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aerokurier 4/2001 Don’t drink and fly Fortunately it is only seldom that a flying accident or incident occurs in which
alcohol played a role. This only goes to show that most pilots are extremely responsible
in their consumption of alcohol. Nevertheless, even in aviation black sheep are not
unknown. This is suggested not only by various accidents in which crew members were under
the influence of alcohol but also by footage taken by a British television team which
showed the cockpit crew of an airliner enjoying more than a few drinks prior to take-off.
Flying under the influence of alcohol is not a trivial offence. Rather, it is evidence of
unprofessional and completely irresponsible behaviour which does immense damage to the
image of flying. Everybody knows that alcohol does not just reduce the alertness of pilot. An Altenrhein C-3605 in its full former glory Anyone who has seen it once will never forget it. The "Altenrhein" C-3605’s unusual appearance makes it quite distinctive. No less distinctive is the biography of the former Swiss military aircraft that today is almost 60 years old. Which is better? Extra 400 or Malibu Mirage? Now that the first Extra 400’s are being shipped, what could be more natural than
to pit the brand-new six-seater from Dinslaken against the established Piper Malibu Mirage
in a comparison flight? Both planes have 350hp turboprop engines and can seat six persons. Heli-Expo 2001 A brand-new helicopter, two maiden flights and a number of modifications were the main features of Heli-Expo 2001 in Anaheim, California. Eurocopter unveiled a new member of the successful Ecureuil family (AS 350), the spacious EC 130 B4. Successful first flights were announced by Bell/Agusta with the twin-engined AS 139 and Enstrom with the 480B. Sikorsky had just begun flight testing of its modified S-92. Frank Robinson presented his idea of compact roof landing pads in business parks and Agusta and Westland announced that the formal ties between them were finally complete. In future they will be supplying the entire helicopter market under the name of "Agusta Westland". Reservation systems More and more flying clubs and flying schools are outlawing the reservation book and going instead for an online reservation system. Various providers are vying for favour amongst the private pilots. An overview. In the cockpit with Henrik Münch He flies the Boeing 737 with Deutsche BA and since the beginning of 2001 he has also been Technical Captain of the Munich-based subsidiary of British Airways. But 41-year-old Henrik Münch is also qualified as a quite different kind of captain: he holds a master’s certificate qualifying him, as a master mariner, to drive large ships over the seven seas. Spitfire Mk 25 from Supermarine Aircraft A new variant of the legendary Spitfire has made its debut in Australia. It may be only
three-quarters of the size, but it is just as good-looking. Brian Maginnity has been to
take a closer look at the single-seater "war machine" from Brisbane, which is
shortly to be joined by a two-seater version. In the west of Africa After their successful "Mission Timbuktu" Karl-Heinz Maxwitat and Dr. Franz Stadtbäumer were sure of one thing: they would definitely be going back. This time they ventured still deeper into the African continent, flying a Cessna 182. The primary route they followed on their photo safari by single-engined plane took them along the rivers Senegal, Niger and Gambia. Eternal love Waco lovers in the USA are ensuring, at great expense both time and money, that the numerous versions produced by the once renowned aircraft manufacturer are kept current. aerokurier journalist Howard Levy flew in to the third fly-in of the Waco Historical Society in spectacular fashion. Bob Jaeger, a retired brain surgeon who since his retirement has become an avid Wacorianer, took him along in his meticulously restored Waco YOC. Whilst out in the field, Levy succeeded in capturing a number of genuine Waco rarities on film. Fitness training after the winter break It wasn’t much of a winter, but many pilots have still had a break. Just in a matter of a few months, some of the routines could have faded away. Karl-Heinz Apel describes the typical errors one can expect pilots to make after the seasonally induced break and how best to eliminate them. Refresher: aborted take-off All that information about what to do in the event of something untoward occurring during a flight is lurking somewhere in the back of one’s brain. But when it comes to the crunch, is one really prepared for that departure from normality, the emergency? For example on take-off? It is extremely rare for a take-off to be aborted. Hence this contingency will probably be submerged at the back of one’s mind. But when that emergency really occurs, the required action list must be available immediately. It is therefore very important to recapitulate the emergency procedure prior to taking off. Accident analysis: emergency landing in a corn field sets plane on fire The formation of bubbles in the fuel system is the probable cause of an accident which befell a Russian Yak 18T in Raron, Wallis, in Switzerland. The engine had cut out immediately after take-off. When the pilot’s attempt to feed the engine fuel using the hand pump failed, he was forced to make an emergency landing in a field. In so doing, the Yak cut through some high voltage electric cables which triggered a fire on contact with the ground. The pilot and his companion managed to escape the wreckage uninjured. Allegro 2000 versus Ikarus C-42 The Czech company Fantasy Air is hoping to win customers for its Allegro 2000 as an
uncomplicated all-rounder. To investigate this claim, we pitted it against the market
leader, the Ikarus C-42. Reports: 2,463km gliding record On 26 November last year Klaus Ohlmann and co-pilot Alois Urbancic completed the longest distance ever to have been flown in a glider. They succeeded in beating the previous record by over 400km. Klaus Ohlmann describes the experience of flying his Stemme S10 in the lee waves of the Argentinean Andes for aerokurier. Towing of gliders The new regulations on the towing of gliders and powered gliders in Germany that were
announced in the March issue of aerokurier are to be kept quite general, other than as was
reported. The announced implementing regulation talks in general terms about aircraft
tows. The definition of aircraft that can be used as towing devices therefore includes
both powered aircraft and powered gliders, and in future very likely also ultralight
aircraft! Gariep Damm gliding camp Once the high season gets under way, the Gariep Damm airfield in South Africa is transformed into a gliding centre for around eight weeks. Gariep Damm is in the heart of South Africa, which puts it a long way from the influence of the Atlantic or Indian Oceans. The airfield by the reservoir has two asphalt runways 1200 metres long and one cross runway. During the 2000/2001 gliding season it was once again a meeting point for 41 pilots with 23 gliders from Europe and South Africa. New escape aid: ejection seat for gliders Exiting a glider in an emergency is problematic and difficult. Two glider pilots have
unveiled the concept of a purely mechanical aid to making an emergency exit. New facilities for Oerlinghausen gliding school Since the beginning of the year there has been intensive building activity in Oerlinghausen. The new training centre on the eastern side of the airfield should be finished in October. Some DM 7.7 million, most of it from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is being invested in renovating the Oerlinghausen gliding school. The long-established training centre will then be accommodated with all its facilities in a loosely laid out modern bungalow village. LAK 17a earns good marks when put to the test Sportine Aviacija of Lithuania has every reason to be pleased with the performance of its LAK 17a combination aircraft for the racing and 18m classes. At the summer meeting of the association of academic flying groups (Idaflieg) last August in Aalen-Elchingen the Lithuanians subjected the LAK 17a to a comparative test. The results of the data gathered from photographic comparison methods and localisation of the aircraft using GPS speak for themselves. The manufacturer has therefore made them available for publication without reservations. The speed and lift-drag ratio polars are shown. New TBO rule for Tost releases Up to now Tost tow releases have had to have a general overhaul every four years - even
when they have hardly been used or not used at all. This is now set to change. AERO 2001: the number one With 450 exhibitors from 23 countries and an expected 45,000 visitors, AERO in Friedrichshafen is Europe’s number one General Aviation air show. Visitors will be able to view the full spectrum and diversity of General Aviation in ten halls and a large outside area at Löwenthal airport, which is simple and free of charge to get to by shuttle bus. Powered aircraft at AERO At AERO 1999 the maiden flight of the A 210 Aquila still lay in the future, but now its
flight test programme is finished. To date this plane from Schönhagen has clocked up 260
hours in the air. The other newcomers at AERO include the T182T Turbo Skylane from
Cessna and the 310hp SR22 from Cirrus Design. The Austrian DA40-180 Diamond Star may have
obtained its IFR certification for Europe by the start of the air show. Gliders at AERO 2001 Developments in glider construction take time. Often they cannot key up with the rapid
pace of the air shows. So at AERO 2001 there will only be one debut, but a host of
extremely interesting projects. Ultralights at AERO: the sector is booming Ultralights will once again be well represented at AERO. There may be fewer new models
on display, but there will be a number of improved versions of familiar aircraft. Business Aviation at AERO The order books of the business aircraft manufacturers are bursting, so a sizeable chunk of AERO is to be devoted to Business Aviation. A number of extremely successful types will be on show in Friedrichshafen. World premiere at AERO: the TAE diesel is certified One of the sensations of AERO will be the unveiling by Thielert Aircraft Engines of the
TAE diesel engine, the first certified modern diesel engine in the world. It will be
flying in the Valentin Taifun testbed and in a Piper Warrior. New flight simulator The complexity of their hydraulic systems makes simulators which simulate motion prohibitively expensive for General Aviation. An American company has therefore launched a full-motion simulator with electric drive. Pittsburgh-based Fidelity Flight Simulation plans to unveil its Motus F62li flight simulator family, which uses an electric system to simulate motion in place of a hydraulic system, in Europe. Use of an electric system reduces the complexity of the equipment, which can then be offered at a fraction of the price of normal full-motion simulators. In the USA Fidelity Flight Simulation markets the PC-supported training equipment for $145,000. Daily programme at AERO 2001 Anyone who wants to get up to speed on General Aviation will have plenty of opportunity
between 26 and 29 April in Friedrichshafen, where the programme includes a series of
lectures. The subjects to be covered range from general reflections on General Aviation
through to quite specialist issues. aerokurier at AERO: a full programme Visitors to AERO will find it worth their while calling in at Stand 5, Hall 10 where
they can not only pick up the latest issue of aerokurier but try their hand at winning an
attractive prize in the prize draw. Meeting point Lake Constance The approach procedure for AERO in Friedrichshafen comes from the USA. The Lake Constance controllers have been out "spying" in Lakeland at one of the biggest aviation events in the world, and they returned fully convinced that the most efficient way to arrive by air entails only one reporting point (Illmensee) and staggering from one direction one behind the other. For General Aviation pilots who want to fly to AERO, this means: get yourself a PPR, study the approach chart, listen to the ATIS and head for the Zeppelin hangar as an orientation point. Looking back: AERO 10 and 20 years ago AERO started out quite small. Looking back to the air shows of 1981 and 1991 brings to light not just curiosities but also important evolutionary steps. |
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Last updated March 25, 2001