Cape Town Flying Club news 30 March
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Courses
From the CFI's desk

From the front
Night Circuits at FAWC

Traps for unwary pilots
Aircraft Accidents and Incidents
General
- Bar to be open

- CTFC in the news
- NCG, film star
- Reasons to read NOTAMS
- Diesel catches on in the States
- Night Vision
Out and About
Humour

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Dates to Diarise

10 April : Meteorology course

14 April: Night ciruits at FAWC

27-30 April: De Aar fly in

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Courses

10 April
Meteorology,lectured by Peter Erasmus

Call the club (021-934 0257) to book. Members are reminded that you can do the course as a "refresher" at half price.

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From the CFI's desk

We had our first safety meeting for the year and it was a great success. For those who could not make it, our guest speaker was Brigadier General Constantine whom is a retired US air force veteran. Feel free to look up his Bio: ( http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5061 )

Although his flying was very military orientated he gave us very good advice on how to apply some of the air force safety techniques to every day flying. The meeting was well organized by Eduard Corneulisen the ass. flight safety officer with the guidance of Morne Kleinhans the flight safety officer. My thanks to them on a job well done and we look forward to the next meeting.

I would like to apologize for the bar not being open, and the notification of the meeting going out late. I can assure you that it will not happen again.

Fly Safe

Jaco van Zyl.
CFI

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From the front desk

The Club / Beverley will no longer be responsible for following up on any documents sent to CAA, this is the responsibility of the student, as is making sure that the documents are correct and the necessary payment has been included with the forms.

Documents can be handed in to Beverley to be couriered up to CAA who will confirm receipt of the documents with CAA. Further follow up must be done by the student. Once the licence has been issued phone Beverley and she will arrange for the courier to collect and then phone the student when documents have arrived back at the club.

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Night Circuits At FAWC 14 April --> Linda Hodgkinson

Things are on track for our planned flight to Nadini and then on to FAWC on 14 April. Many of the aircraft have already been booked but if you hurry you may be lucky enough to get one. If you have missed out, let Linda know if you would like to share a flight. If you were one of the lucky ones to get a plane and have a spare seat, also let Linda know and she will put you in contact with one another.

Details regarding the catering arrangements (the plan is for everyone to bring their own, but there will be economies of scale we can avail ourselves of, I’m sure) will be discussed closer to the time as will the time and place for the pilot briefing before departure.

For those who missed last week’s newsletter, here is the airfield info again:

Airfield info according to Airfields Directory:

FAWC: S33 40 E019 25.00

Runway: 15/33 1600m.

Remember to stay on the dam side of the airfield at all times, i.e. right hand circuit if 15 is in use – pilot briefing to take place before the event.

Fuel: to be confirmed closer to the time

Landing fees: waived (thanks Dick)

Nadini: S33 27 39.6 E019 51 30.0

Runway: 11/29 1600m gravel. Extra care should be taken with the a/c during run-up – also to be discussed at pilot briefing.

Fuel: no

Landing fees: none

You are also welcome to bring the family up by car and spend the day with us if you don’t want to fly.

SEE YOU THERE!

Contact: Linda

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Traps for unwary pilots --> G Pinnock

If you a flying an "out and back" trip, your total time will be the same, regardless of wind, because the tailwind on the one leg will cancel out the headwind on the other leg. Right? Wrong!

A simple example will show why this common assumption is wrong.

Our pilot wants to fly to FAXX (which is 200nm away). He cruises there @ 100kts and, in no wind, arrives there in two hours. It also takes 2 hours back

Total time: 4 hours

The next day he goes again, and wouldn't you know it, there is now a 40 knot wind blowing directly to FAXX. He cruises at 100kts, with a 140kts groundspeed and gets there in 85 minutes.

On the way back, he now has a groundspeed of only 60kts, and it takes him 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Total time: 4 hours 45 minutes.

The unprepared pilot, who did the cross country without proper planning, and guessed that 5 hours fuel would suffice, may just have to change his pants after landing (or possibly after answering some questions from the CFI about airmanship and aviation law).

Always plan for that headwind!

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Incidents and Accidents 10 of 20: Fun with pictures --> Danny Buitendag, Russel Wolson

“Damn! I should have bought the one with the floats, not the skis.” --> Danny Buitendag

Oops.... --> Russel Wolson

(The picture is of an F-16 from the USAF Thunderbirds team. The pilot, Captain Chris Stricklin, survived the ejection with only minor cuts and bruises. According to the USAF accident investigation board, the pilot incorrectly set his altimeter and therefore started the manouver to low. In the final split seconds before impact, Captain Stricklin manouvered the aircraft away from spectators. Although the Captain survived, he now works behind desk in the Pentagon.

Read a report: http://www.f-16.net/news_article968.html

See a video of the crash (including cockpit footage): http://www.ifilm.com/video/2681065 )

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General

Bar Open

The bar will be open on the weekends (including Friday night), and our DSTV is up and running, so pop in for a drink (after the flight) and watch our guys thrash the opposition in the cricket!

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CTFC in the news --> Fishhoek Echo 12 March

Alexia Michaelides sponsored the first prize (a flight for three in a CTFC aircraft) in a competition organised by Papillon Insurance. The competion was to raise funds for OIL, a youth development programme.

In the picture, Alexia (2nd from right), is seen helping with the draw.

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NCG, film star

Recognise the buildings? NCG spent last Saturday taxying through Cape Town for an advert. So if you are in Argentina in the future, keep an eye out for our star (the advert was made for Argentinian TV).

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Reasons to read NOTAMS --> Frank Moody





































The images above were taken by Frank Moody at Simonstown, where the navy was practising with 20mm MK1 and 12.7mm Brownings. Just remember, only every 5th round is visible, and you can be sure that it would ruin your day slightly if you flew into that!

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Thielert Diesels STC’d In Many Cessna 172s by Russ Niles, Contributing Editor (Avweb.com) --> submitted by Schalk Burger

On March 13 the FAA granted Supplementary Type Certification to installation of Thielert Centurion 2.0-liter diesel engines in Cessna 172 F through S models and Cessna F 172 F through P models, according to a news release.

Thielert founder Frank Thielert said the STC not only opens the market for his engines to the most numerous of all aircraft in the biggest aviation market on earth, it also smoothes the way for similar approvals all over the world. “The FAA certifications are of particular importance on the world aviation market, since they are acknowledged by most countries in Africa and Asia without further intensive testing,” the news release said.

Asia and Africa are seen as big potential markets because avgas is scarce there, while the jet fuel that powers the Thielerts is generally available. The marketing push in the U.S. will be based on the lower operating costs of the diesels, which Thielert said should be particularly attractive to flight schools operating 172s.

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Jam for better eye sight --> T Goldshmidt

In World War II, British Royal Air Force pilots discovered that during their nightly bombing runs, their sight wasm uch better if they'd been eating bilberry jam. "I say," muttered Air Marshall Smith, "Our breakfast could be the key to winning this war!"

These claims led to a great deal of research into the effects of bilberry fruit extracts on the eyes until,in the 1960s, scientists at last realised why the jam was so beneficial. Bilberries contain anthocyanosides, chemicals that improve blood circulation and protect fragile
cappillaries in the eyes. These enzymes are crucial to vision and to the eye's ability to adapt to the dark.

In the 1980s, Italian researchers reported that 76% of their test subjects reported a strong improvement in their short-sightedness after being given 150mg per day of a blueberry extract, plus vitamin A, for 15 days. Further research has found that bilberry may also reduce chronic eye fatigue, severe near-sightedness, and day blindness. Dr. Mark Stengler, author of 'A Handbook of Natural Remedies' says: "Most people notice their eyes feel much better after they take bilberry. Patients tell me their vision improves, their eyes get less tired and bloodshot, and they are less prone to headaches."

If you are a heavy computer user, operate machinery, or fly bombing missions over Germany, then bilberry jam for breakfast every day could the answer.

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Out and About

The preflight: Cat attached? - check. --> G Pinnock

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Humour

(just to prepare everyone for Sunday...)

Ten of the best April Fool's Day hoaxes --> IOL 29 March

New York - From television revealing that spaghetti grows on trees to advertisements for the left-handed burger, the tradition of April Fool's Day stories in the media has a weird and wonderful history.

Here are 10 of the top April Fool's Day pranks ever pulled off, as judged by the San Diego-based Museum of Hoaxes for their notoriety, absurdity, and number of people duped.

In 1957, a BBC television show announced that thanks to a mild winter and the virtual elimination of the spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. Footage of Swiss farmers pulling strands of spaghetti from trees prompted a barrage of calls from people wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti at home.

In 1985, Sports Illustrated magazine published a story that a rookie baseball pitcher who could reportedly throw a ball at 270km/h was set to join the New York Mets. Finch was said to have mastered his skill - pitching significantly faster than anyone else has ever managed - in a Tibetan monastery. Mets fans' celebrations were short-lived.

Sweden in 1962 had only one television channel, which broadcast in black and white. The station's technical expert appeared on the news to announce that thanks to a newly developed technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to receive colour pictures by pulling a nylon stocking over the screen. In fact, they had to wait until 1970.

In 1996, American fast-food chain Taco Bell announced that it had bought Philadelphia's Liberty Bell, a historic symbol of American independence, from the federal government and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell.

Outraged citizens called to express their anger before Taco Bell revealed the hoax. Then-White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale and said the Lincoln Memorial in Washington had also been sold and was to be renamed the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial after the automotive giant.

In 1977, British newspaper The Guardian published a seven-page supplement for the 10th anniversary of San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean consisting of several semicolon-shaped islands. A series of articles described the geography and culture of the two main islands, named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse.

In 1992, US National Public Radio announced that Richard Nixon was running for president again. His new campaign slogan was, "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." They even had clips of Nixon announcing his candidacy. Listeners flooded the show with calls expressing their outrage. Nixon's voice actually turned out to be that of impersonator Rich Little.

In 1998, a newsletter titled New Mexicans For Science And Reason carried an article that the state of Alabama had voted to change the value of pi from 3.14159 to the "Biblical value" of 3.0.
Burger King, another American fast-food chain, published a full-page advertisement in USA Today in 1998 announcing the introduction of the Left-Handed Whopper, specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new burger included the same ingredients as the original, but the condiments were rotated 180 degrees. The chain said it received thousands of requests for the new burger, as well as orders for the original "right-handed" version.

Discover Magazine announced in 1995 that a highly respected biologist, Aprile Pazzo (Italian for April Fool), had discovered a new species in Antarctica: the hotheaded naked ice borer. The creatures were described as having bony plates on their heads that became burning hot, allowing the animals to bore through ice at high speed - a technique they used to hunt penguins.

Noted British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on the radio in 1976 that at 9:47 am, a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event, in which Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, would cause a gravitational alignment that would reduce the Earth's gravity. Moore told listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment of the planetary alignment, they would experience a floating sensation. Hundreds of people called in to report feeling the sensation.

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CTFC enews March 22nd
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Courses
From the CFI's desk
--KBK incident report back
-- New PPL system
Night Circuits at FAWC
De Aar fly in
Diesel Impressions
Sean's African Adventures
Aircraft Accidents and Incidents
General
-- Pilot resources
-- Air Babylon on BA
-- The End of the 747-400
Beware the Box Canyon

Humour

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Dates to Diarise

27 March: Engines and airframes

10 April : Meteorology course

14 April: Night ciruits at FAWC

27-30 April: De Aar fly in

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Courses

27 March
Engines and airframes, lectured by Eduard Cornelissen

10 April
Meteorology,lectured by Peter Erasmus

Call the club (021-934 0257) to book. Members are reminded that you can do the course as a "refresher" at half price.

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From the CFI's desk

1) KBK Incident

Incident:

" KBK was observed starting up on the apron of Cape Town Flying club on Sunday 11-03-2007. After the start up the pilot proceeded to do the run up checks in the parking bay. It was then realized by the pilot that they could not taxi due to the fact that they did not push the plane back. The engine was shut down and the passengers pushed the plane back with the beacon light still on. On further investigation it was learned that on the authosheet there was no names or signatures entered on the passenger manifest. Also the plane was fully fueled and booked for six hours."

Pilot Interview:
During my interview with the Pilot in command I raised the following questions:
1) Why was the run up cheks done immediately after starting the engine?
2) Why was the plane not pushed back?
3) Did he do a weight and balance report for the flight?
4) Why was the passengers not written in the passenger manifest?
5) Why they only flew to FASH if the plane was booked for six hours?

He answers as follows:
1) They wanted to see if the mags were working before they started taxiing.
2) They forgot.
3) They did do a quick mental calculation.
4) They forgot.
5) They were going to fly on a cross country but decided not to.


Final judgment:
The only way to properly check the mags is to do it during the power checks, which they did do, but doing the power checks with a cold engine can severely damage the engine. We did have a situation in the past where an aircrafts rings were broken whist doing the run up checks with a cold engine. Everybody makes mistakes and one can understand that the pilot forgot to push the plane back, but, to then have the plane pushed back with the electrics still on is dangerous and not safe and certainly does not comply with the proper shutdown procedure.

If one can forget something like the proper shut down procedure can you then still remember to proper emergency procedures for that aircraft? This does not only apply to the above situation but to all of us. How many of us still go through all the procedures and emergency procedures for the aircraft we are going to fly before hand?

To do a mental calculation on weight and balance is beyond me or maybe I am just slow, but I can't see any way in which a weight and balance can be done in such a way. This is a legal requirement and has to be complied with, so please make sure that when you go flying that a proper weight and balance has been done. The CAA upon an accident investigation is surely not going to accept a mental calculation.

The passengers have to sign the passenger manifest, this is an indemnity and is very important. Also it is required by law. And lastly when an aircraft is booked for six hours it has to fly for at least 4 of those six hours. This is a club rule and by breaking it you will get charged for the time you have not flown.

I hope that the above incident will focus all of our attention to better planning of each flight and instill a safety awareness that seems to be lacking on some flights.

2) New PPL System

As of 1 May 2007 all PPL exams must be written on the published dates at a venue determined by CAA, and all students must enter for the exams before the preset closing dates. Students must make sure that they discuss this with their instructor in order to plan properly.

If there is any uncertainty with this please contact Jaco van Zyl (CFI)."

Fly safe
Jaco van Zyl

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It's time for night circuits again (14 April) --> Linda Hodgkinson

Join us on Saturday 14 April for our regular night circuit excursion. This time, we hope to extend the event somewhat by flying to Nadini earlier on in the afternoon, having a picnic there (please bring your own picnic) and then flying on to Worcester for our night circuits. From there it is up to each pilot to decide whether they want to stay over and come back on the Sunday morning or fly back to FACT on Saturday evening.

If you want to stay over, you are welcome to contact Linda for guesthouse info and airfield overnight options. To avoid major reorganization if we have to postpone due to weather, please also arrange to take your own food for supper/breakfast. Once we know who will be going, we can chat about the logistics and getting fires made for a braai if we want that. The runway lights will be switched on for us by the Worcester Flying Club, and they have also kindly agreed to allow us to make use of their club and ablution facilities.

Please book your plane a soon as possible to avoid disappointment. All night rated pilots are encouraged to attend and make sure that they stay pax current, and those who are not night rated are welcome to come along for the afternoon flight to Nadini, or ask and instructor to fly with you and do some night flying as well, or simply get to FAWC before dark and stay over with us.

Airfield info according to Airfields Directory:

FAWC: S33 40 E019 25.00

runway 15/33 1600m. Remember to stay on the dam side of the airfield at all times, i.e. right hand circuit if 15 is in use – pilot briefing to take place before the event.

Fuel: to be confirmed closer to the time

Landing fees: waived (thanks Dick)

Nadini: S33 27 39.6 E019 51 30.0

Runway 11/29 1600m gravel. Extra care should be taken with the a/c during run-up – also to be discussed at pilot briefing.

Fuel: no

Landing fees: none

Contact: Linda Hodgkinson

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De Aar Fly In

A Fly-in with a difference

Do you want to spend a weekend with other pilots? - Ever been to a traditional Karoo Fees? Want to spend a Long weekend free flying? - Get a peak at some latest flying gadgets?

You can from 27 th (public Holiday) - 30 th April, because Fly De Aar is holding a Manufacturers Challenge / Flying Exhibition to co-inside with the local High Schools "Karoo Fees" You can even bring along the family, cause there will be loads of other entertainment available as well.

The Karoo Fees will include: farm stalls / Potjie kos competition / Miss De Aar High School comp / A live concert with DOZI / dances / Wine tasting / Springbuck Hunting / Tennis, running, cycling (20km & 100km) & walking competitions with nice cash prizes / a Water-balloon War / a Guinness book attempt / a Beer Tent / local live performers / Abseiling / Rugby Super 14 AND a Steak braai dinner/dance.

The Expo & Manufacturers Challenge will include: various flying products on display or to purchase including: paragliders, hang gliders, GPS's, vario meters, clothing goodies on sale, t-shirts, helmets, gloves, flight suits, harnesses, bomb drop & spot landing prizes & a cash bar.

R100 entry ticket includes: entry into the Expo & the Karoo Fees for the whole weekend, the steak dinner (Saturday) & FREE camping at the airfield (sleep next to your plane). Breakfast is to be supplied by the High School in order to raise funds.

Those Interested in taking a stand for the expo to display their wares & Goods, please contact: Chrissie 082 556 0370 or Des 084 690 1804 please book your place with Des e-mail: flydeaar@telkomsa.net

A reminder that the minimum utelisation fee (as set out in the club rules) is waived for official fly ins.

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The Dawn of Cape Town Flying Club's Diesel Age -->-Russel Wolson (Pictures David Barnes, Russel Wolson)

It's early days yet. First impressions are that she is lot smoother and quieter than a normal 172. With a lot of the engine management taken away from you, it does leave you a bit more time to do other things, like wonder how the colour GPS works. (Talk about feeding Strawberries to Pigs) She is slightly more nose heavy and has a bit more inertia on the control inputs. When you get in, you still find yourself banging doors shut and sliding seats "hard" like you do with old planes when you don't have to. Your headset jacks glide into the holes as apposed to "crunching" into their respective reciprocals. Seat belts magically and neatly disappear when you are finished flying. Pax have their courtesy lights and cup holders. (Next they'll expect an air hostess to come out from the back.)

It's feels a little Sci-fi, when the run ups are done for you. Seeing all the temps and pressures with the flick of an eye is a nice safety feature. You can also fly ILS approaches which you can't do with the Tomahawks as far as I know. (This may save the plane one day.)

It's a bit strange to see full tanks sitting at 2/3s on the needles, but hey, we've been trained to ignore the fuel gauges and visually inspect anyway. To see her sipping 5gls per hour is just mind blowing, suddenly alternates are places like George, PE, Bloem (and even JHB if tanks are full) come into play. Be warned though, it's a whole new ball game with fuel availability. No more FAFK of FASH for refuelling (unless you want to pinch it out of a couple of 4x4 double cabs standing around there while their owners are watching touch and gos on a Sunday Afternoon.)

The night lighting on the instruments are out of this world. Peter Erasmus said they are almost as good as his PC-12s.

The downside of the plane ? Not much really. If you accept that in terms of performance she is only a genuine three seater and don't mind a climb rate of just over 500 fpm. I haven't had a chance to test top end but she should cruise at 110 knots without stress. JDN could only do that just before she went off line and she was almost twice the price per hour. I did most of my 172 flying on the highveld where 500 fpm was considered normal. Also watch out for that engine shut down switch in mid flight during turbulence.

Only time will tell if she is reliable, but on the face of it, this seems to be the future for GA. Lets see how long it takes the Americans to do it.

(Fellow members, please look after her and keep her clean, we don't want her taken away from us!!)

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Sean's African Adventures --> Sean O'Connor

Flying the van in West Africa

So I finally got upgraded to Captain on the Van (OK, OK, I know it's supposed to be a single crew aircraft, but please don't burst my bubble yet!) and got assigned a contract, a plane and a co-pilot; namely Abidjan, ZS-OJF and Melanie Mainberger. Melanie instructed at FAFK for a while and also flew the white and orange Islander that's still loitering around FACT.

Melanie and I arrived in Cote d'Ivoire on the 27th March, I did my licence & IF renewal the next day and we flew to Liberia the day after that to do some flights for the UN World Food Program. The ferry flight to Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, was great, Melanie did the flying and I did my best to coax some life into the avionics - I snagged 10 avionics items after that flight!

Sweating through my IF renewal (We had no foggles, so I kept my eyes closed)

Abidjan is a big friendly city of rivers and estuaries, about 5 million people, lots of traffic, street vendors and 3 smells, depending on which way the wind blows. The prevailing ESE wind is my favourite, the smell from the massive Nescafe roastery keeps me happy. When the wind backs to the NE, the delicious aroma from the cocoa processing plant wafts towards our apartment. Thank goodness the Westerly doesn't blow much, 'cos the fish factory really pongs.

On the beach in Bassam, this was the capital of Cote d'Ivoire before Abidjan.The dude on the left is trying to sell me a python skin.

Liberia is terribly scarred from the war! There's no electricity, water or telephones. There are 25000 UN troops and other aid workers there, the towns are in ruins, there are amputees war wounds everywhere. The ex-president, Charles Taylor is in jail in Europe for war crimes - His son is in jail in the U.S. The amazing thing though, is that the people are incredibly friendly. Our crew house is surrounded by high walls with razor wire coiled on the top. We have an electricity generator for the house and a well for water - which is pumped into the plumbing system.

Most of the population are descendants of released American slaves, so they don't really have a local language any longer. They speak English that sounds a bit like Jamaican English, but all the ends of the words are left off and they speak very quickly - and that's when they speak to us! When they speak to each other in Liberian English, I can only catch a word or two every few sentences! "Do yo nee sah fue fo da play?" Said very quickly, means - Do you need some fuel for that plane?

The flying is simply awesome! We fly U.N. personnel to airports and remote strips in Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Senegal. The terrain and coastline are beautiful, but the weather is turning nasty. We're situated right at the ITCZ, which is like JFK for Cb's! It's truly spectacular and scary threading your way through 30000ft Cb's at FL130, wondering whether there's a dead end around the next bend!

Our Van parked behind and dwarfed by a massive MI-26 in Monrovia

The spectacular coast near Harper in Liberia

Pilots Sara (L) and Melanie (R) doing good UN work

Me and Gerard chilling at the pub next to the airport in Monrovia

It was great to see the friends I saw when I was in CT in March and I'm looking forward to being home again in May!

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Aircraft Incidents & Accidents 8/20: Famous People: Others --> Danny Buitendag

1. Yasser Arafat

On 8 April 1992, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat suffered only minor injuries after his Antonov 24 crashed into the Libyan desert. The aircraft force landed in the desert when it ran into a violent sandstorm. Yasser Arafat was one of the surviving passengers.

Antonov 24

2. Mohammed bin Laden

On 29 May 1968, a Beech 95-C55 crashed on take-off. The accident was caused by fuel starvation; the fuel selector was in the wrong position. On board was Mohammed bin Laden, aged 73, the father of Osama bin Laden.

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General


















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Pilot resources --> submitted by Schalk Burger

http://www.saaviation.co.za

This site has great resources and downloads, such as mock tests and logbook software

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Air Babylon revisited --> submitted by Alexia Michedalias

Body Was Wedged In Seat (Sky News March 19th)

A British Airways passenger flying in first class woke up to find he was sitting next to a corpse, it has been reported.

Cabin crew had moved the body of an elderly woman from economy when she died after take-off.

Paul Trinder then watched in horror as the body repeatedly slipped beneath the seat belt onto the cabin floor of the Boeing 747, flying from Delhi to London.

And he could not believe his eyes when stewards wedged the dead woman into her seat with cushions.

Mr Trinder, a BA gold card holder who had paid nearly £4,000 for his seat, said he thought he was dreaming.

"I woke up to see the crew manoeuvering what looked like a sack of potatoes into the seat.

"But slowly through the darkness I realised it was a body," he said.

The building firm boss reportedly complained about the smell of the dead body, and about the wailing family who were all moved from economy to sit with their dead relative.

But he said flight staff simply told him to "get over it".

BA told the Daily Mirror: "We apologise, but our crew were working in difficult circumstances and chose the option they thought would cause least disruption."

Mr Trinder was told the 'corpse policy' would remain in place until someone came up with a better idea.

(GP: If you don't get the Air Babylon reference, do yourself a favour and get the book "Air Babylon", which is a fictional story based on 20 years of factual happenings in various airlines. Your sides will hurt after a few pages (or you will be shocked...one of the two....)

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Boeing 747-400 Officially Out Of Production By Russ Niles, Contributing Editor (Aviation Safety) --> Submitted by Schalk Burger

With the stroke of a pen, the production life of the Boeing 747-400 passenger jet came to an abrupt end last week, but it’s hardly the end of the line for the aircraft family that started the jumbo movement in 1969.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Boeing technically had four more -400s to build but it appears Philippine Airlines changed its order and asked for 777s instead. That brought the 747-400 line symbolically to an end (about 450 were delivered), but there are dozens and perhaps hundreds of other types of 747s on the order books that will keep the folks in Washington state busy for years to come.

Boeing still has 36 747-400 freighters to build while it develops the 747-8, a modernized version of the jumbojet that uses a new wing and the efficient engines developed for the 787 Dreamliner. There are about 60 orders for the freight version of the 747-8 and Lufthansa has placed an order for 20 passenger versions, called the Intercontinental, which will seat 466 people.

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Box Canyon Hazards --> Michael Vivion and originally printed in SFC's The Windsock

The visibility isn’t the best going up the mountain pass. On the far side lies better weather and home.Behind are a tent, camp, cold and wet weather, and insufficient gas to go elsewhere. The pilot continues deeper into the pass, hoping conditions will improve. The ceiling is steady, but the terrain is rising. They’re headed south, and winds are westerly at 20 knots, with gusts. The pilot hugs the right side of the pass for traffic.

Suddenly, clouds obscure the rising terrain, and it’s obvious he isn’t going to make it through the pass. It’s time to turn around, but the opposite canyon wall looks awfully close. The aircraft’s vertical fin is already in the clouds, and the surrounding terrain is much higher—climbing isn’t an option. Neither is a descent. From cruise configuration, the pilot initiates a hard left turn, banking 45 degrees in an imitationof a check ride aced years ago. Unfortunately, the aircraft has just turned into a tailwind. Two days later, searchers find the remains of the aircraft near the top of the pass. The wreckage pattern leads downhill, on a northerly heading. The NTSB accident database is littered with stories of pilots who failed to turn around in the space available to them.

The weather doesn’t have to be bad for things to go awry—many incidents occur on sight-seeing flights in VFR conditions. Either way, know any canyon very well before venturing into it. You can fly above the canyon to discern whether there are any new obstructions, such as wires or towers that you’re unfamiliar with.

No matter what the scenario or aircraft, there are several key factors that will help you turn around in minimum airspace. Before the turn, first and foremost, slow down before you get into a tight spot. Because airspeed and bank angle dictate the radius of a turn, slower speeds and/or steeper bank angles will result in a tighter turn. Many pilots wait until they’re actually starting the turn to slow down—that’s too late. What speed should you target? I use 1.3 Vso initially. Practicing turns with slight variations in speed helps find the best speed for your airplane. Don’t forget that stall speed varies with weight, and adjust accordingly.

Configure the airplane for the turn before you initiate the turn. This will vary from aircraft to aircraft, but look for the configuration that offers the best tradeoff between lift and drag. Most airplanes will warrant a flap setting at about half deflection, but some aircraft turn tighter with full flaps, so practice at altitude until you find the best configuration for your aircraft.

Wind direction is the most important consideration in determining which side of the canyon to hug while proceeding up canyon. If you’re flying south with a westerly wind, as described in the scenario above, starting the turn from the east side of the canyon provides a headwind as you turn across the canyon. If there’s a lot of wind, there may be downdrafts on the west side of the canyon. But remember, the radius of the turn is a function of speed over the ground. If you cross the canyon with a tailwind, your best effort may not be good enough.

Practice the procedure for minimum radius turns repeatedly at altitude so that the maneuver becomes second nature. When you’re looking at sheer rock walls through the windshield, you need to have confidence and competence in your technique. A GPS will help evaluate your turn radius during practice.

Everything described to this point must be done before you initiate that lifesaving turn. Slow down, configure, move to the wall that offers the best starting point, and practice. Preparation is the key to success.

During The Turn, let’s revisit our scenario: Clouds immediately above—can’t go up. Rocks below—can’t go down. What’s the best strategy to get turned around? Pose this question to a dozen pilots, and you’ll hear as many answers. Some advocate a chandelle—a climbing turn at the conclusion of which you should be within a couple knots of stall speed. In our scenario, we can’t climb and we don’t want to be so close to stall speed in the mountains and turbulence.

Others suggest a diving turn. But we’ve continued to descend as we’ve gotten deeper into this deal—to the point where we can no longer descend. Furthermore, a descent suggests more speed, and speed equates to a larger turn radius.

The technique I use has worked in the light aircraft I’ve flown, including that harridan of canyon turns—the Beaver. Here’s the technique, as I’d perform it in a Cessna 172:

Slow down and configure the airplane before you get to the tight spot: 70 mph and flaps set to 20 degrees. Depending on the operating weight, 70 knots is a little over 1.3 Vso.

When the airplane is trimmed, roll smoothly into a steep, coordinated turn. This doesn’t have to be a maximum-rate roll—steady and smooth works here.

As you pass 30 degrees of bank, apply full power, and up-elevator to initiate the turn. Continue the roll to 50 degrees of bank. With practice, you’ll find a pitch attitude (generally a little higher than cruise attitude) that will maintain altitude. The idea here is to turn with minimum radius, while holding altitude. Keep pulling hard as the airplane turns, and at the 180-degree point perform a smooth rollout and power reduction.

The airplane should come around as if on rails. If it buffets a little in the turn, back off the pull just a tad. With full power, the airplane will tolerate a lot before it stalls. Practice at altitude to perfect the technique and to determine how much pull it takes. And remember, in actual practice, this is a last ditch lifesaving maneuver. Done well, the airplane will finish at the same altitude that you entered the turn. Practice the maneuver until you nail the altitude every time.

All aircraft—from basic trainers to taildraggers to high-performance models—can get into trouble with box canyons. With each aircraft, the flap setting and target airspeed may be different, but the basic technique is the same.

So, remember, practice turning around till you have the technique down pat. Should you anticipate a tight spot ahead, slow the airplane down and configure it for a turn. Most times, you’ll get through the pass just fine. Flying slow with flaps will take a little longer, but should the space close in on you,
reduced airspeed and bank will get you out of there in one piece.

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Humour

submitted by Schalk Burger (first appeared in Aviation Safety)
Overheard while en route from Loveland, Colo., to Mesa, Ariz.:

United 123: Center, we’ve got continuous chop at 390. Is the ride any better lower?
Center: United 123, standby. Cactus 222 how’s the ride?
Cactus 222: Continuous chop at 350.
Center: United 111, no joy. We’re getting reports of continuous light to moderate chop at all flight levels.
Unknown Aircraft: C’mon down big fella! The ride’s nice and smooth here at flight level 085!


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