aerokurier 5/2002
 Editiorial Medical examinations / Feature Visit
to the Flying Bulls team / Pilot Report High-speed kit: Legacy 2000 / Magazine The
new European pilot’s licence: we answer readers’ questions, Sunglasses for
pilots, Moving Terrain for IFR use, Strausberg satellite airfield leeward of Berlin,
Special deal for Berlin Air Show via Strausberg, FH Wilhelmshaven: fast track to
aeroengineer, In the cockpit with Maria Hommel, 2002 Berlin Air Show promises to be
a record, Extra to unveil single turbine aircraft at ILA, Air rescue as a 24-hour
service?, Aero Beta Flying School on new course, Oshkosh: tips for the biggest fly-in in
the world / Travel Puszta
and Piroschka / Flying Oldtimer
revival: Ryanair / Practice Taxiing:
no speed limit for airport traffic, F class airspace: no obstacle to VFR pilots, Failure
of on-board electrical systems can have fatal consequences, Accident analysis: twin sliced
to pieces / Ultralight Long-term
experience with the G-3 Mirage, Dallach’s new D5 Evolution / Gliding Bitterwasser:
distance flying paradise in the Kalahari desert, A new Horten IV, OLC 2003: keeping it
simple, Gliding in Pokweni, Namibia, Back to the roots, "Start up Gliding"
campaign extended / Booklet Termine
EDITORIAL
Medical examinations
Pilots who have been grounded due to health problems and want to return to the cockpit
have a problem. In Germany, they have to appear before the aviation medicine committee of
the German civil aviation authority (LBA). It makes no difference here whether they are
professional pilots or private pilots wishing to fly again.
This is not to say that there should not be a thorough
examination of individual cases, quite the contrary. It is helpful to pilots to be given a
realistic picture of their state of health so that they can adjust their personal plans
accordingly. But processing times of several months have nothing to do with thorough
examination, they are a symptom of inadequate capacity.
This state of affairs is indefensible. Something must be done. Why does it takes so long
to inform the person concerned whether he can fly again or not? This cannot be allowed to
continue. There is an urgent need for reform!
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FEATURE
Visit to the Flying Bulls team
The planes in the Austrian historic flying team are star guests at every air show. We
took a look behind the scenes at the Flying Bulls’ home base at Salzburg Airport,
where B-25’s, T-6’s or DC-6’s are prepared for their next missions.
Specialists from the whole of Europe are involved in the maintenance and restoration of
the historical aircraft.
The most prominent date on the team’s calendar is currently
the Berlin Air Show. The complete Flying Bulls fleet is scheduled to appear in the ILA
2002 flying programme. This year’s stars are two freshly restored Alpha Jets, which
are to be unveiled to the public for the first time in Berlin. Our extensive report
provides background information on the history of the team and its current plans.
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PILOT REPORT
High-speed kit: Legacy 2000
Lancair has extensively revamped the two-seater 320/360 kit. The successor model, the
Legacy 2000, is more spacious, takes less long to build and flies faster as well.
The first aircraft to be built from production components completed its
maiden flight a good year ago. It belongs to Carsten Sundin, Chief Engineer of Lancair.
Since then, three customers have succeeded in getting their planes into the air.
Compared with the original type, the new model has a more spacious
cabin. A lot of development effort has gone into the new wing. In outline it resembles a
double trapezium, whereas the previous wing had the shape of a single trapezium. The
modification will ensure a more even distribution of lift. Over 50% of the wing surface
will now have a laminar airflow.
Anyone who decides to install a Lycoming IO-360 may expect to fly at
218 KTAS (403km/h) at FL 120 (3,660m). At FL 180 (5,490m) the plane should be able to
manage 244 KTAS (451km/h). The 310hp engine can produce over 261 KTAS (483km/h) at full
power.
In the May edition of aerokurier we share our first impressions of flying in
the company’s Legacy N199L.
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AIRCRAFT REPORT
The new European pilot’s licence:
we answer readers’ questions
The introduction of the European pilot’s licence in Germany is moving closer. The
JAR-FCL regulations will come into force in this country later this year. But at present
questions still abound. We invited some experts in the subject to answer the ones most
frequently asked.
Sunglasses for pilots
Good eyesight is essential in visual flight. Sunglasses are therefore basic equipment
even for those who do not normally wear glasses. Our brand survey explains what
specifically pilots should look out for when purchasing this protection against the sun.
Moving Terrain for IFR use
Switching from VFR to IFR and back again often entails some uncertainty, but not so
with MT-VisionAir from Moving Terrain in Sulzberg. IFR procedures are plotted on their VFR
maps. The advantages of MT-VisionAir are demonstrated in a sample flight.
Strausberg satellite airfield leeward of Berlin
Expansion in line with requirements is the philosophy adopted in Strausberg. A
realistic approach is being taken to development of this airfield to the east of Berlin.
Its major advantage is the short time it takes to get to the capital city. What Strausberg
has to offer today you can read in the latest issue of aerokurier.
Special deal for Berlin Air Show via Strausberg
Strausberg airfield (EDAY) is offering an attractive deal to visitors to the Berlin
Air Show (6-12 May). All landing and parking charges have been reduced. Strausberg is
offering a reservation service for hotel and other accommodation. All crew will receive a
comprehensive information pack and will be driven by shuttle van to the S-Bahn station
from where a train can be taken to Schönefeld. Transfer to the air show will take around
one-and-a-half hours. Further information is available on the airfield’s home page at
www.flugplatz-strausberg.de.
FH Wilhelmshaven: fast track to aeroengineer
At FH in Wilhelmshaven one can train to become an aeroengineer in less than four
years. What is unusual is that FH teaches both theory and practice at the same time, in a
dual system.
In the practical phases students complete an entire apprenticeship culminating, for
example, in the Chamber of Commerce qualification as an Aircraft Mechanic. The initiative
for this came from industry, notably from the EADS Airbus plants in Varel, Nordenham and
Bremen, whose requirement for qualified engineers is on the increase.
In the cockpit with Maria Hommel
For Maria Hommel, taking off is more than lifting off from the ground in an aircraft.
"When I fly, I really do leave everything else behind me," she says. A pilot of
many talents, she has resolutely devoted herself to flying as a sport. Read our portrait
of this remarkable woman pilot in the new issue of aerokurier.
2002 Berlin Air Show promises to be a record
With 1,000 exhibitors from over 40 countries, ILA 2002 is expecting to achieve record
results. The aerospace industry will be gathering between 6 and 12 May in the southern
section of Berlin’s Schönefeld airport. With a separate General Aviation Alley and
the new HeliCenter with heliport, extra emphasis is to be given this year to General
Aviation and the helicopter industry. An extensive flying programme, presenting aircraft
from every era in aviation history, is to be put on every day to entertain visitors to the
air show.
Extra to unveil single turbine aircraft at ILA
No completely new aircraft will be on view at the Berlin Air Show, but there will be
many which have been made more attractive by being fitted with new powerplants. A prime
example here is the Extra 400, a turbine version of which has recently become available.
DA40, C172, PA-28 and DR400/110 are all models which in future will consume Jet A1 and
diesel fuel as well as avgas.
The turbine version of the Extra 400 is fitted with a 450shp
Rolls-Royce/Allison-turbine 250B17F3. This raises the prospect of superlative flying
performance. Thus the cruising speed is to be over 200 KTAS at FL 60. At FL 200 the plane
should do 240 KTAS. Above that it will go even faster. The corresponding hourly Jet A1
fuel consumption is approx. 85 litres.
Again, when it comes to range, the single-engined turboprop will have an excellent
profile, allowing it, for example, to be flown non-stop IFR from Dinslaken to Casablanca.
The maximum take-off weight of the Extra 500 PA (Personal Airliner) is 2,130kg. This is
131kg more than on the original version.
Air rescue as a 24-hour service?
Over 300 guests attended the second Air Rescue Symposium at Baden-Baden at the
invitation of the DRF team. One subject hotly discussed was the question of whether
night-time air rescue will be practical in the future and what hurdles still have to be
overcome before the air rescue service in Germany, which functions so well by day, can
become a 24-hour service.
Aero Beta Flying School on new course
After a change of ownership, the flying school based in Stuttgart airport is undergoing
a change of direction and plans to expand.
Oshkosh: tips for the biggest fly-in in the world
This year the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is celebrating a special
anniversary. The 50th EAA Convention will offer an even more extensive programme than ever
before. It is not easy to find one’s way around this convention, the biggest in the
General Aviation world. Tips from experienced Oshkosh visitors can help here.
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TRAVEL
Puszta and Piroschka
It is simple and easy to fly from Germany to Hungary in one’s own plane. Two
pilots from Friedrichshafen tried this out in a Katana. The highlight of their one-week
trip was flying over the eastern prairies of Hungary, known as the Puszta. A vast plain
which has not yet been touched by mass tourism.
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FLYING
Old-timer revival: Ryanair
The American Glenn Moore has gone to the trouble of reconstructing a Ryan ST as close
as possible to the original. This has taken him six and a half years.
The low-wing aircraft was developed and built in the 1930s in San Diego, California, by
the Ryan Aeronautical Company. The ST, ST-2, STM, PT-16 and PT-20 versions, which appeared
over the years, differ essentially only in the hp of their powerplants. They were powered
by Menasco series engines of between 80 and 150hp. In the latest issue of aerokurier you
can find out about the flying performance of the reproduction Ryan.
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PRACTICE
Taxiing: no speed limit for airport traffic
There are still areas of aviation which are not precisely regulated. One of these is
taxiing speed at airports. Here the pilot is allowed to use his own expert judgement and
take responsibility for his actions.
F class airspace: no obstacle to VFR pilots
Class F airspace (HX) is only occasionally activated as a means of controlling
approaching and departing IFR traffic. What the VFR pilot should know and how he masters
"foxtrot" airspace is described by Bernd Bockstahler in his contribution.
Failure of on-board electrical systems can have fatal consequences
Experience has shown that faults in the electrical equipment are seldom due to
generator failures. Most electrical faults are caused by torn generator V-belts,
incorrectly working on-board electrical system voltage regulators, loose connections or
broken insulation.
Accident analysis: twin sliced to pieces
The taxiing accident that took place at Parafield airport, near the southern
Australian city of Adelaide, in which no less than six planes were involved, was bizarre.
A Piper Saratoga that started taxiing without its pilot had ploughed its way through four
aircraft parked on the ramp before its propeller cut a Piper Seminole into slices in
masterly style and finally came to a standstill in its wing. The damage was estimated at
approx. €1 million. Although no one was harmed, the accident was a disaster for the
University of South Australia as four of its six training aircraft had been destroyed at a
single blow.
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ULTRALIGHT
Long-term experience with the G-3 Mirage
Perhaps the most effective way to test out an aircraft is to use it as a trainer in a
flying school. Any weaknesses will quickly come to light. Josef Sporer, owner of a flying
school in Donauwörth, reports at length in aerokurier on his experiences with the G-3
Mirage RS after enduring nearly 1,500 flying hours and 9,000 landings in flying school and
chartered operations. His insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the ultralight
should be instructive not just for ultralight pilots.
Dallach’s new D5 Evolution
Wolfgang Dallach is setting standards among high-end ULs, whose biggest plus up to now
was their fascination. With the new D5 Evolution, W. D. Flugzeugleichtbau has produced
their equal in the form of a high-wing monoplane. Once again Dallach has developed an
aircraft which shows clearly the hand of the designer whose special interest is
aerosports. We visited the factory in Heubach shortly after the maiden flight on 27
February to find out what the Evolution can offer. Its main features are comfort and good
performance. But between the present prototype stage and the start of deliveries in the
summer, Wolfgang Dallach and his team are planning a whole series of improvements.
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GLIDING
Bitterwasser: distance flying paradise in the Kalahari desert
Namibia in south-west Africa is a charmed little place. Possibly nowhere else is there
such continuously good weather between November and February for distance flights of
1,000km or thereabouts. The Bitterwasser Farm is situated in the middle of this paradise.
For two southern summers in a row, 52 flights over 1,000km have been flown here. The lodge
itself offers every comfort.
A new Horten IV
Could we get another Horten tailless aircraft into the air again? Professor Bernd
Ewald has looked into this question regarding one of the most fascinating tailless
aircraft in gliding history. He recounts the history of the Horten IV and looks into the
possibility of developing a flight-capable new version.
OLC 2003: keeping it simple
The aerokurier Online Contest 2003 is to use a simple, clear, easy-to-understand
scoring system of one point per kilometre flown for long flights. The report presents the
thinking behind the new, almost ingeniously simple rule. It is easy to follow during a
flight and will avoid any sudden jumps in the scoring. Flights which entail flying up and
down over the same stretch of terrain will not score so well under the new scheme.
Gliding in Pokweni, Namibia
The Pokweni Gliding Club will be offering a cheap gliding alternative in Namibia from
next winter.
Back to the roots
What club is not familiar with the problem that pilots prefer any old hulk, however
poorly maintained, as long as it is made of synthetic materials, to the best wooden
aircraft? A few modifications can make all the difference. The glider pilots of
Westallgäu in Kempten have converted their Ka 6 into a Kabrio. For many, this makes it
three times as much fun to fly.
"Start up Gliding" campaign extended
The "Start up Gliding" campaign to attract young people to the sport (see
aerokurier 1/2002, "Popular sports offensive") has so far proved a flop,
according to Walter Eisele, expert on popular sports in the managing committee of the DaeC
gliding section. As of the original cut-off date in February, only 50 clubs out of over
900 in the Deutscher Aero Club had expressed a willingness to get involved. Only 20 had
paid. But around 200 participating clubs are needed if the campaign is to get off the
ground.
It is now planned to extend the registration date to 30 November. The summer
will be used to sell the campaign more effectively to the clubs.
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BOOKLET TERMINE
DATES BOOKLET
All the dates in the 2002 seasons in a handy, compact supplement.
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aerokurier
5/2002
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