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aerokurier 9/2000 The critical role of airfields Without airfields there can be no flying. This statement may be obvious, but its
implications are only too serious. And yet many aerodrome operators behave as if they had
to apologise for their very existence. As a concession in the face of local opposition,
many landing strips are prepared to accept restrictions on their operations. There are
abundant examples of this. Millennium flight: twice around the world What greater flying achievement could there be? Hans Georg Schmid of Switzerland flew
twice around the world within the space of a few weeks in the Long-EZ he had built
himself. In so doing, the 51-year-old MD-11 captain broke several world records at once. Griffon Aerospace Lionheart Even in America, which is spoilt for aircraft, people still greet the Lionheart with
enthusiasm wherever it appears. This biplane, which has a terrific nine-cylinder radial
engine, always turns heads. It was developed by Larry French of Huntsville, Alabama to a
design that was based on the Beech 17 Staggerwing. AirVenture 2000: latest kits Oshkosh without debutantes is as unthinkable as an AirVenture without the Warbird. Once
again the frontiers of what is achievable have been rolled back still further. After
home-built turboprops, jets are now rolling out of the workshops – and apparently
with more luck than the poor BD-10 once had to endure. 4th Advanced World Aerobatics Championship The entry for the 4th Advanced World Aerobatic Championship (AWAC) in Grossenhain was greater than ever before. Vladimir Popov of Russia, flying a YAK-55, took the lead after the first figures programme and stayed there right through to the final. Gerard Bichet (CAP 222) from France came in second, followed by Oleg Fedorov (Yak-54) from Russia. Best among the Germans was Uli Dembinski, flying a Zlin Z-50LS, who came in a respectable 16th position out of a total entry of 67 pilots. "take off" air show in Münster This year’s take off, to be held in Münster from 13 to 17 September, will see a slight change of format and some innovations. One of the main features of the exhibition programme will be ultralight aircraft. Lanzarote via Africa Gerd Sidenstein wanted to fly solo to the Cape Verde Islands in a Piper Turbo Arrow. His route took him from Worms over France and Africa with a detour to the Canary Islands. A problem on his aircraft forced him to make an unplanned stop in the black volcanic mountains of Lanzarote. PZL-106AR nostalgia Every time Dieter Gehling sits in the cockpit of his PZL-106AR "Kruk" and starts up the seven-cylinder radial engine, a little piece of aviation and agricultural history from the old East Germany is re-enacted. The 35-year-old owner of an aviation business in Stadtlohn, Westphalia has been flying the 1978 "flying tractor", faithfully restored, to air shows in Germany for six years. Brushing up one’s skills: emergency procedures training Only if you really know your aircraft systems will you be able to take the correct
action in the event of an emergency. Flying abroad VFR: off to Spa In united Europe there are plenty of reasons for wishing to take a look at one’s
neighbours: holidays, business, sporting and cultural events or simply just to obtain
avgas more cheaply elsewhere. But a glance at the maps, especially to the west of Germany,
could be quite off-putting. There are restricted and prohibited areas for as far as the
eye can see towards the west - an airspace version of the Maginot line. Author Clemens
Bollinger demonstrates to aerokurier how to fly to Spa. Accident analysis: recovered only to fly into the mountain A P-51 Mustang collided with a mountain while en route to Ambri in Tessin. The experienced pilot, one of the most well-known aerobatic pilots of Switzerland, met his death, as did his 28 year-old son. Shortly after take-off in Buochs on Lake Vierwaldstättersee, the pilot was forced to turn round due to the weather. According to the accident investigators, he planned to try flying towards the south above the clouds. Witnesses saw the Mustang pull up sharply and disappear into the clouds. But because the centre of gravity was much further back than on the Mustang which the pilot regularly flew at air shows, the aircraft tipped over. Although the experienced pilot succeeded in immediately stabilising the aircraft, now that he was flying IMC, instead of flying along the valley the aircraft was now at 90 degrees, which took it straight into the mountainside. DULSV meeting 2000: Gaudimax When the ultralight glider pilots meet once a year at Wasserkuppe airfield the air is
full of the spirit of the pioneers of gliding. It is not just a case of the nostalgic who
take delight in this simplest form of flying but behind every one of the ultralight
gliders lie a thousand hours of labour. For up to now anyone who wanted to climb to the
thermals in an ultralight had to build his aircraft himself. eta superglider takes to the air With its 31m wing span, the eta, the largest glider in the world, leaves everything
else behind. Its maiden flight took place on 31 July in Cochstedt. The technology platform
can now advance to the limits of what is feasible in gliding. Maiden flight of the DG-1000 The maiden flight of the new two-seater from DG-Flugzeugbau was carried out in
Karlsruhe/Forchheim on 27 July by no less than DG Chief Designer Wilhelm Dirks, who was
very impressed with the aircraft. The latest development from DG-Flugzeugbau, the
twin-seater DG-1000, had met everyone’s high expectations at the very first go. Club class and dual seater German Championships At the German championships for the club and two-seater classes, which were held at the
end of July and beginning of August at Dahlem Binz, it was often more a matter of staying
airborne and getting round the turnpoints than of racing. There were five competition days
in the end, mostly comprising rallies darting between showers with a low cloudbase,
although there were also spells of really good weather. "We muddled our way
through," as organiser Mario Wichmann described the success he pulled off with
meteorologist Bernd Fischer in achieving the necessary minimum number of competition days.
They even managed to get in an extra day on the last day of the championships. Barron Hilton Cup: 10 days of idyllic gliding Winners Camp 2000: the winners of the Barron Hilton Cup 1998/99 were guests of the Hilton hotel chain owner at his Flying M soaring ranch in Nevada, USA in the middle of July. Nothing was wanting, and the weather was absolutely fantastic. Thermal conditions were so good that the visitors did not have to settle for any less than 6 m/s climb rates. Uli Gmelin, winner of the two-seater class, describes his experiences in a thrilling account.
Air rescue organisations are beginning to prepare for the future pan-European requirements. With this in mind, the German air rescue service (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht, DRF) is equipping its helicopters with state-of-the-art navigation systems whose deployment should relieve the load on the pilot considerably. At the same time his assistant will take over more of the cockpit tasks, carrying out the role of helicopter emergency medical services crew member. Armed with highly detailed vector maps, the helicopter crews can now fly more accurately and making more efficient use of their time. Live from the helicopter to the Internet Munich-based Heliteam Süd is the first European helicopter operator to be able to send real-time transmissions from its helicopters (Bell 206 and Bell 407) to the Internet. Heliteam Süd and its teaming partner, the first German Internet broadcaster, TV1.DE, unveiled their new capability at the Berlin air show. The data is transmitted using a microwave downlink, and the relay station can be up to 70km away from the helicopter. The gyro-stabilised camera system can produce pin sharp detailed images from an altitude of 2,000ft. Sector overview 2000/2001 Helicopter operators and helicopter maintenance operations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. |
Modern navigation systems in air rescue
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Last updated August 22, 2000