           |
|
aerokurier 7/1998
Info-service and not air traffic police Our readers report to us their happenings with airfield controllers, airfield controllers speak about their experiences with pilots. First example: On a day with strong winds, a pilot is on course to an airfield. Approaching the field he asks for the winds. The airfield controllers asks the pilot for his position. When the pilot reports seven minutes out, he gets an answer that he will not get the exact winds until he joined the traffic pattern. The pilot returns and lands at another airfield: Service in Germany. Second example: On the return flight from an oldtimer meeting a pilot radios in on his destination aerodrome. The flight was timed tight and took longer than expected. Ten minutes out of the field, the airfield controller told him that the aerodrome would be closed now. The pilot landed anyway, finding out that the airfield controller had called the police, due to landing on a closed airfield. These examples are shocking and illustrate a questionable self-image and lack of training. While et looks like many airfield controllers see themselves as information service and act accordingly, there are several others who see themselves in the role of an air traffic police. This would be the only explanation why somebody would close an airport like in the second example. For me, this is an act of arbitrariness. However, it would be too easy to blame all on it on the airfield controllers. There are a lot of black sheep among the pilots also, becoming obvious because of their lack in communication procedures. Both, airfield controllers and pilots, should think back to their real tasks and responsibilities. aerokurier survey: Satisfied with the new Skyhawk? The new Cessna Skyhawk has been available in Germany for a year now. Meanwhile, more than three dozen aircraft of that type are flying under German registration. This was reason enough for us to ask clubs and flying schools about their experiences with the new single-engine aircraft. The finish and workmanship get the most critique. Often, metal sheets don’t fit and the paint job on a lot of the aircraft leaves room for improvement. The function of the automatic seat belts are another ground for Critique. Their mechanism is often too weak. The majority of the owners has been forced to visit the repair shops more or less often because of small problems with their new planes. There are already four airworthiness directives and numerous service bulletins released for the aircraft, forcing the local dealers to accomplish repair work. In spite of all the critical notes, the questioned flying clubs and schools do not regret their decision to buy the Skyhawk. The good performance and the safe flying characteristics of the four-seater make up for the shortcomings. Still, all of the people asked are demanding from Cessna to improve the quality. Single-engine turboprops: Power-Singles Single-engine aircraft with turboprop engines are the ideal alternative between a large twin-engine aircraft and a high-performance single-engine piston aircraft. 15 years ago, only few people believed in a commercial success of single-engine turboprop aircraft. This has changed. Turboprop singles are certified for commercial operations under IFR in the USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland and Norway. In other European countries, such as Germany, the authorities are still debating although accident statistics speak a clear language: Single engine aircraft with turboprop engine have less accidents than, for example, piston engine twins. Cessna’s Caravan is the most popular turboprop single according to the number of aircraft. The aircraft comes in five versions: Caravan, Super Cargomaster, Grand Caravan, Caravan Floatplane and, since November of 1997, as Caravan 675. The TBM 700 is the most compact of the three turboprop singles in this survey. This model is built by Aérospatiale subsidiary Socata in Tarbes, France. The aircraft was first delivered to a customer in December of 1990. After the demand diminished a bit passing 120 aircraft sold, it has now again increased. So far, 135 TBM 700 were sold. The Pilatus PC-12 is the youngest model in the small circle of turboprop-singles. Following some launch problems in the beginning of the program (for example with the shape of the wings), the aircraft has gained market share fast. In the 41 months between the delivery of the first aircraft in September of 1994 and April of this year, Pilatus Aircraft, Ltd., based in Stans, Switzerland, has built and delivered 100 PC-12. .ILA’98: The top news The ILA’98 was a great airshow for the public. Who was looking for news really had to look close though. The editors have done just that and found some good news. This year’s ILA closed its gates with a record number of visitors and exhibitors. Also remarkable was that, with Roman Herzog, for the first time a German President carried out the opening ceremony for an ILA. ILA is invaluable as a promotion event for the aerospace branch in Germany. However, ILA needs to generate the visitors that the exhibitors are expecting to see. A separation into trade and public days should be considered. Dornier launches new airliner family Fairchild Dornier used ILA as a platform to launch two new airliner programs. First, the 428JET, a stretched versions of the 33-seat 328JET, and, secondly, an all new regional airliner family, consisting of the three lines 528JET, 728JET and 928JET. With Lufthansa CityLine, Crossair, Eurowings and Proteus, several airlines have announced their interest in the new programs and in being the launching customers. The 70 to 75 seat 728JET with a capacity of 70 to 75 seats will fly as the first model of the new airliner family. The aircraft has been in development since July of 1997. According to Fairchild Dornier, the first aircraft will be delivered to a customer in mid-2001. Tilt-rotor for Aero Dienst Besides all the military helicopters, such as the new NH90, the civil rotary aircraft from Bell Helicopter Textron (BHT), Eurocopter, Robinson, PZL Swidnik and Schweizer stood out clearly. The full-size mock-up of the Bell 609 gave its European debut on the ILA. The aircraft is to go in series production in 1999. Reportedly, there are 67 fixed orders in the books, 15 of which are coming from European customers. With Aero Dienst Nürnberg, BHT presented the 67th customer at the ILA’98. The German company signed a letter of intent. According to Aero Dienst’s managing director Peter Czech, the aircraft will be used for charter services as well as for ambulance flights within Europe. Magic: Approaching VLA certification For the first time, Kaiser Flugzeugbau from Schönhagen presented the biplane Magic. The two-seater, equipped with a 205-hp Franklin 6A-350C1R engine is scheduled for its first flight in Poland in the near future. Kaiser is looking for a certification as a very light aircraft. Along with the six-cylinder engine option, there will be another version with 125 hp. Becker expands AirScout navigation system German avionics manufacturer Becker Avionic System presented its new products from the AirScout line. The moving map system is available in different versions: as a pure display with an external GPS receiver, as a display with integrated receiver, or as AirScout Executive with 12-channel GPS receiver and comprehensive features. Mooney launches turboprop single-engine German Mooney distributor, Rheinland Air Service, surprised with the news that Mooney is working on a turboprop single-engine aircraft with pressurized cabin and, furthermore, is considering the development of a four-seat jet with the FJX-2 turbofan. Strong appearance of the small jets Business Aviation had a strong appearance at the ILA in Berlin. While Dassault was missing, Bombardier, Gulfstream, Raytheon and Cessna (via Atlas Air Service) were present. The Cessna Citation X gave its official tribute in Germany and the Learjet 45 came for its European premiere. Sino-Swearingen, the manufacturer of the SJ30-2 light jet, send company boss Jack Braly as top-level management representative to Berlin. There is a high demand for small business jets in Germany. VisionAire might profit from this market potential if the manufacturer will manage to get the single-engine jet quickly through certification. The first deliveries are planned for the fourth quarter of 1999. According to VisionAire there are already 125 orders for this model which is currently listed at $1,8 million. Five orders reportedly come from German customers. The so far only flying prototype has accumulated approximately 220 flight hours in 116 flights. Diamond presents two DA-40 prototypes Diamond Aircraft presented two flyable prototypes of its four-seater DA-40, showing the effort it is putting in the project. Along with a Rotax 914 turbocharged engine powered version, a second prototype with a Continental IO-240 was shown. The aircraft on the exhibition was the first so called C1 Katana. Diamond also announced the sales of 25 Katana of this type along with eleven Katana simulators to the University of North Dakota (UND). European debut for Meridian mock-up Piper’s Meridian is scheduled to fly for the first time in August and will supposedly be certified at the beginning of 2000. The aircraft, which is a turboprop-powered version of the Malibu Mirage, has a good market potential. Reportedly, there are already 80 orders for the six-seater which is currently listed at $1,3 million. Whomever orders a Malibu Mirage now, will get a $50000 price reduction for the Meridian later. VLA Wega flies The new very light aircraft Wega has accomplished its first flight at the airfield Mengen just prior to the ILA. HLW takes over Columbia representation The Bremen, Germany based Hanseatische Luftwerft (HLW) has taken over the sales representation of the fast four-seater Columbia 300 for the Benelux countries, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Columbia 300 roots back to Lancair. Reportedly, the four-seater will be certified shortly. Wankel-Rotary development progresses Wankel Rotary from Korb, Germany, presented the new aircraft engine LOCR-814TD, a turbo-charged rotary engine with intercoolers. Shortly, the 80 hp Wankel will go airborne in a FK12 and MCR 01. Furthermore, the engine in a twin-pack configuration (two LOCR-814TD, transmission 1:3, 160 hp) is used in Horst Ruschmeyer’s MF 85 prototype, which is currently being ground tested. BMW Rolls-Royce moves to Dahlewitz At the ILA, BMW Rolls-Royce managing director Dr. Klaus Nittinger announced that he plans to move the company headquarters from Oberursel close by Frankfurt to the company’s current development center in Dahlewitz in the south of Berlin. Europa XS: more space, more speed Up until today, Europa Aviation has sold 470 kits of the kit two-seater Europa. The version XS is new. It offers more cabin space and significantly more payload at full fuel, along with a better performance based on aerodynamic changes and on the new Rotax 914 engine. Also, the XS is certified for aerobatics. Meanwhile, there is a German representative, DLE at the Baden-Baden airport. 13th military motor flying competition This years military motor flying competition is a good example of how popular competitions have become. The event, which is organized by the German forces every two years, has developed into the biggest motor flying competition in Germany besides the Deutschlandflug of the German Aero Club. For the 1998 competition from 15 to 17 May, more than 100 crews had registered, 79 actually participated. It was an impressive event and a good marketing platform for motor flying and the German forces. With only 78 points, the two pilots Hutschenreiter/Rysk from Nördlingen came in first place. Ahlemann/Heller from Husum (102 points) came in second, with only a tight lead on Ruck/Dr. Meyer from Oldenburg (108 points). Pan-Americana with the amphibious aircraft, part 2 Peter Jacoby and Wolfgang Hamann flew for three months through the South American continent with a Lake 270 T Renegade. The first part of the travel report ends with strange questions from a controller when approaching the Falkland Islands. After clearing the problems after landing, the two German pilots were allowed to continue their trip: via Patagonia, the snow-covered Monte Fitzroy and the unique Perito Moreno glacier. Doing water landings on one of the numerous lakes they finally experience their Lake as the amphibious vehicle. Reaching the Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, they are almost flying on their limits. Following sightseeing flying in Santiago de Chile and Santa Cruz, they receive valuable tips for the approach to the La Paz airport which is located at an altitude of 4000 meters. Two Stampe in Aachen: Fit for fun It is the most successful aircraft engineered in Belgium: the Stampe SV.4. Two of the 250 aircraft still flying worldwide are based in Aachen, Germany. The two aircraft are almost 50 years old. The SV.4 never could deny its origins. The two engineers, Jean Stampe and Maurice Vertongen, used specific design features from the De Havilland Tiger Moth. Still, the aircraft is a separate development. Powered by a De Havilland Gypsy engine with 140 hp, the Stampe was designed for advanced training. The first flight was on June 17, 1933. Jean Stampe himself was at the controls during this flight. A total of 977 Stampe SV.4 were built. Tips for trips: VFR to Luxembourg Did you ever want to fly to an international airport and not have to fear exorbitant landing fees and impatient air traffic controllers? How about a flight to Luxembourg? 4000 m of concrete are waiting for you. Even when being number two behind a Cargolux Boeing 747, everything is very relaxed and service-oriented. And the most important point: You are not being "robbed" after landing. Up to two tons MTOW, the landing does not cost more than DM13. You will be picked up at the airport with a Luxair bus and will return to your aircraft the same way before you take off again. This service costs 25 Marks, not too much. A taxi ride into the historically interesting city costs approximately 40 Mark. Also, you should not forget to refuel. With two Mark per liter, avgas is significantly cheaper than in Germany. Tips for trips: VFR to Luxembourg, Propeller maintenance A propeller rarely brakes. However, if it fails it has catastrophic results. Every pilot can do a lot for this case never to happen. We tell you how to protect a metal propeller from damage and how to repair minor damages yourself. Loosing pressure What happens if static port and or pitot tube are blocked and the airspeed indicator does not show the right data any more? Especially the blockage of the static port in flight is dangerous. Assuming an altitude of 5000 ft, the airspeed indicator will show too high of an airspeed during descent. The more the aircraft descents, the bigger will be the error (36 km/h at ISA), such increasing the potential for a stall. Is the static port blocked while the aircraft is on the ground, the airspeed indicator will show too low of a speed. This results in the operation of flaps or landing gear at a higher than normal true airspeed, along with a higher than required landing speed during approach, using up more landing distance on the runway. aerokurier action: landing with no fees Our action "landing without fees" takes you to northern Germany this time. The July issue holds free tickets for landing in St. Michaelisdonn, Eisenach-Kindel and Grube. Participate and get more landing practice. Cora & Zephyr: parental twins Both are made in Czechia, both want their bite of the German ultralight market. Although the low-wing ATEC Zephyr and the high-wing Cora 200 don’t look alike, they are based on the same basic construction: the Jora, designed by the Czechian engineer Oldrich Olsansky. We took a closer look at both aircraft in Bautzen-Litten and at ATEC, located east of Prague. We found similarities as well as differences between the two aircraft. Both still need some more work before they come on the German market. The interesting aspect about Cora is certainly that it is the first production ultralight which is powered by the new Verner four-cylinder SVS 1400 engine. The German importers hope to finish the certification by the end of the year. Bavaria Glide: Run at Bayreuth Everybody wants to participate. At least that is how the list of participants for the Bavaria Glide’98 in Bayreuth looks, an event which is looked at as the dress rehearsal for the world championships in 1999. 130 aircraft will take part in this year’s competition in Bayreuth. The gliding championships 1999 at the same location will be the first championships to be flown over normal terrain in a long time. Also the area is promising good thermal conditions if the weather allows to fly. If not, there are plenty of outside landing sites. This was not always the case in the more recent world championships. 26 nations have registered for the Bavaria Glide. This is more than some world championships had in the past. The number of 130 aircraft is more than expected. Some nations did not adhere to the registration deadline (15 April) and have registered later. Motor glider tow in the test Today, tow flights with motor aircraft are common in gliding. However, there has never been a comprehensive technical or aerodynamical evaluation of this procedure. Not so with the new motor glider tow flights. This procedure has been studied in depth. The glider tow with motor gliders was intensively studied within the frame of the "research project motor glider tow". The 1500 page documentation was presented to the director of the German aviation authorities, Dieter Horst, on 6 May in Unterwössen. Five companies have participated in the study: Scheibe Flugzeugbau (Motorfalke), Nitsche GmbH (Samburo), Tost, Rainer Stöckl (pilot), and Christoph Weber as physicist (test instruments, software). Rüdiger Ettelbrück, technical director of the Alps flying school Unterwössen was responsible for the coordination of the project. The total cost of the project was approximately DM360000. The state of Bavaria supported the project with DM180000. Vacation in France: Aubenasson – still an insider tip There is a big selection of gliding possibilities in the French Maritime Alps. And, the number of gliding fields is increasing. Aubenasson is located at the western edge of this area. So far, Aubenasson was mainly known from the outside landing field list of the Maritime Alps. However, in the last few years the "Piste Privée" has developed into a relaxed airfield with an all-year operation. The field is still an insider tip and most probably will stay like that in the future. There is enough space for 15 to 20 gliders. The Chivré family, whom the airfield belongs to, say that it shouldn’t be more than that. They like to keep up the family atmosphere. There is a tow aircraft available all year. There are normally no waiting times to get in the air, allowing to start flight operations without an unnecessary rush. The tow times of five to eight minutes are acceptable, most of the time allowing a connection to good thermal conditions or the strong ridge upwind close by the field. South Africa has plenty of nice landing sites A gliding vacation in South Africa does not have to be expensive. Also, the southern Africa has more to offer than the few record setting fields which are located far away from civilization. Otto Tönges has learned to appreciate the Cape Gliding Cup. South Africa is an affordable alternative. The flight to the Cape from Germany costs between 1200 and 1600 Mark. The cost of living is 40 percent of what one would have to pay in Germany or France. Except of a membership contribution, the gliding club does not charge any fees. It is possible to go on vacation in South Africa without a reservation. The road network is in a good condition and quarters, ranging from guesthouse to hotel, offer a good quality. A vacation at the Cape is not only interesting for glider pilots but for the whole family. There are great beaches with clean water, untouched nature and many things to see. 33rd International Hahnweide competition There could not have been a better date for the 33rd International Hahnweide competition. There were scorable flights every day. The average speed was around 120 km/h and the routes flown were often longer than 600 kilometers. Except of small but flyable weather windows the 89 participants in five classes found superb flying conditions (results). Klix: Hahnweide in the East Ingo Trentelj won the sixth Cup of the Alten Langohren in Klix. With his ASW 17, he came in first before Johannes Barwick and Roland Schreiner. 101 aircraft were competing in four classes. The mixed class of the competition (1 to 9 May) was won by Tobias Ruppel. Bernhard Kloth, his team colleague from the German forces sport group, succeeded in the large club class. The title in the small club class was won by Lubos Turek from Sobeslav, Czechia.(results) Further gliding news, for example concerning the European championships of the women and the German championships of the juniors, can be found under airSPORT and NEWS Gliding. |
NEWS | SPOTS | airSPORT | FACTS | MAGAZINE | SPECIAL | aeroACTION | LINKS | SHOP | PROFILE | HOME
Copyright 1998 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated June 22, 1998
