proptalk

North Shore Aero ClubNorth Shore Aero Club

August 2013

Training services North Shore Aero Club is more than just a club. We are a leading flight training organization catering for training of private pilots and commercial pilots, and issuing a range of ratings includ-ing; multi engine rating, instrument rating, aerobatic rating, night rating, aircraft type ratings and conversions. We also handle foreign pilot license validations and provide a range of ground courses for licenses and ratings.

Want to learn to fly? If you’re considering flight training, North Shore Aero Club in Auckland, is the perfect place to start. Students receive top level training as well as help and encouragement from staff and other members alike. There are many and frequent social occassions and club trips to exciting desti-nations. If you like the idea of flying your partner, family or friends to an exciting destination like Pauanui, Raglan or Great Barrier Island for lunch, then this is the place to start. Book a trial flight now. PPL theory block courses Block courses are available at North Shore for both Aeroplane and Helicopter PPL theory. You can find more information on our website. A career in aviation If you’re considering a career in aviation, you will be following in the footsteps of many very suc-cessful and experienced commercial pilots who have trained at North Shore Aero Club. Our club North Shore Aero Club owns and operates the North Shore Airfield from which our operations are based. North Shore Airfield is in the Hibiscus Coast district, twenty minutes north of the Auckland CBD. We have excellent facilities for training. We run regular club competitions and compete very successfully at regional and national levels. North Shore Aero Club has an excel-lent reputation for training, safety, and competition success.

North Shore Aero Club

HOURS OF OPERATIONThe club is open for flying 7 days per week from 8.00am until dark

and after dark for night flying on request.Office hours are 8.00am to 5.00pm.

We are closed on Christmas day and New Year’s Day only.The bar is open from 5.00pm Thursday through to Sunday.

August 2013PROP TALK

“PROPTALK” magazine Is published monthly by NSAC. Circulation appr. 530.Advertising rates:Quarter page $20.00 +GST/ issue, Half page: $35.00 +GST/ issue, Full Page: $65.00 + GST/ issue

EDITOR: Michel Bach DESIGN: Bruce Lynch, COVER DESIGN: Rudolf StruyckCOVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Steve Bicknell - GOPIX , www.gopix.co.nz

Neither the editor or the North Shore Aeroclub are responsible for opinions expressed by contributors to “Proptalk” magazine.

Postman Road, RD4, Albany Phone 09 426 4273 Fax 09 426 5912

Patron John Verleun 09 479 7555

President Joe Smith 0272 525 216

Vice President David Saunders 09 638 7784

Treasurer Margaret Smith 09 445 6468

Secretary Ian Couper 09 478 6351

Club Captain Michael Bach 021 650 592

Committee John Eaton 09 420 3331

John Punshon 09 426 4273

Candice Gillett 09 426 4273

Roy Crane 0274 896 988

Robert van Heiningen 0274 831 439

CFI Daryl Gillett 09 426 4273

Instructors (full time) John Punshon Shaun Everest

B-Cat Instructors (part time) Allan Roberts Dawson Boles

Alistair Blake Candice Gillett

Judith Grant Stan Smith

Tim Marshall

C-Cat Instructors (part time) Michael Bach Tom Howitt

Glenn Ross Eric Blackwell

Tae Kim

NS Helicopter Instructors Roy Crane Ed Sellar

Riaan van Wyk

Flight Office Staff Lynn Packer

Weekends Rebecca Blackwood (Sat.) Monica Winters (Sun.)

Safety Coordinator Tim Maynard

Bar Staff Brian Clay Angela McLaggan

Ben Grooten

Groundsman Caleb Hanham

Break out the black tie & ball gown and join us for an evening of unprecedented opulent and splendid festivities, to celebrate North Shore Aero Club’s 50th Anniversary. Commencing with the traditional annual ‘Wings presentations’ you will then move on, a very short distance, to our purpose built venue for The Aviators Ball. Greeted at the door with a glass of Champagne, you and your guests will be welcomed into The Ballroom with live music before taking your seats for a taste bud tantalising three course dinner. Nourished and refreshed, it’ll be time to kick off your shoes and boogie the night away with friends to live music. This is a ticket ONLY event; please ensure you purchase your tickets BEFORE the 31st October 2013Register your interest NOW at the club in person, by phone on 0800 4 WINGS or via email office@nsac.co.nz. Tickets on sale soon. FOR YOUR DIARY:Date: Saturday 9th November 2013Time: 1730 – Wings Presentation

Time: 1900 – Evening celebration commences

Venue: North Shore Aero Club

From The Editor(s):NSAC would like to express it’s gratitude to Trevor Dance for his dedication to his role as Proptalk Editor . Trevor put a huge amount of effort into Proptalk, of-ten providing much of the material himself. Hopefully you’ll have a bit more time for flying now Trevor

We would also like to thank Rudolf Struyck for his work in recent years in assembling Proptalk. Rud is a taking a well earned rest and will be pursuing his passion for gliding. Thanks Ruud, may the thermals be with you.

Michael Bach will be stepping into the primary role of editor (as if he is not busy enough already) with help from anybody who wishes to contribute. (Please!!!)

Bruce Lynch has taken over the role of assembling Proptalk…No doubt many late night phonecalls to Rudolf will ensue. If it all gets too hard Bruce just let Wilbur do it! He’s been itching (fleas?) to get his paws on the keyboard!

2013 marks the 50th Anniversary of the North Shore Aero Club (Inc) and if any members are able to con-tribute photos, anecdotes or other information relating to this milestone, the editorial team would be most grateful.

We are also trying to increase the frequency of the publication to monthly so as to keep the membership up to date with the club’s progress. This could mean, that from time time, we may not have quite the action packed, hard hitting and entertaining publication that we have been accustomed to, but with a little help, we are sure that we can continue to produce a worthwhile newsletter.

We also welcome any comment from members, which will be included in a forthcoming “Letters to the Edtor” column.

THE AVIATORS BALL

Dary l G i l l e t t you r CF I

CFI Article August 2013

A couple of fine weather weekends we have had of late – a couple a bad ones too though. Great to see members making use of the fine weather when it does appear.The vintage day was brilliant – excellent work by everybody involved (you know who you are). We’re very lucky at North Shore to have a prominent vintage aircraft scene, with many aircraft in flying order, and others under restoration. I hope to write a little more about vintage aircraft, specifically my experiences learning to fly them – maybe for next Prop Talk. I’m sure we will hold another soon, so those who missed out stay tuned.

UAV’s – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

I seem to remember that they’re now officially called UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems), but for now I’ll just keep referring to them as UAV’s so everybody knows what I’m on about.

UAV’s are breeding rapidly and increasing in numbers – in turn they’re becoming an ever more prominent hazard to us pilot folk. Normally, UAV’s operate in accordance with CAR Part 101 Subpart E – which details operating rules for model aircraft. Those rules state a maximum height above ground level (AGL) of 400ft and within line-of-sight of the operator.

They also state that approval of the aerodrome operator is required for flight within a 4km radius of an unattended aerodrome. If however a UAV operator is specifically approved by the CAA they may be able to fly above 400ft AGL, and to a distance further than line-of-sight.

Some of you will be aware that AUT (Auckland University of Technology) are conducting UAV operations within the vicinity of North Shore every few weeks or so (short term). They’re using the North Shore Model

Aero Club grounds off Green Road – which is between 2.5 and 3.1km south of the Runway 03 threshold. They do not hold a CAA approval, so they’re operating under the model aircraft flying rules. Their UAV operating limits are not above 600ft AMSL (QNH), and always south of the Dairy Flat Highway as per their agreement with the club. When AUT UAV operations are scheduled, notices are promulgated at the club to advise pilots of the activity. As per the notices, when the AUT UAV is operating.

“MAINTAIN VIGILENCE AND EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION DURING CLIMB-OUT UPWIND AND CROSSWIND RUNWAY 21 OR DURING APPROACH BASE AND FINAL RUNWAY 03.”

Away from an airfield, UAV’s could be operating anywhere. These operations are probably the most hazardous if you are unaware – remember though, they will be advised by NOTAM if flights are conducted above 400ft AGL. You will find details of UAV operations (if there are any) in the “Enroute” NOTAM section. Military UAV’s will normally operate within designated Military Zones (again, some of these will be advised by NOTAM when active). Notice of UAV operations may also be given within the AIP Supplement in some cases. LOOKOUT – ultimately this is the only way to avoid possible conflict with UAV’s. The “see and avoid” principle is ‘key’ once again and does not only apply to avoiding conflict with other aircraft. Aircraft, UAV’s, weather balloons, radio masts, birds, bats, and UFO’s could all be observed while flying, and therefore all need to be ‘watched out for’.

Which leads me too……

Bird Strikes

They do happen, and thankfully most of the time are not a ‘major’. BUT, they can be, and that’s why we as the aerodrome operator

need to make an effort to minimize the risk of bird strikes. The club is the aerodrome operator because we own it – which effectively means that it’s owned by you guys – the club members. As a club we often seek the assistance of our members, and in regards to bird hazards a few members in particular have put in some good work in an effort to reduce bird numbers on the airfield – thanks to Des Barry and Joe Smith for leading the charge.

The most problematic species for us is the Spur-Winged Plover – originally from Australia (go figure). They’re all over the airfield, and use it as their breeding ground. In NZ, from CAA statistics most bird strikes are of the Plover variety. I guess their natural habitat is the same as an aeroplane’s – a nice big open grassy area. The two of course don’t mix very well though, hence the hazard to aircraft ops.

A handful of people led by Des and Joe have taken to the airfield over the last few months disturbing the Plover which breed between June and November. The hope is to ‘stunt’ their population growth, and maybe encourage them away from the airfield.It does seem as if Plover numbers have reduced – but unfortunately the problem won’t just disappear overnight; by maintaining the effort year after year though we may well be able to reduce the hazard markedly. In the meantime, exercise caution. Damage to aircraft is of course a concern in the event of a bird strike. Plovers being relatively small and light don’t usually cause much. Bigger birds like Ducks and Sea Gulls can cause much more. Asides from the species of bird though, the speed at which you are flying and where the ‘strike’ occurs on the aircraft are the main determining factors of damage. The NZ Transport Agency sum it up quite well: “The faster you go, the bigger the mess.”

If you do encounter a bird strike however you are legally required to report the incident to the CAA – using the CAA005 Occurrence Report form (you can also submit your report electronically on the CAA website). If the strike occurs while flying in a club aircraft, file an orange Occurrence Report form in the

flight planning area and we’ll take care of it from there – it’s vitally important that we are made aware of the event to ensure damage has not been sustained to the aircraft.

South Island Trip 2013The annual South Island Trip will probably be underway by the time you read this. No doubt the group will have some fantastic flying ahead – fingers crossed the weather does its bit to ensure a successful tour of that lower bit of the country and the Southern Alps.Be safe – the mountainous environment down there can pose serious risks, especially weather related – make sure you plan carefully, consider alternate options, and make positive decisions enroute. AND, have fun of course!Daryl

Be on the lookout for these!

Joe Smi th c l ub p res iden t

Presidents Ramblings:

The weather has played havoc with the airfield this month and hindered some of the much needed work. However we have managed to Paint the picket fences to the Gate 9 entrance that was long overdue. There is still work to be done at the Northern end of the field.There are some major projects to address this year, the Runway Lighting needs to be upgraded and a lot of research has gone into that. The crosswind runway will need the drainage upgraded and parts of it resurfaced. The entrance road at Gate 9 was partially enhanced last year and that work needs to be continued.

The taxiway marker boards have all been renovated and replaced thanks to Phil Southerden who spent many hours hand painting them. We need to borrow a line marking machine to repaint the taxiway and runway markings does anyone have one.

Last year we instigated what came to be called the Listening Post, sadly only a few members took advantage of the opportunity to discuss with some committee members their views of the club. This is your club please come along on the first Sunday of each month at 1500hrs and let us know your thoughts. Tell us what we are doing wrong and perhaps what the remedy is and if by chance we are doing something right we would appreciate that as well.

Competitions are being organised at the moment and the organisers are working hard to get a team together for the Regional and ultimately the Nationals. We are short of competitors especially in the Student pilot category. Competitions are an ideal format for honing the skills you have learnt that will help make you a better, and more importantly, a safer pilot. So give Michael our hardworking Club Captain a call and get yourself started. Michael’s contact details are on the inside cover of this worthy tome.

There is a system now for charging landing fees

on our airfield, some of you unfortunately may have received an invoice from AIMM please contact Lynn at the Office and she will help. We are in the process of compiling a list of all the aircraft on the field so that these problems will cease, at the same time once we know all the aircraft there will be a request that all of those aircraft are insured for a minimum of third party cover including “Punitive and Exemplary Damage”. The need to be properly insured is growing in this age, we are lucky in this country the ACC act covers us all as well.

The battle with getting the new Duchess certified for IFR flight training has at last got an agreement in sight with the CAA. There have been a few obstacles that have been overcome that have stretched our patience. So all you aspiring IFR Multi Engine enthusiasts come along and enjoy a new experience or renew the love you once had. The Duchess will treat you very well.

In the last Proptalk there was a request for names of former and present members to be invited to the 50th Anniversary celebration so far we have not received any, please put your thinking caps on. It is now likely to occur late October or early November this year.The kitchen at the club is now doing meals on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. All reports have the meals rated very highly at competitive price’s there is a “special” every week. Both Vegetarian and Gluten free meals are available, why not come along and try a meal and mix with other members.

On Thursday 22nd at the club there was a presentation and briefing for the Annual South Island trip. The brief was given by Michael Bach and Tim Marshall those that missed it did indeed miss out on a very good briefing that although was primarily concerned with a particular event was informative for us all.

We have been notified of the death of a past member Bob Canton Ramblin’ Joe

Old Bill’s “Safety First” ArticleSafety Tips based on the Fact That: There really are No New Accidents

Old Bill’s Safety Article – August 2013Report It, Report It, Report It !

Well, well. A wet Saturday afternoon at last ! The rain won’t fill the water tank, but at least it’s making an attempt ! Driest July for a while they say, and it looks like we may get away with a nice short winter !Anyway, the rain means that gardening is “Cancelled” and I’ve finished fixing up the boat – so it’s either a Zizzzzz (aka “Nanna Nap”), the Saturday afternoon Film Matinee, or bash out another Safety Article ! The Safety Article may seem to have taken poll position, but it’s only because the days of a Saturday afternoon in front of “Sink the Bismark”, “Reach for the Sky” or some John Wayne Film about men with Bulldozers in the Pacific are long gone. These days it’s wall to wall cooking programmes – I counted four in a row today on Channel One – and it’s only two o-clock ! Four in a row – I ask you, who needs four in a row ? Anyway – to business ……..this month is all about ………….Reporting Things !

Pilot and Club Member ResponsibilitiesOne of the things I do periodically as the Safety Officer is to trudge round the airfield in Gum Boots doing an airfield and clubhouse inspection. The last one I did in early July didn’t show any deficiencies and the airfield looked really great. Grass neatly cut and hangars around the perimeter clear of rubbish.I also took twenty minutes to walk up and down the runway, mainly on the grass, and it’s interesting what you find ! Here’s my catch:• One PA28 main wheel hub-cap• A couple of plastic bags• A 2ft length of hose pipe• And half a sign – actually retrieved from the “Stink Pond” AreaThe hub cap looked like it has been run over by the mower, the plastic bags were of the New World/Fruit World variety and I’m keeping the piece of house pipe in the garage in case I have a need for er… a 2ft piece of hose pipe. I’ve attached a picture if you are interested !

“Old  Bill’s  Catch  of  the  Day”  

Now in the trade this sort of thing that litters up the runways, taxiways, apron or hangar is known as FOD (Foreign Object Debris) and it can cause FOD (Foreign Object Damage). And the thing about FOD (debris of damage) is that, in a worst case scenario, it can cause a major aircraft incident or accident. Here’s one very grim example:

Now it sounds like an unusual sequence of events – but in actual fact FOD on the runway is a common occurrence. So common in fact that runway inspections are required to be carried out regularly at major airfields because “bits” do drop off

aircraft ! And remember – it’s not just “bits” that drop off:

And North Shore Airfield is really no different. FOD is a potential problem. So as you wander across the apron to do a pre-flight inspection, or clatter off down the runway, or even while you are wandering around in the hangar – keep an eye out for bits and pieces. And if you see something – like our PA28 hub-cap – let someone in the club know, or stick on a yellow fluorescent jacket and go and pick it up ! And if you feel really responsible, fill out a Red Occurrence Report Form too. They are in the rack in the Planning Area and once completed, it can be popped in the black box, or left with one of the instructors who will pass it on to me for further action.

Now talking about Reporting and Occurrence Reports…….

North Shore Aero Club Reporting Systems

Over the years NSAC has developed a number of methods whereby Occurrences, Incidents, Accidents and Hazards can be reported, so that the place can be made a safer place for us all to operate out of. Now, when I took on the role of Safety Officer, one of the things that I wanted to make sure of was that anyone who operated out of North Shore, or who was a Club Member, was fully aware that the safe operation of the place was just as much their responsibility as anyone else’s.So it is every Club Member’s responsibility to report anything that they think is amiss and to let the relevant people at the club know. The normal routine should be to fill in one of the Reporting Forms that are available around the club, so here’s a quick run through of what’s on offer and they are even colour coded: • Occurrence Reports – The Red Forms – used to record operational occurrences where some form of investiga-tion may need to be carried out. Typical reports may relate to: Improper procedures being followed (eg in the circuit); Dangerous Flying etc. • Quality Improvement Forms – Reports used to highlight areas that could be improved in the Club’s operation.• Hazard Reporting – Used to record potential hazards at the club or on the airfield. For example: broken con-crete on the taxiways; loose drain covers; broken fences, FOD etc.So remember – safety is everyone’s responsibility at North Shore. The club’s role is to provide a mechanism for report-ing, which can be easily carried out, and then to take any remedial action. The club membership need to ensure that they report any incident, accident or hazard so that the club are aware of potential incidents before they occur and someone gets hurt !

So: know how the Reporting System works, and make sure that you use it !

Pre-flight Inspections and Post Flight Reporting

Oh, and just one other thing: just because the fault that you’ve noticed on a pre-flight inspection or during a flight looks obvious, don’t assume that the club’s Maintenance Controller is aware of it. We had an incident recently where the Turn Co-ordinator in an aircraft had failed. Several pre-flight inspections were carried out but no-one communicated the fact to the Club. “Why is that ?” I here you all ask. Well because, in time honoured fashion, “Everyone” thought that

El Al Boeing 747 FreighterIn 1992 an El Al Boeing 747 Freighter with four crew on board got airborne out of Amsterdam and lost an entire inboard engine ! In fact, the departing engine also knocked the outboard engine off it’s pylon too, and the aircraft ended up flying

into a block of flats in the city, killing another 50 people.

Air France Concorde – July 2000The Air France Concorde charter flight, with 109 people on board, ran over a piece of metal that had dropped off one of the preceding aircraft. A tyre burst “explosively” (aircraft tyres on this aircraft were normally pressurised to 232 psi) and tyre debris punctured the wing and fuel tank which allowed leaking fuel to be ingested into one of the engines. The other engine in the same nacelle began to surge and the aircraft crashed shortly afterwards since it was unable to maintain altitude and

airspeed on the two remaining engines. All on board were killed, as were 4 people on the ground.

“Some-one Else” had already done it. Well the problem is that “Some-one Else” doesn’t work here anymore . So even if you feel a little shy about making an “A#@e of Yourself” – and who doesn’t from time to time – Report It !

And possibly one of the worst cases of non-reporting/poor investigation I can think of concerned a British Airtours 737 that took off from Manchester Airport, England, in August 1985.

So, a couple of important lessons then:

Firstly – if you notice a fault and you suspect that it hasn’t been reported or investigated adequately – take action and make sure that the fault is properly sorted out and recorded. For example:• An unusual vibration could mean a failing crankshaft, loose “Big-End” bolt or a loose propeller.• An unusual burning smell could mean a failing electrical component behind the Instrument Panel or an oil leak from a cracked crank-case or leaking oil seal.• A strange noise or “feel” from flight controls – eg stiff of jerky - should always be reported. It may be a fail-ing pulley or a frayed control cable, all ready to “give way” at the worst possible moment.Just a few examples - but the list, I assure you, is endless………..Secondly – as part of any pre-take off safety briefing, always have an escape plan. In particular - know where the wind is coming from so you can act accordingly. An engine fire in a twin – always put the failed engine down-wind of the cabin, and if you suffer an engine failure when airborne (in either a twin or a single), it’s usually better to turn into wind to either improve your climb gradient, or if you are going to force land, to reduce your touchdown ground speed.End PieceSo, some food for thought there. And you probably thought I was only going to talk about boring pieces of coloured paper !

OK, that’s it for this month - fly safely and look after yourselves – and keep the feed-back flooding in. And remember “Old Bill” is always watching, listening and looking out for you …………..

“Old Bill”e-mail address – theoldbill@outlook.co.nz

British Airtours 737 – Manchester, EnglandA number of crews had previously noticed erratic Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT) indications on the Number One engine, but it hadn’t been properly investigated and further repairs were not initiated. During the accident take-off the Number 9 Combustion Tube actually exploded because a crack repair that had previously carried out had once again failed. Fragments punctured the wing, fuel poured out and it caught fire when the take-off was aborted and the thrust reversers deployed.With the wing now on fire, the crew unfortunately turned 90 degrees off the main runway (they thought they had only punctured a tyre at that stage) and stopped the aircraft on the taxi-way. The prevailing wind then blew flames onto the rear fuselage, which caught fire, and 54 of the 137 people on board perished.

an example of a foriegn object (French, I think) Photo: Chris Opperman

The GAA: Freedom of speech for all aviators, brought to you by the CAA

This year has been marked by a spontaneous aviators’ uprising, in the form of the GAA - the General Aviation Advocacy Group of New Zea-land. It was unwittingly created by the CAA. When Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee signed into law the most swingeing increases in levies and charges in our aviation history, the outrage was nationwide. (Swinge-ing may be a new word to some, but its mean-ing as defined in the Collins Dictionary is apt: severe, heavy, drastic, huge, punishing, harsh, excessive, daunting, stringent, oppressive, Draconian, or exorbitant.) After two years of so-called “con-sultation” with established aviation organisa-tions, the Civil Aviation Authority had ignored all opinions and ideas, and instead pushed through rises that in some cases amounted to 700 percent. The result was widespread wailing, in hangars and aero club bars, about the lack of a united voice to oppose such crushing increas-es. But one quietly spoken pilot, Canterbury-based Des Lines, decided to look into the CAA process in fine detail.

Des takes up the story: “I became incensed that letters from organisations and individuals protesting at this were being fobbed off by generic letters from the Minister of Transport, Gerry Brownlee, and by a similar letter from Peter Lechner, CAA’s Chief Meteorologist on behalf of the Director. “As a result, in early November of 2012, I began researching ways to oppose the introduction of this legislation and then pre-pared a submission to the Regulations Review Committee of the House of Representatives. The submission is in three parts: 1, the medi-cal application fee; 2, the hourly rate being charged by the CAA; and 3, the ‘consultation’ process adopted by the CAA. “Having drafted the submission, I sent it to some of my aviator friends for, in essence, a ‘peer review’ to see if there was support. “To my astonishment, the submission went ‘viral’. It was forwarded from one email contact

list to another and, when filed, it had the names and email addresses of 676 individual pilots who wished to be attached as co-submit-ters.”Meanwhile, up in Hawke’s Bay, pilot and writer Brian Mackie was also getting very hot un-der the collar. When Des floated the idea of a website, Brian offered to help because he had experience as a webmaster and modera-tor. They quickly saw the need for an entirely independent organisation willing to act as an advocate for pilots who might not belong to other established GA organisations, or had said they feared what the CAA might do if they challenged the Authority on their own.

The founders called it the GAA, and cheekily adopted a logo that looks rather like the CAA’s - - but in a startlingly contrasting colour. By early February, a GAA website at www.caa.gen.nz was up and running, and it rapidly gained traction. GAA is an independent social network of aviators. It is an open forum for pilots, air-craft owners, aero clubs, aviation organisations and related businesses – in fact, everyone with an interest in New Zealand General Aviation (including the CAA). It does not claim to be a united voice - that’s impossible, given the widely differing opinions and interests of our general aviation community. It has no constitution, no formal membership, no fees and no affiliation with any other organisation.

Supporters include:

Airline pilots of all ranks, based in New Zealand, Australia, and around the world Helicopter pilots based in New Zea-land, Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia Microlight pilots Home-built aircraft pilots Instructors and student pilots Balloon pilots and operators Glider pilots Skydivers and skydive operators Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engi-neers Flight training schools Fixed base helicopter operators Maintenance organisations, and Small commercial aircraft operators

Brian Mackie says: “GAA supporters

are concerned about the Civil Aviation Author-ity – its overheads, its questionable standard of service, its red tape and its escalating fees. Many are worried about CAA policies that threaten (and, some say, have already de-stroyed) aviation-related businesses and may damage the future of the next generation of amateur and professional aviators. “Many of us fear that needless over-regulation will stifle GA in New Zealand. The latest threat - Safety Management Systems - is a classic example. Many people are convinced that such trendy buzz-words and box-ticking exercises do absolutely nothing to enhance safety. “We have already seen the early results of last year’s price increases with the closure of two flight training organisations and the cessation of flights next year by the volun-teers who run DC-3 AMY in the South Island, thanks to the unbearable costs of compliance. Even the CAA’s own auditors are embarrassed and concerned. Some have told us so. “There are two more rounds of price rises in the pipeline, before the next review, yet not a single idea (or even the hint of one) has emerged from the CAA about a genuine commitment to cost-control.” GAA has been instrumental in chang-ing CAA policy with respect to RPL medicals, and its RRC case against Brownlee and the Au-thority is due to be heard in September, along with others in similar vein. It also mounted vigorous opposition to the Authority’s Part 61 proposals (since when, the CAA has gone strangely silent on the subject) and is main-taining pressure on its costly Medical Unit.GAA strongly supports the Massey University School of Aviation proposals for a network of Common Frequency Zones, backed by a submission containing 19 pages of supporters’ comments.

Following the conviction and $2000 fine imposed on a pilot for “flying in condi-tions below the minimum required” at Napier, GAA has posed a number of interesting and very serious questions to his CAA prosecutors about the means by which pilots can assess takeoff minima with 100% accuracy, as is now required by this worrying interpretation of the law. GAA has also raised the question of excise duty refunds (or re-allocation) on mogas used in light aircraft, which Minister Brownlee has now promised to refer to the MoT and NZ

Transport Agency as part of a review of the Transport Act scheduled later this year.

GAA supports the New Zealand CVD campaign to change CAA colour vision “defi-ciency” regulations covering commercial pilots.While major issues are headlined on the GAA website, its two organisers and their help-ers also work behind the scenes on behalf of individuals, some of whom are unsure how to approach the Authority or do not belong to any established organisation; subjects include con-cerns about ACU policy towards home-builds and modified microlights. GAA has sought the views of pilots on a wide range of issues, and prepared submis-sions on their behalf.Des Lines says: “One of our greatest strengths lies in our ability to rapidly promulgate infor-mation via our email database.” This agility was starkly illustrated by PricewaterhouseCoopers/Air New Zealand’s ap-plication to have Aeroplane Pilot added to the list of Essential Skills in Demand. The proposal - which GAA says amounts to a stealth charter to import foreign pilots for Air NZ Group use - would probably have slipped through un-noticed, but a web-surfing GAA supporter seeking a glider instructor stumbled upon a reference to the application.The proposal was discovered only a week be-fore the deadline for submissions.Within hours, all hell broke loose. NZ ALPA, which had until then known nothing about it, was up in arms and managed to get a two-week extension for submissions. GAA headlined the story on its website, with Des Lines appearing on TV news and Brian Mackie putting the case against on Radio New Zealand National. GAA also ran a rapid survey which revealed how Air New Zealand and PwC were misleading the Ministry of Business, In-novation and Enterprise by claiming there were only eight pilots in New Zealand suitable for job interview. The survey discovered 77 pilots meeting requirements, a further 32 almost meeting them and 49 in training to meet them.Within 14 days of the story breaking, GAA submitted a detailed response to MoBIE. It ran to 20,000 words, with much of the contents written by commercial pilots and students, along with the signatures of almost 240 of them. From an average weekly audience of around 500, GAA website hits soared to more than 8000 in seven days and the number of website subscribers doubled.The rise of GAA has not been received with

universal rejoicing. Two long-established aviation organisations have expressed open hostility. But the CAA’s Director, Graeme Har-ris, welcomed the launch of GAA and has been courteous and helpful throughout. Far from being some individuals’ predicted “flash in the pan”, GAA is growing rapidly. By August 25, its email database numbered 870. At first, Des Lines feared the cam-paign would run out of steam and subject mat-ter, but he is genuinely surprised by GAA’s suc-cess and popularity - and the CAA’s propensity to supply new and controversial topics almost every week. The record so far is summed up by one supporter: “You guys are doing sterling work. The submis-

sions and articles appearing on your website are of outstanding quality.“This is the new era. The old days of divide and conquer, without the aviation community at large knowing what was happening, are over. The web, and especially the GAA website, are putting it out there. I am sure this has not gone unnoticed by the bureaucrats. They will be worried. Perhaps it might result in true consultation at last.”

To have your name included in the GAA email database and receive regular updates on current issues, email Des Lines at airfabrico@xtra.co.nz

A recent quote from an aircraft engineer:

“It is not exactly rocket surgery”

And some more aviation wisdom:

The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire.

In a twin-engine aircraft, the purpose of the second engine is to supply the pilot with enough power to fly to the scene of the crash.

When a prang seems inevitable, endeavor to strike the softest, cheapest object in the vicinity, as slowly and gently as possible. - Advice given to RAF pilots during W.W.II.

When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No-one has ever collided with the sky.

Try to learn from the mistakes of others. You won’t live long enough to make all of them yourself.

If God had meant man to fly, he’d have given him lots more money.

So that is what the rudder is for!

Chris Opperman

Ralph Starck

During last year’s South Island trip I had to drop my pas-senger off at Christchurch Airport for a commercial flight back to Auckland. Someone has to work I guess. So we departed Rangitata Island and headed north whilst the rest of the group headed south to Taieri.As usual in the Cessna 177 I did the top of climb checks and everything was in the green so proceeded north expect-ing a West Junction arrival into NZCH. So for the next 25 minutes or so I flew the aircraft, navigated, communicated and studied the arrival procedure to make sure I didn’t make an ass of myself…well no more than usual anyway.Just south of Burnham Military Camp I contacted NZCH tower for joining instructions and was somewhat surprised to find that the tower was having difficulty reading my transmissions. I have good gear in the aircraft so wondered what was going on. Anyway after a little toing and froing the clearance was given. As expected I was to do a West Junction arrival..Track west of a line from Burnham to West Junction then report and hold west of Coringa. Easy enough…Then the first radio in the stack just died. Hmmm… Check the breaker, cycle the power…no…it didn’t come back. Oh well that’s OK…good thing I have 2 radios. So I selected the correct frequency on Com 2 and I noticed that it had very scratchy reception…. Hmmm. I was just about to transmit again when it too died…along with the Garmin Intercom and selector, the VOR, the DME and the Transponder. Immediately I looked at the ammeter to see a rather large discharge….damn… why hadn’t I noticed that before?Now what?…no real point in squawking 7600 if the transponder’s not working. So although I had been given a clearance to do the arrival my immediate reaction was to get clear of controlled airspace and not get amongst the traffic at a very busy airport without radios or transponder. I figured I would get clear of the CTR and use the cell phone to talk to the tower and tell the nice controller what was going on!So after a rushed descent into uncontrolled airspace and once everything had settled down I shut down all electri-cal equipment in the aircraft…lights, radios etc. and then cycled the master switch. Then I switched on just one radio and hey presto it worked! But I now could see that the am-meter was showing a small discharge…so how long would the radio keep working?I called the tower and the nice controller was somewhat relieved to hear me. I explained the problem and she very kindly suggested I could continue the procedure but should hold at Coringa until she gave me clearance via the radio or if she couldn’t raise me on the radio she would give me a flashing green light clearing me for the approach and then a steady green once on final. I confirmed the arrangements and turned on track to Coringa.Now being a good “Tim Marshall trained boyscout” I have

always got a handheld radio in my flight bag so I fished that out as a backup and dialled up the right frequency. A few minutes later I arrived at Coringa and just before setting up the holding orbit got a call from the tower to join left base for Grass 02. So I reduced power, turned onto base leg and pressed the transmit button… and the whole lot died again! So I took my headset off and called the tower on the hand held. “DFU established left base grass 02 and now on a hand held radio” She called back “DFU cleared to land grass 02 number 1” So after answering I did the usual stuff until I realized that the flaps weren’t going to work. Never mind…have done plenty of practice at flapless landing. After rolling out I thanked the controller for her help and taxied to Canterbury Aero Club for the night.So a couple of questions bounced around my head that night. How could a battery go flat over such a short period of time? What caused it to go flat? And how did I miss the fact that it must have been discharging almost the entire flight after top of climb checks?Next day I got out to the airport nice and early and had a chat with Lyn at CAC who runs their maintenance opera-tion. CAC owns 39 aircraft! So Lyn is a very busy man along with his team of engineers. They couldn’t actually do any maintenance on an aircraft not owned by CAC but kindly would have a look and see if they could figure out what was going on. It only took a few minutes to discover that there were no volts at the field winding on the alterna-tor. So no charging! Yet there were volts on the input to the voltage regulator but none on the output. Ergo sum dead voltage regulator.

I asked the engineers how that could have discharged the battery over such a short period. The answer was that the faulty voltage regulator had probably been drawing a lot of current in its faulty state and that combined with the normal battery loads including all the lights and radio gear would have been enough to flatten the battery or at least reduce the available power to a level below which the radios could not continue to function.OK so where do you get a voltage regulator in Chch. Well there isn’t one…the closest was at Flightline in Taieri which looked like the only option until Lyn phoned Bruce at Avtech in Timaru. Bruce by strange chance had the right bit so after a quick chat with the tower about my departure on a handheld radio and a jump start from Lyn’s guys I was off to Timaru.The rest was pretty plain sailing although there was

Sadie checks and why you should do them….

one more flapless landing to do at Timaru. I taxied up to Avtech’s hangar, an engineer walked out with the part and about an hour later I was on my way to Mandeville to join the rest of the group.So what have I learned…SADIE checks are something beaten into us from the very early lessons in PPL training. However I think we all become a little blasé about them.Every 10 to 15 minutes or so we do those checks. The rea-son we do them is to ensure that a potential problem doesn’t become a real one as it did in my case. If I’d been more vigilant about my checks instead of focusing on the arrival procedures into Chch I would have been able to turn off all of the unnecessary electrical equipment such as the nav and landing lights and had plenty of power left for the radios when I got to Chch. Then I could have solved the problem without fuss. This story has a happy ending because the fail-ure was not critical to the safety of the flight. But omitting other parts of the SADIE check, such as engine monitoring, can and will have a more disastrous effect.Another item that would have been useful would have been a more extensive personal Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). I have one that contains QNH Zones, commonly used plates and frequencies around Auckland. I’m going to expand it to include Light Signals, Radio Failure Procedures in the CTR and maybe a few other useful bits from AIP Vol 1 and Vol 4. That way in a stressful situation I wouldn’t

have to thumb through Vol 1 or 4 endlessly in flight when the excitement started. Instant access to emergency infor-mation would have been quite helpful.SADIE checks are necessary to ensure that the aircraft is, and continues to, operate within normal parameters. No matter how experienced you are, what type of license you hold, or what type of flying you do, it is imperative that you religiously continue to do your checks. It may save you some embarrassment, or from injury, but most importantly it may save your life.

Bridge Pa Tail DraggerSaturday 14th SeptemberThings to knowCFI: Max Dixon: pawscat@airnet.net.nzClub house ph: 06 8798466Hastings Aerodrome CFZ 125.8 AWIB 132.95Facilities: Camping OK. Shower in Club rooms. Full kitchen. Limited spare hangarage .Check with CFI otherwise bring tie downs.Pilots briefing 9.30am Saturday . STOL and JailBar bombing comps start 10am and continue all day.Wild food Lunch on Saturday $10.Spot prize drawsSTOL/ Jail bar bombing prize-giving in the bar over a beer after flying finishes, followed by a casual PYO dinner Saturday night in town.Sunday morning fly to Kowhai field (a short hop) for tea and scones.Arriving Friday? Dinner at the club every Friday night for the cost of a $4 raffle ticket.Need more information? Somewhere to stay?Contact Stephanie 021769963 email stephanie@stm.net.nz

The 22nd annual Brian Langley Memorial Aerobatic Contest was held at the club last Sunday in perfect weather. Everyone involved enjoyed an outstanding day but it did become clear to me that few of our members have been around the club long enough to know who Brian was. Allow me to share some memories with you.

I joined the club in August 1974 and one of the first instructors that I met was Brian. He carried out most of my PPL training and I soon began to appreciate that, while he was the consummate professional in the air his sparkling sense of fun made every visit to the club a real pleasure. Over time he became CFI and President and we became great mates. His instructing staff held him in high esteem, safe in the knowledge that stepping over the line would result in a short sharp reprimand that probably wouldn’t be allowed in these PC days!

With my brand new PPL in my pocket my flights all seemed to be “harbour scenics” until Brian suggested that I learn some aerobatics. Despite the fact that I felt a bit queasy during the first couple of sessions perseverance paid off and with Brian’s encouraging instruction I came to enjoy it immensely. One of my enduring memories involves learning to do stall turns, I had mucked one up and the 152 had stopped in the vertical as was their habit. During the brief period of weightlessness before the Cessna fell through Brian’s cigarette packet floated out of his shirt pocket and across the cabin. While inquiring what I was going to do to remedy our situation he calmly plucked the packet out of the air and slid it back into his shirt pocket!

Back then we had Cessna 152 Aerobats and to-gether with Tony Clarke Brian put together many Aerobatic Courses which were extremely popular. In 1987 the opportunity arose to purchase Pitts S2E ZK ELI from John Luff. Brian got five of us together to form the Special Syndicate and a whole new spectrum of

wonderful flying experiences opened up for us all. (check the picture over the bar)

The NZ Aerobatic Club was in its infancy back then and we all became regular participants in the annual Nationals at Waipukurau. Brian was very generous with his help and guidance to anyone that needed it, often to the detriment of his own results. Brian was one of those rare individuals that al-ways seemed surrounded by laughter, had time for everyone and was the most inspiring instructor that I had the privilege to fly with. Tragically, in 1991, a few days after his 50th birthday Brian lost his life in a helicopter accident. His funeral was held at the club and was a huge affair. Harry Hobin was our Patron back then and he asked me to devise an annual event to remember Brian. An Aerobatic Competi-tion seemed the obvious choice and in January 1992 the in-augural Brian langley Memorial Contest took place. Brian’s widow, Diane, donated the magnificent trophy and we have only missed one year since due weather.

This competition is unique in that pilots can fly any category with the best percentage score winning the day. The categories are Primary, Sports, Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited. Club Aerobatic aircraft can do a good job of Primary and Sports and as you may have realised, the less complex sequences offer a better chance of success. Brian was all about encouraging newcomers to the sport and this competition is designed to do just that. It would be very pleasing to see more club pilots participating; after all it is a NSAC event. Please feel free to contact me for information and advice on avian@xtra.co.nz Number one son, Tim, is always keen to help and instruct also. The next competition will be in January 2014 so plenty of time to complete an aerobatic rating and get practicing!

Paul Marshall.

Simon Marshall, Ian Young & Paul Marshall posing in front of Pitts ZK WIZ. Note chinese head gear and special aerobatic trousers.(aka Bung Lan Ding, Ning Nong Yung & Lu Ping)

Brian Langley

Good and Effective Club GovernanceA well respected CFI once said “The definition of the demise of an Aero Club is, Death by Committee.”In other words, without good governance your club is on a path to failure.

And he is correct.

One thing that is often forgotten by members of Aero Clubs, is that the club is a business, and must be run as one. The Club is not a benevolent society and if treated as one, it will certainly fail. All clubs operate differently, but they all have one thing in common, and that is that they operate on the generosity of the members giving of their time.

One group of volunteers within that club is the Club Executive Committee. Committee members have offered their service to the committee for a variety of reasons, because they believe that they have the ability to make sure that the objects of the club are maintained and that they can deliver value to the club members. Committee members must remember though, that although they are individuals and that they may have their own agenda, they are a part of a democratic process of which decisions made in the committee room may not be of their liking. If the committee person has a conflict of interest then they must declare it and leave the meeting, so that they do not compro-mise themselves. Many clubs have got into trouble through divisions within the committee, with individuals trying to push their own agenda ,without thinking about what is best for the club and its members. Committee members have, in case law, the same responsibilities as those of a company director and not many people understand those responsibilities. As a Committee you have a duty of care to make sure that you keep yourself, your employees, your members, your contractors, your customers, and your visitors safe from harm whilst they are on your premises or partaking in an activ-ity associated with your Club. All committee members are equally liable for actions and decisions taken by the committee. Non attendance at a committee meeting at which a decision is made does not absolve a committee person from a shared responsibility, accountability or liability. Unfortunately many clubs find it difficult to get members to put their hands up to stand for the committee. This can create a problem where a member may end up on the committee just to fill a seat and make the numbers up, without hav-ing the background knowledge of the current position of the club. This person may be putting themselves at risk to a situation of which they are unaware.Committee ResponsibilitiesSome of those responsibilities are1. To act in good faith. 2. Exercise power for a proper purpose. 3. Must not put the club into serious risk or loss to its creditors and or members. 4. Must exercise care, diligence and skill in performing their duties. 5. Must not put themselves in a position where their own personal interests or duties conflict with that of the club. 6. Must not allow the assets of the club to be put at serious risk.

The last responsibility is very important. If the club has a commercial division, then set up a separate entity from the club to run that business. This will protect the club if the commercial division goes into receivership, and if set up properly the club assets are secure.

There are nine steps to good governance. These basic nine steps are used by organisations large and small.

Step One: Get the right people on the Committee Without the right skills and attributes, the committee will struggle to deliver good governance.Everyone has strengths in different areas and the challenge is to tap those skills to benefit the club.

A summary of the Presentation by Mike Groome ACAG Flying NZ Conference

Hamilton Airport Conference Centre 13th July 2013

Step Two: Define and Agree to the Committees Role There needs to be a documented agreement between the committee members, as to exactly what the committee’s role is and what areas of responsibility each committee person is responsible for, and what should be delegated to the club management and or CFI. The President of the club has no more authority within the club than an ordinary committee person. The President, as chair of the Committee will facilitate the discussion and must listen to all views before putting an issue to the vote. The only extra privilege the President may have is a casting vote depending on the club rules.

Step Three: Employ and Support a Manager or CFI. The Manager and or CFI needs to know what their authorities are and what the committee expects should be achieved. A clearly defined policy will provide the Manager and or CFI with the confidence to carry out their roles without having to get permission from the committee to do the job they are employed to do. There is nothing more demoralising for management than to have governance interfering in their role.

Step Four: Provide Strategic Leadership. A strategic plan makes it clear what is to be achieved. This should be written in “outcome” language, so as to be able to measure the effectiveness of the plan.

Step Five: Make Committee Meetings Count.The committee meetings should be predominately forward looking so that members can leave the meeting thinking that their experience, expertise and wisdom has added some value to the club, and that they can see some progress.

Step Six: Stay On Top of The Governance Role. It is imperative that the committee stays on top of its strategic and governance role. Time should be taken at every committee meeting for looking ahead. This should be the equivalent of a mini strategic planning meeting. Remember the Committee sets the Policy and the Management carries it out.There is no hard and fast rule as to whether management should be a part of the committee, but generally they should not.Management should attend committee meetings in their capacity as operational managers of the club, but they should not have a vote.

Step Seven: Develop the Business Plan. Committee members must view their role as continuous, involving themselves in all committee matters, making time for all the tasks that the committee must attend to, during the year. Not just to turn up when it suits them.

Step Eight: Regularly Review the Committee’s Performance. Committees should always review their own performance. This can be easily done by comparing their performance against the strategic business plan. If they are falling behind, ask the question why and do something about it.

Step Nine: Correctly Induct and Provide Support to a New Committee Person Most committees have new people elected at the AGM every year, bringing new skills and enthusiasm. It is important that new committee members are brought up to speed with the affairs of the committee and the club. By doing this the new committee person can make informed decisions and take a full part in committee meetings at an early stage rather than warming a seat for a year because they are just coming to grips with the club affairs.

This may all seem a bit tough on the individuals who very generously give of their time and effort for the club, but it is the reality in today’s world of accountability, responsibility and litigation.If you follow these steps you will have a good and effective committee which is working for the best interests of the club and its Members.Prove a certain CFI wrong and have “Success by Committee.”

My thanks to Mike Groome.Paraphrased by David Saunders, Vice President NSAC.

Hello Aviators and Aviatrix’s

The weather has not been kind to us this year as far as the competitions go. However we have some results for you. We still have to run the • LOW FLYING • BASIC PANEL • SENIOR NAVIGATION

We will be having the Junior or Spl competitions in Sep-tember and they are as follows: • Junior Navigation • Airways Corporation Trophy • Junior Landing • Jean Batten

So come on you Students have a go and have fun.

LIFE RAFT

1. Craig Vause 2. Christoph Berthoud 3. Nicl Wehler

FORCED LANDING

1. Lester Dredge 2. Steven Pereau

BOMBING 1. Rick Walters 2. Christoph Berthoud 3. Rhonda Dredge

FRANCIS BOYS 1. Rhonda Dredge 2. Steven Pereau 3. Kirsty Colman

BOMBING CPL Michael Bach

NON INSTRUMENT 1. Lester Dredge 2. Rhonda Dredge 3. Robert Groothis

NEWMAN CUP 1. Kirsty Colman 2. Rhonda Dredge

PRE FLIGHT 1. Steven Pereau 2 Christoph Berthoud 3 Stephen Jones

SENIOR LANDING 1. Stephen Pereau 2. Kirsty Colman 3. Lester Dredge

Safe and Happy FlyingRhonda

KOMPETIT ION KORNER

   

Night  Flying    

Have  you  ever  wanted  to  fly  at  night?  Dreamt  of  cruising  over  the  velvet  countryside  under  a  star  lit  sky?  

 Yes!    Then  why  not  speak  to  us  about  getting  your  Night  Rating?  

 Flying  at  night  is  an  amazing  experience  and  a  very  useful  skill  to  have.  

   

Stating  on  Thursday  25th  July  2013,  Glen  Ross  will  be  available  for    Night  Rating  Instruction  /  Currency  Checks    

EVERY  THURSDAY  NIGHT*,    until  the  end  of  NZST  (29th  September  2013).  

 If  you  would  like  to  gain  your  Night  Rating  or  would  like  to  become  

current  again,  please  contact    Lynn  at  the  Club  on  0800  4  WINGS    

to  book  your  slot**.          

*Every  effort  will  be  made  to  ensure  the  availability  of  aircraft  and  instructors,  however,  due  to  operational  reasons  and  instructor  availability  this  may  not  always  be  possible.  **  ADVANCED  BOOKINGS  ESSENTIAL  &  MANDATORY.  

m i l e s t o n e s

Solo

Simon Thompkins

Solo

Oscar Garcia

Solo

Hayden Ellis

CONGRATULATIONS!

Also:

Passenger RatingWilbur

NEW MEMBERS

We welcome the following new members to our club:

We look forward to seeing you at the club at one of our social occa-sions!

Robyn Laing

Augustin Trouble

NORTH SHOREAERO CLUB

HAS A RESTAURANT

The restaurant has been successfully running for over 2 months, each week members have enjoyed a wide range of high quality culinary delights, all very reasonably priced.

Come join us and enjoy an evening of good company, good food and excellent surroundings.

ALL FRESHLY MADESNACKS FROM $5.00BAR MEALS

•PIZZA •BURGERS •SALADS

WEEKEND SPECIALS (new specials every week)

•STEAK & KIDNEY PIE•ROAST BEEF WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS•CHICKEN & MUSHROOM IN A TARRAGON CREAM SAUCE•LAMB SHANK

FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY

4.30PM TILL CLOSING

North Shore Aero Club

Postman Road, RD4 Albany 0794.

Flightline Aviation North Shore

External Corrosion RemovalIs your aircraft starting to show signs of corrosion? It may only be cosmetic now, but don’t give corrosion the chance to get out of hand. If left, corrosion could lead to your aircraft requiring a new paint job or even worse requiring new parts. Flightline Aviation North Shore can carry out spot removal of corrosion, treating, priming, and finish coating.

PaintingIs your aircraft starting to look a bit worse for wear? We can carryout touch ups – no job too big or too small, experienced painter on-site.

Scheduled MaintenanceDo you have any outstanding maintenance? If your fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft is not being utilised over the winter period, now would be a good time to get anyoutstanding maintenance completed. Contact us to obtain a price.

Incomplete Projects/RepairsHave you started a project or repair to your aircraft but run out of time or enthusiasm to complete it? We are more than happy to come and have a look, provide advice and provide a Quote/Estimate free-of-charge in order to help you get airborne again.

Avionics/Instrument UpgradesDo you want any of the following installed; cell phone, blue tooth, GPS, 406MHz ELT, flight following equipment.

Cabin Interior RefurbishmentIs it time for a tidy up of your aircraft’scabin interior? We can source either genuine or approved after market interior kits, and arrange recovering of seats in fabric or leather.

Internal Corrosion ProtectionLet us quote you a price to protect your valuable asset from the environment by applying a preventative corrosion inhibitor to the interior surfaces of your aircraft.

Engine and Propeller OverhaulsDon’t forget, Flightline Aviation can also overhaul your piston engines and propellers with very competitive pricing.

Need any of the following?Reweigh, prop balance, 500 hr magneto inspections, modifications, component repair or overhaul, CAA Approved Maintenance Programme, parts.......give us a call or pop in to discuss.

Think that you can’t afford it? Come in and discuss your individual requirements. Deferred payment plan* or finance option* maybe available.

Russell KeastBranch Manager

* Special conditions and criteria apply

One hour “Intro Flight” - $460.00Half an Hour “Intro Flight” - $230.00

Twenty Minute “Intro Flight” - $160.00If you want something a little more serious get off to a

“Flying Start” for $1,420.00 you get: > 3 hours Flying Instruction > Ground Tuition > Briefing Sheets / R22 Checklist > Landing Fees and Airways Charges > and a Pilot Log Book

Ever wanted the opportunity to fly a helicopter?Now you can achieve your dream by taking an introductory flight

We are pleased to offer a range of ‘Introductory Flights’ to get a flying start or give as a present to that special person.

Vouchers are available and valid for six months. Only one option per person. No more than three hours previous helicopter flying experience. Payment in full in ad-vance. Cash or cheque only. Prices include GST.

NORTH SHORE HELICOPTER TRAINING LIMITED

North Shore Airfield, Postman Road, RD4, Albany, Auckland

Ph: 09 426 8748 - info@helitraining.co.nz

New GPS

1 If you fly an aircraft with a VHF COM radio that displays just five digits of the selected frequency, what is

the correct way of saying the frequencies displayed on your radio as follows, when speaking on R/T?a 125.60b 130.45c 121.87d 119.62

2 What is the name of an ATC service for arriving and departing controlled flights?

a Approach Control Serviceb Radarc Informationd Homer

3 Which of the components of a con-ventional light aircraft piston engine is it that converts the reciprocating

linear movement of the pistons to the rota-ry movenment of the propeller?a reduction gearboxb crankshaftc camshaftd crankcase

4 Before starting the engine of a single engine light aircraft it is generally recommended that the cockpit heater

control (if any) be set to OFF or CLOSED. What is the primary reason for this?a to reduce the electrical load while the starter

operatesb to ensure the fuel/air mixture in the induction

system is correctly adjustedc to prevent the cockpit windows becoming

mistedd to reduce the chance of an engine fire

spreading into the cockpit

5 Compared with the take-off distance to 50ft given in the Owner’s Manual (or POH) which of the following

conditions will give rise to the greatest increase in take-off distance requireda a 10 deg. C increase in air temperatureb soft ground or snowc a 2 deg. uphill sloped a grass runway with dry grass up to 20cm (8”

tall)

6 If both CHT (Cylinder Head Tempera-ture) and oil temperature of a nor-mally aspirated air cooled engine are

exceeding their normal ranges, which of the following could be causing the prob-lem?a the fuel being used is of a higher octane rat-

ing than specified for the engineb the oil pressure has been allowed to exceed

normal limitsc the mixture is too leand there is insufficient airflow over the engine

AV I ATO R S E L F T E S TA selection of brain teasers by James Allan, published by ‘Pilot’, Britain’s most widely read GA magazine. With kind permission of the author and Pilot magazine.www.pilotweb.aero

Check your answers here:

1 a one two five decimal six b one three zero decimal four five zero c one two one decimal eight seven five d one one nine decimal six two five(The correct procedure since November 2005 has

been to speak four digits only if the last two digits are both zeros, and to speak six digits for all other channels, irrespective of wether 25kHz or 8.33kHz channel spacing is used)

2 a

3 b 4 d (cabin heater ducts run from the engine com-

partment into the cockpit and if an engine fire did occur at startup, it could spread into the cockpit if the vent was open. Close the vent and you seal a potentially dangerous hole in your protective firewall)

5 b According to the UKCAA Safety sense leaflet 7c (June 2005) soft ground or snow gives a 25% increase in take-off distance, 10C temp increase or 2deg uphill slope each give a 10% increase and 20cm dry grass runway gives a 20% increase. (NB: Always use graphs in Flight Manual for ac-curate figures)

6 Either c or d could be responsible (but high octane fuel burns cooler and high oil pressure does not cause high engine temperatures)