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 - MAY 2007
Club President Mike Allsop's presentation at the AGM
Welcome to the May 2007 edition of Schofields News. There are the usual plus some new features - President's Notes by Mike Allsop, Ask the CFI by Pat Watson, X-File X074 (Berezniak-Isaev BI-1) by Anthony Coleiro, Crosswind Operations (Part 4) by Pat Watson, Know Your Committee by Richard Pincus, Early Morning Competition by Peter Blackbourn, How I Came to Eat Camel Pie by Phil Crosby, 2006 Tassie Flyaway (Day 2) by Kerrie Allsop, and The Last Word from Latrodectus. As well, there's some of the usual administrivia that you've come to expect. So, read on and enjoy!
APRIL NEW MEMBERS: Welcome to Michael Franklin, David Meale, Matthew Bouttell, Hazem Sedda, David Gustavsson, Ronald Atkins, Dong Kim, Yong Cao, Manuel Azcona, Lynda Hamilton, Jamie Schuts, Philip Ward and Andrew Yu.APRIL DUTY PILOT DRAW: The Volunteer Duty Pilot Monthly Draw for April ($50 free flying) will be announced shortly. The Club is appreciates the efforts our tireless band of volunteers generously gives in helping their Club and this is one small way of saying thank you!
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The 36th Annual General Meeting of Schofield Flying Club Ltd was held at the Clubhouse on Monday the 16th April.
| A WORD OF THANKS: On a recent Saturday morning, a visitor to the Club became seriously ill with a pre-existing medical condition. Three club members, Scott Coakley, Brett Tipton and Danial Martin, looked after him, called an ambulance and then visited him in Liverpool Hospital to ensure that everything was OK. Their consideration was all the more important for his well-being as a Club visitor. Special thanks to Scott, Brett and Danial for their help and caring. This is a credit to them personally and reflects very well on the Club. |
2007 OPAL TOUR: This year we're going to visit Central Australia for fifteen magical days discovering the Australian Outback. Come along to the Club on 27 May, meet the other Opal Tour Travellers, have a bite to eat and get more details of our trip. More...
NIGHT CIRCUITS is an event run by the Club that allows members to experience the joys of night flying. Whether you are night rated and want to update your currency, would like to see what a night VFR is all about, or maybe just simply join in the fun, this is an event for you. Next event is on Friday, 11th May starting at 6:00pm. More...
DIARY DATES: The Club has a number of social and flying activities planned for 2007. You can check full details on our Coming Events page. Below is a summary of the programme for May and June 2007:
| Fri | 11 | May | Night Circuits | Bankstown |
| Sun | 13 | May | Club Competition | Warnervale |
| Mon | 21 | May | Committee Meeting | Bankstown |
| Sun | 27 | May | Opal Tour Presentation; Last Light Drinks | Clubhouse |
| Sun | 03 | June | Club Competition | Warnervale |
| Mon | 11 | June | Queen's Birthday Public Holiday | |
| Sat | 16 | June | Aviation Night | Clubhouse |
| Mon | 18 | June | Committee Meeting | Clubhouse |
| Sun | 24 | June | GPS Theory Course; Last light Drinks | Clubhouse |
Mike Allsop
Our AGM was held on April 16th and we were pleased to share both our results from last year along with its challenges, and our views for the year ahead and the longer term future of the Club. Thank you very much to those members who were able to brave the lousy weather that evening to be with us and to drive challenge, ideas and discussion.
Please join me in welcoming your Board for 2007 following our AGM. Returning to the Board are Mike Allsop as President and responsible for Strategic Development, Peter Blackbourn (Vice President and responsible for Clubhouse Services and Events), Grahame Smith (Secretary, responsible for Member Relations and for chairing our relocation sub-committee), Peter Cunningham (Treasurer and responsible for Sport Flying), Scott Pringle (Fleet Operations and Maintenance), John Young (Market Communications) and Peter Whiteman (Clubhouse Maintenance). Joining us are new Board members Greg Leversha (Club Technology) and Richard Pincus (Recreational Flying).I would like to thank retiring Board members Sheri Crawshaw and Phil Crosby for their contributions to Club business. Both are dedicated Club members who remain very active in our Club community but who, for various (positive) work pressures, have found themselves unable to devote the hours they would like in their Board roles. We wish them well and look forward to seeing them out and about at the Club.
The Board is always keen to discuss your views and interests in aviation and the services we provide to you. Please feel free to chat to us at any time, even if not in person. Our staff are equally pleased to help you and to pass on any suggestions you might have.
We are pleased to say that our plans for relocation are progressing well. We have DA approval and expect BA approval by the time you read this.
The new site is diagonally opposite us on the
north-eastern side of Bankstown Airport If all goes to plan we expect to commence work on the site in May with a December completion target. The new site is diagonally opposite us on the NE side of YSBK, fronting Birch St. There are good neighbours over there, with several of our members having aircraft in the adjacent Tee Hangars. We will keep you posted on developments.
As mentioned in last month's newsletter, we are seeing solid demand for our services both in training and private hire. We are presently on track for a near record year, and would very dearly love to make it so with your support. With strong demand it is always a bit awkward when we can't meet it, especially so this month when we had 2 aircraft out for engine overhaul and one for other repairs. We were fortunate to be able to cross hire other Warriors for the weekends but we do apologise to those of you who have been inconvenienced. A few lousy weather days didn't help, either.
I would like to add a warm welcome to all new members this year. We have seen a steady stream of people joining with us either to embark on that flying training dream or to simply enjoy the atmosphere of a strong aviation-minded Club with a great fleet of aircraft at the most comprehensive GA airport in the state. We have also seen a good number of new members crossing over from other training establishments. Welcome to all of you, and please feel free to share your thoughts with us at any time.
On an administrative note, a few small changes take effect in May. We have a done a detailed cost analysis of our fleet and need to make small adjustments in pricing to a couple of the aircraft. You will be pleased to know that there is no change to the majority of aircraft, including our Warriors. Published prices now change each month in the light of fuel price changes (we buy fuel at a fixed rate for each calendar month). The concept of a fuel levy has now been superseded, so now the listed figures you see on our pricelist are for full wet hire inclusive of GST, and have been kept competitive as you would expect. We pride ourselves in not providing you with tired 'dogs' of aeroplanes, so we are not always cheapest. The other thing we are doing is reviewing discount incentives for private hire. While this is happening, effective from May 1, all discount plans we have in place will be put on hold. If you have earned a discount entitlement (or are about to), that will be preserved for you, so don't worry.
At the end of the day we want to ensure you receive great value from the Club whether through renting our aircraft, training with us or making use of everything we offer as a Club. This last point is especially important to all of us, including those with their own aircraft. We hope you continue to get the value you want at Schofields. We are certainly going all out on your behalf to keep it that way.
Safe and Happy Flying in May!
Mike Allsop
President SFC
Patrick Watson
Enough questions on the Sun's movement. The answer to last month's question was "the Equinoxes". On both 20 March and 22 September, (or thereabouts) the shadow path described by the tip of Schoies' flagpole, (and the top of any other object anywhere in the world) is a straight line.
Other interesting facts about those dates, the sun rises in the East - exactly. And sets due West, exactly! For anybody, anywhere on the Earth's surface - except perhaps the poles.Nonsense, you say? Study the following sketch of the situation at dawn. The meridian at which dawn is occurring is perpendicular to the Sun's rays.
At dawn, the Sun is rising exactly East to all observers along
the meridian. At the equinoxes, there is no Earth tilt relative
to the Sun's rays. The meridian is perpendicular to the Sun. The Sun's rays are considered to be parallel and perpendicular due to the distance from Earth. This situation occurs on two dates only, about 20 March and about 22 September. On all other dates, the meridian is tilted to some extent.
Other selected interesting facts about the Equinox:
- Equinox is Latin for 'equal night', signifies equal day and equal night.
- There are exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.
- The exact dates and times of the equinoxes vary from year to year.
- 'Vernal' (referring to Vernal Equinox) is Latin for 'Bloom'. Meaning plants and nature blooms in Spring.
| UTC Date and Time of Solstice and Equinox | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | Equinox Mar |
Solstice June |
Equinox Sept |
Solstice Dec |
||||
| day | time | day | time | day | time | day | time | |
| 2002 | 20 | 19:16 | 21 | 13:24 | 23 | 04:55 | 22 | 01:14 |
| 2003 | 21 | 01:00 | 21 | 19:10 | 23 | 10:47 | 22 | 07:04 |
| 2004 | 20 | 06:49 | 21 | 00:57 | 22 | 16:30 | 21 | 12:42 |
| 2005 | 20 | 12:33 | 21 | 06:46 | 22 | 22:23 | 21 | 18:35 |
| 2006 | 20 | 18:26 | 21 | 12:26 | 23 | 04:03 | 22 | 00:22 |
| 2007 | 21 | 00:07 | 21 | 18:06 | 23 | 09:51 | 22 | 06:08 |
| 2008 | 20 | 05:48 | 20 | 23:59 | 22 | 15:44 | 21 | 12:04 |
| 2009 | 20 | 11:44 | 21 | 05:45 | 22 | 21:18 | 21 | 17:47 |
| 2010 | 20 | 17:32 | 21 | 11:28 | 23 | 03:09 | 21 | 23:38 |
| 2011 | 20 | 23:21 | 21 | 17:16 | 23 | 09:04 | 22 | 05:30 |
| 2012 | 20 | 05:14 | 20 | 23:09 | 22 | 14:49 | 21 | 11:11 |
| 2013 | 20 | 11:02 | 21 | 05:04 | 22 | 20:44 | 21 | 17:11 |
| 2014 | 20 | 16:57 | 21 | 10:51 | 23 | 02:29 | 21 | 23:03 |
If you are at all puzzled or interested in the Sun's movement, I discovered a great little site that shows an animation of the sun's movement at various latitudes and times of the year. Check out http://astro.unl.edu/.
To show that the Sun rises due East and sets due West - and the Flagpole shadow does indeed describe a straight line, click on the following site, change the date to 20 March, drag the latitude to about 35 degrees south and start the animation. Note the top of the observer's shadow.
Try this month's question. Whilst daydreaming in my schooldays, I often wondered why aeroplanes wanted to fly at high altitudes. Surely, I thought, they had to go a lot further, the higher they flew. I didn't know then as I know now, that there are lots of advantages in flying high.
An observer at latitude 34S on 22 March at 8:45am Especially the increase in TAS for the same IAS due to less drag in the thinner air. And the ability to fly over weather. However, they do have to fly further if they fly high.
Consider two identical aeroplanes flying non-stop from Perth WA to New York. They both have unlimited fuel so will not land en-route. Aeroplane 1 is flying at Sea Level (while complying with CAR 157(1) - LH), Aeroplane 2 at FL370.
The SL Great Circle distance from Perth WA to New York NY is 10,105 nm. How much extra distance does Aeroplane 2 have to fly because of the altitude? Ignore climb and descent in your calculations.
Again, first correct answer with a reasonable explanation gets mentioned in next month"s Newsletter, and scores 10 points. Second, 5 points and third, 2 points. Whoever has the most points at the end of 2007 gets a prize at the end of year Christmas Party. You may email your answers, or see me in person.
Until next month, Happy Flying
Patrick Watson CP/CFI
Anthony Coleiro
In May 1942, with the world gripped by war, an extraordinary little known event took place at an experimental test facility in Koltsova near the Ural mountains not far from the city of Sverdlovsk. The world's first rocket propelled aircraft took to the air. For many years it was thought that the Germans had achieved this with their little Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet interceptor on 23 June 1943, but the Russians, working under tight secrecy beat them by 13 months!
Interest in rocket-propelled aircraft in the Soviet Union began in the early thirties. The first attempt at rocket-propelled aircraft took place around the 1934-35 period when solid fuel booster rockets were attached to a Tupolev I-4 fighter to assist its take-off.
Development of a variable thrust liquid-fuelled rocket by Leonid Dushkin made aircraft applications more practical. To test this new engine out it was mounted to an SK-9 sailplane, the aircraft was now called the RP-318. It first flew on 28 February 1940, the tests proved successful.Interest intensified as war approached and in the period of 1939-1940 design work had begun on three rocket-propelled interceptors the Polikarpov Malyutka, Tikhonravov 302 and the Berezniak-Isaev BI-1 using the 1,100 kg thrust Dushkin RNII D-1A-1100 rocket motor that burned a mixture of kerosene and nitric acid.
Flight trials of the contenders began in 1942 but only the BI-1 survived this test and was proceeded with. Due to the secrecy of the project, details of the other two aircraft were never revealed.
With submission of design details of the BI-1 target defence interceptor to the defence committee, which, included non other than Josef Stalin himself, approval for the immediate construction of five pre-series aircraft was given. Due to the nature of the project, all five aircraft commenced construction simultaneously but while this was happening, the German assault on the Soviet Union had begun and the plant where these aircraft were under construction in Moscow had to be evacuated.
Berezniak-Isaev BI-1 Work resumed in a semi-completed iron foundry in the vicinity of Sverdlovsk near the Ural Mountains. The construction team initially worked in a workshop with no roof in winter. All five aircraft were completed simultaneously.
The BI-1 was of simple mixed construction to facilitate mass production and aerodynamically very clean. Built mainly of moulded plywood, it had metal flaps and fabric covered control surfaces. It had an oval section, low set wings with retractable conventional undercarriage that could either be wheel or ski equipped. The engine was mounted in the very rear of the fuselage and the two fuel tanks were mounted directly behind the pilot. Dimensionally it was very small, having a wingspan of 6.48 metres and a fuselage length of 6.4 metres; the pilot was housed in a very cramped unarmoured cockpit.
The BI-1 first took to the air on 10 September 1941 as a glider towed behind a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber. The non-powered flight tests revealed some minor faults but these were easily rectified. While the glider flights were being carried out by prototype number one, numbers two and three were having their rocket motors fitted and provision was made for the fitment of a pair of ShVAK 20 mm cannons each with 45 rounds.
The first engine run test on the BI-1 was not very successful, the test pilot advanced the throttle too rapidly and the engine exploded, burning three of the test crew nearby and violently throwing the test pilot forward. Even though he was injured, he recovered in time to take the now rebuilt aircraft up for its powered run. Tests commenced with taxi trials culminating in a short hop, satisfied with these results, the aircraft took to the air on 15 May 1942. With throttle application, the aircraft quickly accelerated and climbed steeply to 2,600 feet and was then levelled off. Speed built up and the engine was cut, the aircraft made a high-speed glide back to the airfield. Its first landing was not very graceful as the pilot held off for too long resulting in a heavy landing collapsing the undercarriage, luckily, the aircraft itself sustained little damage.The program was plagued with delays due to difficulties with the rocket motor and corrosion of the fuel tanks and lines owing to the acidic nature of the fuel. With each successive test flight, higher speeds were attained. The aircraft had a phenomenal initial climb rate of 16,142 feet per minute or 82 metres per second and it was calculated that the aircraft was capable of over 900 km/h!
The high fuel flow of the Dushkin rocket motor gave the aircraft a flight endurance of 8 to 15 minutes, this was not considered adequate. To rectify this problem a new multi-chamber rocket was developed but this proved to be erratic under test conditions and increased the aircraft's weight and complexity significantly.
An order was given that 50 production aircraft be constructed but on 27 March 1943 tragedy struck when on the seventh powered flight, the aircraft disintegrated in mid air killing the test pilot. The aircraft was in level flight and travelling at an estimated speed of between 750-800 km/h when the aircraft developed an uncontrollable nose down pitch and broke up. Pending investigation, the production program was suspended. Limited testing of the other aircraft took place with heavy restrictions. No attempt was made to simulate the flight conditions of the crashed aircraft as this was not permitted, instead, wind tunnel tests took place and like the real aircraft, the model aircraft suffered its nose down pitch at high speed. There was no obvious fix to the problem so further work on the aircraft was abandoned.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- The Complete Book of Fighters - William Green Gordon Swanborough
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft - Orbis Publication
- War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters Volume Three - William Green
- Flying Review International - June 1969 - Haymarket Publishing Group
Patrick Watson The Crosswind Landing - Part 2 CONTINUED FROM LAST MONTH'S NEWSLETTER...
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"BK terminal information ECHO. RWY 11L for arrivals and departures, frequency 132.8. RWY 11R for circuit training, frequency 123.6. RWY 11C is active. Wind 190o/17 knots, all crosswind. VIS reducing to 8 km in haze. Cloud FEW 4000. T 25. QNH 1015. BK terminal information ECHO". "BK TWR, HQR, Warrior, PSP 1500 Inbound. Received ECHO, Request RWY C" "HQR, track for a straight in approach, RWY 11C, report 3 mile final" |
Over the last three months, I've presented a series of articles that described the situation confronting pilots when a significant component of the prevailing wind is perpendicular to the runway centreline and last month I discussed three methods of executing a crosswind landing. This month I will describe some of the issues associated with these methods.
Imagine the scenario described in the box above. At 3 miles and 1500 feet, the wind speed is probably stronger than the ATIS wind. You will have to turn the aeroplane on to a heading of about 125 degrees in order to maintain the extended centreline.The Approach and Landing
You will need to complete your pre-landing checks very early. Use a maximum of 2 stages of flaps and maintain Indicated airspeed of 5 - 10 knots higher than normal. Approaching the threshold, simultaneously:
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Use left rudder to align the aircraft's fore / aft axis with the centreline. |
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Use right aileron to bank the aircraft into wind, sufficient to stop drift. |
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Use elevator to raise the nose to the landing attitude. |
Touch down on the upwind mainwheel
first, at a higher than normal speed
and less flap than usual.
The aircraft will then touch down on the right main wheel, followed by the left main wheel, followed by the nose wheel. This known as transitioning from the Crab to the Sideslip - or, as Boeing calls it, De-crab. At the instant the right mainwheel touches down, immediately increase aileron to stick that wheel to the runway. Continue steering with rudder. Increase aileron as the left wing starts to drop. Increase aileron to full on touchdown - complete the landing with full aileron.
It is vital that you maintain full ailerons into wind after landing during the rollout, and be careful with the rudder as the pedals steer the aeroplane whilst on the ground. Make sure you don't land with your feet on the brakes. Some Instructors, myself included, teach students in early crosswind training - to transition from the crab to the sideslip about half way down final. Disadvantage - it increases rate of descent. Advantage - it gives the student time and opportunity to practice controlling the aircraft. Don't make the mistake of using too much rudder or aileron. You'll find out if you do - the aircraft will drift off the centreline. If that happens try a little more or less aileron until you stop the drift.
Consequences
If you do not rudder the aircraft straight and land in the "crabbed" condition:
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The aircraft will touchdown in the "crabbed" condition. It may cause major damage to the undercarriage. Or the tyre may roll off the rim. |
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As soon as the tyres grip, the aircraft will exit the runway to the right. |
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It will always exit INTO wind. |
If that happens - a common and instinctive reaction is to attempt to "steer" the aircraft using ailerons. Using left aileron in this situation will cause the right wing to lift and compound the problem. The wheels will have less grip on the runway. The wind has greater effect on the aircraft body, increasing the "weathercocking" effect and increasing the likelihood of an uncontrolled runway exit via the grass. In extreme cases, using left aileron may lift the wing and may even roll the aeroplane upside down.
What if you do nothing? Some pilots manage to ''plonk' the aeroplane onto the runway, more or less aligned along the runway. The whole side of the aircraft, including the tail fin and rudder, are exposed to the crosswind. The immediate effect is to "weathercock" the aeroplane, causing it to turn and make an uncontrolled exit right.
What if you use no aileron? If you do manage to straighten the aircraft prior to landing and forget to aileron into wind:
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The aircraft will be landed in the wings level attitude, nose along the runway direction. |
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Drifting to the left. |
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May cause undercarriage damage. |
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Tyres may roll off the rim. |
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The left drift will become a "right exit" as soon as the wheels get "grip" on the runway. |
A fairly rare problem - as happened to one of our aircraft recently - happened when the pilot "pushed" the aeroplane on to the runway. The aeroplane then "wheelbarrowed" on the nosewheel with the mainwheels still in the air. The crosswind then turned the aircraft into wind. The nosewheel then scraped sideways along the tarmac and removed most of the rubber from the nose tyre. This probably happens more often than is believed. How else can you explain flat spots on the nose tyre?
Cockpit view of a Crab transitioning to a Sideslip. Finally, if the runway is covered with slick ice, or water to the extent that aquaplaning occurs, then the wind can blow the aircraft right off the runway, no matter how good the approach and landing. See the first article in this series, it describes an accident where that very thing happened to a King-Air in Canada.
Flying standards
In your flight test you will be required to demonstrate proficiency and safety in crosswind operations. You will be required to demonstrate a landing in a crosswind, touching down within a metre of the centreline with zero drift.
If you are having trouble timing the transition from Crab to Sideslip, tell your instructor you'd like to fly a crabbed approach to the runway, but instead of touching down after entering the sideslip, add power and continue flying above the centreline while sideslipping, followed by a go around. Do a number of these circuits. Practice using rudder to maintain the centreline on the first run, practice using aileron to prevent drift or to steer back to the centreline on subsequent circuits. Get into the swing of things by using ailerons to zigzag up the runway, all the while using rudder to maintain alignment. Do as many circuits as necessary - you'll soon have it off Pat ;-). It's a great feeling once you have mastered crosswind landings. You'll go looking for them. That feeling of vulnerability will be gone forever, and you'll actually enjoy the challenge. Don't forget to practice to maintain your proficiency.
Tips and strategies for successful crosswind landings
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Practice, practice, practice | Confidence and proficiency will only come through repetition. Take advantage of a windy day and go up with your favourite instructor. |
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Keep your speed up | In light aircraft like the Piper Warrior, use 5 to 7 knots more than usual. This increases control effectiveness and gives better gust control. |
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Use less than full flaps | Use one or two stages of flaps at the most. This allows a higher landing speed. And prevents partial rudder shielding. |
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Stay on the centreline | Immediately go around if you can't maintain alignment. The wind may be too strong or you may be behind the aeroplane. One of the most common crosswind landing accidents results in leaving the runway through the grass. |
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Don't relax once you've landed | Use proper flight control inputs on the ground to prevent loss of control. |
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Use correct controls | Use rudder to control aircraft alignment along the runway. Use aileron to control drift. Be ready to quickly adjust controls in gusty or changing wind conditions. |
Next month, we'll look at the crosswind take-off.
Patrick Watson CP/CFI
Richard Pincus
I started gliding in 1958 as soon as I left school, but could only do a few launches then. I started power flying in the UK in 1966 while I was doing my higher degree (as a physician) and got my licence in 1967. Lessons were five pounds - ten dollars per hour! I flew lots of different aircraft but all very light and small - Ercoupe, Beagle Pup, Condor, Tiger Moth, Druine Turbulent, Piper Warrior, Cessna 150, and several variants of Fournier powered gliders - RF3, 4 ,5 and 5B. I went to many of the shows as a participant in some of these aircraft , including (as a passenger) formation aerobatics, and pylon racing (once.) I learned aerobatics all under a 1500 foot ceiling and thought that was normal until I returned to Oz.
I got my Australian licence in 1970 and flew aircraft up to Lance and Cessna 182 but mainly flew gliders including numerous National and many State Championships (I was always an also-flew).
VH-PTT in a glide over Sydney Harbour. I went on to become a glider Instructor in 1978, and a Level II then a Level III. (Level III trains Level I and II, leaps over tall buildings, etc). I have over 3000 hours if you count the gliding, which I do.
I owned my first aircraft from 1999 to 2007, VH-PTT, an RV4. This is test aircraft I have ever flown bar none, but the passenger sits behind and with little room. I've flown one all across the US and back, and mine around Australia and on several Schofields trips. I recently sold PTT (weep, weep) but bought VH-OAJ - nearly as good as PTT but an RV6A meaning it has side by side seating (Helen insisted!) and sadly the wheel at the wrong end (the front). True airspeed on my first trip (delivery from Gold Coast to Camden) at 160 knots when I could get high, 150 at 6,500. Got diverted by our Air Force, and still had over an hour's fuel left - it used only 104 litres on that trip. It will have to do!
I have flown only a few times in Schofields aircraft - one comp, two locals in Warriors, a few night circuits, and a transition to the Jabiru. I will do more. I did my PIFR theory but have not yet been able to start the practical.
I have been a barrister for the last 16 years and am nearly retired, so may be able to help run the Club. I will give it my best shot in any case.
Richard Pincus
Schofields Director 2007-8
Peter Blackbourn
T he birds were not even up when event organiser Peter Cunningham left home for YSBK on Sunday, 15 April. He was our point of contact in the event of suspect weather. Pleased to report that the small amount of fog quickly burnt off after the suns alarm clock went off and it was a great morning.
After a very early daily inspection our breakfast fleet was taxied to the meeting point just outside our engineer's hangar around the corner from the control tower. 11R was the assigned RWY and the first 2 participants got off the ground just after 06:00 as scheduled.Each participant flew 2 circuits - one requiring a glide approach and the other a blind circuit with instruments covered. The aim was for a spot landing with points for how close you got to a designated "box". The instructor did all the radio calls which meant our pilots could concentrate on the task at hand. For those who wished to make it 3 circuits to update their currency, this was an available option.
John Hook prepares for the blind circuit Back at the clubhouse, the breakfast crew had prepared all the goodies fit for a King, A choice of cereal, fruit, toast and of course, sausage, scrambled egg, bacon, tomato and virtually everything one could want at that time. The smells from the kitchen provided a family feel to the event. Move over breakfast of champions.
| The winners on the day were: | |
| 1st | Alan Drury |
| 2nd | Karen Heugh |
| 3rd | Mike Allsop |
We will hold another morning event at YSBK in the not too distant future. As you can appreciate the logistics of such an activity requires us to closely coordinate with the related authorities being Air Services and of course BAL. It's great so see a good working relationship with these guys, one that allows us to arrange such an event.
Hope you can be there for our next morning circuits.
Peter Blackbourn
Director of Clubhouse Events & Services
T axiing in and out of Schoies Flying Club, you may have noticed a blue and white Cherokee sitting characteristically 'tail-low' on the grass. VH-BWX is a slab wing 180 hp operated by the Sydney Flying Group. This stalwart little aeroplane is the sole asset of the small syndicate, with most active members (including myself) also long time members of Schofields Flying Club.
Maintained by Scotty from Aviation Express (as are SFS fleet), BWX has served the group as a reliable, low cost, night VFR aircraft since 1989.
VH-BWX at Tibooburra Our small band of pilots has become close friends over the years, and it's always a thrill for one of us to get a phone call asking "I'm just off to Moruya for the day, wanna come?" And so it was when I answered the phone one evening ...
"Birdsville! Where's Birdsville, said my wife?" I had just spoken to Mike Arcon (another SFS member) who was sounding me out on joining him and Grant Hallinan on a flyaway to the most remote horse race meeting in the outback. I got out my Australian Geographic map of Australia, and pointed to the small dot in far west Queensland. "Why would you want to fly there, she said?"
As all pilots know, it's not just the races that make this famous event an attraction to flyers each first weekend in September. The Birdsville Cup meeting attracts aircraft of all types, each braving flat the desert landscape to locate the remote airstrip alongside the outback watering hole known as the Birdsville Hotel.
Planning the long flight in VH-BWX was not straightforward. Each of us was several kilos over the "standard" 75Kgs, plus we needed to take camping gear and a reasonable amount of emergency water. This meant shorter range, and several phone calls to confirm or arrange fuel. Mike took on the job of detailed flight planning, and with SARTIMES in place we departed Bankstown one Friday just after 7:00 am.
With first stop Dubbo, we enjoyed perfect weather over the ranges and onwards for a second 2 hour leg to Bourke for another fill "to the tabs".
I thought horse racing was on turf! By Tibooburra the landscape was looking very featureless, with strange formations visible from our cruising height of 4500'. The fuel distributor (and local publican) at Tibooburra was soon topping up our tanks while other planes arrived also heading to VBDV. Our track was over Innamincka, while a Partenavia opted for a slight diversion to a dirt strip to visit the famous Burke & Wills "Dig Tree". We really were in desert country!
The good weather continued as we shuffled seats again and Mike expertly flew us over desert country to Birdsville. The GPS really came into its own on this leg, as otherwise it would have been basic heading/time/distance navigation, although the NBD at YBDV was the strongest by far on the whole trip. After landing, the ground reception crew had us refuelled and at our parking/camping spot in minutes. Then it was a case of erecting the tent and chucking in our sleeping gear, and walking the few hundred metres into "town" for a well earned pizza & beer from the pub. Feeling nicely tired from the long flight (not to mention one or two ales) we tumbled into the tent, only to discover the delights of trying to sleep on a surface not unlike railway ballast - stony, hard, and pointed. It was a long night!
Next morning there was time for a leisurely look around the 120 or so planes that arrived for the weekend, and talk to pilots who had flown in from all points of the compass. We had a look around the town, inspecting the boiling artesian water supply, and historical buildings, and then it was out to the track (i.e. dustbowl) to watch Mike and Grant lose a few dollars amidst the confusion of cowboys, carnival operators, and dressed up characters that made up the crowd.
Intrepid diners tasting camel pie The punters were even treated to a mini air display by two airforce Roulettes, their red Pilatus PC-9s clear against 8/8 blue sky.
With the heat climbing, even paying $4.50 for a beer seemed a bargain, but it was soon time to head back to town where it was pizza night at the bakery. We discovered they also sold camel pies, an opportunity far too good to pass up, and I can report that it tastes pretty much like curried chicken. But then so did everything at the bakery that weekend. Being gourmets, we washed down our pies and pizza with a good red, followed by another fitful sleep on our rock-hard beds, dozing the sounds emanating from the rowdy boxing tent and over-indulgers at the pub.
We knew Sunday morning departure was going to be frantic, so woke before first light, pushing BWX to the apron at dawn for a No. 3 departure with Grant at the controls. More fuel (at $2.00 a litre) at Tibooburra, and then onwards home at 3500' with 140 knot groundspeeds as we were pushed along by a showery front. This was good news until Bourke where the crosswinds tested my technique resulting in a less than glamorous arrival and departure. Then another quick run to Dubbo for a nice lunch at the airport café, before dodging broken cloud over the ranges for landing at Bankstown at 3:30.
The Birdsville flyaway was a great trip with good companions to share the workload, and a wonderful way to sharpen up your planning & navigation skills. Tacho time was 8.7 up, and about an hour less coming home courtesy of the tailwind. Key consumption figures worked out at around 38 litres/hour avgas, 2 litres oil, 3 camel pies, and 1 bottle Jacobs Creek.
Phil Crosby
Day 2: 27 Dec 06 - YFLI
After the confusion of the first day caused by weather we arose ready to embrace new sights although Sue was a little sad as Ron was missing in action. The bus arrived on time at Lady Barron and we climbed aboard. Were we all here, no Allan and Jeff were missing and so we sent someone to find them, a scene to be repeated for the whole day, much to the chagrin of the bus driver.
Historical Forneaux Museum at Emita The bus arrived at Whitemark and we were all issued with new shirts and jackets which were to prove useful as the trip progressed. First stop was the historical Forneaux Museum at Emita which had been created by volunteers, particularly Doreen Lovegrove. The new building, with entry and exhibition space, was recently designed and built. Behind it are older residences and mutton bird huts that contain a wealth of items representative of the history of the whole Island.
We reluctantly left whilst our bus driver Leedham Walker gave us information on:
- Who settled the outer islands first and then the main island of Flinders.
- The types of farming and practices current today.
- The wildlife particularly the Cape Barron Geese which will now be regarded as a pest rather than a lovely bird.
- Information on every air strip we passed (there were many) including how various crashes occurred at each.
Orange lichen covered-rocks at Palana We set off again to visit Killecrankie taking in the splendor of the bays with brilliant blue water and white sand to match any seen in the Pacific. The weather, however, was not quite the same as we added more layers to keep warm from the biting wind. It was a bad day for cameras as Rae dropped hers into the water as she was washing her hands and Colin and Katrina mislaid theirs in the confusion with the accommodation.
We sat on the orange lichen covered rocks at Palana at the top of the Island enjoying the view of the bay and beach while eating our picnic lunch - we were all quite hungry. A plane flew over and we all surmised that it would be Ron!
After lunch we travelled to the centre of the Island taking in the farmland scenery of dry grasses, rocks and stoic stubbly trees with enormous trunks and root systems to hang onto the earth but with tips pruned by the strong winds.
Many of us dozed as the sun finally shone into the bus. At a fork in the road some of us pleaded to go to Whitemark to visit the diamond (topaz, actually) shop as Janet was sporting a nice set of earrings. Alas, we headed back to Lady Barron to purchase bottles of water as the colour of the tap water was a little off-putting.
It was a long day but we all felt better after coffee (or something stronger). At the end of the day, the accommodation was sorted out, Colin and Katrina's camera was found and Sue was finally reunited with Ron. Unfortunately, Rae's camera failed the buoyancy test!
Kerrie Allsop
FEEDBACK AND CONTRIBUTIONS: Well, that's your Newsletter for this month. With help (in the form of contributions) it might be possible to continue to produce a newsletter every month. Don't forget to check the latest news on the Club's website at www.schofields-flying-club.com.au. Contributions, comments, feedback, and suggestions to latrodectus@schofields-flying-club.com.au.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: Change is inevitable; progress is optional.
Latrodectus
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