aerokurier 7/2002
 Editiorial Questions and answers / Feature Rescue
from the air / Pilot
Report GA8 Airvan: configuration adapted to function / Fairs Business
Aviation show in Geneva / Magazine 14th DAeC safety training course, New
European pilot’s licences (part 3), Flying in the USA post-11 September, Diesel-Air D
280: the true boxer, Hessian aerobatics championships, In the cockpit with Ulf
Merbold / Travel Four
women pilots in the Yukon region / Flying Erik Lindbergh flies across the Atlantic / Practice Refuelling
out in the field: the risk from the canister, Safety: teamwork between air and ground, All
about extra oxygen, Accident analysis: ghost flight above the USA / Ultralight Morocco
by ultralight / Gliding German
Championships, With a sleeping bag in the luggage, Klix week, Club Class SPECIAL 2002 / Avionik Special Industry mood, Introduction
of Mode S, Colour moving map display EKP-III C from AvMap
EDITORIAL
Questions and answers
With his campaign "Eight questions for the politicians", DAeC President Gerd
Allerdissen has gone on the offensive and, on the eve of the Bundestag elections, asked
the major political parties in Germany to clarify their positions regarding aerosports and
General Aviation. In so doing, Allerdissen has succeeded in bringing aerosports to the
attention of the politicians, even if initially for only a short time.
The answers give anyone who cares about General Aviation an idea of the
position of the parties on aviation. The fact that none of the parties questions the
existence of aerosports is extremely positive. The answers received from the party
leadership will be useful ammunition to use against local politicians who cast doubt on
the right of aerosports to exist whenever a conflict flares up over an airfield.
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FEATURE
Rescue from the air
The yellow BK 117 helicopter has two people suspended beneath it. They are set down
with pinpoint accuracy next to an apparently lifeless corpse. Just nearby there is a
several hundred metre drop. Not a spectacular television adventure but training for an
emergency. Twice a year ADAC-Luftrettung invites pilots, paramedics, rescue workers and
mountain rescue service staff to attend training on winching in the Alps.
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PILOT REPORT
GA8 Airvan: configuration adapted to function
In Australia there is a single-engined aircraft which depends more on the practical
benefits it offers than on sleek beauty. The compact high-wing GA8 Airvan monoplane is
built by Gippsland Aeronautics. In December 2000 it was type-certificated by the
Australian aviation authority CASA.
This versatile plane can accommodate up to seven passengers. If
required, the seats can be rapidly dismantled. The angular utility aircraft can even be
operated as a small transport plane.
In the July issue of aerokurier you can read all about the flying
characteristics of the GA8 Airvan along with the relevant cost details.
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FAIRS
Business Aviation show in Geneva
The second European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) has confirmed
that Geneva is an apt choice of location. The exhibition halls at the airport offer plenty
of room for possible expansion, open ground is just next door and can be reached in a few
paces, and the organisation was circumspect and skilful. This last quality betrays the
hand of the financially sound and influential US National Business Aviation Association
(NBAA). The European partner organisation and co-organiser EBAA, which has its
headquarters in Tervuren, Belgium and was founded in 1975, has more than 200 member
companies with over 600 aircraft.
219 exhibitors made their way to Geneva, up from 190 previous year. The
36 aircraft and helicopters on display also represented an increase on 2001.
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MAGAZINE
14th DAeC safety training course
Who has not felt tempted to fly to Helgoland? It may be attractive as a tourist
destination, but flying there is quite a challenge. At the 14th DAeC flying safety
seminar, the excursion to Helgoland was led by experienced instructors after intensive
preparation. The North Sea island with its mini-airfield on the protruding dune was the
attraction of the 14th DAeC flying safety seminar at the end of April in Nordhorn-Lingen.
70 pilots signed up for this challenging experience, although only 20 were ultimately
successful.
New European pilot’s licences (part 3)
Jürgen Knüppel, Bundeswehr flight surgeon, an active member of the aerosports
medicine working party and secretary of the German Association of Flight Surgeons, this
time answers questions regarding fitness for flying.
Jürgen Knüppel preceded his answers with the following general assessment:
it is a pity that although all the questions can be answered formally, there is a lot of
uncertainty regarding their interpretation and meaning. For many aeromedical examiners the
new system is "an immature bureaucratic monster" whose implementation remains
unclear. The information policy of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Public Works and
Housing (BVWo) and the German Civil Aviation Authority (LBA) is inadequate, and official
documents from the JAA are too expensive. The administration is itself often baffled.
Flying in the USA post-11 September
General Aviation is slowly recovering in the USA from the events of last September. Helga
Kleisny has done some research in the USA and provides information that will be useful to
any pilots thinking of flying in the USA. In particular, flight planning with the new
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) is unveiled.
Diesel-Air D 280: the true boxer
An almost forgotten engine concept is to be revived by Dessau-based Diesel-Air GmbH.
Its D 280 works on the basis of the opposed-piston engine principle devised by Professor
Hugo Junkers. We visited the plant and report on the present status of the redeveloped
engine, which initially is intended for ultralights and experimental aircraft.
Hessian aerobatics championships
The 12th Hessian Aerobatics Championships in Lauterbach were extremely well attended.
A total of 32 pilots flew gymnastics around the points between 16 and 19 May. Competitions
were held in the Sportsman, Intermediate and Advanced Classes. The winner of the
championships was Urban Kirchberg, but there was also open scoring as well. An exciting
competition.
In the cockpit with Ulf Merbold
For many he is simply "our man in space". On three occasions Ulf Merbold
went to space as a scientific astronaut. He took part in two shuttle missions and most
recently, in 1994, he spent 32 days in the since disbanded Mir space station. Viewing the
earth from space has not spoilt his enjoyment of flying on a smaller scale: IFR in a
twin-engined Seneca and aerosports in his own glider.
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TRAVEL
Four women pilots in the Yukon region
With three Cessna’s, two non-flying husbands and a local scout, four German women
pilots conquered the north of Canada. The trip took Barbara Friedenberg and her companions
from Whitehorse, in British Columbia, through the Yukon region to the remote northern
territories in the Arctic Ocean.
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FLYING
Erik Lindbergh flies across the Atlantic
Erik Lindbergh reports what has changed in the last 75 years on ocean crossings in the
latest issue of aerokurier. Charles Lindbergh’s grandson flew across the Atlantic in
17 hours in a Lancair Columbia 300 at the beginning of May 2002. In so doing, he undercut
the time it had taken his grandfather by one half. By flying across the Atlantic the
American sought not only to recall the pioneering deed of 1927, but also to cheer himself
up: Erik Lindbergh was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, which has prevented him from
flying for several years. Thanks to new forms of therapy and his own iron will, he
succeeded in making his way back to the cockpit.
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PRACTICE
Refuelling out in the field: the risk from the canister
Refuelling from drums and canisters is common practice at many gliding, ultralight and
other airfields. In this contribution you can find out about the correct procedure and the
associated risks.
Safety: teamwork between air and ground
Whether dealing with parachutes, balloons or Airbuses, controllers at regional
airports have to support the full bandwidth of flying vehicles. A visit to Braunschweig
airport shows how much co-ordination is required in everyday contact between air traffic
controllers and pilots.
All about extra oxygen
Hypoxia is the condition that occurs when the brain ceases to be supplied with sufficient
oxygen. This especially affects pilots who remain at high altitude for extended periods
without oxygen supply. Their bodies respond with blackout symptoms ranging from tunnel
vision to headaches, euphoria or loss of critical faculties through to unconsciousness and
cardiac arrest. Pilots need to recognise the danger signs of hypoxia so that they can take
countermeasures while they are still in a position to do so.
Accident analysis: ghost flight above the USA
On 25 October 1999 a business jet crashed in the US state of South Dakota. All six
crew and passengers lost their lives. However, the NTSB accident investigators are working
on the hypothesis that the two pilots and four passengers had already been dead for
several hours at the time of the crash. After the pressure cabin developed a fault during
the ascent, somewhere above FL230, the pilots must have lost consciousness so quickly that
neither of them was in a position to supply themselves manually with oxygen. The Learjet
raced on as a "ghost plane" for over 2,400km above the Midwest until lack of
fuel caused it to plummet to the ground.
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ULTRALIGHT
Morocco by ultralight
On their own Günther Richter and Richard Wagner would probably not taken this route.
But when an organised ultralight tour through Morocco was offered, they joined in. They
experienced a superlative ultralight trip. In the current edition of aerokurier you can
share their experience and enjoy their exclusive report with spectacular pictures.
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GLIDING
German Championships
The German Gliding Championships 2002 in the 15m classes in Aalen-Elchingen and in the
Club and Two-Seater classes in Oerlinghausen turned out to be a battle with the weather.
Waiting for flyable conditions proved quite a challenge. Especially in Aalen-Elchingen,
entrants’ patience was put to a severe test: it was not until the last two
competition days that four scoring days in the Racing class finally made it possible to
hold a championship, while the Standard class got an extra day of off-field landings
– in the "Standard class long jump", as one pilot put it.
Pilots flying in the north, who are not normally spoilt with good
weather, were somewhat luckier. Oerlinghausen managed eight scoring days in the Club class
and seven in the Two-Seater class. With a lot of meteorological skill, it had been
possible to fit the tasks into the narrow weather slot available. It was so tightly
calculated at times that on one day contestants took off just as a new screen of cloud
cover was approaching and the final approach – for most contestants at any rate
– was made in the rain.
With a sleeping bag in the luggage
Long-distance flights cannot be planned right down to the last detail. Volker Herzog
and Alex Friedl took this into account on their Alpine flight from Vinon, southern France,
to southern Germany, and had just the amount of luck they needed with the weather.
Klix week
Never before in the history of the Klix Cup has one pilot succeeded in scooping up all
the daily victories. Gert Kalisch from Roitzschjora succeeded in bringing off this coup.
He won the tenth "Cup of the old long ears" in a LAK-12 and then went on to take
the Cup sponsored by the Bautzen district administrator as well. Carsten Büddig (Kropp)
won the Mixed class, while Cornelia Schaich from Stuttgart came top in the 106 class. In
the big and small Club classes there was only one scoring day. The real disappointment in
this anniversary trophy was the weather.
Club Class SPECIAL 2002
At the fourth Club class SPECIAL in Wessenburg from 4 to 11 May, there were only two
competition days, but some remarkable achievements were still managed in the small weather
window.
 AVIONICS
SPECIAL
Industry mood
Persistence in the face of the shock of 11 September, strategic waiting for the end of the
economic doldrums or defiant refusal to buy in the face of euro price rises – what
are the salient features of the avionics market in first six months of 2002?
Judging by our survey of equipment businesses and dealers, it seems that
demand is generally regarded as better than expected. A number of trends are particularly
apparent: buyers of avionics components are increasingly choosing top-end and therefore
expensive equipment that is typically state-of-the-art. This is also the trend in avionics
upgrades: aircraft owners are increasingly going for complete reequipment of their
instrument panels. Particularly manifest is a trend towards large-format multi-function
displays. Again, electronic communication of flight safety information is gaining the
upper hand. Equipment functions such as collision avoidance and ground proximity warning
equipment and weather displays are becoming more and more popular, even among owners of
aircraft in which such equipment is not mandatory.
Introduction of Mode S
Deadlines are looming, but equipment is lacking. The deadlines for introducing Mode S
transponders are known, but there is still no equipment for light aircraft on the market.
Colour moving map display EKP-III C from AvMap
EKP-III C is the name of the colour moving map display from AvMap Satellite Navigation
of Marina di Carrara. It was launched on the market over six months ago.
We took a good look at the new display, which weighs only 800g, in an
extended practical trial, and were very impressed. The controls, which comprise twelve
bright internally lit push buttons, are easy to familiarise oneself with, not least thanks
to the simulation mode that is available. Even after not having used them for some time,
one quickly feels comfortable with them again. The 16cm high-resolution LCD screen (640 x
480 pixels) offers excellent picture quality.
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