Schofields Flying Club Ltd - 60 Birch Street Bankstown Airport 2200
(PO Box 200, Georges Hall, NSW 2198 AUSTRALIA)
Phone: +61 2 9709 8488 Email: mail@schofields-flying-club.com.au
SCHOFIELDS FLYING CLUB NEWSLETTER - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
FunFlight 2008 from the PolAir helicopter.
Welcome to the November/December 2008 edition of Schofields News. There are the most of the usual plus some new features -
President's Notes by Mike Allsop,
Airshow at RAAF Amberley by Peter Blackbourne,
X-File X089 (Fokker K I) by Anthony Coleiro,
It's Your Call: New Rules for Pilots - compiled by Latrodectus,
FunFlight 2008 (Part 1) by Alan Searle,
British Submarine 'Astute' contributed by Latrodectus,
A Special Day with Nancy-Bird Walton by Craig Hobart,
FunFlight 2008 (Part 2) by Alan Searle,
Sports Flying Update by John Hook,
The Residue of Design compiled by Latrodectus, 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!
DUTY PILOT DRAW: The Volunteer Duty Pilot Monthly Draw ($50 free flying) for October went to Michael Young and Leslie McQueen and for November it went to John Rochford and John Worthington. The Club appreciates the efforts our tireless band of volunteers generously give in helping their Club and this is one small way of saying thank you!
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LAST LIGHT DRINKS is a social activity introduced by the Clubhouse & In-house Events sub committee for members and their guests to join together with some of our committee members on the last Sunday of each month. It is an opportunity to discuss flying at an operational and social level and see the changes that are taking place at the club. Drinks are available from our licensed bar, with complimentary savories served. It's a couple of hours of social interaction with an aviation theme that we can all enjoy. From 17:00 to wind up around 19:00. Come and join us on December 28.
DIARY DATES: The Club has a number of social and flying activities planned for the first few months of 2009 and you can check out the full details on our Coming Events page.
| Thu | 25 | Dec | 08 | Public holiday (Christmas Day) | |
| Fri | 26 | Dec | 08 | Public Holiday (Boxing Day) | |
| Sun | 28 | Dec | 08 | Last Light Drinks | Clubhouse |
| Thu | 01 | Jan | 09 | New Year's Day | |
| Sun | 08 | Feb | 09 | TAIL DRAGGER DAY - a chance to ride in some unusual aeroplanes with a BBQ during the day and maybe a few drinkies at the end. | Clubhouse |
| Fri | 06 | Mar | 09 | Nominations for Directors for New Committee close at 5pm. | Clubhouse |
| Mon | 06 | Apr | 09 | ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - your chance to have a say in the running of the Club. From 7:30pm. | Clubhouse |
Mike Allsop
On Sunday November 9th we participated in "FunFlight 08", a charity event benefiting the Starlight Children's Foundation and others. Alan Searle did a great job in arranging the event - sourcing a range of volunteers to help as marshals and to fly both club and personal aircraft on the day. He was also chief greeter and master of clubhouse operations for the families and kids visiting us. Nelson Crawshaw ran airside operations with a continuous flow of aircraft and passengers safely marshalled. Alan provides a more in depth article on this event later in the newsletter, but suffice to say that the Starlight Foundation and their families had smiles all round - it was a huge success for them. I might add that this all happened without reducing our "normal" ops on the day - thanks to those members and instructors who kept on flying despite the surge of humanity in the clubhouse!
We did not publicise it fully to our members in advance because frankly we knew we would be deluged with volunteers. We tried to keep this event to a manageable size given it was our first time as a participating club.
| NEW MEMBERS: Welcome to the following new members who joined the Club in the last few months. Prospective New Members of the Club can download a Membership Application Form (174kB pdf) here. Note that it is still necessary for new members to attend the Club in person with photo identification before applications can be processed. |
| October 08 - Jonathan Carne, Joshua Paterson, Adam White, Esha Sharma, Wing Ho (Mark) Lee, James A Riley, Jose Soares, Steven Miles, Benjamin Granger, Krystal Flack, Matthew McPhee, George Goold, Samuel Lam, Claudia Lamilla, Tarik Aitsiselm, Champak Sarker, Gregory Tattersall, Royce Ma, Matt Murphie, Zuzana Standish, Blaise Standish and Xui (Michell) Mi. |
| November 08 - Toa Tukarangi, Alison Howe, Bjorn Liden, Robert White, Raef Farag, Simon Leverton, Nigel Fanning, Alistair Cunningham, Thomas Cyganiewicz, Benjamin Senior, Gregory Midgley, Joseph Pilo, Adam Alcott, Daniel Allison, Richard Noonan, Earle Burrows, Andrew Wells, David Moore, Michael Scerri and Hirofumi Haga. |
| December 08 - Karrie Brabet, James Pellowe, Jeffffrey Lea, Rod Ovens, Nicolas Charpentier, Bruce Ferguson, Monica Seth-Sehmi, Takashi Matsumoto, Jackson Mullane, Adam Parkinson, Yee Kwok, Ben Esler, Grahame Hutchison, Matthew Hawkins, David Hewitt, Jason McQuillan, Alan Smith, Francisco Aro Varela, Sergey Holodenko and Justin Parry-Okeden. |
On the social front, we held a Presentation Evening on Saturday November 15th for those pilots having attained various milestones in their training. This was a full house with award recipients and their families enjoying the hospitality of the Club. We had over 80 people for dinner, followed by a most informative talk by Pat Watson. Thanks in particular to Greg Leversha for the organisation of the event, and the many helpers on the night. Photos will be available on the website shortly.
On the fleet front, we will be pleased to welcome Seminole VH-TEA online at the end of November / early December. It will have an all-new avionics stack as well as smart interior and exterior presentation. It will also be available for private hire to members with a Seminole endorsement. If you already have a ME endorsement, a Seminole conversion is quick and easy. PIE and TEA, now here's food for thought! Give us a call.
Finally, a note regarding our newsletter. We have a website that is kept pretty much up to date with things going on at the Club. This has notices and links to a wide range of topics of interest as you know. The "newsletter" proper is a series of articles contributed by members, all compiled as a single "read" by our webmaster, often with items he contributes personally. We are always keen to receive items of interest contributed by members for others to read. This might be a brief item about a trip you have done, special people you have flown with, or perhaps an interesting aircraft you have flown or worked on. All articles are gratefully received, as are photographs to include. This is a Club newsletter for Club members about things we all do as part of our Club affiliation. Try your hand at an article! If you would like a bit of a hand in editing, no problem - just send an email to the Club and ask! We'd be pleased to help.
I hope to see you at the Club soon. Safe flying.
Mike Allsop
President SFC
F/A-18 with friends from Temora
A few months ago the BIL (brother in law Andrew) who is now back in the RAAF for a stint and stationed at Amberley advised of their upcoming event. With the offer of family accommodation and lunch at the Officers Mess how could I not go north for the NSW Labour Day LWE.
It was an early start on the Sunday when we headed to the Base. Since his invite Andrew had been rostered to work so lunch at the OM would be for another time. I tagged along under his control until he dropped me airside for the days activities.
In true Queensland style it was blue skies and the sun was out. The temperature rose quickly to around the 30's. As most readers would know the tarmac temperature is always higher and on this day the surrounding taxiways which were public areas where exactly that. Despite public address announcements about keeping up water consumption many visitors needed the assistance of the first aiders for dehydration. A large number of lost children as well as missing adults were also a challenge for the organisers as is the case when you have close to 50,000 POB at an event. Pleased to note there were no left overs at days end.
What a great event it was, the displays were well paced and had all the usual plus some extra action. Former RAAF Fighter Pilot Matt Hall now in civvies entertained the crowd with his aerobatic skills. Flying a Giles (a single seat unlimited aerobatic aircraft)
F/A-18 formation he displayed those skills for which he was recently awarded a coveted Super Licence giving him the qualifications to compete in the Red Bull Air Race.
As expected at any military base the boom and zoom component was well represented. The F-111 (affectionately known as the pig) showed its handling display qualities including the dump and burn which never fails to impress. Also the F/A-18 Hornet with after burners climbing virtually vertical is another great sight, even better when there are four ships in the display configuration. My favourite was the in line formation flypast of front line fighters from across the years. From the Mustang to the Hornet the five display aircraft looked great. The enclosed pictures show this in action along with the four ship Hornet display.
The RAAF's airlift wing was also on hand with Caribou, Hercules and the C17 Globemaster all strutting their STOL characteristics. Very impressive to see large aircraft reverse taxi on the ground. In such cases the loadmaster generally takes on the roll of PIC from the rear ramp. The Roulettes were on hand and demonstrated their high standard of precision flying with a variety of choreographed displays.
There were a few old Schoies friends at the event. Bob de la Hunty President of HARS and past member of our club with the Super Constellation "Connie" as well as the Neptune. Both these aircraft provided a terrific static display especially with the walk through of Connie. One of the commentators was FLTLT Ben "Lucky" Cartwright who represented the Roulettes a couple of years back when he flew up in a PC-9A to be guest speaker at one of our aviation nights.
In addition to the above and with so many other displays to check out the clock certainly did wiz by and it was soon time to rendezvous with Andrew and head home. If you get the opportunity to attend future events do so, it is well worth the trip north.
Peter Blackbourn
Flying Member
he Fokker K I (or M 9 as it was known by the Fokker factory) was a highly original concept twin engined, twin boomed offensive fighter developed without any official encouragement.The K I (K for Kampfflugzeug or Battle Aircraft) utilised two Fokker M 7 two seat observation aircraft fuselages (the M 7 was Anthony Fokker's first big production order) complete with their tail assemblies attached to a central nacelle with engines fore and aft by means of a biplane structure. The pilot sat in the central nacelle while the front of the M 7 fuselages were faired in and they housed a gunner each in forward cockpit.
Fokker K I (M 9) A pair of 80 hp Oberursel U O seven-cylinder rotary engines powered the aircraft, one fore and another aft and the pilot controlled the aircraft in flight by wing warping.
The prototype aircraft was completed in April 1915 and flight tested by Anthony Fokker himself. As the twin fuselages had individual tail sections, the fuselages twisted when the wings were warped. The aircraft also had a marked tail heaviness, which made it difficult to control. Only one of these aircraft was ever built as Fokker became preoccupied with other aircraft and the K I project was abandoned. No data from the testing of this aircraft apparently survives.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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The Complete Book of Fighters - William Green Gordon Swanborough |
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The Illustrated Ency. of Aircraft - Orbis Publication |
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Air International - September 1979 - Fine Scroll Ltd. |
Anthony Coleiro
IT'S YOUR CALL: NEW RULES FOR PILOTS - CONTRIBUTED BY LATRODECTUS
| FROM THE SNAG SHEETS: Never let it be said that ground crews and engineers lack a sense of humour. Here are some 'actual' maintenance complaints logged by flight crew and the responses from the maintenance crews. | |
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| Problem: | Left inside main tire almost needs replacement. |
| Solution: | Almost replaced left inside main tire. |
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| Problem: | Test flight OK, except autoland very rough. |
| Solution: | Autoland not installed on this aircraft. |
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| Problem: | Propeller #2 seeping prop fluid. |
| Solution: | Propeller #2 seepage normal. |
| Problem: | Propellers #1, #3 and #4 lack normal seepage. |
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| Problem: | The autopilot doesn't. |
| Solution: | It does now. |
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| Problem: | Something loose in cockpit. |
| Solution: | Something tightened in cockpit. |
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| Problem: | Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear. |
| Solution: | Evidence removed. |
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| Problem: | Number three engine missing. |
| Solution: | Engine found on right wing after brief search. |
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| Problem: | DME volume unbelievably loud. |
| Solution: | Volume set to more believable level. |
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| Problem: | Dead bugs on windshield. |
| Solution: | Live bugs on order. |
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| Problem: | Autopilot in altitude hold mode produces a 200 fpm descent. |
| Solution: | Cannot reproduce problem on ground. |
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| Problem: | IFF inoperative. |
| Solution: | IFF inoperative in OFF mode. |
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| Problem: | Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick. |
| Solution: | That's what they're there for. |
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| Problem: | Turn & slip indicator ball stuck in center during turns. |
| Solution: | Congratulations. You just made your first coordinated turn! |
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| Problem: | Whining sound heard on engine shutdown. |
| Solution: | Pilot removed from aircraft. |
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| Problem: | Pilot's clock inoperative. |
| Solution: | Wound clock. |
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| Problem: | Autopilot tends to drop a wing when fuel imbalance reaches 500 pounds. |
| Solution: | Flight manual limits maximum fuel imbalance to 300 pounds. |
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| Problem: | ADF needle runs wild. |
| Solution: | Caught and tamed ADF needle. |
CASA has announced new rules that revise mandatory radio broadcasts to be made by pilots operating at or in the vicinity of non-controlled aerodromes. The decision follows extensive industry consultation and a special study commissioned by the Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR).
The project aims to provide consistency in the regulations and their supporting material. The new regulations remove confusion about which calls must be made and which are recommended, and so ensure the highest possible level of passenger safety. Wide consultation was conducted on the issue with airlines and industry stakeholders to produce a thorough analysis of current operating arrangements and the outcome has been positive.
CASA sought advice from the Standards Consultative Committee through two sub-committees: the Operational Standards Sub-Committee and the Airspace and Infrastructure Users Group. The decision was assisted by advice from the CASR Part 91 Control Board, which met in March 2008 to agree to a position in relation to the National Airspace System post-implementation review recommendations.
CTAF versus CTAF(R)
A study was also commissioned on the relative safety benefits of aerodromes colloquially named CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) and CTAF(R) (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency - Radio). The study recommended a limited set of mandatory radio calls for all non-controlled aerodromes, consistent with the CASA decisions.
Under Civil Aviation Regulation 166A, radio calls are required when in the vicinity of a CTAF(R) aerodrome - where all aircraft must carry a serviceable VHF radio - in order to make prescribed broadcasts on, and monitor, the allocated common traffic advisory frequency. It is not mandatory to carry a radio when operating in the vicinity of other non-controlled aerodromes. While the new rules will extend radio broadcasts to include operations at all non-controlled aerodromes, it should be noted that, except in the case of operations at or in the vicinity of CTAF(R) aerodromes, the extended requirements will only apply if the aircraft is equipped with a serviceable VHF radio.
New rules
At a minimum, pilots of radio-equipped aircraft will be required to make the following radio broadcasts when operating at or in the vicinity of a non-controlled aerodrome:
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When the aircraft enters the "vicinity of an aerodrome" |
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Immediately before joining the circuit pattern or, in the case of a straight-in approach, at least 5 nm from the threshold of the runway |
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Immediately before, or during, taxiing |
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Immediately before entering a runway. |
Pilots entering the vicinity of a non-controlled aerodrome will be required to make a radio call at 10 nm or eight minutes flying time from the aerodrome,
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CASA will educate and prepare industry for the changes with a comprehensive training and information program from early 2009. All published information in the form of regulations, aeronautical information publications and industry education publications will be updated to ensure consistency. A Notice of Final Rule Making will be issued as soon as the legal drafting is complete and the new rules will be introduced in the first quarter of 2009.
Part 1 - background and preparation
Michaela Newton, Ramona Goth,
Alex Prignell & pilot David Adkins
On Sunday 9th November, Schofields Flying Club in conjunction with Funflight and the Starlight Foundation, held an event to take over 150 children and family members for a day of excitement and thrills flying in light aircraft.
Funflight was founded last year by Michel Verdeem and a small group of Melbourne based pilots. His concept was to bring a smile to sick and disadvantaged children and their families. With Richard Ogilvie as Director, they organized a day last year to fly these kids and family to Tyabb Airfield from Moorabin to enjoy a B.B.Q. and other activities, returning them at the end of the day.
It was such a huge success, so they decided to go national this year. Thus Funflight 08 took wings. This year in Perth with the Royal Aero Club of WA, Launceston with the Tasmanian Aero Club, Melbourne with the Peninsular, Royal Victorian and La Trobe Aero Clubs including the Womens Pilots' Association. The Rockhampton Aero Club and here in Sydney at our own Schofields Flying Club.
Richard Ogilvie contacted me last month and asked if Schofields Flying Club would hold an event and after presenting the idea to the board which, I might add, embraced it unanimously and the scene was set. (Have you ever seen a snowball gather size as it rolls downhill?
Natasha Timusic, Jennifer Cronin,
Laini Sisa and pilot Grahame Smith I can tell you, there were arms and legs sticking out from this thing all over the place as it gathered momentum.)
Funflight then approached Starlight Foundation to recruit the children and provide entertainment while we approached the numerous aircraft owners and pilots of the club to draw them to the cause. In fact I believe it would be fitting to thank the pilots of this club who gave so generously of their time, aircraft, and energy to make this event as successful as it was. Mike Allsop, David Adkins, Chris Bournelis, Bob Casagrande, Peter Edwards, Matt Ford, Roy Fox, Allen Hilton, John Hook, Garth Jenson, Neil Keller, Hank Langejans, Scott Pringle, Grahame Smith, Steve Reh and David Winter. Aircraft owners Peter Edwards, Ken Ford and Paul Grabham, who allowed other pilots to crew their planes. We thank you. A special mention to Andrew Andersen, Peter Chasak and Wayne Russell who, because of an inability to fly on the day paid for another pilot to take their place. Thanks guys. To a man, all you fellas have a heart the size of a Pratt and Whitney Piston.
Needless to say, none of these events occur without numerous volunteers and marshals who were required for the logistics on the day and special thanks goes out to you all. Especially our Airside Marshal, Nelson Crawshaw, who looked as though he'd worked on an aircraft carrier the way those arms were moving. You folks pushed yourselves relentlessly during the course of this event to make sure it ran smoothly and the club is proud to have you all as dedicated members.
[to be continued]
Alan Searle
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Britain has launched massive submarine that can hear a ship from across the Atlantic. She is four years late and a massive 900 million over-budget, but when the Royal Navy's super-sub HMS Astute finally arrived, she made for an awesome sight. More complex than the space shuttle, and able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing, the 7,400-ton monster is the largest and deadliest hunter-killer submarine ever built.
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, cracked a bottle of beer brewed by the sub's crew on her prow to officially name the 'boat', in Navy jargon, before she was gingerly wheeled out of her shed at the stately speed of one metre per minute.
The specifications for Britain's biggest submarine make for mind-boggling reading, but it was the sheer size of the black behemoth which made its mark on the 10,000 dockyard workers, schoolchildren, VIPs and Navy personnel invited to the ceremony in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. As long as a football pitch, at 318 ft, and as wide as four double-decker buses, HMS Astute is a third longer than any sub which has gone before. Her nuclear-powered engine will propel her through the water at more than 20 knots, yet the UK's first stealth sub makes less noise than a baby dolphin, making her as good as undetectable by enemy ships.
Astute's sonar is so advanced that if she was lying in the English Channel she would be able to detect ships leaving New York harbour 3,000 nautical miles away (although the details of how she can do this are classified). The nuclear reactor will never need refueling, and with an ability to make oxygen and drinking water out of sea water, the sub could stay underwater for its entire 25-year life span were it not for the needs of the crew.
Once she goes into operation in 2009, Astute will carry a 98-man crew and stay at sea for 12 weeks on a routine patrol. She will carry 38 Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a range of 1,240 miles, meaning Astute could attack targets in North Africa with pinpoint accuracy while sitting off the coast of Plymouth. Spearfish torpedoes will also be on board for attacking ships and other subs, although Astute will not carry nuclear weapons. The Astute class of submarines will quite simply be unbeatable worldwide for many years to come and will have a capability that will keep Britain right at the top of the premiership of the world's navies - the Manchester United of submarine nations. Astute is the first of four vessels to be built by BAE Systems at a total cost of 3.85 billion, or 960 million each.
The naming ceremony of the first
Qantas A380, "Nancy-Bird Walton"
Just the other day I was fortunate enough to be a guest of Qantas at the naming ceremony of the first Qantas A380, being named after one of our aviation living legends, Nancy-Bird Walton. Nancy was one of Kingsford-Smith's first students and Nancy pioneered not only aviation, but also Women's aviation. Nancy's book "Oh, my God. it's a woman" sums it up, and is a great read.
The aircraft being named after Nancy, is configured for 450 passengers, 14 first class, 14 premium economy and the rest of the upper deck for business class, and down stairs (with exception of the 14 first class seats up the front) economy seating. The business class seats now recline fully to a flat bed and are longer and wider than the current product. Nice touches include a business lounge, wide stairs to upper deck, an inflight camera mounted on the tail plane viewable on your inflight entertainment consol, and the much acclaimed quietness of the aircraft. For me, the lack of engine noise was disconcerting to start with, the noise of the fuselage flexing was able to be heard over the engine noise.
The short flight following the naming was memorable, taking off on runway 34L, turning right to fly over the Harbour Bridge at 3000 ft, then left at the heads and up to Newcastle before returning to Sydney. The landing was firm (like 767) not like the graceful landing of the 747-400.
It was great to see Nancy being escorted to the flight deck one more time. It was a very moving occasion as a young lady captain looked down to Nancy and their eyes connected, like a passing of the baton. They looked at each other with a speechless, timeless understanding; a very special moment for all.
Craig Hobart
Part 2 - the day
Kate, Chantelle & Rosalie McPherson
and pilot Hank Langejans
Picture, if you will, the curtain rising on a perfectly sunny day as the planning of several weeks springs to life. The blue skies open to the RAAF setting up their tethered balloon in front of the clubhouse in preparation for lifting kids aloft for a ride. This balloon is 30 metres high and looked most impressive in its blue RAAF colours resplendent with the red kangaroo insignia. It was fastened to three four wheel drive vehicles to keep it on the ground and five personnel to operate it. It was that big I heard some pilots were going to use it as a waypoint! You could see it clear across the airfield.
The Starlight people, led by Desiree Creedon, who did a marvelous job organizing this part of the event, were now arriving to set up their entertainment screen, decorate the clubhouse and put up a Xmas tree, which was immediately dwarfed by the sheer size of the pile of presents for the children. It all looked like a party was about to happen. Desiree is just a big party girl from way back, (girl after my own heart).
The pilots began arriving for their briefing as Marshals scurried around the hive like bees. The planned route would take these children from Bankstown up to Hornsby, across to Long Reef, follow the northern beaches to Barrenjoey, then across to Brooklyn Bridge and back down the LOE to Prospect and home. This scenic flight with its natural and picturesque beauty was gonna knock their little socks off!
Everything was in place as our first guests arrived. Families were registered, weighed and issued their Funflight caps, (their passport to the magic carpet ride).
![James, Hope & Damon Bessof and pilot Hank Langejans [MIA]](images/nov08/6047.jpg)
James, Hope & Damon Bessof
and pilot Hank Langejans [MIA] Boarding passes were issued, allocation to pilots, aircraft were set in motion and finally these eager little beavers were ushered to a marshal and presented to the gate lounge for departure. The gleaming smiles on these kids faces as they were introduced to their captain and whisked across to their waiting aircraft ready for one of the most exciting and beautiful rides they have ever experienced was indeed touching and rewarding for all concerned.
Wave after wave of aircraft took to the skies with excited children while other kids clambered aboard the huge RAAF balloon to take in a different view while the sound of it's gas burners roared like angry jet engines.
Meanwhile in the clubhouse Captain Starlight and his/her team entertained the kids with songs, games and merriment fitting of a carnival. Face painting was a big hit and each chuckle from the children painted an even bigger grin on any who looked on.
At noon the barbecue cranked up thanks to Johnny Young and his band of volunteers and soon everyone had been fed and watered. Steggles had kindly donated chicken sausages and coupled with a fresh roll and a bit of salad, no one went hungry.
The local Fire Brigade arrived to allow the kids to climb onto their truck and of course were ever ready for riot control, should any of these kids get out of hand. At the same time a jumping castle bounced little children's bodies all over the place while giggles of glee emanated from within. Boy! Would these kids sleep well tonight.
Then it was time for that big jolly fella in red. At 1:00pm the children were shepherded to the balcony to watch Santa Claus as he arrived in the Bankstown New South Wales Police Air Wing helicopter. What a sight as the chopper swooped in from overhead to land, complete with dust flying directly in front of all those kids. I tell ya, they would remember that scene for the rest of their lives. Why? Because I did! At 5 years of age I watched Santa come out of a helicopter at Bankstown Airport. Xmas was held in one of those hangars opposite the club, my father was teaching aerodynamics at the time and that was how they did it.
Sjaid, Basit & Haris Bahram and Mike Allsop Ironic that 54 years later, it is I who should organize a chopper to deliver Santa once more. That was a very touching moment and not just for the kids. I'm sure I caught some dust in my eye as I cast my mind back to that day.
On with the story now, as the kids swarmed over Santa's knee begging to be hugged and receive their presents. What a lot of little smiles there were to soften the toughest of hearts and warm the souls of all. These children had all manner of illnesses and disabilities, thus to see so many of them playing and laughing as their problems melted into the distance, was just staggering. The afternoon saw the rest of the families lifted into the air for the ride of their lives as the whole place just buzzed with activity and joy. The pilots would finish with one lot of passengers and promptly line themselves up for another and you could see from their enthusiasm that they were enjoying this immensely themselves. We even managed to get a number of children in wheelchairs up in the Dragon Rapide of Roy Fox which was an amazing effort on his behalf and those who helped to board these kids into the aircraft. What a sight this day presented.
It had been a marvelous moment in these kids' lives, full of excitement, aeronautical thrills, dashing pilots, huge balloons, amusement and fun. The spirits of these kids knew no bound. For one brief day in the tough life of these kids they had been distracted from their trouble and woes and transported to a different world. A world where smiles were the order of the day, where laughter mingled with exhilaration and new experiences in the big blue skies and opened to them a world beyond their imagination.
Thus, to all the children who gave their hearts and their trust to us on that special day, we thank you for sharing a moment in your lives with Schofields Flying Club. You brought a smile to us all. Thanks especially to Funflight who created the concept and Starlight for making it memorable.
Alan Searle
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Unfortunately, the last two Club competitions were cancelled due weather. Warnervale Air told us not to come on September 28 due to the cross winds and on November 2 there were doubts that we could do all of the competition sequences or even get our aircraft back due to the forecast. We also had to cancel the early morning competition at BK planned for December 7 and it will be rescheduled for early next year. There were therefore only 3 competitions this year plus the navigation exercise. The final points score is shown in the table to the right. The most improved pilot at the Interclub competitions was Peter Cunningham for his efforts at Mudgee in July. Congratulations, Peter!
Navigation question
Full marks to Latrodectus for correcting my piece about tracking down the lane using CN NDB. As a CIR pilot I should hang my head in shame. Peter Cunningham commented "... we are visually navigating down the LOE under 2000 feet, which means we have to apply the ±1NM tolerance as per AIP ENR 1.1 para 19.11 and we are merely cross checking with the CN NDB. The situation would be entirely different if all you were using was the CN NDB."
[Comment from Latrodectus: The question asked ...if uncertain of your position, or in hazy conditions tracking to YSBK in the LOE, which radio navigation aid would be the most appropriate to use for tracking purposes? This implies a little more than merely cross-checking!]
Pitot heat - let the warning light shine
I came to fly SFR recently and found the Pitot heat switched on. Apart from unnecessary battery drain, this could cause a heater burn-out and unavailable when needed. Pitot heat should only be used in visible moisture (cloud or rain) with temperature <10ºC; mostly these would be in IFR conditions. In normal use the Pitot heat warning should illuminate. That's why it's orange, not red, in the newer aircraft.
John Hook
Duncan ... then saw nothing but flames!
George Chamberlain Duncan was born on 11 February 1917 in Tacoma, Washington, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, in June of 1939. After two years on the battleship USS West Virginia, he was accepted for flight training at Pensacola, and earned his wings in mid-1943. However, he did not join Naval Fighter Squadron 15 on the aircraft carrier USS Essex until September of 1943. Flying F6F Hellcats, he ultimately flew 54 missions, but did not score his first victory until June 15th, 1944, when he shot down a Japanese Zero over the island of Iwo Jima.
A few days later, on June 19th, during the famous "Marianas Turkey Shoot," which was part of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Duncan claimed three more Zeros. He earned his "Ace" status on September 12, when he destroyed two more Zeros over the Philippines. The next day, again over the Philippines, he claimed one Oscar, one Nate, one Betty bomber, and shared credit for another, running his total to 9.5 aerial victories, and by early November of 1944, he had shot down four more Jap fighters, making his war total 13 and a half "kills", and having earned the Navy Cross, Silver Star, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After World War II, Duncan attended, and graduated from the third class of the Navy's Test Pilot Training in December of 1949 (during which time, he had collided a Vought XF6U-1 with the ground on takeoff, and crashed into the Patuxent River). With his test pilot credentials, Duncan was assigned to the Carrier Suitability department of the Navy Flight Test Division at Pax River, and flew in what would be the first carrier landing and takeoffs of the Grumman F9F Panther.
... into the deck, splitting the jet in half. The Panther, the Navy's primary jet fighter and ground-attack plane, scored the first air kill by the US Navy in the Korean war, when on July 3rd, 1950, LT JG Leonard H. Plog of Naval Fighter Squadron 51, flying an F9F, shot down a Yak-9.
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney J48 turbojet engine with 7,000 pounds of thrust, the assigned aircraft was hoisted aboard the USS Midway at Norfolk, Virginia, and carried out into the Atlantic Ocean. There, Duncan and his plane were catapulted, and trapped by, the carrier without any problems.
But on the second test flight on June 23 1951, as Duncan was coming in for his trap landing, he was lined up to catch the third wire, strung across the carrier's flight deck. But, without any warning, the descending Panther caught an air pocket, and dipped below the flight deck. Duncan pulled back on the stick, then saw nothing but flames!
Duncan had managed to kick the nose of his plane upwards just as the plane smashed into the edge of the carrier's deck, splitting the jet in half. From behind the cockpit to the nose of the plane, the partial fuselage violently tumbled and rolled down the deck of the carrier, as the remaining chuck of the plane, and its fuel, ignited into a fireball and chased Duncan's cockpit down the deck.
The force of the impact popped the canopy off of Duncan's cockpit, as well as his helmet. But amazingly, he was still strapped into his seat, and alive. Skidding to a stop, deck hands on the flight deck rushed to Duncan's aid, and pulled him from the fiery remains of his jet, and rushed him to the sickbay.
... deck hands ... rushed to Duncan's aid Duncan was burned by the fireball, and his ears were badly scorched, but he was otherwise unharmed by the crash. Several months later, Duncan was back flying.
As nearly every landing on an aircraft carrier is filmed, for educational and safety purposes, footage of Duncan's crash circulated throughout the fleet, as a lesson in what could happen on the open seas.
F9F Panthers were withdrawn from front-line service after the Korean War in 1956, but remained in training roles and with reserve units until 1958, some continuing to serve in small numbers into the 1960s. Film footage of this accident was used as a SB2C "Helldiver" striking the ramp before turning into an F9F "Panther" jet fighter bomber as it explodes, in the 1976 film "Midway".
In addition to its use in "Midway", Commander Duncan's crash was featured in 1954 movie "Men of the Fighting Lady " as the demise of Keenan Wynn's Lt. Cdr. Ted Dodson and later in the 1990 film "The Hunt for Red October" as a damaged F-14 "Tomcat."
He continued to serve in the Navy, rising to command Naval Fighter Squadron 51 and Air Group 5 during the Korean War. He went on to become the captain of the USS Ranger for over a year, and after serving in the Navy for 33 years, he retired in 1968 to become a Washington area lawyer. He passed away on December 15th, 1995.
George Duncan's experiences on that June day are covered in George Wilson's book about the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, entitled Flying the Edge. The USS Midway remained in the Navy until April 11th, 1992, when is was decommissioned. In 2004, she became a museum ship in San Diego, California, and is open to the public.
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KNOW YOUR INSTRUCTOR - BEN WONG - FI3 I am a part time grade 3 instructor with over 500hrs experience, I started flying in 2004, while working for Qantas flight catering delivering airline meals to the aircraft at Sydney airport, 
I have since moved on in the Group to become an Apprentice Aircraft Maintenance Engineer at RAAF Base Richmond working on the C130 Hercules.I have flown the C152, Piper Warriors, Piper Archers, Piper Arrow, Beech Duchess, Partenavia and Piper Seminole. Flying will continue to be a weekend affair until such time as I complete my apprenticeship and achieve significant progress towards becoming a LAME where my plans will then be to concentrate on my flying career full time. |
Potential energy, sometimes symbolized U, is energy stored in a system. A stationary object in a gravitational field, or a stationary charged particle in an electric field, has potential energy.
Kinetic energy is observable as the motion of an object or particle. Examples include the falling of an object in a gravitational field, the motion of a charged particle in an electric field, and the rapid motion of atoms or molecules when an object is at a temperature above 0°K. Matter is equivalent to energy in the sense that the two are related by the Einstein equation E = mc2 where E is the energy in Joules, m is the mass in kilograms, and c is the speed of light, equal to approximately 2.99792 x 108 meters per second.
In electrical circuits, energy is a measure of power expended over time. In this sense, one Joule is equivalent to one Watt dissipated or radiated for one second. A common unit of electrical energy is the kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is the equivalent of one kilowatt (kW) dissipated or expended for one hour. 1 kWh = 3.6 x 106 J.
Contributions & feedback
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Thought for the month
Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort. [Franklin D. Roosevelt]
Latrodectus
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