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JUNE 2014 / Vol. 6 / No. 6

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R35

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Aid
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The Signpost
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The Sound of Silence

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2 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

GLOBAL

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Cesar de Villiers (SA), Mike Wright (SA), Dr
Guy Gratton (UK), Helen Krasner (UK), Nico van
Remmerden (Holland), Skaiste Knyzaite, Richard
Browne (CT), Tim Kern (USA).
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Letters to Editor
Dear Editor,
I am an American Professional Pilot
with over 3 000 hours of glider time
and about 10 000 hours in various
turbine aircraft. I am rated in numerous
Jet aircraft as well and write for
Professional Pilot Magazine. I use
my soaring flight skills every time I
take to the skies and can clearly see
the difference between those who
fly sailplanes and those who dont.
Instead of approaching soaring
flight with open eyes by non glider
rated jet pilots, I and colleagues
am often berated or invalidated
for glider experience instead of
seeing the value in the skill.
I read your article on page 20;

What can glider Pilots teach

the Airline industry?
Captain Kelman is absolutely
correct in her points! In addition nearly
every advancement in aerodynamics
is and was directly attributable to
soaring flight and high performance
sailplanes. Winglets vortex generators
fences all come from the need to
make the aircraft or the airfoil more
efficient. What do yo think those
aerodynamics engineers do in their
spare time? Yes they fly sailplanes!
Sailplane pilots by and large use
less brakes and this is documented by
the mechanics who have to repair these
beasts, since sailplane pilots resort to
relying on aerodynamic braking more
than those without glider training.
this is found in the savings in tires
brakes anti skid systems and other
hardware. This savings translates to
money! Conventional Tail-dragger
pilots help here as well, yet with
glider experience the savings add up.
Sailplane pilots are more adept
at fuel conservation in the climb
cruise and descent than a jet pilot
counterparts. Glider pilots typically
are trained at stretching birds to a
maximum glide using best angle
of attack or minimumvspeeds with
reference to Best L/D of a given airfoil.
In a hiring process we always
give sailplanes pilots credence since
we know that we are hiring from
core source aviation knowledge not
some sausage factory of aviation
with limited view of the skies.
Harold Katinszky - Writer/Contributor
Professional Pilot Magazine

E mail capital@icon.co.za

Dear Sir,
I am the library manager here in Iraq.
I am very interested in the Aircraft and
aviation magazines or any materials
about aviation to provide my library such

as: catalogues, stickers, pins, badges

etc. Because this type of materials is
not available in Iraq and my library is
a meeting for aviation hobbyists, can
you help me? I shall be grateful if you
kindly send to me some samples of these
materials, Thank you and best regards.
Shahim M. Hussain
Ibnsena Library
ibnsenalib@yahoo.com
If you would like to help Shahim his
e-mail appears above.
Ed
Dear Sir,
The tragedy of Malaysia flight MH370
could have been resolved if the
doomed plane was equipped with the
Canadian IMS monitoring system.
The greatest breakthrough in the history
of civil aviation has occurred with
the advent of the star ISM system.
The Inflight Monitoring System
that renders the black box system
obsolete. It is the greatest aerospace
invention that will save lives and return
commercial aviation to profitability.
It was developed by a Toronto,
Canadian based company, called
Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd.
After the tragedy of Air France flight
447, a system of this nature, is a must
for every Airline on this planet.
Its technological and electronic
capabilities are breathtaking. It is
imperative that airline executives
evaluate its immense capabilities.
The era of the black box is over.
Yours sincerely,
Farouk Araie - Johannesburg
Dear Farouk,
I know of a few companies who can
already monitor aircraft in this way.
Its an interesting subject which we will
research for our July issue.
Ed
Dear Editor,
The article you did on Woman in Arabia
is beautiful. We now have 46 Arabian
female member pilots. I will send you
more information soon. I would like to
introduce you to the past governor of
the Arabian Section, Yvonne Truman.
Because of her continuous support we
were able to reach this number. She has
been flying for the past 46 years. Thank
you for supporting the Arabian Section.
Kind regards,
Alia Twal
Dear Alia,
Thank you! We will certainly be
including more stories in the future on
woman in aviation.
Ed
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

Global View

By Owen Zupp

It is dead calm over the Pacific as

the Boeing 747 cuts its way through
the night. Los Angeles is still 6
hours away and our giant airliner
is passing through the Intertropical
Convergence Zone (ITCZ), or the
doldrums as it was referred to
by the sailors of old. It is a region
where weather can be docile or
violent and change from one to
the other with very little warning.
But tonight, as we sit seven miles
above the earth, the moon is bright
and the radar sweeps the horizon
without a single cloud painting.
In these small hours conversation
is often sporadic on the flight deck.
There is little energy for enthusiasm
and every shred of concentration is
called upon to remain focused on the
task while 400 people sleep silently
in the darkened cabin. One eye scans
outside while the other watches the
miles slowly count down on the
flight management computer. Its all
very routine. And then something
in the distance catches the eye.
Leaning forward I rest my
chin atop the instrument panel and
attempt to shield its glow with my
forearm. My eyes slowly adapt
to the darkness outside and with
the help of the moon I begin to
see them; towering, pencil-like
clouds, seemingly no wider than
the aircraft itself. Like a sparse
forest of white branchless trees they
climb high into the sky and well
above the level we are cruising at.
We call up San Francisco on
the radio and obtain permission to
weave left and right around these
massive beanstalks. Still there is
nothing painting on our weather
radar, perhaps their girth is too
slender to detect. Regardless, their
vertical extent suggests rising
currents that would give our jet a
decent shake and our passengers
quite a wake-up call, so we continue,
left then right in the clear air. I

ponder the consequences on a

moonless night of flying through
one of these pillars as undoubtedly
it happens and is attributed to
Clear Air Turbulence in the
absence of any radar evidence.
These tall, silent clouds are a
far cry from the fierce rumbling
demons of a storm front. They
are deep, black monstrosities that
flash light from within to display
their brawn for hundreds of miles.
These beasts turn the radar red as
pilots turn their aircraft many miles
off track to seek a safe passage.
These walls of turbulence and
water have chewed aircraft up and
spit them out. And yet as a young
charter pilot, my comrades and I
would do our best to step safely
between the lightning and thunder
without a weather radar to guide
us. I look back on those memories
and recognise that fortune can
sometimes favour the clueless.
Those same sailors that
sailed the Doldrums, cast their
eyes to the horizon and looked
for clouds to predict the coming
weather, Red sky at night, sailors
delight... So it is for aviators as
they transit the skies, seeking out
tell tale clues of otherwise invisible
turbulence or wind shifts with
varying altitude. Calm mornings
and blanketing fog can spell
disruption for airline timetables,
but for the pilot it is evidence of a
stable high pressure system and a
beautiful day once the fog clears.
A seemingly docile band of
cloud at altitude can actually lie
on the underside of a Jetstream.
These ribbons of air can rush at
speeds well over 100 miles per

The Signpost
of the sky!

hour and can be a great friend or

villainous foe depending upon your
direction of passage. Either way,
that docile band is a landmark in
the sky, signalling strong winds
above and a potentially rough ride
until the aircraft is surfing in the
Jetstreams core. Strangely, despite
its velocity, the core frequently
provides the smoothest of rides
for pilots and passengers.
The high wisps of Cirrus clouds
that resemble mares tails in the
sky are often the precursor to a
frontal change, while a green tinge
to frontal cloud brings the very real
threat of hail. Grey nimbostratus
clouds spell the death knell for
visual flight and bring a real set
of challenges for those who fly on
instruments. That being said, on
top of the cloud layer a different
world can exist. Crystal clear skies,
with a blanket of white below as far
as the eye can see. And the rush
of the cloud tops as the aircraft
emerges into that sunny world
is an event pilots never tire of.
For clouds also offer a
sensation of speed that can only
otherwise be obtained in the nap
of the earth, where the terrain is
unforgiving. At altitude there is
the ability to speed down white
valleys and wheel about bubbling
alabaster towers of moisture with
absolute freedom. These moments
are when flying truly feels like
flying and one can relate to John
Gillespie Magee Jr. when he wrote
those words, Put out my hand
and touched the face of God.
Despite the fact that such joy
is to be found, clouds can also be
the enemy. Those same harmless

Cumulus clouds can contain

rocky ridges, or even another
aircraft dancing among the clouds.
Cloud can lurk at the bottom of
an instrument approach and then
thrash rain against the windscreen
in the final stages of landing.
Cloud can wrap ice around an
aircraft and squeeze the lifeblood
of airspeed from its veins. Cloud
can toss a giant of the sky about
as if it is a mere bottle bobbing
on the oceans waves. Cloud can
creep in behind you and cordon
off valleys, leaving no way out.
Cloud can be friend and foe.
The air we fly through is
magical. It is an invisible medium
that flows by our wings and is
mysteriously transformed into
lift. Only when the environmental
conditions intervene can we see the
very substance that we depend upon
for flight. The invisible fluid takes
form as a strip of vapour from our
wingtips in a turn, or grows into a
thunderstorm with enough water
within to flood a country town. In
either form, it is only then that the
air shows its face above the earth.
Without cloud the atmosphere
is a maze burbling air and of
strong currents waiting to bounce
our tiny airframes about or push
them through the sky at extreme
speeds. Yet visible moisture, be it
friendly and white, low and grey,
fierce and black, or even green,
tells us what may lie ahead in the
next hundred miles, or the next few
days. Cloud can work with us or
against us, but it is still our eyes
only indicator in the visible sea
above the earth. It is in so many
ways the signpost of the sky.

Owen Zupp has over 16 000 hours of varied experience having first flown as a commercial pilot in 1987. His background includes charter work, flight instruction and ferry flights.
Serving as a Chief Pilot, Chief Flying Instructor and an Approved Test Officer rounded off his time in General Aviation before joining Ansett Australia in 1994 as a First Officer on the 737.
He has a Masters Degree in Aviation Management. His writings on aviation have been published both in Australia and abroad. Owen won the Australian National Aviation Press Clubs
Aviation Technical Story of the Year award in 2006. In 2007 his first book, Down to Earth, was published and traces the combat experiences of a WWII RAF fighter pilot.

AVIONICS
AERONAUTICAL
INSTRUMENTATION

4 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Clinton Carroll - 083 459 6279 or Telephone: (011) 659 1033

Hangar 201, Gate 6, Lanseria International Airport clinton@aeronautical.co.za

Visit our website for weekly specials!

www.aeronautical.co.za

Instrumentation Gyroscopics Autopilots Engine Management RVSM Panel Refurbishments

Panel Retrofits Laser Engraving Avionics Component Overhauls

Bentley past

and present links

with aviation
Text by Charmaine de Villiers - Pics by Mike de Villiers

nown for its sleek, goodlooking and powerful

motor vehicles, Bentley
Motors Ltd was, almost a century
ago, equally famous for its aviation
engines that powered some of the
feared aircraft of World War I and
II. After many years absence the
company is once again forging a
link to aviation.
While many will associate
the Bentley with its rather staid,
older-driver image, this has
done a complete turnaround
and the modern Bentley is a car
that oozes comfort, style and
an image of man- about-town
and in fact the youngest Bentley
owner is in his late 20s.
Extremely exclusive their
product might be, but Bentley
Motor Ltd is rebranding its image
to make customers and potential
customers aware that this is a
family car as well and when visiting
the showroom in Sandton, clients
are free to examine the vehicles,
allow children to sit in the plush
seats and test-drive as they wish.
Bentley produces three variants
of the new Continental Range,
each model consisting of a coupe
and convertible: GT W12 and
GT W12 Convertible, the GT V8
and GT V8 Convertible, and the
newest model to the Continental
stable, the GT Speed and GT Speed
Convertible. Also under the Bentley
stable are two of its the W12
Flying Spur and the V8 Mulsanne,
notable as the first flagship car
to be independently designed by
Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years.
Each car is hand-built with even the
stitching on the seats done by hand.
A little known fact the holes for
the stitching are absolutely equidistance and made by a common
everyday tool, a household fork!
It is also interesting to note
that one way of identifying the
V8 from W12 is by the badge

6 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

and the exhaust. The V8 badge

is burgundy and silver with an 8
shaped exhaust while the W12
badge is black and silver with
an oval exhaust. Bentleys logo
has a set of wings with the B in
the centre, the wings reminiscent
of those presented to pilots.
As part of this rebranding
Bentley has established links with
Beechcraft, Absolute Aviation
(based at Lanseria) and Breitling.
Breitling/Bentley were one of the
major sponsors of the recent SAAF
Museum Air Show at Zwartkops
Air Force Base and will this year
have a strong presence at AAD in
September. The company is also
a sponsor for an attempt by RAF
Commander Andy Green to set
a new land speed record. He is
the current holder of the record at
1,149.303 km/h. This attempt is to
take place next year at Haksteen
Pan in the north-western Cape
with the full backing of the North
Cape Provincial administration.

A History with Aviation

Bentleys history with aircraft

began before World War I in
Cricklewood near London, when
WO Bentley, founder of the motor
company, realised his idea of
using aluminium alloy pistons
for motor engines could be used
for aircraft engines as well as it
provided considerably improved
power output. The pistons ran
cooler allowing higher compression
ratios and higher engine speeds.
Both Rolls-Royce and
Sunbeam used the aluminium
pistons in their aero-engines but
other companies were not as
forthcoming and WO as he was
universally known, designed his
own engine the BR1 which
prototype was run in by 1916. It
was a rotary aircraft engine used
as one of the main powerplants

Top: 

T
 he power behind the
Continental GT V8.

Bottom:  his W12 engine

T
propels the new Flying
Spur from 0-100 in
just 4.6 seconds.

The Bentley line-up at the Swartkops

Air Show (from right to left):
Continental GT Speed, The Mulsanne,
Continental GT V8 and the New Flying Spur.

Right:  he breath-taking
T
craftsmanship of
a Bentley can be
attributed to the
fact that every last
detail, down to the
stitching on the
steering wheels, is
all done by hand.

of the Sopwith Camel. The BR2

went on to power the Camels
replacement, the Sopwith Snipe.
Bentley flourished especially
in the world of motor racing. Then
in 1925 Woolf Barnato bought his
first Bentley and 12 months later he
bought the company. The depression
years cause severe financial

problems for Bentley with Barnato

losing heavily and Rolls Royce
bought out the company in 1931.
Before World War II the Merlin
aero-engines was produced as a
liquid-cooled, W12, piston aero
engine, of 27-litre (1,650 cu in)
capacity. Known as the PV-12 it
was used in aircraft such as the

Fairey Battle, Hawker Hurricane

and Supermarine Spitfire. More
Merlins were made for the
four-engined Avro Lancaster
heavy bomber than for any other
aircraft; however, the engine is
most closely associated with the
Spitfire, starting with the Spitfires
maiden flight in 1936. A series

of rapidly applied developments,

brought about by wartime needs,
markedly improved the engines
performance and durability.
By the time production ceased
in 1950 a total of almost 150,000
engines had been delivered, the later
variants being used for airliners
and military transport aircraft.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

Flying in Africa
by Richard Browne

Places
and People

This months article comes from

a tiny coffee shop, or caf in
the Main Street of a town called

Tunuyuan, Argentina. Its not a

big place, in fact its pretty small.
Lots of stray dogs hang around
the pavements, the walls need
a wash and most the cars are
desperate for a good mechanic.
It is however on the move
and the people are great. Simple
and easy going, generous to a
fault. It was probably a place
of promise in a long past
economic boom that never really
materialised. The smily faces
remind me of a story though;
Many years ago, when I was
still learning the flying trade,
South African Airways took
on a handful or more of pilots
from Argentina on a short term
contract. I recall the hushed
tones in the pubs about the loss
of jobs and the incompatibility
problems mixing the crews
would create. I recall too that
SAA didnt mix the crews
eventually and let them all fly
on their own, a relief to most
at the time. Personally I didnt
think too much of it all, like I
said, I was new to the game.
Further down the line
though, when I did a short two
year stint for MK Airlines,

they too employed a handful

of Argentinians on short term
contracts. I cant remember
the same noises being made
about them but I do recall the
company allowing them to
operate the aircraft on their own
SOP. This made sense to me
from a safety point of view.
It was a while until I was
dead-headed on one of their
flights that I really got to know
them. Once I had exchanged
some conversation and asked
a few questions to foster the
familiarity, we got on really
well. I then realized that all
the misguided gossip and fear
from those years past, were
completely unfounded. In fact,
if the majority of naysayers had
just bothered to indulge these
folks in a little chat, theyd have
found a totally new experience.
I am now employed by
an airline who has a multiplenational crew makeup. One flight
I was paired with an Argentinian,
naturally I looked forward to
the experience to once again
renew my connection with their
Latin ways. I found out that this
gentleman had flown with the

gents from MK Airlines many

moons prior when they were both
part of Aerolineas Argentinas.
Based on that we chatted away
for hours, it was that easy.
I now consider them friends
and it is with dismay that both
my work colleagues from Buenos
Aires will not be available for
my visit to their city. Such is the
connection made and common
ground sought, not only found.
So I put it to you, the reader.
Would you actively seek out
conversation across the culture
barrier out of curiosity or to
expand our desires to learn?
Too often we hide amongst our
comfort zone or revert to our
belief structure when life seems
different or out of the ordinary.
In fact the knack to gossip talk
becomes simple to achieve
under these circumstances.
The next time this occurs,
reach out and start exploring
the changes. We are privileged
to be part of an industry
which offers us extraordinary
opportunities to travel. It is
in these travels that you will
find the richest resources, the
Worlds places and her people.

Air BP adds sixteen new airports to Chinese network

UK-headquartered aviation fuel
supplier Air BP continues to grow its
international footprint with the addition
of a further sixteen airports to its Chinese
fuel network for General Aviation
customers. The new airport locations
are being operated in conjunction with
Air BPs local joint venture partner
Bluesky (South China Bluesky Aviation
Oil Company). This brings the total
number of sites where Air BP provides
fuel for international clients in China
to twenty. The additional sites have
extended the fuel suppliers reach
to stretch from Beijing in the North
along the central corridor, to Shenzhen
in the South with new airports being
served in the provinces of Guangdong,
Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei and Henan.
Air BP already provides fuel at
Beijing (PEK), Shenzhen (SZX),
Shanghai (SHA), Tianjin (TSN) and with

the addition of Guangzhou (CAN) in

Guangdong, now offers fuel services at
the five largest cities in China. Air BPs
rapid expansion has been stimulated by
the rise of GA activity in the country as
the number of international and domestic,
privately owned and operated aircraft
continues to grow at a significant pace.
Miguel Moreno, General Aviation
Manager, Air BP commented, The
general aviation market is relatively
underdeveloped in China but is
experiencing a period of rapid growth.
Last year saw around 20 000 business
aviation movements at the airports Air
BP serves and we are pleased to continue
to expand our business operations in the
region. Adding sixteen new locations
to our network will significantly benefit
our international clients who are
regularly flying throughout the region.
The latest announcement follows

the news, confirmed at ABACE 2014,

that Air BP continues to strengthen its
partnership with Deer Jet, the largest
general aviation operator across China
and throughout Asia. Air BP currently
supplies each of Deer Jets 62 business
jets with its global fuel card - the
Sterling Card and the relationship
is set to develop further over the next
twelve months. Deer Jet, which offers
business aviation charter and aircraft
management services, utilises a mixed
fleet of heavy, large cabin and midsize
jets including the Boeing Business Jet,
Airbus A319, Gulfstream G200,GIV,
GV, G550 and Hawker 800XP series.
For full details of all the new
locations including opening hours, preadvisal requirements, fuels available
and contact details please go to

www.airbp.com/wheretofind

MCC Aviation, is an established fixed and rotor wing air charter service
operator, based at Lanseria International Airport. MCC Aviation operates a
100% wholly owned fleet of several piston and large turbine prop aircraft,
passenger jets as well as turbine helicopters.
Multi Engine (C402, C90, B200, Jetstream J41)
Jet Aircraft (Lear 35, Gulfstream)
Turbine Helicopters (Bell 206 / 407, AS350 B3) VIP Lounge

+27 (0) 11 701 2332

8 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

charter@flymcc.co.za

www.flymcc.co.za

Keeps pace with your mind.

The New Flying Spur.
Designed for those who demand unrestrained luxury alongside uncompromising performance, it delivers the ultimate motoring experience,
for driver and passengers alike.
Flying Spur W12 fuel consumption in mpg (l/100 km): Urban 12.6 (22.4); Extra Urban 27.8 (10.2); Combined 19.2 (14.7). CO2 Emissions 343 g/km.
For more information call +27 (0) 11 361 6500 or visit www.bentleymotors.com. #NewFlyingSpur

Bentley Johannesburg, Corner William Nicol & Bryanston Drive. Tel +27 (0) 11 361 6500 www.bentleymotors.com/bentleyjohannesburg
Bentley Cape Town, 10 Hospital Street, Harbour Edge Building. Tel +27 (0) 21 419 0595 www.bentleymotors.com/bentleyjohannesburg
The name Bentley and the B in wings device are registered trademarks. 2013 Bentley Motors Limited. Model shown: Flying Spur W12

already approved to create fuel

for commercial aviation and is
used worldwide by companies
such as Shell. Developed in
1925, the process takes the
hydrogen and carbon monoxide
from the syngas, and creates
kerosene in liquid form, making
it relatively simple to transport.

Alternate Jet Fuels

by Charmaine de VIlliers

Solar Jet Fuel

Environmental issues, the rising

cost of jet fuel and ever stricter
emissions regulations are all
reasons for the continual efforts
to provide aircraft with a viable
alternative fuel. While companies
all over the globe are striving
towards a break through its seems
that the SOLAR-JET program has
now managed to achieved a world
first by obtaining jet fuel straight
from a combination of sunlight,
carbon dioxide and water.
The four-year program,
activated in 2011 is funded
by the European Union.
Participating partners include
Shell Global Solutions, DLR
(Deutsches Zentrum fur Luftund Raumfahrt), Bauhaus
Luftfahrt and ETH Zurich
The clean kerosene
production process could
be game-changing for the
aviation industry, those behind
this innovation claim, adding
that other potential products
include pure hydrogen, gasoline
or diesel, manufactured in
exactly the same way.
Although in an early stage
of development, the process uses
a solar-driven redox cycle with
metal-oxide based materials at
high temperatures to rearrange
electrons, converting carbon
dioxide and water into hydrogen

The impact

The second phase of the project

will determine the potential to
implement the technology on an
industrial scale. At this point, a
glass of fuel has been created in
a lab with simulated sunlight.
It will take significant research
and testing to determine if the
technology can scale up and
remain both cost and energy
efficient. This evaluation is
expected to be completed in 2015.

How the process works

to produce kerosene
from solar energy
Red:  xygen evolution
O
half cycle
Blue:  uel production half
F
cycle Solar-driven redox
cycle with metal-oxide
based materials heats
at high temperatures
to rearrange electrons,
converting carbon
dioxide and water into
hydrogen and carbon
monoxide and ultimately
kerosene is produced.

Above:  olar reactor used by the US Naval Research Laboratories. It uses

S
energy created with the reactor to extract carbon dioxide from
seawater, combining them through reduction and hydrogenation
to produce hydrocarbons that are later used in their jets.

10 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

and carbon monoxide, also

known as synthesis gas (syngas).
The project has recently shown
that through a multi-step process,
concentrated sunlight can be
used to convert carbon dioxide
into kerosene, which can then
be used as jet fuel. Key to this is
the solar reactor which harnesses
concentrated solar rays to create
syngas (synthesis gas) from CO2
and water. Comprised of carbon
monoxide and hydrogen, the
syngas then becomes kerosene
'by using commercial FischerTropsch technology', according
to SOLAR-JET's press release.
This is just the first stage next, those involved will improve
the solar reactor where possible
and explore how to produce and
deliver the solar jet fuel en masse.
The outcomes of SOLAR-JET
will put Europe in the forefront
of research, innovation and
production of sustainable fuels
directly from concentrated solar
energy, say its developers.
Significantly, fuels developed
through this method are precertified, meaning in-service
commercial airliners can
use them without needing
engine modifications.
The solar reactor technology
features enhanced radiative
heat transfer and fast reaction
kinetics, which are crucial for
maximizing the solar-to-fuel
energy conversion efficiency,
says Professor Aldo Steinfeld,
leading the fundamental research
and development of the solar
reactor at ETH Zrich.
The process is then
completed using the FischerTropsch process, which is

Aviation emissions
reductions

Reducing aviation emissions has

become a key concern for the air
travel industry, with numerous
renewable energy innovations
unveiled in recent months. It
was KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
which, in November 2009, carried
out the first ever commercial
biofuel-powered flight. Since
then, many other carriers
have followed its lead, further
integrating new-generation fuels
into the aviation mainstream.

Ocean water

Another project currently being

run by scientists from the US
Naval Research Laboratory
(NRL) has successfully flown
a radio-controlled airplane
that was running purely on
fuel derived from sea water.
The fuel was obtained using
NRL's gas-to-liquid technology.
This involved running sea water
through the group's E-CEM
(electrolytic cation exchange
module) Carbon Capture Skid,
which removed carbon dioxide
from the water at 92 percent
efficiency while simultaneously
producing hydrogen as part
of the process. Using a metal
catalyst in a separate reactor
system, the CO2 and hydrogen
gases were then converted into
a liquid hydrocarbon fuel.
In a proof-of-concept test
performed last September at
Blossom Point, Maryland, that
fuel was used to power an RC
model P-51 Mustang's unmodified
two-stroke engine. It marked
the first time that the fuel had
been used in a conventional
combustion engine, and was
recently made public.

Airline News
by  ilvinas Lapinskas, CEO of
Z
FL Technics

Eastern European
regional fleet
to power local
engine MRO
While it is common to attribute
the rapid growth of the $60 billion
worth aircraft MRO industry to
the development of the Asian
economies, nowadays the CIS
and Eastern Europe contribute
to the industry recovery nearly
as much as their larger brothers.
So far the segment of component
maintenance has been considered
as one of the most favourable
directions for the expansion of
local MRO providers. However,
according to FL Technics, the
engine MRO market for regional
aircraft operating in the Baltic
States and across the CIS has
the potential to be worth $100
million by 2019. Thus, as the

12 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

newer regional jets of the Eastern

European carriers are approaching
their first overhauls, the region is
likely to present new opportunities
for the respective players.
According to TeamSAI, the
European MRO market is going
to grow from $17 billion this year
to almost $21.8 in 2023, which
translates into an approximate
2.9% growth annually. However
the development in the region is
not symmetrical. The Western
European spending on MRO
services will mostly stay on the
same level as before. It is projected
that in the next 10 years time it
is going to increase by as little as
$2.7 billion. In the meantime, the
Eastern European part of the market
is developing in a very different
manner and in the upcoming
decade is going to increase almost
twice (from $2.8 to $5 billion).
According to the survey
conducted by FL Technics back
in 2013, the component MRO
market in Eastern Europe and
the CIS was supposed to present
the largest opportunities in terms
of competition. Over 80% of the
respondents said that they were
not fully satisfied with the overall
support in the area, followed by
the heavy maintenance works
(65%), engine support (60%)
and line maintenance services
(40%). However, according to
the industry specialists, the recent
fleet developments within the
region are likely to present new
opportunities for growth in the
engine support segment as well.
Recently the CIS and Eastern
European carriers have been rapidly
expanding their fleets with such
regional aircraft as CRJ200/100,
ATR42/72, Dash and other. Most
of the ACs in the current fleet
have been in service for about 5-6

years and are approaching their

first wave of overhauls. Moreover,
the second-hand machines newly
delivered to the region are soon to
require scheduled engine repairs.
Meanwhile, the older fleet is also
in need of continuous attention
from the MRO providers, says
Andrey Baydarov, Chief Engine
Analyst at FL Technics. Therefore,
since the downtime of a regional
jet (which presupposes active
commercial utilisation) can be
especially costly, local airlines
should already be in the process
of choosing the best maintenance
solution before the actual need for
overhaul arises. This especially
concerns the engine-related support.
FL Technics experts estimate
the potential engine MRO market
for regional aircraft operating
in the Baltic States and the CIS
region to grow from $70 million
in 2014 to $100 million in 2019.
This sum covers spare lease
support programs which are critical
to keep the fleet in operation.
The market is quite specific as
it is mainly driven by enginerelated works on such mature or
sunset ACs like CRJ100/200.
A whole range of regional
family engines, especially CF34-3
are well fit for heavy on-wing
overhauls and replacements,
which opens new opportunities
for relatively fast maintenance on
hot section. For example, such
repairs may be provided under
base maintenance, and joint
with a large amount of engine
change-related work. This should
prompt local MRO providers to
develop the capabilities to offer
this kind of services on all levels,
including training of certified
personnel and acquiring appropriate
tooling, as well as expendable
materials and components.

According to Andrey Baydarov,

the situation may be viewed from
at least two perspectives, offering
an interesting choice to local
MRO players. On the one hand,
the market is very promising
at the moment and will present
considerably large opportunities
in the nearest future. On the other
hand, though, there is a general
trend in the region to replace the
fleet that is phasing out. Therefore,
after 5 to 7 years these aircraft
will most likely cease to be in
service, so the niche is also quite
temporary. Nevertheless, entering
the competition in this area is
definitely worth investing into.
For instance, the leasing and
asset management companies are
also likely to claim a bite of the
growing engine MRO pie, as this
market presents opportunities as
concerns long-term lease programs
for advanced and mature fleet,
as well as exchange and trade-in
opportunities when it comes to
sunset engines. Also, considering
the increasing popularity of the
on-wing repairs, the situation
should encourage lessors to
develop a more flexible approach
towards recoupment in case of
such maintenance works, as well
as the usage of DER/PMA parts.
On the one hand, this will help
to avoid additional expenses and
downtimes. On the other hand, it
can create favourable conditions
with regard to maintaining engines
for further leasing to other operators
(this mostly applies to new
generation engines), or subsequent
part-out, as well as utilization
(of older-generation engines).
In this area leasing companies
may require some assistance in
the fields of technical data or
potential residual value analysis
from independent asset managers
or engineering organizations,
shares Andrey Baydarov, Chief
Engine Analyst at FL Technics.
The engine MRO market
in the Baltic States and the CIS
is a quite specific niche, which
is likely to present a lot of
challenges as well as opportunities
to all of the players, including
airlines, MROs and leasing
companies. Based on its apparent
attractiveness, FL Technics is
already actively developing its
capabilities for regional aircraft
support. This concerns both, older
generation, such as CRJ100/200
(including engine services), and
more advanced aircraft types,
such as SSJ100, EMB145 and
other. All in all, the region is
approaching a really exciting
phase for those who will be
ready to seize the opportunity.

Zambia to join regional neighbours with acquisition of state-of-the-art Thales ATM

Following an international
competitive tender, the Ministry
of Transport, Works, Supply and
Communication of Zambia has
chosen Thales for the supply,
delivery, installation, and
commissioning of the countrys
air traffic management and
radar surveillance system.
Zambia joins an extensive
community of African countries
that use Thales systems and pursue
regional harmonisation; an initiative
strongly supported by Thales. The

Group will supply its TopSky-ATC,

the worlds most advanced air
traffic control system, to Kenneth
Kaunda International Airport
in Lusaka and Harry Mwanga
Nkumbula International Airport in
Livingstone. The Thales solution
will be delivered alongside two
primary radars and two secondary
surveillance radars equipped with
full Mode S. All systems are fully
compliant with the new ICAO
Flight Plan 2012 format and
EUROCONTROL standards.

International Flight
Clearances
Africas aircraft handling and
clearance company

Before Zambia, other African

countries - including Namibia, the
Democratic Republic of Congo and
South Africa - have deployed this air
traffic automation and surveillance
system. Zambia will therefore
benefit from a greatly enhanced
air traffic management network,
seamlessly interoperable with all
other regional systems, most of
which are also equipped by Thales.
Over the years, Thales has
become dominant in Africas Air
Traffic Management market. Over

70% of the continents control

centres now feature TopSky-ATC,
the worlds most successful ATC
turnkey solution - used by over
16,000 controllers globally.

Key points

 haless TopSky-ATC
T
will manage the entirety
of Zambias air space.
 hales adds Zambia to its
T
extensive User Community.
 0% of African ATC centres are
7
already equipped by Thaless.

Dr RG Nel
MB.Ch.B (stell) Senior Aviation Medical Examiner
with CAA (MS080) Senior Aviation Medical
Examiner with FAA (03304)

Resting and Effort ECG

Respiratory Function
Test Visual performance
Profile Abdominal
Full Clinical Examination
Sonar
ServICeS
Arranging Overflight and Landing Clearances
Cost estimates for airport taxes
Fuel availability and pricing
Arrangement of ground handling along routing
Flight following
Departure lounge at Lanseria
Ground handling at Lanseria
Charter Services

International Flight Clearances

Tel: +27 11 701 2330 (24 hours)
Mobile: +27 76 983 1089 (24 Hours)
Fax: +27 11 701 2334
email: flightops@flyifc.co.za
Website: www.flyifc.co.za
Address: Hanger 201, Gate 7 ring road,
Lanersia Airport. We are located in the Lanseria
Jet Centre Offices.
GPS coordinates: S 25 57.07 e 27 58.1

International Flight Clearances

International Flight Clearances

Simunuye Centre No. 10 At Checkers Centre, Hazyview

Tel: 013 737 8779 Fax: 013 737 8866 Cel: 082 550 8975
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

13

Training Issues
by Mike Wright BCom LLB

New training
and technologies
designed to
de-program pilots
Airlines and pilot-training
providers reprogram upset
prevention and recovery training
The expression Old habits
die hard is very true when
it comes to a pilot's inputs in
response to a stall. Until recently,
airline pilots around the world
had been trained to minimize
altitude loss when faced with the
warnings signs of a stall. Training
sequences became rote, and pilots
were anticipating the stall warning
with hands on the throttle and a
trim setting that would ease pitch
control when power was added.
The cost of such training
practice became evident in
2009, when three stall-related
crashesof the Colgan Air Flight
3407 Bombardier Q400 near
Buffalo, N.Y.; Turkish Airlines
Flight 1951 Boeing 737-800 in
Amsterdam; and Air France Flight
447 Airbus A330 in the Atlantic
northeast of Brazilmade clear
to regulators, the industry and
pilots, that what was practiced
in training was not effective in
recovering from stalls in real life.
Airlines and training
providers, with modern guidance
and rules from regulators, are
now implementing new training
programs and technologies
designed to de-program pilots
of the automated ingrained
responses. Included are efforts
to surprise or startle pilots with
an unexpected unusual attitude
or an automation action that sets
off a stick shaker, stick pusher

14 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

or other stall prevention system

when least expected. While
other factors were present in the
three 2009 crashes, incorrect
or insufficient recovery from
a stall scenario was a common
thread in the crash sequences.
Starting in 2019, airline pilots
will have to receive hands-on,
instructor-led full-stall training
in full-motion simulators,
an action that will require
upgraded simulator models and
instructor-monitoring tools.
The training standards before
2012 unwittingly led to stall
recovery success in terms of
lost altitude rather than the need
to reduce angle of attack and
aerodynamic load on the wing by
immediately pushing the elevator
control forwardthe universally
accepted solution to stalls that
had been ignored in training.
To succeed, pilots would
begin the maneuver at a medium
altitude, slow down and handfly the aircraft, with the elevator
trim set so it would not cause
pitch-up problems when full
power was brought in on the
first warning of a stall. The net
result was a programmed reaction
to give power more priority
than pitch, a fatal mistake in
many accidents. Actual stalls
were not required nor were
they allowed in the simulators
because the aerodynamic models
driving the systems did not
accurately reflect the non-linear
behavior of an aircraft in the
stall and post-stall regime.
Stall training before 2012
was a choreographed event,
says Paul Kolisch, supervisor
of flight operations training at
regional carrier Endeavor Air,
a wholly owned subsidiary of
Delta Airlines. It was akin to
synchronized swimming.
An intense focus on the
problem after the 2009 accidents
led the industry to convene experts
and the U.S. Congress to mandate
several actions from the FAA,
including new flight-training rules
that are based on the efforts of
several rulemaking committees
and technical groups. The new
rules require airlines to teach
not only the proper response to a
stall warning, but also prevention
and recovery from simulated,
fully developed stalls and upsets,
including instructor-guided,
hands-on training in full stalls
and stick-pusher activations.
Upsets, which the FAA says are
most often caused by a stall,
occur when an aircraft's pitch
or roll angles exceed the normal
bounds of 25 deg. nose up,

10 deg. nose down and bank

angles of more than 45 deg.
The core principles of the
training emerged from an FAA
advisory circular published
in 2012 that was echoed by
regulators globally: reduce the
angle of attack when confronted
with a stall event without
being overly concerned with
a predetermined value for
altitude loss. The FAA also called
on industry to create realistic
scenarios for stall training
code for trying to surprise or
startle pilots while flying on
autopilotand for making
stick-pusher training part of the
program for equipped aircraft.
Similar changes are underway
in ICAO guidance, driven in
part by the new FAA rules
and work of the International
Committee for Aviation Training
in Extended Envelopes (Icatee).
Had the [Colgan Air Flight
3407] flight crew been required to
complete the extended envelope
training provisions required by
this final rule, that accident would
likely have been mitigated, says
the FAA in the rule, noting that the
captain may have been surprised
by the activation of the stick
shaker, pulling the control column
aft rather than pushing it forward.
It is unclear how long it
will take pilots to undo years of
ingrained training. There are so
many professionals on the line
that have habit patterns they are
not going to give up, says Clarke
McNeace, a former Southwest
Airlines pilot who is now vice
president of flight training and
standards at Aviation Performance
Solutions (APS) in Amsterdam.
We have an entire industry of
simulator instructors and line
pilots who have the traditional
stall recovery method ingrained.
It's going to be a long way down
the road. McNeace, who teaches
upset prevention and recovery
training (UPRT) at APS, says
he is nonetheless encouraged
that professional pilots coming
for training in the past two
years have told him they have
stopped doing it the old way
in their training departments.
South African Airways
pilots will receive a new iPad
application developed by
Aviation Performance Solutions
to explain the fundamentals of
upsets and recoveries as laid out
in latest revision of the airplane
upset recovery training aid.
Ten new students instructor
pilots with South African Airways
are set to begin a professional
pilot UPRT three-day training

course with McNeace this spring

as part of a new safety initiative
within the airline to teach existing
and newly hired pilots the correct
methods of stall and upset
recovery. The prevention aspect
of UPRT relates to proper handling
of stalls to avoid the upsets that
typically follow. The course will
include flights in APS's Slingsby
T-67 Firefly aerobatic trainers.
We have a potential
situation in the future, where
we will be bringing in less and
less experienced pilots into the
cockpit, says Brad Bennetts, an
SAA senior first officer, Airbus
A340 line pilot and UPRT
project manager, who also flies
competition aerobatics. We feel
that UPRT is an absolute necessity,
but it has to be done properly.
With grant money from its
insurance company, the airline
last year sent Bennetts as well
as its chief pilot and senior
instructors to an APS train the
trainer program in Phoenix,
a five-day course that includes
four UPRT flights in an aerobatic
Extra 300 and two sessions in a
full-motion simulator to work on
transferring the in-aircraft skills to
the simulator. 'Train the trainer'
is designed to take a simulator
instructor and make him a subjectmatter expert, says McNeace.
The FAA did not mandate
that pilots receive in-aircraft
stall or UPRT training in the
new rule, an action critics of
in-aircraft training say points to
the potential for negative training
between a straight-wing aerobatic
propeller aircraft and a sweptwing jet. McNeace disputes
that notion. The discipline
needed to recover both types
of aircraft is almost virtually
the same, he says, adding that
the aerodynamics are 90% the
same between the prop and the
jet. Advocates of in-aircraft
training believe the experience
can help pilots understand
the physiological stresses and
g-forces that accompany upsets,
regardless of the size and wing
characteristics of the aircraft.
Bennetts says SAA considered
giving all its pilots in-aircraft
training to experience g-force
issues with UPRT, but the
$4,300 price for each pilot was
prohibitive, especially for an
airline in financial woes, he
notes. Instead, instructors will
try to ingrain in pilots muscle
memory of a recovery technique
that makes unloading the wing
the first priority, he says.
Starting in July, SAA's
instructor cadre will begin putting

the airline's 800 pilots through

Bennett's UPRT training module
as part of a one-day initiation,
followed by recurring simulator
training every six months. The
airline began developing the
training two years ago, with help
from Sunjoo Advani, president of
Netherlands-based International
Development of Technology.
Included in the introductory
session will be a 1.5-hr. briefing,
4-hr. simulator session and 1.5-hr.
debriefing. Afterward, UPRT
training, including high-altitude
stall scenarios with an element
of surprise, will be built into the
regular six-month sessions in the
airline's four simulators. Bennetts
says the carrier's Airbus pilots
receive approach-to-stall training
during initial conversions, per
the Airbus footprint, but rarely
practice stalls afterward. That will
change with the new program.
The FAA itself has discovered
evidence of the unsatisfactory
stall training in pilots during an
unrelated study last year that
looked at whether lower-cost
generic or type-representative
stall models may be adequate to
upgrade full-motion simulators
for the stall and upset training
mandate. The gold standard
is a specific model created

by flight-test data, although

aircraft manufacturers may not
be willing to part with that data
and the information may costprohibitive to obtain for aircraft
that are out of production.
The agency brought in 45 line
pilots from Southwest Airlines,
American Airlines and Delta,
among other carriers, and put
them through stall scenarios in
its Boeing 737-800 full-motion
simulator, augmented with the
different extended envelopes.
Pilots were divided up to fly the
various models, in which each
pilot trained to proficiency in
stall recovery: apply nose-down
pitch control first (and hold until
the stick shaker stops), then
apply roll control, followed by
adding more thrust if needed.
Each pilot flew two planned stall
maneuvers, followed by a third,
unannounced stall caused by a
rapidly increasing (74 kt. in 5 sec.)
severe tailwind on an instrument
approach on the autopilot into
a demanding airport (Reagan
Washington National Airport).
The results from the surprise
scenario turned out to be one of
the most valuable parts of the
experiment, says Jeff Schroeder,
FAA chief scientific and technical
adviser for flight simulation

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systems and lead author in a report

on the study, presented at an
American Institute of Aeronautics
and Astronautics conference
in January. Instead of the
choreographed maneuver training,
where pilots are told, 'now we
are going to do stall training,' the
surprise scenario revealed what
might happen if confronted with
an unexpected stall in real life.
Schroeder says only 10 of
the 45 pilots applied the stall
recovery template correctly
on the surprise stall. The other
78% had issues with the correct
recovery sequence. Some pilots
did not want to drop the nose
below the horizon to eliminate
the stall, and this experience
hopefully served to reinforce the
fact that an airplane can be stalled
at any attitude or airspeed, he
says. Most of the pilots in the
study strongly agreed that they
were surprised by the tailwind
stall, he notes. It is exactly
this type of scenario training
that is needed in today's airline
training programs, Schroeder
says. The same pilots, after being
given hands-on stall recovery
training, performed better.
Creating scenarios that
produce the physiological
response of surprise or startle

in a pilot, while not introducing

negative training in the recovery of
the aircraft, will be key to effective
next-generation flight training.
Endeavor Air's Kolisch says his
simulator instructors have already
integrated realistic scenarios into
their six-month simulator checks
for more than 2,000 line pilots
flying the Bombardier CRJ200
and CRJ900. Distractions he likes
to use to mask an impending
surprise include a malfunction on
the engine-indicating and crewalerting system just before the
stick shaker activates, introducing
distracting conversations as
airspeed bleeds off or even
dropping a heavy book on the
floor during a critical operation.
Some scenarios are readymade for confusion, including
low-altitude stalls, where the
terrain-awareness warning system
alerts the pilot to Pull up! in
direct contrast to the stall recovery
technique. Once the stall warning
fires, the pilots are expected
to disconnect the automation,
lower the nose, add thrust and
clean up the aircraft later. You
may not surprise everyone, and
you may not surprise anyone
more than once or twice, but
one time is really valuable
experience, Kolisch says.

We give our customers

the peace of mind of being
able to rely on first world
aviation standards in third
world environments.
Africa, we are ideally positioned to provide the best
support to our clients. With extensive experience with
the variety of challenges the continent offers, we are able
to understand your requirements and meet them in this
rapidly changing environment.
We now also offer regular flights to the
Northern Cape and Limpopo!

www.flycemair.co.za

Tel: +27 (0)11 395 4473

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

15

Airline & Charter

by  estutis Volungevicius, Head
K
of FL Technics Training.

Chinas
declining
competitiveness
opens new
opportunities
for younger
market players
In order to compete with powerful
OEMs many engine and component
MROs must concentrate on
developing innovative solutions
and seek new ways to increase
efficiency. Most airframe providers,
however, seem to be faced with
no such challenges. According to
the recent projections, the value
of the global airframe MRO
market is to reach $17.5 billion
in 2014. This indicates a stable
and sustainable growth within the
segment. However, the situation
varies from region to region. With
the latest slow-down in the Chinese
economy, which is now growing at
a pace of 7-8% a year (down from
10-11%), the demand for air travel

16 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

and, in turn, MRO support in the

country has significantly dropped.
As a result, in the view of some
experts the situation in the market
has become favourable for some
new, more competitive, entrants.
Although last year the passenger
traffic in China was growing at
a fairly fast pace, there were no
significant peeks in demand for air
travel in the region. Local carriers
inability to fill their aircraft was
echoed in the maintenance shops that
support their operations. Although
the industry-wide figures are not
available, some of the airframe
maintenance providers reported that
in 2013 their business (measured
in man-hours) grew by 7-8%
instead of the previously forecasted
10-12%. However, according to
the industry experts, the weakened
performance of local carriers is
not the most important factor to
influence the changing workload.
The international
competitiveness of the Chinese
airframe maintenance industry
ultimately rests upon the modest
pay rates and high labour efficiency.
However, the local salaries have
been rising by about 10% a year
for quite some time now, and the
situation in the market is changing
respectively. Such dynamics will
definitely become a major factor
as concerns the developments
within the MRO market in
2014 and the years to come.
Some signs of the
aforementioned demand shifts are
already noticeable. For instance,
while the MRO needs of the North
American fleet are expected to
remain flat, forecasters emphasize
that the rising labour costs in such
markets as China are changing the
contract maintenance equation,
tilting the results more favourably
towards keeping the airframe MRO
work closer to home. What used
to be enjoyable 30% savings per
check have dried up. As a result,
in a recent survey conducted by
Oliver Wyman consultancy agency,

60% of airline representatives

said that they were willing to
absorb up to a 5% cost deficit
relative to overseas alternatives
to select a domestic provider,
while 20% indicated willingness
to accept up to a 15% deficit.
The changes in labour rates
are expected to influence the
competitiveness of MRO providers
in China not only with regard to
Northern American clients, but
also in the context of the entire
Asia-Pacific. There are reasons to
believe that new MRO capabilities
of such countries as Indonesia, the
Philippines, Malaysia and others
will allow these new players to
attract new clients and gain larger
market shares due to lower salaries.
The unavoidable implication

of the current situation is that one

day the Chinese industry will
simply become uncompetitive.
Lion Air in Indonesia, where the
average income is much lower,
is already setting up a large
maintenance base in Batam, an
island near Singapore. Vietnam
is yet another well positioned
country which has the potential
to rank among the largest players
in Southeast Asia. No doubt both
of these countries, as well as
other newcomers, will have a lot
to learn. For instance, achieving
adequate labour efficiency and
service quality will be a major
challenge, putting additional
pressure on the training providers.
Same as it was in China relatively
not such a long time ago.

Airops software launches enhanced

online quoting tool for charter operators

Above (L to R): George Galanopoulos, MD LEA; Daniel Tee, MD Airops



and Adam Twidell, CEO PrivateFly.

New integration with PrivateFly

makes it quicker and more
efficient for operators to quote
for new business online.
Airops Software has announced
an upgraded version of its
software for charter operators,
enabling them to provide
automatic charter quotes, via its
integration with PrivateFly.com.
The new functionality from the
business aviation technology
supplier now gives Airops
operators the ability to quote
automatically for live flight requests
received from customer booking
platform PrivateFly. The quote is
generated within the operators
own quoting software, based
on live aircraft availability and
location. After being approved,
the quote is submitted to
PrivateFly and the end customer.
Airops provides scheduling and
quoting software for 15 leading
charter operators, including
London Executive Aviation.
Jonathan Tregoiing, General

Manager of Airops Software

commented: We are delighted to
offer our registered operators this
enhanced new business tool. We are
always looking at options to add
value for our clients and this now
streamlines their business offering.
The alignment of both technologies
makes excellent business sense
for all concerned and we look
forward to rolling this out.
Adam Twidell, CEO of PrivateFly
added: This enhanced integration
with Airops gives their registered
aircraft operators a more efficient
way to market their availability to
our clients. Ultimately this delivers
a faster response to the end user,
which we know results in more
charter bookings. In the charter
market, the customer demands
price, response speed and customer
service. By using Airops, operators
can guarantee the speed.
Operators already registered
with Airops should contact
support@AiropsSoftware.com to
switch on automatic quoting.

031

564 6215

mel@kznaviation.co.za

827 0335

tanya@capitalairsa.com

011

805 0682

fjoubert@jemaxaviation.co.za

011
011
011
011

701 3298
659 2229
659 2379
701 3250

info@swiftflite.co.za
hansel@doholdings.co.za
info@Alegiance-air.co.za
quotes@kingair.co.za

011

395 9000

KZN Aviation

E mail

Code Telephone
Company
Virginia Airport Durban

Companies SA

< 20 Pax
> 20 pax
Biz Jets
V.I.P.
Long Range
Freight
Helicopter
Special Events
Safari Charters
Contracts
Aircraft Sales
Surveys
Maintenance
Aerial Photography
Aircraft Leasing
Security Based (armed)
Line Inspections
Lodge Transfers
Export Docs and Clearing
Hangarage
AIr Ambulance (Medevac)
Aircraft Management

CHARTER

011

Rand Airport Germiston

Capital Air (Pty) Ltd

Grand Central Midrand

Jemax Aviation (Pty) Ltd

Lanseria Airport
Swift Flite (Pty) Ltd
DO Charter
Allegiance Air (Pty) Ltd
King Air Charter

Wonderboom airport Pretoria

Freedom Air
Powered Flight Charters

012
078

751 1157
460 1231

magda.baillie@fedair.com
info@freedomair.co.za
martin@poweredflight.co.za

OR Tambo International Johannesburg

Federal Air Charters (Pty) Ltd & Bateleur Air Charter

klaraf@starliteaviation.co.za

082 330 7399

enquiries@execujet.co.za
enquiries@execujet.co.za
enquiries@execujet.com.ng

24 Hr Charter number

ExecuJet Aviation Group: Lanseria and Cape Town. ExecuJet Nigeria Limited
Cape Town Int. Airport
Lanseria Int. Airport Johannesburg
Murtala Muhammed Int. Airport Lagos, Nigeria

5715535

031

Durban - Natal
Starlite Aviation Operations

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

17

ITS HISTORY

By Mike Wright - Dubai Airport:

GLOBAL NETWORK

On October 25, 1985, Emirates

commenced with its first routes out
of Dubai with just two aircraft a
leased Boeing 737 and an Airbus
300 B4. Then as now, their goal
was quality, not quantity, and in
the years since taking those first
small steps onto the regional travel
scene, Emirates has evolved into
a globally influential travel and
tourism conglomerate known the
world over for their commitment
to the highest standards of quality
in every aspect of our business.
Though wholly owned by the
Government of Dubai, Emirates

18 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

has grown in scale and stature

not through protectionism but
through competitioncompetition
with the ever-growing number
of international carriers that take
advantage of Dubais open-skies
policy. Not only does the airline
support that policy, but it sees it
as vital to maintaining its identity
and competitiveness. After making
its initial start-up investment,
the Government of Dubai saw
fit to treat Emirates as a wholly
independent business entity, and
today we are thriving because
of it. The airline has recorded
an annual profit in every year

since its third in operation.

Continuing our explosive
growth while continually
striving to provide the best
service in the industry is the
secret of Emirates success. The
airline's business includes:
 n award-winning
A
international cargo division
 full-fledged destination
A
management and leisure division
An airline IT developer

FLYING TO MORE
DESTINATIONS EVERY DAY

With a fleet of more than 200

aircraft, Emirates currently fly to

over 130 destinations in more than

60 countries around the world,
and the network is expanding
constantly. Over 1,000 Emirates
flights depart Dubai each week
on their way to destinations on
six continents. In fact, Emirates
flights account for nearly 40 per
cent of all flight movements in
and out of Dubai International
Airport. In recent years,
Emirates has made numerous
significant announcements
regarding the future of its
already state-of-the-art fleet.
In 2001, Emirates
demonstrated its confidence in

the industrys future growth by

announcing the largest order
in aviation history, valued at
USD 15 billion. A staggering
58 new aircraft, a mix of Airbus
and Boeing, were to join the
rapidly expanding fleet.
In 2005, Emirates announced
the largest-ever order for the
Boeing 777 family of aircraft 42 in all in a deal worth Dhs
35.7 billion (USD 9.7 billion).
At the 2006 Farnborough
Air Show, Emirates signed a
Heads of Agreement for 10 of
Boeings new 747-8F aircraft,
to be powered by General

Electrics GEnx jet engines, in

a deal worth USD 3.3 billion.
At the Dubai Airshow in
November 2007, Emirates
announced a historic civil aviation
aircraft order when it signed
contracts for 120 Airbus A350s,
11 A380s, and 12 Boeing 777300ERs, worth an estimated USD
34.9 billion in list prices. The
agreement with Airbus comprises
firm orders for 50 A350-900s and
20 A350-1000s, plus 50 options
for the A350-900s. The first A350
will be delivered to Emirates in
2015. During 2010, in line with
the airlines strategic growth plan,

Emirates significantly increased

its order for new aircraft. In June
at the Berlin Airshow, Emirates
announced an order for an
additional 32 Airbus A380s and in
July at the Farnborough Airshow,
30 more Boeing 777-300ERs were
ordered. The combined value of
these orders is USD 13.4 billion.
Underscoring its incredible
growth the airline is currently the
worlds largest operator of both
the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777.
Emirates currently has more
than 230 aircraft on order, with
a total value of approximately
USD 84 billion as of November

2011. In combination with what

is already the youngest and one
of the most modern fleets in
worldwide commercial aviation,
this commitment to the future
reflects their goal to develop
Dubai into a comprehensive,
global, long-haul aviation hub.
In the financial year
2010/2011, Emirates carried
31.4 million passengers
and 1.8 million tons of
cargo and can look forward to a
bright future in which they will
carry many millions more across a
growing network of international
destinations.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

19

Airline News
by Mike Wright BCom LLB

FlySafair granted
domestic scheduled
passenger licence
Safair recently announced that the
Air Services Licencing Council
(ASLC) has granted FlySafair
a domestic air service licence
for the operation of domestic
scheduled flights. This is in
addition to the international and
domestic unscheduled licence
that it held for almost 50 years,
providing aviation services
both domestically and locally.
The airline was initially
blocked from starting its
operations after two competitors
brought an urgent application to
prevent the new low cost airline
from starting its operations
based on it not meeting the 75%
domestic ownership requirements.
Since then the airline has

restructured their shareholding,

getting rid of the shareholding
which caused the problems and
at the same time concluding
the largest employee share
ownership scheme in the aviation
industry, effectively giving its
South African employees a
25.14% stake in the company.
Despite not having been
operational since October 2013,
the airline retained the services
of all the employees who were
hired 10 months ago, by utilising
them in its traditional business
of providing backup services
to local airlines and also in
international charter operations.
This demonstrates our
commitment not only to job
creation, but also sends a clear
message that FlySafair is here
for the long run. We are eager to
provide South Africans with an
alternate low cost airline that is
dedicated to offering competitive
and sustainable fares between
Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The team looks forward to our
passengers putting our promise
of affordability and exceptional
service to the test, says Dave
Andrew, CEO of Safair.
"Having now received our
new schedule passenger licence,
we are currently evaluating our
options for the re-launch of
FlySafair. Dates for the launch
flight and ticket sales will be
announced in due course."

kululas in flight
humour

For example, in 2010, they landed

themselves in a spot of trouble
for describing themselves as the
Unofficial National Carrier of

the You-Know-What during the

FIFA World Cup in SA. Another
advert announced affordable
flights to everybody except Sepp
Blatter (FIFA president), who
was offered a free seat for the
duration of that thing that is
happening right now. Obviously
a funny bunch, here are some
Kulula quotes from various flights:
Welcome aboard Kulula 271
to Port Elizabeth. To operate your
seatbelt insert the metal tab into
the buckle and pull tight. It works
just like every other seatbelt, and,
if you dont know how to operate
one, you probably shouldnt
be out in public transport.
People, people, were
not picking out furniture here,
find a seat and get in it.
Kulula Airlines is pleased
to announce that we have some
of the best flight attendants in
the industry. Unfortunately, none
of them are on this flight!
There may be 50 ways to
leave your lover, but there are
only four ways out of this plane.
In the event of a sudden
loss of cabin pressure, masks
will descend from the ceiling.
Stop screaming, grab the mask
and pull it over your face. If you
have a small child travelling with
you, secure your mask before
assisting with theirs. If you are
travelling with more than one
small child, pick your favourite.
Weather at our destination
is 50 degrees with some broken
clouds but well try to have them
fixed before we arrive. Thank
you, and remember, nobody
loves you, or your money,
more than Kulula Airlines.
That was quite a bump and
I know what yall are thinking.
Im here to tell you it wasnt the

airlines fault, it wasnt the pilots

fault, it wasnt the flight attendants
fault, it was the asphalt.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the Mother City.
Please remain in your seats with
your seat belts fastened while
the Captain taxis whats left
of our airplane to the gate.
Please take care when
opening the overhead
compartments because, after a
landing like that, sure as hell
everything has shifted.
As you exit the plane,
make sure to gather all of your
valuables. Anything left behind
will be distributed evenly among
the flight attendants. Please do
not leave children or spouses.

Boeing Launches
777X with RecordBreaking Orders
and Commitments

Boeing recently launched the 777X

program at the Dubai Airshow
with a record-breaking number of
customer orders and commitments
for the newest member of its twinaisle product family. Agreements
for 259 airplanes from four
customers across Europe and
the Middle East provide a strong
foundation to support development
and production of the airplane.
Representing the largest
product launch in commercial
jetliner history by dollar value,
777X orders and commitments
include Lufthansa with 34
airplanes; Etihad Airways
with 25; Qatar Airways with
50 and Emirates with 150
airplanes. The combined value
of the agreements is more than
$95 billion at list prices.

10 ways passengers can fall out with cabin staff

If there is one group of people you dont want
to fall out with when you are 30 thousand feet
in the air, its the cabin attendants. Their job
is to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience
for all those who board the aircraft, however,
there is a long list of different behaviours that
will make this exceptionally difficult for them.
Here is a list of ten. Ten begins as
faily irritating, until we reach number one
which may as well end in them saying just
remove yourself from my aircraft now:
10. Getting drunk. No-one enjoys a passenger

who is so intoxicated that they become rude,
demanding and then eventually throws up.
9.  sure way to aggravate the cabin
A
crew is to complain about the food.
Remember they have prepared it, served
it, and they too, are about to eat it.

20 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

8. Chat up lines. This isnt a normal


environment, they cant just walk off to the
next venue, which means everything just
becomes much more awkward. This is a
customer service role, they are not flirting,
so its probably best you dont either.
7. Creating any unpleasant smells within the

cabin. Removing your shoes or painting
your nails for example, are a big no no.
6. Continuously pressing the call button. They

heard it the first time, they do not need
to hear it for the fifth, sixth or seventh.
5. Pulling, tugging, or prodding their

uniform in order for them to tend
to your needs, is not on.
4. To call them sky waiters or sky waitresses,
is to assume they just rocked up one day
and got asked if they had any prior bar

experience. The training programme for

cabin crew is extensive, and requires
fitness tests, and sit down safety exams.
Never underestimate their skill.
3. Believing that you are an exception to

the rule, and therefore not listening to
the safety rules until they have had to
repeat them for the umpteenth time.
2. Keeping your headphones on whilst the

cabin crew are talking demonstrates a
total lack of respect. Also not wearing
them, and irritating other passengers
with the loud sound of your music.
1. Lastly, whilst disembarking the plane,

keeping your eyes fixed to the floor
despite their best efforts to wish you
a good trip is only going to end with
the cabin crew truly hating you.

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"We are proud to partner

with each of these esteemed
airlines to launch the 777X
the largest and most-efficient
twin-engine jetliner in the
world," said Boeing Commercial
Airplanes President and CEO
Ray Conner. "Its ground-breaking
engine technologies and all-new
composite wing will deliver
unsurpassed value and growth
potential to our customers."
The 777X builds on the
passenger-preferred and marketleading 777, which today
commands 55 percent of market
share in its category in terms
of backlog, and 71 percent of
the in-service fleet worldwide.
The 777X family includes the
777-8X and the 777-9X, both
designed to respond to market
needs and customer preferences.
The 777X builds on the
best-in-class dispatch reliability
from today's 777, as well as
offering more market coverage
and revenue capability that
surpasses the competition.
The 777-8X competes directly
with the A350-1000, while the
777-9X is in a class by itself.
Opening new growth
opportunities for airlines, the
777-9X offers seating for more
than 400 passengers, depending
on an airline's configuration
choices. With a range of more
than 8,200 nautical miles (15,185
km), the airplane will have the
lowest operating cost per seat
of any commercial airplane.
The second member of
the family, the 777-8X, will
be the most flexible jet in the
world. The airplane will seat
350 passengers and offer an
incredible range capability of
more than 9,300 nautical miles
(17,220 km). In addition, the
airplane will have unmatched
take-off and payload capability
compared to the competition.
"The airplane will build
on the market-leading 777 and
will provide superior operating
economics," said Conner. "The
airplane will be 12 percent more
fuel efficient than any competing
airplane, necessary in today's
competitive environment."
The 777X introduces the
latest technologies in multiple
places, including the most
advanced commercial engine
ever the GE9X by GE Aviation
and an all-new high-efficiency
composite wing that has a longer
span than today's 777. The
airplane's folding, raked wingtip
and optimized span deliver
greater efficiency, significant
fuel savings and complete

22 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

airport gate compatibility.

Like the 787 Dreamliner
which was launched as the
7E7, the 777X will be formally
named at a later date. Design
of the 777X is underway and
suppliers will be named in the
coming months. Production is
set to begin in 2017, with first
delivery targeted for 2020.

Composite materials
on aircraft definition:
Common composite materials
used in aviation are fiberglass,
carbon fiber and fiberreinforced matrix systems, or a
combination of any of these.
According to the FAA,
composite material has been
around since World War II. Over
the years, composite material
became more popular, being
used in different airplanes and
gliders. About 35 percent of the
nation's aircraft structures were
made of composites in 2005.
Today, aircraft structures are
commonly made up of 50-70
percent composite material.
Boeing rolled out its new
787 in 2012, boasting that
it was 50 percent composite
material. And in 2013, the A350
Xwb, which is also made of
at least 50 percent composite
materials, took to the air.
Composites are used
frequently in aviation due to
numerous advantages. Some
say that these materials pose a
safety risk to aviation, though,
citing a few drawbacks.

Advantages

Most of the time, the use of

composite materials reduce
weight. Fiber-reinforced
matrix systems are stronger
than traditional aluminum
found in most aircraft, and
they provide a smooth surface
and increase fuel efficiency.
Composite materials don't
corrode as easily at other types
of structures. They don't crack
from metal fatigue and they
hold up well in structural flexing
environments. Composite
materials also last longer than
aluminum, which means fewer
maintenance and repair costs.

Disadvantages

Composite materials dont break

easily, but that makes it hard to
tell if the interior structure has
been damaged at all. Aluminum
bends and dents easily and it's
apparent if the structure has been

damaged in any way; it's harder

to tell with composites. Repairs
can also be more difficult when a
composite surface is damaged.
The resin used in composite
material weakens at temperatures
as low as 150 degrees, making
it important for these aircraft to
avoid fires. Fires involved with
composite materials can release
toxic fumes and microparticles
into the atmosphere. Temperatures
above 300 degrees can
cause structural failure.
High cost can be associated
with composite materials,
but this cost is typically

means less bulk and more foot

room for passengers. And the
IFE wiring is configured to be
less of a hassle in the event that
a customer wants to reconfigure
the seating arrangements.
The LED lighting system on
board the A350-XWB will have
a whopping 16.7 million colors,
along with various additional
options. And air pressure and
humidity levels are reportedly
much better with the new
design, according to Airbus.
Airbus has almost 40
customers and over 800 orders for
the A350-XWB, falling slightly
short its competitor, the B787.

Airbus unveils
new A350 XWB
Chrysalos cabin

Azul Brazilian
Airlines to offer
flights between
the US and Brazil

Airbus has unveiled its new

interior for the A350 Xwb with
two A350-XWB test planes
in Hamburg, Germany. The
all-new interior is focused
on the passenger experience,
including inflight entertainment
and Wi-Fi services.
The aircraft also has a new flat
floor, side walls that are almost
vertical and larger windows.
A fresh design for the
A350-XWB itself meant a fresh
interior too, according to Airbus.
"We saw no point in simply
tweaking existing cabin designs
when the aircraft itself was going
to be completely new, explains
Kiran Rao, head of strategy.
The chance to offer customers a
substantially better cabin as well
as excellent performance, range
and efficiency was too good to
miss. After all, the quality of
the cabin is what is of concern
most of all to passengers.
The A350-XWB's new
"chrysalis" cabin, as it's called,
has a dropped floor which allows
for straighter walls and more
room to breathe, setting it apart
from other wide body jets that
taper at the front and back. Also,
the lowered floor gave Airbus the
opportunity to increase revenue
space by putting the crew rest
area above the passenger cabin
and allowed for an increase in
baggage space for passengers.
And the windows are 50%
larger than the windows on the
A330, giving passengers a
bigger view.
In-flight entertainment also
saw improvements, with larger
screens and full connectivity,
including Wi-Fi and USB
outlets. The storage of the IFE
systems underneath the floor

Azul Brazilian Airlines expects

to debut its first international
flights by early 2015. The U.S.
flights will be served from Azul's
brand new $1.5 billion terminal
at Sao Paulo/Campinas airport
This is Brazil's largest
airline hub offering connections
to 104 domestic cities.
Azul's U.S. gateways will be
announced later this year.
Azul will operate the new
international routes with a fleet
of 11 wide-body Airbus aircraft.
The airline has ordered five
Airbus A350-900 with deliveries
beginning early 2017. In addition,
six Airbus A330-200 will be used
to launch service in early 2015.
The new aircraft will be leased
from ILFC and will be equipped
with Rolls-Royce engines. Azul's
fleet currently comprises of 80
Embraer and 56 ATR aircraft.
"Azul is the one airline that
truly serves all of Brazil. With
104 destinations, Azul unites
the country better than any other
airline, with convenient and
frequent connections," said David
Neeleman, CEO and Founder
of Azul. "Our customers have
been asking for this and now
we look forward to providing
them with our superior service
on international flights, just as
we have been doing today on
our 880 daily local departures.
With less than six years of
operations, Azul already has
flown more than 85 million
customers and changed the face
of air travel in the Brazilian
market since its first flights,
on December 15, 2008.
The airline currently operates
a fleet of 136 aircraft and employs
more than 10 000 people.

Medical Rescue
by Mike Wright BCom LLB

Outreach &
Aeromedical
Operations in
KwaZulu-Natal
Operating out of Dube
TradePorts TradeZone,
KwaZulu-Natal is privileged to
be able to call on the assistance
of a high-flying team of medics
and support staff who provide
a world-class air ambulance
network and rural health
outreach service to the benefit
of those in need at metropolitan
or remote rural areas.
The Air Mercy Service
AMS was established in
1966 by the SA Red Cross
Society and became an
independent trust in 1994,
operating as an independent
non-profit organization.
The AMS has used Dube
TradePort as a base since
2011 providing its range of
vital services to the people of
KwaZulu-Natal using a fleet of
five (5) aircraft based locally
and other units in Richards
Bay and Pietermaritzburg.
Over the years this air service
has proven itself to be far more
effective and safer than road
transport in spreading specialist
health resources throughout
the province. Using aircraft
also allow for greater contact
time with patients and less time
spent travelling to and from
far-flung areas where the need
for support is the greatest.
The AMS in partnership with
the KwaZulu-Natal Department
of Health (DOH) aims to provide
access to outlying communities
who previously enjoyed little or

24 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Above: PC-12 ZS-PRX a popular


choice in fixed-wing aircraft
for Medi-rescue operations.

Middle:  AMS AgustaWestland A109

(twin-engine) undergoing
maintenance enabling it to
be ready for any emergency.

Right:  Senior Pilot Capt. J C Linde

(Head of fixed-wing 
operations at AMS
KwaZulu-Natal).

Bottom: Helicopter Pilot Capt.


Charmaine Van Wyk (Air
Ambulance Service).

no access to scarce healthcare

services. The health outreach
operation Flying Doctor
Service in KwaZulu-Natal
facilitates flying volunteer
health specialists to outlying
hospitals on a daily basis and
currently supports over thirty-five
(35) hospitals in the province.
The doctors on the outreach
program conduct teaching ward
rounds, specialist consults,
surgery and other services in
an attempt to support outlying
facilities as well as help curb
mortality & morbidity rates.
This service also greatly impacts
in reducing waiting times for
patients, strengthening the health
referral systems and providing
a quality assurance and capacity
building platform. Programs
include specialist support in

Above:

AgustaWestland AW109 being maintenance

by AMS Engineer Jan Bardenhorst.

Below:  KZN EMRS Medics from Left to Right: Sheik Freed,

Vinod Naidoo & Shaun Huri.
Bottom: Afzal Khan (AMS Regional Manager).
Above: Airbus B4 Helicopter (single engine), still a popular choice.

Obstetrics & Gynaecology,

Paediatrics, Neonatology, ENT,
Ophthalmology, Orthopedic
appliances, Speech &
Audiology Service, General
& Specialist Surgery among
an array of other services.
Mr. Afzal Khan the Regional
Manager of KwaZulu-Natal
mentioned The work we do is
very gratifying, but difficult to
describe. The volunteers sacrifice
family time and income potential
to provide their expertise to
the sick and only look to make
a difference to another human
being by improving their quality
of life. A humble gratifying smile
is often payment enough for
the volunteers. The people that
get involved in our programs
are those who look to help
others before themselves.
On the Emergency
Aeromedical Air Ambulance
Service aircraft respond to
road accidents and emergency
situations where Advanced
Life Support expertise and
equipment is required. The
KZN DOH Emergency Medical

Rescue Services (EMRS) is

proud to be able to offer such a
specialized operation with AMS
as the operator. With the recent
introduction of Night Flying
Helicopter operations and other
innovations this service is gaining
international recognition. The
impact on patient care and DOH
priority health programs has
been significant and collectively
add to the recent positive trends
in health statistics in KZN.
Dube TradePort is proud
to host such a humanitarian
organization that boasts to be
one of the Biggest & most
Comprehensive Aeromedical
Service in the Country, if not
the continent right here on our
doorstep. We believe that by
supporting AMS you will also be
supporting the greater community
through the work that they do.
For more information on AMS
and their activities or if you want
to get involved, please view
their website on www.ams.org.
za or visit their local offices at
Unit 7, Dube Tradehouse at King
Shaka International Airport.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

25

26 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

PC-12 at Creighton airfield Kwazulu Natal

about to receive a critically ill patient
for transport to Pietermaritzburg

The PC-12 is well equipped for any emergency

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

27

MRO News

 Zilvinas Sadauskas,
by

CEO of Locatory.com

Surplus parts
present new
opportunities
for the MROs in
the aftermarket

Due a reduced number of actual

shop visits many OEMs were
forced to adjust their expectations
with regard to spare parts sales
several times last year. This year
the period when airlines are
destocking spares and deferring
maintenance services is drawing
to a close. As a result, the
demand for spares and repairs
is expected to increase and the
predicted aftermarket revenue
rate should reach 9%. However,
industry experts believe that the
performance of OEMs in the
aftermarket might not improve
significantly, naming a steady
growth of the unused surplus
material market as the main reason
for the underperformance.

28 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

The surplus parts market is

booming. In 2001, the aviation
serviceable parts market was
worth about $11 billion, with only
10%, or $1.1 billion, claimed
by surplus parts, according to
SH&E data. Today, surplus parts
account for about 18% of the
$15 billion market, and the share
may increase to 20% by 2015.
The largest share of those surplus
parts (65%) accounts for the
segment of engines, since engine
MRO makes up about 40% of the
global MRO market. Although
this category is largely comprised
of the surplus material (90%) for
older engines such as the General
Electric CF6-80C2, the CFM
International CFM56-3B and
the Pratt & Whitney JT8D, the
availability of surplus parts for new
narrowbody engines is gradually
increasing. Currently various
components account for 30% of
the surplus business. Occupying
21% of the global MRO market,
they rank second to engines
in terms of the total spending
within the industry segment.
Many different factors are
driving the demand for surplus
inventory. One of the major ones is
related to an increasing availability
of feedstock for teardown, buoyed
by the retirement of popular
modern aircraft types and the
increasing cost-effectiveness of part
harvesting processes. In 2007 half
of the surplus parts came straight
from airlines or brokers, while the
other half were harvested directly
from aircraft. Now, as the useful
life of various aircraft models is
continuously getting shorter, the
share of surplus parts being sourced
directly from part-outs is about
82%. Moreover, the increase in
surplus parts availability is altering
the strategies of both airlines and
maintenance providers, providing
them with more options other

than simply going to the OEM.

A recent survey conducted by
Oliver Wyman has revealed that a
vast majority of airlines (84%) tend
to opt for an active serviceable
materials strategy since OEM
emergence. The resulting growth
in demand has been effectively met
by MROs, with almost 80% of the
questioned carriers reporting the use
of an active or comprehensive
program and 60% - a rise in the
usage of such programs during
the past three years. Naturally, the
increasing prevalence of unused
serviceable material has largely
affected the pricing strategies of
OEMs. The Canaccord survey has
found that in the last quarter the
prices of new spares were about 3%
higher than those observed during
the same period a year ago. While
this is in line with the historical
average, there is evidence to believe
that some OEMs are throttling
back due to the pricing pressures
introduced by unused surplus parts.
When surplus material isnt
readily available, many operators
are forced to purchase new parts.
However, the latter are 30-50%
more expensive, not mentioning
the fact that that can have long
lead-times and import delays,
which is unaffordable in case of an
AOG. Meantime, currently there
is an excess of surplus materials
in the market, and the MROs are
still in the process of figuring out
the best ways to utilize it. Most
of this surplus comes from the
consumables, which are acquired
by the MROs for C-checks in
large quantities. However, the
providers actually use 50-80%
of these parts, and the rest of
them remain in their storages. If
independent MROs will manage to
hone and expand these capabilities,
they may yet successfully stem
OEM momentum and defend
their remaining market.

Airline News
by  estutis Volungevicius, Head
K
of FL Technics Training.

Increasing
composite
application to
raise HR-related
MRO expenses
Spurred by high fuel costs and
the need to cut weight, the
aviation industry has seen the
use of composites reach an alltime high. With the introduction
of Boeing 787, Airbus A350,
A320neo, 737MAX and other
new generation aircraft, the MRO
industry is currently gearing up
to service an increasing number
of airliners employing a much
higher share of composite
materials than they represented
some 20 years ago. This process
has been naturally followed
by the investments into new
equipment and technical training.
However, is the industry aware
of the actual implications of
the upcoming changes?
So far the bulk of demand for
composite repairs has been driven
by such existing metal aircraft
as Airbus A320s and A330s as
well as Boeing 737NGs. However,
what has changed in the last years
is that composites have evolved
from being used in secondary
structures to being utilized in
primary critical ones such as the
fuselage and wing box. All in all,
composite material utilization
in the industry is currently
nearly 10 times greater than it
was 25 years ago. However, the
credibility of composite repair still
depends on the skill of individual
staff, as it did a century ago.
The Aviation industry has
made real progress in repair

structural repair man-hours will

actually increase over the next 10
years, driven by the 737, A320,
777, and A330/340 fleets.
In the meantime, it might make
scant sense for an MRO or a carrier
to train up technicians on repairs
they still rarely employ, especially
considering the fact that composite
repair training can take up to 3
weeks for advanced repair class.
As a result, according to TeamSAI,
currently only 3-5% of independent

within those companies. Therefore,

the process of closing this gap
in qualified workforce may
prove to be a greater challenge
than previously expected.
Based upon OEM projections,
the current generation of large
aircraft will see more than 75%
reduction in annual structural
repair costs due to the application
of composite materials and other
modern technological solutions.
The reality, though, is that total

511 6600

wimpier@starliteaviation.

820 4754 marketing@208aviation.co.za

567 7312 gert@aero-electrical.co.za
nt.aep@iafrica.com
543 0948
543 0775 tonyrodrigues@mweb.co.za

info@aeron.co.za
andries@gemair.co.za

lelani@interjet.aero

701 3545
593 9109
701 2653

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376 0550

497 1701 paul@emperoraviation.co.za

baron@bcair.co.za
728 2206

ops@atsheli.co.za

315 4391

KRUGERSDORP
ATS Maintenance - No. 1228
011
RAND AIRPORT
Emperor Aviation - No 1266
082
BC Aircraft Refurbishing
083
GRAND CENTRAL
Helimax Sales & Logistics- No 1285
082
LANSERIA AIRPORT
Interjet - No 080
011
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WONDERBOOM AIRPORT
208 Aviation - No1148
083
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Starlite Maintenance - No. 0824
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E-mail or Fax

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Company

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Fixed Wing
Helicopter Maintenance
Avionics
Piston Engines
Turbine Engines
Propellors
Weight / Balances
Paint
Interior
Sheet Metal Work
Rebuilds
Overhauls
Electrical Work
NDT Testing
Refurbishments
Structural Repairs
Inspections
NTCA Aircraft
Seat Belts
Instruments
R22 and R44 only
Bell Heli Components
Heli Component Overhaul

AMOs

quality control, accuracy and

uniformity. But for all those
advances, composite repair remains
awfully dependent on the skills
and integrity of the technician
whos physically doing the work.
However, despite the fact
that most OEMs have done
a fabulous job of designing
repair methodologies, the actual
application of those repairs
is limited to a very, very few
companies, and still fewer folks

airframe MRO technicians have

specialty training and internal
certification to perform complex
composite repairs. Nevertheless,
composites have earned a place
in modern aircraft design and
require appropriate MRO support.
Ironically, however, what has
reduced expenses with regard to
fuel consumption may indeed
increase the price of MRO support.
To fix sophisticated monolithic
composite structures can cost up
to three times more than to repair
older composites or currently
popular metallic ones. Part of
the reason for being so is to do
with the application of expensive
tooling and equipment required,
which makes the tooling also
unavailable for production use by
many MROs. Moreover, as the
growing number of employees
are trained and the complexity of
structures increases, unions are
very likely to push for a separate,
higher paid, classification. In turn,
in the non-union environment,
the demand and requirements
associated with the skill levels
should also determine a rise
in salaries. Nevertheless, one
has to acknowledge that the
composite materials are here
to stay. The question is, will
the MROs be ready?

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

29

Cockpit Devices
By 
Harold Katinszky President,
Aeroexec-Jet ATP/CFII. Gulfstream
series, Dassault Falcon Jet series,
Challengers, Learjets, Hawkers.

This article first appeared

in the November 2013 issue of
Professional Pilot magazine

Evaluating portable
GPS/ADS-B receivers

Whats the best

investment for
your mission
profile?
I love American ingenuity. It seems
like whenever someone reflects, "I
sure wish someone would invent
that," the collective entrepreneurial
soul of America springs into
action. Out of necessity, amazing
devices are invented, competition
is born and competition generates
improvements and refinements.
This is precisely what we have
experienced with the rapid growth
of portable GPS/ADS-B receivers.

What is GPS/ADS-B?

While most pilots are familiar

with GPS, ADS-B is fairly new
to the avionics scene. ADS-B
stands for Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast and will
eventually replace our current radar
system as the primary means of
separating aircraft. Instead of using
radar, ADS-B will allow aircraft
to use GPS to find its location
and automatically share it with
ATC and other aircraft equipped
with ADS-B In technology.
Why ADS-B? ADS-B
is more accurate, consistent
and cost-effective than radar.
Eventually this technology may
allow aircraft to self-separate in
areas that previously have been
unable to secure radar coverage
(over the ocean, for example).
This accurate coverage will allow
reduced separation and make our
air traffic management (ATM)
system more efficient. At higher
altitudes, with ADS-B better direct
routing is sure to be allowed.
Ahead of the game, the
FAA requires that most aircraft
be ADS-B Out compliant by
2020. You wont have too
much to worry about with your
Super Cub on floats. You'll

30 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Captain Harald Kalinszky displaying some of the numerous portable GPS/ADS-B receivers examined by him and his
circle of 12 prefessional pilot evaluators.

just need to install a Universal

Access Transceiver (UAT).
However, if you fly above
FL180 or overseas, you will need
to comply with FAA's ADS-B
Out mandate. This means that
ADS-B Out must be installed in
your aircraft's panel so that you
can report your position to ATC.
Many aircraft are ADS-B Out
compliant if they carry a Mode
S transponder, in which case
you are essentially good to go.
Techies might want to check out
FAA's website for more details.
Unlike ADS-B Out, ADS-B
In is portable and is not mandated
by FAA. Although it remains
optional, it allows pilots the
benefit of receiving ADS-B Out
transmissions from ground stations
and other aircraft independently
of ATC. Besides receiving traffic
reports, these new portable ADS-B
In receivers are also capable of
receiving weather reports from
further away, giving pilots greater
weather avoidance options.

Cinco Air Charter, Jet Edge Intl,

Merle Norman Aviation, Threshold
Aviation Group, Wolfe Air Aviation
and Sierra West Airlines. Aircraft
used in this evaluation were 9
Gulfstreams, 4 LearJets, a PC12,
a Cessna 337, Piper Cherokee
and 2 sailplanes. Flights were
conducted from the Los Angeles
area to New York, over Florida,
Montana, Mexico, Canada,
Hawaii, Iceland and Singapore.
Each pilot evaluated performance,
boot-up time and refresh time
during climb, cruise and descent
from the surface to FL490.

Software

There is a plethora of software

programs available on the market
today, each with differing degrees
of accuracy, speed, tools and

integration with current available

ADS-B hardware. After some
research, 4 were found to be the
most effective: Jeppesen, Garmin,
WingX Pro7 and ForeFlight.
Garmin has its own integrated
proprietary software/hardware apps.

JeppView FD & Jepp TC

Pro

Most pilots love their Jeppesen

approach plates. Jeppesen was the
first to come out with revisions on
CD that can be downloaded to your
computer and has been leading
in this evolution of the paperless
cockpit. With a few holdouts, pilots
immediately embraced the paperless
concept. It seemed as if Jeppesen
was unstoppable. Reliability and
redundancy were the big concerns

Methodology

In order to evaluate the many

portable ADS-B choices on the
market today. I recruited the
wisdom and experience of 12
professional pilots in 7 flight
depts. These pilots have a lot of
knowledge and their combined
flight time exceeds 100,000 hrs.
All pilot inputs were expressed in
roundtable discussions of portable
ADS-B devices. I would like to
thank the evaluating pilots who fly
for Asia Aviation Co. Singapore,

WingX Pro7 with Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) at FL430 408 kts.
AHRS is in calibration mode with relatively good ground detail.

but GPS recognition is great on JeppView and

pilots can monitor their aircraft on a taxiway
chart with amazing accuracy. In some instances,
the pilot and his crew have used GPS to
navigate in weather when the tower was unable
to see aircraft movement in 100 ft indefinite. I
have yet to see a professional cockpit without
JeppView FD and Jepp TC on board.

Con

Dont rely only on Jeppesen just yet. Their

software advancements seem to have
slowed to a standstill. JeppView lacks userfriendliness and is incompatible with ADS-B
weather, a crucial tool for many. JeppView
is also missing numerous overlays and some
useful tools available from other vendors.

Keep your eyes outside the cockpit. As with the

invention of TCAS, there are many stories of
pilots gazing at the TCAS like a proverbial Sun
worshiper only to be stunned back to reality
when a little Cub putters by just above the cloud
deck within feet of your aircraft. "Keep your
eyes outside," cannot be repeated enough here.
If you've ever owned an all-in-one faxprinter-color-copier-scanner, you may notice
how that fancy gizmo has one strong feature
while the others seem like afterthoughts.
Similarly, pilots testing WingX Pro7 wondered
if the software resources were predominately
allocated to synthetic vision, which possibly
slowed down the refresh and upload of weather
graphics. While traffic data was fast, weather
data was slower and spotty, especially at high
altitudes. Pilots also felt that WingX Pro7, while
a great platform, was not as intuitive and userfriendly as some of the other software available.
Apple's latest iOS 7 update also gave it some
hiccups. It is a bit pricier than the competition,
but if you love a fantastic synthetic vision
system, WingX Pro7 is the platform to get.

ForeFlight Mobile
Pro

 Jeppesen Mobile Flight Deck FD and Terminal

Charts TC with the Apple iPad makes paper
a thing of the past and updates a breeze.

WingX Pro7
Pro

WingX Pro7 is essentially the most compatible

software on the market. It is generally the
user's choice when flying below FL180 and
with piston and turboprop aircraft. WingX
Pro has amazing graphics and permits
numerous hardware users to integrate within
its system. It's fairly simple to navigate and
their webpage provides many resources on
how to master the software with relative ease.
Among WingX Pro7's best features are the
synthetic vision simulator, the DG compass
at the bottom of the screen and the ability to
adjust GPS altitude by a single screen touch.
WingX Pro7 has one of the quickest response
and upload times. Handling traffic data and
flight planning is a breeze. GPS recognition
was as fast as any other software. Tech
support, without compromise, is absolutely
the best. A living, breathing person answers
the phone. If you want to test WingX Pro7 for
yourself, they offer a great 30-day free trial.

Con

While pilots love all the glitz WingX Pro7 has

to offer, we need to add a word of caution:

ForeFlight has many great features. Generally,

pilots flying above FL180 use this software and
rave about its ease of use. ForeFlight is quick
to make pilot-recommended improvements.
As with JeppView, charts are an easy update
and quick upload, especially compared to
paper charts. ForeFlight allows you to view
numerous other publications from their program
such as your Ops Spec, FARs, etc. ForeFlight
also has amazing overlaysso amazing that
we must again caution you to keep your head
on a swivel. ForeFlight's pro version actually
shows you tracking an ILS, for example, as
well as ground movement on a taxi chart.
Flight planning is easy, with numerous tutoring
resources available on the Internet and within
the software itself. The ruler tool is very useful,
as is the ability to change flight plans on the
fly. Call a flight-watch frequency, report a
Pirep and watch it pop up on your screen in

BLR Aerospace
receives FAA
certification for LED
lighting upgrade
for King Air 90s

BLR Aerospace has received Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA) approval of its
LED Lighting System for installation on King
Air 90s equipped with BLR Winglet Systems.
The FAA-certified advanced lightemitting diode (LED) system is now
available for Beechcraft King Air 90s, King
Air 200s, King Air 200GTs, King Air 250s,
and King Air 300s equipped with BLR
Winglet Systems. LED Lighting System
upgrades from BLR are a lightweight, highperformance retrofit, providing significant
benefits over standard incandescent lights,
including increased reliability, reduced power
consumption, high illumination and long life.
The LEDs are far more reliable than
incandescent lighting systems and are an
excellent option, especially for pilots who
are sensitive to flight cancellations due to
bulb failure, said Dave Marone, BLRs vice
president of sales and marketing. Improved
mission readiness, reduced weight, and a
modernized aircraft are important benefits.
The LED System complements Winglet
Systems that are reducing drag, improving
runway performance and improving fuel
economy on more than 650 King Airs
worldwide. BLR LED lights are optional
upgrades and available for most new BLR
King Air 90/200/300 Winglet installations,
or available in field upgrade kits for most
King Air 90/200/300 models already
equipped with Winglets. The light systems
are available from BLRs worldwide
network of dealers and service providers.

GENERAL
PILOT
SUPPLIES
Recognized as a favorite among pilots,
ForeFlight makes long-range planning
and navigation a cinch

Visit http://www.asa2fly.com/za to view

ASA products, many stocked locally in
Johannesburg, South Africa at General Pilot Supplies.
Tel:+27(0)114624601Email:mw17@mweb.co.za

GenPilotSupplies-GlobalAviator.indd 1 Vol.
2014 JUNE

6 / No.6 2/24/12
/ GA

3:14
31PM

a minute or 2. In general, pilots

Ive talked to consider ForeFlight
to be the most cost-effective of
all the software on the market.
Apple's iOS 7 had no hiccups.

Con

ForeFlight is optimized to
work specifically with Stratus
receivers, which means it's not as
compatible with other hardware
platforms. While this may improve
overall performance, it does
severely limit your hardware
choices. If you have a preference
for a specific hardware other
than Stratus, ForeFlight will
recognize its GPS but will not talk
to its ADS-B mode, so it pays to
do your homework to maximize
your investment. Although
ForeFlight's use of NOS charts
kept the software more costeffective, pilots still generally
prefer Jepp charts. Lastly, pilots
would like a way to correct their
GPS altitude, which can differ
from indicated altitude values.

INTERFACE
WAR
Apple iPad
Pro

In this arena, Apple's iPad won

hands down, essentially eviscerating
the competition. Its as if Apple
said, "Hey pilots, do I have a gift
for you! As rumoar has it, there
are a few pilots who swear never to
own an iPad, but that's just a myth.

The win is a toss-up between iPad

2 and iPad mini. In the interface
war, Apple's iPad stands alone.

Con

During the evolution of electronic

charts, picture the scenario in
which the aircraft owner's nephew
is hired to build flight time.
Clumsy nephew wants to impress
his uncle and shows him a new
paperless software program on the
laptop/iPad. Against your strong
opposition, nephew convinces his
dear uncle that we no longer need
those weighty old charts. Out
with the old in with the new, he
says. On the next flight nephew
forgets to charge the laptop/
iPad or drops it on the way to
the FBO, which is now closed
and the boss, dear uncle, wants
to go to an alternate location
but now he has no charts! All
he has is a cracked screen with
10% battery life! Is that how
you want to land in the depths of
Angola, with the Sun going down
as the mosquitoes start to bite?
The iPad 3 is prone to
overheating, yet several pilots
use them. Its high resolution
cuts down battery life about
20%. Considering the options,
the iPad is still the best thing
on the market but we add a
word of caution. FAA was wise
to demand that crews have at
least 2 iPads onboard. Seeing an
iPad overheat or go TKO will
prompt you to agree. Dont leave
an iPad on an instrument panel
in the Sun. Battery replacement
also frustrates crews and iPad
batteries barely last 2-3 years.

Garmin 796 Aera remains a crew favorite due to

Garmins superior weather graphics.

As a PC android user myself,

I've noticed the tides clearly
turning towards the iPad. There is
still no viable PC/Android option.
When we begged, pleaded, cajoled
numerous PC/Android makers
to bring us one to evaluate, only
Google's Nexus7 showed up.
Although it has great battery life,
its inflight performance was very
disappointing. If Android and
PC wanted to be competitive in
the avionics scene, they certainly
could. But the Android/PC world
seems apathetic or not ready for
aviation. Few software/hardware
interfaces actually work with
PCs or Androids. I'm curious
about what hardware Google's
flight dept uses in their aircraft
cockpits. Ill be willing to bet
that the iPad has snuck in there.

Hardware

Apples iPad with Jeppesen Charts does a great job with GPS tracking
en-route as well as showing airport diagrams with taxi charts. Apples iPads
were the only viable portable devices we examined that could do all this.

32 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

In the portable GPS/ADS-B field,

nearly every manufacturer was
pleased to have us evaluate their
wares. Each company herein
was amazingly helpful. They
create great systems and some
are ahead of the FAA year 2020
demand curve for ADS-B Out
systems. For pilots, the ability
to see weather further down the
road is truly a blessing in safety.
These units do not work outside
the US as of yet. It is important to
note, ADS-B is essentially in its
infancy, so you can expect great
enhancements in the future.

Garmin 795/796 and 696

GDL 39 & XM weather
Pro

If you love touchscreen, you will

love the new Garmin 795/796.
Many of us have at least 3-4
Garmin GPS systems of some
sort at home, whether for a car,
boat or plane. The 796 is a vast
improvement to the 696, especially
if you prefer a touchscreen system.
While the 696 is great, the 796
eliminated all buttons except the
On/Off. Garmin's 796 is amazingly
bright, easy to use and has practical
tools to make the pilot's task easier.
Numerous professional cockpits
carry the Garmin as well as an
iPad as a backup. This is a matter
of preference and they, of course,
prefer the nicer radar graphics of
XM Weather. Flight planning is a
breeze and you are able to track
your position on the airport with
the best of the best. Switching to
airport taxi chart upon landing
and initial GPS recognition is
automatic, which is a very useful
feature. The unit comes standard
with yoke mount gear should you
prefer to have it handy in front
of you. Plug in the XM and in
seconds its recognized. XM is
relatively affordable if you compare
it to an onboard Internet system,
which can cost over $100K plus
downloads and service. While
Internet graphics are the best way
to go if you can afford it, XM is a
fantastic alternative with graphics
nearly equaling in resolution. If you

connect the GDL 39 via Bluetooth,

you get a great and reliable backup
to XM Weather should it go awry.
The tiny Garmin GLO, a simple
Bluetooth enabled GPS that uses
US and Russian GLONASS
satellites, also works flawlessly.

Con

The Garmin 696-796 is still a bit

bulky. It begs for a single cable
that allows you to set it aside
and not have to connect it to a
yoke. A flush 90 degree battery
connector would allow you to keep
the claptrap in the aircraft and
take it on the road or to a hotel to
recharge via an AC outlet. We had
a similar response with the XM
connector. The antenna should
plug straight into the unit. Several
uninformed merchants said the
data plug was for charging and for
XM but this is not the case. While
you can access the portrait and
landscape function with relative
ease, it would be nice to have an
automatic mode should one wish
to rotate the units more often.
Garmin does have an
ingenious fix for this. Tap the On/
Off button. This puts you into
the landscape portrait choice
mode. Voila! We strongly suggest
that if you do not have onboard
ships power to charge your
Garmin, lower the brightness
to level 6 or 60% and set it on
the 2 min sleep mode. This lets
the Garmin run with XM for up
to 7 hrs. Unplugged, full bright
expect about 3-4 hrs use.
If you invest in the
696/795/796 and get the XM
Weather, beware! Flights heading
north and south will give you
negligible XM signal coverage
if any weather at all. For that
reason, you should invest in the
GDL 39 as well. All of this may be

Bad Elf Pro GPS is a fantastic

handheld GPS device with data
logging to track flights and up
to 24 hrs of battery life.

34 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

a bit more than you care to handle,

however XM and the GDL 39
will give you exceptional weather
coverage in any heading. GDL 39
lasted about 4 hrs in our tests.

Bad Elf Pro GPS

Pro

Bad Elf Pro, the GPS with the

funny name, initially came
out with a tiny black unit that
originally worried pilots who
used it. It worked well but it
had to be plugged directly into
an iPad. Fear that it would
break was always present.
Bad Elf has gone from dead
last to the leader of the pack.
Bad Elfs new unit is more like
a magic elf. It can stay running
for up to 16 hrs and can run on
5 devices simultaneously. Bad
Elf discovered a wrinkle in their
software algorithm and made
some adjustments so it no longer
hunts for numerous devices,
which eats into valuable running
time. With their new firmware
update, this little device can run
in excess of 24 hrs. Connect it
via Bluetooth and it recognizes
your device very fast and is
exceptionally accurate. Its a great
supplement to any WiFi system.

Con

Pilots who evaluated Bad Elf only

brought 1 drawback to the table.
They told me they wished the Bad
Elf had a silicone housing that
would allow it to be mounted on or
around the instrument panel much
like the Dual Electronics series.
We kept having to find a place to
hang the Bad Elf in the cockpit.

Dual Electronics Corp

XGPS150/XGPS160/XGPS170
Pro
Numerous flight depts exclusively
carry the Dual. On an extended
flight to the Orient, other pilots
I met were so impressed by our
Duals that they insisted on buying
them from us on the spot! Duals
are professionally designed,
with the perfect non-slip silicone
housing. XGPS150 and XGPS160
both work flawlessly up to 8 hrs
and easily get you across any
ocean at any altitude. Even better,
the XGPS160 uses GLONASS
satellites making it noticeably
faster. Dual also outdid themselves
with their SkyPro software for the
XGPS160. Plugged into A/C they
run indefinitely. Signal strength
is easy to verify on its software.
Recently released Dual Electronics
XGPS160 can connect with up to

Dual Electronic Corp. XGPS170 ADS-B receiver worked well

with Wing X Pro7 and Duals XGPS150 and XGPS160 with SkyPro
(not shown here) worked great with ForeFlight tracking.

5 iPads for GPS tracking and has

the same great features of the 150.
All Dual Electronics connect via
Bluetooth freeing up WiFi for other
needs. The ADS-B 170, a more
sophisticated model with ADS-B
weather, also comes with its own
software and is equally well built.
The XGPS170 functions well with
WingX Pro7, and works up to 5
hrs. Dual Electronics XGPS150
was the favorite among pilots
testing the devices. But with more
cockpit demands, the XGPS160
is a satisfying upgrade. Dual
Electronics GPS operates smoothly
with ForeFlight. XGPS170 did
not overheat when left in the
Sun for hrs. From a reliability
standpoint, Dual Electronics is
one of the best GPS units around.

Con

There was a time when Dual

was the only choice. While Dual
Electronics is one of our favourite
receivers, battery life can be an
issue unless you carry an adapter.
With the XGPS170 it took more
time than we had hoped for it to
display weather graphics at the
higher altitudes. And 5 hrs of useful
life is near the minimum "long
haul" crewmembers are hoping
for. We are not sure if this is due
to Bluetooth or the WingX Pro7
software. For flights less than 5 hrs,
a XGPS170 is definitely the pick for
you if you use WingX Pro7. While
Duals GPS data can be recognized
by ForeFlight and Jeppesen, it
cannot receive ADS-B weather
data. Pilots who already subscribe
to ForeFlight have a difficult time
justifying it as a backup ADS-B
unless your flight dept is willing to
buy multiple software programs,
in which case Dual Electronics
XGPS150/160 is a great choice.

iLevil Technology
Pro

When I first saw the iLevil,

I thought, Can it really do
all of this? Most assuredly it
can! iLevil has its own software
app that may be the future for
many sport aircraft. iLevil reads
altitude, airspeed, oil pressure,
cylinder head temperature,
vertical speed, manifold pressure
volts and more. Picture this as a
total replacement to your stock
instrument panel. While iLevel
is not certified to replace FAA
approved instrumentation, if you
own a homebuilt, you can velcro
the iPad to your panel and go
fly. iLevil performs nicely with
WingX Pro7, which is a favourite
amongst the piston and turboprop
club. It also works well with
Xavion, a brand new software
with great synthetic vision
potential. If you know what flight
boxes and bread crumbs are, you
will fit right in with Xavion. iLevil
is also the first to take advantage
of solar energy, which extends
battery life another 30 mins.

Con

iLevil took longer to recognize

weather data on WingX Pro7,
especially at altitude. It did
however bring traffic up quickly.
You wont find the iLevil in most
jet aircraft as it was originally
designed for the pilot flying
below FL180. Below FL180,
it worked well when we flew it
in the turboprop PC12. Above
FL180, we did not have as much
success. While it has amazing
features, we dont see it entering
jet cockpits anytime soon. It
ran for 5.5 hrs as advertised.

Sagetech Clarity
Pro

Sagetech Clarity is an amazingly

compact and chic looking unit
with no extension antenna. It
works fantastic with the WingX
Pro7 compatible software and
lasted about 6 hrs during use.
Clarity worked best when
we started running it about 5
mins before flight. For traffic
resolution, Sagetechs Clarity
was one of the fastest units and
was very easy to read. Pilots
loved the resolution weather on
Sagetech Clarity with its slightly
softer lines on WingX Pro 7.
When using synthetic vision,
set Clarity in a secure location,
tap the On/Off button twice
and it calibrates level flight, a
feature pilots will love. In an
emergency, a let down could
conceivably be performed. In a
true emergency, have a way to
solidly mount it in front of you,
otherwise the parallax will most
assuredly do you in. Again eyes
outside the cockpit please!

Con

Sagetech Clarity did overheat on

us twice and then it shutdown.
Clarity got so hot we were barely
able to touch it. That is the reason

for the cooling fins, the cooling

hat, cooling solar panel and
cooling fan. We used the fan
and solar panel but unless you
have the entire solar panel
in direct sunlight, the solar
panel will not operate the
cooling fan, so in essence its
counterproductive. Turned on,
the fan barely wakes a fly. We
pined for an extension antenna
to leave it in shade. We placed
Sagetech Clarity where frost
accumulated in the aircraft
and it liked that. We also put it
under a gasper and that kept
it nice and cool. Refresh rates
on weather slowed at altitude.

indicator. Excellent refresh speed

and an 8 hr battery life made it a
favorite. Stratus 1&2 both operate
without an antenna but get them
anyway! This lets them sit in the
shade leaving a thin wire on a
side-screen. Contrary to myth,
Stratus works great on electrically
heated windows! Incorrect
antenna orientation is the culprit.
Traffic data is clearly faster on
the 2 even at the higher 500 kt
velocities and weather refresh is
the fastest of any unit. You must
use a compatible charger on the
Stratus. An inferior charger will
indicate a red blinking light.

Stratus 1 & 2
Appareo Systems
Pro

In the Sun, Stratus 1s dark

colour can overheat. An extended
antenna is the fix. Stratus 1 is
not compatible with the Stratus
Horizon app but its price point
makes up for it. Stratus 1 does
not hold GPS as well as the 2.
Stratus 2 has a great housing that
lets you mount it on a window
with suction cups. It also has a
silicone housing to mate with the
plastic housing but you have to
remove the suction cups and the
fit is flimsy. While great ideas,
we believe the silicone housing
should be separate from the plastic
housing to cut down on bulk.

Stratus 1 is popular with

ForeFlight users. It is imperative
to orient the Stratus in the right
direction, otherwise reception
can be spotty. FYI, the antenna is
on the top! Point it outward for
consistent results. Since release
of its initial unit Appareos
Stratus 2 has made a huge leap
forward in operating speed.
Stratus made a major software
change that positively affected

Con
Stratus made major changes in
their software. This accelerated
refresh rates with the Stratus 2
and gave the new model its ability
to work at the highest altitudes.

both units, especially at altitude.

Stratus refresh rates were clearly
the fastest. Stratus stayed cool the
entire flight and the extended antenna
let the unit rest on a cool subpanel.
Stratus 2 comes with an artificial
horizon app. Push the On/Off button
twice and it levels the Stratus giving
you a super no-gimmick attitude

SA Flyer 2014|04

SOARING SOLUTIONS

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

Under slung operations

Remote logistic solutions

Charter

Sampling

Aerial survey

Various other airborne applications

info@skyhorse.co.za | Tel: + 27 (0) 21 789 0509 | Red Herring Centre, The Loft, Cnr Beach & Pine Road, Noordhoek, Cape Town, South Africa
www.skyhorse.co.za

30 000 HOURS OF EXPERIENCE ACROSS MORE THAN 30 COUNTRIES

Skyhorse Aviation provides specialized helicopter support throughout Africa. The fleet consists of eight new generation AS350
series helicopters and two Pilatus PC-6 porters. Our dedicated and highly qualified team have an excellent safety record.
Sky-Horse 2014 04.indd 1

2014/03/26 12:41 PM

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

35

Garmin took the lead. Pilots liked

Garmin's reliability. A GDL 39
backup is valuable when XM
gives poor signal coverage. The
awesome Garmin GLO offers a
great backup GPS signal. Garmin
is a full stand-alone system tied
with XM satellite and the GDL
39. Garmin is one of those unique
systems which work in any
aviation category at any altitude.

Going up to FL510

Sagetech Clarity with its GPS/ADS-B and Attitude Heading

Reference Systems (AHRS) has one of the best portable
SVS capabilities working with WingX Pro7.

Final analysis

Professional pilots operate all types

of aircraft at various altitudes and
speeds. Whether we are flying to
the remote Unalakleet or Siberian
wilderness to deliver hunters goods
or services, being a noble instructor,
flying an airline or captaining
a private jet our mission is the
same: Transport your passengers,
goods and services safely to
the destination. In the mission
profile, good tools make this task
safer, which is the goal of these
portable GPS/ADS-B receivers.
If you have a spare $100K,
pilots doing the evaluations
favoured Internet access, making
the tablet choice moot. Internet
access offers the most amount
of data. $100K plus Internet is
not always an option. Getting
Internet into your Piper Cub on
floats may also be challenging.
Therefore after consulting

with my pro pilot evaluators, I

suggest the following choices:

Piloting below 18,000 ft

Below 18,000 ft, WingX Pro7 is

the favourite for pilots who often
fly near terrain. WingX Pro7s
near perfect synthetic vision
software is a great fit. Paired with
WingX Pro7, Dual Electronics
XGPS150/160/170 and the
Sagetech Clarity came out on top,
with iLevil as a good backup or
paired with piston aircraft gauges.
Admittedly, Clarity was a bit
faster at altitude but overheated
numerous times. However, by
and large, both systems worked
well. Pairing these is okay.
Dual Electronics works on
Bluetooth and Clarity on WiFi.

Piloting from FL180

up to FL280

For pilots in the FL180 to FL280

region, turboprops and some jets,

ForeFlight using a Stratus reporting GPS position, traffic and weather

on an IFR planned flightpath during an ATC vector off course. Note
the aircraft halo for easy spotting on the iPad. Savvy pilots can use the
difference in presented pixels to time critical weather movements.

36 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Pilots flying jets up to FL510

chose the new Appareo Stratus 2
as the overall winner. The Stratus
2 with ForeFlight on an iPad and
a Bad Elf as a backup GPS was
a clear choice for the cockpit.
Dual Electronics XGPS160
was a strong 2nd with its great
XGPX160 SkyPro software.
Stratus obviously did something
new with their software that
made it refresh faster than all
the competition, at any altitude.
Stratus 2 lasted 25% longer and
did not overheat. At the higher
altitudes, the Stratus difference
became more apparent. Bad
Elf succeeded as the winning
backup unit due to its operating
longevity. Pilots wished for a
Bad Elf silicone case but the 24
hr battery life left them stupefied.
With these units, the software
of choice was ForeFlight on
an Apple iPad, with Jeppesen
coming in 2nd as a backup to
chart data. Pilots simply have
an affinity for Jeppesen charts.
Crew members often carry fltplan.
com in their fight bag wherever
they go as yet another backup.
Apples iPad eviscerated
the competition as a platform
because there is nothing else
like it on the market today.

All products tested are

outstanding in their own way
and clearly fit a niche in aviation
safety. As the representative for
Professional Pilot I wish to thank
all the pilots and their companies
for giving us flight time and inputs
that made this article possible.

What the future holds

Good communications are critical

in aviation. Pilots love redundancy.
Going forward, envision a portable
unit that not only has GPS and
ADS-B weather, but also integrates
satellite communications linking
your cell phone/iPad or peripheral,
enabling it to email, text and search
the Web. Incorporate, for example,
a Delorme inReach 2-Way
Satellite communicator and we
are nearly there. Will this happen?
Some worry that it is not feasible.
But with American ingenuity,
virtually anything is possible.

Harold Katinszky is a 16,100-hr

ATP/CFII pilot. He is president of
Aeroexec-Jet and a managing partner
of America by Air, an aerial stock
film library. Katinszky manages,
flies and consults for several flight
departments. He is a charter pilot
and an experienced glider pilot.

ForeFlight zoomed-in displaying numerous traffic targets

showing aircraft types, direction and velocity. WingX Pro7 has a
similar and equally effective traffic identification format.

International News
By Jens Schymura www.hat-home.de

50 years of
Marinefliegergeschwader 3

The origin of the

Marinefliegergeschwader 3
(MFG 3, Naval Air Wing 3) was
the Navy Sub hunter Squadron
(Marine-U-Jagdstaffel) that
was erected in May 1958 with
16 Fairey Gannet. Until 1964
those aircraft operated from
Westerland subordinated to
the Marinefliegergeschwader
2. On 1st of July 1964 the
new Wing was created at the
naval base of Nordholz near

Cuxhaven at the North Sea.

Finally in the end of 1964,
when the MFG 2 changed its
home base from Nordholz to
Eggebek, the sub hunter squadron
was renamed into 2.Squadron
MFG 3 (2. Staffel MFG 3).
From 01.01.1965 the MFG 3
took over the full responsibility
at Nordholz, the traditional
Navy Air Base that was used
already in 1914 for airships.
For that reason the MFG 3 was
given the traditional name Graf
Zeppelin on 09.07.1967 by the
than President of the Federal
Republic of Germany Heinrich
Lbke. On 01.05.1966 the
1.Squadron was erected awaiting
the successor of the Gannet, the
brand new BR.1150 Breguet
Atlantic. The first Atlantic arrived
at Nordholz on 26.06.1966 and
end of the month the withdrawal
of the Gannet was already
finished. Both squadrons were

equipped with totally 14 BR.1150

ATLANTIC MPA- (maritime
patrolling aircraft) and 4
ATLANTIC with SIGINT (Signal
Intelligence) configuration.
In October 1981 a 3rd
Squadron was established with
17 new on board helicopters, the
Sea Lynx Mk.88. This helicopter
was chosen to operate from the
new F122 Bremen Class and
F123 Brandenburg Class frigates.
In September 1994 the
MFG 3 took over the Pollution
Control duties from the MFG
5 and got their 2 Do 28OU and
one Do 228OU integrated into
the 2.Squadron. Soon the Do
28s were retired and another Do
228OU and two Do 228LT for
transport missions were obtained
in 1996. Due to the loss of three
Sea Lynx helicopters seven
improved Sea Lynx Mk.88A were
ordered and the old versions were
modernized in the meantime
to the Mk.88A standard.
The Maritime Patrol Version
of the Atlantic, Br.1150 MPA was
withdrawn from service by the

end of 2006 as well as the two

Do 228LT, two Atlantic SIGINT
soldiered on until mid of May
2009. Eight modernized longrange maritime reconnaissance
aircraft P-3C CUP Orion were
obtained from the Netherlands
Navy and on 18. May 2006 the
first P-3C was officially handed
over to the German Navy.
In the second half of 2012 the
wing lost its helicopter squadron,
when the Sea Lynxes were
transferred into the MFG 5 that
has moved from Kiel to Nordholz
with its Sea Kings, to concentrate
the helicopters in the MFG 5 and
all aircraft types into the MFG 3.
In May 2014 the MFG 3 is
celebrating its 50th birthday with
a special painted P-3C Orion.
The 60+05 sports the anniversary
badge behind the cockpit. The
silhouettes of all aircraft types
flown by the MFG 3 in the former
50 years (Sea Lynx, Atlantic, Do
228, Gannet and Do 28) brushed
on a grey white band that remains
to the colours of the famous
BR.1150 Breguet Atlantic

Above:  pecial painted P-3C Orion 60+05 of MFG3 with 50 years badge and aircraft silhouettes at its home base at Nordholz During May 2014.
S

38 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

First production HondaJet revealed and program

update shared at EBACE 2014
Honda Aircraft Company
revealed it first production
HondaJet at the European
Business Aviation Convention
and Exhibition (EBACE) in
Geneva, Switzerland. The aircraft
is ready for ground tests and its
first flight should happen during
the northern hemisphere summer.
Honda Aircraft Companys most
important goals are achieving FAA
Type Certification and delivering
the first customer aircraft, said
Honda Aircraft Company President
and CEO Michimasa Fujino. Our
total effort is focused on reaching
these important milestones in
the first quarter of 2015.

production is on schedule to have

10 aircraft on the final assembly
line in June. This steady build up
supports Honda Aircraft Companys
objective to have aircraft ready for
delivery immediately after type
certification is achieved next year.
The HondaJet production line
is maturing with efficient and
robust processes in place to
build high quality aircraft, said
Fujino. From handheld tablets
that deliver worker instructions to
an automatic guided cart to pick
up and deliver parts, we continue
to integrate the latest technology
into our production process to
create an efficient workflow.

First production
HondaJet debuts

Certification and testing

The first production aircraft is in

final assembly with the first set
of production GE Honda HF120
engines recently delivered to
Honda Aircraft. The engines have
been installed, and Honda Aircraft
will soon begin conducting ground
tests on the airplane. HondaJets
debut aircraft features a new paint
scheme, a deep pearl green with
a gold stripe. The deep green
will be offered in addition to the
vibrant silver, red, yellow and
blue exterior colours currently
available so as to appeal to a
variety of customer preferences

Production readies
for deliveries

HondaJet production continues its

steady pace in advance of entry
into service with nine aircraft
on the final assembly line. Four
aircraft have been mated to their
wings and empennages, and

Following the FAAs issuance of

Type Inspection Authorization
(TIA) for the HondaJet, the program
has begun testing with FAA pilot
participation. Several certification
tests by FAA pilots were conducted
under this final phase such as:
Stall speed, stall characteristics
and stall warning system: Tests
were conducted under various
flight conditions during which the
stall warning system (stick shaker
attached to the yoke) and stall
protection system (stick pusher that
provides automatic stall recovery)
were evaluated. Cockpit indications
for airspeed, altitude and ambient
temperature were also validated.

Wheels, tires and brake

control system tests

Normal anti-skid brake control

systems were evaluated in both
wet and dry runway conditions.
Emergency brake system testing

also demonstrated aircraft

braking capability during
degraded system operations.
Flap actuation system and speed
brake operation throughout
the flight envelope: Testing
demonstrated aircraft flap and
speed brake operation at limit
speeds and maximum load factor.
Hydraulic system control tests were
conducted during normal, abnormal
and degraded operations: The
hydraulic system was demonstrated
at the maximum operating altitude
and after extended periods of
high-altitude cold soaking.
In-flight fire suppression system:
This testing was conducted at
critical flight conditions for
both speed and temperature.
FAA Full-Scale Fatigue Testing:
The ground structural test program
has completed more than 2,000
cycles so far in advance of entry
into service. This is equivalent
to more than five years of use
for typical business jet operators.
Testing examined the airframes
fatigue strength under simulated
in-flight operations derived
from theoretical load spectra
and mission profiles. The tests
evaluated the effects of vertical
and lateral maneuvers; vertical and
lateral gust; landing; taxi; GroundAir-Ground (GAG) and fuselage
pressure cycle on the aircraft.
This testing was conducted at
Honda Aircraft Companys R&D
facility in Greensboro, N.C., using
a sophisticated structural test
system that can simultaneously
operate 73 hydraulic actuators and
cabin pressurization in a closed
loop digital control system using
force, pressure or displacement

as the feedback parameters.

Major industry supplier

to participate in the
HondaJet program

Honda Aircraft Company also

announced at EBACE that
Fokker Aerostructures will
supply the empennage structure
for the HondaJet. Fokker was
selected based on its expertise
in the manufacturing of tail
sections for business jets with a
global supply chain network.
Headquartered in Papendrecht, the
Netherlands, Fokker Technologies
operates facilities in the United
States, Mexico, Canada,
Romania, Turkey, Singapore and
China. The company provides
a range of integrated aerospace
systems and services to top
commercial and business aviation
manufacturers worldwide.
Honda Aircraft is putting
significant effort and investment
into pilot and maintenance
training for customers. Working
with Flight Safety International,
Honda Aircraft is currently
developing flight and maintenance
training curriculums with
maintenance training classes
scheduled to begin later this
year in Greensboro, N.C. The
first flight simulator for flight
training is complete and software
integration is underway. Flight
training with this simulator will
include type rating and recurrent
pilot training programs for both
single and multi-crew operations.
Training will be provided at
Honda Aircraft Companys
world headquarters and will start
before entry into service.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

39

Captain Wesley of the Royal Netherlands Air Force 313

Squadron is clear: I prefer being refuelled by the
KC-10 Extender. Captain Wesley and a second F-16
leaving the KC-10 towards the west after refuelling.

Above:  t. Col. Bill Sherrod and Staff Sergeant

L
Michael Czephya folding the US flag
after having it flown over Afghanistan.

40 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

908th EARS

Force Extenders

30 years of operational KC-10 service, and always on the move

It is a busy day in the narrow Boulevard that connects
Pakistan with Afghanistan. Whistler 84, a USAF 908th
EARS McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender is checking
in with CAOC upon entering Afghan airspace. A little
later KODAK62, a Royal Air Force Tornado GR.4, calls
CAOC with an urgent request for fuel and the positioning
of a tanker aircraft closest to his present position. Being
on a Troops in Contact action, no time can be wasted
and KODAK62 is swiftly directed to Whistler 84 in the
Southeastern part of the country. Soon the hose and drogue
of the KC-10 is lowered as the Tornado GR.4 emerges
from the valley below. Contact is quickly made and within
a few minutes no less than 13.000 pounds of fuel has
being offloaded. Two scheduled Fairchild Republic A-10C
Thunderbolts are already waiting in turn and looking for
possible alternatives in case refueling of the Tornado GR.4
takes too long. The drogue is disconnected and KODAK62
dives into the valley again to continue its mission. Within
a minute the hose and drogue is retracted and the boom
lowered for the eagerly waiting Thunderbolts. This is the
daily routine for the KC-10s of the 908th Expeditionary Air
Refueling Squadron over Afghanistan
Martin Scharenborg & Ramon Wenink / Global Aviation Review
Press, report for Global Aviator from Southwest Asia

Above:  ieutenant Colonel Bill Sherrod in the cockpit

L
of a McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender
overhead Afghanistan

History

In need of an aircraft to meet its

growing global commitments, the
United States Air Force selected
under the ATCA program
(Advanced Tanker Cargo Aircraft)
in which the Lockheed L-1011
Tristar, Boeing 747, McDonnell
Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed
C-5 Galaxy was evaluated, in
December 1977 the KC-10
Extender as a complement to the
large Boeing KC-135 fleet. Based
on the airframe of the Mc Donnell
Douglas DC-10-30CF, the KC-10
received several modifications
including military avionics,
an advanced aerial refueling
boom, hose and drogue refueling
system, additional Wing Air
Refueling Pods (WARP), three
additional internal fuel tanks,
receptacle for in flight refueling,
removal of most windows and
lower deck cargo doors and an
improved cargo handling system.
The KC-10 would be the ideal
aircraft to rapidly airlift material
and personnel of fighter units,
and refuel those fighters and
accompanying cargo aircraft
simultaneously on their way to
overseas deployments. On the

other hand the aircraft should

also be capable of transporting
ambulatory patients during
medevac operations on patient
support pallets. First flight of
the KC-10 was eventually made
on July 12, 1980 and its first
receiver, a C-5 Galaxy, was
refueled on October 30 that
same year. The first of the 60
ordered aircraft was delivered
to Barksdale Air Force Base
on March 17, 1981 and the last
one on November 29, 1988.

Flexible refueling system

Besides having nearly double

fuel capacity in comparison to
the Boeing KC-135 with 356.065
pounds of gas, the KC-10 is
unique in having the ability to
refuel USAF, US NAVY and
aircraft by having a boom and
hose/drogue refueling system
as standard. The 11 meter long
Advanced Aerial Refueling Boom
(AARB) has a seven meters long
telescopic inner fuel tube and
an interphone communication
system. The fly by wire
controlled boom has an Automatic
Load Alleviation System (ALAS)
that reduces radial forces on both

Above:  rew of WHISTLER86 deploying the US Flag after having it flown in Afghanistan.
C
L to R: Lt. Col. Bill Sherrod, Master Sergeant Taco Cleaver, Lt. Col. Jim Killian
and Staff Sergeant Michael Czephya.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

41

receptacle and nozzle, and an

Independent Disconnect System
(IDS) to enhance safety for both
tanker and receiver aircraft. A
hose drum just right of the
aircrafts centerline, houses the
KC-10 hose and drogue system.
The hose, on which a collapsible
drogue is fitted, can be trailed
21 meters behind the KC-10.
Additionally about twenty
sets of Wing Air Refueling
Pods (WARP) are available to
further increase the KC-10s air
refueling capability. The hoses,
on which a collapsible drogue is
fitted, can be trailed 22,5 meters
behind the pod. Fitted with six
fuel pumps in total, the KC-10
normally uses between two and
four pumps (depending on type
of aircraft) during refueling. On
average 8.000 pounds of fuel per
minute can be transferred via
the boom, while the fuel transfer
rate via the centerline hose and
drogue system is limited to
4.000 pounds per minute. The
WARP fuel transfer rate is the
lowest with only 2.400 pounds
per minute. To extend the range
of the KC-10s, all aircraft are
fitted with a receptacle for aerial
refueling by for example another
KC-10 or KC-135. Without being
refueled, and without cargo the
KC-10 has a range of 11,500
miles. In full cargo configuration
the range is nevertheless
still around 4.400 miles.

Busy workload

Ever since the KC-10 went

into service the aircraft has
participated in numerous
operations including: Operation
El Dorado Canyon in which
Libya was bombed as a
retaliation of a terrorist attack
in 1986, Operation Desert
Storm, Operation Desert
Shield, Operation Deny
Flight, Operation Allied
Force, Operation Noble
Eagle in the wake of the
terrorist attacks on September
11, 2001, Operation Restore
Hope in Somalia, Operation
Desert Fox, Operation Iraqi
Freedom, and more recently
Operation Enduring Freedom
and Operation Odyssey Dawn.
Presently the remaining 59 KC10A aircraft (one was lost in a
ground accident on September
17, 1987), are divided between
Travis Air Force Base, California
where they are operated by
the 6th & 9th Air Refueling
Squadrons of the 60th Air
Mobility Wing AMC and 70th
& 79th Air Refueling Squadrons
of the 349th Air Mobility Wing
AFRC. McGuire Air Force

42 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Base, New Jersey is home to the

305th Air Mobility Wing AMC
with 2nd & 32nd Air Refueling
Squadrons and the 514th Air
Mobility Wing AFRC with 76th
& 78th Air Refueling Squadrons.
A 9th and special KC-10 unit
is the 908th Expeditionary Air
Refueling Squadron, part of
the 380th Air Expeditionary
Wing, at an undisclosed
location in Southwest Asia.

Over 20 years of continuous

operation in Southwest Asia

on January 25, 2002. Today

more than 1.900 active duty Air
National Guard and Air Force
Reserve personnel are manning
the four groups, comprising
12 squadrons of which four
are active flying squadrons,
an US Navy aerial maritime
surveillance detachment and an
US Army defense Battalion. Of
the flying squadrons assigned
to the 380thAEW, the 99th
Expeditionary Reconnaissance

Squadron is equipped with the

Northrop Grumman RQ-4A
Global Hawk and the Lockheed
U-2 Dragon Lady. The 970th
Expeditionary Airborne Air
Control Squadron is equipped
with the E-3 AWACS, a rotating
Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
equipped with McDonnell
Douglas/Boeing F-15 Eagles
and the 908th Expeditionary Air
Refueling Squadron with the
McDonnell Douglas KC-10A

Although the 380th Air

Expeditionary Wing was
officially established early
2002, the United States Air
Force has been present in this
strategic important region and
at the present undisclosed home
base since the beginning of
the Gulf War in 1991. Units
previously assigned paved
their way to form the 380th
AEW, and started operations

Above:  ia the hose and drogue system in the rear of the McDonnel
V
Douglas KC-10 Extender no less than 4.000 pounds of fuel per
minute can be transferred. In the Picture a Royal Air Force Tornado
GR.4 can be seen connected to a KC-10 of the 908th EARS.

In comparison to the four fuel pumps of a

Boeing KC-135, the Mc Donnel Douglas
KC-10 Extender has six. We normally only use six
pumps to offload to a heavy aircraft For a F-16
we only use two pumps. If we use six we will
actually blow them off back down with
the pressure. If it is B-1 or an AWACS we will
open up all six pumps and offload over
7000 pounds a minute, explains Lieutenant Colonel
David D. LeRoy, commander of the 980th EARS.

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

43

Extender. With its 2,6 Billion

US Dollars worth of combat
assets and its motto: Execute
today-prepare for tomorrow,
the 380th AEWs mission is
to conduct combat operations
directed by the President of the
United States to provide high
altitude all weather intelligence,
surveillance, reconnaissance,
airborne command & control and
air refueling for Combined Joint
Task Force Horn of Africa,
Operation Enduring Freedom, and
other operations and exercises
in the Southwest Asia Area
of Responsibility (AOR).

Total Force Effort

Lieutenant Colonel David D.

LeRoy is commander of the 908th
EARS. He graduated at the Air
Force Academy in 1997 and was
subsequently T-37 instructor
pilot for three years. In 2000 he
transitioned to the KC-10 and
became assigned to the 9th ARS
at Travis Air Force Base where
he became director of operations.
Today he has over 4.000 flying
hours, on which 2.800 on the KC10 Extender. He is proud of the
capabilities of the KC-10. The
KC-10 was build to support more
of the dual role capability where
we can take fighters, maintenance

44 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

A CVN-65 USS Enterprise based

Boeing F/A-18F of VFA-11 The
Red Rippers (166629/AB-104)
overhead the rugged countryside
of Southern Afghanistan.

people and equipment, and drag

them around the world whether
it is in support of contingency
operations or exercises. We can
carry a maximum of 340.000
pounds of gas. We can use it all
or give it all. Besides that we can
carry about 160.000 pounds of
cargo which is about equal to that
of a Boeing C-17! In reaction
to what the strong points of the
KC-10 are in comparison to the
KC-135 are, Lieutenant Colonel
LeRoy is very clear: The KC-10
is more flexible! We have both a
boom to refuel air force aircraft
as well as a drogue to refuel any
coalition or Navy aircraft, and
we can do those in a matter of
minutes. We can put the boom
up, trail the drogue, bring the
drogue back in, put the boom
back down. Sometimes we have
Navy and coalition aircraft on
our wing and an air force guy on
the boom. As he leaves the boom
comes up, the drogue comes out,
we cycle them all through. We
also have warp capability, we

Above:  outh of Kandahar a Royal Air Force II (AC) Squadron Tornado

S
GR.4 (ZA609/072 ) is approaching KC-10A for Air Refueling.
Top:

A
 pair of Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16AM seen shortly after
refueling with KC-10 of the 908th EARS. Via the eleven meter long
Advanced Aerial Refueling Boom (AARB) system, 8.000 pounds of
fuel per minute can be offloaded.

dont bring it out here because

we dont need it because we
have our standard drogue, and
it also reduces our capability
to take fuel. Because it has a
drag penalty, for flying its more

drag on the aircraft and it is also

weight, so it probably limits us by
10-15.000 pounds of fuel just to
put them on and use them. It is a
good capability. We dont have a
lot of them. I would say there are

about 20 sets of warp for the 59

KC-10s in the inventory. But with
the capability of boom and drogue
every day, they are not necessary.
We sacrifice that capability for the
extra fuel in the country because
we are dual capable. And the
other thing that makes us a little
more flexible is that we have a
receptacle to onload gas as well. It
does not happen as often as in the
summertime because of the fuel
loads. But during winter, when we
take off with more fuel, we will
have extra fuel and offload into
another KC-10 or a KC-135 will
offload into us to keep that gas up
there in case something happens
and they need it. Our pilots need
currency as well so sometimes we
will ask to do it, just to make sure
we update our currency. A weak
point however is that our engines
are less fuel efficient than those
of the KC135, but they carry a lot
less fuel than we do. However,
we take almost 50-60.000 pounds
of fuel more than we can offload
into the country every day. So
we have more capability with
the distance we travel. Major
Joseph Zackaricz , commander of
the 380th EMXG (Maintenance
Group) emphasizes the challenges
maintenance faces while operating
from this location in Southwest

Asia: Avionics, pneumatics,

and hydraulic systems can be
affected by the high temperatures.
One of our key indicators if
something is going wrong, is
the temperature of the fluid. We
watch that constantly in flight, at
altitude and also on the ground,
which can sometimes be difficult,
as we dont have the cooling
available as we do when we are
flying at altitude. The Avionics
are always running hot, but in
these high temperatures they
need to be kept cool, especially
when crew and maintainers must
run their checks in preparation
for take-off. Working with these
high temperatures and dusty
conditions in the open sky is
really demanding the utmost of
man and machine! With 450
maintenance personnel and 120
aircrew of all Active and Reserve
Squadrons, this really is a total
force effort. We daily inform
crew and the maintainers, to let
them know the difference they are
making out there with 120 degrees
and with 70% humidity every day
trying to maintain those aircraft.
I dont know how they are doing
it, but they do an awesome job
out there! During the 2013 fiscal
year the 908th EARS offloaded
no less than 398,3 million pounds

of fuel to 29,100 receivers during

4,570 sorties in which 36,000
flying hours were made. So far
during Fiscal Year 2013 (October
31, 2013) 348,7 million pounds
of fuel was offloaded to 30.150
receivers during 4.320 sorties
in which 35.800 flying hours
were made. Our unit covers
around a dozen aircraft and
fifteen lines a day, one third of
the whole AAR capability over
Afghanistan, Lieutenant Colonel
David D. LeRoy proudly adds.

International Appreciation

KC-10 Extenders have refueled

many receivers from many
countries. USAF A-10C pilot
Christopher D. van Liere based
at Kandahar AB states: it is
essential for our daily missions
over Afghanistan, and helps us
to be more efficient. Captain
Wesley of 313 Squadron Royal
Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF)
that maintains a detachment in
Afghanistan with four F-16s
at Mazar-I-Sharif, agrees with
him and adds: With the large
distances we need to fly to support
ground troops, our available time
over target without air refueling
would simply be too short as we
operate throughout the whole
of Afghanistan. During Close-

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

45

Air-Support (CAS) missions

we usually take on fuel once or
twice, depending on the distance
and the time needed to support
the ground troops. On average
7.000 pounds of fuel is taken on
with each contact within two to
three minutes. If there is a Troops
in Contact (TIC) action, at least
one aircraft will stay at the scene
while the other(s) refuel. On
the question what would be his
tanker aircraft of choice, Captain
Wesley is clear: I prefer being
refueled by the KC-10. The
reason for that is not that the
Royal Netherlands Air Force
is also operating the KDC-10,

but the formation positions are

different for the KC-135 and the
K(D)C-10. With the KC-135 we
need to fly up closer and higher,
and furthermore the limits of the
boom maneuverability of the KC10 are much broader than those of
the KC-135. For some pilots the
presence of a tanker aircraft can
be vital. This happened to Captain
Wesley last year during Operation
Unified Protector: Due to bad
weather in our operating area,
we couldnt meet with our
scheduled tanker aircraft. Instead
another tanker aircraft moved
our way and the receiving USAF
F-16s interrupted their refueling

An A-10C (80-0616/FS) of the 184th

Razorbacks Arkansas ANG based at Ebbing
ANGB, overhead Southern Afghanistan.

46 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

especially for us, enabling us

to continue our mission!

Bright outlook

I have had the opportunity,

and people were asking me to
fly other aircraft. No way this is
awesome! I love flying the KC-10
with its multi role capability.
Refueling anything out there, we
carry cargo, we do air refueling
both receiving and giving, to me
it is the most dynamic mission
out there. I wouldnt trade for
the world! gloats 908th EARS
Commander Lieutenant Colonel
David D. LeRoy. Luckily for
him, the KC-10 is and will

remain an important asset to the

US Tanker force for the years to
come, and will not retire from
active service before 2043. Till
that time several modifications
and upgrades will be conducted.
In 2010 Boeing received a 216
Million US Dollar contract to
upgrade all remaining 59 KC-10s
with a new Communication,
Navigation, Surveillance and
Air Traffic Management (CNS/
ATM) system by 2015 to comply
with ICAO & FAA standards
allowing shared access in both
military and civil airspace and
so enabling worldwide refueling
operations. The first aircraft,

modified at Boeings San Antonio facility

in Texas was flight tested this year, and the
final aircraft being modified will return to
operational service by the beginning of 2015.
Brigadier General Paul H McGillicuddy,
commander of the 380th AEW with more
than 3.600 flying hours on F-16, F-111, U-2,
AT-38, T-38, T-37, KC-10, and 28 combat
sorties during Operation Desert Storm, is
proud of his unit, its diversity and especially
the KC-10: The 380thAEW is unique in its
makeup. We have a wide variety of platforms
executing our portion of the Air Tasking
Order each and every day. From refueling
aircraft to manned and unmanned ISR assets,
to fighters, battle management, missile
defense and our Army Patriot partners, we
bring a considerable amount of capability

to Operation Enduring Freedom to meet

any tasking from the Combined Forces
Air Combatant Commander. Our mission
statement, Execute Today Prepare for
Tomorrow, reflects this. I often tell our
younger airmen, There is a lot going on
here which wouldnt happen without you.
And that is absolutely true. So if there is
anything special about the 380th, it is
the airmen who come here from across
the Air Force and spend several months
executing at a very high operations tempo.
To do it takes some special stuff, and they
have it. Brigadier General McGillicuddy
is convinced that the Wing and the 908th
EARS will remain active in the region,
even after the withdrawal of the last US
troops from Afghanistan in 2014. We
are focused on our daily mission and
the CFACCs (Combined Forces Air
Component Commander) priorities. As the
mission evolves, the 380th AEW will stand
ready to support CFACC and CENTCOM
(US Central Command) taskings and
priorities, he says. The KC-10 and the
908th EARS will remain an important
asset to the 380th AEW because of the high
tension areas around its present location.
I cant imagine todays Air Force without
it. Certainly, it is a critical part of our
global reach. It is a force extender often not
thought of by the general public. Without
it, fighter aircraft sorties become much
more limited in time and range. Bombers
and cargo aircraft would be more limited
in the amount of hours they could stay
airborne.The KC-10s range and payload
ability are what make it especially capable.
It is routine for our KC-10 crews to fly a
couple of hours to their destination, offload
six-figures worth of fuel to numerous
coalition receivers for several hours before
making the journey back. When you can
hold more than 350,000 pounds of fuel and
have a range well over 4,000 miles, you
can fly sorties of that scope. Brigadier
General McGillicuddy proudly states. It
is hard for the uninitiated to appreciate the
complexities of a large operational wing
and base. It is thousands of people, materiel
and equipment in constant, 24-7 motion.
Executing our mission in the safest manner
possible for our airmen and without losing
any of our aircraft or other equipment is
always the challenge and without the
dedication of each and every military and
civilian member on this base it wouldnt
happen. It is truly a privilege to serve
with them, concludes McGillicuddy.

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Farnborough
International Air Show
As airshows go, the Farnborough is
one of the best. The Farnborough Air
Show is a massive aviation expo and
airshow held in England every other
year. Next to EBACE (European
Business Aviation Conference and
Exhibition) and ABACE (Asian Business
Aviation Convention and Exhibition),
Farnborough is the best place to witness
aviation business as it happens. Its
elaborate displays, showy booths and
award-winning air show performances
make it an extravagant sight to see.
Farnborough is a hotspot for
impressive aviation business deals.
Aircraft are bought and sold. Companies
showcase their newest technologies
and gadgets. Key industry players
are there to make sure they get their
hands on the latest developments
and everything else aviation.
There are numerous hangars and
tents devoted to exhibitors. One of the
best things about Farnborough is the
lavish exhibition booths that aviation
businesses bring. You might get a
close-up shiny new aircraft engines
or the tires of a new jet such as the
B747-8 or A350 XWB with perhaps that
incredible Airbus pilot Peter Chandler
flying it. You will witness flashy lights
amidst avant-garde displays. Aviations
finest business owners, manufacturers
and salesmen drink champagne on
elaborately decorated stages. Many
companies give away lavish gift bags to
those that visit; from toys and models
to sophisticated iPads, visitors relish in
the great giveaways at Farnborough.
Thousands pitch up to witness
the excitement of the air show, which
features aircraft performers in both
vintage and modern aircraft. One
can expect to see the latest aircraft
demonstration flights and some aerobatic
flights as well. Usually, youll see the
intense display of the RAFs Red Arrows.
Also outside are the newest business
jets to hit the market, alongside some
classic jets. Different military aircraft
are represented from various countries.
From helicopters to UAVs, business
jets to long-haul airliners, there is an
aircraft for everyone at Farnborough.
Of course, an air show isnt
an air show without food vendors
and gift shops, which are also
plentiful outside at Farnborough.
Event halls and meeting rooms are
available for businesses to host functions,
conduct meetings and, well, do business.

See more at

www.farnborough.com

2/24/12 3:14 PM

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

47

Tu-22M3

Backfire
For a long time this high performance Soviet bomber
with its fighter-like appearance was regarded as a major
stumbling block during the course of the Strategic Arms
Limitation Talks OSV-2 (SALT II). The Tu-22M3 is a successor
to the Tu-4, Tu-16, Tu-22 bombers designed by Tupolev
EDB. It represented a certain symbol of power of the Soviet
bombardment aviation in the 1970s and 80s. Its high
combat performance is still maintained at a high level.
BY JURIJS TARASENKO

Tu-22M3, Transit service - Vadim

History

By the early 1960s the Tu-22

became the main long-range
strategic bomber and missile
carrier in the USSR. It featured
a range of advantages against
the Convair B-58 Hustler its
American counterpart but at the
same time there were significant
faults reducing the combat
capabilities of the bomber.
In particular was its poor
takeoff and landing performances
(high landing speed and runway

48 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

length), insufficient flying range

(less against its predecessor Tu-16),
poor cockpit visibility and rather
low operating performances.
During the 1960s the question
of upgrading or replacing the
Ru-22 with a new type of longrange bomber was discussed
but the top-echelon government
officials of the USSR were more
concerned the combat capabilities
of the strategic missile weaponry
while long-range aviation was
absolutely unpopular at the time.
This situation together with

an unfavorable economic climate

complicated financing of the
development and production of
an essentially new long-range
bomber. Therefore Tupolev EDB
decided to improve the existing
aircraft. The Tu-22K (missile
carrier) was used as a basis.
Unfortunately during the
course of development of several
projects as well as on the basis of
the tendencies featuring long-range
combat aviation it became evident
that the single-mode supersonic
bomber (such as Tu-22 and the

initial projects of its upgrading)

was characterized by low efficiency
and was not able to meet the
requirements set by the Air Forces.
The army required not only
an aircraft able to perform a
supersonic attack at high altitude
but also to fly at low height at high
transonic speed. Flying range when
in subsonic cruise mode had to
reach 6,000 to 7,000 km. It was
required to improve the takeoff and
landing performances with the aim
to exclude huge runways as such
airfields were a good target for

Tu-22M3 pilot cockpit. - pic Denis Fedorko

the bombers of a potential enemy.

This set goal could be achieved
through a variable-sweep wing
first used in the early 1960s. The
advantages of such a wing designed
to be used by fighter aviation were
balanced by its disadvantages,
but this variable sweep turned
to be a valuable acquisition for
a long-range bomber and was
to be used to improve Tu-22.
The intention of the aircraft
creators was to integrate a wellworked airframe, the armament
systems of Tu-22 the initial bomber,

together with a variable-sweep

wing and the perspective engines
designed for Tu-144 the supersonic
passenger aircraft (NK-144 engine).
A similar approach was used when
creating the first Soviet aircraft Su17 designed with a variable-sweep
wing, an extreme modification
of the Su-7B bomber-fighter.
The NK-144-22 lowconsumption turbofan engines with
afterburner, were used. Their max
thrust was equal to 13,000 kgf and
full-reheated thrust was 20,000 kgf.
During the design phase

the bomber configuration was

significantly changed. On
recommendation of the Central
Aero hydrodynamic Institute
(TSAGI) and to improve the
operating performances, the engines
were reinstalled into the tail end
of the aircraft and the adjustable
inlets were placed on its sides in
a similar fashion to the squared
shape with vertical inlet ramp
used in the fighter MiG-23.
Wing sweeping (originally
step-like) became smooth within a
range of 20 to 60 in the course of

the development. The aircraft was

equipped with tricycle landing gear.
The main landing gear was moved
into the wing and fuselage and
not into the wing nacelle as on the
previous versions of the bombers.
The aircraft armament was
enhanced if compared to the Tu-22
and included three anti-ship cruise
missiles Raduga Kh-22 Buria
(AS-4 Kitchen according to
NATO classification) one under
the fuselage as semi-recessed and
two under the wing. Besides, the
missile carrier was able to perform
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

49

bomb-dropping functions unlike

the Tu-22 when used as a Tu22K version (missile carrier).
By completion of the
engineering development of the
aircraft to be known as Tu-22M
(project 145) only the bomb
compartment for the free-fall
bombs up to 12,000 kg capacity
was actually retained from the
initial version Tu-22 together with
several avionics and systems.
In fact, an absolutely new
aircraft meeting the requirements
set for a long-range bomber of
the 1970s, designed to attack the
strategic targets within a continent
as well as to fire the large marine
targets (the carrier attack groups
in the first place) was developed.
In future a reconnaissance
version it was supposed to be
created on the basis of this bomber.
Tu-22M development was
carried out together with similar
works performed in Sukhoi and
Yakovlev EDBs. Nevertheless,
in spite of higher estimated
performances (especially the
aircraft developed by Sukhoi
EDB, T-4 (the project 100),
both projects were closed.
The strategy performed by
Tupolev aimed to modernize
the existing aircraft seemed to
the top leadership to be more
advantageous against the expensive
and long creation of the new
aircraft even if it did featured
rather high performances.
Kazan Aviation Plant was
chosen to produce the aircraft in
series. The first flight of Tu-22M-0
prototype aircraft (Tu-22KM,
Backfire-A according to NATO
classification) took place on
August 30, 1969. Later on, several
prototype versions of the Tu-22M-0
were produced including two used
to train pilots of the combat forces
in the Ryazan Center of LongRange Aviation Combat Appliance.
In 1971 production of a small
series of the bombers Tu-22M-1
was launched. New aircraft were
designed with defense equipment:
two automatic cannons GSh23 were installed in the tail end
of fuselage and designed with
remote control by tele- and
radar channels. The earlier
versions of Tu-22M-0 were not
equipped with such armament.
The new grey coloring was
a novelty for this carrier. The
lower surface of the fuselage
and wing was covered with
white anti-nuclear paint.
The state tests of the aircraft
were completed only in 1975 but
at the end of 1971, the largescale production of the bomber
Tu-22M-2 (Backfire-B) was

50 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

launched. This new modification

was equipped with the new engine
NK-22 (the project FM, NK144-22 its further development)
producing 22,000 kgf of thrust.
During testing this aircraft
developed its speed up to 1,800
km/h with a range equal to 5,100
km. In 1976 it was accepted for
service. Equipped with an aerial
refueling system, the refueling
probe mounted into the forebody in front of the pilot cockpit
was removed from all Tu-22Ms
following the OSV-2 Agreement.
Notwithstanding the fact that
the Tu-22M was not equipped
with the terrain-following system,
it was able to perform the long
low-height flights avoiding enemy
air defense forces. The set height
was supported automatically with
the help of the radio altimeter.
In 1974 new NK-25 engines
with 25,000 kgf of thrust were
mounted on specially re-equipped
Tu-22M-2 re-named Tu-22M2E. This engine features higher
power and lower consumption
levels. The next bomber version,
Tu-22M-3 (Backfire-C),
was developed in 1977.
The aircraft was designed with
the engine air inlets of improved
bucket form with the horizontal
inlet ramp tested on MiG-25, the
supersonic aircraft, ensuring more
comfortable operation conditions
for the engines. The aerodynamic
body edging was improved and
wing sweep was improved from
60 to 65. All of this increased
the speed performances. The
maximum flight range was
increased up to 6,800 km.
The fuselage tail end was
narrowed and one cannon GSh23 installed instead of two. The
missile armament of the aircraft
was significantly enhanced and
additional armaments added to
the anti-ship missiles Raduga
Kh-22 type (3 pcs) - the aeroballistic short-range missiles
Raduga Kh-15 (AS-16 Kickback
acc to NATO classification)
including six into the fuselage
on the multi-position launcher
and four on the outer mount units
under the wing and fuselage.
The first flight of Tu-22M-3
took place in June 20, 1977 and
the aircraft was accepted for
service in 1983. In 1992 Tu22-3 was exhibited for the first
time at Farnborough Aviation
International Exhibition where the
specialists were surprised by the
mass of combat load (24,000 kg)
unprecedented for this aircraft class,
and which compared only to the
combat load of a B-52 bomber.
A reconnaissance version was

Tu-22M3. Aircraft taxiing to the

holding point for take-off
pic by Evgeniy Volkov

Above: Tu-22KD, a prototype of the Tu-33M - pic by Pavel Adzhigildaev

Above: A Tu-22PD - pic by Pavel Adzhigildaev

Above: A Tu-22M2 - pic by Natalia Demyanchuk

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

Tu-22M2 - pic by Natalia Demyanchuk

51

Below: A Tu-22M3 taking off at the Air Force Museum of Ukraine.

Pic by Sergey Ablogin

developed on the basis of Tu22M-3. In 1989 it was produced

as a u-22R. In total twelve
aircrafts were manufactured or
re-equipped as the reconnaissance
versions but the whole planned
schedule was not completed owing
to the USSR collapse. Other
Tu-22M development projects
existed, which were based on the
use of the modernized engines, new
equipment and armament systems.
Tu-224 is a modification
with NK-32 engines installed
(25,000 kgf of thrust, used on
Tu-160 bomber), improved
on-board equipment and
changed armament: six air-tosurface missiles Raduga Kh-32
(modernized version of Raduga
Kh-22) or ten missiles Raduga
Kh-55 or Kh-57. One prototype
was built up in 1990 but the whole
program was scrapped in 1991.
Tu-225, Project The
development was launched in 1997.
The wing edging was modified
as well as the outer surfaces with
the aim to reduce EPR. Existing
weapons were extended: four
cruise strategic missiles Kh-101
or Kh-555 (from six to eight in

52 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

number). The low-height flight

control system was mounted and
airborne avionics were upgraded.
This prototype was not developed
and the project was scrapped.
Tu-223, Modification
of Tu-22M3 This is an aircraft
equipped with the navigation
onboard radar system partially
modernized as well as with
increased capacities to perform
combat tasks at low heights under
conditions of interference by enemy
air defense forces. Yhr aircraft
was able to use the precisionguided air-to-surface weapons
(modernized missiles Raduga
Kh-32) giving it increased ability
for air defense breakthrough.
The RF Ministry of Defense
plans to upgrade thirty Tu-22M3
to the level of the Tu-22M3M by
2020 (the contract was signed in
February, 2012) through installation
of equipment developed on the
new element basis as well as
adopted for expansion of weapons
nomenclature. By 2012 one aircraft
has been re-equipped, and is now
undergoing a whole series of tests at
its base airfield, Diagilevo, Ryazan.
The factory production of the

new aircraft was stopped in 1993.

A range of Third World
countries (in particular, Iran,
India and China) repeatedly
showed much interest in
purchasing theTu-22M3 but the
possible import of the bombers,
which are extremely powerful,
provoked mixed reactions, both
in the Occident countries and
in Russia. No sale transactions
have as yet been completed.

The tail of Tu-22M3 has a machine

gun fitted for defence from behind.
pic by Igor Kolokolov

Combat Capabilities
and Application

Known as an aircraft carrier killer,

Tu-223s were a critical part
of anti-aircraft-carrier doctrine
of the USSR but this epithet is
not correct. To fulfill the task of
destroying an aircraft carrier group,
the missile carriers have to act
jointly. Their key weapon is the
Raduga Kh-22N Buria the antiship missile (AS-4 Kitchen acc to
NATO classification). An efficient
supersonic cruise missile,it has two
advantages. The first is that the
missiles are interconnected during
their flight and it is enough to
launch them having set the minimal
list of the target parameters.
The second advantage is high
durability against the air defense
forces. According to calculations,
one Raduga Kh-22 with shielding
might withstand fire from a Mark
15 Vulcan Phalanx CIWS 20-mm

air defense and artillery system

as well as a hit from one AIM-7
Sparrow missile or two or three
ones the type AIM-9 Sidewinder.
The Raduga Kh-22N is able to
pierce the shipboard to leave a
hole of about 22m and with its
depth possibly up to 12 m.
In the course of the Cold
War in the seventies the Tu22M2 of the air division of
the USSR Navy simulated the
attacks of the American aircraft
carrier groups on numerous
occasions. The efficiency of these
actions was regarded as high.
The Raduga Kh-22PSI
is equipped with a multi-ton
warhead whose launch range
achieves almost 500 km. Tu-22M3
aircraft are able to plough up
an area equivalent to thirty-five
standard football fields with just
one hit with the free-fall bombs.
The capabilities of the precision
equipment allow hitting a shed
with one separate bomb from
a height of ten-kilometer.
The bomber was used at the
end of the Afghanistan war (1988 to
1989) to perform area bombing and
also in the earlier stage of the first
war in Chechnya where it was used
to light the way for aviation attacks
by dropping OSAB type flares.
In the war in South Ossetia in
August, 2008 a group of Tu-223s
delivered an aimed strike against

Tu-22M3 General Characteristics

Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, weapon systems operator)

Length: 42.4 m (139 ft 4 in)

Wingspan: Spread (20 sweep): 34.28 m (112 ft 6 in)
Swept (65 sweep): 23.30 m (76 ft 6 in)

Height: 11.05 m (36 ft 3 in)

Wing area: Spread: 183.6 m (1,976 ft)
Swept: 175.8 m (1,892 ft)

Empty weight: 54,000 kg (119,000 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 
124,000 kg (273,000 lb) ; 126,400 kg (278,700 lb) for rocket assisted TO

Power plant: 2 Kuznetsov NK-25 turbofans, 245.2 kN (55,100 lbf) each

Performance

Armament

Maximum speed:
Range:
Combat radius:
Service ceiling:
Rate of climb:
Wing loading:
Thrust/weight:

Mach 1.88 (2,000 km/h, 1,240 mph); at altitude

6,800 km (4,200 mi, 3,700 nmi)
2,410 km (1,500 mi, 1,300 nmi) with typical weapons load
13,300 m (43,600 ft)
15 m/s (91 ft/s)
688 kg/m (147 lb/ft)
0.40

Guns: 1 23-mm GSh-23 cannon in remotely controlled tail turret

Hardpoints: 
wing and fuselage pylons and internal weapons bay with a capacity of 24,000 kg
(53,000 lb) of up to 3 Raduga Kh-22 missiles in weapons bay and on wing pylons or
 to 6 Raduga Kh-15 missiles on a MKU-6-1 rotary launcher in its bomb bay, plus 4
up
Raduga Kh-15 missiles on two underwing pylons for a total of 10 missiles per aircraft.
Various freefall bombs 69 FAB-250 or 8 FAB-1500 might be typical.
 Kh-55 (AS-15 Kent) long-range cruise missile was tested on the Tu-22M but
The
apparently not used in service.

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

53

Tu-22M3 showing a Kh-22 missile

starts up for its next mission
pic by Evgeniy Volkov

Tu-22M3 lined up and ready

for take-off
pic by Mike Syritsa

54 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

the ammunition depots of the

Georgian army and bombed the
airfields and the forces in Kodori
Gorge. One Tu-22MR was lost as
a result to the Georgian air defense
forces when flying back from a
mission to bomb the Georgian
infantry brigade bases. Following
this loss the RF Air Forces stopped
to use long-range aircraft till the
very end of the military conflict.

Conclusion

In the 1990s many of the u-22

aircraft (including all Tu-222s)
which were serviceable and not too
old, were removed from service
and disposed of for active flying.
The aircraft left in the Ukraine after
the USSR collapse, were destroyed
completely according to a program
financed by the USA Congress.
Many aviation bases were

Tu-22M3 takes off on its next mission - pic by Sergey Ablogin

closed down or just abandoned,

becoming aircraft cemeteries. The
reasons are of political character.
Currently (as per the end of
2013) 150 Tu-22M3s make up part
of Russian Air Force including

about 45 combat-ready aircraft.

According to the armed forces
modernization plan, the work
to improve certain parts of the
Tu-22M3 to re-name it as u223 version, and including

large expansion of its combat

capabilities, have begun. Work
on a program for the intermediate
maintenance and recovery of
other existing Tu-22M3s has
been launched as well.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

55

Military News

The Indian Air Force PC-7 MkII

fleet has notched up commendable
milestones even as training on
the PC-7 MkII proceeds apace
at the Indian Air Force training
centre at Dundigal. The fleet has
achieved more than 12,000 flying
hours and accumulated well over
24,000 landings, since the first
delivery of the new Basic Trainer
Aircraft (BTA) to the Indian Air
Force in February last year.
This significant achievement
demonstrates the outstanding
performance of the new PC-7
MkII training platform and the
excellent co-operation between
the Indian Air Force and Pilatus
Aircraft Ltd in maintaining
and operating a highly reliable
Basic Trainer Aircraft.
As of April, less than two
years after contract signature,
the Indian Air Force has taken
delivery of 35 PC-7 MkII
aircraft and the remaining 40
aircraft are being flown-in

Pic by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd

Indian Air
Force Pilatus
PC-7 mkII fleet
clocks record
performance

on a monthly basis under the

accelerated delivery schedule.
Due to the excellent endurance,
low maintenance and reliability of
the PC-7 MkII aircraft, the Indian
Air Force supported by Pilatus
has been able to maintain a very
high availability rate on the flight
line since the introduction of the
new platform. Thanks to this,
the Indian Air Force is already
planning to advance their plans
to enhance the number of student
pilots by 150% from the next

Boeing flies production configuration

AH-6i light helicopter for the first time
On May 1, 2014 Boeing's
AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance
helicopter has flown for the first

56 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

time in its production

configuration, moving the
program another step closer to

course as they are confident that

the PC-7 MkII will continue to
measure up to their requirements
and expectations. Furthermore, the
PC-7 MkII has enabled the Indian
Air Force to increase the basic
training syllabus in terms of flight
hours by 220% compared to the
old syllabus and increase the solo
content from only 1 to 14 sorties.
In March this year another
significant project milestone
took place. The first PC-7
MkII Fixed Base Full Mission

Simulator became operational at

Dundigal with a second simulator
and additional Ground-Based
Training Systems due to be
installed by the end of this year.
Pilatus remains firmly
committed to serving the Indian
Air Force with its renowned
dedication to Swiss precision
and quality, through delivering
and supporting the most
advanced Basic Flight Training
turboprop trainer in the world
the Pilatus PC-7 MkII.

full-scale production while

continuing to prove the
helicopter's close air support
and attack capabilities.
Boeing pilots flew the aircraft
for less than 20-minutes at low
speeds in forward, rearward and

sideward flight at low elevations

during a recent test. Future tests
will expand the flight envelope
over the next several months.
"This first AH-6 flight in the
production configuration takes us
closer to delivering an advanced
light attack and reconnaissance
helicopter that meets the needs
of defense forces around the
world," said Boeing AH-6
Program Director Scott Rudy.
The AH-6i is a single-turbine
helicopter that is based on the
combat-proven OH-6A Cayuse. It
is an advanced variant of the AH6M helicopter operated by the U.S.
Army Special Operations Forces. It
incorporates advanced technologies
from the Boeing AH-64E Apache
multirole attack helicopter that
give it superior performance
over other aircraft in its class.
The helicopter is intended to
provide close-air support for
land-based forces and serve as an
attack platform for destroying
tanks, armored vehicles
and fortifications.

58 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Airbus Helicopters
EC175 makes its
North Sea debut
and announces
extra payload
The week-long demonstration tour brought
the rotorcraft to England, Scotland
and Norway. The EC175 is Airbus
Helicopters newest-certified rotorcraft
in the 7-metric-ton class.

t demonstrated its outstanding

Category A performance and
its mission capabilities for the
oil and gas sector during a threenation demonstration tour which
took place from May 19.
In conjunction with the new
rotorcrafts tour of the North Sea,
Airbus Helicopters announced
an increase to the EC175s
maximum take-off weight, up
to 7,800 kg, offering significant
additional payload of 300 kg or
an additional 40NM radius of
action. The extended MTOW
provides additional operational
flexibility particularly in
highly demanding oil and gas
heli-lift operations, and for
missions to oil rigs that are
located increasingly further
off-shore. Certification of the
extended maximum take-off
weight is planned before the
end of 2016, following a flight
test campaign next year.
Seeing is believing, and
this latest EC175 demonstration
tour enabled North Sea oil and
gas operators, oil companies
and industry workers unions
to experience and appreciate
the performance, range and
comfort of this new-generation
helicopter, said Dominique
Maudet, Airbus Helicopters
Executive Vice President Global Business and Service.
Certified in January by
the European Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA), Airbus
Helicopters EC175 meets the

latest airworthiness standards,

covering both the rotorcraft
and its new Helionix avionics
suite which provides increased
safety through reduced pilot
workload, enhanced situational
awareness, improved flight
envelope protection and
system redundancy.
The helicopter was
developed to meet evolving
oil and gas industry mission
needs, offering outstanding
performance and unmatched
cost efficiency enabling a
full payload to be carried to
90 percent of the North Seas
offshore installations. The Rig
N Fly GPS-navigation-assisted
software, after certification on
EC225e, will be incorporated
in the EC175s avionics suite
to make approaches to, and
takeoffs from, platform-based
helipads safer and simpler.
As a high-capacity mediumsized rotorcraft, the EC175
accommodates 16 passengers
in comfort, offering the most
cabin volume per person. The
in-flight environment is enhanced
by very low vibration levels
and a smooth ride even at
high speed. Powered by Pratt
& Whitney Canadas latest PT6
engine the PT6C67E version
developed specifically for this
helicopter the EC175 retains
a competitive edge with its
recommended cruise speed of
150 kts., while the maximum
cruise speed exceeds 165 kts.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

59

New Acquisitions

ith the selection comes a

$1.24 billion Engineering and Manufacturing
Development (EMD) contract to
modify, test and deliver six FAAcertified S-92 helicopters and
two trainer simulators to the U.S.
Marine Corps. Covering a period
of performance into late 2020, the
fixed price incentive firm contract
is the initial step to providing, by
2023, a VXX Presidential Helicopter Replacement fleet totalling
21 operational aircraft.
We are honoured by this news
and the vote of confidence in the
Sikorsky team and the proven S-92
platform, said Sikorsky President
Mick Maurer. For 57 years, our
company has been trusted with the
critical responsibility of building
and supporting a safe and reliable
helicopter fleet for the President
of the United States. We are
proud of our record and the bright
future for our company. We stand
ready to deliver the next Marine
One, the worlds most advanced
executive transport helicopter.
Ten nations currently fly the
dual-engine, medium-lift S-92
helicopter for their head of state
missions. Since 2004, Sikorsky
has delivered more than 200 S-92
helicopters, predominantly to
operators serving the worldwide
offshore oil and gas industry,
and for civil search and rescue.
Sikorsky submitted its VXX
proposal for an existing, inproduction helicopter platform
to the Navy in August 2013,
following a Request for Proposals
in May of the same year.
Of the six contracted
aircraft, two will be designated
Engineering Development
Models (EDM), enabling the
Department of the Navy at Naval
Air Station Patuxent River in
Maryland to test the platforms
flight performance and mission
communication system capabilities
as certified by the Federal Aviation
Administration. Sikorsky is
contracted to deliver the two
EDM aircraft during 2018.
The remaining four
aircraft designated System
Demonstration Test Articles
(SDTA) will perform
operational test and evaluation,
and then transition to operational
status. Sikorsky will deliver two
training simulators (one each for
maintainers and pilots) ahead
of aircraft deliveries in 2018.

60 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

By early 2019, the Navy is

expected to place orders for the
first of three lots of 17 production
aircraft. Sikorsky expects to
complete delivery of these
production aircraft by 2023.
The Sikorsky team
will produce the aircraft
in four distinct stages.
Assembly of the baseline
commercial off-the-shelf
flight-certified aircraft will
occur at the companys S-92
production facility in Coatesville,
Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
At a secure facility in
its Stratford, Connecticut,
headquarters, Sikorsky will
perform aircraft modifications
to meet the requirements of
the presidential mission.
Later, at a secure facility
in Owego, New York principal
subcontractor Lockheed
Martin Mission Systems
and Training will install the
integrated communications
and mission systems.
When aircraft are returned
to Stratford, Sikorsky will
install the presidential interior
into the 6-foot-high by 20-footlong by 6.5-foot-wide cabin,
and deliver the completed
aircraft to the U.S. Navy.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.,
based in Stratford, Connecticut,
is a world leader in helicopter
design, manufacture, and service.
United Technologies Corp.,
based in Hartford, Connecticut,
provides a broad range of high
technology products and support
services to the aerospace and
building systems industries.
This press release contains
forward-looking statements
concerning opportunities for
development, production and
sale of helicopters. Actual results
may differ materially from those
projected as a result of certain
risks and uncertainties, including
but not limited to changes in
government procurement priorities
and practices, budget plans,
availability of funding and in
the type and number of aircraft
required; challenges in the design,
development, production and
support of advanced technologies;
as well as other risks and
uncertainties, including but not
limited to those detailed from time
to time in United Technologies
Corporations Securities and
Exchange Commission filings.

Sikorsky
wins U.S.
Navy contract
to replace
Marine One
helicopter
fleet

The U.S. Navy announced during

May this year that Sikorsky Aircraft,
a subsidiary of United Technologies
Corp., had been selected to build the
next fleet of Marine One helicopters
for the Office of the President
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

61

The Sound of Silence

T2

EC130

Set to enter South Africa market

Editorial by Charmaine de Villiers - Pics by Mark Mansfield

62 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Newly launched onto the South African market,

the EC130 T2 is reputed to be the quietest
helicopter in the world thanks to its Fenestron
tail rotor and automatic variable rotor
speed control that is responsible for
significant noise reduction.

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

63

Above:  he instrument panel has full colour LCD

T
displays reducing pilot workload.

64 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

 n active vibration control system

A
 mproved air ventilation
I
distribution and demisting
systems especially useful in
Africas hot, humid conditions.
 cabin interior structure
A
redesign with a full flat
floor making the removal of
seats for re-configuration or
maintenance far easier.
 nergy-absorbing seat that
E
improve weight and balance
for passenger loading
 ntegration of a
I
crashworthy fuel tank
 ncreased maintenance
I
accessibility for electrical and
air conditional systems.
This all combines to give the
EC130 T2 a higher maximum gross
take-off weight of 2 500 kg internal
loads and a cruise speed increase of
up to 10 knots. It can carry the pilot
plus up to six passengers in great

comfort. Longer intervals (400

hours and to be increased to 600)
between mandatory inspections
mean that it has a lower operating
cost when compared to other
helicopters in the same class.
The helicopters versatility
makes it ideal for a number of
missions such as emergency
medical services (the wide cabin
with its large sliding doors make it
very easy to install stretchers and
fragile, large medical equipment),
law enforcement, aerial work,
support services, passenger
transport and charter. Its low
external noise level has also made
it one of few helicopters quiet
enough to serve the needs of most
ecologically-sensitive sites.
To date 125 EC130 T2 have
been sold in total with 35 delivered
in 2013 and the helicopter has so far
accumulated 5000 flight hours.

Pic: Charmaine de Villiers

irbus Helicopters newest

rotorcraft is the epitome of
style, good looks and versatility combined with a very roomy
cabin, formidable visibility, comfort
and excellent performance.
The EC130 T2, a single-engine
helicopter, was recently launched
for the first time in South Africa
at Airbuss regional subsidiary,
Eurocopter Southern Africa, premises
at Grand Central Airport. The
helicopter is configured for passenger
transport and will be demonstrated
to a variety of potential customers.
It is the quietest helicopter on
the market, a feature made possible
by the Fenestron tail rotor and
automatic variable rotor speed
control that result in significant
noise reduction. We were afforded
the opportunity to experience the
quietness of the T2 for ourselves
and flying over the Magaliesburg
mountains towards Hartbeespoort
Dam can only be described as
phenomenal. Visibility is excellent
thanks to the huge amount of glass
surrounding pilot and passengers and
in addition rear passenger seats are
raised on theatre-style platform.
Eurocopter SA CEO, Arnaud
Montalvo, speaking at a media
presentation, explained that the
EC130 T2 comes at a time when
operators are looking for helicopters
which can be used for a number
of different jobs carrying them
out more cost-efficiently than has
been possible using the previous
generation technology machines in
the same size/range/payload category.
The machine is fitted with a
more powerful Arriel 2D turboshaft
engine which includes a new
generation dual-channel FADEC
system with a third independent and
automatic back-up channel. Other
new and enhanced features include:

Above:  eating in the EC130 T2 is

S
comfortable and spacious with the
raised rear seats providing extra
visibility for those passengers.

Above:  arge side windows and the wide expanse of glass surround
L
pilot and passengers make for excellent visibility.

The EC130 T2 has superior

hover capabilities and
this was amptly displayed
as it hovered over the
Hartbeespoort Dam.

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

65

Helicopter News

EASA certifies
Airbus
Helicopters
EC225 gear
shaft redesign
The redesigned vertical bevel
gear shaft for Airbus Helicopters
EC225 has been certified,
enabling its production and
installation on all rotorcraft of
this type in operation globally,
as well as those being produced.
Certification was granted

by the European Aviation

Safety Agency (EASA) and is
to be followed by validation
from other international
airworthiness authorities.
Manufacturing of the
redesigned gear shaft is
underway, allowing worldwide
implementation on concerned
aircraft in service and in
production, starting in the
second semester of 2014.
Airbus Helicopters has
put a very high priority on
developing this new shaft for
the EC225. EASAs certification
is a major milestone towards
getting our customers flying
with the final solution, said
Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus
Helicopters Executive Vice
President Engineering.
The new design eliminates all
three factors that, in combination,
had caused two unexpected

vertical shaft ruptures. It

provides corrosion resistance,
compensates for residual stress
and eliminates stress hot spots.
Following two EC225
controlled ditchings in the North
Sea in 2012 and the suspension
of part of the aircrafts fleet,
precautionary and preventive
measures were immediately
developed by Airbus Helicopters
and successfully implemented
by operators, leading to a
full return to service.
As the latest evolution of
Airbus Helicopters Super
Puma family, more than 200
EC225/725s have been delivered
to 35 operators, accumulating
more than 350,000 flight hours.
Tailored for the most demanding
operators, the workhorse
EC225 is an 11-ton helicopter
integrating all of the latest
technological innovations.

Airbus Helicopters completes deliveries of EC135s to

Turkeys THK Gken Aviation for emergency medical services
Critical-care airlift services
from Turkeys THK Gken
Aviation are now at their full-up
capability following completion
of Airbus Helicopters
delivery of EC135 to this
commercial arm of the Turkish
Aeronautical Association.
Handover of the milestone
EC135 occurred at Airbus
Helicopters Donauwrth,
Germany production facility,
where the twin-engine
rotorcraft is assembled.
The EC135 already has
demonstrated its capabilities
in THK Gken Aviations
emergency medical services
(EMS) missions, as more than
2,000 flight hours have been
logged since the helicopters
2013 service introduction with

66 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

the operator. THK Gken

Aviation is utilizing its EC135s
in the framework of a fiveyear EMS contract with the
Turkish Ministry of Health.
This rapid fleet build-up
with all helicopters phased in
during 12 months confirms
the operational excellence of
THK Gken Aviation, and also
validates the EC135s capabilities
as the reference rotorcraft for
EMS operations, said Olivier
Lambert, Airbus Helicopters
Senior Vice President for Sales
and Customer Relations.
With their 17 EC135
helicopters THK not only
increase their mission capability
but are also able to assure the
Turkish population the best
service in any conditions.

Moreover, THK has

established important MRO
facilities together with their
subsidiary Asal Aeronautics.
Our EC135s are
performing very well, with
high reliability levels in the full
range of operating conditions
across Turkey, added Osman
Yildirim, President of THK.
The EC135 combines a
wide, unobstructed cabin with
excellent performance, range
and payload capacity along
with low-noise operations. Its
oversized sliding side doors and
rear clamshell doors enable fast
loading/unloading of patients
with additional safety during
ground operations ensured by
Airbus Helicopters signature
shrouded Fenestron tail rotor.

Columbia Helicopters
awarded $30+ Million
US Army Maintenance
Contract
The contract, awarded by the
Aviation and Missile Command
(AMCOM) is identified as a
one-year contract, with options
for four additional years. Under
terms of the contract, Columbia
Helicopters will overhaul the
rotorheads at the companys
maintenance headquarters
located in Aurora, Oregon.
We are pleased that the U.S.
Army recognized our abilities
and selected us to conduct
this maintenance, said Stan
Wilson, President of Columbia
Helicopters. We conduct the same
maintenance on the rotorheads
of our commercial Chinook
helicopters, so we anticipate a
very easy inclusion of this contract
into our current workflow.
Columbia Helicopters owns
and operates the largest privatelyheld fleet of heavy-lift helicopters
in the world. The companys
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul
(MRO) facility, locatedat the
companys headquarters at
Aurora, Oregon, allows Columbia
Helicopters to offer an extensive
range of maintenance services to
external customers. Stemming
from support of the companys
own helicopters, the maintenance
facility is uniquely capable of
providing many of the same
services to military aircraft.
Our maintenance crews
support military operations around
the world, said Scott Ellis,
Director of Business Development
for Columbia Helicopters. We
are currently performing aircraft
or component maintenance for
Australia, Singapore and Thailand,
as well as for the U.S. military.
We can work on a customers
components at our facility, or we
can support them in the field. We
recently completed an extensive
inspection of CH-47 helicopters
in Afghanistan for the Australian
Defense Forces, with our crews
starting at Kandahar Airfield
and in finishing in Australia.
In order to meet the
requirements of this rotorhead
contract, Columbia Helicopters
went through a U.S. Army
certification program called Product
Verification Audits (PVA). In
addition to rotorheads, the company
also has Army PVAs for several
military aircraft components
including transmissions and
transmission shafts.

Bell Helicopter
announces new vip
Bell 407gx customers
and deliveries in
the United States

Bell Helicopter has announced

a new purchase agreement and
multiple deliveries for new Bell
407GX aircraft configured for
VIP transport. The company
has reached a signed purchase
agreement with Helicopter Flight
Services (New York City, NY)
for a new Bell 407GX helicopter
and two new Bell 407GXs
to be delivered to AngMar
Aviation, Inc. (Fort Worth, TX)
and Rocky Mountain Rotors
(Belgrade, Montana), where the
aircraft will be used to support
sightseeing tours, VIP transport
and general charters throughout
each companys region. The three
aircraft continue to demonstrate
the capabilities of the Bell
407GX as an ideal solution for
corporate and VIP services.
Helicopter Flight Services is
a premier provider of helicopter
services around Manhattan.
The company offers tours,
corporate charter services, aerial
photography and video, and
construction services. Helicopter
Flight Services first started in 1985
with a Bell 206 Jet Ranger, and has
remained a loyal Bell Helicopter
customer throughout the years. The

new aircraft will join their existing

Bell 407 and Bell 427 aircraft fleet.
AngMar Aviation is based
in Mansfield, Texas and is a
subsidiary of AngMar Companies.
Their newly-delivered Bell 407GX
will be based at Fort Worths
Spinks Airport and will provide
their customers the ability to travel
in style with the new aircraft.
Rocky Mountain Rotors is a
full service helicopter charter, Part
141 mountain flight school, Part
133 external lift, and maintenance
facility located at the Yellowstone
International Bozeman Airport

primary flight and multi-function

display information, including
Helicopter Terrain Avoidance
Warning System, Helicopter
Synthetic Vision Technology,
Traffic Information Systems and
more. The 407GX also features
a tail rotor camera, allowing the
pilot a clear view of the tail during
take-offs and landings. The new
customers will take advantage of
the Bell 407GXs exceptionally
quiet and comfortable ride
with spacious club seating
that easily accommodates
up to six passengers.

(KBZN) and is a service center

for all models of Robinson
Helicopters. Rocky Mountain
Rotors Montana operates Bell 429,
Bell 407, and Bell 206 helicopters
in addition to its Robinson R22,
R44 and R66 flight school aircraft.
Built on the proven
performance and reliability of the
Bell 407 platform, the 407GX
features the Garmin G1000H
flight deck, providing critical
flight information at a glance for
greater situational awareness and
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2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

67

During the exercise the HH-139

has shown extreme precision
while hovering, becoming
very popular among the crews
of this new helicopter.

Exercise SATER 2014

Aid in
the Alps
By Daniele Faccioli and Claudio Tramontin

68 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Disasters happen all the time

and while the event itself usually
attracts a great deal of attention,
those who work behind the scenes
in search and rescue attempts or to
render aid in many forms, seldom
receive the recognition or even
appreciation of their actions.
These are the men and women
who control and channel available
resources to where the intervention
will be the most effective in terms
of time and effort. It is the pursuit
of this synergy that induces the Air
Force to organize exercises such as
SATER - to train the participating
organisations, crews and others by
simulating an event that requires
their immediate intervention.
SATER, held on April 9 from
the Air Operations Command
(AOC) of Poggio Renatico
(Ferrara), was convened to
simulate a search for the crew
of a missing military aircraft in
the Belluno region of the Alps.
After losing contact with the
aircraft, the staff at the RCC Desk
(Rescue Coordination Centre)
of the AOC activated the rescue
process which consisted firstly, of
setting up a PC SAR base, a place
to converge and coordinate the
available forces from where the
search and rescue (SAR) missions
would be launched. Given the
geographical location of the final
contact with the lost aircraft
somewhere in the Alps, the Arturo
DallOro Airport was chosen
as the base for the operations.
Within a few hours military
personnel and national volunteers
corps converged on the airport.
The Aeronautica Militare
(Air Force) stepped in, supplying
a new HH-139 helicopter of the
15 Stormo of Cervia, while an
AB205/UH-205A of the Aviazione
dellEsercito (Army Aviation) 4th
Regiment Altair was dispatched
along with an AB412 of the the

Guardia di Finanza (Finance

control corps) aviation section. An
AB412 of the State Forestry Corps,
coming from the Operational
Centre of Belluno, completed
the air component participating
in the exercise. The Corpo
Nazionale di Soccorso Alpino e
Speleologico (C.N.S.A.S., National
Corps of Mountain Rescue)
from the Belluno and Pordenone
provinces sent groups of medical
personnel and dog units. These
units comprised of teams where
each member was experienced
in search and rescue attempta.
The search began in the early
afternoon after a short briefing
after which the rescue teams were
transported aboard a helicopter
to the vicinity where the final
contact was made with the missing
aircraft. The exercise lasted
several hours and 23 sorties, 4
of which were undertaken in the
evening -for a total of 11 flight
hours. Activities were successfully
completed in the late evening when
the missing crew of the aircraft
were found. The HH-139 and
UH-205A helicopter pilots, using
SVN/NVG night vision goggles,
picked up the search teams at the
location of the missing aircraft.
The Italian armed forces
periodically carry out training
exercises for those crews
dedicated to search and rescue
operations with exercises aimed
at improving the effectiveness
in any type of search, whether
it is in adverse weather, day or
night, or in difficult inaccessible
areas such as the open sea
and the mountains. Exercises
such as SATER 01/2014 are
essential to further union
and cooperation between the
different components, and thus
allowing Italian Civil Protection
System to cope and overcome
any type of emergency.

Top to bottom:
This AB412 of the State Forestry Corps was playing at home, since its flight
department is operating from the airport Arturo DallOro of Belluno.
AMIs new helicopter HH-139, highlight of the exercise, coming back after
one of its search missions. It has established a step forward in the ability of
the air force to face difficult SAR missions.
The AB412 of the the Guardia di Finanza can also be employed for maritime
missions, using its radar mounted on the top of the canopy.
Despite its age, the AB205/UH-205A remains an extremely reliable and
versatile machine, still widely used worldwide.

Left:  The spacious cabin of the 205 is smartly adaptable to the mission

requested, being able to assemble and disassemble the chairs to

make place for the stretchers for injuried people.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

69

Helicopter News

SonAir takes
delivery of a
new EC225 from
Airbus Helicopters
for oil and gas
missions in Africa
Airbus Helicopters EC225
presence in the African oil and
gas heli-lift market will expand
following delivery of an additional
workhorse rotorcraft to SonAir,
which is to deploy this long-range
helicopter on operations in Angola.
A recent handover ceremony
in Marignane, France marked
the EC225s delivery, with this
latest aircraft joining SonAirs
Airbus Helicopters-built fleet of
heavy helicopters that already
includes 11 EC225s, four AS332
L2s and three AS365 N3s.
As a subsidiary of the
Sonangol Group a structured
aviation service provider in
Angola, and the largest African
helicopter operator SonAir
will utilize the newly-delivered
EC225 in oil and gas transport
duties with an existing customer.
SonAir is in the process of
adding a total of five additional
EC225s to its inventory, three
of which will be leased from
Milestone Aviation Group,
while two others will be owned
outright by SonAir, permitting
the company to initiate heli-lift

70 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Robinson R66 receives EASA certification

On April 30, 2014, four years

after initial FAA certification, the
European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) issued its type certificate
for the Robinson R66 Turbine
helicopter. Robinson is pleased to
add EASA member states to the
now over fifty countries (including
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan,
Russia, South Africa, and the
U.S.) that have certified the R66.

EASA certification marks an

important milestone for Robinson,
as two-thirds of the companys
sales have historically come
from foreign customers. With
certification finally in place,
Robinson can deliver its current
backlog of European orders
and focus on strengthening its
presence in the European market.
Presently, there are sixteen R66

service centers, of which thirteen

are dealers, approved in Europe.
Currently priced at $839,000
USD, Robinson designed the
5-place R66 to be a mid-size, low
maintenance turbine helicopter that
would perform as well or better than
its competitors, but at a lower cost.
To date, Robinson has delivered
over 500 R66s and estimates total
fleet hours at over 160,000.

business with three new partners

and two existing customers.
The EC225 is an 11-ton-class
rotorcraft in Airbus Helicopters
Super Puma family. With more
than 300,000 flight hours logged
in worldwide service to date,
it is deployed in duties ranging
from offshore transportation and
cargo airlift to search and rescue
(SAR), parapublic operations
and military missions.
SonAir Servio Aereo, SA, a
subsidiary of Sonangol Group, is
a structured aviation operator in

Angola, using both helicopters and

planes, providing services to all
major oil & gas companies as its
core business and also to the State
as complementary business. SonAir
started as an aviation department
and today, after 35 years in the
industry operates a fleet of over
25 helicopters. SonAirs mission
is to provide safe and reliable air
transportation services, assuring
an optimal economic balance.
SonAir is today the largest African
helicopter operator and 90 percent
of the fleet is dedicated to the Oil

and Gas, flying both offshore and

onshore. The onshore flying is also
supported by fixed wing activity.
The workforce rounds about 1000
employees, mainly nationals: the
expat workforce is less than 15
percent. Internationally, SonAir also
offers a closed charter, direct service
from the US to Angola dedicated
to the Energy industry. Our vision
is to be the leading operator of air
transportation in support of the
national Oil and Gas Industry, with
regional expansion, acting safely,
with quality and competitively.

AERO
SALES

Committed. Experienced. Passionate.

New and Pre-owned Helicopters & Aircraft
Change of Ownership
Robinson Spares
Insurance & Financing

Klara Fouch 083 324 8530

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The new Cabri G2

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Tel: +27 (0) 31 571 6619 Email: klaraf@starliteaviation.com Cell: +27 83 324 8530

Visit our website for pre-owned helicopters:

www.starliteaviation.com

Helicopter Uses

ENSTROM

Enstrom 280FX
& 480B Turbine
for agricultural
crop spraying
Its the ultimate crop duster. But
up until now, you didnt think you
could afford a helicopter, right?
Think again because with
Enstrom, youre closer than you
think. The economical 480B from
Enstrom is rewriting the rules of
agricultural spraying. Pilots around
the world are quickly discovering
that the 480Bs legendary stability
and remarkable efficiency make it
the ultimate workhorse of the sky.
With an Enstrom you can
worry more about covering
acreage, and less about covering
budgets. The 480Bs low
acquisition costs make it an
affordable addition to your
business, and low operating costs
mean youll be able to afford
to keep it there. With only 9
life-limited parts, and Enstroms
rugged, durable design, youll
be racking up flight time, not
shop time. Thanks to numbers
like these an Enstrom can make
getting a new ag spraying
business off the ground a lot more
feasible, and it can breathe some
life back into budget crunching
existing programs as well.
No helicopter is worth a dime
if it doesnt perform, and no duty is
more demanding than ag spraying.
The 480B is up to the challenge.
Its Rolls Royce turbine engine
is derated, providing plenty of
power for hot, high, and heavy
operations. And the 480B is one

of the most stable and easy to fly

helicopters ever built meaning
pilots can stay on line effortlessly,
and fly extended missions without
getting fatigued. Enstroms unique
unblocked tail rotor means the pilot
doesnt have to worry about wind,
and it provides the maneuverability
needed for small fields. The extra
large cabin provides plenty of
room for the pilots, their gear, and
all the necessary equipment to do
the job. And with its high inertia
rotor heads, energy absorbing
landing gear, and protected
controls, the 480B provides that
crucial extra margin of safety in
an often unsafe environment.

The 480B Airframe

The 480B features a three-bladed,

fully articulated main rotor
system that has accumulated over
4 000 000 hours without
experiencing a catastrophic failure.
Besides providing excellent
response, the Enstrom design
eliminates mast bumping, and
allows for slope landings of up
to 15 deg.
This gives agricultural pilots
more options when choosing
landing sites, allowing them to

get closer to the work without

risking damage to the aircraft.
The Enstroms tail rotor is
two-bladed, and located on a
stinger so that it is completely
free and clear of the airframe.
This provides excellent tail rotor
authority, and eliminates LTE
(Loss of Tailrotor Effectiveness)
issues common on many other
helicopters. The 480B doesnt
require a wind azimuth chart and
is certified for winds up to 35 kts
from any direction. This type of
performance allows the 480B to
get into the air in conditions that
would ground other ships. Once
over the field, the 480B can fly
straight lines without crabbing
and maintain aircraft orientation
regardless of wind direction.

Flying Qualities

The 480B has very benign flight

characteristics. It is easy to fly, and
very stable. Instead of sloppy and
complicated hydraulically boosted
controls, the 480B uses simple,
direct mechanical linkages. This
provides crisp, responsive handling
and direct feedback to the pilot.
All of this adds up to a reduced
workload and fatigue, and allows
pilots to concentrate on the job
instead of just flying the aircraft.

Safety

Safomar is an official distributor of Isolair

crop spraying systems as well as Enstrom helicopters

72 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

The 480B is based on the

legendary Enstrom F28 series
of helicopters. Since production
began in 1965, the F28 series of
aircraft have been some of the
safest helicopters ever produced.
The Enstroms airframe is rugged
and built to handle repeated abuse.
The 480B has exceptional
autorotational capabilities, with
a conservative descent rate. This
is due to the Enstroms highinertia main rotor system which
provides more than sufficient
stored energy for safe, uneventful
autorotations. Despite its varied

uses, the 480B has one of the

best safety records in the world.

Maintenance

The 480B was designed with

maintenance in mind. There are
only 9 life limited parts in each
aircraft, and gearbox overhauls are
available on an exchange basis for
minimal downtime. Mechanical
controls without hydraulic boost
are simple to inspect and maintain.
Five hinged access doors and
five removable access panels
provide ample accessibility.
Enstrom provides some of the best
customer support in the industry.
The F28F and 280FX feature a
three-bladed, fully articulated main
rotor system that has accumulated
over 4,000,000 hours (and counting)
without experiencing a catastrophic
failure. Besides providing excellent
response, the Enstrom design
eliminates mast bumping, and
allows for slope landings of up
to 15 deg. This gives agricultural
pilots more options when choosing
landing sites, allowing them to
get closer to the work without
risking damage to the aircraft.
The Enstroms tail rotor is twobladed, and located on a stinger
so that it is completely free and
clear of the airframe. This provides
excellent tail rotor authority, and
eliminates LTE (Loss of Tailrotor
Effectiveness) issues common
on many other helicopters. The
F28F and 280FX dont require
a wind azimuth chart since they
dont have any wind limitations
like many other helicopters.
This type of performance
allows them to get into the air
in conditions that would ground
other ships. Once over the field,
the F28F and 280FX can fly
straight lines without crabbing
and maintain aircraft orientation
regardless of wind direction.

www.isolairinc.com

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

73

Helicopter Training
by  tephan Fouche, Chief Helicopter
S
Flying Instructor, Starlite, Mossel Bay

The Illusion:

Guimbal
Cabri G2

On 22 April 2014, Kate

Odendaal, Managing Director and
Chief Instructor of Starlite Africa
Aviation (Pty) Ltd and Stefan
Fouche, CFI, Starlite Mossel Bay,
travelled to the Guimbal Cabri
G2 Factory in France to complete
their Pilot and Instructor Type
ratings. Starlite have purchased
10 of these state of the art 2
seater helicopters for their
International Helicopter Training
Academy. MD Kate Odendaal
explains that the decision to
purchase the Guimbal Cabri G2
was one that followed extensive
research into the global training
market. In keeping with Starlite
Africas mission statement,
we continuously enhance our

74 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

training capability by acquiring

the most technologically
advanced and safest aircraft,
simulators and ground based
training equipment available.
Guimbal factory, Aix en Provence,
France. 22 April 2014
Its the first time I lay eyes on
the Cabri G2. It has beautiful
lines, its sleek, has a beautifully
aerodynamic fenestron but,
its smaller than I expected.
As I walk up to it, I need to
bend down by +-5cm to fit under
the blades (mental note to self
to prevent an unwanted haircut,
rather stay very far away from
this helicopter when its turning
and burning heres a red tag
on its way). I open the door, its
solid, has a good seal, proper
latch, the gas cylinder opens
the door the rest of the way (it
sounds like a door opening from
a Star Wars scene). Im 1.84m
tall, no monkey gymnastics to get
into the seat very comfortable
seat. Conventional cyclic
position, it fits beautifully in my
hand. Pedals, not a reach, not
too close, perfect. This wont
hurt after a 4 hour flight I hear
you say excuse me, did you

just say 4hour flight? Indeed

I did it consumes 38liters of
AVGAS per hour and has a fuel
capacity of 170lts. Thoroughly
impressed by the ergonomic
design, I climb out. Behind the
pilots head, is an opening. This
is an easy accessible area for
small items, such as camera,
water bottle etc. I pull a small
lever and the boot opens the
brochure didnt lie, one (maybe
even two) of those smallish
overnight suitcases would indeed
fit in here. I step back a few
meters to have a look at it again.
This truly is an optical
illusion. How on earth did
they fit all that into that small
fuselage? To recap: Im
relatively tall, and I sit with
comfort, then theres a baggage
compartment, big enough to fit
a suitcase, plus a 170 l fuel tank
(crash worthy fuel bladder), then
there is the trusty 4 cylinder
Lycoming engine, tail boom and
fenestron. It looks absolutely tiny
from the outside, but somehow,
the moment you get in, its
spacious. One thing is for sure,
this is a very well designed little
helicopter but how does it fly?
Philippe, our instructor

talks us through the pre-flight

inspections and start up. For
some reason, it feels more
Turbine than Piston, I cant really
put my finger on it. I guess its
to do with the Glass Cockpit.
The EPM (Electronic Pilot
Monitor) starts up, shows a flight
log of the last 20 flights, then
goes into a self-testing phase.
Again, the start sequence is a
combination between a typical
piston and turbine helicopter.
The engine starts on the
first try. Ok, now it sounds like
a piston, and the screeching
noise of clutch engaging sounds
familiar. After a few checks,
were good to go. Phillippe gets
clearance from ATC. (Good
luck ferrying your aircraft
through France and expect to
do radio work in English.)
All right, were good to go,
roll on the throttle (big travel and
its quite stiff), final panel scan, no
warning lights, Ts, Ps, RPM is
in the green, we have 67l of fuel
(one hour forty minutes according
to the EPM). I keep telling
myself Fenestron, remember,
LOTS of Right pedal. right
pedal right pedal right pedal.
And were up, not too bad for a

first lift off. Now were hover

taxiing, this isnt easy, Im very
busy on the pedals, the cyclic
seems very stiff, hold on, I forgot
the trim button, I trim to the right,
thats much better. Transition is
also tricky, Im sitting with a lot
of Right pedal, then, suddenly,
the fin becomes efficient and
the pedals go from right pedal
to neutral. This will take some
time to get used to. 50kts, the
magic speed. You climb, descend
and autorotate at 50kts. Were
climbing positively, again some
cyclic trim, lovely. We fly over
the countryside, ahhh, France
in Spring absolutely beautiful.
Ok, time for some power and
attitude changes. We fly between
50kts to 100kts. Its very direct
for such a small helicopter. As
with the R44 and the B206, she
seems very happy at 90kts. We
do some (very) steep turns, more
power and attitude. Philippe
says on the way back ok, I
show you an autorotation. Yes
please I heard this is quite an
experience. And, here we go,
collective full down, lots of Left
pedal, Philippe closes the throttle
(again, big travel). The first
great thing the collective stays
full down, the RRPM stabilizes
and sits perfectly at the top of
the green, no chasing RPM on
this one. Were descending

at 1400ft/min, 50kts. Ground

is coming, we start the flare,
gently at first, then more, were
floating, about 10 feet from the
ground we start levelling with
cyclic, the sink rate is slow,
only now about 4feet from the
ground we start cushioning, we
kiss the ground and slide, slide
some more, directional control
is relatively easy, and we stop.
I look over to Philippe. You
szeeee, eeeszee (Imagine the last
in French accent). Indeed, that
was easy. Now Im impressed!
Over the next few days,
autos were the order of the day.
Straight in, from downwind
position 180degrees, from
overshoot position, from
undershoot position (range
auto), 360degree turn auto, from
take-off before 30kts, at 50kts
and 100feet AGL!! All of them,
all the way down. It is easier to
complete a full down power off
auto, than it is to recover with
power. Absolutely incredible.
I have tripled the amount of
full down autos I have ever
done over the last 3 days. The
safety margin for instructor and
student is absolutely incredible.
Another marvel. This
helicopter has been crash tested
and certified, with 31Gs of
downward impact and 22Gs
forward impact. This translates

into hitting the ground at 2000ft/

min. To understand it in a
more practical manner the
Cabri typically auto rotates
at 1400ft/min. This means
that if you had a catastrophic
engine failure, you lower the
collective and you forget all the
rest, you dont do ANYTHING
except lower the collective,
no flare, no cushioning; you
would survive the accident!
Teaching autos in this
machine will be an absolute
pleasure. Rotor inertia is on your
side, and you have a massive
margin for error. The student can
make mistakes, learn from them,
and improve, with minimal risk.
The last two, very impressive
features, are the rotor head
and the soft skid connection.
Soft skid connection. When
climbing into the Cabri, there
is a lot of movement, almost
like the Bell 407. It has soft
elastomeric mounts, amazingly,
giving adequate frequency tuning
against ground resonance. It
does feel strange, but yet again
absolutely amazing, when doing
slope landings. We landed
on up, down, left and right
slopes, becoming increasingly
hair raising. If the machine is
trimmed properly, it is relatively
easy to balance on the one skid,
then slowly lower collective

and (eventually) touch down.

Skids are firmly on the ground
and once you neutralize the
controls, the fuselage moves
and tilts over until even with the
skids. Unusual, but amazing!
The rotor head. Its not
every day you can perform a
low-g pushover... Ive only ever
experienced one in a BO-105.
The Cabris articulated rotor
head and blades are revolutionary
in my opinion. The main
rotor system itself is a three
bladed fully articulated high
inertia system making for safe
autorotations, plus there is no
danger of mast bumping which
is a welcome safety advantage
for students. The blades are a
one piece carbon and fiberglass
reinforced composite design,
with an aluminium spar, which
do not delaminate. My brain
wiring is still very uncomfortable
with these high-g and low-g
manoeuvres, but the Cabri is
ultimately capable and safe.
All in all, this is an
incredible little machine. It
will take time to get used to
the fenestron and a few bits
and pieces. But ultimately,
it is very well designed, and
it most importantly safe!
Finally, a light, trainer
helicopter joined the 21st
Century. Welcome to the future!

The new Zigolo SSDR (Single-Seat De-Regulated) motor-glider

The new Zigolo SSDR
(Single-Seat De-Regulated)
motor-glider is in the news
for more than one noteworthy
action this March and April:
 he Zigolo made its first
T
flight under electric power
the day before the Sun n
Fun airshow began. A 26 hp

electric motor coupled with

20 cells of lithium polymer
battery provides plenty
of power for 2 to 3 selflaunches as a motor-glider
or approximately 45 minutes
of quiet and smooth evening
or dawn patrol flights.
 he Zigolo was then flown
T

to the Sun n Fun show for

static and flight displays.
This may be the first true Part
103-compliant fixed-wing
aircraft to fly into a major
airshow under electric power.
Furthermore, it may be the
first viable electric-powered
aircraft to be fully compliant

under Part 103, which means

that no license, medical, or
registration is required to own
and operate the Zigolo.
The Zigolo is available
in a 100 hour quick-build kit
for only $14,500. This price
includes the gasoline engine,
propeller, and a complete aircraft
rescue parachute system.
An even better option is the
Almost-Ready-To-Fly aircraft:
a finished Zigolo that is then
disassembled and packed in
one easy-to-ship crate. Some
Assembly Required means a
pictogram assembly manual and
an afternoon to put it together!
Includes everything you need to fly,
plus a complete aircraft parachute
rescue system, all for only $16,000.
Visit Aeromarines new web
site for Zigolo videos and
more information on all of
Aeromarines aircraft. www.
aeromarine-lsa.com

76 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Dr RG Nel
MB.Ch.B (stell) Senior Aviation Medical Examiner
with CAA (MS080) Senior Aviation Medical
Examiner with FAA (03304)

BRP and AVL to develop a combustion

engine for range extender applications

BRP and AVL will collaborate on
a research project to develop for
the automotive market a onecylinder four-stroke combustion
engine that is adapted to range
extender applications.
We chose BRP as our
partner because of the expertise
that the company can provide
by combining advanced
development, design, industrial
engineering, tool-making,
prototyping and production all
at one site, Frank Beste, Senior
Program Manager, AVL.
The aim of the cooperation
between BRP and AVL in the
field of hybrid motorisation is
to assemble a range extender
demonstration vehicle based on
a Rotax one-cylinder four-stroke
combustion engine. With its unique
manufacturing capabilities, BRPs
Austrian facility can produce
small volumes of powertrains,
unlike most manufacturers in
the automotive industry, which
represents a good outsourcing
opportunity for automotive OEMs.
BRP supports the project
by providing components,
manufacturing and assembling
of prototypes, which would
be suitable for potential serial
production. The integration of the
range extender into the vehicle
will be executed by AVL.
We are pleased to have
the opportunity to work in
collaboration with AVL and
expand our reach in the automotive
sector, said Franois Tremblay,
marketing director, Rotax
propulsion systems, BRP. AVL
is the worlds largest independent
company for automotive
powertrain systems, which helps
BRP access this new market.
BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co
KG, the subsidiary of Bombardier
Recreational Products Inc. (BRP)
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Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles,
Sea-Doo watercraft, Can-Am
all-terrain and side-by-side
vehicles and roadsters as well
for motorcycles, karts, ultra-light
and light aircraft. In the last 50
years, the company has developed
more than 350 engine models
for recreational vehicles and
produced over 7 million engines.
AVL is the worlds largest
independent company for
development, simulation
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powertrains (hybrid, combustion
engines, transmission,
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BRP (TSX: DOO) is a global
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Its portfolio includes Ski-Doo
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Tel:+27(0)114624601Email:mw17@mweb.co.za

GenPilotSupplies-GlobalAviator.indd 1

2/24/12 3:14 PM

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

77

SAAF Museum Air Show 2014

Up there where
they belong!

Pics by Gerard Griessel

Two SAAF Alouette IIIs in formation.

ome 30 000 people packed

Zwartkop Air Force Base on
May 10th as aircraft after
aircraft took-off to provide the
crowd with some superb displays
of airmanship from the cockpits of
machines such as the SAAF Grippen fighter, DC3 & 4, Tiger Moth
and the ever popular Harvards.
The SAAF Museum promised
a bigger and better event and so

78 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Troops rapidly deploying from SAAF Puma

to protect a rhino from poachers. This is the
first time that an anti-poaching display has
been part of the SAAF Museum Air Show.

it was. The traditional opening

of the show began with an
impressive cavalcade of fire trucks
and emergency vehicles and
also included a Marauder mine
protected vehicle manufactured
by the Paramount Group.
With major sponsorship from
the Paramount Group, Breitling/
Bentley, Comair Ltd, NAC who
now sponsor the Silver Falcons,

Popular as ever the Gripen gave several displays

including its Sunset farewell with flares.

Time Aviation and Mango Airlines

amongst a number of others,
this years SAAF Museum air
show was highly successful. For
the first time large hospitability
tents graced the flight line and
sponsors and their VIP guests had
a birds-eye view of the displays
while enjoy lunch and drinks.
A further innovation for this
years show was the large number
of gazebos aviation mementoes

and food stalls ensuring that there

was plenty of food for everyone
although a number brought their
own picnic baskets to relax and
enjoy the entertainment. The show
has grown and although some years
have seen a cutback on displays
due to economic restraints, SAAF
Museum Air Show 2014 put on
a hugely successful event. Even
children were catered for as a
playground had been set up near

Becoming a rare site these

days is this DC-4 in old SAA
colours in a low fly-past.
The drone of its engines is
something to behold!

the VIP entrance gate and they

could keep themselves occupies
while the parents visited the
various stalls and static displays
or watched the aerial show.
A Gyrocopter display started
off a days action which included
a parachute drop by the SAA
Golden Eagles, and a mass display
by helicopters. Both military and
museum choppers were present,
aerobatic performances cont. on page 84

Above:  ierre  ouws putting the Trojan T-28 through its paces as he takes off and sets course for his
P
G
display. - Pic by Mark Mansfield.
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

79

Two de Havilland Vampires in formation over Zwartkops Air Force Base and one lining up for take-off.
Aircraft were parked close to the flight line this year affording
spectators a much better view of the machines. Here a
Vampire and Harvards are parked between displays.

Pic: Mark Mansfield

80 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

The Gabriel Pitts aerobatic

team in their Pitts Special S2B
aircraft show great precision
during an inverted procedure.

Left:   he Silver Falcons, now

T
sponsored by NAC, are
back in the air much to the
delight of show goers.

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

81

MANGO

Boeing737-800
Display
Pic by Mark Mansfield

Mike Wright spoke to Captain Quentin Mouton, chief

pilot and Capt Scully Levin Chief Training Captain of
Mango just prior to their display in the Mango B737
800 here is what they had to say. Note how exact the
planning was for such a display and massive teamwork
involved between the pilots and the Silver Falcons. Of
course there are the ground crew and teams at Lanseria
what is particularly impressive is that this all fitted in
between scheduled flights for this aircraft on the day.

82 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Quentin Mouton

Scully Levin

the crowd for the Silver Falcons fan break.

The Falcons did the break through
180 degrees and exited the area towards
Waterkloof where they re-assembled.
We overflew the crowd line heading
Westwards, but to the side of the spectators
returned immediately afterwards for our
solo display, which was about 5 minutes in
duration: The whole display was flow at about
160-180kts right in front of the spectators.
The top and bottom of the aircraft were
clearly visible during successive turns.
The Landing Gear was then lowered
during one turn and approach and a go
around was done with plenty of noise when
taking maximum thrust. On completion,
we headed back to Lanseria at 7400 VFR.
Immediately after completion the
Falcons commenced with their display.
Our timing was fairly critical, as
the aircraft had to go straight back
to Cape Town after the display.
How do you handle the routine in
the event a low cloud base?
Scully: Safety is our first concern. If the
weather is below 1500ft we will likely not fly.
The value of such a flying billboard
display to Mango?
Scully: We get a lot of good
mileage. There is also a lot going on
the ground. Mango is very involved
with schools and social upliftment.
The sights and sounds of a big aeroplane
right in front of you are exciting. You cant
miss the orange jet. The brand is well known.
As the STAR newspaper said in
2006 The sky was Orange.
What do you enjoy about flying at FASK?
Scully: Very different flying to what
I normally do. Bays Hill is a focal point
around which we flew a few times. I flew
out of there many times as a SAAF pilot,
so its nostalgic. I was the Co Pilot on this
mission, Leave the flying to Scully.
You now have 8 B738s and new routes
to Zanzibar and George wonderful?
Scully: We continue to grow
and expand our route network.

Just how much planning and prep

work goes into such a display?
Scully: We planned the display,
practised it in the simulator and briefed
the Silver Falcons who flew with us.
What was the routine?
Scully: We flew the routine (with the
SAAF guys) and they became fully aware
of the positioning, bank angles and speeds.
All aspects such as the join-up, formation
positions, communications, separation
criteria, speed and energy management
were discussed with the SAAF team.

We departed Lanseria at about

1230 local and routed VFR from
Lanseria towards Swartkops AFB
between 7000 and 7400 feet a.m.s.l.
Our rendezvos with the Silver
Falcons took place in the Speskop
area where we planned for a time
into the box at 1250 local.
Then we did three traverses with the
Silver Falcons. The first was from South
to North, followed by a procedure turn.
The second from North to South,
flowed by a turn to the left through 270
degrees. On the third we came in towards

How many flight deck crew does Mango

presently have and your expansion plans?
Scully: We have 103 pilots right now
and are training more for the next aircraft.

GENERAL
PILOT
SUPPLIES

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ASA products, many stocked locally in
Johannesburg, South Africa at General Pilot Supplies.
Tel:+27(0)114624601Email:mw17@mweb.co.za

2014 JUNE
GenPilotSupplies-GlobalAviator.indd 1

83

Vol. 6 / No.62/24/12 3:14 PM

/ GA

eaturing high on the aviation

scenes social calendar, is the
annual SAAF Museum Air
Show at the Zwartkop Air Force
Base in Pretoria, Gauteng.
The 2014 air show was no
exception, as the air force grounds
were soon jam-packed after
the gates opened at 7am. The
spectators expectations ran high,
and word was doing the round
that a Russian plane by name
of Little Annie might perhaps
feature on the aviation program.
In the meantime, Little Annie
was airborne at the Krugersdorp
Airfield her current home.
This flight took on special

significance for pilot Derek Hopkins

and Mark Hill, co-pilot en crew
member they prefer to think of it
as her first flight of freedom. A clear
blue African sky and a number of
colourful hot air balloons over the
picturesque Hartebeespoort Dam
added to the magic of the flight.
At approximately 08:00 Little
Annie landed on the Zwartkop
Air Force Base to be introduced to
South African aircraft enthusiasts.
As she strutted down the landingstrip and came in for her grand
entrance, camera shutters went
off relentlessly as photographers
captured Little Annies every move.
Part of the lineup for the day

was the Heritage Fly Past with

Little Annie also participating
in this honorable display. Derek
Hopkins piloted the Antonov AN-2
during this magnificent display.
Lighter aircraft with smaller
engines led the way. Little Annie
with her roaring 1 000 horsepower
of life brought up the rear.
And it is in this is the type of
cockpit that Derek finds utmost
satisfaction and exhilaration.
Derek, aged about 70 years,
has flown the smallest and basic
of aspirated aircraft to the most
modern sleek business jets of today.
His preference is vintage aircraft
for what he calls real flying.

Piloting skills with vintage aircraft

are tested to the limit which is
not the case with todays modern
conveniences and aids offered in
modern aircraft, and the Antonov
AN-2 offers the perfect challenge.
Mark enthusiastically
described the Heritage Fly Past:
It was a loose gaggle of pistons,
each singing out their unique
composition of melodies to the
tune of Those magnificent men
in their flying machines.
Speed was not on display,
only graceful machines of a bygone
era where man and machines
souls were joined in harmony of
achievement through the discovery

Little Annies
flight of freedom
Featuring high on the aviation scenes social calendar, is the annual SAAF
Museum Air Show at the Zwartkop Air Force Base in Pretoria, Gauteng.

of flight. The magnificent sound

of her radial engine driving her
four bladed propeller through
the air, brought some nostalgia
to those who recognized the tune
of such and similar aircraft.
The Paramount Group /
SAAF Museum 2014 Air Show
was orphaned Little Annies first
step into the exciting world of
the JUST-LOVE-MISSION.
Future planning involves the
completion of all her adoption
paper work, in order to start with
the task at hand - to meet and
change the lives of orphans and
the lesser privileged who never
had the opportunity to experience

the joy and thrill of flight.

Little Annie will strive
to create an atmosphere of
cooperation between various
charities involved, so that all
can pool and coordinate their
resources to benefit all.
She will also act as the link
and conduit through which
businesses (sponsors) and
communities can build lasting
and sustainable relationships that
will uplift many through positive
inspiration. Little Annie explains:
This win-win philosophy will
not only build a solid foundation
in a family context, but also in
communities as a whole.

LITTLE ANNIES FAMILY

SPONSORS

Flightsure: Dorrien Andrews
McCarthy VW Menlyn: Bart Hettema & Stacey Lee Bothma

Global Aviator: Mike de Villiers - Publisher

SAAF Museum:  Col Mike OConnor, Capt.
Lt
Kobus Kapp, Col Keith Fryer
Boma Meat Market: Hendrik Steenkamp
Woodhill College: 
Richard Taggart (Director) and
Kenneth Checkley (principal)

Electronic Art: Neville and Lindi Smith

Business Print: Marnus Myburgh

ExecuJet Africa: 
Ettore Poggi (CEO) & Michael
Clark (operations manager)

Our sincerest gratitude to ExecuJet for their insight
and vision. This project would not have taken flight
in the form of Little Annie without their help.

that has been restored to flying

status by the technical staff at the
Museum. First constructed in the
USA in 1972, it had its first flight
that same year but never went into
production. Acquired by a South
African, Maitland Reed, in 1975
it flew as part of the SAAF until
1979 but then left in a hangar until
1984 when it was acquired by the
Museum and painstakingly rebuilt.
A number of older aircraft
were on static display as well as
a special appearance by the AN2
the worlds biggest bi-plane
and incongruously named Little
Annie. It is a unique Russian plane
from the Cold War era in the 1950s.
Civilian Aerobatic teams
were the Goodyear Eagles and
Gabriel Pitts as well as the Eqstra
Flying Lions with graceful
aerobatics. The Tora Tora Tora
bombing routine left the grass
burning and a number of hearts
pounding with its loud explosions
and clouds of black smoke!
For the first time an antipoaching demonstration was
held with members of the antipoaching unit victorious against
the poachers who were trying to
destroy a Rhino female in the veld.
In addition to the action on
Saturday, Mango Airline hosted a
Careers Day on the Friday when
approximately 5000 children
were bussed to the Museum and

Above:  rospatiale Gazelle A

note the single engine
and the fenestron tail.
cont. from page 77

from the Pitts Special, Eqstra

Harvards, the Garbriel team in
their Pitts Special S2B aircraft
and the Silver Falcons which
are once again in the air under
the NAC banner, keep visitors
enthralled, and the anti-poaching
demonstration drew a wide
variety of comments as to what
to do to those caught poaching.
No less than four airliners
made an appearance: the very
distinctive orange Mango B737
800 under Captains Quentin
Mouton and Scully Levin, a BA
B747 400 with Capt Glen Warden
and then there were the pistonengine airliners of yesteryear
being the DC4 and the DC3. A
demonstration by the B737 800
together with the Silver Falcons
drew an enthusiastic response.
A large formation of vintage
aircraft including Jeff Earle and his
Tiger Moth, as well as Chipmunks,
went down very well with the

86 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

3 AT-6 Harvards in a dive trailing white smoke.

crowds. The P51D, a World War 2

Mustang, one of the most famous
fighter and bomber escort planes
dating back to 1940, made its
appearance with Menno Parsons
as pilot. Amongst other earlier
aircraft were two de Havilland

Vampires, a Bosbok which gave an

excellent display with the Alouette
III, Trojan T-28, Albatross, Gazelle
and crowd pleaser, Impala.
An unusual sight was the
SAAF Museums Patchen Explorer
TSC-2, a one-of-a-kind aircraft

given the opportunity to obtain

information regarding careers
within the aviation field. They
were given validation flights while
flight schools held exhibitions and
the SA Army Armour formation
gave a ground display.

17- See y
21 ou
Se at A
pte A
mb D E
er xpo
20
14

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

87

Turbine training
Ab-initio training
Single- engine
Muli-engine
Night rating
IF rating
Instructors rating
Simulator training
Conversions
CPL theory
CPL practical
Helicopter training
Tail draggers
Pilot shop
Conferences
Hire and fly
Charters
Aerobatic training
Beginners/advanced
Gyro-copter training
Microlight & ferry flights
Accommodation
Aircraft/heli sales
Club facilities
Advanced Training

FLYING

SCHOOLS SA
Name of School

Code Telephone

E-mail

082

778 6528

britsftc@gmail.com

043

736 6181

admin@borderaviation.co.za

031

569 1531

lerasmus@bacheli.com

Brits Flying Training Centre

Hartebeespoort Dam Pretoria Area

Border Aviation Club

East London

BAC Helicopters

Durban

543 3050

hennie@bluechipavia.co.za

012

Blue Chip Aviation

Wonderboom Airport Pretoria

info@aeronav.co.za

info@skyhawk.co.za

701 3862
701 2622

011
011

elzette@gryphonflight.co.za

Aeronav Academy
Skyhawk Aviation

528 1208
562 5060

082
082

Gryphon Flight Academy

Lanseria Airport / Pietermaritzburg

312 5166
805 9015/6
805 0605

info@superiorpilots.co.za

Western Transvaal Flying School 082

855 5550

exodus@telkomsa.net

info@flylfc.co.za

fly@fts.co.za

011
011
011

Lanseria Flight Centre

Flight Training Services
Superior Pilot Services

Grand Central Airport Midrand Johannesburg

Klerksdorp

Port Elizabeth
Aptrac
sally@aptrac.com
581 0327
041
Durban
Starlite Africa Aviation (Pty) Ltd 031
571 6600 kateo@starliteaviation.co.za
Johannesburg South Panorama Airfield
Johannesburg Flying Academy 072 8522 8012
eaglei@iafrica.com
Freestate Bloemfontein
Westline Aviation
pro@westline.co.za
451 1717
051
Mossel Bay
Starlite Africa Aviation (Pty) Ltd 044
692-0006 kateo@starliteaviation.co.za

Avionics News
Aircraft Incidents
by Clinton Barnard

Success
for Libyan
students
A group of three Libyan students
who recently graduated from
Progress Flight Academy
successfully achieved a full
type rating on the Airbus
A320 at the Airbus Training
Centre in Toulouse, France.
The three young pilots
have since been successfully
screened by Afriqiyah Airways

88 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

Afriqiyah First Officers Munir Saadawi, Mohamed Bakkar and Ehab Abujaafar.

achieve a high ICAO level 5 in

English Language proficiency
which is necessary to tackle
the ATP theory training.
Progress Flight Academy
is now a Jeppesen Training
Partner. Jeppesen EASA ATP
ground school iBooks are now
used on the ATP ground school
which is a distinct advantage
since the SA CAA introduced
examination questions based on
the EASA database. iBooks is
an added advantage to foreign
students who are able to use
the EASA material to prepare
for their national examinations
when the time comes.
At Progress Flight Academy
the theory training as well
as the flight training is now
based on EASA standards.

A Syrian and six Libyan PFA students with CEO John English
for their standard and quality
of qualifications and have now
been appointed First Officers.
Captain Mohyedin Saadawi
of Afriqiyah Airways, father of
First Officer Munir Saadawi,
states that the students achieved
an excellent standard on the
A320 course thanks to the
high quality of training at
Progress Flight Academy.
Other Progress Flight
Academy graduates are flying
for Libya Airlines as First
Officers in the Airbus A320

and the Canadair Regional Jet

CRJ 900 having achieved type
ratings at Toulouse and the
Lufthansa Academy at Bremen.
A large proportion of private
students at Progress Flight
Academy are the sons of airline
pilots and airline personnel or
others connected to the industry.
This indicates an appreciation in
the industry of the high quality
of graduates from the Academy.
Every single PFA graduate who
trained for a jet type rating at
a European Aviation Academy

has successfully qualified.

Progress Flight Academy
is the only Aviation Training
Organisation in South Africa
which is offering EFIS equipped
FNPT II simulators which are
exact replicas of the multi-engine
aeroplanes used on the course.
An increasing number of
students from Libya are enrolling
at Progress Flight Academy.
Before commencing flight
training most of them complete
six to eight months study at an
English Language School to

GENERAL
PILOT
SUPPLIES

Visit http://www.asa2fly.com/za to view

ASA products, many stocked locally in
Johannesburg, South Africa at General Pilot Supplies.
Tel:+27(0)114624601Email:mw17@mweb.co.za

GenPilotSupplies-GlobalAviator.indd 1

2/24/12 3:14 PM

Catered camping on the airfield. Tents and camping equipment provided. Tour departs Johannesburg 26th July,
returns 5th August 2014, breakaways can be arranged. Prices from R16 850 per person plus airport tax
Call Neil Cell: 084 674 5674
e mail: neil1@telkomsa.net
Website: www.airadventure.co.za
2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

89

AIRCRAFT SALES

2010 EMBRAER PHENOM 300

TOTAL TIME: 650
ENGINES: 650 Hrs
CYCLES: 530
AVIONICS: Garmin G1000 Prodigy Avionics
Suite.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT: TCAS II, ADF,
TAWS, Synthetic Vison System, Engines
enrolled on ESP Silver Program.

2000 BOMBARDIER LEAR 45

AIRFRAME TOTAL TIME:
6 300 Hours TTSN
ENGINES: 6 300 Hours TTSN
(Engines on MSP)

AVIONICS:
Dual Honeywell Primus 1000 Flt. Dir.
Dual Honeywell Primus II NAV/COM
Dual Honeywell Primus II XPNDR
Honeywell Primus II ADF
Dual Honeywell Primus II DME
Universal UNS-1C FMS
Dual AOA Indicators
Honeywell Primus 1000 EFIS

Artex ELT
Honeywell Primus 650 RADAR
Honeywell Primus 1000 RAD ALT
Allied Signal TCAS II Chg 7
Allied-Signal/RAAS EGPWS
Allied-Signal CVR

INTERIOR: Refurbished in 2010.

Double club seating in beige leather.
EXTERIOR: Refurbished in 2010.

2010 CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN

G1000 (OASIS)

2010 CESSNA T206H

TURBO STATIONAIR

TOTAL TIME: 330 hrs TTSN

ENGINE/PROP: 330 hrs
AVIONICS: Garmin Avionics G1000 Suite with
TAWS,TAS, ADF and SVT
INTERIOR: 8 Executive seating with centre
club seating and rear toilet
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT: Cargo Pod,
Aircon, maintained by Cessna agents sincenew.

AIRFRAME: 785 Hrs

ENGINE/PROP: 785 Hrs
AVIONICS: Garmin G1000 Avionics Suite with
additional TA WS and SVT
EXTERIOR/INTERIOR: Overall white with
Cream Top and Red Stripes, Tan Leather
seating.
PRICE: R5 850 000 Plus Vat (landed in RSA)

2007 CESSNA CITATION XLS

TOTAL TIME: 2400 Hours
ENGINES: 2400 Hours TTSN (Fresh Hot sections)
APU: 760 Hours TTSN
AVIONICS: Honeywell Avionics, FDR, TCAS II,
CVR, Dual FMS, EGPWS.
INTERIOR: 9 passenger seating with two place
forward side facing divan and an aft sidefacing seat. Externally serviceable lavatory.

2013 EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3E

AIRFRAME: 250 hours TTSN
ENGINE: 250 hours TTSN
AVIONICS: Garmin and Shadin Avionics
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT: 6 place seating,
Cargo swing, Sliding door and many more.

Contact Maartin Steenkamp:

T +27 (0)11 064 5624 C +27 (0)82 807 6701 F +27 (0)86 673 9129 E sales@ascendaviation.co.za

www.ascendaviation.co.za
E&OE

Pilots:
Nigel Hopkins and Mark "Bugs" Hensman
Cameraship:  52 flown by Martin Schulze out of
Yak

FAVG (Virginia)
Equipment:

Canon EOS 1Dx

Canon EF 24-105mm L IS USM lens
Focal length: 40mm
Exposure: 1/125 sec @ f/9 ISO 100 EV +1.00

96 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

97

Aircraft Technical
Aircraft Incidents
by Dr Guy Gratton
by Clinton Barnard

light so that either the pilot or any

autopilot can reasonably control
it poor speed control for example
could mean the wrong glidepath
on approach, or the wrong (or
no!) climb rate during a climb. If
the forces are too low however,
then accurate speed control can
be very difficult. On the other
hand if they are too high, then
a pilot cant change the speed
enough for any short term pitch
or speed changes that they need
(for example to rotate to take-off
at the start of a flight, or flare to
land at the end). This is got right
by a combination of centre of
gravity position, aerodynamic
shape of the aeroplane, and the

a few hundred feet either side of

that. Even if we manage to avoid
significant speed deviations, even
tiny ones can drive an oscillation
called the phugoid, where at
(roughly) constant angle of attack,
the aeroplane flies a vertical
sinusoid between height and speed.
In a well adjusted aeroplane this
will damp out back to stable flight
in a few cycles, which typically
will take a couple of minutes. If
it doesnt well it depends upon
the aeroplane. If its a fighter, then
we might well live with it, as the
ability to fly straight and level for
a long time is mostly irrelevant to
a fighter pilot (although youll still
want it well damped in the climb

Height, speed and G

ake any conventional

aeroplane doesnt matter
which, and set it up to fly
straight and level and a convenient cruising speed. Push forward
on the control column, and a few
things will happen. First and
most unsurprising, there will be a
force back against your hand and
at about the same time the stick
will move. Wait a short period,
and the nose will go down: with
a slight reduction in the amount
of g being experienced by the
aeroplane. Wait a tiny bit longer,
and the speed will go up, whilst the
altitude starts to reduce.
So we have five numbers all
inextricably tied together: stick
force, stick position, g, airspeed
and height. In the opposite
direction, they all work together
again: pull back and you get a
backwards stick force, a backwards
stick displacement, increasing g,
decreasing speed, and increasing
altitude. You can maybe change
only two or three of these at a
time through careful handling and
use of power or some types of
pitch trimmer (which is of course
another two values) but for
all reasonable purposes theyre
all inextricably linked with each
other. So we have a whole set of
complex relationships closely tied
to each other by the design of the
aeroplane, but with the three critical
parameters of height, speed and g
at the core of the whole thing. This
relationship is taken for granted
by most pilots, but actually is
absolutely at the root of the safety
and operability of the aeroplane.
Starting with something as
simple as speed control an
aeroplane needs the control forces
to change airspeed to be reasonably

98 GA / Vol. 6 / No.6 / JUNE 2014

mechanisation of the pitch control

(elevator) circuit). Or at least
designers try to get it right then in
a great many cases have to change
gear ratios, introduce springs or
balance weights, change the shape
of the elevator, or various other
aerodynamicists tricks to get stick
force gradient right. So, theres
a fair chance that your favourite,
sweetest handling aeroplane, really
didnt fly right off the drawing
board and a lot of tweaking (all
those little little fairings and
tweaks to the elevator shape
that you never quite understood,
or changes to the mechanism
within the control system that are
usually invisible to the pilot) was
needed to make it as nice as it is.
Get that right, and we then
need to start thinking about getting
the altitude control right and that
can be a bit more subtle. Most
aeroplanes need to be flown with
altitude precision if the circuit
height is 800ft, or the cruising
altitude is FL250, then thats
what you want to be at, and not

or descent: after all it still needs

to fly an accurate approach) on
the other hand if its an airliner, or
even a training aeroplane, itll need
to be sorted out with modifications
to the pitch control circuit or in
more advanced aeroplanes pitch
dampers designed to pick up
and correct these oscillations.
Figure: Illustration of the
phugoid mode in a poorly damped
jet transport aeroplane in the cruise
So, lets say weve sorted all
of that out our aeroplane has a
sensible stick force gradient: say
about 5 knots per pound of stick
force that allow us to control
speed accurately, and if it needs
it - a well damped phugoid that
damps out within a couple of
cycles so allows accurate altitude
tracking. Is that enough?
Well, no because next up the
designers and test pilots have to
worry about manoeuvre stability:
often referred to as stick force per
g. Lets go back to the original
description where I also talked
about g. Pull hard back on the

stick, and the g increases if

theres enough excess energy there,
you can even fly a loop, which
typically wants about 3g to get
right, or more for a really tight
neat loop. Similarly, bank the
aeroplane into a turn and itll need
some g to hold that turn without
descending, and again we need
back stick to generate that. By
and large, the amount of pull per
g is the same whether were in a
steep turn or a symmetric pull-up:
which means the problem is the
same the forces must be low
enough to allow the aeroplane to
be manoeuvred, but high enough to
prevent the aeroplane from being
overstressed. Most airworthiness
standards require that to reach the
g limits, the pull must be at-least
15lb. So that would mean that in
an airliner with a 2.5g limit so a
minimum gradient of 10lb/g. For
an aerobatic aeroplane with a 6g
limit, that would allow a much
shallower manoeuvre stability
curve of about 3 lb/g in between
a light aeroplane with a typical
3.8g limit would need a curve of
at-least 5lb/g. Steeper is fine
particularly in big aeroplanes: Id
not be at-all worried to see a 30lb/g
gradient for an airliner, although
in smaller aeroplanes which tend
to be thrown around a bit, quite
legitimately, you dont want to
exceed the minimum too much as
it would just become too fatiguing
on the pilot especially if its going
to be used much for aerobatics.
Aeroplanes where manoeuvre
stability is too weak are rare, but
difficult to fix the first thing to
do is look at the stick force per
airspeed change graph and see
if theres scope to steepen that,
which will often fix manoeuvre
stability as well. In a fly by wire
aeroplane of course its relatively
straightforward as it can be sorted
out in the control laws but in
between can be difficult. You
can for example put a bob-weight
mechanism on the bottom of the
stick, to pull it back towards neutral
with g, but that becomes difficult
in negative g when its likely to do
the opposite and throw the stick
forward or back, making things
worse rather than better if the
aeroplane ever finds itself upside
down. Not a very good idea!
This whole combined
subject of speed, height and
g with the linking values of
stick force and position, angle of
attack, and damping is complex.
Aerodynamists call it longitudinal
stability and most pilot never
even think about it. Which means,
most times, the design and flight
test teams got it right, thankfully.

2014 JUNE Vol. 6 / No.6 / GA

99

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