EDITORIAL

Dr. Big Brother

Will pilots become transparent persons? The introduction of the European licensing according to JAR-FCL requires the set-up of national aviator data bases which gather pilot data and allows to exchange them internationally. According to the German aviation law, this data base will also contain the individual evidence of the flight medical examinations along with the health data of pilots, there parents and brothers and sisters!
    JAR-FCL only calls for storing the results and not the individual diagnosis. The motivation of the German ministry of transportation and the aviation authorities LBA to store more than that are very questionable. The ministry and the LBA both are very insensitive in the way they deal with this topic. The association of flight surgeons only found through a newspaper report that the University of Braunschweig has received an order for the development of a data base for storing medical data.
     It can’t be that the LBA’s medical division is implying its control function over the flight surgeons on the back of the pilots. Furthermore, the data protection law does not allow to store and pass on the health data from pilots’ parents and siblings without their agreement. The associations of flight surgeons (FlugMed), the German airline pilots association and the AOPA are fighting this plan. And, they have the better arguments. The German aviation law must be changed again! Aviator data base yes, Dr. Big Brother no!

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FEATURE

Flight report Pilatus PC-7

One of the most fascinating turboprop trainer aircraft is the PC-7 which is built by Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus in Stans. Most of the aircraft are owned by military operators and are off limits for civilian use. The HB-HAO is an exception. This aircraft was the first production PC-7 and is now based at the former Swiss military base in Ambri.
     aerokurier author Patrick Neelmeier took a rare opportunity to take a ride with Valentiono Fry, one of the owners of this PC-7. Neelmeier describes his impressions of the flight in this nicely illustrated feature story.

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PILOT REPORT

Kit two-seater Pulsar

More than 500 Pulsar kits have been sold until today and more than 200 aircraft are flying worldwide. The American two-seater is more popular than any other kitplane. This is also true for Germany. Approximately two dozens Pulsar are currently under assembly in garages and shops. About a dozen aircraft have already accomplished their first flight.
    One of the German homebuilders, Horst Hoffmann from St. Augustin by Bonn, describes which modifications he has made to his Pulsar XP. The article also includes the pilot’s view of the aircraft from Bob Grimstead. The British Jumbo Captain has been long known to aerokurier readers. Grimstead had the opportunity to fly a Pulsar series III in England. His impression: "It is amazing how the Pulsar performs with so little power. The low-wing aircraft is stable around all three axis. One gets used really fast to the centrally located stick."

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FUTURE 2000plus

Satellite navigation system Galileo

The aerokurier series Future 2000 plus takes a look in the future and shows visions for aviation. Satellite navigation has become a technological and commercial success which is almost unrivaled in the history of technology. Satellite navigation receivers can not only be found in aircraft cockpits but have become a affordable mass product. Satellite navigation has generated a whole new industry branch.
   Since the GPS is controlled by the US military the Europeans are planning a counterpart to this quasi-monopoly. Galileo would be an entirely new, global and civil controlled navigation system based on European owned satellites. The European Union is supporting the development of Galileo with Euro 500 million until 2005. However, the system is not expected to reach its fully operational status until 2008. The Euro 3 billion which the realization of the system is expected to cost are supposed to be raised with the participation of private investors.

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BUSINESS AVIATION

RVSM from 2002 in Europe

Business aircraft operators who want to fly above flight level 290 after 2002 need an accordingly certified aircraft. The time for modifications is already short. When airliner started to utilize the upper airspace, the worldwide aviation community agreed in 1958 to increase the vertical distances between the flight routes. Since then, aircraft flying up to FL 290 are vertically separated by 1000 ft. Between FL 290 and 410 the vertical separation is 2000 ft. In order to cope with today’s capacity problem in Europe, it is planned to change the agreement from 1958 by allowing a vertical separation of 1000 ft also between FL 290 and 410. The so called "Reduced Vertical Separation Minima" (RVSM) allows air traffic control to use the flight levels between FL 290 and 410 which so far had been used as buffer for computational and measurement inaccuracies of the aircraft. Wiss introducing RVSM in 2002 this buffer is eliminated, such increasing the upper airspace’s capacity by 20 percent.
     Since older onboard systems are not designed for the required accuracy, their data are not sufficient for RVSM operations. These older business jets will not be able to use the upper airspace above FL 290 after 2002 if they are not modified in time.

Comeback of the Piaggio P.180 Avanti

The Italian turboprop twin-engine P.180 Avanti is back. aerokurier talked to Piaggio president, Pierro Ferrari, about his plans for he future. Piaggio’s revival began in 1998 with the entry of a group of investors. Piaggio plans to deliver 14 P.180 this year and 24 in 2001. Among the first customers is the Greek civil service which has ordered two Avanti as ambulance aircraft. The company sees the biggest market in the USA while Piaggio always points out that the European market is important also and will not be neglected. To show that the company is back in business, Piaggio plans to be present at all of this year’s important aerospace exhibitions. The visitors of this year’s ILA 2000 will be able to see the P.180 at the airport Schönefeld.

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MAGAZINE

Focke-Wulf FW 190 approaching first flight

This definitely is one of the most spectacular projects. The new series production Focke Wulf FW 190 is shortly before its first flight. On 31 March, the Flug Werk GmbH, based in Gammelsdorf about 70 kilometers northeast of Munich, celebrated the roll-out of the first of twelve aircraft. The FW 190 A-8/N is an almost 100 percent copy of the FW 190 A-8 built in 1943. Flug Werk owners Hans-Günther Wildmoser and Claus Colling have been working on this project since 1996. The new aircraft will be fitted with some original parts. Seven of the planned twelve aircraft are already sold. The aircraft is listed for DM1,2 million. The new aerokurier issue gives the details of this spectacular new FW 190.

Baden airport: Shaken but not k.o.

What is happening at the Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport. In the middle of the development process, the Baden Airport was close in getting in the whirlpool around the FlowTex Group’s billion-Mark fraud. The two FlowTex partners who are also corporate partners of the Baden Airpark and Baden Airport GmbH, are now in remand. Both airport corporations have filed for bankruptcy. The participating banks have agreed to a DM4,4 million credit which secures the building of an interim terminal. The business operations at the airport continues. And, there are potential buyers for the airport. The airports Frankfurt and Stuttgart, along ABB Airport Technology have applied for an entry into the Baden Airport.

Used aircraft: buying aircraft second hand

With the right know-how one can avoid expensive mistakes when buying a used aircraft. The high dollar exchange rate has driven the prices for new aircraft up. This development also effected the used aircraft market. Second hand aircraft are in demand. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a used aircraft for a reasonable price. This is especially true for piston-engine singles. Potential customers are currently not in a good position when looking for their dream aircraft. In our new issue we tell you what to consider when buying a used aircraft and which help you can take advantage of.

Heliports at hospitals

Beginning on October 1, 2003, there are new rules effective that govern the operations of helicopter landing pads at hospitals. According to JAR-OPS 3 the heliports must be almost twice as big as so far. According to the German automobile association’s (ADAC) ambulance service this affects more than 90 percent of all German heliports. Does this endanger helicopter ambulance flights in Germany?

Around the world tour with IWC Ju-52 failed

In January a Ju-52 of the Swiss Ju-Air took off for a long-distance flight to Japan. The sponsor, the watch maker IWC from Schaffhausen, decided enroute to expand the flight to an eastbound flight around the world. However, the plans had to be canceled in March when Russia withdraw the permission to fly through the Kuril Islands. The reason supposedly was the use of the Ju-52 during the Second World War against the Russians. The true reason probably was that Russia was afraid of being spied out on the politically very sensitive Kuril Islands.

History: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

More like anyone else, the French pilot and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry managed the skill of making flying the topic of modern literature. In his stories, which also described the mail flights of the Aéropostale to Africa and South America in the adventurous pioneering days of aviation, he always focused on the people and their passion for flying. His most famous book "The small Prince" has reached worldwide importance although, or maybe because, with this book he moved into a world which is not visible with the eye. On July 31, 1944, "Saint Ex" did not return from a reconnaissance flight. 29 June 2000 will see the hundredth birthday of the famous French pilot.

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TRAVEL

Destination Greece

Gerd Siedenstein and Uta Lehr took ten days for a trip with their Piper PA-28. Their trip took them from Worms in Germany, via Italy, Korfu, Kefallia in the Ionian Sea, further on to the Aegean Sea and back via the Plattensee. Originally, a visit on Ithaka, the home island of Odysseus, was supposed to be the highlight of the trip. However, the Island can not be reached by aircraft and there was no ferry.

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FLYING

Italian mini-fighter: SIAI Marchetti SF.260

The SIAI Marchetti SF.260 is the dream aircraft of many pilots: It is compact, fast (the red line on the airspeed indicator is at 236 kts) and has been designed by famous Italian designer Stelio Frati. Only about 10 percent of all of the SF.260s are privately owned. One aircraft with an interesting history is based at the Koblenz-Winningen airfield. The D-EDUR is one of the early SF.260s. It was built in 1967 and was used as a trainer aircraft in the Belgian air force. AT the end of the seventies Belgium wanted to sell part of its trainer fleet. But the planned sales to Iran did not work out because of the Islamic Revolution.
    As a result, the aircraft were taken out of military service and sold to civil operators. That’s how the father of Ralf Niebergall got hold of his dream aircraft. Today’s paint job of the D-EDUR is still the original paint job from the Belgian forces. Only the bright orange of the tip tanks has bleached quite a bit. The cockpit offers about the same room as a sports car, only that there is a little more headroom.

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PRACTICE

Know-how: Flying with animals

Dogs and cats generally don’t have a problem with flying. But animals should be taken on to a trip with the aircraft when they are good prepared. This applies to both, the flight with the own four-seater aircraft or with an airliner. The new issue gives valuable tips for taking animals into the aircraft.

JAR-FCL license: That’s how it works in England

While the German aviation authorities are still debating on how the new European pilot licenses should be implemented, England has already done so. Whomever wants to, can exchange his national PPL against a JAR-FCL license. The transfer requires a medical according to JAR-FCL. Furthermore, the procedure requires at least one proficiency check with a flight examiner.
      The conversion costs about 450 Marks. Together with the costs for the medical and the expenses for the check flight(s) the costs easily sum up to around 1500 to 2000 Marks. Another point is that the license is only valid for five years. It must be renewed which costs 64 pounds (approximately 200 Marks). Surprisingly also that the British flight radio-telephony operator’s license, which so far had no void date, is also valid for five years also.

Meteo: Travel flight planning, part 3

In the past part of the "Two-day planning", an exemplary flight from Munich to Dresden was canceled because of the meteorological forecast. Was this decision right and was the weather really that bad on the planned flying day. An evaluation of the prognosis shows how good or bad the forecast products or the own interpretation really were.

Accident analysis

In bad weather and heavy turbulence the six-seat Extra 400 went out of control over the city of Hagen and crashed. The owner/pilot of the new aircraft, who was the only person on board, died in the accident. According to the accident investigators the event was not related to a technical problem. The investigators believe that the pilot could not cope with the aircraft. He was under great timing pressure and did not take the time to familiarize himself with the cockpit which was new (including a new autopilot system) to him. Furthermore, he was flying under IFR although at that point the EA 400 was not certified for IFR flights.

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ULTRALIGHT

P92-S 100: More than a facelift

The P92-S 100 was first presented at the AERO’99. Meanwhile the first aircraft of the improved P-92 have been delivered. We wanted to know if Tecnams update to the S-version is worth it for the customers. The successful all-metal ultralight was not only equipped with a more powerful Rotax 912S (100 hp) but also underwent an aerodynamical fine-tuning. The results are promising and reveal a better performance along with a better look. While the P-92-S can’t keep all the way up with modern composite ultralights in the finish, the aircraft made good points as an allrounder with good flying characteristics and a compatible price.

AlphaMFD: Digital cockpit for ultralight aircraft

With the Bräuniger AlphaMFD a digital engine and flight monitoring capability in one compact unit is introduced to ultralights. We looked at one of the first production units which is installed in a Flight Design CT. With clear displays and user-friendly design the new AlphaMFD offers the pilot all necessary information for a safe conduct of flight. The functions can be adapted to the individual needs. However, one should not omit the conventional instruments completely.

Ecolights: Backing for Switzerland

Switzerland is the only European country that forbids the operation of ultralight aircraft. For years, the Swiss Microlight Flyers (SMF), a division of the Swiss Aero Club, has been fighting this ban. Now, there was a new approach. On 21 March, SMF invited about 40 members of the parliament to a unique ultralight presentation at the airport Bern-Belp. The Swiss company got backing from German ultralight aircraft manufacturers, importers and flying schools. The event was extremely successful. members of different parties, even the president of the Greens, publicly announced their support for the introduction of ultralights, which are called ecolights in Switzerland, in the country.

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GLIDING

The ASW 28 is flying

The new Standard Class aircraft from Alexander Schleicher Segelflugzeugbau, the ASW 28, is flying. Manager Edgar Kremer already accomplished a thermal flight at the first take-off from the Wasserkuppe. Designer Gerhard Waibel: "The first impression already showed: The 28 flies more compact, less nervous than the 24. With the large wing area and the tall winglets it showed more stability around the longitudinal axis. And that’s what we wanted." Did this lead to degraded turn capabilities? Measuring the time from 45 degrees to 45 degrees bank angle was one of the first things engineer Waible did: "At 1,3 times the minimum speed I measured 3 to 3,5 seconds." This is even better than the ASW 24 (3,6 seconds).
      Compact and sound is also the visual impression which the ASW 28 leaves on the ground and in the air. Wings and winglets look like a completely rounded piece of work. Only the low vertical tail looks somewhat unusual.

Mature: LS9 now in series production

The pre-series of the LS9 has passed its test phase with bravery. Now manufacturer Rolladen-Scheider takes the aircraft, which is a motorized version of the successful LS6-c18w, to start an offensive approach into the market of self-start capable gliders. The LS9 development goes back to the year 1995. A Rotax powered prototype in a very mature stage had been used in competitions very early. However, Rotax’ withdrawal from the two-cycle engine business with JAR-22 certification brought the development to a standstill for a while. The Egelsbach-based manufacturer now waited until Solo, with the 50-hp Solo 2625, had brought an alternative power plant to production standard. The LS9 is a convincing product. The design on the engine part is well thought through, very solid and practical. As a glider, the aircraft is well known and has inherited the good characteristics from the LS6-c18w and the LS4.

Idaflieg winter meeting in Dresden

The Idaflieg (association of academic flying groups) winter meeting in January was hosted for the first time by the Akaflieg Dresden. This flying group, which was only founded in 1998, is still in the build-up process and is just now developing first ideas for own projects and studies. This meeting’s participants included the German Research Center, the LBA (German aviation authorities), glider manufacturers and other interested parties. The meeting focused on the development status of joint projects, the measuring campaigns of the previous summer meeting and on the exchange and discussion of new ideas and concepts.

From a motor glider to a hearing aid

Motorized gliders are becoming increasingly popular. The accordingly higher cockpit noise levels bear a definite danger for the pilots to impaired hearing. Dr. Uwe Stüben has studied these effects. In the past two years, a representative study of the average cockpit noise level of 15 motor gliders from various manufacturers was compiled, including an evaluation of the data for the health of the pilots. The most important result: The cockpit noise level are absolute contrary to the noise levels in the aircraft’s noise certification! Noise levels up to 120 dB(A) were measured!

LBA provokes a misleading safety conscience

The German aviation authorities LBA plans to forbid glider tow flights with the bottom coupling. This will certainly have the effect that there will be no more tow accidents with the bottom coupling. However, it is very doubtful that this measure will reduce the number of tow accidents and the number of insured tow pilots. Glider engineer Gerhard Waibel and Frank Stahlkopf, whose business is the investigation of aircraft accidents, take these doubts as an opportunity to explain important facts about towing gliders with the front or the bottom coupling.

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