CTFC eNews Friday 26 October 2007
Dates to Diarize 9-11 November 24 November New Aircraft Announcement
Dear Members After much discussion regarding our fleet we have finally come to a decision. Many thanks to everyone who responded to our call for opinions regarding the fleet. As you know, our aircraft are all over 25 years old and there is no such thing as a "new" Tomahawk or Cessna 152. Production on both aircraft ceased many years ago. The club agonized for some time on how to slowly replace this ageing fleet - and more to the point - with what? After about 16 months of research and opinions, we have decided to place an order for the new Cessna 162. This aircraft was brought to our attention by a few members who also did their own research and it met all our requirements. Brand new out the box (hangar) with glass cockpit etc. The waiting list for the aircraft is 3 years, during which time we will continue to fly out our current fleet. We have placed an order for 2 aircraft for now as its about all we can afford. Three years might well sound like a long time, but it can also go past very quickly and we truly believe we have made the correct decision by buying brand new aircraft. The idea is that these planes will last another 30 years for the club, the way the Tommies and Cessna 152's did for Good Hope and Cape Aero Club. The deposit on each aircraft is USD 5000 (total USD 10 000) which means a massive cash layout for the club. This will weaken our current financial situation significantly and we therefore ask that every member contributes R200 (once off) to assist with the deposit. It is not a large sum of money and yet if everyone makes this contribution, the long term benefit will be brand new aeroplanes on our apron just waiting for you to come and fly them. I certainly hope you will support the committee in this endeavour. We need the support of all our members to continue to strengthen our club in order to be the leading flight training school in the Cape. I look forward to the arrival of these pristine aircraft and hope that in 3 years time, we will all be flying state of the art brand new aeroplanes. Kind regards
The Cessna 162 Skycatcher (From Cessna)
End of year function Beverley needs numbers for catering purposes for the year end function ASAP. The year end function is on the 24th November and we will be having a spit braai which is the best you will ever taste. Of course this does cost money and the club will be sponsoring a portion but tickets can be purchased at R50-00 per head. Confirm you're coming either by phone (021 934 0257) or email (info@capetownflyingclub.co.za). Prizes/sponsorships Vossie needs our help with the donation of prizes and sponsorships towards the cost of the event. If you can help, or would like to be involved in the organising, drop Vossie an email on geminimotors@telkomsa.net. Donated prizes so far:
ATC flip day 2007 Round 2 G Pinnock (Flightzone pics Stuart Soden, Others by Justin Visser)
CTFC hosted a party for ATNS, and especially the controllers and ATSAs (it was international day of the ATC on Saturday after all). Chantal van Steijn organised the ATNS side, while I managed to convince pilots to donate some flying time in various aircraft. Thanks to the pilots involved:
The poor controllers on duty may have been a bit busy with 7 aircraft (and other normal traffic), at the same time, but at least it sorted out spacing as we headed around the peninsula, while admiring the whales.
The whole idea of the day was to get the pilots to meet the ATCs, and for the ATCs and ATSAs to meet the pilots on the other end of the mike, and to experience what a light aircraft flip feels like. Thanks to Justin Visser for helping with the bar, and Captain Andrew Blake for taking time off his “boat” to help with the braai! :)
Trip to Charles' Farm On 6-7 October, several club members made the trip to Charles Dickinson's farm, Lupinvale in Wellington. By all accounts the weekend was a lot of fun, whether travelling by land or air!
State of the Fleet KKU is still scheduled for a return to action at the end of the month, and all other aircraft are in good shape. For those who haven't yet seen our "new" Cessna 150 Aerobat, ZS-IDL, here she is in all her glory (also taken at Charles' farm):
KBK Summer Special A reminder that the club's Piper Warrior, ZS-KBK, is available at a reduced rate of R800 per hour for a limited period. This rate is available only to fully paid up club members.
Deal Alliance Courses A reminder to all commercial students or pilots already rated and ready to go on contract. Deal Alliance is holding the CERTIFICATE WEEK from 10th DEC to 14 DEC. Deal Alliance (082 495 8179 or 076 745 2423)
Flight Safety (021 934 0981 or 082 563 2669)
Contributed by Steve Davies Steve Davies is busy with his PPL at CTFC with Tony Russel. After every lesson, he writes his impressions and thoughts on the flight. Although initially just for his facebook profile, they make excellent and highly entertaining reading. Every week we will present one of Steve's "Facebook notes" Entry 4: Stalls Saturday morning saw me back at the flying club to learn the theory and practise of stalls. Starting at 8 o'clock - kinda early for a Saturday - but SO worth it. It had been a heavy week. Funny how four hours of concentration at the club actually left me energised and refreshed! I guess what does the trick is total focus on something completely different. I sure that most people at this stage of their PPL training arrive at the lesson on stalling with some trepidation. Cape Town Flying Club train with Piper Tomahawks - which have a bit of a "reputation" for their stalls and spins.
Naturally, there is a mnemonic to remember the necessary checks. That's "HASELL": Height, Airframe, Security, Engine, Location, Lookout. You need to be sure you have enough height to do the manoeuvre safely; that the aircraft is configured correctly (eg flaps); that nothing is going to klap you in the back of the head (!), your harness is tight etc; that things are hunky-dory with the engine; that you are in appropriate airspace; and that there's no other aircraft around. All makes good sense, though that doesn't mean I remembered it all when the time came! Once the briefing was done, then out to preflight KFV. Oops, a problem: left seat won't lock in place. It was looking like no flying today, when lo and behold one of the techs from the maintenance organisation turns up. He's come over to sort out one of the other Tommys with a flat battery, but he's also kind enough to pull the seat out, find the problem and fix it. We were off to the Franschoek valley to do our exercise. Wind was calm, runway 01 in use. Things on the ground are going much better. I'm still not slick with the checks and procedures, though. Obligatory botch of the day was to pay too close attention to the rev counter when advancing the engine to runup RPM. Tony goes ahem, I look up and we're starting to swing forward and to the left ... We have a friendly and on the ball controller - so our takeoff is squeezed in between two commercials. The routing to Franschoek was cool - out to the right and over the Bottleray hills. Route just over the northern side of Stellenbosch town, climbing and heading over the Helshoogte pass and into the valley. Stunning (again). Once arrived at our agreed altitude of 4500ft, Tony demonstrates the stall - HASELL checks. Carb heat on. Throttle to idle. Hold the altitude with increasing attitude. Keep the aircraft in balance. Speed goes down. Hear the stall warning. Feel the buffeting. And woops - down goes the nose (and maybe a wing). To recover: leave aileron alone. Elevator forward. Pick up a dropped wing using opposite rudder (NOT aileron!). Once flying speed is back, ease back. Tony wanted the aircraft recovered to a glide. Then power on and climb back to 4500ft. So he does a couple. Then its my go - and they go OK. First time of course I get a secondary stall by trying to pull up too quickly. Then I overdo trying to keep in balance and end up yawing back and forth at the stall. We then try the same thing in landing configuration - that is with full flaps down. So actually stalls turn out to be fun! (Obviously given plenty of height!). To head back we need to get from 4500ft down to below 2500. Good time to try out sideslipping. So full right rudder. Normally that would lead to the aircraft rolling right (the secondary effect of rudder). But we counteract that by using opposite aileron. The aircraft ends up semi-sideways and very draggy. (But definitely still flying under full control). You hear the whistle of the wind and definitely see a no-messing rate of descent (I seem to remember 1500 feet per minute). That was fun too. Our return is back the way we came. Back at the field we are put into an orbit abeam the tower. Once round or so and we're offered a short final "quick landing". So Tony takes control and 2 minutes later we are on the ground. This lesson was major fun. Next Saturday: we start circuits!
DC-8 with 9 lives
Contributed by Danny Buitendag In 1968, a Japan Air Lines DC-8 on approach to San Francisco, California, landed in the shallow waters of San Francisco Bay, two and a half miles short of the runway. All 107 people aboard were safely evacuated off the plane. The aircraft was recovered 55 hours after the accident. It was repaired and eventually flew back home to Japan. It remained in service for many years.
Aviation News: On Board Flight SQ380 Submitted by Danny Buitendag
The Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 took off from Singapore's Changi Airport and landed about seven hours later in Sydney to launch a new era in air travel. Also on board flight SQ380 were a crew of about 30, including four pilots. Passengers clapped as the plane disengaged from the dock on schedule at 08:00 (00:00GMT). More cheers broke out 16 minutes later as the double-decker plane, powered by four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, soared into the nearly cloudless sky, tinged pink by the light of the early morning sun. Flight attendants handed out champagne and certificates to passengers, some of whom paid tens of thousands of dollars in an online auction for the seats to be part of aviation history. "I have never been in anything like this in the air before in my life," said Australian Tony Elwood, reclining with his wife, Julie, on the double bed in their private first-class suite. "It is going to make everything else after this simply awful," he said, sipping Dom Perignon rose after a lunch of marinated lobster and double boiled chicken soup. He paid $50 000 for the two places. The double-decker A380 ends the nearly 37-year reign of the Boeing 747 jumbo jet as the world's most spacious passenger plane. The A380 is also the most fuel efficient and quietest passenger jet ever built, from inside and outside, according to its European manufacturer, Airbus SAS. It was delivered to Singapore Airlines on October 15, nearly two years behind schedule after billions of dollars in cost overruns for Airbus. Still, the wait was worth it, says Singapore Airlines, which got the exclusivity of being the plane's sole operator for 10 months. As tall as a seven-storey building "This is indeed a new milestone in the timeline of aviation," said Chew Choon Seng, chief executive of Singapore Airlines, or SIA, in a speech before the departure. The Boeing 747 jumbo jet generally carries about 400 passengers. The A380 - as tall as a seven-storey building with each wing big enough to hold 70 cars - is capable of carrying 853 passengers in an all-economy class configuration. However, Singapore Airlines, recognised as one of the best in the world, opted for 471 seats in three classes - 12 Singapore Airlines suites and 60 business class and 399 economy class seats. Each suite, enclosed by sliding doors, is fitted with a leather upholstered seat, a table, a 58cm flat screen TV, laptop connections and a range of office software. A separate bed folds up into the wall. Two of the suites can be joined to provide double beds, one of which the Elwoods occupied. On the upper deck, business class seats can turn into wide flat beds, while the economy class seats on both decks will enjoy more leg and knee room, the carrier says. Business class passengers also have a bar area. Francis Wu, a San Francisco student who turned 22 on the flight, was updating his journal on the in-flight computer system when airline crew surprised him with a white chocolate cake and a song. "This is the best birthday I have ever had in my whole life," he said. Wu was not the only one celebrating. The entire flight was alive with a festive atmosphere with passengers lining up to get autographs from chief pilot Robert Ting, who came out of the cockpit. "Not even three or four years ago had I dreamed of flying this airplane. So this is a blessing that I am flying it today," Ting said. http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2208931,00.html
Aviation News: Aviation Body to Boost Staff in Safety Bid Submitted by Danny Buitendag A RECORD number of aircraft accidents last year has prompted the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to launch a recruitment drive for air safety inspectors and accident scene investigators. The civil aviation watchdog said there were 174 accidents last year, almost 3% higher than the previous record of 169 in 2002. Last year's figure was also 14% higher than the 152 accidents recorded in 2005. At least 50 people died last year, compared with 33 in 2005. However, no scheduled commercial airlines were involved in any accidents. All the accidents involved light aircraft and helicopters. In many cases the pilots were taking their first solo flights. In order to improve its effectiveness, the CAA would recruit at least six more investigators to reinforce its present team of 15, CEO Zakes Myeza told the second annual national safety and security seminar held in Johannesburg. It would also spend R20m to improve the skills of safety inspectors and to acquire new data- capturing equipment. "We want to raise the bar on safety and security in the aviation industry. Internally, we will not tolerate incompetence of staff, and externally we will not tolerate noncompliance (by aircraft owners)." The CAA said in its 2006-07 annual report that staff shortages and the limited number of qualified inspectors had affected the quality and effectiveness of its work. "The quality of written reports did not improve significantly as the department was unable to appoint staff to assist in report writing due to budgetary constraints. Staff shortages also resulted in large backlogs." The CAA's executive manager for air safety investigations, Gilbert Twala, said the causes of the accidents included engine failures, poor weather, lack of airworthiness and negligence by pilots and flight crew. Although no commercial flights were involved in accidents, the CAA said a number of them had encountered technical problems in the year under review. State-owned SA Express, for example, had 41 technical incidents, followed by foreign airlines at 33, Comair at 31 and Airlink at 31 incidents. The national carrier, South African Airways, had reported 24 cases, while Nationwide and low-cost carrier 1time recorded 18 and 10 incidents respectively. Twala said that private aircraft had encountered more technical problems than the rest, reporting 230 incidents. The second most affected were air schools at 100 incidents. "Technical incidents often lead to accidents and it is therefore the responsibility of all civil aviation stakeholders to ensure that we maintain the highest standards of safety in SA," said Twala. Aviation News: Nigerian Man Builds Working Helicopters from Junk Submitted by Anthony Berkow A 24-year-old undergraduate from Nigeria is building helicopters out of old car and bike parts. Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi, a physics student, spent eight months building the yellow model seen here, using the money he makes from repairing cellphones and computers. While some of the parts have been sourced from a crashed 747, the chopper contains all sorts of surprises.
Mubarak says he learned the basics of helicopter flying through the internet after he decided it would be easier to build a chopper than a car. Flying his creation is easy, he claims. "You start it, allow it to run for a minute or two and you then shift the accelerator forward and the propeller on top begins to spin," he explains. "The further you shift the accelerator the faster it goes and once you reach 300 rpm you press the joystick and it takes off." Undeterred that his home-made transporter, which lives in a hangar on campus, lacks the gear to measure atmospheric pressure, altitude and humidity, Mubarak is working on a new machine which "will be a radical improvement on the first one in terms of sophistication and aesthetics." A two-seater with the ability to fly at 15 feet for three hours at a time, Mubarak's new creation will be powered by a brand-new motor straight from Taiwan, normally found in motorbikes. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hV0rzEDq7TWnlm7tMmr2zeQmiRig
Photographs Some stunning pictures of modern airliner cockpits:
More at http://static.iftk.com.br/mt/2007/02/inside_boeing_cockpits_during.html
Why passengers only have side windows:
Submitted by Alexia Michaelides
Videos
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I retract everything bad I have ever said about the weather gods. Saturday was the most perfect day for flying, and luckily it coincided with the ATC flip day.
Dave Pierce (C182)
The Student Pilot
The world's largest jetliner made aviation history on Thursday, completing its first commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney with 455 passengers, some of them ensconsed in luxury suites and double beds. 
The 12-meter-long aircraft, which has never flown above a height of seven feet, is powered by a secondhand 133 horsepower engine from a Honda Civic. In the basic cockpit there are two Toyota car seats, with a couple more in the cabin behind. Controls are simple, with an ignition button, an accelerator lever to control vertical thrust and a joystick that provides balance and bearing. A camera beneath the chopper connected to a small screen on the dash gives the pilot ground vision, and he communicates via a small transmitter.
posted by Cape Town Flying Club at 4:56 AM
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