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aerokurier 1/1999
Golden anniversary With the January 1999 issue, aerokurier is celebrating the 500th issue since its foundation in April of 1957. For a monthly publication, this is a magnificent event, so is it for us, the aerokurier team. 500 issues of aerokurier, that’s more than 60000 pages information about aviation. It has always been our focus to inform you, our readers, first hand and up-to-date about the important events of the branch. Both, publishing house and the editorial staff are putting quite a bit of effort into accomplish this goal. One of the reasons why the aerokurier’s editors are traveling all over the world for you. Power aerobatic with Sean D. Tucker Sean D. Tucker is the toughest pilot in the airshow circus. The show he puts on with his aerobatic biplane is simply exhilarating. Not only for the spectators, but also for Tucker himself: He pulls up to 12 G’s during his show. "Last year I broke one of my neckbones", the pilot in the black pilot overall explains to the crows while he puts on a neckbrace. It’s similar to the on Formula-1 racing car drivers put on to protect their head from twisting during side loads. During one of last year’s airshows, Tucker had bend his head so much that one of the neckbones gave in. The doctors put him into a cast and grounded him for several months. The thick "pillow" around his neck along with the parachute have since been mandated by his occupational disability insurance. Beechcraft Duke B60 It’s not only some cars that have a timeless beauty. It is also, some aircraft will always be in style. One of them is the pressurized-cabin twin Duke which Beech offered until 1982. The B60, which was introduced in 1974, has a little more spacious interior than the earlier versions. Optional wing tip tanks increased the tank volume to 232 US gallons (878 l). At the time of the very first market entry in 1968, the B60 was listed for a price of 195000 dollars. In 1982, Beech was asking for 584000 dollar. In this issue’s pilot report, aerokurier writer Bob Grimstead from Great Britain describes his tour with top-condition B60. Grimstead’s report is complimented by an evaluation from Martin Hagensieker from Bad Essen, Germany. He is known as a Duke expert and has been occupied with this aircraft since 1990. Hagensieker has accumulated approximately 1400 hours with this attractive twin, among them several flights over the Atlantic ocean. Avionics trends at the NBAA in Las Vegas Avionics are becoming increasingly compact and complex. Now, the manufacturers are looking for new ways to help pilots in understanding and operating the systems more easily. The miniaturization of electronics in the past, allowing the integration of several sensors (GPS, VOR, ILS, COM, Autopilot) in one system, have not only raised questions about the technical feasibility of an instrument or system but, have also raised concerns about the human interface already during the design and development. Female line pilots: the long way into the cockpit Becoming an accepted crew member requires some serious commitment and tough standing. This is especially true when a woman tries to join the formerly male domain. Avionics: Moving Terrain Ultra The Munich, Germany based supplier Moving Terrain is offering an improved moving map display, called MT-Ultra. The unit is user friendly. The colour quality and sharpness are convincing and offer VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixel). The display is good readable from all side angles. MT-Ultra is listed for a price of 17261 Mark, which includes the European NAV data basis, the entire hardware and the maps of one European country of choice. On Amundsen’s trail, part 2: Motive search in the Arctic In 19 days, the three German pilots, Helmut Scharpf, Wolfgang Scherer and Dr. Franz Stadtbäumer flew with a P.68 Partenavia from Bavaria via Greenland to the Bering Strait. The second part of their travel report tells us about their return flights from Alaska. The crew used mainly the route which Roald Amundsen had utilized at the beginning of the century for the first time with a ship: the legendary northwest passage, a connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific via the very North of the North American continent. The report features spectacular photos of a manifold landscape. New episodes of the TV show Medicopter 117 The German TV station RTL’s show "Medicopter 117" with its stunning helicopter flight scenes sets new standards for Germany’s action TV. With high viewing figures, the popularity of rotary aircraft in the population is increasing. The second sequel of the series was shot in Vienna during the summer of 1998. Aerokurier was at the set and experienced the two TV crews and their BK 117 helicopter along with its real pilot Hans Ostler live and in colour. Safety: Alpine flying, part I There are only few landscapes which hold that many exciting flying experiences as the high mountains. And no other flying area demands this level of skill from the pilots. Flying in the Alps cannot just be studied at home. A solid and comprehensive practical introduction with an experienced flight instructor is most important. However, aerokurier’s two-part introduction to Alpine flying will help you in preparing to master the high mountains. Ice time for aircraft Aerokurier author Roland Straub explains why it is so important to have the oil with the correct specifications in your engine during the cold season. Also, the batteries require higher attention in winter time. And: Whomever flies his aircraft regularly in winter protects its engine from corrosion. Fire on board Fire on board an aircraft is really dangerous. A fire in the cockpit can disable the crew in a very short period of time, the really still intact aircraft gets out of control and crashes. It’s especially the extensive cockpit electronics which is potentially holding the risk for fires. A shortcut becomes disastrous if the pilot can not react correct and timely. That’s why the emergency checklist should always be kept in reach. Also, pilot’s a well advised always knowing by heart what to do in case of a fire on board. IFR training: useful learning tool Electronic learning tools, from software to PC-based procedure trainers, support IFR students in their training. Now, there is a new mechanical learning tool developed by Oswald Pietschmann from Munich. The Avigat 764 helps new IFR pilots in radio navigation and spatial orientation. Accident analysis: helicopter crash after cable railway collision An insufficiently marked cable of a material transport cable railway at the Vorarlberg in Austria became a trap for the pilot of a German rescue helicopter. During the search for an injured skier, the helicopter collided with the rope and crashed. While the pilot was killed in the accident, the rescue assistant and the doctor survived heavily injured. The accident investigation by the Austrian authorities also evaluated if the accident could have been prevented if the BO 105 C were equipped with a cable cutter. Loehle Sport Parasol: Affordable flying For some, the Sport Parasol is one of the world’s most inexpensive aircraft. Others appreciate the fun in building the aircraft themselves and flying it without much effort. After two years of work, Wolfgang Fritz has finished the simple and open high-wing aircraft. In this aerokurier issue, he writes about his experiences in building it, as well as, about the unique flying experience in this extraordinary single-seater. Ecolights fail in the Swiss high parliament The Swiss Aero Club’s (AeCS) Ecolight project has now crashed because of politics. The new category of environmental friendly motor aircraft, which partially leans on ultralight aircraft, will not be seen in Swiss skies for quite some more time now. In spite of the Swiss aviation authority’s (BAZL) support, the responsible minister for environment, energy and communication, Bundesrat Moritz Leuenberger, has refused to permit the new aircraft category. According to the refusal notification, "the introduction of Ecolight aircraft would increase the number of aircraft in spite of an expected partial substitutional effect". Looking for new ways to compete Gliding is a fascinating sport experience. However, in competitions of today’s outline, the fascination is becoming endangered. New forms of competition are needed. Tactical maneuvers are in the foreground of German and international competitions. Each new initiative is blocked by the participating pilot’s goals of just being relatively better than the competitors. Even when challenged with complex and large daily tasks, participants delay their departure until the last minute with the goal not be the trailblazer and being outmaneuvered later by the succeeding competitors. Mastering the task as best as possible is not the challenge. It is enough to have flown a little farther than others in the self-induced route scoring. The outcome of this attitude is that gliding as the fascination of mastering the nature is losing its attraction. What is important in competitions? Who has tried out other forms of competitions? What experiences have you made in doing so? Where are the strong and weak points? Which forms of tasking should be incorporated in the current scale of competitions? What are the disadvantages that should be tolerated? We will present these experiences and suggestions in the next aerokurier issues. We need your ideas. Contact: aerokurier, Ubierstrasse 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany, Phone: ++49 228 9565-131, Fax: -246; E-Mail: aerokurier@compuserve.com. Soteira: Rescue system for gliders A new rescue system, which the academic flying group (Akaflieg) Darmstadt has developed for its D-43 two-seater, is also a potential retrofit option for older gliders. Soteira (Greek), the rescue system for the D-43, is not available yet. However, the concept by the Darmstadt students is a promising application beyond the D-43 two-seater for all those older glider designs which will probably not be able to profit from a possible mandatory equipment with complete-rescue systems. This applies to all the gliders which are presently in operation, along with all of the motorized versions in production today, as well as, to all larger (heavier) types with a wingspan of more than 15 meters (mainly two-seaters). Association for the promotion of rescue systems The past flying season showed again: The personal parachute is not an adequate rescue means for gliding. An integrated system, a rescue system for glider and pilot, or one that automatically pulls the pilot out of the cockpit, could have saved more than one pilot’s lives. However, such a system is not available (yet). Its development would take time and money. The research and development work in the private sector is progressing only slowly. Still, the research and development of rescue systems must not fail for money reasons! That’s why the German national gliding team has started an initiative to push the integrated rescue system ahead. This initiative has lead to the foundation of the association for the promotion "rescue systems" at the recent glider pilots day. The first objective of the Association for the promotion is the channeling of the necessary financial means for the R&D work on integrated glider rescue systems. This will mainly be done through membership contributions (annual fee of 50 Mark) and donations. Top pilots are heading the initiative: In the foundation meeting in Gersfeld, Michael Grund was elected as the head of the association. Holger Back is his deputy, Walter Eisele will be responsible for the finances and Uli Schwenk is clerk. Whomever is interested in contributing should send a formless membership application, including the debit order (account and bank number) for an annual fee of 50 Mark. Contact: Verein zur Förderung von Rettungssystemen im Segelflug, c/o Walter Eisele, Sicherstrasse 8, 73257 Köngen, Germany. Erich Klöckner’s reach for the tropopause After almost 60 years, the FAI has now confirmed Erich Klöckner’s altitude world record of 11460 m from 11 October 1940. On that date, Klöckner was the world’s first glider pilot to reach an altitude of more than 10 km on a research flight in the Alps. Ten years later, after the war, his record altitude of 11460 m was broken by the American glider pilot Bill Ivans in the frame of a similar meteorological research program in the Sierra Nevada, USA. Peter Riedel 1905 – 1998 Peter Riedel has formed the development of competitive gliding since the birthday of gliding. He already participated in the first Rhön competition in 1920. As a 14-year old, Riedel joined the "Rhön indians" and later "exported" the fascination of gliding with expeditions around the world. He won the 14th Rhön championships, two US championships and set a mark with a seven-hour thermal flight over New York City. Riedel worked as engineer and testpilot for Professor Georgii at the Gliding Research Institute in Darmstadt. After the war, Riedel worked in the US as a pilot and engineer. In 1975, Peter Riedel fulfilled himself a dream by flying with a Ka 6 from the Wasserkuppe in Germany on a 700 km leg into France, such winning the third diamond for his Gold-C. At home in Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA, Peter Riedel worked up until the end on ambitious plans for advertising gliding, for example on a flight around the world with motorized gliders. His trilogy "Erlebte Rhöngeschichte" highlights the development of gliding in the twenties and thirties in Germany. Peter Riedel died on 6 November 1998 in the age of 93 years in Ardmore. Southbound with the Sun Leaving the gray and cold North for the other side of the hemisphere. Here, one finds the sun along with thermal conditions that can’t be experienced even during the best days at home. South America is truly exotic. Individual excursion have explored the possibilities in Chile. Klaus Ohlmann – the specialist for wave cross country flights – now plans to explore the wave flight envelope on the eastern side of the Andes from Argentina. An adventure at the edge of civilization. Further gliding news, for example concerning the European championships of the women and the German championships of the juniors, can be found under airSPORT and NEWS Gliding.
Editorial: Thinking of the small In the preparation of this special, the editorial office again surveyed aviation maintenance firms and shops in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland about their opinion on the current situation of the branch. Approximately 46 percent of the companies which answered our questionnaire expect a positive trend for their own company, while only 38 percent expect a positive development for the entire branch. Small maintenance shops with three or four employees do not have any economical leeway. And, they do not have a lobby. To give these companies solid and reasonable working conditions not only makes sense in the view of the entire economy (since they generate highly qualified jobs), but it also helps the airports to find customers. Engine overhaul at Lufthansa Technik Even if the last name is the same – Lufthansa Technik not only works for the Lufthansa airline. Two thirds of the work load in LH Technik’s engine overhaul division in Hamburg is generated by outside customers. Only 35 percent of the work is generated by Lufthansa’s own fleet. Worldwide, LH Technik is serving 80 customers and more than 1500 engines. MTU Maintenance: Global joint ventures MTU Maintenance wants to become the world’s number one of the independent engine overhaul services. With the foundation of the MTU Maintenance Canada, the company is one step closer to its goal. Repairing composites Repairing composite parts is difficult. Sometimes the damage is not visible with the eye but can be very severe. Especially when older aircraft are concerned, can an damaged part related crack in the paint fuse with a number of aircraft and paint-age related cracks and can easily be overlooked. Avionics: repair of gyro instruments The repair of gyro instruments requires a special expertise and precise handling. Gyro instruments are mechanical wonders. However, only few pilots think about the maintenance and care of these important (for example for flights under IMC) systems. Rotor blade maintenance Rotor blades are made of robust material because they are exposed to special loads in flight. That’s why they normally don’t require maintenance. However, should they get damaged, they can be made flightworthy again with repair. |
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Last updated December 24, 1998