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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