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 - NOVEMBER 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Welcome to the November 2005 edition of Schofields News. There are the usual plus some new features - President's Notes by Mike Allsop, X-Files X056 (Martin-Baker M.B.2) by Anthony Coleiro, Tips, Tips and More Tips by Paul Daniels, 2004 Kimberley Tour (Day 17) by Hank Langejans, Aviation Night Report by Peter Blackbourn, A Word on Carburettor Heat by Peter Johnson, Airshow Survival Guide compiled by Latrodectus, and The Last Word from Latrodectus. As well, there's the usual administrivia that you've come to expect. So, read on and enjoy! DIARY DATES: The Club has a number of social and flying activities planned for 2005. You can check full details on our Coming Events page. Below is a summary of the programme for November and December 2005:
MEMBERS' OPEN DAY: A couple of months ago we mentioned our plan to hold a Member's Open Day at the Club in November. We have now settled on Sunday November 13th, and have drawn on a number of suggestions from members for some items of interest on the day. More... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A bit of disappointing news to kick off the month I am afraid. Last month I noted that Arrow JRX sustained substantial damage in September while on cross-hire. After much soul searching and heartache we have taken the recommendation of the insurer that the aircraft is beyond economic repair and should be written off. The proceeds from the insurance pay-out will be quarantined for future fleet purposes, not for a direct replacement of the aircraft. We will be examining a variety of future fleet options in the coming months. In the meantime Arrows JRY, LSG and XDC continue to be available for c/s, retractable endorsements and for cross country and IFR training, commercial training and private hire. The Arrows are great touring and advanced training aircraft, and we are committed to keeping sufficient fleet capacity for you our members despite the loss of JRX. OPEN DAY - SUNDAY 13th NOVEMBER: On a much brighter note, you will have seen that we are holding an Open Day for our members and their friends on Sunday November 13th. We have arranged a number of interesting visiting aircraft for you to inspect during the day, including a Jabiru, RV6, Cirrus, an R44 helicopter and several member-owned aircraft. Our own aircraft will be moved a bit further out onto the parking area opposite so that normal operations can continue while we host the Open Day. A feature of the day will be a series of 45 minute workshops, free of charge, covering a variety of activities of interest to you. Food and drink will be available all day, with bar service from noon for those not flying. The workshops will happen rain hail or shine.If you would like to fly on the day, no problem, it is business as usual. We will also be offering fixed price harbour scenic flights over a designated route at a discount from our usual rates to give you that little bit of extra enticement on the day. $160 flat buys you a Warrior, or $180 buys you an Archer or Arrow to fly YSBK-HSY-LRF-MLY-HBB and return, including GST, fuel levy and BK landing fee. Look at it as $40-$45 per seat for the trip on a cost share basis and it is huge value for some of the best sights in the world. For other routes standard rates will apply. More... DARWIN ANYONE? At the close of the day, club member and tour organiser extra-ordinaire Rae Cauchi will be holding a meeting to discuss a potential tour to Darwin mid next year. She estimates something in the order of 35-40 hours flying over 3 weeks for a Warrior, or less in something faster, so it would be a fabulous trip and hours builder if you'd like to be part of it. As a measure of interest in Club tours, we already have about 20 aircraft and 60 or so people down for the 2 week Tasmania trip after Christmas 2006. If there is somewhere you would like to go as part of a future tour, send an email to our Director in charge of Recreational Flying, Nelson Crawshaw. In the meantime, join Rae at 4pm on November 13th if the top end sounds good. PHOTO LICENCES AND ASICs: For many of us we still have the old forms of paper licence with no photo. CASA require us to have a photo licence and associated aviation security check by 1 Jan 2006, so if you haven't got your application in yet it would be worth expediting. I believe they will be sending us a reminder in the post very soon. At the same time we will need to carry an ASIC (Aviation Security Identification Card) when acting as PIC of an aircraft landing anywhere there is an RPT service (effectively). This means a BBQ at Bathurst or a refuel at Dubbo etc will require us to carry a card. CASA can now issue these, so stay tuned for their mail-out and respond asap so that any cross-countries early in 2006 do not turn into a hassle. It is unfortunate that there has been so much confusion on this issue, but it is hoped that CASA and DOTARS now have the matter sorted and we can continue to enjoy our privileges without inadvertently breaking the security rules. As we have already said, the pilot community will comply with sensible rules as soon as we know what to do, and as soon as we get a decent level of service from the issuing authority. Until next time, keep flying! Mike Allsop President SFC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
T he Martin-Baker M.B.2 was designed as a low-cost fighter to be built by semi-skilled workers to meet a specification put forward by the Air Ministry. The prototype was built as a private venture. The aircraft was of steel-tube construction with a fabric skin of cantilever low-wing plan form and powered by a 798 hp Napier Dagger III 24 cylinder H-type engine. The aircraft was virtually constant in depth from nose to tail and initially it had no vertical surfaces, the rudder being hinged at the sternpost behind the elevators.
The aircraft first flew on 3 August 1938 at Martlesham Heath and it proved seriously deficient in directional stability. To fix the problem a vertical rudimentary fixed tailfin was installed.Fully armoured with Browning machine guns, the aircraft attained a top speed of 515 km/h. The machine proved unpleasant to fly and unstable about all three axes. A more conventional empennage was fitted early in 1939 (illustrated above) and this greatly improved handling, but the RAF showed no interest in this fighter and the project was abandoned. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Illustrated Ency. of Aircraft - Orbis publication The Complete Book of Fighters - William Green Gordon Swanborough Anthony Coleiro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
That's it for this month. Until next time, enjoy our skies! Paul Daniels Flight Instructor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Days 17 - Wednesday 16 June 2004 - Broome to Fitzroy Crossing 
Before leaving Broome, one has to mention the sumptuous meal that was prepared in the family unit of the "Seashells Resort" enjoyed by John Marshall, Lorna and Merv Hughes, Dave Winter, Bob Casagrande and myself. Sometimes a meal comes off just right with a contribution by all concerned, and especially the way the fish was cooked by Lorna. Whether the mood was right or the excellent wine, company or both it was an evening that would not have been surpassed in any fine restaurant. The normal routine started for the day, in packing all the gear into cabs for the ride to Broome International, and the loading of our Sky Wagons of various types for the trip to Fitzroy Crossing. Another beautiful day with full sunshine greeted the fleet for the final full-fledged flight to Fitzroy, before splitting into various directions back home.Bill Aiken and his son Tee Jay greeted us at Fitzroy airport for the bus trip to Darngku Gorge (which the white fellows call Geikie). It was quite obvious from the start that our pair of guides were full of wit and eager to demonstrate their expertise, their cultural ancestry and the current day life styles of the Kimberley aboriginals. We traveled by flat bottom boat along Darngku Gorge. Being with Tee Jay was quite an experience with the way he presented his stories of the gorge. We learnt about the "Larangarra" (fresh water crocodile) that lurked in the water, although they were quite timid of humans, one did manage to get in the boat and grab hold of David Winter (before he realised that it was made of rubber). Our journey along the gorge was terminated at a little landing where the fire skills of these men were put to the test. Firelighters were used to start the campfire to boil the billy for tea and coffee. Not to be outdone Tee Jay gave a demonstration of the use of fire sticks and produced a fire in a matter of 45 seconds with the traditional fire stick of the aboriginal. 
Bill gave some insight into aboriginal customs and beliefs. He told of the "Munganumby" or siphon pool that is still used in Darngku gorge for the initiation of aboriginal boys into manhood. This area is still off limits, and is recognised as a sacred place.Of particular interest was aboriginal law, whereby if doubt exists to a person's guilt for a particular alleged crime, the offender is made to stand in a particular spot without moving while spears are thrown at him. His ability to fend off the spears successfully determines his innocence. Another member of the tribe may help in fending off the spears for the purpose of securing his future to that member. This might sounds ridiculous to us but one should recognise that in order to prove innocence in our society, the first thing you have to throw at the system is money. In a lot of cases your inability to do so proves your guilt, so we are not so different. Bill's orations may have been a bit overpowering to some, but if you could read between the lines he presented himself very well. After our cruise we traveled back to Fitzroy Crossing with a glance at the old Inn and the common sorry sight of inebriated local indigenous people. Our accommodation was the newly built Fitzroy Crossing Lodge, built high on stilts to avoid the huge flow of the flooded river, which is said to by second only to the Amazon in water volume. The day ended with a Lodge supplied BBQ and more tall tales were told around the evening meal table. Hank Langejans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Our last aviation night for the year was held on Saturday 17th September. Our special guest for the evening was the Police Air Wing. What a night! It's been some time since we have had a "House Full" note over our event flyer at the club. The boys in blue, especially those that fly certainly were an attraction to our members and friends who came along for a great evening. 
THE CUISINE: The evening started with a complimentary drink along with a selection of savories and the usual nibbles that go down so well at the start of any social event. The BBQ or our outside kitchen as I prefer to call this great big hotplate was flat out cooking prawns, chicken sate and scotch fillets. A pretty busy time for the Schoies Chefs Pierre 1 & 2 aka Peter Whiteman and Peter Blackbourn. Catering for up to 50 POB means being flat out for at least 30 minutes, but as with flying good planning should ensure a good outcome, however, no time for engine failures here! These were served with an array of salads & sauces etc as prepared in the main kitchen and at the end of the night finished off with home made sweets such as, ice-cream, tiramisu, apple & rhubarb crumble and of course a pav or two. All of these things most of us enjoy at a dinner party with friends. The approach to meals is simple, treat your guests as you would if they were at your place.THE PRESENTATION: Snr Constable Tony McAuliffe from the Police Air Wing support unit stationed at YSBK was our guest speaker. He showed us a variety of harnesses used in their rescue operations. Setup, donning, and their release. Communication was an interesting area. The winch operator is in contact with the harness operator (who is the guy who hangs from the end of the line) by hand signals only. No voice comms are maintained down the line between the two operators. In the event of an emergency eg. engine failure or severe stability problem necessitating separation, this would be done by the winch operator who would cut the cable. Not an easy task if you are some height above the ground, however no instances of this ever being done were cited. The Air Wing support is essentially provided in two areas, Police operations and rescue activities. Whilst the Westpac Life Saver & NRMA Careflight are the main rotary wing rescue units, they do not have thermal imagery which the Police do. This technology can identify and track individuals by their heat emissions at night or under a foliage canopy. The same technology is used to track "bad guys" on the run at night as part of a ground support operation. We were treated to some fine examples of this at work, also in tracking the heat source from a motor vehicle under pursuit at night from a special DVD the Air Wing had made. A sort of greatest pursuits DVD. Think of the real life US cop pursuits as seen on TV and you will know what we mean, but with Baulkham Hills and Parklea as backdrops. THE FINALE: Another great night that came to a close around 11.30 after the club had been returned to operational mode for the next days flying. Our next social event is the Xmas gathering on Saturday 10th December. So mark this date in your diary and keep a look out for details on the web, the clubhouse notice board and your email inbox closer to the time. Peter Blackbourn Director House Services & Events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Once upon a time during pre take-off run ups I encountered something unusual. I noticed an excessive and unusual rev drop of 325 RPM. That is the revs dropped from 1700 to about 1375. The engine was still running smoothly and no ice was present (The RPM remained stable and did not increase until the Carb heat was turned to cold). From all appearances it would seem the Carb Heat system was very efficient. My experience, however, told me, "Something was not right!" I searched the Flight Manual, with the help of one of my colleagues. We could only find reference to a minimum rev drop of 50 RPM. No maximum figure was shown in the documents. I was almost sure all was OK.A small voice kept promting, "something is not right mate!" A recent acquaintance was David a licenced aircraft maintenance engineer at a nearby Airfield. I gave him a call. He suggested that it could be a very efficient carby heat system. He also suggested that the system may have some collapsed ducting or other restriction, or there may be a problem with the actual gate or butterfly thingo on the end of the carb heat cable. (Not his words, he was much more professional.) Next thing was to take a look at the system. Perhaps, just perhaps, even a mug like myself, may be able to see if there was an obvious problem, you know, like a big hole in the muffler or something. Well that is exactly what I found. So what is the big deal! The big deal is this: 
The hole was in the outside heat jacket, and came from the inside muffler all the way through. The outside shroud or jacket is designed to heat clean fresh air. When the Carburetor heat is applied it is supposed to suck fresh, hot air.The operator would see a Rev drop of say 50 -100 RPM perhaps even a little more. So what was happening here? Well you see the already burned exhaust gases don't like to burn the second time around. Don't take me wrong, I like recycling, but there is a time and a place and this is not it. For the real clincher, read on. Guess where the cabin heat is sourced from. You guessed it, go to the top of the class. It comes from the same source as the Carburetor Heat. Just a different knob and ducted to a different place. Perhaps I could write about hypoxia some other time. Just briefly red blood cells or haemoglobin carry oxygen around our bodies. The two (haemoglobin and oxygen) like each other a lot but they are not obsessive in their relationship they can join up for transport and they can part when they need to (By whatever means, let's not go there). Carbon monoxide likes the red blood cells or haemoglobin even more and is very very obsessive. In fact it is about three hundred times more obsessive. It combines with the haemoglobin and excludes oxygen. It also, unfortunately, is odourless and tasteless. You will probably smell some of the waste unburned fuel etc associated with it. (for a short time). Now if your in a troubled state please don't get any silly ideas. I have seen a lot of death and this is not a nice way to go, either with or without intention. When you need to use cabin heat you should also have plenty of fresh air. You should have a Carbon Monoxide detector and look at it from time to time. They are not expensive. You should also keep a jacket at hand in case you have a heater failure or have to shut off the heat system. It can get uncomfortable to say the least. It's almost a shame we are coming into the warmer months, isn't it. Cheers for now. Peter Johnson Flight Instructor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For those who love aviation, an air show is the place to be. Like a pilgrimage, thousands of enthusiasts descend upon air shows each year to saturate themselves in their passion for flight. Take it from air show veterans, though; you should adopt the Boy Scout motto and "Be Prepared" so you can maximize your enjoyment of these events. 
Here are some fast and easy tips that have proven their worth over the years for air show attendees. I've condensed them into a top 10 list (although there's only nine) for a more pleasant air show experience.
Please remember that rules and regulations exist to ensure everyone's safety and enjoyment. If you have any questions, just ask a volunteer, without whom an air show would not be possible. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AERODROMES: As part of the staged implementation of the NAS, new procedures for operations at all non-towered aerodromes throughout Australia come into effect on 24 November 2005. A non-towered aerodrome is one at which there is no air traffic control tower and this includes those aerodromes where there is a part-time tower during those times when the tower is not operating. The new procedures remove radio communication boundaries and introduce a set of simple, standard positional radio broadcasts for use by pilots in and around non-towered aerodromes.REMOVAL OF MBZ AND CTAF BOUNDARIES: The introduction of the new procedures means there will no longer be volumes of airspace associated with non-towered aerodromes. As a result, Mandatory Broadcast Zones (MBZs) and Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAFs) boundaries will be removed. There will still be aerodromes where radio carriage and use is required and these will be depicted as CTAF<frequency>(R) with the (R) indicating that only aircraft with a serviceable radio are permitted to operate at that aerodrome. REDUCED FREQUENCY CONGESTION: In visual meteorological conditions (VMC), pilots will use the new broadcasts to visually identify other aircraft and adjust flight paths accordingly. This method of communication, which has been standard practice at non-towered aerodromes in the US for more than 40 years, results in more efficient radio use and reduces frequency congestion. One of the reasons Australian airspace reform includes the US-style CTAFs is the proof of safety presented by the US airspace system, which has a volume of air traffic 20 times greater than that of Australia. STRAIGHT-IN APPROACHES: Among other benefits under the new procedures, pilots of radio-equipped aircraft will be allowed to perform straight-in approaches where safety allows. Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) 166 is being amended to allow this. MORE INFORMATION: You can download Operations at Non-Towered Aerodromes - A guide to the new procedures effective from 24 November 2005 (1.13MB pdf) from the DOTARS website. UNUSED PAGES REMOVED: Because of lack of use, the following pages have been removed from the Schofields Flying Club web site: Theory Courses, CFI Tips, Past Activities and Sports Flying. Because of the large amount of inappropriate material that appears regularly in the Guestbook, that page has been removed also. If any member would like to contribute content, these pages may be reinstated. THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MAINTENANCE RELEASE: It has been brought to the clubs attention that members are not correctly entering or interpreting details on the Maintenance Release (MR) documents. This article is to inform members how to understand and correctly make entries in a MR, and meet the regulations of CAR 139 ,CAR 42 and CAR 43D.
Part 2 of the MR is where pilots and or engineers enter details of any defects with the aircraft. If you find a problem with the aircraft, for example, the left main tyre has a bald spot, you should enter the details (column marked 'Endorsements') in this section. List defects in numerical order on the MR (column marked 'Item No.'). Once the defect has been rectified it will be signed off in the adjacent 'Clearing endorsements' column. An important point to remember; if you are operating the aircraft under the IFR of NVFR category, ensure you have full understanding of CAO 20.18 APPENDIX IV and V, as these set out the instrument and lighting requirements needed for those operations.© 2003 Schofields Flying Club Ltd. All Rights Reserved.