LIGHT AVIATION VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 MARCH 2020
THE MAGAZINE OF THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
LIGHT
Aviation March 2020 £3.95
MURPHY REBEL… Clive Davidson feels at one with the iconic Rebel
Light Aircraft Association WWW.LAA.UK.COM
COURSE WORK THE 500th TRAINEE WITH HIS TOOLBOX PROJECT NEWS CHIPMUNK JOINS THE LAA FLEET
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COACHING CORNER PCS NATIONAL COACH ON STAYING SAFE 20/02/2020 11:33
Chairman’s Chat
06 NEWS
Farnborough Airspace now operational, VFR in Class D, YES Conferences 2020
Reading matter By Tim Hardy
09 LETTERS
More on aviation headsets, how reliable is the GAR?, setting the record straight
12 COCKPIT AUDIO
In Part IV Ian Fraser and Nick Long take a look at what to consider when it comes to audio installations
16 PROJECT NEWS
Rearwin 175 Skyranger, Comper Swift, New Projects and Cleared to Fly… I don’t know about you, but I seem to receive a plethora of aviation magazines each month and, despite my best efforts, I find it difficult to keep up with all of the content. One of the publications that I always read cover to cover though (apart from Light Aviation, of course) is the US magazine Kitplanes. Whilst I wouldn’t normally use the editor’s valuable column space to promote another’s offerings, I must mention an article written by their erstwhile editor and now sometime ‘editor at large’ Paul Dye in the latest, March 2020, edition. In the article, he discusses what he sees as the threats to freedom and sport flying in the US – airlines’ monopolistic tendencies, more controlled airspace, and so on and so forth. In addition to these, and possibly more acute for the UK, is the quite daunting expectations of the UAV community. His answer to these threats, which I hope you might recognise, is that the various factions within GA put aside their differences and work together to preserve, and hopefully enhance what we take for granted, and our joint passion for flight. I recommend this article as required reading for all members of the LAA and our colleague GA associations – before it’s too late. An example of how we sometimes get our perspectives wrong was brought to my attention recently in my role with Airspace4All. As you know, we participate in airspace change proposals by dealing with some of the major stakeholders, such as NATS and regional airports. In one particular case, an airspace change was proposed at a meeting where two GA interest groups were present; one of the options meant a clear and distinct
detriment to the operations of one group that the other endorsed – because their operation was unaffected! Quite extraordinary behaviour that our community must avoid at all costs. If we continue like this then we are surely easy meat to those who would deny our freedoms. Being joined up as a GA community does have some very distinct and tangible benefits though. Take the debacle over 8.33kHz radios – I can remember when this was first proposed back in the late nineties. The commercial air transport sector in Europe needed more frequencies due to congestion, and it was a Eurocontrol initiative I believe to change channel spacing to meet this spectrum challenge. As this involved changing over to new, expensive equipment, we were not exactly over the moon and, to be fair, the case for it wasn’t really made very well by its proponents. The CAA made several attempts to encourage equipage over the years, including more recently, partial funding in order to get it over the line. As those of you who did equip later than sooner, you had to part with eye watering amounts of money with probably no real advantage. Had the general aviation community come together as one in the beginning to deal with the issue, perhaps agreeing with our regulator a road map and implementation date, our community would have been able to act together, manufacturers could have acted on that road map and, through economies of scale, who knows we might have spent less. Makes you think doesn’t it? And now we have the electronic conspicuity issue; do we really want to go down the same road? Safe flying!
22 FLYING ADVENTURE
It’s off to the Emerald Isle as Martin Ferid heads for Waterford, Ireland
26 SCOTTISH TOUR UPDATE
Arrangements take shape for the LAA Scottish Tour. Neil Wilson reports
28 COACHING CORNER
PCS National Coach, Chris Thompson, explains the role of the coach and how they can help keep you safe…
32 FLIGHT TEST
Clive Davidson flies the Murphy Rebel
40 MUSIC MAESTRO
Listening to music while flying is a bonus. Except when it eliminates the sound of the engine stopping, as Nick Long discovers
42 COURSE WORK
LAA Rotax course hits the spot and Aluminium course teaches 500th trainee
44 STRUTS4U
Anne Hughes profiles the activities of the Struts and Clubs and their future events
46 WHERE TO GO
Plenty of dates for your 2020 diary, plus GASCo Safety Evenings
48 SAFETY SPOT
Malcolm takes a deeper look at the 2019 LAA Accident survey
56 MEET THE MEMBERS
We meet former teacher and long-time photojournalist, Peter R March
61 CEO THOUGHTS
Attracting ‘new blood’ to LAA
65 LANDING VOUCHERS
Your free landings, discounts and offers for April 2020
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Editor’s desk
Easterton Airfield near Lossiemouth is a potential airfield for dropping into on the LAA Scottish Tour. Photo: Iain Bright
The Team President ROGER HOPKINSON MBE Vice Presidents BRIAN DAVIES & JOHN BRADY Chairman TIM HARDY CEO STEPHEN SLATER Chief Engineer FRANCIS DONALDSON B.Tech C.Eng FRAeS Chief Inspector KEN CRAIGIE Engineering email engineering@laa.uk.com COMMERCIAL Email office@laa.uk.com Office Manager Penny Sharpe Head Office Turweston Aerodrome, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5YD Telephone for engineering and commercial 01280 846786
LIGHT AVIATION MAGAZINE Editor BRIAN HOPE
60 Queenborough Road, Sheerness, Kent ME12 3BZ Telephone 01795 662508 Email bfjjodel@talktalk.net
Weather warnings…
C
ountrywide misery ensued during February as a result of storms Ciara and Dennis, and though for many of us that has meant that local strips and grass airfields have remained unusable, our thoughts go out to those who have suffered flooding or storm damage. Our sympathies also go out to the victims of the latest crop of Rotax engine thefts, at Croft Farm; this scourge has been ongoing for several years now, and the police seem to be making little headway in catching the culprits. It has been suggested that the readily available apps that provide the flight tracks of aircraft using Mode S transponders and ADSB, could be pinpointing their location to thieves, and Bob Knott has written (Letters P9/10) to explain how you can legally have your flight data barred from use by these apps whilst still being available to legitimate authorities. Please note that not using your correctly functioning transponder is illegal. In this month’s Coaching Corner, National Coach Chris Thompson encourages members to seek assistance from our cadre of coaches to give them competence and confidence to stretch their abilities and better enjoy their flying. This is the time of the year when many of you will be a bit rusty, particularly so this year when so many strips and grass airfields have been waterlogged for weeks. Why take a chance? Better surely to seek out a coach, an instructor or an experienced friend to fly with you on that first flight in a while to get you back up to speed quickly and safely. This issue’s Cockpit Audio feature gets down to the nitty gritty of crimping the
terminals and routing the wires. I know from experience that a fair few older types have had all manner of revisions of electrical kit, and the temptation is to add the extra wiring wherever you can piggyback into what’s already there. This isn’t always the best thing to do, it can be tantamount to the electrician’s sin of running a new 13A power socket from the inadequate lighting circuit wiring. With all the latest upgrade advice on hand, maybe it’s time to plan one of Malcolm’s ‘Deep Inspections’ on your electrical system for next winter. It’s also time to start planning some of the key events you want to visit this season, and Martin Ferid’s series of articles are just the ticket for getting those adventurous weekend juices flowing. I’ve been a fan of such columns for decades. Even having, to some extent at least, been there and done that, I am still inspired by Martin’s column each month and catalogue them for future forays. Chinese philosopher Confucius is credited with the saying: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and that also applies to flying. Put another way by a friend: I encouraged my partner to take up cycling 20 miles a day to keep fit… by the end of the week they were in Birmingham and I could go flying whenever I wanted! Be safe, Brian
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CEO Thoughts
New blood
T
he LAA’s offering of more affordable flying to the sport aviation community is clearly popular. During 2019 we recruited more than 560 new members, bringing the overall total to 7,780. That would have been still higher were it not for the inevitable membership ‘churn’, mainly due to people giving up flying due to age or, sadly, gaining more permanent wings; which is why we are always keen to encourage ‘new blood’. The LAA offers a special discounted membership to those under 30, via our ‘£30 under 30’ membership scheme, and one of the jewels in our crown is the annual Armstrong-Isaacs bursary scheme. Named after founding members John Isaacs and David Armstrong, five £1,500 bursaries are intended to help young PPL trainees (up to 30 years of age) through the later stages of the course when cross-country and navigational exercises mean that longer lessons are required, with the correspondingly higher costs over earlier training. The logic behind this is simple. When a student pilot first begins training, most sorties involve a maximum of an hour’s flying, meaning that a student’s weekly or monthly visit to the flying school costs them between £100-£200. Once a student has soloed and left the circuit, the longer sorties with two or more hours flying involved mean that a day’s flying now adds up to £500 or more. That’s when so many students have to give up, a classic case of ‘so near yet so far’. To be entitled to an Armstrong-Isaacs bursary, the student must have already soloed, therefore demonstrating that they have already made some commitment to flying training, rather than merely attempting to hitch a free ride to a licence. It is clear from the response to the 2019 bursary programme that there is plenty of interest. Armstrong-Isaacs trustees were astounded to find that no less than 60 applications were lodged by the 31 December deadline. Now we’re working on the difficult task of selecting the lucky five recipients to complete their training. While inevitably many applicants want to gain their PPL on their way to a commercial flying career, it is clear from the responses that so many also want to continue with ‘proper’ flying, and feedback from previous years’ recipients demonstrates a commitment from many to everything from glider towing to vintage taildragger flying and flying instruction. It’s not just the Armstrong-Isaacs Scholarship that is attracting interest. In last month’s News we announced the creation of a new Tiger Moth flying trust named in memory of the late Tom Castle. The Sywell-based biplane is being used to provide four hours of post-PPL flying training to allow greater insight into vintage aviation. It is also gratifying to note that the volunteer instructors for the Trust include some of the UK’s top warbird, display and aerobatics pilots. Later in the summer too, watch out for LAA member club, the Vintage Aircraft Club’s Liz Inwood Taildragger Scholarship. Now in its fifth year, the scholarship is offered annually to a licence holder under the age of 35, with the successful recipient being offered five hours’ flying to assist them in transitioning from flying nose wheel aircraft to tailwheel heritage types. The applicant must be the holder of a current PPL, NPPL or LAPL, with 100 hours total flying time, of which at least 50 hours are as a pilot in command. The 2020 scholarship will open in
CEO Thoughts
By Steve Slater
“Five £1,500 bursaries are
intended to help young PPL trainees (up to 30 years of age) through the later stages of the course when cross-country and navigational exercises mean that longer lessons are required” May, so potential recipients should keep a weather eye on the Vintage Aircraft Club’s website and Facebook page. LAA activities also extend to those earlier in their aviation ‘careers’. In addition to supporting LAA YES, Youth and Educational Support, in their outreach activities, and provision of materials for young future flyers to LAA Struts and educationalists around the country, one of our most successful outreach activities has been development of the international FAI Young People’s Aviation Art competition into a series of events to drive UK entries. In particular, we’ve established a number of LAA branded events for Air Scouts, and had an LAA presence at air displays, such as those at the Shuttleworth Collection, where it offers a great chance for young people to get involved by drawing and painting their favourite aircraft, while we chat to their parents about sport flying. In all of these events we are delighted to work closely with supporters including Pilot magazine and the Guild of Aviation Artists, as well as LAA volunteers. This year we’re going to expand our involvement at Shuttleworth air shows, working with other groups such as The Joystick Club with their pedal planes and simulators, an LAA Build-a-Pedal Plane and the aviation art, to create an ‘LAA Discovery Zone’. If anyone would like to join us at the Shuttleworth Sunday shows throughout the summer, drop us a line at LAA HQ.
A date for your diary
While we’re talking about the Shuttleworth Collection, for whom we have long overseen the Permits for most of their aircraft, make a note in your diaries for Saturday 18 July when we will be helping host the Richard Shuttleworth Centenary Garden Party and Evening Air Show. We’ll have a range of invited LAA aircraft on show, a special LAA members’ area with a great view of the air display, discounted tickets for members and guests, and the opportunity if you wish to fly in and camp with your aircraft. Make that diary date now! ■ March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 61
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Classifieds
March
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE
For all display or commercial advertising enquiries please contact Neil Wilson: 07512 773532 neil.wilson@laa.uk.com You can email your classified advertisement direct to the LAA at the following address: office@laa.uk.com Deadline for booking and copy: 20 March 2020 If you would like to place an aircraft for sale advert please see details below:
Flexible Aviation Finance* Specialist Lender Rans S6S Sport. This unique Rans 912UL-powered S6 has been upgraded to 499kg and covered in conventional Ceconite fabric. Additional cabin panelling - the most luxurious S6 in the UK. Only 20 hours with a current Permit to Fly. May be seen at Milson, Worcs. £35,000. Contact David Bedford, DBedford1@btinternet.com
We Finance: Helicopters Simulators Light Aircraft Avionics Gyrocopters Engines Microlights Upgrades
MEMBERS’ ADVERTISEMENTS Up to 30 words: £6; 31-50 words: £12 Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £45 NON-MEMBERS’ADVERTISEMENTS Up to 30 words: £22; 31-50 words: £44 Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £60 www.laa.uk.com
LAA Engineering advice to buyers: AIRCRAFT APPROVED? Members and readers should note that the inclusion of all advertisements in the commercial or classified sections of this magazine does not necessarily mean that the product or service is approved by the LAA. In particular, aircraft types, or examples of types advertised, may not, for a variety of reasons, be of a type or standard that is eligible for the issue of a LAA Permit to Fly. You should not assume that an aircraft type not currently on the LAA accepted type list will eventually be accepted.
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE
Gliders Hot Air Balloons Acroduster II. Due bereavement having to sell. Two seat fully aerobatic, open cockpit or 2-place canopy. As featured in June 19 magazine. IO360 engine, inverted systems 350 hrs SMOH, Hartzell VP prop. Fuselage recovered 2018. Trig 8.33 radio, mode C transponder. Hangared Henstridge £32K. Email r.woodland@yahoo.co.uk or 07818 445 410
Overhauls Maintenance
Contact: Jay Lucas Direct Tel: 01933 304789 Mob: 07341 866056 Email: jl@arklefinance.co.uk Web: www.arklefinance.co.uk *Finance is subject to credit approval. Registered Address: 52-60 Sanders Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 4BX Arkle Finance Limited is registered in England & Wales Company No. 3398034 Authorised and Regulated by The Financial Conduct Authority ©Arkle Finance Limited 2019
IMPORTED AIRCRAFT? Due to unfavourable experiences, the purchase and import of completed homebuilt aircraft from abroad is especially discouraged. TIME TO BUILD? When evaluating kits/designs, it should borne in mind that technical details, performance figures and handling characteristics are often quoted for a factory-produced aircraft flying under ideal conditions. It is wise, therefore, to seek the opinion of existing builders and owners of the type. You should also take your own skill and circumstances into consideration when calculating build times. The manufacturer’s build time should be taken as a guide only. AMATEUR BUILDING All LAA aircraft builders and potential builders are reminded that in order to qualify for a LAA Permit to Fly, homebuilt aircraft must be genuinely amateur built. For these purposes the CAA provide a definition of amateur built in their publication CAP 659, available from LAA. An extract from CAP 659 reads “The building and operation of the aircraft will be solely for the education and recreation of the amateur builder. This means that he would not be permitted to commission someone else to build his aircraft”. An aircraft built outside the CAA’s definition could result in an expensive garden ornament.
62 | LIGHT AVIATION | March 2020
Well maintained. All mods completed. Rotax 100HP ULS. Hours airframe 465; Hobbs 579 Two-blade Woodcomp VP prop. EFIS, 8.33 Dittel VHF, transponder, PilotAware. All nose wheel mods. installed, triple leaf forks. Canopy Cover, tow bar. Hangered South Hampshire. New Permit for 1 year. Price £ 57,950. Phone 0781 2059 335.
EAA Biplane G-AVZW. Will be sold with a new permit. Offers invited. Contact Chris 07973 627715.
RAF2000 SE FI Autogyro £16,950. A fine example of this classic autogyro. One owner and only 413 hours. No damage, accidents or repairs. Nickel edged Warpdrive propeller, TrigTY96 radio, Mode S transponder, Air Aware and Skymap IIIC GPS. Many other extras including cabin heater, upgraded seats, strobes and factory fuel injection system complete with software. A great side-by-side touring aircraft with comfortable 70+ mph cruise at 17 ltrs per hour Mogas. Hangered on private airfield in converted shipping container (available at extra cost). Email: d.j.north@btinternet.com or call 07921 383 747. FOR ALL MEMBERS CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES CONTACT SHEILA
SHEILA.HADDEN@LAA.UK.COM
WWW.LAA.UK.COM
AIRCRAFT FOR SALE
PROJECTS Avid flyer Speedwing project. Tailwheel version. Mk3 with some Mk4 mods. Wings fold for towing. Covered, part painted. Rotax 582. North Hampshire. avidflyer@mail.com
HOLIDAYS France, Loire. Montrichard private airfield. Hangarage for two aircraft, four-person cottage. Package designed by flyers for flyers. £700 per week. www.lachaumine.co.uk Tel 07802 217855 or 01424-883474.
COVERS
Jabiru J400 New GEN4 engine G-REAF. Build completed 2010. Airframe 300hrs. New latest 4th Generation Engine. Hrs 3. Professionally rebuilt after hard landing incident in 2018 by TLAC, Little Snoring. Paint work by Murray Flint. Flight test completed. LAA permit to fly till 10/6/20. 4 (2+2) Leather seats. 8.33 radio, transponder, ground adjustable Sensenich prop. Aircraft located Huntingdon. £39,995.00 ono. Rebecca Rayner Tel: 0780 80 666 55 rebecca@glebefarmfoods.co.uk
GROUP AIRCRAFT Fournier RF 4 G-BHJN at Enstone EGTN. One Eighth Share in long established friendly and practical syndicate. One of the most delightful aeroplanes ever to fly. Frugal. Lovable and aerobatic. Will have new ARC. £3,500. £45.00 pcm/30 hr wet. Jules@theskyisblue.net or message on 07718 257 551.
INSTALLATION
1/8th share in Wellesbourne based Jodel DR1050. • New instrument panel • Trig 8.33kHz radio & mode S transponder • Entirely re-wired professionally • £2,000 share, £65/month, £50/hour wet. Contact: Hervé on 07979 592 163 or e-mail: hpjardon@gmail.com
AIRCRAFT PARTS AND SERVICES Lycoming starter rings x 3, Slick mags, tailwheel spring, unused spinner 6” backplate, long list of useful parts. Stores clearing. Email for full list: info@carouselgolfing.com or Mike: 07787 123 941. Light Aircraft Weighing Service in East Yorkshire and surrounding area. For details contact Demraview Ltd. Email: Demraview@gmail.com. Mob: 07984 810761. We can cover your Tiger Moth wings and control surfaces quickly and cheaply. Telephone me to discuss. Tel. Shelley 07941 130585 or email meekcomes@gmail.com Design & Stress Analysis Service. Type submissions, modifications, and general advice. We cover structures, powerplant (IC and electric) and avionics. Ex-Chief Stressman and Part 21J Head of Design. Contact John Wighton enquires@acroflight.co.uk or call 07770399315.
SERVICES & MORE
March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 63
SERVICES & MORE
JMS Aero
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Home build help, stage, and annual inspections
Repairs in metal ,wood and composites, long time experienced zenair specialist CONTACT- JMS Aero 01487 812308 07887767050 www.zenair-uk.weebly.com
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5/17/18 3:11 PM Specialist vehicles to move your aircraft safely
BONSALL REPLICA MUSTANG MkII
An amazing replica of a P-51 Mustang. TTAF 128 Hrs. Engine & Prop both 35 Hrs. This is a UK LAA Permit to Fly aircraft. w/8.33 & Mode S. This is a stunning aircraft, with a 300HP Lycoming IO-540.
GBP £96,000 No VAT
TECNAM P2010 (2016) Superb glass cockpit single
Telephone: 0121 327 8000 E-mail: info@ponsonby.co.uk Web: www.ponsonby.co.uk
Contact us now for a quotation
For all display and company advertising contact Neil Wilson NEIL.WILSON@LAA.UK.COM
TT491 Hours. A one owner, Iceland based aircraft with modern avionics and made with Italian flair. G500 EFIS, GTN650, GNC255A, GTX33 w/Mode S, 406Mhz ELT. Heated pitot.
EUR€195,000 Plus Import VAT where applicable in Europe
Tel: +44 (0)1747 825378 Mobile: +44 (0)7836 708564
Email: sales@derrickings.com
Web: www.derrickings.com 64 | LIGHT AVIATION | March 2020
WWW.LAA.UK.COM DREAM IT, FLY IT, VISIT OUR WEBSITE
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Coaching Corner
Coaching Corner…
W
elcome to my first article since taking over this illustrious task from Will Greenwood – I’m sure I echo the thanks of us all for everything Will has done in the post over the
last 10 years. With my limited seven years of instructor knowledge, compared to some of our coaches, I was quite surprised to be approached to take this on and the words of my taskmaster (Jon Cooke, who originally taught me my CRI) instantly sprang to mind: “You should know this!”. I therefore began by investigating all the available operational information available to members on the LAA website – there really is a great deal of data on there, both for the members and the coaches. As my role will be looking after the LAA Coaching section, I also researched what the actual job specification would (should) entail. I do not see any hierarchy in this post. Nobody ‘reports’ to me, and I want to operate on the same level as the coaches, and be available to assist all members, if only to try to point someone in the right direction. In simple terms, I see it as coordinating any course or coaching requests, whether coming directly from our own coaches or those passed from enquiries to LAA HQ. These requests can be very varied, and while some are quickly resolved, sometimes the simplest query turns out to be very complicated – a recent query turned into many hours of work between the aircraft owner, LAA Engineering, and myself. Your coaches are a very experienced group of people,
This month PCS National Coach, Chris Thompson, explains the role of the coach and how they can help keep you safe…
Above Chris Thompson, LAA’s National Chief Coach
with some quarter-of-a-million hours of flight time between them, all holding at least ‘R’ Examiner status. All are at least Class Rating Instructors, many are Flying Instructors, and some are Flying Instructor Examiners. They are able to give you real insights into your flying activities on both EASA and LAA types, as well just carrying out the biennial one-hour flight with an instructor. That ‘one-hour’ is probably the only time most pilots ever get, as regards what you might call ‘instruction’ in their two-year validation period. I have flown with many pilots who seem to dread this revalidation flight because they regard it as a test. This should not be the case. Regulations change all the time and whilst people who operate in a flying school environment may possibly just manage to keep up, there are many of you flying who may have little contact with any updates or airspace notifications.
Instruction and coaching
If instruction can be described as structured and formal, what exactly is coaching? Put simply, coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the here and now, rather than on the distant past or future. Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance – it is helping them to learn rather than teaching them. The members that the coaches fly with already have licences, so remember it is purely voluntary for YOU to ask a coach for some additional help, but we are there to be approached! Flying can get tedious and boring if you make
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Coaching Corner
“You will surprise
yourself at what you are able to confidently achieve with a little help from an experienced coach”
Left Looks easy from the comfort of the lounge armchair but with airspace starting at 2,500ft once you enter the Luton/Stansted ‘gap’, and lateral borders of down to surface airspace within about five miles either side, not to mention the TMZ from ground 1,500ft from Ware onwards, and then the Stapleford ATZ. You really don’t want your electronics to throw a wobbly. What is your plan B? An independent GPS with the route already planned in, or perhaps a marked-up paper chart and plog. Either is better than blind faith. the same old round trip on your own in the local area. And the problem is if you do that because you lack the confidence to spread your wings further, the longer you do that the less confident you become. If you are wary of venturing further afield, then please ask a coach to assist you in pushing your boundaries farther out.
That dream trip
What trip did you always want to do but have never achieved it because it was too difficult? Was it that trip to the Channel Isles? Le Touquet for lunch? That long haul and an overnight stay in a local pub? We have magnificent scenery in the UK, why not start collecting a few memories and photographs, just as Martin Ferid has been doing throughout his travels which appear regularly in this magazine. If you think some of these seem beyond your capabilities, why not take a coach on that longer cross-country, or to learn how to cross that ‘impossible’ airspace that you never go near because it gives you the heebie jeebies. You will surprise yourself at what you are able to confidently achieve with a little help from an experienced coach.
Electronic navigation
The ancient art of navigation is becoming lost with all the new electronic devices – the current navigation process seems to comprise of plotting a line from A to B on your tablet or smartphone, getting in the aircraft, and flying said
aircraft along the pink line. But, do you know how to change this line and divert whilst in flight in bright sunlight, on a touch screen, on a bumpy thermally day? Even if you do, how will you obtain the frequency of the diversion airfield, or are you just going to arrive unannounced and non-radio? Can you remember basic planning and map reading if the device fails? And, as David Cockburn said last month, if you want to play, and ‘learn’ your electronics in the air, then take a coach or a safety pilot with you so they can fly the aircraft while you are head down in the cockpit. The time to find out that you don’t understand the ins and outs of your navigation app is not when the weather is deteriorating, and you need to divert to an alternate aerodrome.
Get organised
It is a joy to fly with a pilot who is totally organised, and the session has been planned as requested. However, there is still in a world where pilots refuse to talk to anyone on the radio, in case they are asked to do something, and have never heard of a Listening Squawk or a Basic Service. A request to be taken on a short cross-country can result in no planning whatsoever because the pilot ‘knew where their destination was and could just go there anyway’. Your licence is being revalidated for another two years, and once that has been done it will entitle you to fly anywhere – and not just the places you recognise because of the village church spire or railway line! The biennial flight is a must, but remember, it is not defined – why not use it to the March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 29
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Coaching Corner maximum advantage by learning, or relearning, the basics of planning and navigation?
Pilots flew past two by two…
With infringements still excessively high they are certainly on the CAA hit list, if you infringe it is certainly going to spoil your day. It is imperative that you note airspace heights and boundaries on or near your route and plan to either go-around, under, or seek a transit. The Take 2 initiative is great advice – allow two miles laterally from and 200ft below controlled airspace. It is rather ironic that given the accuracy GPS provides modern navigation, infringements remain a major problem, but part of that problem is because pilots plan to virtually ‘tear along the dotted line’. Why take the chance? Allow yourself a buffer zone so that if you do get distracted, the risk of unintentionally bumping up into airspace or slipping across its border is greatly reduced. When you are planning to fly, consider what height the sortie is going to be flown at, even if it will be undertaken wholly in uncontrolled airspace. If your chosen flight is stated to be at, say 2,000ft, then set yourself a theoretical ‘controlled airspace’ at 2,200ft. Keep a note of the heights flown and see if you accidentally wander 200ft too high, maybe while looking at things on the ground. It’s easily done, especially if the weather is thermally. Your SkyDemon track replay will soon show any unplanned wanderings.
Above The Take 2 suggestion of remaining clear of airspace you do not intend entering by two miles laterally and 200ft vertically provides a buffer should you get distracted.
LAA Coaching Seminar
On a final note, we held a Coaching Seminar at LAA HQ on 8 February and had a good showing of coaches
attending to listen to talks from David Cockburn, myself, and CAA’s Justin Wilcox (Licensing) and Rob Gratton (Infringement Team). Lively interchanges ensued and a good deal of information was exchanged, helping keep everyone up to date. Many questions were raised and left us (LAA) several important tasks to be undertaken as we look forward to what I hope will be a busy season for the Association’s Pilot Coaching Scheme. So, stop putting off doing something about those piloting skills you know need revisiting – get in touch and arrange a coaching session, you know it makes sense! Fly safe… if there are too many ifs and buts, then don’t go, there is always another day. ■
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Contents
Contents March 2020
32 Flight Test: Murphy Rebel
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Courses
Course work LAA Rotax course hits the spot. By Martyn Taylor
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have owned a Rans S6 with a Rotax 912UL for four-and-a-half years, the first three years of which were problem-free. Then the battery died – not a massive issue – I replaced it and was back in the air again very quickly. Then one day, following an afternoon’s flying, I was performing the mag drop check on the apron, the first mag drop was as expected, but the second sounded rough with excessive vibrations from the engine and a 600rpm fall in rpm. It was the middle of summer, but I spent the next few weekends missing some great flying weather, working with the cowlings off trying to diagnose the problem. I played around with the ignition pack and swapped over A to B and then sent the ‘bad’ ignition packs over to a company in the Netherlands, which tested them, overhauled them and returned them to me in good working order. Unfortunately, though, this didn’t provide the solution to the problem. After many hours of research and investigation, I finally discovered the root cause was that the pick-up coil had low resistance. I found an online article by AeroFix Aviation showing how to measure the resistance and what values a Rotax pick-up coil should have. LA magazine has been advertising the Rotax engine servicing course for a while, but the course dates always seemed to coincide with other commitments. However, I promised myself that the next time a suitable date came up I would book myself in. After suffering the engine issues, I knew a course like this was a sound investment and something I would find interesting. And I am so glad I did! I could write several pages about the detailed technical content of the recent Rotax course at Turweston, but I thought that sharing my experience of the day would make a better read.
Impressive Turweston
When I arrived at the Turweston airfield, I was taken aback by the surroundings and the beautiful modern control tower. Stansted might have a longer runway, but I think it would be envious of the control tower and facilities. I was guided to the members’ lounge, where tea and coffee was waiting, and met the other eight
Above Course tutor Kevin Dilks used practical demonstrations and technical information materials to explain Rotax maintenance lore. Right Rotax (Bing) carburettors have had their share of problems but Kevin spent some time explaining how to ensure yours are up to scratch. Below right The 500th metalwork trainee Rupert Perry with his completed Van’s toolbox.
attendees, who were a friendly bunch. Around 10 minutes later Kevin Dilks from Special Aviation Services arrived, gave us a cheery ‘good morning’, and asked us to follow him next door to the classroom where a couple of benches were covered with engine parts, many of which I recognised from experience with my own engine. The course followed a methodical step-by-step explanation of the inner workings of the Rotax engine (only carburettor variants were covered but training material for the injected variants is being developed). The course covers all the common issues with the Rotax 912 engine, what creates them and how thy can be rectified. Owning an aircraft engine which gradually deteriorates over time can mean that any early warning signs are often overlooked or missed as you become used to the particular sounds and vibrations of your engine. We spent some time talking about our own engine problems, and Kevin explained what to do and why. I learned so much – who knew that petrol stations mix fuel to be more suitable for each season? So, filling the tanks up at the end of summer and then trying to start the engine in mid-winter is not optimum. Because Kevin once worked for Rotax, he knows a lot about why the engine was designed the way it is. For example, why the gear ratio is 2.43:1. This is the magic number that makes a standard propeller tip fly at the optimum speed for the engine’s optimum power output, while each cylinder fires on a different tooth of the drive gear, giving even wear on the gear box.
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Courses He explained that most Rotax engines have a sprag clutch, which wears out over time and needs to be checked. This is done by locking the gearbox with a special Rotax locking pin – apparently the only reasonably priced Rotax part you can buy! The sprag clutch should not be confused with the slipper clutch, which also wears over time and is much more complicated to replace and is attached to the starter motor. During the training I discovered my new replacement battery was not suitable for the 912UL. Unfortunately, the battery I selected didn’t provide enough cold crank current to crank the engine at 300rpm. My engine has always been poor at starting during winter and this is putting a lot of stress on the slipper clutch, prematurely degrading it and bringing it to the end of its useful life much more quickly than it should. I can’t stress how important it is to know and understand critical bits of information like this... I could see from the disassembled engines and the complicated process for stripping the engine, plus the number of tools required to do the work, that some of the servicing work needs a workshop and is not a job which can easily be done in the hangar. Some of the parts look like they could only be found in a well-crafted Swiss watch, and should you drop it, the part will be teleported into another dimension never to be seen again. Also, the complicated process involved with the timed servicing (600 hour, 1,000 hour) is definitely not for a novice, but I found that just being shown what to do was incredibly interesting, and learning how to listen and feel when a clutch is working properly while gurgling the engine, will help build confidence that the engine is in good condition.
Sinking floats
The afternoon seemed to fly by, and the workings of carburettors were covered in great detail. There have been many articles published highlighting the issue of the dreaded ‘sinking floats’ in the Rotax engine, and we were shown how to check the floats. While many magazines, and Rotax themselves, have published detailed diagrams showing where the floats are in the carburettors, I have not had the confidence to start pulling my carburettors apart – just to have a look at them. It turns out this check is very simple to perform, and I will be checking the floats in my carbs before my next flight. I was recommended to buy a spare gasket because they are cheap and should you damage one then the carburettor will leak fuel and you will be grounded, all for the sake of a little gasket seal. As a Rotax owner it’s difficult to talk to other owners with similar engines for advice, because aircraft manufacturers modify the mounting and the arrangement of the engine’s auxiliaries from aircraft to aircraft. We talked about the sprung throttle cable and how it can be different from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even the mounting and size/capacity of the radiator can vary. Just moving the oil reservoir tank has an effect on what is ‘normal operation’ for that engine and this is why you need to talk to the right people who know the unique characteristics of your aircraft and its engine installation. This course will not make you an expert or a Rotax service engineer, but it will show you how to check the condition of your engine and how it should be serviced. I certainly recommend it if you are, or intend to be, an owner or operator of a 912 Rotax engine.
Aluminium course teaches 500th trainee By Gary Smith
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aturday 1 February 2020 marked a milestone in the history of the LAA’s Working in Aluminium courses, as we ran our 63rd course and taught our 500th trainee Rupert Perry, pictured with his completed Van’s toolbox. We have come a long way since our first course in November 2008. Brian Hope cautiously initiated LAA Engineering courses by ‘inviting’ me and a number of his other Kent Strut mates to spend a couple of weekends at Turweston, renovating a derelict Portacabin. It was a ‘test the water’ exercise because we did not want to spend LAA members’ money on something that might be a temporary requirement and then die a death. It soon became obvious that demand would be ongoing, and in time we bought a much better Portacabin and ran the courses in that until four years ago when we moved into the main LAA building and a quality workshop facility to serve the training needs of the members. Today’s metalwork student enjoys a large classroom with underfloor heating, air conditioning and a full panoramic glass window overlooking the lake and runway. The well-equipped workstations allow the students to go fully hands on with drilling and riveting etc, thus putting into practice what they learn in the morning theory session. It’s a busy day and every metalwork course is a sell out, so if you want to assemble your Sonex, repair your Cessna 120, or learn how a Van’s RV is put together, then the Working in Aluminium course is there to provide the confidence and competence to send you on that journey. LAA runs a number of other courses, including Aircraft Woodwork, Aircraft Electrics (Basic and Advanced) and Rotax Engine Maintenance, and will soon be expanding the range to include more topics. ■
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Flight Test
RebelG-YELL Clive Davidson instantly feels at one with the Murphy Rebel – a Canadian bush plane without compromises. Pictures by Neil Wilson
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he millibar, or more correctly, the hectopascal scale of the altimeter setting was above 1050 (the highest on Met Office records) on the day that we had good visibility and the mild, settled conditions we’d been waiting for so that we could fly Isabel Scott’s Murphy Rebel. Ray Harper kindly flew it in from High Ham, a grass strip in Devon, and as I held my arms upright marshalling G-YELL to her intended parking spot at Henstridge, I was experiencing my first encounter of the marque. I had seen the aircraft two or three times over the previous month, but I had not had time to wander over and have a good look at her, but I knew the type has a very positive reputation as a capable, Canadian bush plane. I crossed my arms over my head and heard the mag drop check at perhaps 1,000rpm and then she slowly ran down, ‘kerklunking’ over the last exhausting compression, her Sensenich blades resting at the 10 and 4 o’clock position. Silence, then a pause, before movement in the cockpit and the upper halves of the doors, the windows, were lowered on both cockpits and the long doors swung forward and open. With the general banter of greetings accomplished, I was introduced to Dominique in the right-hand seat, who was getting some experience of tailwheels so as to fly his Maverick, which is another Murphy design, a junior and lighter version of this machine. Murphy actually has quite a range of kits, mostly of the bush plane genre, including the sturdy looking Moose on floats with a Vedeneyev 14-P radial, as fitted to Yak 50s and 52s. They are located on the Canadian West Coast at an invitingly named place called Chilliwack. Ducking under the right wing behind the strut, the unusually open-framed undercarriage legs can be better inspected. The forward steel tube members carry alloy fairings and the bungees are also faired to protect them from debris and the heat of the twin exhausts stubs that exit the cowling just forward of them. The larger than standard tyres on 6in Matco wheels and shining discs are relatively free from mud, despite this winter’s recent generous deliveries of rain.
Large and airy cockpit
Bobbing under the trailing edge of the wing I glanced through the large expanse of doorway into a clean and well-considered cockpit, particularly the panel. It’s also spacious, with more than enough shoulder room, being 3ft 8in (1m 11.7cm) wide. In order to open those long doors with their upper half of Lexan, two catches have to be unlatched. An internal vertical lever, sited midway down the upper frame edge, has to be pulled down and held carefully as you allow the window to hinge out and down onto the lower alloy part of the door, where there is an external securing catch. You then pull down on the braided wire running inside the door, just like on one of the earlier Minis, to free the rear sprung latch, and then you can swing these metre-plus long doors forward – March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 33
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they open to about 75° before resting on the wing strut. A slim, fabric map pocket sits in the forward door frame. The cockpit is roomy, light and airy with a large luggage area behind the seats – in Canada and the US this space can be taken up with a sideways-facing third seat. Rearward, the internal boxy structure with curved frames runs back, narrowing to the tail. The rudder cables run down the sides and the elevator cables are cleverly covered down the centre at floor level so as not to intrude. The upper and side walls have sound deadening pads attached, whilst the ‘flooring’ has a lightweight foam matting, which probably helps reduce the decibel level of this potential sound box. If it wasn’t evident from the outside there are multiple closely spaced straight lines of pulled rivets holding the 6061-T6 aluminium panels together. Looking at the wing roots, conventional clear fuel tube indicators show a capacity of 83 litres/18.28 imperial gallons on each side, 10 litres of which in each is considered unusable. There are two, one litre capacity ‘tanks’ – one each side of the cabin aft of the seats – that run to the Andair individual fuel selectors behind your shoulders. I have always liked the sight of exposed lines within the cockpit as any weeping can be immediately traced.
Nice controls
Looking forward under the panel, the 4130 steel tube rudder pedals, both left and right, have toe-operated brakes. Ray, an experienced aircraft builder and LAA Inspector, pointed out he had to re-site the hydraulic master cylinders as there was a mechanical disadvantage becoming more obvious the more one attempted to apply increased pressure. There is a nice touch here, in as much as this area of the floor has polished dark corked tiles. I commented upon this and Ray says he always does this on his aircraft. I have to say, it looks good. The control sticks are curved back towards the seat as they rise from the floor mounted attachment tube, before straightening again. The control joints and their connecting wires are exposed and easily inspected, which is a nice reassuring feature. The dual-sponged stick grips have a nice tactile feel, and moving them around the box into the corners confirmed there were no restrictions. There were no likely potentially lose wires either to snag on and make life awkward. Scanning backwards at the full width trailing edge flaperons, and slowly moving the stick, there was no free, dead space as the control surfaces moved as soon as the stick asked them to as they are directly connected with rods with no appreciable circuit friction. There is a Teleflex cable from the high and central forward flaperon’s selector to a mixer box. I went back to the right-wing tip as Ray deflected the controls for me so that I could confirm the differential upward deflection is greater than the lowered.
Analogue Instrument panel
The matt black instrument panel is wide and uncluttered, with the inward facing slanting side panels adding depth.
The black-ended vernier throttle, silver-headed carb heat and red-ended mixture lever are conveniently lower-mid panel, sited for right-handed P1 use. The basic standard ‘six’ – ASI, AH, altimeter, VSI, DI and turn and slip – are directly in front of the P1 seat, the side-by-side radio and transponder share the middle, and the engine instrument array is in front of the P2, right-hand seat. The far left-hand panel has the red dual tumbler battery and alternator switch, the keyed starter and mag switch, and a vertically mounted electric tumbler type elevator trimmer that works intuitively. As a bonus, there is an instrument I’m unacquainted with, a digital ground speed read out, which is just the job when estimating time to run. Coupled with a quick scan left and right of the wing root fuel tubes, hopefully that ‘yes, we have more than diversion fuel’ is all the more reassuring.
Adjustable seats
The seats can be adjusted, pulled back or forward by an under-seat bar that is pulled up to unlatch so the seat slides along its rails. The right one, the one I was about to sit on, slid back and forth easily enough by pushing on the seat back. Getting in (having checked I’m not bringing any mud on my shoes into the perfectly clean cockpit) is easy enough by clearing the straps and sitting on the door frame edge, sidling back onto the seat with my hands taking my weight as I edge in, and then swinging my legs up and in. Then, when in, unlatch the seat and pull it forward by taking the weight on your heels. A lap and diagonal shoulder strap complete the process.
Good view over the nose
The immediate revelation is that there is a very good view over the nose, complete with a visible horizon. With side-by-side seating coupled with a high-wing configuration, I can often feel slightly claustrophobic, but what I was not anticipating was the view over the cowling being so very good.
Reflex flaperons
What have I missed? Ah yes, that flaperon lever. Reaching up centrally, the lever can be operated by disengaging and pulling down on the tubular lever, and then moving forward into one of the detents marked in three, six-degree increments from 0° to 6°, 12° and 18°. It has a positive, secure feel and movement. However, reversing the action and pulling backwards brings the lever to a detent marked -6°, without realising it I have selected reflex flaperon – and this is worth a closer look. From the pilot’s point of view, the control stick works in the normal manner in roll via a simple and sound mechanical mixer, allowing the ‘aileron’ effect of the fabric-covered flaperons their normal movement (the elevator and rudder are aluminium covered). When the flap lever is in the 0° detent the contour of the wing and aerofoil section is smooth and continuous, as with a standard wing. Should the pilot select the fully back -6° flap position, the trailing edge of the flaperons rise in
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unison. When activated in flight, there will be a slight pitch change as the wing’s average cord line has been altered, producing less drag. This aerodynamic gain allows an increase in speed without adding more power or descending. Ray has sent me a graph of fuel flow against speed with plotted curves for both flights with 0° ‘flaps' against reflex flap of -6°. He did make the point that with the few plots sample (five for each) it may hold some slight inaccuracies, but the point is made as the two lines converge at 103.5kt/119mph (consuming 33 litres an hour) establishing that at higher cruise it is more economic with reflex deployed. Loitering at 85kt with 0° flaps and 2,000rpm set, the fuel burn is 17 litres an hour, upping the power slightly to burn 20 litres an hour at 2,130 rpm the indicated airspeed rises to 90kt/103.5mph.
Engine choice
The 160hp Lycoming 0-320 makes ‘LL a tractable bush plane, but there are also Rebels with the 0-235 of 116hp and, would you believe, an 80hp version with a Rotax 912. Although this has just half the horsepower of ‘our’ example, it still has a fair take-off performance, lifting the same 150 square feet of wing with a max weight of 1,650lb in just 450’ft, the 116hp achieves 400ft and Lima Lima 300ft. The Rebel’s tail has horn balanced elevators and rudder, the pitch trim tab being mounted with piano hinges on the left-hand elevator’s trailing edge. The fin and rudder are generously proportioned, undoubtedly leading to good directional stability and balance. The whole tailwheel arrangement appears to be robust, exactly what is needed for a bush plane. It has a leaf spring suspension and securely attached steering springs to the same rudder horns used by the rudder cables, giving a delayed and damped reaction.
Sturdy airframe
Talking of strength, the passenger cell is stressed to 9G, providing a high survival factor in case of an incident. But, don’t be deluded by this with any ideas of it having an aerobatic clearance, the airframe is stressed from +5.7 to -3.8, close to but critically not meeting the standard verified minimum aerobatic stressing of +6 -3. A miss is as good as a mile! And as a further aside, although there are popular high-wing aerobatic mounts, they are having to fight the natural inbuilt stability of their high-wing structure. Very few aircraft can be all things to all pilots, and this aircraft has been designed as a rugged bush plane. Viewed from the back, the wing tips look longer than usual, but I think this is just a visual impression. I think Ray paid her a fine complement when he said she was a Landy, a Land Rover. She is strong, easy to work on and it’s simple to replace bits and pieces. He should know, putting her into the air – and into perspective – by being both a builder and inspector. Naomi Scott acquired the unfinished Lima Lima from
Previous page Over the coast, note the little skylights for better upward vision and a lighter, airier feel to the cabin. Top Boxy the Rebel may be, but she isn’t unattractive, and performance is very acceptable for a STOL bush plane. Above The sturdy undercarriage has not been fabric covered so it is easy to inspect. Note disc brakes and large but not massive tyres.
Anthony Keen, who in turn had bought it from Alan Godfrey, and in the process gave herself an ambitious workload, aided and abetted by Ray. She is also learning to fly. One certainly learns an enormous amount when building and this must give an advantageous insight to the overall culture of our flying environment. One other factor is, she is also expecting a child. Hats off, to a very occupied young woman. To get going is simple: fuel and spark, start. A simple squirt to prime and a keyed start has our Lycoming running, with the starter engaged light out and the oil pressure rising into the green. The intercom is acoustically fine, and the radio volume needn’t be twirled above mid-point on the set, although I brought my own headset volume almost to capacity. Having gained taxi clearance, Ray edged her off the grass and onto the taxiway to take us towards 24. I was given control to check my brakes and to make a few gentle S turns. All very manageable and the view from the cockpit, both around and over the nose, is so good I had to comment upon it again. Ray just smiled. Both the power and carb heat checks are at 1,800 rpm and pre-take-off vital actions raised no unusual traits. We were number two in the departure and waited for Patrick and Neil in the photoship Freelance to rotate as his wheels left the white concrete of the still recognisable dummy deck of Henstridge’s naval past. Judging by the closeness of the taxiways joining the runway, I would estimate Lima Lima lifted clear of the ground at just over the 100 metres mark. Keeping the Freelance above the horizon so it could be readily seen, it became obvious that we were faster in both our rate of climb and speed – we were catching up. We had more performance, which from my point of view when handed control, would make life easier, particularly after the break away shots when the lead has to be caught and formated upon again and again. Throughout the photo session I felt instantly at one March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 35
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with the Rebel. I was comfortable, relaxed, appreciated the harmony of the controls with only small control adjustments needed to keep us within the frame, and the noise level was nowhere near what I had anticipated it would be with its internally open fuselage. Fortunately, she also has a flat trim curve, and with the electric tumbler switch mounted on Ray’s side panel, I just asked for the occasional jab to ease the stick force in pitch.
Good stability
There were no surprises as regards the stability, although she is a little languorous in recovery from the pitching upsets, phugoid cycles up and down, allowing the trim to naturally correct from a 10° nose down with an extra 10kt above the 100kt cruise. The release of the cross controls from steady heading side slips – first the rudder removed to see the nose swing back onto our heading, both from wing low left and right – and then letting go of the stick allowing the flaperons to float to their neutral position as the wing rose back to wings level, was more than satisfactory and the responses were good. Adverse flaperon drag is slight and easily countered with the rudder, both in to and out of rolls to turn. However, the turn and slip is sited left and directly in front of the P1, so P2 allows (or not) for parallax, as when craning upwards from a low position with Neil's beckoning to go low I craned forward and had no concept of being in balance or not by using crossed controls and power to hold the Rebel in an attitude and position of his desire.
Stalling
The standard demonstration stall with wings level, carb heat on and a slow deceleration with neutral flaps, caused no anxiety and she entered the sink with not a hint of a wing drop as the needle bordered the 40kt (46mph) marker. With flaperons fully deployed, the indicated stall and fluctuating sink airspeed also showed the ‘book’ speed, smack on 35kt, or 40mph. Cleaned up, with flaperons reset to 0° and again trimmed for our cruise at 100kt, I had a look at a stall in the turn to the right, allowing the 30° climbing turn as I held the back stick to degrade our speed until she gave up the ghost and did something. This something was quite normal, she rolled slowly to wings level and then
Left The handling is predictable and precise, other than at low speed, when the roll control gets much heavier. Middle left Conventional tail, all metal with aerodynamic balances and hinged electrically operated trim tab on the port elevator. Middle far left Owner Isabel Scott with her recently completed Murphy Rebel. Bottom left The panel with its traditional style instruments – neat, tidy and ergonomic. Below The door openings are literally huge, and the seats slide back, so entry and exit from the cockpit is not difficult. Over page Reasonable speed and longish range mean the Rebel can be a serious go-places aircraft.
the aft stick was released. But when I tried it to the left, the ‘quite normal' wasn’t. She stayed in the turn and as the speed dropped, lowered her nose maintaining the bank angle, and started to pitch very slightly up and down. The slipstream and torque were probably ganging up on her to prevent the drag of the outside wing with a high angle of attack and increased drag from dominating. Now at this point, just as the nose was about to drop below the horizon, I recovered and checked with Ray if he was happy for me to have another go but hold her in longer. I was enjoying finding something a little different, and being ready to react. On this second occasion to the left, as the nose sank beneath the horizon and she started to bob, nose up slightly and down, she ‘let go’ with a definite wing drop. But bless her, she must have only rolled a further 10° in anger as she responded instantaneously to the prompt stick forward accompanying the positive rudder jab to rein in her misbehaviour absolutely. Good manners after bad!
Heavy flaperons at slow speed
Setting up for the short homeward leg at cruise, Ray warned me of her behaviour at low speed with flaperons fully deployed, as control harmony would change. He was not kidding. In fact, set up for the final from a 60kt/70mph downwind and a 50kt/58mph curving descent at 200ft before the flare, the company’s recommendation when flaperons are fully lowered, the roll rate appeared to diminish. The effort required to move the stick laterally increased to such an extent as if the stick was being restrained in some way. I have always found it awkward to gauge stick poundage, or force on the controls, but I would say it takes perhaps three to four times the force to move the stick in order to roll, compared with straight and level at cruise. The change in the force needed to roll noticeably and significantly increased, and at a time when unwelcome turbulence, or a bullying crosswind gust flips an into wind wing upwards in the last few moments before touchdown, may need a spot of anticipatory reaction. Getting used to such a stick force would be overcome psychologically with lots of practice, experience always helps. As indeed indicated by Ray’s short field, three-pointer, rolling just over 100 metres with a casual four knot wind down the slot. Grass in the bush, and it would have been shorter still. This Rebel is both a technically interesting and capable aircraft, which I certainly enjoyed my time in, and hopefully Isabel will also enjoy getting to grips with her and visiting the numerous strips that are so much part of our culture. Thanks go to Ray for bringing G-YELL over. One final comment is the detail of the registration, G-YELL, which flew over my head. There was a 1983 song by Billy Idol called Rebel Yell, and it is this, and not the yellow leading-edge stripe, that provided her identity! ■ March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 37
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MURPHY REBEL Specifications from the Murphy Aircraft website
Trig TY91
TQ-Avionics KRT2 (formerly Dittel)
General characteristics
Performance
Crew: One Capacity: One or two passengers Length: 21ft 4in (6.6m) Wingspan: 30ft 0in (9.2m) Wing area: 150ft2 (14. m2) Wing profile: NACA 4415 mod Empty weight: 950lb (432kg) Gross weight: 1650lb (750kg) Powerplant: × Lycoming O-320, 160hp (120kW)
Maximum speed: 140mph (227km/h) Cruise speed: 120mph (194km/h) Range: 733miles (1,187km) Endurance: 6.1 hours
Funke ATR833S
Becker AR6201
For full specifications and pricing on all our 8.33 kHz Coms and Nav / Coms please check our website.
Suppliers of all leading manufacturers
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Flying Adventure
Sláinte to you! Martin Ferid heads across the Irish Sea for the craic and the hospitality of the people of Waterford in Ireland – and he isn’t disappointed…
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he beginning of March heralds the start of spring and along with nature’s embryonic shoots comes the lure of a little bistro, a prix fixe menu and a nice evening at a charming, romantic destination, so easily attainable in our heavier-than-air machines. Although the weather may not be reliable enough just yet, a bit of forward-planning enables us to make the most of the impending season. Articles like these can light the litmus paper that provides that initial spark, the fly-in pages may well whet the appetite, but whether it’s your first foray or you whizz around regularly, it’s the desire to go that seals the deal. I once knew a couple of prolific tourers who shared an RV-6 and flew backwards and forwards between as the aircraft was based in two places. Nothing too unusual in that you may say, until you realised that one actually lived in Ireland and the other in Kent and the aeroplane went to and fro, redefining the use of the M4 corridor! For most of us, unless you live within an hour or two of the Emerald Isle, getting there and back without getting stuck requires one of several things – a BSc in meteorology, an IMC, or a fair bit of luck. I have managed the ‘luck’ bit once, and even then the sea-crossing concentrated the mind at pretty low-level outbound and lower still for the return. Every other time, in spite of the favourable forecasts, I have got stuck. Crossing the Irish Sea can be a bit of a mental barrier and a little nerve-wracking, especially if there is no defined horizon, so it’s a question of a bit of height, getting straight and level and relaxing as best as possible. In the 15th century a bit further to the west, the Aztec’s had an empire in Central Mexico and part of their culture involved the worship of a whole host of gods. Tonatiuh was the God of the Sun; Chalchiuhtlicue the Goddess of Running Water, and Tlaloc was the
Main Believed to have been built in the 13th or 14th century, Reginald’s Tower was once part of the town’s medieval defences. Today it houses the Waterford Viking Museum.
supreme rain-god. All I can suppose is that at some point the latter was lent out on loan to Ireland and they simply forgot to give him back – it rains quite a bit in Ireland. The Eastern side sees an average of 151 days of rain per annum, rising to 225 days in parts of the West. If it wasn’t for the amount of rain, I think it would be a great place to live, as the people have an easy-going nature and are certainly up for the craic. Its depiction as the ‘Emerald Isle’ is both apt and imaginative, but it was the poet, physician and political radical, William Drennan (1754-1820) who was the first to use the term in his poem When Erin first rose, Erin being the poetic name for Ireland.
In and out of cockpit…
As departure day for this particular trip dawned, and with everything set to go, something appeared to have either been forgotten or required further attention. The continual hindrances are not only frustrating but also upset the mental equilibrium, especially when it involves getting in and out of the cockpit several times. The atmosphere gradually obumbrates along with a distinct sense that something or someone is telling you ‘don’t go’! This is further exacerbated if, as in this case, the others planning to go had already cancelled. Modern philosophy tells us that in life there are no such things as ‘problems’, but merely ‘challenges’ to be overcome, strengthening the character. Well, after an already fraught morning, I was in for some character building. On the take-off run, a glance at the ASI indicated zero, although everything else seemed to be functioning normally. In truth, in most cases, the loss of the airspeed information is not the end of the world, but with the strip being so short, shutting-off the power wasn’t a good option. In fact, the starting point is just about the same as the abort point.
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On getting comfortably airborne – and you have to bear in mind that there are varying degrees of ‘comfort’ – the choice was clear, I either had to squeeze back into the strip or to call into the nearest airfield where there would be more room. Prudence saw the better part of valour and an hour or so later I’d had tubes blown-out, was a few pounds lighter and Ireland bound. The cause was pretty clear, as on arrival I’d noticed that the pitot cover was absent, and some pesky varmint must have laid its eggs inside the cosy tube, causing the blockage. As they say, a lesson learned. By now, having been delayed by one thing after another, it would have been easy to throw the towel in, especially as the all-important bureaucracy had yet to be dealt with. Whilst on the subject of bureaucracy, it is worth noting that the regulations for flying to the Republic are different from flying to the rest of Europe. (https://tinyurl.com/y358ntv2). There are also a few differences in Irish rules of the air, Mode C and .25 kHz are fine, for GA there is essentially Class C and G airspace (Class C being more or less the same as Class D in the UK). All flights passing through or into controlled airspace require flight plans and have to be closed on landing. They can be filed with Shannon by fax +353-61471965, for anyone that still has a fax machine or conveniently by phone +353-61-703750, as well as all the usual methods.
Flying over water
As the Welsh coastline slipped below the wing, it was accompanied by the now-familiar perceived change in engine note, an ephemeral phenomenon experienced by more or less all pilots when flying over water. The fact that at no other time do we focus quite so intently for any variation in the Otto cycle may have more than a little bearing on the matter. With a reasonable sea-crossing,
Above Waterford has 1,400 metres of tarmac, 03/21, and the typical facilities of a small city airport.
“On reaching the Irish
coast, the sense of ease came hand in hand with the sound of a normally aspirated engine, beating rhythmically” on reaching the Irish coast, the sense of ease came hand in hand with the sound of a normally aspirated engine, beating rhythmically, essentially just as it had been throughout. Waterford was known as Veðrafjorðr in Old Norse, and Port Láirge in Irish. Once the Vikings started their unwelcomed visits, their pagan beliefs added a new dimension to simony, making the monasteries rich and easy pickings for treasure and the grád Fhéne, (commoners’ dwellings) for their supply of slaves. In 914 AD the raiders revised their strategy and instead of just, robbing and pillaging and returning home, they continued to rob and pillage but decided to settle, making Waterford Ireland’s oldest city. Although Vikings is a generic term used for the Scandinavians of the period, these were primarily Norwegian or ‘Ostmen’, as they called themselves. This contrasted with the Danes, who were primarily responsible for the raids in England. The event I was headed for was organised by the Waterford Aeroclub, with landing fees (€15) waived for pre-registered aircraft and lifts to Waterford supplied by aeroclub members. Taxis are quite expensive, March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 23
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particularly if you’re on your own, but buses (607 or 617) run every 30 minutes and take about 15 minutes. If you happen to be in the area and just want to do a bit of dual sightseeing, the club rent out C172s at €200 an hour. http://waterfordaeroclub.com/. What I hadn’t realised is that it was Spraoi (Spree) weekend in Waterford, which meant that there was not only no room at Waterford, but also nothing available anywhere in the vicinity. Being the only attendee from outside Éire, everybody from organisers to visitors was super helpful. After an unsuccessful trawl of the web, one of the young instructors resorted to the oldfashioned way of doing things and took me by car to various B&Bs and hotels he knew, culminating at the nearby seaside resort of Dunmore East. Now, I liked Dunmore East a lot and would happily have spent the weekend there as it’s a pretty fishing village, with some good restaurants specialising in the local catch of the day. There are two main hotels, lots of B&Bs and the harbour is popular with visiting yachts, along with the resident fishing boats. The village also has the added attraction of being the venue for the annual Bluegrass festival at the end of August, where groups come from all over to play in the bars from the middle of the afternoon throughout the night, and attendees have a drink or two whilst shooting the breeze. I earmarked the event for another time, as it was only three weeks away and impossible to arrange in time. To get to the village, the 611 bus runs from the airfield and takes about 25 minutes. Sometimes when things don’t go to plan, they can work out for the better, as had there been a reasonably priced room available in Dunmore East I would have taken it, which would have been a shame as I would have missed the phenomenon that is Spraoi weekend in Waterford. I know it has happened to travellers since the beginning of time, but on this occasion there was ‘no room at the inn’, and just when it was looked like I’d be spending a night in the clubhouse, one of the aeroclub members called a friend, whose mother had a room she occasionally let out in Waterford to people she considered of good pedigree. The house, décor, bathroom and just about everything about the place was
straight out of the 1950s. I felt as though I’d stepped back in time to a period when nobody locked their front doors, but just about everybody was wary of strangers. The woman and her husband (Bridget and Fergus) were more than a touch unsure about their newfound guest, and later told me that they had only agreed to let the room as I was a pilot. It turned out that they had met a pilot who performed at the yearly Bray airshow, ‘a nice chap’ whose mother came from the same village. After chatting aeroplanes and leprechauns, we discovered further synergy in my having had the same Ascot boiler whilst I was growing up. Things had certainly altered in a short space of time and as Bridget’s maternal instincts began to surface, I was given a list of do’s and don’ts to keep me away from trouble as I left for the Spraoi and to sample some Metalman, the local brew. www. metalmanbrewing.com/our-beers/.
Having fun – Irish style! Below left The Medieval Museum houses the Great Charter Roll of 1373. It was created by the people to highlight Waterford’s status as the country’s premier trading city. Below middle The picturesque Crotty’s Lake (Lough Coumgaurha), in the Comeragh mountains, is named after the 18th century highwayman William Crotty, who was reputed to have buried his treasure in the area. Below far right Waterford’s Spraoi weekend features all manner of parades and entertainment, day and night.
Spree weekend is a strepitous, alcohol-fuelled affair and absolutely bonkers. There are performers of every description, bands dotted here and there playing almost any and every type of music you can think of. Games, a parade, comedy, juggling and acrobatics are among the attractions over the three days of the event. The streets are packed and the pubs are full beyond bursting point, as they carouse Irish style. www.spraoi.com. The next morning Fergus went through local points of interest with me and quizzed me about my flight from England, wanting to know more about these little vintage aeroplanes and how they could make such an epic journey. He had relatives that lived in England and had heard the horror stories of Stansted at some ungodly hour, and learned a little from Fascinating Aïda’s Cheap Flights (www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVASZ2lCY5Y – watch through to the end). When I told him that, for all intents and purposes, we could just get in and go using Mark 1 eyeball, he was dumbfounded. Meanwhile, Bridget prepared breakfast. Like most people, I’ve always thought of a full-English as the ultimate fry-up, but that was before the Irish version. The difference was size and content – we are talking huge plates filled with black pudding, white pudding, potatoes, bacon, sausage, eggs, tomatoes, beans and
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mushrooms, accompanied by Blaa, a locally made bread roll – followed by Irish marmalade and copious amounts of tea, all finished off with a slice of Porter cake. Bridget had sayings for everything and when I could eat no more, she enunciated in her charming lilt, ‘Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’. Fortunately the BBQ at the airfield wasn’t until later in the afternoon!
Places to go
The Medieval Museum, The Bishop’s Palace, Reginald’s Tower and The House of Waterford are all within a short walk of each other and mainly within what is known as the ‘Viking Triangle’. The Medieval Museum is dedicated to local life in the medieval ages, with its own attractions and artefacts. The invaluable Cloth-of-Gold vestment, woven in Florence and embroidered in Bruges, and the Great Charter Roll of 1373 are on display. The Bishop’s Palace is a townhouse focusing on the elegance of the Georgian period. Their strangest artefact though is a piece of Napoleon’s hair that was brought by his niece, who married the local Mayor and diplomat Sir Thomas Wyse. I did wonder why… Reginald’s Tower is steeped in history and directly associated with the defence of the City since Viking times.(www.waterfordtreasures.com). The House of Waterford has produced Waterford Crystal since 1783, with some of the finest craftsmen producing the best quality flint crystal. For an insight into its past, how the factory worked or to purchase items. (www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com) Franciscan friars brought many things to Ireland, along with the teachings of Francis of Assisi, their vows of poverty and the Catholic religion, but one of the most unusual was the introduction of the first frogs, which they used, unbelievably, as a supplement to their restricted diet. More recently, in the 18th century, a local highwayman, William Crotty was said to have buried his loot in the area, with the majority secreted in the Comeragh Mountains. Well, in 2015 legend became reality when local school children stumbled upon gold worth millions; and for anyone with a metal detector it is likely that there is more gold up there.
Above Waterford has been renowned for its crystal for more than 200 years. The House of Crystal factory provides a visitor showroom and factory tours.
As far as eating out goes, the food is wholesome, it’s hearty and there’s lots of it. Unless you actually go looking for it, you’re not going to be served a minuscule artistically presented piece of meat or fish adorned with a sprig of something, a cherry tomato and a couple of tiny celery sticks. This is the land of bacon and cabbage, stew, colcannon and coddle, likely served with some form of potatoes and possibly with chips on the side. Local cuisine can be found at Everett’s 22 High Street, Waterford X91 Y983, Ireland +353 51 325 174 (www.everetts.ie) and McLeary’s 121/122 Parade Quay, Waterford X91 Y582, Ireland +353 51 853 444 (http:// mclearys.ie). Apart from the historical sites that abound, the reasons for visiting Ireland are plentiful and there are still many areas on my personal to-do list. In particular, I’d like to do a complete tour of the island, with some time spent on the Aran Islands. The greatest draw though has to be its people. But do try and go at a time when you can just fit in with the weather, and stay earthbound if the heaven’s open, which is likely at some point, as it goes hand in hand with the ‘luck of the Irish’! ■ Next month’s Flying Adventure goes to Kortrijk (EBKT), in Belgium.
Get touring with the author! Martin Ferid is a Class Rating Instructor Revalidation Examiner who specialises in helping qualified pilots expand their horizons into Europe, by flying with them in their aircraft. If you lack confidence in crossing the Channel, touring in general or indeed any aspects of flying, contact details below. Just ask as we are only too pleased to help. Throughout the season, in conjunction with this monthly series of Touring Adventures, we have been arranging fly-outs to destinations in both the UK and abroad. The idea is to get you guys to dust-off those hangar queens and take part in the adventures that you read about and which are literally at your fingertips. Email: lightaircrafttraining@yahoo.com Tel: 07598 880 178 www.lightaircrafttraining.co.uk The ‘favourite destinations’ should provide inspiration, the ‘touring’ pages contain a useful amount of info with regards to formalities, radio procedures, flight plans etc. and on rainy days try the ‘bit of fun’ pages.
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News
Plenty more news is available on the LAA website at www.laa.uk.com check it out every day!
Farnborough airspace now operational The large, and strongly disputed, areas of controlled airspace associated with Farnborough Airport came into effect from 27 February. The airspace affects pilots flying in the congested South East England as it is located in between the Heathrow, Gatwick and Portsmouth Control Areas (CTAs) offering multiple opportunities for pilots to infringe. To help smooth the introduction of the airspace, the CAA has issued ‘a comprehensive guide to the Class D and Class E Farnborough controlled airspace’, a copy of which is included with this magazine. It is also available online at https://airspacesafety.com/updates/
European Luscombe and Cessna fly-in Many of us will recall the excellent series of fly-ins once organised by Nigel Barratt, who headed-up the European Luscombe Club. Nigel is organising another such event later this year, a sort of reunion reminiscent of a 2008 fly-in that took place at Sywell. This year, on I/2 August, the European Luscombe and Tailwheel Cessna with Friends Fly-in takes place at Sywell, kicking off at 3pm Saturday.
Aircraft will be parked up, nose in, on the grass opposite the Aviator and the celebrations will conclude on Sunday afternoon. Owners, and friends who have been and are still close to Luscombes and Cessnas Tailwheels will be most welcome, please contact Nigel Barratt, G-BRUG, on 07968 980624 for further information. In the event of poor weather, the event will roll over to 15/16 August.
New, lower cost aero engine? A new, low price competitor for the O-200 engine is being developed in the US by engine design specialists, EPI Inc. The engine is being developed for an unknown client, but aviation sources suggest it is Vashon Aircraft, who produce the Vashon Ranger kit aircraft, designed by former Van’s Aircraft Chief Engineer, Ken Krueger. The air-cooled, four-cylinder engine, producing 126hp and weighing 186lb (84kg), will be a direct replacement for a Continental O-200 engine, but the promise is that it will cost less than half the price.
The new engine features Monolithic aluminium cylinders with 8 hold-down studs, electronic ignition coil packs and electronically controlled fuel injection and is currently under test on EPI’s dyno.
Airfield Development Fund The Government has announced a £2m fund, the Airfield Development Fund, to increase support for airfield owners, operators, local councils and associated businesses, to help them upskill and grow. Applicants are encouraged to apply for advice from the fund on how it could help them protect or expand their business – including applying for help on proposed developments, protecting airfields, or expanding training facilities and commercial opportunities. Aviation Minister, Paul Maynard commented at the launch, “We’re committed to protecting our airfields and easing the challenges many businesses face. This support will help airfields prosper, creating and securing more jobs, while inspiring the next generation of aviation and engineering enthusiasts.”
EU General Aviation Survey 2020 EASA is encouraging owners and operators of General Aviation aircraft to help shape the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS) by supporting the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) with the 2020 European General Aviation survey. The survey will provide a better understanding of the trends in general aviation flying, aircraft equipment and fleet composition trends to support safety analysis in Europe and long-term strategic decision making. Last year’s survey collected over 6,000 responses and the results were used in the 2019 EASA Annual Safety Review to calculate accident rates for Non-Commercial Aeroplanes. This year it is hoped there will be even wider participation from the GA Community. Individual responses are confidential and will not be shared with either the public or regulators, nor will they be used for marketing or any other commercial purposes. If you would like to take part in the survey, see https://tinyurl.com/w856jkk.
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More Rotax engine thefts
YES Conferences 2020
The theft of Rotax engines unfortunately continues with four engines being stolen from Croft Farm airfield at Defford in Worcestershire on the night of 11 February. It appears to have followed a similar modus operandi as previous thefts – an airfield close to a major motorway, in this case the M5, and the entry to hangars and selection of specific engine types. West Mercia Police are investigating and have allocated it case number 151s.120220. The engines stolen are all 100hp Rotax 912 engines, three other aircraft with lower-powered units were ignored. The aircraft targeted were a Europa and Bristell on the LAA register, and a Sky Ranger and Mainair on the BMAA register. Our commiserations to the owners and best wishes for a speedy return to flying. Left The harrowing sight of yet more aircraft having been stripped of their Rotax 912s
Two highlights of YES activities are their long-established Annual Aviation Education Conferences. This year the Brooklands event, now in its 13th year, will take place at Brooklands Aviation Museum on Saturday 7 March, and the Cosford event takes place at RAF Museum at Cosford on Saturday 4 April. These events draw together representatives from a spectrum of organisations that are committed to helping, encouraging and enthusing the next generation towards a career in aerospace. Attendees come from aerospace sector employers (manufacturers, operators and related sectors), from training organisations, from youth organisations with an aerospace focus, and from schools and colleges involved in aerospace STEM projects, including the ‘build-a-plane’ projects that have seen a number of schools build and fly a light aircraft. The conferences allow each organisation to highlight its activities and interests in relation to bringing youngsters into aviation, and also provide excellent opportunities for networking between the different organisations and sectors to foster joint working and synergy. If someone from your club, Strut or organisation would like to be a representative at one of these events, YES would be delighted to welcome them. Further details of both events, including participating organisations, can be found on the Yesflyers website. If you have any questions or would like any further information, please contact Stewart Luck at captainluck@hotmail.com. To register for free tickets to either event please see www. yesflyers.org.uk
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Need completion space?
VFR in Class D From 26 March, the UK’s exemption from the Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) covering visibility and distances from cloud in Class D airspace for pilots flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), will no longer apply. The exemption has been extended several times, but the UK has been informed by the European Commission that no further extensions would be possible. VFR flights in Class D airspace will need to comply with SERA.5001, meaning there will be a requirement to be 1,000ft vertically clear of cloud. It will still be possible to ask air traffic control for a Special VFR clearance within a control zone if the weather conditions require this. The exemption applied to flights below 3,000ft and slower than 140kt but in future, UK Class D rules will be fully consistent with SERA and the ICAO requirements that are applied around the rest of the world. ICAO introduced these rules to improve situational awareness for all pilots flying in Class D airspace. UK air traffic control providers have been notified so they can amend their procedures and the CAA will be publishing further guidance for pilots on how to comply with the new rules in advance of the change. The CAA will monitor the impact of the change, including the number of aircraft that are declined clearances to cross controlled airspace.
As a 145-approved maintenance organisation, ATS Aero, at Wycombe Air Park (Booker) may not be the obvious first choice of the owner of an LAA administered aircraft looking for a place to go to complete their build project, carry out modifications or repairs or even to complete the annual inspection. However, although the ATS Aero’s core customers own certified GA fixed-wing and helicopters, they also maintain and hangar a number of LAA administered aircraft. ATS Aero see an opportunity to work within the LAA community alongside their GA customers, as they have often been asked for assistance with various aspects of LAA aircraft maintenance. The staff includes three LAA inspectors, and there is a wealth of experience in-house in maintaining and repairing everything from the vintage and warbirds fraternity, through air race and aerobatic mounts. Their experience extends to all types of structures from wood, steel tube and fabric, through aluminium to composites, as well as the standard GA machines. The hangar is heated and well-lit and there is a lounge, tea, coffee and of course Woody, the hangar dog. ATS Aero can offer space in the hangar for aircraft, where the owner has access to specialist tooling, spark plug cleaner, compression tester, shop air, three phase electricity, an on-site CAA-approved welder, sheet metal tools if needed etc., and guidance to help work through their annual inspection or modifications. They can either do the whole task or offer assistance to the owner if they want to do the job themselves. ATS Aero are keen to help improve general airworthiness safety and owner’s knowledge of their aircraft to help eradicate any misconceptions held by some that are sometimes associated with home build aircraft. If you would like to know more about what ATS Aero has to offer, contact Nigel Dickinson on 01494-473664 or email: info@atsaero.co.uk
Kemble GPS approach consultation Cotswold Airport (Kemble) has just had another CAP 1616 green light to move onto consultation for its proposed GPS approaches. The full consultation document, 23 pages written in plain English, is now available on the ACP portal and runs until 6 April 2020. After reading the document, your consultation survey responses would be greatly welcomed to refine the proposal. The document and survey questions are available at: https://tinyurl.com/sze4c4u
PROP TAPE SALES Members wishing to buy small quantities of prop tape can now obtain five metre rolls from Flowstrip Ltd., of Scunthorpe. The 100mm wide Patco 8300 Clear leading-edge tape costs £49.99 per roll plus carriage of £20 on orders below £150. www.flowstrip. co.uk email: ronnie@flowstrip.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1724 841860
Impending Pilot Medical ‘Disaster’
Left ATS Aero staff with their superb facilities… and Woody the dog.
Thousands of pilots face the possibility of no longer being able to use the self-declared Pilot Medical Declaration (PMD) to fly EASA aircraft in the UK if the CAA is unable to renew the current exemption (ORS Series 4/1283) which expires on 8 April. The CAA says: “We are working with the government to see if there is a way forward to enable pilots to continue to fly EASA aircraft using the self-declaration process.” Over 8,500 pilots are believed to have made a PMD and if the exemption covering EASA aircraft is not renewed, many will need to gain at least a LAPL Medical, or face being grounded. When we receive any further info, we will post it on our website news section.
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LAA Strut News
T
Struts 4U
his month, with many thanks to Chris Holliday, we hear from the Vale of York Strut who enjoy regular fly-outs during the spring and summer months, including the occasional hop across the Channel. Chris says: “Our regular strut meetings, on the last Thursday of the month, are often held at Rufforth East, where there is the excellent Chocks Away Café to use as a venue. The meetings generally include sampling their tasty food. There are plenty of microlight and gyrocopter pilots based there and we are pleased that they are gradually getting more involved in our activities – they are very welcome. We also meet at Breighton, where we are hosted by the Real Aeroplane Club, and often have combined activities such as the recent GASCo Safety Evening. “The Strut is very fortunate to have one of our local LAA Inspectors, Dave Allan, as a very long-standing and extremely active member. He attends just about every Strut get-together (actually I am not sure he has missed even one) and provides an extremely helpful source of engineering experience, knowledge and input. We are also lucky to have Ivan Shaw based locally to us – his recent presentation to the Strut on the Seeker was one of our most popular events and we look forward to further updates throughout this year.
Flying theme
by Anne Hughes
“Our active members have a bias towards flying rather than building, so many of our meetings have a flying theme. We run seminars to promote safety and development of flying proficiency, with the aim of building people’s confidence to make more use of their aircraft, rather than just flying in the local area. The seminars also combine with regular fly-outs and activities to encourage members to engage with the LAA Wings scheme, again to help pilots get the most from their flying. Currently we have a series of seminars by Alan Kilbride (one of our local LAA coaches) covering preparing and planning longer flights, and ‘going
Top Pirates from the Vale of York Strut on one of their fly-out raids. Above Strut LAA Wings recipients, from left Martin Lonsdale (Bronze), Duncan Cotter (Silver), Charlie Bonello – on screen (Bronze), and David Allen (Bronze) Right Strut aircraft at Calais on one of their continental experience fly-outs.
foreign’. These build towards a Strut fly-out to France in April (fingers crossed for good weekend weather), which should see several Strut members make their first Channel and border crossings, supported by our more experienced pilots. With any luck we will also have local microlighters along for the experience too. “We now seem to have a tradition of at least one fly-out in the year being fancy dress. Previous themes included a bunch of prisoners (there is a prison next to Full Sutton airfield) and a team from International Rescue. Most recently a group of pirates surprised people at several airfields. “The destinations seem to be getting further afield so if a group of aircraft with crew in fancy dress arrive at your local airfield, it may well be the Vale of York Strut on a madcap expedition!”
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LAA Strut News
Strut and Club events March and April Andover Strut: Spitfire Club, Popham Airfield, SO21 3BD. 1930. Contact: keith.picton@ntlworld.com 9 April – Infringements by Rob Gratton, CAA infringements team. 13 April – World Tour by Colin Hales. Bristol Strut: Room 4, BAWA Club, Filton, 1930. Contact: chairman@bristolstrut.uk www.bristolstrut.uk 3 March – TBA. 7 April – Aerial Sightseeing in OZ by Ian and Fiona Macaskill. Cornwall Strut: The Clubhouse, Bodmin Airfield. Contact: Pete White pete@aeronca.co.uk / 01752 406660 11 March – Les Brodie, the last pilot to fly a Concorde. 8 April – My Dad was a Battle of Britain pilot, by Helen Doe. Devon Strut: The Exeter Court Hotel, Kennford, Exeter, 1930. Contact: david.millin@sea-sea.com 12 March - Harvards by Martin Pengelly. 9 April – Rotax Engines by Kevin Dilks. East of Scotland Strut: Harrow Hotel, Dalkeith. 2000. Contact: inrgibson001@btinternet.com 0131 339 2351 2 March – AGM. East Midlands Strut: The Plough, Normanton on Soar, LE12 5HB. 1930 for 2000. Contact: tonyrazzell2@gmail.com 9 March – Electric Cassutt Racer project. April – TBA. Gloster Strut: The Victory Club, Cheltenham, GL50 5SY. 1930. Contact: harry.hopkins@talktalk.net 17 February – Building the Twister and flying it to Oshkosh, by Andy McKee. Highlands & Islands: Highland Aviation, Inverness Airport. Contact: b.w.spence@btinternet.com / 01381 620535 11/12 April – Easter Airfield Fly-In. Kent Strut: Cobtree Manor Golf Club, Maidstone, Kent. 2000. (Please check the venue as we hold some meetings in East Kent). Contact: gary.james.smith@btinternet.com 26 March – Microlighting by Paul Brooker of the Kent Microlight Club (East Kent). 30 April – The Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group by Darrell Root (Golf Club).
North East Strut: Fishburn Airfield. Bruch third Sunday of each month.1130-1330 at Fishburn Aviator Cafe. Contact: alannixon297@btinternet.com North Western Strut: Veterans Lounge, Barton, Manchester, 1930 for 2000. Contact: liffmort@btinternet.com / 07813 497427 10 March – Practical electronics. 14 April – Avro Museum visit. North Wales Strut: Caernarfon Airport, Dinas Dinlle. HEMS Bistro Café 1300. Contact: Gareth Roberts gtrwales@gmail.com / 07876 483414 1 March – Memphis Belle – the making of the film. 5 April – Auto-Gyro Update. Oxford Group: The Duke of Marlborough, Woodleys, Woodstock, Oxford. 2000. Contact: LAAOxford@gmail.com www.oxfordlaa.co.uk 11 March – Designing your own aircraft by Barry Plumb. 8 April – Adventures in Floatplanes by Brian Pill. Redhill Strut: The Dog and Duck, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5QU. Third Tuesday of each month at 1930. Contact: david@milstead.me.uk Shobdon Strut: Shobdon Airfield, 1930. Contact – Keith Taylor bushebiggles@sky.com 12 March – TBC. 9 April – Twice Round the World and other notable flights by Polly Vacher. Southern Strut: The Swiss Cottage, Shorehamby-Sea, 2000. Normal meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month. Contact palmersfarm@sky.com Strathtay Strut: Scottish Aero Club, Perth Airport, Scone. Scone Clubhouse. Contact: keith.boardman@peopleserve.co.uk 07785 244146 Suffolk Coastal Strut: Crowfield Airfield Clubhouse. 1930. Contact: Martyn Steggalls events@suffolkcoastalstrut.org.uk 07790 925142 18 March – The Restoration of the Beagle Pup
Prototype G-AVDF by Anne Hughes. 15 April – AGM. Sywell Strut: Aviator Hotel, Sywell Aerodrome 2000. Third Wednesday of every month. Vale of York Strut: Real Aeroplane Club, Breighton. 1900. Contact: Chris Holliday 07860 787801 cwaholliday@gmail.com 26 March – Planning a Flight to Europe (in anticipation of a group trip to France in April) Wessex Strut: Henstridge, 1900 (Food) 2000 meeting. Contact neil.wilson@laa.uk.com 16 March – The People’s Mosquito by Alan Pickford. West Midlands Strut: Navigator Café, Halfpenny Green Aerodrome 1930. Contact Graham Wiley westmidlandslaastrut@googlegroups.com StuartDarby stuartdarby134@hotmail.com. or visit our website wmstrut.co.uk 18 March – GASCo Evening Bobbington Village Hall; 23 April – Airbus Tour, PPR only (NB no Strut meeting) West of Scotland Strut: Bowfield Country Club, Howwood, PA9 1DZ. 1900. Contact: nkg@barnbeth.demon.co.uk / 01505 612493 Youth & Education Support (YES) – Contact for further details: Stewart Luck captainluck@hotmail.com 7 March – YES Conference: Brooklands. 4 April – YES Conference: Cosford. To register for free Conference tickets please see www.yesflyers.org.uk Note: Some Struts make a small charge towards costs for members, but all are welcome to attend the gatherings. Please check with the Strut contacts above if you have any queries. Let me know of any calendar changes or changes to contact details for your group as soon as possible. (struts@laa. uk.com). Thank you to all Strut co-ordinators and newsletter editors for the continuous flow of information. ■
LiNSY Trent Valley Strut: Trent Valley Gliding Club, Kirton Lindsey. pilotbarry1951@gmail. com http://linsystrut.wixsite.com/website March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 45
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Cockpit audio
Technical Picture 1
Picture 2
Wired for sound In Part IV of how to deal with audio issues in the cockpit, Ian Fraser and Nick Long take a look at what to consider when it comes to audio installation
I
n the December magazine the options for audio systems in an aircraft were discussed. To install one could involve the most complex wiring in your aircraft and, unless you are careful, the least reliable. In this article we look at some of the key practical considerations of installing or upgrading your aircraft’s audio system. Even the most basic intercom could have 14 wires, and there are two ends to each wire requiring either soldering or crimping to miniature pins. A two-box audio panel with warnings may have 40 connections (80 ends), or more. Unlike most equipment with a couple of wires, an audio system’s wires go everywhere and are, therefore, challenging to do neatly. While screening is important to minimise electrical interference, many manufacturer’s instructions promulgate confusing and unnecessarily complex screen and grounding practices. As a result, many people steer well clear of electrical work even if they have built the rest of the aircraft themselves, but there is no reason why it should be more difficult than any of the other tasks in building or modifying an aircraft. Like most build jobs, electrical wiring requires a few basic (but different) skills and a few specialist tools. So, what exactly is involved?
Block diagram
Firstly, regardless of whether you do it yourself or pass it on to an avionics shop, the job needs to be planned.
The start point is to define exactly what you want to do – just connect the headphones to the radio, or is it a more comprehensive system? What are you planning to install, what existing or new devices are to be connected? Will it ever need maintenance, software update or enhancement? The easiest way to do this is to create a block diagram. Draw a box for each device or function you have, or envisage, in your aircraft (radio, transponder, flight or engine instrument) and a point for each input or output to a mobile device or sensor (tablet, phone, action cam etc.). Then draw a line between items that you think may need to be connected – don’t bother with power, screens or pin numbers at this stage. A block diagram creates a simple picture of the avionics in your aircraft and can be the basis of the next stage, regardless of who is doing it. If you are getting it done by an avionics shop, take your diagram with you to talk to them, it gives them a better understanding of your expectations. As far as the LAA are concerned, unless you are impacting a mandatory instrument or flight control, then no modification application is required – it is an inspector only task and the block diagram is also a good way to introduce them to your plans. Pictures 1 and 2 show the block diagrams for Ian’s RV-6 and Nick’s Beagle Pup. The striking feature in each is that the device that connects to almost everything is the audio panel.
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Cockpit audio
The circuit diagram
Picture 4
Screening
Picture 3
If you are doing it yourself, the next step is to build up a circuit diagram. Look at each of the devices you intend to connect and establish what the pin connections are and any special requirements. Mostly, avionics audio interfaces are a standard 600Ω impedance interface with two wires: one signal and one ‘common’ or ‘ground’. Some are ‘differential’ or ‘balanced’ (neither wire is a ground) and need to be dealt with differently (this is more usual with data interfaces such as ARINC or CanBus). Some audio alarms may be electrically different and require a special interface, for example the alert output from the autopilot (illustrated in Picture 1) requires an adjustable potentiometer – a cheap device at £1 – but it needs to be put somewhere. You must also decide on what connectors to use to connect external devices and, of course, you need to provide the device with power.
Some manufacturers specify a strange arrangement where each connection has two wires (signal and common) and an extra screen is added. This is not always necessary and there is a simple way to check. Using a multimeter, measure between the common or ground pin for an input and the device’s ground (0v) pin. If it is connected, then the input is ‘ground referenced’ and it’s ‘common’ and ‘screen’ can be one and the same. There is no need for a second screen, so cheaper and less bulky cable can be used and the bundle at the plug is much simpler and easier to make. An alternative to buzzing out with a multimeter is very careful study of the installation manual, the information is often buried somewhere.
Mono / stereo
Even though you may have a stereo device, you need to think through the impact if people with standard aviation headsets want to use them in your aircraft. Putting a quarter inch mono phone plug into a stereo socket shorts out one of the earpieces. How this affects the installation depends on the intercom you are using but, if you’ve wired a mono feed to both ears then you may lose everything. If you want stereo it may be better to go the whole hog and move away from the dual plug system to something like the Lemo 6-way connectors. Either that or have a collection of adaptor leads. Make sure you check how your new device handles the stereo / mono problem.
The wiring harness
Now think about the physical wiring and how to implement the circuit diagram. The concept of lying upside down in the aircraft with a soldering iron is daunting but there are two ways to minimise it. A common way of keeping it simple (and more comfortable) is to make a wiring harness that is built up outside the aircraft and then plugged in to join up all the installed devices.
This has been made possible because avionics manufacturers now use D-subminiature connectors (D-subs) instead of edge connectors. The D-subs on the back of avionics trays can be removed, either separately or on an easily removable frame, and wired up on the bench. (Picture 3 shows a GMA245 harness with the tray backplates for it, a radio and all the sockets and other connections wired on the bench. Just plug or screw it in). Beware the difference between rear mount and front mount connectors and switches. Rear mount devices can be wired up first and then fitted to a panel from behind; front mount have to be fitted and then wired in the aircraft. Only rear mount works with the harness method. March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 13
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Cockpit audio
If you are just changing an avionics unit (e.g. intercom or radio) and are frustrated to find that while all the connectors are the same the pin numbers are all different, then the harness approach also offers an advantage. Picture 4 shows a converter for a Garmin SL40 to a Trig TY90, made on the bench with a couple of D-subs connected together to change the pins. Then it just screws in.
The modular approach
An approach preferred by many professionals, new builders and for major upgrades is the modular approach, often illustrated in Avionics shops’ advertisements. In this, a large assembly, such as the avionics stack or even a whole panel, is designed to be
removeable. It can then be wired up in supreme comfort and good light before being slotted into the aircraft. (Picture 5 shows a major upgrade module for a Beagle Pup mounts in the aircraft and then just plugs in.) These are not absolutes; it is possible to be part harness and part modular. You could even argue that a harness is a special case of a module or a module is a glorified harness. But one thing is key – it is not just a matter of fitting it to the aircraft, the real benefits to the aircraft owner only come if you can take it out again. The reason for this is that, in the short term, you may need to correct a wiring mistake or a bad connection and, in the longer term, you will almost certainly want to upgrade the installation.
Picture 5
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Cockpit audio
Finalising the wiring diagram
Having chosen the installation approach, the circuit diagram can be finalised – one or two extra connectors may have become necessary. The circuit diagram contains all the interconnection information (maybe on more than one page). It is useful as a work list, check list and a diagnostic tool without which neither you (in three months’ time) nor any future owner of the aircraft will understand what you actually did. Each wire, connector and pin number should be detailed, including installation breaks, earth and screening details – look at the back of the radio or intercom installation manual to see the sort of detail required. It is a lot easier to put a spare wire in now and leave it unconnected than it is to do it once the harness is in the aircraft. Include wire for your options and future plans.
“If you have not used a soldering
iron or crimp tools before, attending the LAA Electrical Wiring courses will be useful” Picture 6
Doing the actual wiring
Having completed the design, it’s time to start the wiring. If you have not used a soldering iron or crimp tools before, attending the LAA Electrical Wiring courses will be useful here, both for hands on assembly techniques and understanding what wire and parts to use. Picture 6 shows some of the tools required.
Wire and cable
The type of wire you see in hi-fi and domestic wiring has insulation made of PVC, which melts at quite a low temperature and gives off poisonous fumes in a fire. For aviation work we usually use wire with insulation made of Ethylene TetraFluoroEthylene (ETFE), more commonly known by the DuPont trade name of Tefzel. Despite the impressive name, this wire is available from many suppliers at reasonable cost.
Crimp vs solder
A real man does both, but it is quite understandable that many people prefer to crimp exclusively. The practical reason is that, once you have the tools to do it, it is a lot easier to make a reliable joint. Once you get to D-sub connectors, crimping is the best and obvious choice. It is a brave and skilful man who would solder a 25-way standard D-sub and a foolhardy one who would try a 44-way high density one. D-sub crimp tools range from £35 to £500, and this is one of the rare cases where the low-cost tools are perfectly good for low volume work.
Stripping
Not to wander off topic, but we just want to say how important this is. It is important that the ends of wire are stripped without damaging the conductor strands inside. In general, you need a tool that can be set to the wire thickness you are working with. On the LAA course you can try out stripping tools costing from £12 to £120.
Summing up
This article has touched on some of the issues associated with wiring audio systems into our aircraft. It is not a
complete guide – rather it addresses what you need to think about. Further useful information can be found in the LAA Technical Leaflets (TLs). The LAA also runs two courses on aircraft electrics. The first course is mostly hands-on and concentrates on installation practices, the second course looks at the design issues. Even added to the cost of tools, the price of the course is a fraction of what it might cost to have the work done by an avionics shop. Doing it yourself will leave you with the skill, satisfaction and the tools to do it again the next time you need to upgrade the avionics in your aircraft. Electrics are a bit like fabric covering, it may not be intuitive, but when you have learned to do it and are methodical, the results can be immensely satisfying and something you can be proud of. As usual, we will open a topic in the LAA General Forum (Hangar chat) for you to air your views ■ March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 15
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Landing vouchers
LANDING VOUCHERS APRIL 2020
Our landing vouchers for April offer FOUR FREE landings, at Bodmin in Cornwall, Kirkbride in Cumbria, Netherthorpe in Nottinghamshire, and Oaksey Park in Wilshire. Fingers crossed April won’t be noted for its
showers this year, giving the many grass airfields countrywide time to dry out a bit. Please note, vouchers are for single engine piston aircraft and are not redeemable for biz-jets or twins. Take care and enjoy your flying.
✁
Aviation Bodmin Airfield 01208-821419 LIGHT
Free Landing for April 2020
Operated by the Cornwall Flying Club, Bodmin is a very friendly airfield 5nm NE of Bodmin town, with its Diner 31 Café open seven days a week. Taxis can be arranged to take you to the Bodmin and Wenford Railway for a ride through the Cornwall countryside, and nearby there’s
the popular Eden Project at St. Austell, Padstow (Rick Stein seafood restaurants) and other Cornish delights. PPR is essential, there are two runways and avgas is available. Be careful of turbulence and downdraughts. Radio is 120.330 www.cornwallflyingclub.com
Aviation Kirkbride 07710 672087 LIGHT
Free Landing for April 2020
Located in a picturesque area, however beware of local fog and low flying military aircraft during the week. HGVs may also be on the airfield near the AD. Microlights and autogyros are active at all times. Avgas and JET A1 on site. PPR first please. Radio is
124.400 and please call at 10nm out. Make blind calls if no reply. Tea and coffee available in the tower or at the White Heather Hotel on the AD. Radio 124.400 www.kirkbrideairfield.weebly.com
Aviation Netherthorpe 01909-475233 LIGHT
Free Landing April 2020
Home of the Sheffield Aero Club, the airfield offers an excellent refurbished restaurant which is open every day. Two grass runways are available. PPR please and get a booking number. Ask for advice if you have not flown in before; a safety briefing is also required for
departure as the airfield is located under Doncaster/Sheffield CTA. Overhead joins at 1800ft and circuit height is 800ft. Avoid local villages. Avgas by arrangement. A/G Radio is 123.280. www.sheffieldaeroclub.net
Aviation Oaksey Park – Wiltshire 01666-577130 LIGHT
Free Landing – Monday to Saturday only, April 2020
One of England’s best kept airfields, Oaksey Park is approx 3nm SE of Kemble, just outside the Kemble ATZ. For this reason, there is no ‘deadside’ to the circuit pattern, which is shown in the charts section. Because of local noise sensitive areas, no circuit flying is permitted.
Similarly, departures from Runways 04 & 22 should make a 15˚ right turn when safe. Avgas and JET A1 on site. Tea and coffee available. No Sunday visits. Radio 132.225, not always manned. Only use main Runway 04/22 unless told otherwise. www.oakseyparkairfield.co.uk
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Your Post
Letters More on aviation headsets
I
found Ian Fraser’s article (February issue of LA) on aviation headsets was brilliantly executed and long overdue. It is a delight to see some independent technical research on the subject. However, I was disappointed, though perhaps not surprised, that the highest priced products gave the best performance. I suppose you get what you pay for… But there is another approach which I propose can yield similar results and has worked for me for more than a decade, from a time when ANR headsets were a rarity. I have over-sensitive ears, which combined with a noisy aircraft (measured at 105dB cockpit noise level on climb-out, and more than 100dB in the cruise), means that I need much better-thanaverage ear protection. Noiseisolating ‘in ear’ phones fit directly into the ear canal and block out just about everything. Again, the sky’s the limit where cost is concerned. High-end installations are custommoulded into your ears, but if you can cope with off-the-shelf solutions these can be very low cost. (Note that these are not like the earpieces you get with mobile phones, which have open backs designed to let external sound through.) This ‘in ear’ solution has also proved useful for those who are hard-of-hearing who can’t get sufficient volume from their conventional headsets. The noise reduction performance of these earpieces depends on how well they fit into your ear, and we are all different in that respect. You then pop your regular headset over the top of these earpieces and thus get two layers of protection. For me, with very narrow ear canals, comfort has always been an issue, as the headset tends to press down on the earpieces, unless they are very small. Undoubtedly the most comfortable I have tried has been the acoustic-tube set
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(pictured below), where the driver is on the end of a flexible tube and there is nothing ‘solid’ in the ear at all. However, I found these unable to provide the necessary sound power level without overload distortion (I feel some more experiments coming on!). The picture also shows my present favourite, with tiny drivers, available on eBay for less than £4. Most earpieces come bundled with an assortment of ear canal seals, or they are obtainable separately. My preference is the triplebarrier silicone cones as in the photo, apply a bit of spittle as lubricant and they just slide right in – and stay there. A limitation of this approach is that the ruggedness of these devices is hardly compatible with the rough conditions inside a cockpit, the wires and connectors get easily broken, but I have found the cheapest ones last just as well as leading brands. This is not a solution for everybody, you are going to have to find your own solutions to connectors, volume control, electrical compatibility, etc, to match your own intercom or radio – but if you can make it work, you can probably get equivalent protection to an ANR headset for a fraction of the cost. It’s definitely worth thinking about. Regards, John Joyes.
Infringements, do the CAA have the right approach?
Peter Kynsey makes some excellent points in his letter commenting on airspace infringements (LA February, Letters) to which I would like to add the following: Over the last two decades the airlines have adopted a more enlightened approach to safety. Cluttered and badly designed cockpits with poorly designed instrumentation and switches, or poorly thought out procedures, would lead to pilots making errors for which they were then
blamed entirely and often punished. This blame culture discouraged pilots from reporting mistakes or near misses and held back safety improvements. The CAA appears to be making the same mistake with respect to infringements. Poorly designed and cluttered airspace, which is difficult to negotiate safely is leading to pilots making errors for which they are then blamed entirely and punished. Again, this blame culture will discourage pilots from reporting mistakes or working with the CAA to improve the infringement problems. I know of more than one pilot who has fallen foul of this system in very minor ways and been roundly punished despite fully supporting safe practice, and with no wish to endanger other air traffic. This inevitably leads to resentment and bad feeling and will absolutely discourage voluntary reporting of any incident for fear of action being taken. I believe that if the CAA adopted a more collaborative approach it would find that many pilots would more actively engage with the effort to improve safety. I applaud the current airspace consultation (thank you Grant Shapps) and I have contributed some thoughts; I encourage others to do the same. Regards, Duncan Cumberlidge.
How reliable is the GAR?
I had a spot of bother trying to submit a GAR notification last year via SkyDemon, coming back from Sanicole. The website would not accept my submission, so I had to leave a message on a Border Force helpline. When we arrived at our notified arrival airfield, a pair of Border Force officers were waiting for me to find out why I had not submitted a GAR. I explained that their website would not accept my application and that I had followed the alternative procedure. After verifying my passport, I was cleared to continue on my onward flight. I happened to mention this incident at a recent Club meeting, and it turned out that other members had suffered the same problem. I wonder if other LAA members have had a similar experience and whether we are just the unlucky few or there is a bigger problem with the GAR system that needs rectifying? Best regards, Trev Jackson. (If you have experienced problems with GAR notification, let us know and we will pass on the information to Border Force. Ed.) March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 9
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Letters
Setting the record straight
We thank Andy McKee for his feedback (Letters, February 2020), and regret that he did not understand the intent of the rules of the Royal Aeronautical Society/LAA/Air race E Design Competition held last year. However, we did make strenuous efforts to be specific about the required standard of the design report whilst, at the same time, allowing sufficient flexibility for entrants to demonstrate their design flair. The introduction to the rules stated: Your entry will be assessed using the following criteria: ■ A competent design, with reasonable estimates of all parameters, especially mass and aerodynamic drag. ■ The time taken to complete a defined course using a flight simulator. Both of these elements must be submitted for your entry to be valid. And further on in the rules… Your entry should include: 5. A report on your design, including estimates of aerodynamics, flight envelope, loadings, strength, weight, stability, control and performance. And finally in the rules: The prize will go to the design that has the best time around a defined course in the X-plane simulator, subject to verification of the design. We included a list of reference books and articles for those less familiar with aircraft design, where terms such as ‘flight envelope’ are fully described, together with calculation methods. And of course, the LAA’s own website includes descriptions and spreadsheets covering such topics. For 2020, we have been more prescriptive to reduce the opportunity for misunderstanding. Also, equal points will be given for the quality of the design report Right The winner of the 2019 RAeS electric racer competition, IONTREPID from New Zealand
and for performance in the simulator. We do hope that this competition – for an eVTOL aircraft to fulfil a humanitarian competition – will inspire LAA members to compete this year. To register for the competition, email conference@aerosociety.com. Sincerely, RAeS/LAA/Air Race E Design Competition judges.
Concerns over flight tracking apps?
General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) requires all enterprises using data to ensure the law relating to legal processing of personal data is complied with. Personal data is information which is directly or indirectly referable to a natural living person, e.g. name and address but also possibly location data or IP addresses. The Mode S and ADSB data captured by applications such as Flight Radar 24, Radarbox, Planefinder and other similar applications, falls into the identified category. These applications are aimed at the leisure market and piggyback onto the data exchanged for the purposes of safe air navigation. However, you may have concerns over personal privacy or providing criminals with aircraft location information. To prevent your data being used in this way, don’t even think about switching off your transponder! This is illegal, serviceable transponders must always be switched on in flight. However, imagine two aircraft in flight, one advertising all amalgamated data on a publicly available application, the other aircraft registered for blocking of personal data. Now imagine a third party with good or
bad intent on querying the first aircraft. They could see, within seconds, the first aircraft’s ■ Registration ■ A picture of aircraft ■ Its current position, altitude and track in almost real time. A configurable alert allows you to track each aircraft of interest. ■ Each and every flight you have made in detail for the last year ■ Precisely when you take off and land at a particular airfield As a consequence, it is known when the aircraft owner is at home or not at home, and when the aircraft is in a potentially vulnerable position. If a block is engaged, as with the second aircraft, the data must be depersonalised, so none of the above should be easily derived. However, the intended recipients of the information – EASA, NATS, ATSUs, CAA etc., continue to receive all information without impediment. To activate blocking you would need to send an email as follows: RE: G-XXXX I am the owner operator of the above aircraft. I would request that my unique aircraft and personal data is not displayed on your platform or similar platforms. This includes references to historical data in your possession. I only permit you to display the depersonalised ICAO Aircraft Type Information. In the case of my particular aircraft. I am content for my unique aircraft and personal data to continue to be available to regulatory authorities such as NATS, CAA, FAA, EASA, HMCE. Please acknowledge and confirm compliance. I am content to furnish you with proof of aircraft ownership if required. Send this separately to the data organisations including but not limited to: Support@planefinder.net / Support@ Radarbox24.com / Support@FR24.com The list of data organisations changes from time to time and you would need to contact other organisations as they emerge. Noting one of the above organisations often demands a fee for executing blocking requests, write back giving them ten days to comply, with the threat of enforcement action. The penalties for noncompliance are very severe. Fly safe, and remember, it’s your data! Bob Knott. ■ March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 10
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Meet the Members
A career in pictures…
This month we meet former teacher and long-time photojournalist, Peter R March
W
elcome Peter, can you tell us something about your career?
I have been a full-time, freelance aviation photojournalist for the past 32 years and I am currently co-compiler of Pilot magazine’s Old Timers section. I have been very lucky in having had two quite distinct careers. Born, educated and professionally trained in Bristol, I was in ‘education’ for the first 28 years of my working life as a geography teacher, deputy head of a large mixed comprehensive school, and a principal adviser in the newly created County of Avon Education Department. During the latter 14 years I was also responsible for the LEA Careers Service across the county. Throughout this time, I was also actively engaged in my passion for aviation – photography, writing and flying. In 1988 the opportunity arose to seek voluntary redundancy and I was able to transfer my hobby into a full-time job as a self-employed aviation photojournalist and broadcaster.
What started your interest in aviation?
Being brought up in north Bristol I was close to one of Britain’s great post-war aircraft and aero-engine production centres – the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton. From seeing the Brabazon sedately climbing skyward on 4 September 1949 and attending the Battle of Britain At Home Day at RAF Filton two weeks later with my older brother, I was hooked on aviation. I took every opportunity to go to Filton to ‘spot’ what was going on and occasionally crossed the city to Whitchurch Airport, home of the long-established Bristol & Wessex Aero Club. By 1952 I had met a number of fellow enthusiasts, including the late Edwin Shackleton, holder of the Guinness Record for the highest number of aircraft types flown in as a passenger, who all joined Air Britain and formed a local Bristol Branch. I attended my first major airshow at Farnborough in September 1952 and witnessed the tragic crash of the DH110, with an engine falling into the crowd nearby. It didn’t detract me from my passion for all things flying – developing from a ‘spotter’ to a photographer and reporter, having soon realised you couldn’t get photos published without writing about the aircraft photographed.
Above Esteemed photojournalist Peter R March in his Cessna 172 G-ASSS (aka his ‘photo office’), which he has been flying for 55 years.
In what, where and when was your first flight?
On 19 August 1954, after a visit with friends to the DH factory at Christchurch, Hants, I seized the opportunity to go across the airfield to the Christchurch Flying Club. So, my first ever flight was 20 minutes with young flying instructor John Pothecary, in Tiger Moth G-ADWO. I have met John many times since at Shoreham and Old Sarum and photographed the various interesting vintage aircraft he has restored and flown. My second flight in April 1955 was equally memorable, being in Nord NC853S F-BAFH from Yvrac over Bordeaux, Bristol’s twin city in France. During the next 10 years I took every opportunity to fly with members of the Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club at Lulsgate, many of whom gave me hands-on experience.
Where did you do your flight training?
With plenty of ‘handling experience’ behind me when I set out to obtain my PPL on 9 March 1972 with the Bristol & Wessex, I completed my first solo in Cessna 150 G-AVVW, after eight hours dual, six weeks later. As a teacher I had the advantage of school holidays, so by 26 June I had completed all the necessary exercises at 22 hours total time. I was then able to enjoy myself on cross-country
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Meet the Members
“I attended my first major airshow at Farnborough in
September 1952 and witnessed the tragic crash of the DH110 with an engine falling into the crowd nearby” flights to Staverton, Halfpenny Green and Shobdon to build up the hours before obtaining my PPL in September 1972.
How did your photojournalism progress?
I had my first photograph published in the Bristol Evening World newspaper on 21 September 1959. B&W Club Auster Alpha G-AGVM stalled and crashed during a spot landing competition at Lulsgate – fortunately the pilot and co-pilot were not seriously hurt but the aircraft was a write-off. A reporter at the event didn’t have his camera with him and asked if he could take my film into the newspaper office. I still have the prints he gave me with the one-guinea reproduction fee. I got into the aviation press at the end of 1959 when Flight magazine printed my story about the Filton-based Avro Ashton Olympus testbed, WB493, being painted up in civilian markings for a starring role in the film Cone of Silence. In 1960 I started a 50-year association with Ian Allan Ltd., publishers of the then spotter’s bible ABC of Civil Aircraft Markings, providing photographs to author John WR Taylor for this and its various off-shoots each year. I had my first air-to-air photo commission in September 1961 when I was invited by the Western Daily Press to photograph some local paratroopers taking part in an
Above An early PRM photo, the mighty Brabazon landing at Filton in 1949 Top left Peter’s first published photograph – Auster G-AGVM after it stalled at Lulsgate while taking part in a landing competition Top right First air-to-air, taken for the local newspaper, Beverley XB283 dropping paras over Weston-on-theGreen.
exercise over Weston-on-the-Green. It involved flying in a 36 Squadron Hastings from Colerne to Abingdon, briefing for the drop, photographing the three ‘local’ paras on the ground then flying in trail with a Beverley to capture them exiting the aircraft before landing back at Colerne. As a regular contributor to the Air League’s monthly magazine Air Pictorial I was invited to RNAS Yeovilton in August 1965 to gather material on the training of RN fighter crews. As well as a comprehensive briefing this involved my first flight in a military jet – Hunter T8 WW661 – to photograph 766 NAS Sea Vixen FAW2s. Job done I thought, but no, I was on the Ops board to fly in a Sea Vixen in the afternoon. So, there I was in the ‘coal hole’ of XS582 at 28,000ft off the North Devon coast, with the pilot asking if I would like ‘a bang dive’. What could I say? The following year it was an invitation from the RAF to make a flying visit around Training Command that gave me my first opportunity to handle a Chipmunk (CFS Little Rissington) and a Jet Provost (RAF Leeming). When Ian Allan launched Aircraft Illustrated in 1968, I was invited to contribute to the first edition and continued to do so until it ceased publication in 2009. This opened up new opportunities for flying and photography. As a ‘Bristol’ enthusiast I was particularly pleased while visiting RAF
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Meet the Members
Northolt in October 1970 to be given the chance to try to keep a Bristol Sycamore helicopter in the air. I was warned by the QFI pilot that it would be like driving up the M1 drawing a circle with my left hand and a square with my right. That was an understatement! In August 1968 I had a rare opportunity of having several flights in a Bristol Longhouse (Type 192 twin-rotor Belvedere HC1) when I visited No 66 Squadron at Seletar, Singapore while on a two-week tour of the Far East Air Force. From first flight to last, Filton’s most famous product, Concorde, has captured my photographic attention, and a 3 hour 25 minute transatlantic flight in G-BOAA on 28 August 1984 was one of the highlights. I was commissioned to write an article on ‘the day in the life of a Concorde pilot’ and flew to New York in a Boeing 747 on 27 August and met Captain David Leney to talk about his day ahead. I joined the crew at breakfast and went with them to the pre-flight briefing. I then became a passenger and boarded the aircraft and took up my seat for about 10 minutes before being called to the flight deck, where I sat on the jump-seat for the take-off, landing and most of the time between. I did return to the cabin to have my first-class meal – I couldn’t let it go to waste! In the 65 years that I have been flying, this rates as one of my most memorable experiences.
How did you hear about the LAA?
I joined the then PFA in the mid-70s as an inevitable consequence of attending rallies and fly-ins across southern England, and meeting the likes of Tony Young, founder of the Wessex Strut. Henstridge, Popham, Dunkeswell and of course Cranfield were ring-fenced in my diary as soon as the dates for the PFA events were announced. Although I have never felt the need to engage in aircraft building, I have always admired the skill and determination of those that do and, in the fullness of time, succeed. The first homebuilt aircraft I followed in detail and photographed in the air was Ed Clapham’s and Bill Dobie’s lovely Turbulent G-ASFX. It is still active today and I was pleased to photograph it alongside Peter Watts’ magnificent Sirocco G-CEAO at last April’s LAA Wessex Strut Fly-in at Henstridge.
How did you find the move to aviation writing?
The transition from education to aviation for my day job in 1988 was relatively easy, as to some extent it was a continuation of what I had been doing for a long time. I had
Above A visit to No 66 Squadron at Seletar, Singapore in 1968 enabled Peter to fly in, and photograph Bristol’s ‘Flying Longhouse’ Belvedere HC1s. Below Peter has a long association with Concorde and was present at Filton on 26 November 2003 to witness the final Concorde landing.
gained experience with HTV West in writing two adult education series and appearing regularly in the evening news programme. The TV company transferred my adviser role from education to air correspondent. Since its move to RAF Greenham Common in 1973, I compiled and edited the Air Tattoo programme and in 1988 was asked by the RAF Benevolent Fund, at short notice, to edit the RAF Yearbook. After its publication I was offered a rolling contract to produce magazines, books and programmes for RAF Benevolent Fund Enterprises (RAFBFE) at Fairford. I continued as a contributing editor with Aircraft Illustrated and editing several on-going book series for Ian Allan Ltd., including the annual Military Aircraft Markings that I originated in 1980. From 1996 I became a regular contributor to Pilot magazine and subsequently edited the Old Timers’ section. All the while I was building up my collection of aircraft photographs that I have supplied to a wide range of aviation magazines and book publishers for the past 60 years.
You have written over 70 aviation books – can you name some and why those subjects?
With a close interest in vintage, veteran and warbird aircraft it was natural that the first hard-back reference book I had published (by Ian Allan in 1980) should be Preserved Aircraft. This was a record of the many different types of aircraft displayed in museums and collections around the UK, some of which were still airworthy. In 1980 I made my first visit to the Confederate Air Force ‘Airsho’ at Harlingen, Texas and I quickly established a wide circle of friends among the CAF Colonels, from co-founder Lloyd Nolen and many of the warbird owners and pilots to the very supportive media team led by Russ Anderson. Over the next 25 years I flew in and photographed many CAF aircraft, and in 1991 wrote Confederate Air Force, published by Osprey Aerospace. I was honoured to be invited by the CAF to produce its 40th anniversary book in 1997. I also wrote and/or edited more than a dozen books for the RAFBFE including Brace by Wire to Fly by Wire (1993); International Air Tattoo Silver Jubilee (1996); Sabre to Stealth – 50 years of the USAF (1997); and Wright to Fly – celebrating 100 years of powered flight (2002). When Concorde test pilot Brian Trubshaw wrote his
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Inside Story of the supersonic airliner in 2000, he invited me to provide a selection of photographs to be included in it. Following Brian’s untimely death in 2001, and the last ever Concorde flight by G-BOAF to Filton on 26 November 2003, I felt really honoured to be asked by the publishers to write an additional chapter, and with it photographs, for Concorde – the complete inside story (2004). Sutton Publishing followed this up, knowing my passion for Concorde, suggesting I should produce a small, 120-page hardback, profusely illustrated guide to the Concorde story. First published in 2005 it was an instant success and led to eight more in the series, including Vulcan, Spitfire and Red Arrows stories. With the centenary of the Bristol Aeroplane Company in early 2010 fast approaching I was frustrated by not finding a publisher to take on a small book similar to the Sutton series, so I decided to produce, publish and sell Boxkite to Concorde – 100 years of Bristol Aircraft myself. I enlisted the support of the Bristol Post newspaper, Airbus and Rolls-Royce at Filton and my contacts in the aviation press and succeeded in selling more than 2,500 copies in the first year and the remaining 1,500 by 2013. I returned to another of my favourite photographic subjects – the RAF aerobatic team – to write 50 Years of the Red Arrows published by The History Press in 2014. This resulted in an approach from Royal Mail to assist with the support material for their special postage stamps featuring the team, followed by the RAF Centenary in 2018.
What aircraft have you owned?
The late Dennis Squires, a director of the Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club, became a close family friend in the early 1960s, and when he decided to buy a Cessna Skyhawk I went with him to look at various examples until he decided on 1964 C172E G-ASSS, which Rogers Aviation had for sale at Cranfield. Delivered to Lulsgate by Bob Crowe on 31 October 1965, Dennis and I shared Triple-Sierra’s cockpit for well over 2,500 flights over the next 40 years. In 1989 Dennis re-registered G-ASSS in both our names. I have continued the part ownership with my eldest son Andrew, now sharing in the Triple Sierra Flying Group.
Total number of types of aircraft and hours flown?
Of the 1,592 hours P1 time to date, more than 1,550 hours of that total has been in the Cessna 172 with the Cessna 150 and Piper Tri-Pacer making up most of the rest. That said I have ‘handled’ with a demo pilot, QFI or senior military pilot more than 60 types ranging from Chipmunk, Trago Mills SAH-1, Grumman American AA5, Harvard and Jet Provost to P-51 Mustang, Meteor TT10, Hawk T1 and Phantom FGR2. The latter was one of the most memorable. With the 25th anniversary of the F-4 Phantom being marked at IAT 83 at Greenham Common, I suggested that
Above Peter’s first hardback book was Preserved Aircraft in 1980. He has subsequently published over 70 aviation titles. Below An interesting, although rather alarming, flight on a Pterodactyl microlight at Warren Farm in 1981 was ‘not particularly enjoyable’.
a visit to an RAF F-4 squadron to obtain material for the programme and press releases would be appropriate. The upshot of this was an invitation to visit No 56 Squadron at RAF Wattisham to talk to aircrew, engineers and ops staff and take photographs on the ground and in the air. Squadron boss Wg Cdr Geoff Brindle was a confirmed ‘friend’ of IAT and hosted son Andrew and me on a couple of cold early January days. What I hadn’t anticipated was that he would arrange a long pairs sortie to get the photographs and, as he had allocated ‘twin stick’ XT908, an opportunity for me to handle the Phantom. From flying low-level out over the North Sea, putting it into a zoom climb, and trying to manoeuvre the F-4 to within range of the other fighter was awesome – an unforgettable experience for a civilian pilot. Flying circuits with John Brown in a Twin Bee amphibian at Lake Winterhaven, and piloting new C-130J Hercules ZH869 for 30 minutes with Lockheed Chief Test Pilot Wayne Roberts at Marietta in March 1998, were two of the memorable flying experiences I had in America.
Do you have a favourite and worse type flown?
My favourite has to be the vintage Cessna 172E that has proved so pilot-friendly and reliable over the 55 years that I have been flying it. It is simple (manual flaps and basic panel) and provides a stable platform for photography. The aircraft I found most difficult to fly, and therefore liked the least, is the Pterodactyl ultralight. I first met this basic weight-shift machine at Wellesbourne Mountford in 1980 and managed a few hops in the High School of Hang Gliding Limited’s G-BHEY. Run by a former pupil, I was invited to the School’s Flying Evening at Warren Farm on the Mendips the following summer, where I was encouraged as a PPL holder to fly an improved ‘controllable’ version. After a short briefing I got airborne and soon found myself at about 200ft heading away from the field. It was then that I started to have doubts about my ability to turn the aircraft to head back and land. Was this how the early pioneers felt 75 years before? I did manage to work out how to do it with the help of the throttle in my left hand, control stick in my right and some careful body movement. The successful landing (I walked away from it!) was more by luck than judgement.
How did you get involved with RIAT?
I visited North Weald in May 1971 to cover the RAF Association South East Area’s first Air Tattoo for Air Pictorial and met Pat Bowen, the Tattoo’s publicity manager, who said that his son Paul, who was the air operations manager, would help during the day. This he did, giving me a ‘staff pass’ and taking me to the operational side of the airfield to photograph some of the participants. He asked me to let him have a set of my photos, which I did, and I subsequently received a letter March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 59
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from the Organising Secretary, Sqn Ldr Jack Currie, thanking me for my ‘help’ with the successful first display. I was invited to help with the programme and take photographs at the 1972 Embassy Air Tattoo – so I became established as a volunteer. The big move to RAF Greenham Common in July 1973 saw me with an additional role as press officer, plus programme editor and member of the photo team. I continued with these tasks in 1974, the last year the event was organised by RAFA SE. With the possibility that the Air Tattoo was finished, a group of us, including Paul Bowen and Tim Prince, both air traffic controllers at Boscombe Down, met at a pub in Wiltshire to see if there was any way forward. Thankfully Paul and Tim found it by securing the backing of the RAF Benevolent Fund with Air Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling becoming Chairman of the IAT76 organising committee, and Sir Douglas Bader as President. I was given a free hand to produce a bigger and more prestigious programme and secured the gifted aviation artist Wilf Hardy to produce one of his stunning paintings for the cover. I continued as press officer and member of the photographic team until 1981, after which I concentrated on the programme and became manager of photographic services for all of the Tattoos until 2012. I am hoping to complete 50 years as a volunteer photographer at RIAT 2021.
What have been your best aviation moments?
Flying in a Cameroon special shape balloon from the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta across my home city early in the morning was marvellous. But piloting Cessna 172 VR-HRH out of Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong on a cross-country flight to Sek Kong and landing back at Kai Tak before the airliners streamed in was incredible. My first visit to Oshkosh in 2011 is also indelibly marked in my memory. I hadn’t anticipated such a magnificent feast of aviation.
Below A lucky escape at Midland Texas. Peter was in the rear seat of this Harvard T-6 when wake turbulence caused a goundloop and subsequent collision with another Harvard.
to the east, we started to drop behind, and the other pilot said that smoke was coming from our exhaust. Pilot Tony Crowe declared an emergency and we turned back for Cranfield, by which time smoke was beginning to come into the cabin. Skilful flying and knowing the aircraft and local area meant that Tony touched down safely just inside the airfield boundary. The fire crew said we looked like a Red Arrows Hawk trailing a big plume of smoke. I brushed up on PFLs in my Cessna 172 after that! Far more serious was a landing accident at Midland, Texas at the end of an air-to-air photo shoot after the CAF Airshow in October 1997. I was in the backseat of the lead Harvard in a flight of three, having been hurriedly recalled to the airfield as a thunderstorm was approaching. We were making a stream landing and at three miles a Boeing 737 took off ahead of us. It was a calm evening and as we were slowing down, we ground looped, at about the point that the 737 had started to get airborne. We swung round in front of the following T-6 that was still travelling quite fast. He collided with us and sliced off most of our fin and rudder and removed the astrodome immediately behind the rear canopy. We taxied to the T-6 line tailless, causing considerable consternation among the ground crews. Fortunately, no-one was injured – I was very lucky! The lesson I graphically learned from this – beware of wake turbulence whether landing or taking off, particularly when there is little or no wind to dissipate the vortices from the other aircraft. It was a hot, calm evening and the lightly loaded 737 was quickly airborne. ■
Any aviation heroes?
As for many boys who were teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s and saw Reach for the Sky and The Dambusters, my heroes included Douglas Bader and Guy Gibson.
Any ‘hairy’ aviation moments?
I have had one or two narrow scrapes while engaged in air-to-air photography. Flying out of Cranfield in a Cessna 182 to photograph a new Cessna Caravan and in the climb
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Music maestro
Headset review
Sounds like trouble…
Listening to music while flying is a technological joy. Except when it eliminates the sound of the engine stopping, as Nick Long reports
T
o carry out the 8.33 kHz conversion in my Beagle Pup, I ended up rebuilding the entire avionics installation, and one of the by-products was the ability to play music. This then led to the question of what the best tracks are for flying, so I assembled some of my favourites and tried one out on my daughter. On the second chord, she said “I know this, dad; this is Roundabout.” “How do you know Roundabout?” I asked, wondering how a teenager today would know a track from my youth, nearly 50 years ago. “It’s a meme,” she said, as if that both explained everything and was something I couldn’t be expected to understand. I do know what a meme is (many of us reading this possibly don’t; it is apparently an ‘in joke’ snippet that can be produced in any number of media forms, pictures, words, video, music etc. Rather like a light-hearted or sarcastic comment the older generation might make in conversation to introduce a little levity. Ed.) But my point is that Roundabout is a classic song, one that has stuck in my mind for nearly 50 years. It is long, complex, and the lyrics, like everything from Yes, are utterly incomprehensible. It is not that they are garbled, every word is clear, I can parse the words into
grammatically correct individual sentences but what I can’t do is to assemble those sentences into a coherent narrative. Opera, it is not; folk song, it is not. Nor is it the ballad of road traffic management. Roundabout is prog-rock and for that, the world is a better place.
Flight plan
Below Nick Long in his Beagle Pup. His avionics system is high-end and includes the ability to listen to music through his headset. Photo: Neil Wilson.
A few weeks later, I settled into the cruise at 3,500ft over Holland. All was good. I had a flight plan from Headcorn to a field just inside Germany. Once on the ground, I would go back across the Dutch border to my meeting – no paperwork, no passport check – I like this free movement business. At the time though, I had been cleared all the way across Holland, the weather was perfect, so I turned on the music and the shuffle went to Roundabout. I play the music from my phone and it goes by Bluetooth to the audio panel. I have the wiring sorted so there are no unwanted noises, no alternator whine, no clicks or pops; even the firing of the xenon strobes cannot be heard. With the PS engineering panel and the Bose headsets it is all rather good quality. Cruising along with the music playing I couldn’t hear the sound of the engine running. More importantly, I didn’t hear it stop. What I did notice was a change in the feel of the aeroplane. Suddenly I was looking at the ground instead of the sky and all the gauges were rotating rapidly anti-clockwise. On the second take, I realised that either the aeroplane or I had gone automatically to best glide speed, and it was only the altimeter and the rpm needles that were rotating. I remember thinking that it is an awfully nosedown attitude when you are doing it for real. I started mentally running through what I would have to do. There was no real need to worry at this stage – it was a flat country and a long way down. There was a very good chance of finding a suitable field when I was lower. Best to make turns to the left to keep the landing spot in sight. The Beagle Pup slips beautifully, even with full flap, so I could plan a steep approach and make it even steeper if needed. It is important to control the speed, for some reason the stick was a long way forward. I trimmed it out for 65kt. Calmly, I began looking for some smoke to get the wind direction. Then I thought I probably ought to talk to someone on the way down and they could give me the wind. All that would be easier with the music off. This is not a straightforward process. You have to wake up the phone, enter the passcode while it is still displaying sideways, and then start navigating to the music player and look for the pause button. I was part way through this when a
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Music maestro
“Cruising along with the music playing I couldn’t hear the sound of the engine running. More importantly, I didn’t hear it stop”
voice in my head said, ‘stop pratting about and fly the bloody plane’. That’s when I started behaving properly: hands and eyes flew around the cockpit doing the checks. The engine started again, the revs came up, the nose came up and we settled at 3,300ft. Perception of time is different during a drama. Had I really only lost 200ft, and all this had happened inside the eternal split second. On the other hand, I could have drifted high – I have a chronic inability to fly straight and level – a trade of speed for height could have been worth 300ft. Put it all together and it is just possible I fell 700ft, taking maybe 20 seconds. Any presumptions about getting away with this at circuit height are profoundly unsafe. I normally fly with both wing tanks selected, but shortly after take-off from Headcorn, I had switched to the left tank to balance the aeroplane and remove some niggling aileron trim. Then I had forgotten about it. I had flown across England, then across water off the French and Belgian coasts and halfway across Holland. The numbers worked out; the fuel had run out at exactly half the endurance of the aeroplane. Problem solved, I continued to my destination in silence – I didn’t feel in the mood for prog-rock.
Numerous gadgets
You have to learn something from incidents, you have to gain something from adversity. Otherwise you are forever going backwards. There are a lot of gadgets that will give you reminders to switch tanks – prog-rock isn’t one of them though. So, I’ve changed my checklists and procedures. Now there are more thorough checks on the fuel system before I descend to my destination or join a circuit. What would
Above Nick’s phone runs his SkyDemon nav as well as providing his prog-rock via Bluetooth. To stop the music he has to switch to the music app and turn it off. Not entirely satisfactory in a crisis. Photo: Neil Wilson.
also be good as well, is a single switch to turn off all the audio distractions. This is something Ian Fraser advocated in his article in December’s LA. It sounds like a simple job but is in fact, not that simple. Many audio panels take in the external audio unswitched and with no volume adjustment – control is done back at the device generating the noise. I have seen mute switches on EFIS and engine monitoring systems and it would not be difficult to have an extra switch that operated all of these at once, and physically interrupted the rest of the inputs. One difficulty is that the designer has to work out which noises are essential, and which are distractions – it would be all too easy to end up with a row of switches instead of one simple mute button. But the big difficulty is with Bluetooth and other wireless connections. Unless the audio panel has a disconnect, you have to go back to the source device. I have been practising on the ground the best way to turn the music off. Of course, Ian also questioned the wisdom of the pilot using headsets that are so ‘quiet’ that they perhaps eliminated sounds – like the engine – which meant we did not get an aural warning if something was going awry. I’m still pondering on that one. Finally, though, I worked out why the nose was so low and the descent rate so high. When we practice forced landings, the throttle is pulled back to idle. The engine is still turning the prop. But when the motive power completely goes, the prop is turning the engine and that sucks energy out of the airstream – energy that has to be replaced by coming down faster. If I ever really have to do it for real, I might try a low speed, low G bunt to stop the prop. ■ March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 41
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Project News
Projects which inspire others to build their own aircraft Compiled by Mike Slaughter
Project News S o far it’s been a good winter to be in the workshop, very mild, and there has even been the odd flying day – assuming that your strip isn’t waterlogged of course, as I know very many are. The Project News inbox continues to see a good level of traffic, of which we have a selection here. Thank you everybody who has taken the time to send me their stories. The Rearwin Skyranger, not to be confused with the modernday microlight using the same ‘surname’, was a product of Rearwin Aircraft just prior to the United States’ involvement in WWII. Of classic construction, the example below would appear to be one of only two flying examples in the UK. We have seen a number of Europa completions lately, and Paul Mansfield has finished a very nice looking example after a couple of decades.
Thanks to the wonders of modern sports cameras, the internet is awash with flying videos, however, I was very impressed with Paul’s early flight footage, there’s a link at the end of his project update. Another lengthy project is Steve Jones’ Comper Swift, 17 years and the airframe is about ready to cover, but he has had to craft every piece. It really is a delightful piece of work. Already off onto his next project, Dudley Pattison found himself in a bit of a lull. He’d finished his KFA Safari wings, written up in January’s Light Aviation, but is waiting for the fuselage kit to arrive from South Africa. So fortunately, he has taken the time to update us on his recently finished RV-7A. To get in touch with Project News, and tell your story, report a milestone or just to send a picture, email: projectnews@laaarchive.org.uk. Please share your story!
G-RWIN (s/n 1522) Rearwin 175 Skyranger By Jonathan Marten-Hale
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y late friend Ash bought this aircraft in July 2003 as a bit of fun and a retirement project. He flew it around for three years or so and then started a complete nut and bolt restoration, for which he undertook a massive amount of research into the company and the individual aircraft, serial no. 1522. Talking to members of the Rearwin family and many of the very helpful Rearwin owners in the US, he established a lot of the history, including the colour scheme in which it left the factory back in 1940. After 13 years the re-build was complete, and the aircraft moved to a hangar at Old Warden where an issue with the rebuilt engine was found. Sadly, while this issue was being resolved, Ash fell ill and very shortly afterwards passed away, never having seen what had become his passion actually fly. His friend and inspector, Chris Morris, and I had taken it on in the hope of at least getting Ash up in it before he succumbed, but we failed. We took the paperwork to Francis at the end of November, Ash was an aircraft engineer as well as pilot
Below G-RWIN pictured at Old Warden on 10 January this year. Photo: Garry Lakin
and his file on India November is very comprehensive – a Permit to test arrived almost instantly. In the lovely sunshine on 1 December, I had the honour of taking her into the air with some very emotional family and friends present. It was a real credit to Ash in that everything was perfect, with no adjustments necessary. The interior trim has yet to be fitted but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to continuing with the testing to get her Permit and then taking all the family for rides.
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Project News Left The late Ashley Bourne with the Rearwin as she neared completion. Photo: Jonathan Marten-Hale Below A lovely looking vintage dash. Still a number of finishing touches are required. Photo: Jonathan MartenHale
G-PLPM (LAA 247-13287) Europa XS By Paul Mansfield
O
n Thursday 6 February 2020 at 1545 UTC, Popham (EGHP) Runway 08 saw the first take-off of Europa XS Mono G-PLPM, in the hands of her builder, Paul Mansfield. It was a textbook first flight – 25 minutes airborne, 47kt clean stall, 39kt with flaps. A negligible roll to the right after about 20 seconds hands-off, and a slight left wing drop on configured stall. I have many people to thank for their help, support and encouragement over the last 20 years, so please
forgive me if I have left you off, you know who you are. Jackie for all the inspiration, motivation and saying no to the sillier ideas I had along the way; Andy Draper for endless invaluable advice and tips; the late, great, Nev Eyre for all the tricks; Pete Jeffers for final inspection and, last but not least, David Joyce for his nagging to get finished and flying! Sexy Susie the Fibreglass Floozy flies! There is a very good video of Paul’s early flights at https://tinyurl.com/G-PLPM March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 17
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Project News
Above At the end of the second day of flight testing, the sky beckons The Fibreglass Floozy to come play again. Photo: Mike Astles Left Outside her home hangar in the early morning November sunshine last year. Photo: Paul Mansfield
G-ECDT (PFA-103-13985) Comper Swift By Steve Jones
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y 2002 I had built a couple of miniature steam locomotives, re-engined my motorbike and a Triumph TR7, helped refurbish a wooden boat, and rebuilt a Cassutt Racer – so I was searching for something else to get my teeth into. I decided it would be a great idea to build a classic wooden aircraft. The choice narrowed down to either a Chilton or, if I could find a Pobjoy engine, a Comper Swift. I knew that both were not particularly straightforward builds, and that the Comper was a complicated production aircraft that was never intended for amateur construction. To make things more interesting, apparently some of the factory drawings were missing… However, it is a rare classic… and it has folding wings. After several months of searching for a Pobjoy engine (including cold-calling everyone named Cox in the Bristol phonebook), I managed to find a decent engine, so the Swift project was a goer. The chap selling the engine turned out to be the remarkable ‘Tim’ Cox who was persuaded to become
my Inspector. A marvellously irreverent gentleman who has recently, and very sadly, passed away to his ‘workshop in the sky’. Paul Prince, of the now closed Aviation Metalcraft, supplied a set of drawings and also cut most of the sheet steel from his CAD data. After several weeks of studying the drawings and noting useful dimensions, I ordered the entire requirement of spruce from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty in the US – and added about 25% for my mistakes. It arrived in a huge box, via airfreight. Now almost 18 years later, I still have a useful amount remaining! I also bought an utterly brilliant American table saw – not expensive nor clever, but quiet and accurate. It is just the best thing ever. In those days, airline baggage limits were pretty loose so I disassembled the saw in my Orlando hotel room and packed it into five large boxes for the flight home! I still shudder when I think of that. When I was a teenager, I had been fortunate to spend three years as an aircraft engineering apprentice at
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Kidlington. This bit of experience has probably saved my Swift project from being put up for sale or featuring in a fiery 5 November celebration. It would be fair to say that, although incredibly rewarding, as a first attempt the Comper is not an easy aeroplane to build. Adding pressure to do a good job were the two previous examples completed since 1932, beautifully crafted by John Greenland and Phil Cozens. John was the real pathfinder who must have been extremely driven to find a way forward. I visited him many years ago, where he was warm and generous, but I will always remember the feeling that he couldn’t quite hide – that this itty-bitty little aeroplane was a lot more complicated than it looked, and that I would never get very far! This still motivates me to get the thing finished to a standard that he might have liked.
Cheerful enthusiasm
Phil started several years ahead of me and has always generously shared his time and knowledge, to assist. Likewise, he unwittingly motivates me, but this time by his cheerful enthusiasm. Phil has written about the construction of these remarkable machines, so I can’t add much. The required engineering skills range all the way from quite complex sheet-steel work, through model engineering and furniture making, to basic guitar construction (the cockpit area). My wife Judith still wonders why the kettle kept having to be replaced (when I happened to be steaming small bits of spruce). In our household, the term ‘using for the other purpose’ has applied to many everyday items. It is an absolutely fascinating project which has kept me sane during the long winter months. Every summer, flying prevents me from making any progress, so the poor ‘Comper’ sits and waits. It has weathered the usual job changes, housebuilds and other projects, but has happily and patiently waited its turn. There is still a lot of work to do before it (hopefully) goes flying, but in early February 2020 it left the shed to stand outside, in the fresh air and sunlight, fully assembled for the first time. Suddenly, we seemed to be in the presence of an aeroplane. The wings even folded as advertised – a real milestone. Anyway, straight back into the shed and back to work. If I’m spared, I will scribble another note as we near completion.
Top right The Comper assembled for the first time in February of this year. Photo: Steve Jones Second right With Steve’s wife Judith standing alongside the aircraft it is quite apparent how petite it actually is. She’s smiling, so she must have found her kettle… Photo: Steve Jones w Third right Some of the intricate metalwork and woodwork required in the Comper Swift is evident in this picture. Photo: Steve Jones Fourth right To the craftsman the spoils, Steve tries his beautiful handiwork for size, and it fits like a glove. Photo: Steve Jones
G-DPRV (LAA 323-15455) Van’s RV-7A By Dudley Pattison
A
fter nearly three years, my RV-7A has been issued with a test permit. As I am covered in rust due to lack of flying lately, Dan Griffith will be carrying out the testing for me. Dan is the chap that did a superb job of test flying my Flitzer Z1Ra a few years back, so I have every confidence in his abilities. The test flying will be done at Enstone as a hard runway was stipulated by LAA Engineering, due to the nosewheel problems that can occur on RV A models. I chose the ‘A’ model as crosswind landings, especially on hard runways, appear to be getting more difficult the older I get, plus it’s also nice to see a bit more whilst taxying. It should perform well as it has a Titan 0-340 driving a Hartzell c/s prop. I was steered toward the Titan by Andy Philips (Andair) who swears by them. It is a Lycoming clone and is in effect a stroked 0-320, so it fits
the 0-320 engine mount, and the crossover exhaust system supplied by Van’s fits perfectly. After building an RV-4 in the early Noughties in about three-and-a-quarter years, I thought I would get a 7A done in two, or just over. Although the self-jigging, matched hole components do speed up the initial build stages, after that initial surge you are deposited back into reality doing all those ‘one-hour jobs’ that take a day each. So, as I write this, I am literally awaiting a call from Dan to arrange a time and date for the maiden flight, for which everything, as usual, will be crossed. I have slipped up in one area though. At the same time as I started the final rig at Enstone, I picked up a wing kit for a KFA Safari, which is the next project. One of the reasons for choosing the Safari is that it features March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 19
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Project News Below right Back to being in the red tails as per the Flitzer. My RV-4 was G-RVDP, hence this reg. So, I can’t build any more RV’s now. Photo: Dudley Pattison Left The aircraft was treated like a Rolls-Royce (his more normal cargo) when transported by Ed Rudler. There was even a CCTV system so that from the cab you could see that the cargo was safe. Photo: Dudley Pattison
wing folding. But, I discovered after getting hooked on the design that it is not wing folding in the usual sense, as it takes some time to fold the wings and is not a thing to be done before each flying session. It is more for long-term storage or transportation. What that means is that when I am ready to rig the Safari in my hangar, there won’t be room for the RV-7A as well, which was the initial plan. So in about a year’s time you may see a low houred, and still shiny RV-7A up for sale!
G-BCPU (s/n C1-0839) DHC-1 Chipmunk 22 By Paul Green
I
have just moved my Chipmunk onto an LAA Permit to Fly for a number of reasons – mainly access to experienced engineering staff, access to spares and replacement parts and the ability to use the aircraft for remunerated use and instructional purposes. The test flying was completed recently, and I hope to have the new Permit to Fly very soon. The aircraft, WP973, was with the RAF until demob in 1974 and was one of a number of aircraft to attend the Queen's Coronation review at RAF Odiham in 1952. After demob, it was owned and operated by Peter Walker at Booker on a CofA, and I purchased it in 2013. I operated it on a CofA until December 2019, using it for display flying, instruction and personal use supporting RAF Families Days and other events, such as RIAT 2016, and 2018 for the RAF 100 celebration which, again, was a royal review event. That’s two royal inspections now. The aircraft was also selected as a finalist at the Concours d’Elegance RIAT 2018. I take the aircraft back to Odiham every year to support the Families Day event and park it on a spot close to the one it occupied back in 1952. Above Location and photographer unknown, but taxying shot shows how very tidy Paul Green’s Chipmunk is. A welcome addition to the LAA fleet. Left Paul taxying past B17 Sally B to park, RAF Odiham Families Day 2019. Photo: Paul Green
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Project News
G-AIEK (s/n 6339) Miles M38 Messenger 2A
B
ack in the December edition of Light Aviation, Cleared to Fly listed G-AIEK as it had clearly made the move to an LAA Permit to Fly. Project News has recently been forwarded a photograph of this aircraft that I thought worthy of
Below At an event in 2010, a nice shot of ’EK on her mains.
inclusion, as it’s such a good picture. She is adorned in the markings of RG333, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s personal aircraft that he used to survey the Normandy beachhead, only a few days after the landings.
New Projects If your aircraft has been featured in the New Projects list, please let Project News know of your progress at: projectnews@laa-archive.org.uk n Glastar Sportsman (LAA 295A-15687) 01/29/2020 Mr D Fraser, The Coach House, Church Lane, East Harptree, Bristol, BS40 6BE n Sherwood Ranger-ST (LAA 237B-15686) 20/01/2020 Mr G Elvis, 8 Hussey Road, Norton Canes,
Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 9TP n Sling 4 TSI (LAA 400A-15682) 10/01/2020 Mr Holford, 15 The Hydons Salt Lane, Hydestile, Surrey, GU8 4DD n Bristell NG5 Speed Wing (LAA 38515685) 13/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Taylor JT.1 Monoplane (LAA 055-15684) 13/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen (LAA 411-15683)
10/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n TL2000UK Sting Carbon S4 (LAA 347A-15681) 09/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Van's RV-7 (LAA 323-15680) 09/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering n Zenair CH 601HDS (LAA 162-15679) 02/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering
n G-PLPM Europa XS (LAA 247-13287) 20/01/2020 Mr Paul Mansfield, 109 Brand House, Coombe Way, Farnborough, GU14 7GD n G-KALM Aeroprakt A22-LS Foxbat (LAA 317B-15636) 22/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering
n G-BCPU DHC-1 Chipmunk 22 (s/n C1-0839) 30/01/2020 Name & Address held by LAA Engineering
Cleared To Fly If your aircraft has featured recently in the magazine and has subsequently completed its maiden flight, Project News would like to hear from you at: projectnews@laa-archive.org.uk
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Safety Spot
The latest LAA Engineering topics and investigations. By Malcolm McBride
Safety Spot Malcolm takes a deeper look at the 2019 LAA Accident survey
H
ello and welcome to this spring edition of Safety Spot. March is the month of the vernal equinox (Friday March 20 to be exact) which, in layman’s terms means we get the sun back! I know that many of you have been really stymied by the weather throughout this winter – I don’t think I remember it ever being quite so wet, although personally I’m quite lucky operating from Turweston as it has a hard runway, so I’ve managed a few hours during the winter. Fingers and toes crossed for a good summer season. Thank you, as always, to those of you that have taken the time to write to us about various safety matters you think are worth sharing. Your stories (and adventures) are the fuel in Safety Spot’s tank – please keep them coming.
Category
No. of incidents
Operational
50 (66%)
Operational/Technical
17 (22%) 6 (8%) 3 (4%)
Technical Fatal Total
76 (100%)
Above Here’s the Pie chart showing the broad distribution of events that have befallen some of our aircraft-owning members through 2019. Now that we’ve included the Op/Tech category into the Pie you can see the dangers in making quick judgements based upon simple number sets. Looking at it one-way, Operational plus Op/Tech, the total Operational events adds up to 88%, but look in the other direction, Op/Tech plus Technical, and a third of all our incidents have some Technical issue lurking in the shadows. Credit: LAA Engineering
Without, I hope at least, sounding too ‘preachy’, keep in mind that both you and your aircraft may be a little rusty in one or two of those ‘hard-to-reach’ areas. Before you set off for what might be the first flight together for some time, take a moment out and run through your personal ‘checklist of sensible actions’ to see if what you’re planning falls inside an acceptable risk zone – you’ll know when you’re in it as the hairs on the back of your neck stop twitching. Managing safety, the theme of this month’s Safety Spot, is the qualified pilot’s primary job, but already this year we’ve had a few minor events which could very likely have been avoided, had the pilot involved taken the trouble to book half an hour with an LAA coach or instructor. We all learn from our mistakes and, just as well perhaps, from our successes, though personal mistakes can often be expensive. A cheaper route is to learn from others’ good and bad experiences and that’s what Safety Spot is pretty much about… passing on others’ good and bad aviation-related experiences. Personally, I do think that as much can be learned from a pilot’s story relating a successful forced landing after an engine failure, as can be learned from one that didn’t go that well. This month’s Safety Spot rather dwells on the misfortunes affecting our members during the 2019 season, no good news stories I’m afraid in this edition. As promised in the January mag, this year we’re publishing the full 2019 incident/accident list albeit, of necessity, in a very abbreviated form. Despite the brevity of the list, we’re very appreciative that every line represents a bad day for one of our flyers – if you’re affected in any way, whatever the outcome since your incident, our
Phase of Flight Start Taxi Take-Off En route Landing Sub-total
Primary Category
Tech 1 4 1
Op/Tech 1 2 14
Operational 3 1 11 2 33
6
17
50
Above This table, which doesn’t include the 2019 fatal accidents and rather backs up by numbers what we pilots all really know – that landings can be challenging and can easily go wrong! The individual reports suggest that many landing incidents could have been avoided if an earlier decision to ‘go-around’ had been made by the pilot when things started to fall out of place – identifying the early signs of an unstable approach is clearly a skill worth honing. Credit: LAA Engineering
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Safety Spot
Above: Errors of Procedure – ‘Checklists’! This Starduster was temporarily operating in Spain when the engine suddenly stopped as the aircraft climbed away from the airfield, and was one of four incidents affecting LAA aircraft whilst operating overseas during the 2019 season. The accident report was published by the Spanish Authorities and it described the cause of the stoppage as ‘lack of fuel’. After discussion, it turned out that the pilot (who was uninjured in the incident), for reasons that remain a mystery, selected the empty fuel tank (rather than the full one) whilst conducting his pre-fight checks – he remains a little bemused as to the reason why! Photo: Comision de Investigacion de Accidents (Spain)
Above: Loss of Control 1 – During the Landing Phase: The picture shows a Jodel D117a after the pilot lost control of his aircraft during landing. In the report into the incident the main reason given for this incident was local turbulence – in my hang-gliding days we used to call this rotor. But if one’s going to learn from this type of incident one needs to be a little more critical – blaming an incident on the weather is easy after all. We learned, during our discussions with the pilot, that he ‘struggled’ all the way down the approach and, to add to the struggle, he was a bit distracted because he was worrying about the windsock indicating an occasionally strong crosswind. We have to consider that the real reason for the broken aircraft wasn’t the rotor at all, it was an earlier decision to carry on with an unstable approach.
thoughts and best wishes are with you – after all, we’re flyers too. If you’re a flyer, then avoiding being on such a list is surely a primary objective! Over the next few pages we’ll lay out the incidents that affected members through the 2019 season and, by briefly discussing a few specific incidents, I’ll try to explain why we feel it’s so important to share this information. But of course, without your participation we’ll have nothing to talk about, so thank you again for playing your part in supporting the LAA’s excellent safety culture.
shouldn’t reflect badly on the aircrew or bias a statistic. Adding the engine failure into the causation list also means we’re now counting the engine failures more effectively! This is one of many examples of why the Op/Tech category is so valuable – we hope you agree.
The LAA Incident List
You will note as you peruse the full list on pages 52 and 53, that we have listed 76 individual events, a number very similar to the 72 events listed in the 2018 event list. However, while tempting to do so, I personally feel that it would be unwise to take too much stock of a year by year number comparison. Though trend analysis is a useful tool in some areas of safety management, care needs to be taken to ensure that the assessor is actually measuring like with like – as a safety engineer I often come across examples where apples are being measured against pears… OK, they both taste good! However, beware statistics! We’ve learned that, rather than worrying about data collection protocol, particularly variance of opinion about reporting rate and accounting bias, it’s more rewarding to look within the incidents themselves and try to dissect out the key structural elements supporting the incident itself, both the human factors issues and the technical ones. That’s the main reason for introducing the Op/Tech category. A good example of why the previous ‘polar’ method of data collection, dividing accidents only into operational or technical groups, wasn’t really reflecting reality is how we measured loss of control landing (LOC-L) incidents. This type of incident is certainly the biggest grouping, but before we invented the Op/Tech category, when a pilot suffered an engine failure and broke the aircraft during the field landing, this was counted as a pilot error incident (LOC-L), end of story. After all, as the ANO states … an aircraft must be flown in such a way that a successful landing must be able to be made in the event of... More recently we’ve felt this unfair and rather missed the point. Even though we know that landing and take-off incidents rank top in the number of incidents, hiding real primary cause (engine failure) behind a less than perfect field landing does nobody any good. As it’s ‘quite likely’ that an aircraft will be damaged even in a well-executed forced landing, we now feel that when this happens it
Technical Issues
Fortunately, technical failures leading to an accident are a rare thing in the LAA system. It’s clear that our bottom up (rather than top down) robust engineering safety management system works. Notwithstanding that many of us have been long-term supporters of an owner-managed continuing airworthiness system, we’re very lucky that history has gifted us an organisation like the LAA. I’m a passionate supporter of what we now define as the ‘association model’ of managing the safety of members and their aircraft; it offers a proportional and therefore affordable aircraft management paradigm as an alternative to an essentially government managed certification and approval system. Our model requires owners of their LAA administered Permit aircraft to take personal responsibility for the continued airworthiness of their machines, it’s not just about pilotage. Naturally, owners couldn’t possibly operate in a vacuum, our national network of highly gifted inspectors must become partners in these individual operations. Over the last few years, we’ve seen improvements in efficiency and, hopefully, efficacy, in all areas of our continuing airworthiness support. The annual inspection to revalidate the Permit to Fly on a member’s aircraft both remains a fantastic fleet oversight tool and calendar inspection point. But alongside this, recognising that many of our aircraft are moving towards vintage status, we’ve introduced the Tailored Maintenance Schedule (TMS) and this is becoming the normal, rather than a required exception. A well-drafted TMS will take account of local operational factors, manufacturer’s suggestions, annual utilisation and, in this article’s context, fleet safety advice. We’re very quickly moving towards a requirement to manage an aircraft in accordance with the aircraft’s Type Acceptance Data Sheet (TADS); as these type-specific documents grow it will become an essential tool for the member owner-operator. Certainly, the jewel in the crown of our ‘association’ model is the active participation by our members – essentially feedback. But of course, effective feedback is a part of many arenas, the LAA system itself doesn’t operate in a vacuum. The engineering team at HQ is accountable to the CAA, as indeed the CAA is accountable to the government and, in our democracy, the government is accountable to March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 49
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Safety Spot the people. In the broader sense, we’re all our brother’s keeper. Sometimes the feedback we receive about the airworthiness standard of one of our aircraft is a little disheartening. Recently, for example, a report about a questionable acceptance standard of one of our aircraft reached a CAA surveyor’s ears. He carried out an inspection of the aircraft with our Chief Inspector, Ken Craigie and during the discussions, we agreed to remind owners and inspectors of their wider responsibility, especially with regard to the continuing airworthiness of the aircraft in their joint charge. One area we promised to highlight is the very great importance of establishing an understanding of the rules surrounding what you need to do before making changes to an aircraft – in aircraft engineering parlance, modifications. Essentially you need to ask, ‘does this change need a formal approval?’ The best way to find this out is first to ask your inspector, he or she will have the experience to advise you. If you both aren’t sure, then write or email HQ Engineering and ask the question – we have an excellent team of certification and approval engineers here at Turweston who will point you in the right direction. A message to inspectors here: during the annual inspection make a point of asking the
owner whether any changes have been incorporated during the preceding year; if they have, make sure you evaluate them to see whether a Mod. should have been raised. One thing that came about via the CAA ‘findings’ discussed above, was a discussion about the pros and cons of using the same inspector year after year. On one side of the argument, it has to be said that the relationship between the inspector and the owner isn’t just about signing-out the aircraft for its annual revalidation. Operating an aircraft in our Permit scheme is, as we’ve already talked about, an ongoing partnership. On the other side of the table though, it has to be said that complacency can set in. From experience, this is particularly true with aircraft that do very few flying hours per year. Certainly, as part of your TMS, it is worth considering, hopefully with the full agreement of your usual inspector, to think about getting a fresh pair of eyes on your machine every now and then. Owners, inspectors, and indeed HQ staff, all operate within a complex safety-oriented framework. It’s both reactive to occurrences, as you will have seen if you are a regular reader of this column, and proactive when it perceives that tweaks are needed in our system.
Safety Strategy – Everybody’s Business
Above: A purely technical event? 1. This year’s numbers show us that 8% of the incidents recorded during aircraft operation were due to technical matters. This relatively low number perhaps reflects the excellent safety culture within the LAA system… but let’s not get complacent. The picture above, first featured in the June 2019 Safety Spot, shows a failed rudder pedal on a Tri-Kis aircraft. After a failure incident like this it’s important to ensure that the owners of similar aircraft are made aware of the incident quickly, so that they can check their aircraft. In this case an Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL) was issued requiring the inspection and reinforcement of the rudder pedal assembly. Photo: Duncan Sutherland
Of course, Safety Spot isn’t the only tool in the LAA’s safety arsenal, far from it actually. For example, if an incident has been caused because of a failing component, fortunately quite a rare type of event, we will almost certainly contact other LAA members who might be affected to let them know that there’s been a problem with ‘this or that’ part as soon as practically possible. Naturally, the resulting letter explains what has happened… and that it would be a good idea to take a look at your aircraft before you next fly. Importantly, as we’re chatting about the importance of feedback, we always ask in the letter what’s found – on average some 90% respond. In turn, often depending on the feedback we receive from these first-contacts, the issue could become promulgated further using a web-based Airworthiness Alert (if you’ve not seen one of these ‘Alerts’, take a look in the ‘Engineering’ section of our website, they make interesting reading). Incidentally, LAA Engineering issued 25 of these Airworthiness Alerts last year, rather a record, though only one or two of them were the result of an actual in-flight incident. It should be said that the steady increase in Alerts is rather a result of improvements in feedback rather than a sign of a crumbling fleet. If we feel that an event falls into the region of ‘must do something about this’, the event might drive the production of an LAA Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL) or perhaps a CAA Mandatory Permit Directive (MPD). These devices have the advantage of longevity as, as you know, they’ll need to be entered into the aircraft’s log-book – but, in the LAA system, as the TADS become more widely used, the depth and availability of safety information will be significantly improved. Generally,
Above: A purely technical event? 2. The pilot of the above Rotorsport MTO-3 two-seat gyroplane reported taxying carefully using brake and throttle when the brakes suddenly failed. Everything then ‘fell apart’ very quickly and the aircraft left the taxiway, rolled down a steep bank, and fell on its side. Sadly, the aircraft was written off by the insurers, but thankfully there were no injuries. Though listed as a technical failure (the glue joint between the pad itself and its steel attachment plate failed) it has to be said that component design, ongoing inspection and flight operations from unusual airfields were factors worth exploring. Photos: Brendan Reade 50 | LIGHT AVIATION | March 2020
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Safety Spot
Left: Loss of Control – Manoeuvring Losing control during most phases of flight often means losing control of airspeed, generally because the pilot involved has been distracted. The pilot of this Zenair Zodiac walked away from this incident, and feels that the gods must have been on his side that day. During an overhead join, he became distracted by other traffic and the aircraft span in. A sad end to a well turned-out Zodiac – though aircraft can be replaced, people can’t. Photos: Joe Evans/Kevin Creed
I’ll follow relevant feedback we receive with a story in Safety Spot . But, in Safety Spot , as you will know if you’re a regular reader, we do like to widen the story… ‘catch the peripherals’ as a biologist friend of mine often says. Actually, widening the story is a central goal… most incidents throw-up multiple causes – though an incident may have a key element that might be described as a principle cause, over-egging this bit of the story is, quite likely, to be quite limited in its safety affect… perhaps involving just a few aircraft … chatting through one of the peripherals might send a powerful safety message to many. Often, perhaps labouring the point, the most effective safety messages very often lurk in the shadows of a story. Of course, detail aside for a moment, one of the best ways of staying safe is to live, work and fly within a good safety culture; often it’s years of experience that sets the boundaries – not the rules. So, talking about boundaries, I think that I’ve just reached my word limit so, as always, Fair Winds.
Above: Safety Strategy No annual safety ‘round-up’ would be complete without a paragraph or two about how we’re all going to try to reduce the number of safety-related events this year (We are, aren’t we?). I initially thought that a picture of a damaged machine would be just perfect, but this issue of Safety Spot features rather too many bad news pictures already. So, after a flash of inspiration, I gathered up all the safety-related literature I could find in the many files on my desk, spread them out and well, you can see what most of my day involves. I’m sure you will recognise quite a few of the safety leaflets in the picture above. Photo: Malcolm McBride
LAA engineering charges LAA Project Registration Kit Built Aircraft £300 Plans Built Aircraft £50 Issue of a Permit to Test Fly Non-LAA approved design only £40 Initial Permit issue Up to 450kg £450 451-999kg £550 1,000kg and above £650 Permit Renewal (can now be paid online via LAA Shop) Up to 450kg £155 451-999kg £200 1,000kg and above £230 Factory-built gyroplanes (all weights) £250 Note: if the last Renewal wasn’t administered by the LAA an extra fee of £125 applies Modification application Prototype modification minimum £60 Repeat modification minimum £30
Transfer (from C of A to Permit or CAA Permit to LAA Permit) Up to 450kg 451 to 999kg 1,000kg and above Four-seat aircraft Manufacturer’s/agent’s type acceptance fee Project registration royalty Category change Group A to microlight Microlight to Group A Change of G-Registration fee Issue of Permit documents following G-Reg change Replacement Documents Lost, stolen etc (fee is per document) Latest SPARS – No 17 April 2018
£150 £250 £350 £2,000 £50 £135 £135 £45 £20
PLEASE NOTE: When you’re submitting documents using an A4-sized envelope, a First Class stamp is insufficient postage. March 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 51
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2019 Incident List Credit: LAA Engineering
Safety Spot
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Scottish tour update
The Call of the Highlands…
A
Arrangements take shape for the LAA Scottish Tour. Neil Wilson reports
s discussions with Struts and airfields, both north and south of the border, have progressed, ideas and plans for the LAA Scottish Tour in late May have been coming together. If you are planning to join us from the South of the UK, be it to fly in for the Meet the LAA Day at Eshott on the 23 May or at Perth from the 24/25, or to come along on the tour for the week or selected days, a number of airfields have offered their facilities – should you need to pop in for fuel, take a personal break, or perhaps if you have a technical issue. They are generally spread across the middle of the country, all usually have an LAA inspector or an engineer on site, plus fuel and a cafe. Leicester is offering all LAA members a free landing in May, so if you are passing by why not make the most of this offer? With three hard and three grass runways available you’re bound to find one reasonably within crosswind limits! Shobdon and Fenland (self-service fuel at the latter) also look forward to welcoming you, while Sherburn-in-Elmet will also give a free landing if you produce your LAA membership card while on the way to, or returning from, Scotland for the tour. Farther north, Kirkbride to the west has fuel available. Also Cumbernauld (good for Glasgow or Edinburgh) has offered a half-price landing fee with fuel pick up. The Eshott MTLAA Day has free landings and overnight parking with an all-day BBQ and get together in the evening. Sunday 24, we hope, will see those taking part in the start of the tour heading up to Perth, where free landings are on offer for tour participants who have PPR’d. That evening participants will need to make their own dining arrangements before flying to East Fortune on Monday 25. Our friends from The East of Scotland and Strathtay Struts plan to pick up visitors and transfer them to the National Museum of Flight on the other side of the airfield, where a reduced entrance fee has been secured, and then to see the Sopwith 1½ Strutter being built. They will also be arranging a BBQ. The evening meal back at Perth is again down individual participants.
Go West…
All being well, the tour will head off towards the West on Tuesday morning, but that will depend on two things – as will the rest of the week’s itinerary – what the weather is doing and how many participants are taking part. We may need to split into two or three groups, as presently 90-plus people have either indicated they intend taking part or are requesting to be kept up to speed on arrangements. Plus, I am aware of a number of people who may participate but have yet to let me know! As we have said from the start,
flexibility will be the key to the success of this event. If large groups show up all at once, parking or refuelling at some locations could be difficult, so each day we will have to play this by ear, with smaller groups visiting different places. We will though ensure each group has pilots with touring experience to help those with less experience. On Tuesday, we hope to arrive at Glenforsa and have an evening meal together at the hotel. The owners are very helpful, and camping is allowed at the airfield. Breakfast is available as part of the camping fee on Wednesday morning. Hopefully our friends from The West of Scotland Strut will be able to join and fly with us here.
Reach for Skye
Ideally, on Wednesday 27, we will head to the Isle of Skye for a fly-in at Broadford, hosted by ex-PFA Chairman David Faulkner-Bryant, who lives on the island. Again, this may need to be split into groups as parking at Broadford is limited. For accommodation and food, some may wish to stay on Skye, some go to Plockton, others may prefer to head back to Perth to overnight, or head farther North. The idea is to make our way up the Great Glen towards Inverness on the 28th and as the week progresses some may choose to continue up to Wick, where we will engage with The LAA Highlands and Islands Strut. Fuel is available at both Inverness and Wick, although the former’s landing fee is not exactly in the budget category. Unfortunately, though, there isn’t the choice of avgas refuelling stops north of the border that we enjoy to the south. Other airfields that will welcome us are Easter (no fuel) on the North coast and Longside in the East. On the Friday we aim to fly back around the coast to Perth, where the Strathtay Strut and Perth Aero Club will be hosting us for both the evening and Saturday 30 May, which is the MTLAA Day where we hope more members will fly in and take the opportunity to chat with LAA HQ staff. As we have stressed, you don’t have to do the whole tour, do what suits you but please be prepared to be flexible. As we said before, this is an outline plan. We will have to see what we are dealt with weatherwise each day, when a briefing will be held to decide what that day’s plan will be. Each pilot is responsible for their own flying, plus accommodation, food, fuel and landing fees. Local Strut committee members are still talking to other airfields and airports in Scotland, and options are still developing, as we intend to give ourselves as many options as possible. I will email all those who have expressed an interest as the event gets nearer and numbers start to firm up. If you wish to join us or want to be kept informed, please drop me an email. neil.wilson@laa.uk.com
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Scottish tour update
Easterton Airfield
O
by Iain Bright
ne of the airfields which has expressed an offer to make itself available to tour participants is Easterton, situated in the picturesque north of Scotland, just south of the RAF Lossiemouth MATZ. Resident pilot Iain Bright continues: “Easterton is home to the Highland Gliding Club, which offers a variety of gliding experiences and training on a mixture of club and privately owned modern gliders. When the weather conditions are favourable, the place can get rather busy! The strip is 900m long and is orientated 08/26, with the 26-end benefiting from 350m of PERFO reinforced runway. The gliding club operates most weekends and mainly utilises their hard working Eurofox Tug, however, they do occasionally also use a winch.
Full of enthusiasm
“The Gliding Club share the airfield with an enthusiastic group of private pilots who operate types including a Europa, Pietenpol, Tailwind, C120, C172, Boeing Stearman, Bowers Fly Baby and a Druine Turbulent. As many of these pilots are ‘senior’ aviators, mid-week flying is not an issue and, as a result, if the weather is flyable you can guarantee that someone will be flying something at Easterton. The Pietenpol group for instance, average more than 100 hours per year and fly as much in the winter as they do in the summer, albeit with a few extra layers of clothing.
Above Two of Easterton’s homebased aircraft, a Turbulent and Stearman
“Easterton has hangarage for the resident aircraft and visitors generally park in the lee of the trees, if they wish to overnight. There is a modern clubhouse with all the amenities you’d need and no shortage of likeminded folk to talk to. There is no fuel however, but mogas can be sourced nearby and one of the team would be able to assist here if needed. “There are several local airfields nearby, which are but a short flight from here, with Dornoch, Easter, Shempston and Longside to mention but a few. Glenforsa (Mull), Plockton and Lamb Holm (Orkney) are also favourites of the Easterton team and are definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. “Several of the local pilots are hoping to participate in the LAA Scottish Tour and the gliding club Chairman has said it would be great if some of the Tour participants could also pop into Easterton. A midweek visit would be ideal as the weekends are really too busy with gliding activity. If anyone is interested in visiting please have a look at the website, PPR and you’d be made most welcome. RAF Lossiemouth will be able to provide LARS on 119.575 and the Easterton A/G frequency is 130.105. The weblink for Easterton is attached and I’ve also included a short YouTube clip of flying in the local area for interest. (www.highglide.co. uk/visitors/visiting-pilots) https://youtu.be/3ghXDa72km8 (Easterton flying compilation). ■ March l 2020 | LIGHT AVIATION | 27
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Where to go
T
Where to go
Where T To oG Go o
he calendar is now filling nicely and no doubt you are starting to plan your flying season. Check the Royal Aero Club Events website for the latest information and web links for many of the events listed. http://events.royalaeroclub.org/
MARCH
1 East Midlands Aeropark Threshold Aero Day/Night Photo-shoot [pre-book] 5-6 Yeovilton FAAM Cobham Hall Reserve Coll’n Tours [pre-book] 01935-840565 7 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in 7 Gatwick Museum Threshold Night Photo-Shoot [Pre-book] 7 Paris 75012 (F) Aero Collectors Fair 7 Brooklands Museum YES Aviation Education Conference [pre-book] 14 Cosford Museum Threshold Aero Night Photo-shoot [Pre-book] 15 Fenland Spring Microlight Fly-in 21-22 Weston Super Mare Helicopter Museum Behind the Scenes Spotters Event 22 Stow Maries Mother’s Day Event 01245-329358 26 Le Bourget (F) Musee De L’Air Dugny Workshops Tour (pre-book) 27-29 Wangaratta, Vic (VH) Antique Aeroplane Assoc National Fly-in 28 Munchengladbach (D) Wings & More Collectors Fair 28-29 Sywell BAeA Aerobatic Judging Seminar 29 Basel-Mulhouse (HB/F) Aero Collections Fair 31-Ap 5 Lakeland, Fl (N) EAA Sun ‘n Fun fly-in
APRIL
1 White Waltham GASCo Airspace Infringements Awareness 1-4 Friedrichshafen (D) AERO GA Exhibition 0049-7541-708128 4 Cosford Museum YES Aviation Education Conference [pre-book] 4 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in 4 Fowlmere VAC visit to Fowlmere Museum. Pre-booking only 4-5 Weston Super Mare Helicopter Museum World At War Event 5 Popham Motorcycle Autojumble 01256-397733 10-12 Wanaka (ZK) Warbirds Air Show 11-12 Easter (Scotland) Easter at Easter Fly- in [PPR] 07967-715304 12 Popham Jodel Fly-in 12 Sturgate Lincs AC Easter Fly-in 16 Cosford Museum Threshold Aero Night Photo-shoot [Pre-book] 18 Turweston VAC Fly-in 18-19 Breighton BAeA Aerobatic Competition
18-19 19 19 19 19 21 25 25-26 26
MAY
events.htm. Our thanks to the RAeC and to Dave Wise for the use of their data. If you have an event you want to advertise on the list, please email the details to Dave at: dave.wise@btinternet.com
Blackpool Ernie Horsfall’s 102nd Birthday Fly-in [PPR - pre-register] Fenland VAC Daffodil Fly-in Henstridge LAA Wessex Strut Fly-in [PPR] 01963-364231 Old Buckenham American Fly-in [PPR] K2 Centre, Crawley Gatwick Air Enthusiasts Fair 01403-252628 Cambridge Airport GASCo Airspace Infringements Awareness Presentation Duxford General Aviation Expo Sywell EV-97 Fly-in Bicester Sunday Scramble Classic Cars
1-2 Sywell Europa Fly-in 2 Compton Abbas Vintage Fly-in 2-3 Popham Microlight Trade Fair 01256-397733 2-3 Fenland BAeA Aerobatic Competition 3 Old Warden Shuttleworth Season Premiere VE Day Air Show 6-10 Badminton Eventing - Badminton Horse Trials 8 Plymouth Hoe VE Day 75th Anniv Event 8-10 Breighton VE75 VE Day celebration. 40s dress, live music Aerojumble. 9 Bodmin Action Stations Fly-in (VE day-75) Military vehicles etc. 9 Shobdon GASCo Airspace Infringements Awareness Presentation 9 Stow Maries VE Day Street Party Event 01245-329358 9-10 North Coates Spring Fly-in 01472-388850 9-10 Carrickmore, NI Club STOL Fly-in 9-10 Old Buckenham VE Day 75 Anniv Show 10 Popham Aero/Auto Jumble Classic Vehicles & Fly-in 01256-397733 10 Kempton Park Heathrow Aircraft Enthusiasts Fair 01423-862256 11 Rotterdam (PH) Spotters Convention Fair 15-16 Compton Abbas BAeA Aerobatic Competition 15-16 Wycombe – Booker The Elite Lifestyle & Private Flyer Exhibition 15-17 Bienenfarm, Berlin (D) QUEX Eastern Bloc Fly-in 16 Halfpenny Green BMAA Open Skies Microlight Competition
16 Old Sarum BDAC Museum Aerobilia Sale 16 Old Warden Shuttleworth Evening Air Show 16 Sandown Mary Ellis Memorial Vintage Fly-in 16-17 North Coates Spring Fly-in 01472-388850 16-17 Popham MA6 Model Show 01256- 397733
GASCo Safety Evenings
GASCo’s excellent Safety Evenings are listed till mid-April but continue into May. See GASCo website for details: www.gasco.org.uk/ flight-safety-information/safety-evenings Tuesday 17 March. North Coates Airfield. 1900. Contact: Steve Charters 07952 923 265. stevecharters@gmx.com Wednesday 18 March. Bobbington Village Hall. 1930. Contact: Tony Dring 07973 921840. anthony.dring@yahoo.co.uk Thursday 19 March Goodwood Aerodrome Building 1930. Contact: Kristin 01243 755 159. aeroclub@goodwood.com Saturday 21 March Sutton Bank Airfield 1930. Contact: Josephine Runciman 01845 597237 enquiry@ygc.co.uk Sunday 22 March Scenic Air Tours North East Cargo Building 40 Teesside International Airport. 18:30. Contact: Carole Hudson or Andrew Povey Tel: 01325 625 625. info@scenicairtoursne.com Tuesday 24 March Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Ravenair.1930. Contact: Neil Bishop 07815 195477. neilbishop@ravenair.co.uk Preregistration is essential see http://tiny.cc/rz7udz Wednesday 25th March 19:30. Leicester Aero Club, Leicester Airport. Contact: Rob Biddles 01162 59 2360. info@leicesterairport.com Wednesday 8 April Sturgate & Lincoln Flying Club 1930. Contact: Eugene Beirne, 01302 865676. zerotonull@btinternet.com Saturday 11 April Bidford Gliding & Flying Club, Bidford Airfield, 1730 – 2020. Contact: Graham Barlow, Safety Officer 07984 852840. gsbarlow@ntlworld.com Wednesday 15 April RAeS (Hatfield Branch) University of Hertfordshire Contact: Steve Rogers 07887 824752 or 01582 7635047. steverogers51@hotmail.co.uk Friday 17 April Bristol & Wessex Flying Club 1930-2020. Free ticket only event only, visit www.bristolandwessex.co.uk to order tickets.
46 | LIGHT AVIATION | March 2020
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