Schofields Flying Club Ltd - 1 Tower Road Bankstown Airport 2200
(PO Box 200, Georges Hall, NSW 2198 AUSTRALIA)
Phone: +61 2 9773 3611 Email: mail@schofields-flying-club.com.au
SCHOFIELDS FLYING CLUB NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2007
Xmas party guest speaker FLGOFF Peter "TOPPER" Tippner
Welcome to the August 2007 edition of Schofields News. There are the usual plus some new features - President's Notes by Peter Blackbourn and John Young, Ask the CFI by Pat Watson, X-File X077 (Kyushu J7W1 Shinden) by Anthony Coleiro, Tassie Flyaway Day 7 by Hank Langejans, Rocky Mountain High by Peter Blackbourn, Tassie Flyaway Day 8 by Alan Searle, Crosswind Operations (Part 6 - Myths) by Pat Watson, Tassie Flyaway Day 9 by Alan Drury, and The Last Word from Latrodectus. As well, there's some of the usual administrivia that you've come to expect. So, read on and enjoy!
PETER "TOPPER" TIPPNER: With just 4 months to our Christmas party it's a reasonable time to announce our plans for this event. FLGOFF Peter "Topper" Tippner, who recently graduated from 2OCU and who is now posted to 77SQN at Williamtown will be our guest speaker. [That's Topper, pictured (right), in his F/A-18 over Sydney Harbour.] More details will follow closer to the time. The date for your diary is Saturday, 15th December. More...JULY NEW MEMBERS: Welcome to Aaron Dailey, Glen Billington, Stephen Shaw, Andrew Jordan and Toby Messner. Prospective new members of the Club can download a Membership Application Form (174kB pdf) here. Note that it is still necessary for new members to attend the Club in person with photo identification before applications can be processed.
JULY DUTY PILOT DRAW: The Volunteer Duty Pilot Monthly Draw for July ($50 free flying) goes to Grahame Attridge and Peter Edwards. The Club appreciates the efforts our tireless band of volunteers generously gives in helping their Club and this is one small way of saying thank you!
GPS TRAINING: A GPS Training Course will be conducted at the Club on Sunday, 23 September from 9:30am to 4:00pm. Printed course material will be supplied and there will be practical exercises using the Garmin GNS430 receiver. Book and pay ($200, including GST) by Friday, 14 September to secure your place. Lunchtime sausage sizzle included. More...
Danial Martin DANIAL MARTIN has accepted a position with REX as a pilot and will start in a few weeks. Unfortunately, this means until he finishes his probation period he will be away on leave from the Club, but then hopes to be able to continue to instruct again with the Club on a part time basis. Danial says "It's a very exciting time to be part of the aviation industry with the airline boom bigger than I have ever seen in my 16 years of flying. It has been a pleasure working with such professional and dedicated people and I wish you well for the future. My apologies to those who I didn't get the opportunity to say farewell to in person over the past few weekends. I think the Club has an excellent, exciting future ahead and hope to remain part of it. All the best, Danial!
FROM THE TOWER: The August-September 2007 issue of From the Tower, Bankstown's Air Traffic Control news circular, is now available (240kB pdf). It's aim is to provide the Bankstown aviation community with a bi-monthly source of news and information from an ATC point of view. You can download previous issues from our Downloads page.
THANK YOU ROGER! A special thank you to past Schofields Flying Club member Roger Porter. Roger, who learnt to fly with Schofields back in the days of Schoies at Schofields Airport, is no longer flying, and he has kindly donated his collection of flying books and equipment to the Club. These items will be put to good use by current student members. Thank you, Roger and please feel free to drop in for a chat about the old times!
FULL MOTION SYNTHETIC TRAINER with scenery is coming to Schoies! On Sunday, 26 August for one day only, there will be 18 dual slots available. $25 for 20 minutes of dual instruction, plus $5 for BBQ lunch. Get in early - contact the Club on (02) 9773-3611 or by e-mail. Full details in the July Newsletter.
DIARY DATES: The Club has a number of social and flying activities planned for 2007. You can check full details on our Coming Events page. Below is a summary of the programme for August and September 2007:
| Sun | 05 | August | Aeroplane Flight Review Course Details | Clubhouse |
| Mon | 20 | August | Committee Meeting | Clubhouse |
| Sun | 26 | August | Last Light Drinks | Clubhouse |
| Sat | 01 | September | Opal Tour departs Details (358kB pdf) | Clubhouse |
| Sat | 15 | September | Opal Tour Returns | Clubhouse |
| Sun | 16 | September | Club Competition | Warnervale |
| Mon | 17 | September | Committee Meeting | Clubhouse |
| Sun | 23 | September | Last Light Drinks | Clubhouse |
This is a brief report as our President is lucky enough to be on holidays and is currently travelling overseas.
The Club is now the proud owner of our previously online Cessna 152 JNB, and it will be business as usual with this popular aircraft. On a further fleet note, it is also pleasing to report that our front line Warrior SFK is back on line and flying beautifully after having its rest in our engineers hanger.On the Club relocation front things have moved along with the final BA (Building Application) being approved and related contracts signed off. We are sure that you will notice a rapid increase in activity at our relocation site at Lot 161 in Birch Street, a few doors down the road from AOPA.
JNB ... the Club has now purchased it. The staff and committee say farewell and good luck to instructor Daniel Martin. Daniel has taken up a position with Rex Aviation and has swapped his Warrior and the like for a seat in something with a better PAX loading likely to be a SAAB. Congratulations Daniel - we will listen for your passenger announcements when we fly with Rex as well as general broadcasts at the usual RPT circuit areas.
We welcome Suzanne back after her extended holiday travelling the Northern Hemisphere. Visiting family in Ireland and generally having a great time flying the globe. Great to see you back. On this note we also thank Vivianne for filling in during this time. Your efforts are appreciated and we are sure you will welcome going back to your normal working hours.
This sums up the stand in Presidents Report for this month. Mike will be back on board next month so it will be business as usual for our September newsletter. Happy flying and the committee hopes to catch you at the Club doing what we love the most, flying around.
Peter Blackbourn & John Young
Schofields Committee
Patrick Watson
CFI QUIZ: Last month, I posed the question; "A friend of mine has a regular charter flight in a Cessna C310 from Sydney to a Country Aerodrome. The total flight time in still air is 5 hours. He always loads exactly the same quantity of fuel regardless of wind. He argues that the time hence fuel will always be the same. He argues that if he has a headwind component on the way out, it will be a tailwind on the return making the total time the same. Is he correct?The correct answer - he is wrong. Many answers were received for this question all but one were correct. The first correct answer was from Len Diekman followed one minute later by Ashley Wile, with another 6 answers within the next half hour. A very popular question - I'll think of a few more along the same lines.
THIS MONTH'S QUESTION: We can all determine the direction of True South by observing the Southern Cross. (Can't we?) Try this month's question, suggested by Jim Wallace, CASA FOI. Can you suggest a method of finding any direction by observing the Moon? This method will work day or night at any time the moon is in the sky, except a full or new moon. (There's a clue).
| THE ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTION: "Just a comment about the 'Ask the CFI' article in the July newsletter: the two graphs presented are incorrect. "Range" is expressed in L/NM (fuel used per mile travelled) and is determined by plotting fuel flow (L/hour) on the vertical axis against airspeed (NM/hour) on the horizontal axis. "Maximum Range" is established by drawing a line from the origin, tangential to the graph. The gradient of this line gives the minimum fuel used per mile travelled. The origin can be displaced to the left or right for a tail or headwind respectively. The diagrams used in the newsletter give the minimum drag airspeed which approximates the minimum fuel flow. This could be used to determine maximum endurance airspeed, but this is not the same as maximum range. Perhaps the author could clarify this in his next article." |
STAFF CHANGES: John Lowing has decided to take extended leave, Danial Martin has joined the airline ranks - he has a job with Rex. I'm sure you will join with me in wishing him well. Danial still wants to do casual instructing so I'm sure you will see more of him.
ESIR: If Electronic Safety Incident Reports are being distributed, then statistically, if you are a private pilot, you are most likely to receive one. Student pilots and Charter pilots are not the main offenders as you may think. Here are some of the incidents occurring during the last month:
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Contour hugging in Victor 1. |
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Failure to comply with ATC instruction - Bankstown circuit. |
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VCA. Pilot observed at 3000 over Hoxton Park. |
Please ponder these incidents, ask yourself if any could happen to you, and finally plan your flight to ensure it doesn't.
Until next month, Happy Flying
Patrick Watson CP/CFI
Anthony Coleiro
T he Kyushu J7W1 Shinden (Magnificent Lightening) short-range interceptor was one of the very few canard configured aircraft developed during World War II and the only one ordered into series production. It was one of the most remarkable aircraft to emerge from the Japanese aircraft manufacturing industry.
The Japanese had proved the feasibility of the canard configuration by three wooden gliders, designated MXY6 built by the Chigasaki Manufacturing Company and tested in 1943.Early in 1943 design work began on the J7W1, which went under the development designation X-18 at the Yokosuka Depot. The aircraft was all-metal and had a slender fuselage with a wing of moderate sweep and retractable tricycle gear, it was accepted by the Japanese Navy Air Force for shore based operation and they ordered two prototypes off the drawing board. Construction commenced on 4 June 1944. Plans were made for the mass production of these then unusual fighters even before the completion of the first prototype.
The first prototype flew on 3 August 1945 at the Mushiroda Japanese Army Air Force Base.
Kyushu J7W1 Shinden (Magnificent Lightening) By the time of this first flight tooling up for mass production had reached an advanced stage. The plan was to manufacture up to 1,086 of these fighters between April 1946 and March 1947.
The aircraft was powered by a 2,130 hp Mitsubishi MK9D 18-cylinder radial air-cooled engine driving a six-bladed pusher propeller via an extension shaft. Maximum speed was estimated to be 405 knots (750 km/h). Planned armament was a quartet of 30 mm Type 5 cannons each with 60 rounds. Plans were also made for a 900 kg thrust Ne-130 turbojet version designated J7W2.
Initial flight tests revealed some faults but it performed generally well. The fixes to the faults were only minor. Only three flights totalling 45 minutes had been completed and the second prototype never had a chance to fly as end came for Japan when it capitulated to the allies.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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The Illustrated Encylopedia of Aircraft - Orbis Publication |
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The Complete Book of Fighters - William Green Gordon Swanborough |
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War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters Volume Three - William Green |
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Japanese Aircraft of World War II - Basil Collier |
Anthony Coleiro
Tahune Air Walk
Another fresh year was in the making, and I suppose we did not have a full complement of passengers due to the festivities of the previous night. However about 30 of us joined the Tiger Tours Coach for the 2 hr trip south to the Tahune forest reserve. Along the way we passed various remnants of apple orchards where they once were the most abundant crop of the area.
At Huonville we stopped for a while at a bakery for a cuppa and cake and a pit stop, being the first to the sole rest room, was quite an experience.Day 7: 1 Jan 07 - Tahune Air Walk
If any of you have seen the Movie "Kenny" someone had opened up with a 4 inch Clacker when the plumbing was only 2 inches, with Helen and Sheri next in the queue, left me with no option but to clean it up, or be blamed for it. Lucky there was a brush.Further south we drove, to the town of Geeveston where we stopped again for a look at some fine examples of Huon Pine furniture and other fine examples of wooden articles. Back on the coach we all went, or so we thought.
Hobart Shot Tower "We had lost Bill Larkin"! Anyway he was located hiding in the furniture warehouse and factory, still admiring the goods. It is interesting to note that all the Huon Pine timber is from stock material from Dam Site reclaim, and is no longer harvested due to the rare supply.
On the Arvo Forest Drive, we traveled past the Hartz Mountains National Park. Ken Bishop had to have a picture in front of the sign, as Karen was at the same named mountains in Germany.
The highlight of the tour was the Tahune Air walk with a walkway among the trees nearly 600meters long with an average height of 20meters from the forest floor with a cantilever arm, or Boom 48 meters above the Huon River. This swayed quite easily with a natural walking motion. A picture follows, but missing is Sheri Crawshaw, I wonder why? After the suspended walk, lunch was served at the quaint Café in the forest.
On the way back to Hobart, we stopped at the Shot Tower for an afternoon Devonshire Tea with the most delicious strawberry and various jams, which were 1st prize winners at the Hobart Show.
The Shot Tower was used in the 1800's for the manufacture of arsenic leaded shot balls for the period rifles. Molten Lead would be poured at a set rate from the top of the tower, and in its free fall through the middle of the tower, would solidify after forming a perfect spherical shape.
The final tour highlight was a long driving climb to the top of Mt Wellington for the view over Hobart City, before returning to Wrest Point Casino.
Hank Langejans
Peter Blackbourn
A few years ago Viv and I along with travel companion Michelle visited North America spending a week or so traveling the region on this leg of our holiday. Using Vancouver as our initial base we drove South for a days outing around Everett in Washington State. The plan was for me to drop the girls off to hit the shops of Everett and go on for a tour of the Boeing factory. I was to pick up a David Clark headset (H10 13.4 model) from an aero club at Boeing Field as had been arranged from Oz.
The drop off worked fine, however when I arrived at the Boeing factory around midday all tours were booked out. This would be for another time. Next port of call Boeing Field and to find the aero club I had arranged to buy my David Clarks. The guy I was to meet had a day off as did the model of David Clarks I had organized. Thank God for efficient GA receptionists, when I left it was with a better model H20-10 in hand and for less than AUD $300. At the time our AUD was at similar levels to today's rate.I met the girls back at the Everett library thinking my credit card would have taken a bashing from the 3 hours they had to shop. Not so, the main variety of stores were pawnbrokers and community op shops. Even the pub they stopped at for a coffee had a sign stating "No guns allowed". Sadly Everett had seen better times.
On the return trip to Vancouver we passed many Factory Outlets stateside, so the shop till you drop did get a run, as did the credit card. Oh well that's what holidays are about.
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Banff strip has an elevation of around 4,500 ft and the flight to Springbank took us up to 11,500 ft. The view was spectacular. My pilot had been a mountain tour guide for many years and knew the area well. To go down the wrong valley and not able to climb over the valley walls or complete a 180 Deg turn, a sad end would await. Pleased to advise all the right valleys were chosen with a safe return. At the end of the trip back at Banff I contributed CAD $30 being my share of the fuel for what was one of the most scenic flights I have experienced at a GA level.
I thought I would share this story with you as it does show what a universally friendly community GA is. For those who are interested in how GA is going in places like Canada, have a read of this report (1.93MB pdf). Banff Airstrip is similar to many Australian country strips and sadly probably similar fates await.
Peter Blackbourn
Schoies Foreign Correspondent
Al and Maz
The sun rose on this atypical Hobart day, unfolding gloriously bright blue skies above an azure sheet of supine waters. Pilots were stirring in their morning coffee, and the soft breeze beckoned!
Today we were leaving the civility of Hobart and heading for the wilderness of Strahan, situated in the south west of this mountainous region where the Franklin and the Gordon rivers twine fingers.Day 8: 2 Jan 07 - West Coast of Tasmania
Some of the pilots were opting for the Derwent Valley track, over the mountains, while others, for the flight across Lake Peder or Lake Gordon. For me the challenge lay in circumnavigating the South West Cape, the lowest point of this great landmass.At 8.30a.m, we lifted off from Cambridge/Hobart. FTU had wind teasing her foils once more. She was a happy girl!
Twenty miles south and Bruny Island crept sleepily below us as soft clouds above rolled back like satin sheets to reveal the beauty below. She lay there, this virgin coast, with turquoise waters caressing her shores and delicate kelp lapping at her toes.
Approaching the South West Cape, now in view, that song came to mind "around the rugged rocks, the ragged rascal ran". So around we went, singing all the way. At least the engine was in tune! On our left, far to the south, Lay Antarctica and our wing tip was the only thing between us and cold blue eyes with an icy touch. On our right, Tasmania unfolded before us.
Lake Gordon Beckoningly tempting escarpments gave way to soft bush rising gently, emerald hills, jewelled with crowns of vivid green, and lush valleys rising and falling ever upward into a crescendo of peaks.
She lay there, this beauty, against a dark, green silhouette of mountainous points, resting on a fabric of water coloured pastel sky. What a magnificent sight!
As we turned north to follow the shoreline, one dimpled inlet after another opened before us. Each one as untouched as the other, a seascape shore bedded with secrets slowly revealing herself to our ever watchful eyes as she slipped beneath our gaze. A rugged rock-hewn coastline hemmed by gossamer waters. Strahan lay ahead now, crisp air gently parting to allow us back to her fold. What a flight! She had been remote although accessible, daunting and delightful, unconquered yet yielding.
After roping down the planes our transport arrived to whisk us from the airfield to the Strahan Village Motor Inn which overlooks the Port of Strahan.
Surreal came to mind as I surveyed the view from the balcony. The flowers and trees spread downward until they splashed on the shore in a waves of red, yellow and green, melting into the reflective waters that rippled in deep blue.
Strahan Village Motor Inn
overlooks the Port of Strahan Quite pretty, actually. On the sandy banks of Macquarie Harbour lay this sleepy village of Strahan, still basking in the twilight of its history.
Sandstone and ancient wooded buildings rose to a façade of shopfronts dressed in an era of bygone days where frills and lace met stone walls.
Images of horse drawn carts, clanging steel and bush men as rough hewn as the timbers drawn from the mountainous grasps of the forests within, mingled with the sense of awe one held for the tenacity and strength of the men and women who pioneered these shores, which now lay so serenely and tranquil upon my eyes. This was a tough place back then.
In the afternoon we boarded the Lady Jane Franklin II, ready for another adventure. We moved gently across Macquarie Harbour and headed up the Gordon River, until the wide shores closed in on us. As we advanced into the twisting serpentine waterways, translucent bronze colours from the tannin in the trees stained the river waters. We were soon enveloped in a canopy of green. Long, sinewy branches on the shore reached upwards into the mammoth ancient arms of ancient trees. They looked like sentinels of time guarding their treasure.
As we stole from this mountain keep of pristine shores and forest it seemed to me that beyond her deep wooded doors of natural beauty, part of the world's magic had been revealed - the truth about of mother nature. Without a lie, she was gorgeous!
As sunset fell, dinner was served. Sumptuous salmon, salad and fine wine blending with genuflective thoughts surging over the mind, like the dusk dappled light before the bow. Nah - maybe it was just the fine wine!
Ah! But the memories of this eventful day - skirting Tasmania from the South West Cape - picturesque Macquarie Harbour and the nestled village of Strahan - the Gordon River with its breathtaking mountains and ancient trees - all slipped into the weary mind as the night drew once more and rolled its cloud of satin sheets to close this glorious day.
Alan Searle
Crosswind Myths
Myth #1: If the crosswind is greater than the aircraft's capacity, then commence your take-off run from the downwind side of the runway and angle your take-off run so that it angles across the runway, thus decreasing the crosswind angle.
Patrick Watson In this example, the runway is 15 m wide and the calculated take-off run required is 400 metres. The runway in use is runway 35, the wind is 080M, 20 knots - all crosswind. How much does the crosswind reduce by angling the aeroplane across the runway?
Over 400 metres, the angle changes approximately 2º. (15 ÷ 400 x tan-1). Or, using 1 in 60 rule, (15 ÷ 400 x 60) = 2º. So, assuming the aeroplane is correctly aimed the effective direction = 350 + 2 = 352º.
The new crosswind component = (sin 92 x 20) = 19.99 knots. (92 is the angular difference between the track and the wind direction, 20 is the wind speed). Therefore, the effective crosswind component has not changed one iota! Even if the take-off run was half that required (200 metres), the crosswind component is still 20 knots (19.95 to be precise).
The crosswind does not change by angling the take-off run across the runway.
Myth #2: For any number of reasons, you should land at the lowest possible speed in a crosswind.
An aircraft's maximum crosswind component is predicated by it's control capacity. When full control is being used in a crosswind to maintain control, and there is no further control movement available, then that is its maximum crosswind component.
The one factor that has the greatest consequence on control effectiveness is speed. Control effectiveness increases to the square of the speed. Therefore it follows that you should land at the highest possible speed. Aircraft are designed such that you cannot land them correctly (on the main wheels) until they are at the correct landing speed. One way of landing at a higher speed is to land with reduced flap.
In a crosswind situation, land at a higher than normal speed with reduced or zero flap.
Myth #3: The Airspeed Indicator will give a fair idea of the crosswind component. For example, if the crosswind leg IAS is 10 knots higher than normal then the crosswind component will be the difference between normal and current IAS multiplied 3 for a light aircraft.
For a given weight, density and power setting, the airspeed indicator will read the same regardless of wind. The ground speed will certainly change, however the IAS will not.
Myth #4: An aircraft takes-off in a strong right crosswind and completes a circuit.
The Tassie Flyaway group checking
the mean crosswind on Mt Wellington When turning from crosswind to right downwind, the aircraft will slip. And when turning from crosswind to left downwind it will skid.
With correct control inputs it will neither slip nor skid. The aircraft certainly looks as if it is slipping or skidding. This illusion has resulted in a number of accidents over the years. Pilots looking out the window tend to tighten the turn with a skid illusion. Bad news when you are low and slow as it is the cause of many stall spin accidents with insufficient height to recover.
Myth #5: When taking off in a crosswind, gradually neutralise the ailerons such that -at the point of lift-off - the ailerons are neutral.
Incorrect. When you land in a crosswind, you have the ailerons into wind and steer with the rudder. The point of lift-off is no different to the point of landing. Therefore, lift off with the ailerons into wind, nosewheel first, then downwind mainwheel followed by the upwind mainwheel, at a higher than normal speed. Wings level once you are airborne and turn into wind in order to maintain track.
Myth #6: Lift off at the lowest possible speed.
Incorrect. Lift off at a higher than normal speed. This has two advantages. It increases control effectiveness and it assists in countering the effects of gusts.
Myth #7: The faster you go the more of the crosswind becomes a headwind.
This myth probably originated from the fact that the headwind increases with increasing speed (obviously) and some people assumed that the headwind was a component of the crosswind. Incorrect unfortunately. The crosswind is still there regardless of the speed you are doing. The controls are certainly more effective, at the higher speed.
If anyone has any other "Myths" they'd like proven or dispelled, I'd really like to hear from you. You can remain anonymous if you like or I will acknowledge your contribution - your choice.
Patrick Watson CP/CFI
Day 9: 3 Jan 07 - West Coast wilderness railway trip
Woke up to a bright sunny day in Strahan and mustered with all the other keen participants for a trip on the Wilderness railway. This area is a pristine wilderness area so looked forward to viewing the rain forest, while riding the old locomotives on a journey along the German designed track. On arrival at the restored railway station we looked at historic photos of the original station and railway.
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Thoroughly enjoyed seeing such amazing machines in good working order but must say the journey itself for most was rather uncomfortable. The roof area of the carriages has been replaced with Perspex to allow for better viewing but on the day of our journey it was unseasonably hot and we were unable to open doors or windows. The sun beat down unmercifully making me feel like a chook in a rotisserie. The most welcome morning tea break was at an old gold mine settlement giving us a chance to get out of the sun. Then back aboard to the lunch stop where the engines where changed over from diesel to steam.
Our journey ended at restored Art Deco Queenstown station where, after the heat on board, every one rushed to buy drinks. Wandered around the souvenir shops and checked out the town then boarded our air conditioned bus (thank goodness) to drive back to the resort. An enjoyable day dampened down by the heat.
Alan Drury
FEEDBACK AND CONTRIBUTIONS: Well, that's your Newsletter for this month. With help (in the form of contributions) it might be possible to continue to produce a newsletter every month. Don't forget to check the latest news on the Club's website at www.schofields-flying-club.com.au. Contributions, comments, feedback, and suggestions to latrodectus@schofields-flying-club.com.au.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: Life is full of uncertainties - you can't really see what lies around the next corner and no one knows what fate has in store for them. So there's an advantage in being a smoker - at least you know what you're going to die from.
Latrodectus
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