced on day to day challenges for the charter pilot, the point of this is to try deliver a small scope of things to help prepare them for the real world (by no means could we cover every possible scenario) but we’re constantly making up new ones to keep it fresh. By delivering the practical scenario style training it’s about getting the student into the right mindset, whilst most people can fly from A to B, to be safe, practical and customer orientated about it takes a lot more and that’s what separates a good pilot from a great pilot.
One thing RACWA has always prided itself on is producing industry ready pilots and not just becoming a sausage factory like so many others when it comes to commercial pilots. Just recently I had a couple of my IFR students take me up on an away trip, I’ve had a few team up where we have gone away for the day but these two decided to make it an overnight. From that they got to apply the new skills they’ve learnt at an unfamiliar airport in full IFR weather, a great experience and confidence booster.
For any pilot at any level I’d always urge you to have discipline with your procedures and remember accuracy, accuracy,
accuracy. These things will help elevate your personal standards and make you a safer and more competent pilot, it may even give you the confidence to take on that next challenge and help upskill you.
Esperance trip:
The start of March saw a fun little away trip for instructors Matthew Cox, Lochlan Cable and myself as the boys were building up their hours as we progressed through their IFR training. Previously I’ve had several student take up the offer for a day trip where we’d end up somewhere like Bunbury, Busselton or Manjimup for lunch where we switch crew and then the other person then does the return leg. For this we ended up doing four navs over a two day period which saw some incredible views and IFR weather. Leg one saw Lochlan take us to Perth for a couple of approaches then down to Albany, Perth was all sunshine and lollipops but as we approached Albany we could see nothing but cloud to the East. A GNSS arrival and NDB approach later we were down in Albany for a refuel and trying to remember the code to get back on the tarmac after a toilet trip.
Matt took the second leg and we were straight into the soup, Ravensthorpe for a GNSS and then onto Esperance. Matt tackled an arrival and then before doing the VOR he had to conduct a few holds so the local Rex flight could get in (poor lad seemed a bit nervous by the cloud and wanted us to keep waiting in case he couldn’t do it) and shortly after we had landed and securing up the aircraft for the evening. A not so short (seriously how far is the airport from the town?) taxi ride later and we were in town and bunkered down with Matt running his moves on us on the couch before we headed in for dinner.
For those who haven’t been, Esperance is great to get around on the Beam scooters I’d highly recommend it. After the worlds dodgiest taxi trip and several near death experiences later we back at the airport, ex RACWA instructor David Roses was there is his SAAB 1900 for Rex and was more than happy to let the guys come up and have a look while they were on their layover.
The boys then got a hands on lesson about oil replenishment with the don’ts and don’ts of what not to do, which them meant some on the spot maintenance to clean the engine and cowls of excess oil. Loch lead the charge out of Esperance and within 1000’ we were back in the soup until getting out on top, the reverse was much the same as on the way down. Loch showed us how to conduct an RNP into Ravensthorpe and give the ARO a prime view of our missed approach and before we could complete it we were in the cloud once more.
Across the coast and down to Albany we set up for another arrival to discover the NDB was now U/S so an NDB was on the cards working around yet another Rex flight, a survey 404 and a local going for a VFR flight over to the east. Lunch and a quick refuel then it was time to turn and burn with Matt launching us towards Busselton for both the GNSS arrival and another NDB approach followed by visual circling, seemed to be the days for us to interfere with the regular public transport as Busselton saw us working in with an A320 from Melbourne and an F100 from Perth.
Finally after a long day we were nearly home, heading north we swung by Rotto for a RNP and then into Perth for one last ILS. Jandakot was a short hop away and we were done, after 12 hours flying over two days we were all exhausted but it was such a rewarding trip, the guys got so much in over their flights, we had some amazing views, hilarious activities, great memories and learnt the limits of electric scooters. I can’t wait for the next students who want to do it again.
ACHIEVERS
Congratulations to all of our achievers for the months of January, February and March. We are very proud to see so many people reaching new heights in their flight training with us.
FIRST SOLO
Chloe Chan - First Solo - January
Aleix Walliss - First Solo - January
Danielle Briggs - First Solo - February
Brad Inman - First Solo - February
Elli Howard - First Solo - March
Jasmine Kaur - First Solo - February
Jackson Barnett - First Solo - February
Jetling Chong - First Solo - January
Shemaah Prince - First Solo - January
Mason Langley - FIrst Solo - January
Jacobus Hendrk Otto - RPL - March
Jackson Birc - RPL- January
Jackson Barnett - RPL - March
Graeme Morrison - RPL - March
Chris Hill - RPL - January
Chloe Chan - RPL - March
Andreas Eisenbeis - RPL - January
Alexis Morrison - RPL - March
Aeryn Wood - RPL - January
PRIVATE PILOT LICENCE (PPL)
Zack Wong - PPL - February.
Matthew Longworth - PPL - January.
Joshua Smogavec - PPL - March
Steven McGhee - RPL - February
Matthew Howard - RPL - March
Lachie Emanuel - RPL - March
Jason Body - RPL - January
Joel Ross - RPL - January
Alistair Williams - CPL - January
Daniel Matuszkiewicz - CPL- January
INSTRUMENT
FLIGHT RATING (IFR)
INSTRUMENT RATING EXAM (IRX)
Taya Haskell - CPL - February
Nell Plunkett - CPL - February
David Roberts - CPL - February
Anthony Barbaro - IFR - January
Simon Saddick - IFR - January
Will Taylor - IRX - March
MURRAYFIELD MATTERS
Written by Harry O’Brien
The buzz around here? That’s the sound of our Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) training program taking off! Gareth Lloyd, our go-to RAAus instructor, is busy showing eager learners the ropes in our Pipistrel Alpha Electro aircraft. And hey, if you’ve ever dreamed of flying but thought it was too pricey, think again! Our Recreational Pilot Certificate (RPC) offers an affordable way to experience the joy of casual flying. Come join the fun!
A round of applause for Jonathan Macmillan and Andy Byne, folks! These two rocked their first solo flights, and we couldn’t be prouder. After hitting the skies together, Andy took his solo flight on February 2nd, with Jonathan following suit on the 10th. A big congratulations guys!
Ready to amp up the excitement? Our first competition of the year took place on the 11th of February—a practice forced landing. Picture this: pilots simulating engine failures at 2500 feet, aiming to nail those landings on designated spots. But hey, it’s not all about the competition; it’s about the camaraderie and the good times in the air and on the ground.
As the calendar unfolds, Murrayfield anticipates a plethora of captivating events to captivate aviation enthusiasts. From the eagerly awaited return of the Murrayfield Moons to the engaging Murrayfield Open Day, opportunities abound for enthusiasts to forge lasting connections and revel in the joy of flight. Notable among upcoming events is the anticipated visit of the Mustang Owners Club in July, promising an infusion of nostalgia and elegance into the aviation landscape.
As the sun sets and paints the sky with hues of gold, the Royal Aero Club is here to be your wingman (or wingwoman) in all your aviation adventures. Whether you’re itching to learn, compete, or simply hang out with fellow aviation buffs, we’ve got you covered. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s spread those wings and soar high together!
RA-AUS TRAINING AT MURRAYFIELD
Written by Gareth Lloyd
March update on Electro training @ YMUL
How hot was February? Heat wave after heat wave
Electro fun fact - the Electro’s Pilot Operating Handbook restricts takeoff with battery temperatures above 40 degree Celsius. This is to allow a suitable temperature range before triggering the first battery temperature warning of 45 degrees Celsius. At 50+ degrees, the onboard computer derates the 60kw electric motor to 35kw to protect the system.
Consider that the Electro’s batteries accumulate 2 degrees of temperature for every 1000 feet of altitude gained, that would imply you could only climb to approx 2,500 feet above ground level before considering leveling off and preventing any additional heat being created.
Unfortunately, this does not allow us to reach our safe recovery height of 3,000 feet for stall training.
Even charging the Electro at 10Kw, the equivalent to running 4 x electric kettles simultaneously, adds heat to the batteries. Anytime electrons are flowing at high speed
in or out of the batteries, heat is created, just like when you use your electronic device such as a tablet or mobile phone, they too, get hot.
Solution, pre-cool the batteries whilst charging using a refrigerated ducted air conditioner so they are cooler prior to takeoff. No more 40+ degree battery temps but more like temperatures in the low 30s. Hello, now we can climb to 3,500 feet for stall training.
SAFETY MANAGERS REPORT
Written by John Snare
The Go Around is one of the most important manoeuvres that a pilot can utilise, it is an aircraft saving procedure used to prevent damage or injury (or worse) should an approach fall outside required parameters or a landing not proceed as planned. Unfortunately, in RACWA’s history we have encountered on too many occasions, significant aircraft damage caused by poorly executed go arounds, things can go wrong quite quickly if they are not performed properly.
The Decision- Approach
Determine your decision height that is the height at which if the approach is not stable, you will commence a go around. A recommended position for decision height in light aircraft is mid final (300-400 feet AGL). The earlier the decision is made, the less “risky” the go around is as you still have height and most probably, sufficient speed. Height means that the transition from descent to climb is not quite as critical as obstacle clearance is less of an issue than it will be the closer the aircraft gets to the ground. The concept of a stable approach is very important and includes the following criteria:
• All briefings and checks have been completed
• Undercarriage is confirmed down and locked and flaps are set, or about to be set, for landing
• The aircraft nose attitude (Confirmed with the ASI) is acceptable- airspeed is not less than the final approach speed and not greater than this speed plus a predetermined amount, say 5 to 10 knots (note: momentary excursions of speed lasting less than a few seconds are acceptable where rectification is without doubt)
• The power setting is appropriate for the aircraft configuration.
• The aircraft is established on the extended centreline with minimal manoeuvring required to maintain that extended centreline,
Typically my process was make the continue/not continue at decision height then conduct “Finals” (PUFF) checks.
Remember, the decision height is the height (point) that if the approach is not stable, your personal discipline will require a go around, it is NOT a commitment height, even after decision height your approach may fall outside parameters and require a go around.
The Decision- Landing Phase
As mentioned previously, in our history we have on far too many occasions had incidents resulting from poorly executed go arounds, importantly, nearly all of these would have not occurred if the go around decision had been made early to mid-final, a bad landing really is the outcome of a bad approach. For operators such as airlines, the pilot’s decision to conduct a go around is influenced by the company’s culture, for our operations it is more influenced by the individuals mindset- get there at all cost (undesirable) or accept that things aren’t right and rectify (safe flying). As one of my instructors once told me, if you haven’t got it sorted on base or early final, you’re not going to get it sorted late final. In saying this, as mentioned above, any decision made on early to mid-final is NOT a commitment, be prepared to go around at any stage on final and also if you’re landing gets out of shape, if in doubt-get out!
The accidents that we have experienced nearly always, were the result of a poorly conducted go-around following a poor landing attempt. The issue being, on approach the aircraft is configured to assist descent and to allow us to land, i.e. with flaps and undercarriage extended. On the go around, we must change this configuration to the same climb configuration that we have during and just after take-off, this involves three things, power setting, undercarriage and flap setting. All issues are exaggerated as typically, during the landing attempt, speed has decreased.
• Power- be positive but smooth and anticipate yaw and tendency to roll and very importantly, the nose will really want to pitch up into a dangerous attitude, particularly in high performance aircraft- be ready for it. Yawing and
rolling tendency will be more critical due to decreased airspeed and resultant decrease in control effectiveness and elevator forward pressure may be significant. Also, and very importantly, as we pitch the nose up, a series of aerodynamic quirks will start to affect us. The slipstream is always there wanting to yaw the aircraft, engine torque is wanting to roll the aircraft and now, with a higher nose attitude we also experience what is known as “P-Factor” or “Asymmetric Blade Effect”, the down going blade produces more thrust than the up going blade, for clockwise rotating engines (as viewed from the pilot seat), this results in a yawing tendency to the left adding to the slipstream effect and the rolling tendency, the higher the angle of attack, the greater the P-Factor.
• The undercarriage- in retractables, leave the Dunlops down initially just in case the aircraft contacts the ground during the go-around, once established in the climb- gear up.
• The Flaps- flaps do two things, they increase lift and increase drag. The flap setting used for take-off at low speeds, gives us a “good” increase in lift whilst a moderate increase in drag. The increased flap deflection beyond
take-off setting used for landing, marginally increases lift even further however has a large increase in drag. In the go around, raising the flaps from “landing” to “takeoff” is a priority in order to get rid of this extra drag however we must remember, as flaps are raised we will lose some lift, raise them with insufficient speed or too high an angle of attack, we could stall. Also if during the process of raising the flaps, the aircraft begins to sink, angle of attack will increase (we most probably increase this by preventing the sink) magnifying P-Factor and increasing the yaw. Throw in another phenomenon, ground effect, and we have a real problem, whilst very, very close to the ground, we may be able to slightly climb away however, as we leave ground effect, this climb will stop and drag increases, as a result the angle of attack will suddenly increase, P-Factor instantly increases, yaw starts, insufficient rudder response due to low airspeed can’t prevent the yaw, the yaw causes the airspeed over the already slow wing to decrease, the wing descends increasing the angle of attack above critical angle, the wing stalls- we crash! (Look at ATSB reports, with most engines today having clockwise rotation, these accidents nearly always occur to the left of the runway).
Cessna 152
So- the Go Around technique
As always, please refer to the Pilot Operating Handbook for each aircraft that you fly, the manufacturers are the experts however, generally the following will apply.
1. Smoothly and without hesitation) apply full power anticipating and preventing unwanted yaw, roll and pitch- note the tendency for the nose to pitch could create issues especially after a go-around from a poor landing, be prepared to use significant forward pressure on the controls to prevent the possibility of a stall or loss of control. Again from the discussion above, allowing unwanted pitch will also exaggerate yaw, things will deteriorate very quickly.
2. Attitude- to some extent this is dependent upon the point at which the go-around commences, if the decision is made early, with sufficient airspeed and “controllability”, the attitude may be immediately adopted to achieve the airspeed stated as stated in the POH. If however, the decision to go around is a result of a poor landing, and the airspeed is low and controllability is poor, an attitude should be maintained that will allow the aircraft to accelerate to a safe speed before adopting a shallow climb attitude
3. Raise the flaps to the position stated in the POH, for example
a. For a C172 and C152, reduce the flap setting to 20 degrees
b. For a M20J, raise the flaps to the take-off setting
Again, consulting the POH is important for information regarding raising flaps, for example early model C172s and C152s had 40 degrees of flap, raising them too quickly could result in a stall however delaying for too long, reduces airspeed and climb performance. In any case, exercise caution and typically, avoid sudden and complete retraction with resultant loss of lift.
4. After climb is established, retract landing gear.
5. Also, once a climb is established raise the remaining flap as stated in the POH, this may vary from circumstance to circumstance, if for example obstacle clearance is required, flaps may be kept in the required position to achieve best angle/obstacle clearance performance.
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (3C) Chapter 9 also details go-around procedure on page 9-10 see
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_ policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_ handbook/10_afh_ch9.pdf
Also, for an example of an accident potentially involving P-Factor (not confirmed by the ATSB), see the investigation for the RACWA aircraft JDY at Northam in 2014, whilst not a go around accident the symptoms are indicative of the impact of P-factor. I would suggest downloading the report as it shows the approximation of the flight path of the aircraft.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_ reports/2014/aair/ao-2014-148
Apologies if “reviewing” this accident creates any issues for any members, past or present, however, in the interest of safety, it is important that we learn from incidents/accidents that have occurred in the past.
Thanks for reading. As always, comments, suggestions criticism always welcome- jsnare@royalaeroclubwa.com.au
Smooth Landings
YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAM
Written by Taylor King
In April, our 4-day holiday program took off like never before, offering kids an epic aviation adventure. With perfect weather on our side, our small group of 10 eager participants got the VIP treatment, soaking up personalised attention from our flight instructors.
We kicked things off with a deep dive into all things aviation – think radio talk, navigating the skies, and checking every little detail before take-off. But let’s talk about the real star of the show: that 45-minute joyride aboard the Partenavia! Views of Perth’s beaches and coastline, the kids couldn’t wipe the grins off their faces as they soaked in the stunning views from up high.
And hey, it wasn’t all about the flying. We got to hang with some cool folks from the RFDS & the Control Tower, getting a behind-the-scenes peek at the awesome work they do.
As the April Program wrapped up, we celebrated our young aviators with certificates, marking their awesome achievement. With memories made and a newfound love for the skies, they left buzzing with excitement, ready to take on whatever adventure comes their way.
Got a little aviator in mind who’s itching for adventure? Swing by our website to check out all the details about our epic holiday program! From thrilling scenic flights to hands-on aviation activities, it’s the ultimate experience for kids who dream of taking flight. Don’t miss out – get in touch today and let the adventure begin!
Young Eagles at Perth Airport Viewing Platform
Police Airwing
JURIEN BAY FLY IN
Written by Louise Kemp
On Saturday morning, 16 aircraft, both RACWA and privately owned, left Jandakot to fly along the turquoise coast to Jurien Bay. The temperature was a little cooler so a welcome reprieve.
It was a smooth flight, taking just over an hour and took in some beautiful scenery.
When we arrived at the Jurien Bay Airstrip we were meet by our coach which took us into town. During the afternoon the group had time to explore the beach, cafes and pubs, where many had a leisurely lunch with their fellow aviators and partners.
The beach, however, was closed for Swimming due to a shark sighting. So we stayed close to the shore whilst wetting our toes.
The group gathered at “The ONEH Jurien” at 6.30pm to watch the sun set over the trees whilst chatting and enjoying canapes and drinks, before sitting down and enjoying the Thai and authentic Vietnamese cuisine. It was a good night with eating, drinking and some merriment.
There were draw prizes and birthday acknowledgements, and a presentation to Vaughan Emery for achieving his 1000 hours of flight.
With reports that Sunday was going to be between 44-46 degrees the group decided to depart early, but not before enjoying a stroll along the beach, watching the sun rise or enjoying breakfast.
It was a very nice weekend, with good company!
Vaughan, Louise and Haydn
Jurien Bay
Jurien Bay Views
THE ROTTNEST BUN RUN
Written by Caroline Watson
The Rottnest Bun Run 2024 proved to be a remarkable triumph, with more than 25 aircraft descending upon Rottnest Island to indulge in delicious Hot Crossed Buns from the renowned Rottnest Bakery, all in support of The Smith Family Charity.
The morning was slated to commence with the first flight departing at 7:30 am. However, an inconvenient blanket of fog over Jandakot alone delayed takeoffs until after 8 am. Once the fog dispersed, the planes took off without hesitation!
This incredible event received generous support from both the Rottnest Island Authority and Jandakot Airport Holdings, who graciously waived landing fees for all participants.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Cassie, Haydn, and Jarod for their exceptional organization of this event, as well as our outstanding marshals Gary, Russell, and Ivan, whose diligent efforts ensured the smooth parking of over 25 club and private aircraft on the day.
RACWA- 63 YEAR PHOTOGRAPH RECONSTRUCTION
Written by George Chapman
In December 1960, four members of the Kalgoorlie Wing of the Royal Aero Club of W.A., flew the Club’s DHC-1 Chipmunk (VH-RGW) and Cessna 172 (VH-RWD) 115 n.m. north to Leonora, to promote the Club. They have remained Royal Aero Club members since and continue to meet every Saturday, in the Royal Aero Club’s recently renovated, Apron Café at Jandakot Airport.
During a lunch in late 2023, the group decided to reconstruct a photograph, that was taken during their 1960 Leonora flying weekend. Mick Harcourt (former RACWA Club Captain) kindly agreed to fly an identical DHC-1 Chipmunk from Jandakot to the Aero Club’s Murrayfield Airport, (located 30 n.m. south of Jandakot) where the members met and assembled for the photograph.
The four Kalgoorlie Aero Club members moved on from the Goldfields and furthered their careers, except for Bill Conroy, who passed away in May 1995 and is represented in the above photo by his flying son, Mick Conroy. The photograph was reconstructed at Murrayfield Airport, taken and processed by Bill Conroy’s grandson, Luke Conroy.
Reconstructed Dec 2023- Inset Bill & Boys 1960
Peter Yates:
Joined the Royal Aero Club of WA in Kalgoorlie in 1958, (Member No. 88). He resigned in 1970, whilst overseas and rejoined in 1988. He has been an active member for 47 years and continues today. Peter joined the RAAF in 1961 and served in Vietnam. His last posting was at RAAF Pearce, as a flying instructor on Vampires & Macchi’s. He then moved on to commercial airlines, joining Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong, where he stayed until his retirement in 1995. On return to Perth, Peter resumed General Aviation flying. He hand-built three aircraft and was involved with Warbirds for the next 25 years and still maintains his flying licence today.
George Chapman:
Joined the Kalgoorlie Wing of the Royal Aero Club in 1958. With Neill Rear as flight instructor, he qualified for his Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) in 1960. Later, George became a
Radio 6KY “Rockey Jockey” and at the 1961 Rockingham Air Show, broadcast live, whilst falling during a parachute drop. In 1972 he moved east, when appointed General Manager of TCN Channel 9 in Sydney. He returned to Perth in 1980 and as Managing Director, launched 96FM. For some years, George owned a Piper Arrow aircraft and competed in the 2009 Outback Air Race, across the Top End, with Rob Liddell as “Biggles and the Flying Doc”. After hanging up his flying goggles on his 79th birthday, George is now a Social Member of Royal Aero Club of W.A..
Peter Yates, with Lady Jo, after the Mustang Check Out
Bill Conroy’s Comper 1932 Swift - Nov 1966
Chipmunk RGW to Leonora
Neill Rear:
Has been a member of the Royal Aero Club of WA, for the past 72 years. (Membership No. 8). He commenced flying at 17 years of age, with the Kalgoorlie Wing of the Aero Club. At that time, the club was based at Maylands Airport, with only monthly visits to Kalgoorlie, providing training with Tiger Moth DH82A aircraft. Neill continued his flight training and qualified for a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) and Instructor rating. For some years, he flew as a flying doctor pilot, with the Eastern Goldfields Section of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).
He was a founder and Instructor of the Kalgoorlie Soaring Club and also a founder and pilot for the Kalgoorlie Parachute Club. He even made two parachute jumps himself, onto Lake Perkolilli. Over the years, Neill owned several, single and twin-engine aircraft, including an Aerostar TS 601P (VH-PHC), that he even flew from Cairns to Port Moresby, PNG. He then flew on to Rabaul, Lae and Ok Tedi G.M., before flying home, via Port Moresby and Cairns.
Neill has also owned a Beechcraft ‘Baron’ 58, that he purchased in the USA and flew back to Perth. His decision to fly home, via the UK., Europe and Middle East, rather than the easier flight route across the Pacific Ocean, proved to be a very challenging and exciting, 79 hours of flying!
Mick Conroy represents his father Bill Conroy, in the above group reconstruction photograph.
Bill Conroy:
Joined the Aero Club in the early 50’s and qualified for his Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL). He was also a founding member of the Kalgoorlie Soaring Club and the Kalgoorlie Parachute Club. Prior to his passing in May 1995, Bill owned several light aircraft, including a Victa Air Tourer (VH-MTK) and a Beechcraft Bonanza 55 (VH-DDE).
In 1964, he purchased an historic 1932 Comper Swift (VH-ACG) from Parafield, South Australia and flew it home, across the Nullarbor to Kalgoorlie. In March 1967, Bill flew the Comper Swift, (VH-ACG), into Perth International Airport, without a radio ! The aircraft was so light it was lifted onto the back of a truck and driven to Floreat Forum Shopping Centre, where it was on display, with Bill for a week, during a Radio 6KY promotion, for the movie, “Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines”.
In 1971, Bill sold the Comper Swift to Doug Muir in Perth. In 2009, the restored aircraft was shipped to Wisconsin, USA, where it flew and was on display at the annual EAA Oshkosh Airshow.
Michael (“Mick”) Conroy:
Was a late starter, who joined the Royal Aero Club of WA at the age of 46 years. He learned to fly with the Aero Club, at Murrayfield Airport, qualifying for his Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL). Mick holds both an aerobatics endorsement (completed at Jandakot on a Robin aerobatic aircraft) and tailwheel aircraft endorsement (that he completed, on a Chipmunk aircraft at Albury, NSW).
Mick owns two 1964 Victor Airtourer aircraft. One being, VH-MFN an Airtourer, that he purchased and flew home from Maitland NSW, with Paul Drayton. His other aircraft, VH-MUN, is fitted with O-200A Rolls Royce engine and was purchased in Wagga, NSW. This aircraft was disassembled and road freighted across the Nullarbor, to the Aero Club’s Murrayfield Airport, where Mick owns two hangars.
Neill Rear, as flying doctor pilot, with RFDS Beechcraft Baron (VH-FDK)
WAAC UPDATE
Written by Trent Donovan
As we finish the first quarter of the year, the Western Australian Aviation College is thrilled to welcome not one, but two new classes, each consisting of over 10 eager aviation students. These new aviators have already begun their journey into the skies, contributing to our steady increase in flight hours—a testament to both their dedication and our college’s commitment to providing top-tier aviation education.
Looking ahead, we are excited to announce the commencement of another class in May. This addition underscores our growing community and the continued interest in aviation careers, promising even more vibrant dynamics and learning opportunities at our facilities.
However, with the change in seasons comes a shift in weather patterns. We anticipate more challenging flying conditions, which will undoubtedly provide our students with the valuable experience of navigating diverse weather scenarios. Our instructors are well-prepared to guide our future pilots through these changes, ensuring safety remains our paramount concern.
Let’s keep our spirits high and our aircraft higher as we adapt to the skies and continue to soar to new heights!
Class of A24
College Principal Trent Donovan.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Written by Caroline Watson
Simon joined the RACWA family in October 2017, bringing with him invaluable experience that has greatly contributed to our team dynamic. His past roles have equipped him with amazing people skills and the ability to stay cool under pressure.
Simon thrives on a daily adrenaline rush, whether it’s performing maneuvers upside down or navigating close to both modern and vintage planes. He enjoys sharing this passion with fellow pilots, friends, and the wider community.
Among his many adventures, one moment stands out as particularly unforgettable, flying the Tiger Moth into Langley Park alongside John Douglas. It’s moments like these that fuel Simon’s love for aviation and remind him of the incredible experiences that come with being part of the RACWA team.
We’re privileged to have him on our team, and we can’t wait to see where his aviation journey takes him next!
STAFF UPDATE
Written by Cassie Vitanza
As we embrace a period of dynamic transformation, our operations team stands at the forefront of change, navigating the influx of new faces and farewells alike. With bittersweet sentiments, we bid adieu to Sharon Thompson, whose contributions have left an indelible mark on our operations.
Yet, as one chapter closes, another unfolds, and we extend a warm welcome to Cassie Vitanza, who steps into the lead operations role with zeal and determination.
Alongside Cassie, we’re delighted to introduce two diligent additions to our team, Bianca Willis-Milne and Lahni Williamson, currently pursuing their commercial licenses through WAAC. Amidst these transitions, our commitment to excellence remains unwavering.
Whether you’re a seasoned navigator or just embarking on your aviation journey, rest assured, our dedicated team is here to guide you every step of the way.
Simon Saddick
CATCHING UP WITH RILEY WHITE
Written by Caroline Watson
Riley graduated the college in May of 2023 under the guidance of one of our instructors Tom Keamy. We caught up with Riley to discuss his training and what he’s been up to since obtaining his Commercial Pilots Licence...
“My favourite memories from the college were the ground school days. I had a blast with the ground instructors and the time in the classroom gave me the opportunity to bond with my classmates. I still see them today, almost a year after graduation and I’m positive I’ve made friends for life.
Other great memories were the solo navigation flights across the Wheatbelt on a sunny day, getting to watch the scenery go by and discover places I’ve never seen before. After graduating I jumped straight into Multi Engine IFR training in the Piper Seminole. Then I was off to Melbourne for the Metroliner ground school and type rating. Following that I completed a Multi Crew Coordination course.
Currently I’m employed by Sharp Airlines, based out of Perth at Skippers Aviation as a First Officer flying the Metroliner. She’s a 19 seater turbo prop which services some regional towns and various mine sites across WA.
We typically charter FIFO workers to site with the occasional RPT.
Prior to studying aviation, I worked FIFO as an ARO, and I’ve always said I wanted to recontribute to the resource sector of WA. Eventually, I’d like to settle down in the states. Whether it be with a major airline or a regional carrier, the main goal is to use aviation to see the world.
For future graduates or those who are interested in a career in aviation, my advice is to be ready for an endless amount of learning and study. Even as an employed pilot, the study never stops, and I’m learning new things every day that help me become a safer pilot.
Aviation is an ever changing industry and it’s in your best interest to not only know your aircraft back to front, but your theory as well. When you think you know it all, you don’t”
Riley White
The View
