CTFC enews 12 October 2006
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From the manager's desk
End of year social (11 November)
Solo and wings party on 19th
Night circuits at FAWC - 14 October (round 2)
Christian's tips to fly by
Ask the committee
General
Transformation of CTI
Fighter meet
Checks
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Pictures --> GP

Some people may be struggling to see any pictures(when there are any) that occur in the newsletters. If you are one of the unfortunate souls, help is at hand.

On the CTFC website, there is a section for newsletters. Sometime soon after I send the newsletter, I will upload it onto the site.

This should bypass any picture problems you may experience with the email.

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From the Manager’s Desk --> Kay Joslyn

Hope to see you all at the party on Thursday 19th October. We will be celebrating all our members who have been solo, obtained their PPL, CPL etc.

These are important milestones in a pilot’s life so please make every effort to come and have a drink with our achievers. Vossie will be selling juicy Wors Rolls for a small fee.

Welcome to our new members for September:

Kim Schulte-Zurhausen PPL, JAR

Andre van der Walt Ab initio

Blythe Linger Ab initio

Oliver Mathews Ab initio

F.M.R. da Rosa Lopez Ab initio

Neill Stewart PPL, returned after 3 years

Dale Williams PPL

Kevin Portellas Ab initio

Michael Krumbock Ab initio

Robert Upshon PPL, 50.2 hrs

Rene Raimond PPL, 110 hrs

Dale Stoffels Ab initio

Peter Searll Ab initio

Frans Petersen Ab initio

The new swipe system at the entrance to the General Aviation Area (Foxtrot 5) is on very short finals for completion. We are still working on a “pilot’s card” for those of you who do not want to go to the effort or expense of obtaining the official ACSA card and yet do not want the hassle of signing in at the gate every time you visit the Club. We anticipate these cards being similar in appearance to the ACSA cards with a photo (provided by the member), ID number, expiry date and of course the name of the Club. If anyone has any bright ideas or suggestions for a cost effect way of producing these cards please do not be shy in coming forward.
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Social

A reminder about our end of year bash on Saturday 11 November. This will be a spit braai and party.
Vossie is still looking for prize sponsors for the raffle, so if you can help him, please contact Vossie through the club.
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Solo and wings party

There will be a solo and wings party to congratulate all our recent soloists and achievers on Thursday the 19th October. As an added incentive, Rob van Driest has asked me to say that he will be giving drinks away for his CPL and birthday!

Just a friendly reminder to our soloists - wear a tie, unless ALL you other clothes are clean......
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Night circuits at FAWC on Saturday 14 October --> L Hodgkinson

It's a go, go go! If you still need to book accommodation, please do so as soon as possible. Best deal is available from Aan De Doorns Guesthouse (in Worcester - not De Doorns) Tel 023 342 1402. You need to make your own booking directly with them, and please mention that you are with the CTFC group. There are full ablution facilities available at the airfield including hot water showers at an additional R50 pppn (owned by the gliding club hence the fee) if you prefer to camp .

Meal arrangements: braai to be served at the airfield on Saturday evening, breakfast to be served at the airfield on Sunday morning .Please let Linda know ASAP how many heads need to be catered for or you may have to go hungry!

Landing fees: waived by FAWC - many thanks!
Fuel: confirmed available

FAWC info: elevation 653', runways 15/33. Remember that there are gliding activities until about 18h00 or 18h30 and on arrival at the airfield we need to fly a RH circuit for 15 and LH for 33 i.e. stay on the dam's side of the airfield all the time. Note that there is a row of koppies on your downwind leg so be very sure to stay accurately at 1650' on downwind and definitely only descend on base. We can discuss procedures for the night circuits once we are there.

Drive up if you don't get a plane and make arrangements to "borrow" one for your circuits with the person who will be flying it up. Bring your family and friends and let's make this another memorable CTFC event.

Please consider offering an instructor a seat if you have one spare as it is always comforting to have an instructor with us for events like this. There are at least 2 spare seats available if you want to pax.

Plan B: there isn't one this time! Contact Linda through the club for more info.
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Christian’s Tips to Fly By --> C Marais

Take off – or not

If you don’t have 70% of your takeoff speed by 50% of the runway, don’t try it.

There’s a fudge factor here, but it’s a pretty good rule of thumb for gravel and grass.

Ex: If you don’t have 50% of Vr by 1600 – 1650 of a 3300 ft strip, abort the takeoff.
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Ask the committee

Last weeks question
Is there a fixed plan to add to / upgrade our fleet of a/c or to start replacing them any time soon?

It is becoming more apparent just how old our fleet and the equipment in them is when one flies elsewhere at other training institutions. Not only does our a/c feel very old and a tad tatty externally and in the cockpit, but our instrumentation is very old and basic too. Sure, they still do the job for now, but is it enough?

Things like EFIS are becoming more commonplace and in order to prepare pilots properly for their future careers it is imperative that we keep pace with those developments and look in to offering added value as a training organization by making sure that we try and keep up with technology in some ways as much the budget allows, but this won’t happen unless there is a plan in place, so what is CTFC’s plan?

Unfortunatly, due to a lengthy committee meeting on Monday, the committee was unable to devote the time that this question deserves.
The outcome so far is that the committee is holding back on the previous plans, until a special meeting devoted to the fleet takes place. This meeting will occur this weekend, and a full report back will be given during next week.
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CAC account

The CAC bank account will be closing in a short while, and members who utelize this account are urged to use the CTFC account instead.

Cape Town Flying Club’s banking details

Nedbank, Parow Branch

Account No. 1025 306422

Branch: 1025 1000 (not all banks require the last two zero’s)
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Duty pilots

The club needs people to help man the front desk on the weekends and public holidays. It is a great way to meet fellow aviators, as well as an excuse to be at the airport all day.

If you tihnk you can help, please contact the club.
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Slogans

The club is still in need of a slogan. Please pick which one(s) you like and email the club (see top for email).

1. Take Flight
2. Take to the Sky
3. Enjoy the freedom of flight
4. Freedom of flight
5. Head in the clouds
6. Where you can spread your wings
7. Get High with us
8. Achieve a higher plane
9. Discover where pilots are born
10. Where dreams take flight
11. We give you wings
12. Where Careers are Born and Dreams take Flight
13. Where Careers and Dreams take Flight
14. Its a lifestyle
15. Its the Right thing to do
16. Flying, its the only way to go
17. We make great pilots
18. Some members still like "Where pilots are born"
19. Live to fly, Fly to live
20. We love to Fly
21. Nothing is better than Flying
22. The gift of flight
23. We teach, you fly
24. Let your spirit soar
25. Exceeding expectations
26. Live the dream
27. Don’t dream it – live it
28. Inspired by your dreams
29. Don’t dream it – be it
30. Where aviators meet
31. Take Off
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The Transformation of CTI airport begins --> ACSA (submitted by Kay Joslyn)

Over the next few months, visitors to Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) will notice an increase in construction activity as the airport kick-starts its massive construction programme on the new developments for the airport.


Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is spending approximately R5,2 billion rand across its network of airports over the next few years. In Cape Town, ACSA will invest close to R1,3 billion rand on a Central Terminal Building which will include a new Domestic wing, upgrade the current approach road system, construct an elevated road which will separate the arrivals and departures levels (similar to Johannesburg airport), and build a second multi-storey car park. On the airside, air bridges and additional aircraft parking bays will be built.

To be implemented in a phased approach, the construction will take approximately three years to complete. The project, which is the biggest construction contract ever awarded in the Western Cape will be carried out by Grinaker LTA in a join venture with Stocks and Stocks. “The developments at CTIA are huge and will transform the airport as we know it”, says George Uriesi, General Manager, Cape Town International Airport. “CTIA is currently a 7million passenger airport and by 2010 we forecast it to be a 10 million passenger airport. To be able to accommodate this increase in demand, we must develop our infrastructure to provide capacity and enhanced customer service”, says Uriesi

Before construction on the new Central Terminal can commence, a ‘land enablement’ phase must first be completed. This process involves relocating certain tenants who currently occupy the old control tower and administrative building including the SAPS, the VIP/Protocol lounge and some airline and ACSA offices, so that it can be demolished. Also, a new drop off and go facility will be built further away from the terminal to allow for separation of airport vehicular traffic from construction supply traffic as well as allow for the construction of the upper level roadway in front of the terminals.

While the construction is no doubt going to cause significant inconvenience to airport users, ACSA is working hard and closely with all its service partners and the construction Company to limit the impact on airport service levels.

“We have done extensive planning and co-ordination with all the relevant role players and will be doing our best to limit the inconvenience to airport users”, Uriesi added.

Though we are only in the land enablement phase of the construction in the next 3 months, activities will increase noticeably from week to week. ACSA encourages airport users to arrive early for their flights in order to limit the potential impact of the construction.
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Fighter meet --> GP

We have been meeting succesfully for a while now, so if you want to come and see what all the fuss is about, come down to the club on Sunday, no doubt we shall be there!

The virtual fighters are a challenge, but at least your instructor's commands about maintaining a good lookout are put to good use!

The killboard at the moment is as follows
Frank: 27
Gareth: 26
Lodi: 22
Johan: 8



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Flying Events --> submitted by A Michaelides

A great website to think about all the aviation events you could be watching right now!

www.skycontrol.net
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Checks --> Gary Wiblin

One of the most oft misunderstood areas of aviation appears to be checks and the use of checklists. Many Flight Schools appear to encourage the reliance on a written checklist for everything from starting the engine to shutting down. I know many instructors who feel this is foolish in the extreme, especially with something as mundane as starting the engine. We feel that if you cannot start the engine of a C150 without resorting to reading from a written checklist, you shouldn’t be flying in the first place. Checklists have their place in the airlines where they fly two-crew operations and, in any case, they fly much more sophisticated aircraft than we do in general aviation. A checklist should be used only in the beginning stages of learning to fly where the emphasis is more on learning what to do with each check rather than how to remember it. Let’s run through an imaginary flight in a C152 (one of the most common trainers) from the very beginning. We will presume that the pre-flight inspection has already been completed.

Before boarding the aircraft mentally double-check that you have removed the pitot cover, the chocks, and the towbar. Also confirm that the aircraft is not parked with its tail facing an open hangar door. Once you are seated in the aircraft confirm that the seatbelt is inside the aircraft before closing the door. Now check for full, free movement of the controls, adjust your seat, and check for brake pressure. Your seatbelt can now be fastened and you should be ready to begin the pre-start checks.

Start with the flight instruments in front of you. Check that the airspeed indicator is reading zero, the artificial horizon should be canted to one side, the altimeter can be set to field elevation, the turn co-ordinator should be “wings level” with the ball in the centre if the aircraft is parked on level ground, the DI can be approximately set, and the VSI should read zero. Also check the VOR and the ADF if your aircraft has them. Remember too that a crack in the glass of the VSI could mean that the altimeter and airspeed indicator could read inaccurately and that the VSI itself could actually read in reverse.

Now move across to the radio stack. Avionics vary considerably from aircraft to aircraft and you want to be sure that you know how to operate the avionics in the aircraft that you are about to fly. Start with the audio panel. When I get into a new/unfamiliar aircraft I prefer to switch all the switches on the audio panel to neutral and then re-set them for my requirements. Check that all the necessary radio’s are in place and that they are switched off.

On the right hand side of the panel you will usually find the tachometer and hobbs meter. Check that the numbers correspond with those in the flight folio. Also check the maintenance sticker to make sure that the aircraft still has time before its next MPI.

Now move to the bottom left-hand side of the control panel. Moving from left to right you can now prepare for start. Prime the engine and then check that the primer is locked. Next switch on the master switch (first confirm that the undercarriage is in the down position). Even though the C152 has a fixed undercarriage, it is better to get into this habit from the beginning, before you progress to more complex aircraft with retractable undercarriages. We recently had an incident with one of our Club aircraft where the master switch of our Cutlass was switched on with the undercarriage lever in the up position. The nose-wheel retracted and, because the aircraft was still in the hangar, considerable damage was caused to the vertical stabiliser when it struck the roof of the hangar. The key can now be inserted and the magnetos switched to both. Now switch on the rotating beacon, to warn bystanders that the aircraft will be starting up shortly.

Next, check that the carb. heat is set to cold, the throttle is closed and the mixture is set to full rich. Set the cabin air/heat controls as required. Moving downwards from this point, check the trim control for proper operation and set to neutral. Confirm that the aircraft has a hand-held microphone and that it is plugged in correctly. Check that the fuel selector is selected to "on". Before starting the engine, first confirm that the propellor area in particular is clear and shout "clear prop" out of the window if there is any doubt. You can now "pump" the throttle twice (Ed: see the note at the bottom of this newsletter), set the throttle about 1cm in, apply the brakes and start the engine. As soon as the engine starts, set the power to 1000rpm