MIDWEEK UPDATE 15 JULY 2015By the Pilot's Post teamPlan your weekend Forthcoming events Notice Board This week in aviation history Worldwide incidents and accidents Aviation News Advertising rate card  17 to 19 July: Nylstroom Taildraggers fly-in - Nylstroom Flying Club. Contact Richard Nicholson e-mail rgn@pcwireless.co.za Cell: 082 490 6227  Join overhead @ 6800' for light aircraft & 6300' for microlights. Runway 03/21 is tar. Runway 14/32 is grass. Runway 04/22 grass is now a taxiway. All circuits to the NORTH for 32. Takeoff from 14 NOT PERMITTED. All circuits to the WEST for 03/21. Contact Paul Sabatier 082 413 4614 1 August: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 1 - 2 August: Namibian airshow. Contact Reinhard Gartner e-mail: reinhard@fivestar.co.za SA3068 DEP JNB 0730 ARR WDH 0835 (0530Z - 07:35Z) SA3069 DEP WDH 1700 ARR JNB 1950 (16:00Z - 17:50Z)  7-10 August: EAA National Convention & AGM. Margate Airport. RSVP at: rsvp@eaa.org.co.za  7-9 August: SAPFA Fun Rally Brits. Contact Frank Eckard e-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za 14 - 15 August: Bethlehem airshow. Contact Stephan Fourie e-mail: fouriesj1491@gmail.com Cell: 072 344 9678 20 - 29 August: Sports Aerobatics Club Unlimited World Championships - France Contact Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za 23 August: Grand Rand airshow (Sunday) Contact Stuart Coetzee e-mail: manager@randairport.co.za Tel: 011 827 8884 29 August: Bethlehem Aero Club fun navigation rally. Contact Izak Venter e-mail: izak@motsu.co.za or Francois Marais e-mail: info@stanfra.co.za 12 - 13 August: Sports Aerobatics Club Gauteng regionals and Judges Trophy - Vereeniging Contact Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za 4-6 September: Petit Vintage and Classic Fly-in. Contact Ivan van der Schaar 0823759180 5 September: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 18-20 September: Pyramid Air Park Aviators Weekend Barberton. Contact Peter Lea peter@irricon.co.za or 0825534908 17-20 September: Botswana Air Race at Matsieng, It is going to be the best ever race with sponsored fuel, tents and lots more. Contact admin@airrace.co.bw  3 October: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. Kobus Kapp 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 3 October: SAPFA Fun Rally Grand Central. Contact Jonty Esser e-mail: jontye@x7online.co.za Cell: 076 302 0451 10 October: Spring 2015 TMG Fly in at Bundu Inn Flying Estate. Contact Marietjie van Niekerk on 0827656670 or marietjievn@gmail.com 24 - 25 October: Sports Aerobatic Club KZN regionals - Ladysmith. Contact Annie Boon chunge@mweb.co.za 31 October: Bethlehem Aero Club fly-in and hangar dance. Contact Izak Venter e-mail: izak@motsu.co.za or Francois Marais e-mail: info@stanfra.co.za  BE A SAFETY FIRST AVIATOR   July 15 1952 - A pair of USAF H-19 Chickasaws make the first transatlantic crossing by helicopter. July 15 1941 - Luftwaffe ace Werner Mölders shoots down two Soviet aircraft, raising his victory total to 101. He becomes the first pilot to claim 100 victories. July 15 1939 - Clara Adams (NYC) is first woman to complete round world flight. July 15 1925 - Dr. A. Hamilton Rice's expedition to the Amazon to explore the headwaters of the Amazon, the first exploration by airplane, returns safely. July 16 1948 - Catalina seaplane Miss Macao (VR-HDT), operated by a Cathay Pacific subsidiary, with 23 passengers and 3 crew on board flying from Macau to Hong Kong is hijacked mid-way over the Pearl River Delta by a group of 4 hijackers attempting to rob the passengers on board. The pilot is attacked and the aircraft loses control during the ensuing struggle in the cockpit. The subsequent crash kills all on board except one passenger, who was later identified to be the lead hijacker. This is the first known case of airliner hijack. July 17 1938 - (17-18) After filing a flight plan to fly nonstop from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York, west to California, Douglas Corrigan instead heads east after take-off and makes a 28-hour 13-minute solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland, claiming to have made a gross navigational error. He goes down in history as "Wrong Way" Corrigan. July 17 1928 - Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. July 18 1984 - Beverly Lynn Burns becomes the first female Boeing 747 airline captain, flying PEOPLExpress flight 604 from Newark to LAX. The achievement earned her extensive media attention, congratulatory honors from several local politicians - And even an invitation to President Ronald Reagan's second inauguration. By the time she retired from Continental in 2008, she had captained the 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777 and DC-10. July 20 1969 - Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on the moon. July 21 1932 - Wolfgang von Gronau sets out to make a round-the-world trip in a Dornier Wal. One hundred and eleven days later, it will be the first such trip made in a flying boat. July 22 1989 - Tony Aliengena (4th grade) became the youngest pilot to fly a plane around the world. July 22 1914 - Britain's first airplane passenger service is launched. The short-lived service flies from Leeds to Bradford and back, on half-hour intervals.  South Africa, East London: Two adults and three children were injured when the Maule they were travelling in crashed whilst landing at East London Airport. USA, Boston: A 48 year old UK male citizen on a British Airways flight to Houston allegedly attacked his female woman companion. The flight was diverted to Boston where he arrested. Cyprus, Larnaca: Four crew members on a Thomson flight en-route from London were rushed to hospital Larnaca hospital after suffering serious injuries during turbulence. China, Chennai: A GoAir plane carrying 168 passengers from Mumbai on Friday hit an aerobridge after landing at Chennai airport damaging a portion close to its front door but there was no report any injuries. USA, Seattle: A sixteen year old girl who survived the crash of a Beech A-35 was found at a trailhead after having walked for a couple of days. She together with her step grandparents were the only passengers. The fate of her grandparents is not known as the wreckage has not yet been found.  SLING 2 AROUND THE WORLD, AGAIN!  Photos © The Airplane Factory Mike Blyth, Jean D'Assonville (TAF USA) and Patrick Huang (TAF Asia) are heading around the world in a Sling 2. Leaving Lanseria around the 7th or 8th of July, they will be heading to Oshkosh in a Westerly direction, with stops and flying time as follows:  Lanseria International (FALA) - Ondangwa (FYOA): 7h30 Ondangwa (FYOA) - Accra (DGAA): 15h25 Accra (DGAA) - N3°46.86' W8°2.78' (Point off coast of West Africa): 4h24 N3°46.86' W8°2.78' - Praia International (GVNP): 10h17 Praia International (GVNP) - Grantley Adams International (TBPB): 19h06 Grantley Adams International (TBPB) - Santo Domingo (MDSD): 6h05 Santo Domingo (MDSD) - Georgetown Great Exuma (MYEG): 4h09 Georgetown Great Exuma (MYEG) - Key West International (KEYW): 3h02 Key West International (KEYW) - North Perry (KHWO): 1h05 North Perry (KHWO) - Madison Municipal (KIMS): 7h20 Madison Municipal (KIMS) - Wittman Regional (KOSH - Oshkosh): 3h07 They are expecting to be in Oshkosh on the 19th of July, weather and delay dependant. From Oshkosh, Jean D'Assonville will be taking over from Mike, and his route with Patrick will be as follows: Wittman Regional (KOSH - Oshkosh) - Torrance (Zamperini Field - KTOA): 13h44 Torrance (Zamperini Field - KTOA) - Honolulu (PHNL): 20h12 Honolulu (PHNL) - Marshall Islands International (PKMJ): 18h06 Marshall Islands International (PKMJ) - AB Won Pat International (PGUM): 14h38 AB Won Pat International (PGUM) - Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan International (RCTP) 13h39  Photos © Beechcraft  Upon arrival in Huntsville, the four T-6D aircraft will perform such missions as: Operational Support Airlift, utility, training, chase, airspeed calibration support, cloud physics research, and stores component research and qualification.  Photos © Russian Helicopters During the 7th International Maritime Defence Show (IMDS 2015), which is being held in St. Petersburg from 1 to 5 July 2015, Russian Helicopters (part of State Corporation Rostec) will showcase potential plans for the renewed production of the unique amphibious Mi-14 helicopter. This multirole helicopter can land and taxi on water, and also take-off from water.  The Mi-14 was in service with the Navy and also operated commercially in Bulgaria, Cuba, East Germany, Ethiopia, Libya, Syria, Vietnam, Yemen, and Yugoslavia. Today these helicopters are in service with the Polish Naval Aviation.  Amphibious Mi-14 helicopters are designed on the basis of the multirole Mi-8T helicopter. The main design distinction is that they boast hermetically sealed boat bottoms, instead of traditional helicopter undercarriages, enabling them to land on water. The sides are fitted with floats for stability, which also support the retractable landing gear. The Mi-14s other systems were also adapted for marine use, and numerous technical solutions developed for it later found application in Mi-8/17 Helicopters, such as the Mi-8MT and its export variant Mi-17. Photos © Red Bull  The temperatures were soaring in the Hungarian capital, and no more so than in the cockpits of the Final 4 pilots as they prepared for the last and most important runs in the racetrack over the Danube. With a seemingly untouchable Matt Hall out in a shock turn of events in the Round of 14, the door was open for McLeod, Arch, Bonhomme and Sonka to take victory at the fourth stop of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. McLeod was first out on the track in the Final 4, and the Canadian was flying full throttle as he stormed under the iconic Chain Bridge. Despite clean flying and an error-free performance, the Canadian couldn't quite rekindle the pace from the previous round, finishing with 1:01.113.  Sceond into the track was Hannes Arch, who had been showing the same discipline and momentum that had earned him the win in Rovinj. A blistering time of 59.350 and a punch to the air in the cockpit confirmed Arch's reaction to his controlled and clean run that propelled him into the top spot in the timesheets. The third turn in the track belonged to Arch's long-term rival, Paul Bonhomme. Bonhomme's Edge was just off pace, and as the Brit passed through Gate 9 the split times were in the red and second lap efficiency was vital for the former World Champion. With two gates to go Bonhomme couldn't find the 0.2s he needed to surpass Arch at the top of the timesheets, clocking in at 59.557. It was ultimately up to Czech pilot Martin Sonka as the last man to fly to snatch the podium top spot from the Austrian. Sonka was clearly hungry for a podium finish, as demonstrated by and a super-aggressive performance from the ex-military pilot. Arch's time seemed to be just out of reach, and a momentary stall in a vertical turn proved to be a costly mistake for Sonka, who finished with 1:00.658 and a third place finish overall in Budapest. "I didn't like my flight in the Final 4, my flight in the Round of 8 was better - but I was still on the podium so I'm happy," Sonka said.   ATR has been a member of the project since it was created in 2008, through its Italian shareholder Alenia Aermacchi, the Coordinator of Green Regional Aircraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator, inside the CS JTI. Today's flight is the first of all those planned for the initiative's Projects. Later on, towards the end of the year, a second flight test campaign will be checking out improvements to the electrical distribution, energy dispersal and the air conditioning systems. The improvements being jointly developed and tested on the ATR today will eventually benefit all regional aircraft tomorrow. Carmine Orsi, Senior Vice-President Engineering was delighted by this first flight of the "Clean Sky" project. "The ATRs already enjoy a worldwide reputation for the low gas emissions of their propeller engines. Today, we are going further by using one of our aircraft to test the fruit of several years of joint work with the researchers, which should enable us to be even greener in the future". He concluded, "As aircraft manufacturers, we have a real responsibility to develop increasingly green technologies, in particular given that in the coming years, more and more aircraft will be taking to the skies".  Photos © Alenia A M-346 of the Italian Air Force's 61st Air Wing (called T-346A by ItAF) has been temporarily deployed to Grosseto Air Base to start testing the aircraft's capability as an "aggressor" in dissimilar combat training missions with the Eurofighter of the 20th Squadron OCU, Operational Conversion Unit, of the 4th Air Wing.  The tests validated the ItAF's M-346 in the role, among the ones envisaged, of "Red" to train future Eurofighter pilots in DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) scenarios. The two aircraft are perfectly interoperable: in the tests carried out the M-346 has operated at 100% in BVR (Beyond Visual Range) missions thanks to its own data-link, while the Eurofighter has used its own FPR-14 Autonomous Air-Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (AACMI) pod to simulate air-to-air "radar-to-radar" missions. Thanks to the perfect interoperability, to the technological capabilities intrinsic in the two aircraft, and to the M-346 performance, ItAF can now assure a high-quality training by simulating various operational scenarios for its future fighter pilots and instructors.   |
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