aerokurier 4/2002
Editiorial Fully in the picture / Feature Klaus Weinem and his Great Lakes /  Pilot Report Solaris Sigma 230 / Magazine ILA 2002: more possible ways of getting there, Flexjet: mobility for business travellers, Jean Mermoz: France’s famous aviation pioneer, In the cockpit with Bernd-Olaf Hagedorn / Travel Tales of flying in the depths of north Africa / Flying Pilatus PC-7: Belgian liaison / Practice Magneto check: right, left, both together, So many things are different by night, Start-up procedure, Accident analysis: snow on the aircraft – crash into the River Weser / Gliding 1200km along the Bergstrasse, "Anspach to Serres" - the return flight, Gariep Dam: gliding in South Africa, TOPTHERM on top, Airspace 2002: new TMZs and easier to get to Poland, Sprint task for the Online Contest, Bureaucratic despotism in southern France, OSTIV seminar,  Witches convention on the coast / Special Ultralight Editorial: finding a common course, Market survey of ultralight aircraft, Long-distance flying in an ultralight, Production of ultralights in Germany on an expansion course, W. D. Flugzeugleichtbau: the Evolution is flying, Licences and certification, The new Light Sport Aircraft in the USA

EDITORIAL

For decades cockpits looked pretty much alike: there would be a number of round instruments, supplemented by a few black control panels with knobs and dials. This picture has slowly changed, in General Aviation too. Today a plane’s modernity is gauged from its screens, even in single-and twin-engined aircraft flown by private pilots.
    But before a pilot can begin to enjoy a lower workload he first of all needs to familiarise himself with the modern avionics systems. Precisely in the area of GPS receivers, the differences in operation are enormous. Most of the equipment is a long way removed from intuitive menu sequences which one can navigate without having to read the operating manual. If yet more sensors feed their data to a single device, as is the case with integrated avionics, operation can become quite hazardous.
   How to use modern avionics with multi-level menus is something one learns on the ground rather than in the air. As only a few avionics manufacturers also offer simulation and tutorial software, for the first time aerokurier is this year offering GPS seminars at which attendees can learn about their equipment in detail under the guidance of experienced trainers and pilots.

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FEATURE

For 25 years Klaus Weinem and his Great Lakes biplane have been inseparable. Wherever they appeared, they would be sure of attracting attention. His experiences would fill several volumes if he were to write them down.

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PILOT REPORT

The Ruschmeyer R90-230 RG, production of which ceased in 1997, now has a good chance of being resuscitated. If everything goes to according to plan as regards the financing, the first Sigmas, as they are now known, could be leaving final assembly in Florida as early as next year. The product-oriented General Aviation Revitalization Act has generated investment from backers in several countries.
   The fuselage and wings of the future Sigma are to be manufactured in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. Some time ago Solaris took over this disused factory from PZL, in which gliders were developed and built from 1946. Completion of the aircraft with engines, avionics and interior fittings will take place at Solaris Aviation in West Palm Beach.
   As well as the 230hp basic version, 250hp and 310hp Sigmas are also planned. For customers who are reaching for the sky, a turbo version is currently at the planning stage. The aircraft we tried was not actually a Sigma 230 from the Polish factory, but the Solaris demonstrator had once upon a time been a genuine R90-230 RG.

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MAGAZINE

The ILA2002 Berlin Air Show is moving closer. Once again between 6 and 12 May the southern part of Schönefeld airport will be bustling with enthusiasts from all areas of civil and military aviation. Some 1,000 exhibitors are expected from 40 countries. A new feature this year is the "General Aviation Alley". Another novelty is the inclusion of Schönhagen airport in the visitor travel arrangements. The spacious airfield will be available for slot- and stress-free visual approaches. Schönhagen is outside the control zone.
    There are a number of ways of getting to ILA. The most attractive is definitely the air shuttle which will take one directly to the ILA site in an An-2. On the trade visitor days (6 May to 8 May) a return flight will cost EUR95. Included in the price are the ILA day ticket, landing charges and parking fee. On the other days of the air show, this will be offered for EUR80.

In North America, fractional ownership programmes are extremely successful. Bombardier Flexjet is now offering fractional ownership of business jet in a variant tailored to the needs of European customers.

His name stands for one of the great pioneering acts of aviation. Jean Mermoz had the courage to make the leap from Africa to South America in a mail plane.

Bernd-Olaf Hagedorn has the good fortune to be able to fly every day. As the press officer of the Green group in the state parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate, it is virtually a duty to get excited over the work of the ruling socialist-liberal coalition in Mainz. Equally, Hagedorn also enjoys the raptures of being aloft, albeit not in the state parliament but at the Rhine-Hesse airfield of Oppenheim, where he is known as Olaf. There he heads for the runway in an ASK-21 or ASW 24 belonging to the Gerauer Land Flying Club if at all possible whenever the weather is flyable.

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TRAVEL

It took two attempts for Karl-Heinz Maxwitat (pilot) and Franz Stadtbäumer (photographer) to get to Algeria and Libya, countries which normally are out of bounds to western tourists, in their Cessna 182. It required considerable logistics preparatory work to ensure a supply of avgas in the remote airfields in the mountains or on the edge of the Sahara. But the effort was worth it: they harvested many films of spectacular landscape photographs.

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FLYING

Pilatus PC-7: Belgian liaison

Belgian entrepreneur Luc Thijs enjoys exclusive flying fun in his Pilatus PC-7, one of the few examples of the Swiss turbojet trainer to be licensed for civilian use.

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PRACTICE

The magneto check is an obvious part of the pre-flight checks. But what exactly happens when rotation occurs at the ignition switch with the engine running?

Flying VFR by night requires not just practice but greater concentration and attention. At night time human eyesight is significantly impaired. On top of this, when visual cues are lacking, a number of illusions can be induced by the sense of balance, especially on the approach.

There is nothing magical about starting up an aircraft engine. However, the correct interplay of mixture control, primer, throttle lever and ignition key is something that requires thorough training. Carburettor and injection engine require different procedures. To avoid a "flooded engine start" turning into a frustrating experience, our PRACTICE section explains the technical background to fault-free and stress-free engine starts.

Accident analysis: snow on the aircraft – crash into the River Weser

Eight people lost their lives and a ninth was seriously injured when a BN-2 Britten Norman Islander crashed on Boxing Day 2001. Witnesses observed that, after a heavy snow-shower the pilot failed to completely clear his plane of the slushy, wet snow. After take-off the Islander, which was flying a non-scheduled service between Bremerhaven and the island of Wangerooge, climbed normally, but then lost height over the Weser. The plane tipped over on the left-hand side into the water and sank in a very short time. Preliminary examination of the engines yielded no signs of any relevant previous damage, however the extensive, in-depth investigation is still under way. A woman passenger survived the crash into the Weser with serious hypothermia.

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ULTRALIGHT

Look Special Ultralight

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GLIDING

On 24 February, Kai Lindenberg (LS8) and Matthias Hölzl (Discus) flew an incredible 1,194km – in Germany! They managed the record distance by flying up and down the Bergstrasse region on the western slope of Odenwald Mountain in an upcurrent.

Gliding treks have a quite special attraction. There is simply a lot more to see and to master than on closed course flights. The attraction lies in the diversity of landscape types, the regional variations in weather conditions and the hint of adventure when in the evening one lands a long way from where one set out. Gerd Spiegelberg went on a weekend excursion to the Maritime Alps.
    He flew the entire 700km distance from Anspach in Taunus to his destination Serres in the Maritime Alps non-stop in his LS8-18 in May of last year. In part I of his report (aerokurier 3/2002) he described the heights and depths, his exciting introduction to the high terrain, the Jura and finally the Alps. For him this was the fulfilment of a project that had been planned over several years.

It was Klaus Holighaus who in 1993 with an over 1,400km world record triangular flight was the first to rightly point out the potential of the Gariep Dam airfield in South Africa. Compared with that sensation, the airfield has meanwhile quietly developed into a real centre for holiday pilots.

Regional wind systems have a critical effect on the development of thermals. But up to now it has not been possible to consider these effects in computer predictions of thermals. The new TOPTHERM prediction system from the German Meteorological Services can now do this.

On 21 March a number of airspace changes will take effect with the publication of the new ICAO maps. A special publication devoted to the special implications for gliding is to be issued by the German air traffic control services provider (DFS) and the Deutscher Aero Club in a print run of 8,000.
The most radical change affects the terminal area of Frankfurt Hahn airport. A Transponder Mandatory Zone (TMZ) with an upper limit of FL60 is to be established here.

In the 2002 flying season speed will also be important in the aerokurier Online Contest. Time scoring is to be introduced for the first time with the gliding national league.

Provence and the Maritime Alps could be a paradise for gliding were it not for the restrictions in the national park, overzealous monitoring of these and a legal system that inspires little confidence.

The OSTIV seminar that was run in parallel to the Gliding World Championships in December 2001, in Mafikeng, South Africa, was somewhat more modest than OSTIV conventions usually are. There were fewer contributions, but these were extremely interesting. Many young academics from the host country took this unique opportunity to present their research results to an international specialist public.

Witches convention on the coast

Women pilots are still a minority, but a well organised one. At the end of January they met for their 27th annual convention, the so-called Witches Convention, in Hamburg.

SPECIAL ULTRALEICHT

The ultralight sport is currently faced with major challenges. Amendment of the certification regulations is needed more urgently than ever. Neither the professional bodies nor the manufacturers are pursuing a common course. Yet that is what is needed for efficient lobbying in the interests of ultralight pilots.

Our market survey will guide you through the huge range of ultralight models currently on the market. A total of 33 ultralight planes, from simple all-rounders through to fast racing planes, are presented with the most important data and prices.

It was in an ultralight that Sigmar Sprenger and Nils Rosemann chose to escape the dismal German weather. They flew from Werneuchen near Berlin to Sardinia and back in a Wild Thing. A well prepared undertaking, which provided plenty of adventure over 4,000km of flying. A travel report with plenty of tips for anyone thinking of following their example.

We wanted to know from leading ultralight manufacturers how they assess the present and future markets for ultralight planes. Hardly anyone is complaining about a dearth of orders at the moment. However, better underlying conditions in Germany and Europe would help increase the profile of this sector. Where the leading UL manufacturers see prospects for the future and why the signs are pointing to expansion you can read in the current issue of aerokurier.

W. D. Flugzeugleichtbau: the Evolution is flying

The D-5 Evolution has made further substantial progress towards gaining its type certification. On 27 February Dallach’s new high-wing monoplane made its maiden flight.
   At the time of going to press, the Evolution had clocked up some four hours over five flights. So far Dallach has flown it up to 180km/h. Why the Evolution clearly has it in it to become the high-wing monoplane counterpart to the fascination for high-performance ultralights you can read in our Ultralight Special in the April issue of aerokurier.

The numbers speak for themselves. Ultralights exert a magnetic effect on recreational pilots. In no other aircraft class is there so much activity going on. For several years in a row the ultralight class has experienced record growth both as regards certification and also pilot licences. Our Ultralight Special presents the latest figures and trends compared with previous years.

The new Light Sport Aircraft in the USA

With the Sport Pilot Licence and the Light Sport Aircraft classification, the FAA is this year introducing a number of changes to ultralight operations in the USA. The new regulations take effect in the summer. The main features of the new regulations, which could possibly even serve as an example to Europe as well, are explained in this month’s aerokurier Ultralight Special.

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