MIDWEEK UPDATE 11 MAY 2016AvClicks Photo Competition……Plan Your Weekend……..Forthcoming Events Notice Board……..Aviation News………. Worldwide Incidents and Accidents This Week in Aviation History………Advertising Rate Card  Pilot's Post is proud to launch its "AVclick 2016" aviation related photo competition. By entering your favourite photos, you will not only share your aviation photography passion with thousands of others, you will also stand a chance to win exciting prizes this year. Our prizes for this competition were carefully chosen to suit everyone's aviation interest and that is why we are offering the winner a choice between three different options. For more information go to: www.pilotspost.com/arn0000956 This week's finalist. Vote for your favourite by clicking "Vote for" below the photo.   Vote for 2.1..................Vote for 2.2   Vote for 2.3.................Vote for 2.4    UP FOR GRABS: THE SHEILA TAYLOR NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS SHIELD Please note this is not a speed race. (i.e. Pilot with fastest time), but rather a time, speed and distance accuracy management rally. Pilots with the least penalties as a result of accurate flying will be successful. Length of rally approximately 100nm. The route and maps will be issued on the day of the rally. The route is to be tracked with GPS loggers, photographs are to be identified and the turning points are to be found. All members and visiting pilots are welcome. Participants may have a pilot and navigator (passengers at your own discretion). You are welcome to fly with whoever you want to, instructors are welcome. There will be an entry fee applicable of R250 which will go towards the purchase of your map and flight logs that requires your calculations to be made during the rally. You may also enter directly on the SAPFA website at: www.sapfa.co.za/index.php/component/competition/?view=pilot 13-15: Battlefields Sports Resorts annual fly in Dundee KZN. Contact Dave O' Halloran e-mail gm@battlefieldslodge.co.za 16 - 20: Aero Club Safety Campaign: Tuesday 17 May Stellenbosch Flying Club evening, Wednesday 18 May Morning Star Flying Club evening, Thursday 19 May One of the Flight Schools in George daytime, Thursday 19 May AIFA Oudtshoorn evening.  20-21: SA Flyer mag and Doolie Lindbergh are hosting a very special Fly-in to Lindbergh Lodge, west of Klerksdorp. The fly-in will be partly in memory of Gianfrano who died in his L-39 at the Klerksdorp air show 4 years ago. The rates for this very lekker luxury lodge are hugely discounted for the weekend - go big or go cheap - but be there! Contact guy@saflyermag.co.za  20 - 22: Vryheid wings club fly inn. Following what we believe to be an excellent fly inn last year the Vryheid wings club will be hosting another fly inn this year. FIRST 10 PILOTS who flyinn on Friday and Also on the Saturday will get free food and drinks for the whole weekend (pilots only not entire crew). All other pilots and crew will be charged R 600 for entire weekend and R 450 from the Saturday and Sunday only (fly inn day only R150). Above costs include: Camping on the irfield (ablutions are being built currently on the airfield for all who wish to camp). All food and drinks for the selected time. Shuttles to town as needed. Live entertainment for the Friday and Saturday night. Entertainment on the day. Contact: Morne Strauss morne@lmsbrokers.co.za   21-21: Lowveld airshow - Nelspruit. Contact Willemien Hodgkinson e-mail: willemien.hodgkinson@ffa.co.za  25-29: Namibia-UIS / Brandberg / Save Some Rhino -fly-in, Swakopmund. Phone or mail Johan de Wet for info @ 00264 (0) 81 124 8283 or jdewet@mweb.com.na orHeiner Schlushe @ 00264 (0) 81 127 9100 21-22: SAC Free State regionals, Bloemfontein - New Tempe. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za 25-28: SAPFA President's Trophy Air Race hosted by the Bethlehem Aero Club. Website: www.sapfa.org.za e-mail: Race@sapfa.org.za Contact Robbie Myburgh e-mail: roblena@mweb.co.za Cell: 083 377 0925 or Robin Spencer-Scarr 083 310 2850 e-mail: robin@stylegroup.com.au There are only 15 days to go before the World's Largest Air Race takes place in Bethlehem. I trust that your preparations are well underway. Machines polished and shiny. Props balanced. MPI's done. Jogging around the block to lose weight. Thank you to those who have entered. PLEASE CHECK YOUR ENTRIES ON OUR WEBSITE. If they are marked as "Entry confirmed", you are good to go, otherwise please attend to the outstanding bits. Send us an e-mail urgently if you are struggling in any way to get entered and we will help. If you have not yet entered because you have been busy with other things like work, please do so post haste. There are not many places left and we would hate to have to put you on a waiting list. This is going to be the mother of all PTARs from what we see the Bethlehem boys are doing  28: Sky Grand Prix. Greyville Racecourse, Durban. Contact Paul Godwin Tel: 031 201 2169 Cell: 082 499 5222 e-mail: mw.nerve@mweb.co.za  28: Botswana airshow at the Matsieng Flying Club. Contact Guillaume Knipe e-mail: gknipe@work.co.bw or Hentie de Wet e-mail: hentie@dewetdrilling.co.bw  4: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact Capt. E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 4: Vintage Wings and Wheels and Magaliesburg Steam Express meet at FAKR Krugersdorp. Contact cwatson@stithian.com  4: Newcastle airshow. Contact Johan Pieters e-mail: info@champ.co.za 4: Kroon Airfield annual Fly-in. Our landing strip is 750m, excellent grass strip. Just to the South of the N4 highway to Rustenburg. RW 11/29 (RW29 now have NO overhead power lines.) The circuit is always to the North of the Runway, Lefthand for 11 and Righthand for 29. Freq: 124.8 (although we are South of the N4 Highway, our Circuit is to the North). Circuit Alt: 4700ft for Trikes and 4900 for fix wings. Airfield Alt: 4330ft. Lats: 25°39'33.90"S. Longs: 27°59'53.37"E 7- 9 June: Aero Club Safety Campaign, Kwa Zulu Natal: Tuesday 7 June Margate Flying Club evening, Wednesday 8 June Pietermaritzburg Aero Club evening, Thursday 9 June Virginia Airport Durban evening. 8: Aero Club's 75th AGM 14th of April 2016 at 18:30 at the Harvard Conference Centre at Rand Airport,Germiston. RSVP Sandra Strydom on e-mail to office@aeroclub.org.za. 9-11: Provisional date ZimNavex Zimbabwe . Contact Mel Cooper e-mail: zmelzim@gmail.com 10: Wonderboom Wings and Wheels airshow. Contact Chris Briers chris@airteam.co.za Cell: 082 568 7988  17-19: Memorial fly in and airshow Mafeking. Contact Connie Conradie e-mail: info@mmafikeng-flyingclub.co.za 18: Whisper Carnarvon fly in. For information go to www.facebook/whisperaircraft 28 -29: Aviation Festival Africa Sandton Convention Centre Johannesburg. Contact Bianca Wiener e-mail: bianca.wiener@terrapinn.com 30 June-3 July: Race of Champions at Kubu Island Botswana. Contact Chris Briers chris@airteam.co.za Cell: 082 568 7988   To buy a ticket, payment can be done either by EFT (details below) or cash, and is limited to 300 tickets sold, so buy soon to avoid disappointment. Email proof of payment to rob@aerosud.co.za with your name, email address and cell number (important to provide as winning ticket could be a cell phone number away) You will receive an email /sms with your ticket number once payment confirmation is received. The winner will be announced at the prize Giving ceremony of the President's Air race on Saturday the 28th May 2016 by means of a lucky draw.  THE NEW MOONEY M10 SERIES  Mooney M10J. Photos © Mooney Mooney has created superb single-engine piston aircraft for more than 80 years. M20 aircraft are legendary for their safety, speed, and style. Now Mooney has created a new member of the family that is destined to become equally loved by pilots and passengers alike; the all new carbon composite M10 series in two models: the M10J and the M10T. The M10J is the performance model with a 155 horsepower Continental CD-155 engine, retractable landing gear, and optional 3rd seat. The M10J also includes Garmin G1000 Avionics with autopilot capability. This integrated system improves safety by providing data access for weather, traffic, terrain avoidance, navigation, engine monitoring, and ADS-B (in & out).  Mooney M10T The M10T, announced in 2014, is Mooney International Corporation's highly innovative, new design, carbon-fibre, 3 seat, fixed-gear aircraft. Powered by the Continental Technify CD-135, Jet-A engine, the M10 is a new generation aircraft designed by Mooney specifically for flight training operations. The M10T will continue testing as the program works towards certification in the next few years. The M10T Proof of Concept (POC) completed its first flight on 23 December 2015 with test pilot Len Fox. The flight lasted approximately 15 minutes, with Len Fox conducting basic flight manoeuvres and verifying design data. At the conclusion of the flight, Len Fox was greeted by a crowd of engineers from the M10 team highly enthused to see their new design take flight for the first time. "The flight was a tremendous milestone for the M10 program," said Jerry Chen, CEO of Mooney International. "Our team of engineers have been working very hard to reach this day, and we are excited to have achieved this milestone in 2015, just one year after announcing the M10 program at Zhuhai Airshow in China."  Photo © Russian Helicopters The OP-1 Ka-62 was launched to evaluate its overall performance and to test its main power supply systems and avionics. The helicopter was operated by test pilots from the Kamov Design Bureau, which is the main developer of the Ka-62. Previously, the rotorcraft has successfully passed a series of tests in a ground-based racing mode. "This is a very significant event for the Russian Helicopters holding company and a due result of our work", - said the holding company's CEO Alexander Mikheev. - "The new Ka-62 will complement the civilian versions of the honoured and most produced helicopter in the world - Mi-8/17, and it will fill a high demand niche in the class of helicopters with a 6-7 ton take-off weight." The Ka-62 is designed for a wide range of tasks. Its main purposes include transporting passengers, rescue operations, and use in the oil and gas sector. With a spacious and comfortable cabin, this helicopter is ideal for corporate travel. The Ka-62's high power to weight ratio allows to operate it in a wide range of altitudes. The Ka-62 can be used in hot climates and above water.  Photo © Global Super Tankers Global Super Tanker's B747-400 SuperTanker is the true "Next Gen" air tanker. It joins the world's fleet of aerial firefighting tankers not only as the youngest VLAT (VERY LARGE AIR TANKER) but with almost twice the capacity of the next largest aerial tanker. The two separate, but identical constant flow systems are pressurized which allows for either continuous discharge or up to 8 segmented drops. Coverage levels range from CL2 to CL8 and above. The system is approved for retardant, gel, foam and water drops or the combination of any two of these agents and ground servicing for another sortie takes approximately 30-35 minutes. The SuperTanker operates without any speed, altitude or operational restriction and provides a level of safety to ground personnel, property and natural resources unmatched by any other tanker, civilian or military. The exceptional and superior performance of the SuperTanker is such that it departs 200,000+ pounds below maximum allowable gross weight and can land immediately without dumping fuel or retardant if the operation is cancelled. Its dash speed of nearly 600 mph allows it to be almost anywhere in the U.S. in approximately 2.5 hours, avoiding potential traffic and ramp congestion at smaller retardant bases. Operating from its base in Colorado Springs, the SuperTanker can reach virtually any point in North America in approximately 4.5 hours, ready to discharge its full load of almost 20,000 gallons of retardant before landing. With true Global reach, the SuperTanker can be almost anywhere in the world in under 20 hours, including fuel stops, if necessary. Configured with 14 first class seats and 2 bunks for the support staff and additional flight crew, the SuperTanker arrives ready to begin previously coordinated flight operations with the host agency.  Photo © Boeing Boeing [NYSE: BA] and TAAG Angola Airlines, the national airline of Angola, celebrated the delivery of the airline's newest 777-300ER (Extended Range). The latest addition to TAAG's fleet touched down in Luanda today following a non-stop 8,709 nautical mile (14,015 kilometers) delivery flight from Boeing's Delivery Center in Everett, Wash. The latest 777-300ER enables TAAG to augment its flagship service between Angola and Portugal, which increases to double daily effective June 2, 2016. "The 777-300ER forms the backbone of TAAG's long-haul fleet," said Peter Hill, Executive Chairman TAAG. "Today's delivery means we are now the largest operator of 777's in southern Africa, offering passengers an unrivalled on-board experience to our international destinations from the region." The 777-300ER is the most fuel and cost-efficient airplane in its class as well as the most reliable twin-aisle aircraft in the world. It also has the highest cargo capability of any passenger airplane. The 777-300ER will receive further improvements in 2016 designed to reduce fuel use by two percent. "We are honoured to have TAAG Angola Airlines, as a key partner in Africa, one that continues to grow with Boeing, that values and truly benefits from our products and services," said Van Rex Gallard, vice president sales Latin America, Caribbean and Africa, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 777-300ER will provide TAAG's network with a new airplane with an wonderful interior and greatly improved efficiencies; it's a great source of pride for everyone here that it continues to be an all-Boeing carrier." TAAG Angola Airlines, based at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, Luanda, serves 31 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 14 airplanes, including 737s and 777-200ERs.  Photo © Class Beiling/Airbus Airbus Helicopters has handed over the first two of five lightweight military multi-role H145M helicopters to the Royal Thai Navy. This marks an important milestone in the H145M programme on its way to the final acceptance and entry into service in Thailand at the end of 2016. A delegation from the Royal Thai Navy and Airbus Helicopters Germany CEO Wolfgang Schoder participated in the ceremony at Airbus Helicopters´ Donauwörth site. "After the H145M made its market entry with the German Air Force at the end of last year, we are very proud that the Royal Thai Navy has become another operator of the new H145M", said Wolfgang Schoder. "The helicopter is the most advanced solution for the increasingly challenging demands of our military customers in modern-day missions. It combines state-of-the-art technologies, outstanding performance and true multi-role capabilities while maintaining very high versatility and low operating costs." The H145M is the military version of the civil H145 that entered service in mid-2014 and has recently reached the milestone of 15,000 flying hours in customer operations. With a maximum take-off weight of 3.7 tons, the H145M can be used for a wide range of military operations including naval, utility, reconnaissance, search and rescue, medical evacuation and armed scout. The Royal Thai Navy H145M is equipped with Multi-Purpose Pylons incl. aerodynamic fairings, cargo hooks, hoists, HF system for SAR operations, weather radar, internal long range fuel tank system and fixed provisions for future special operations upgrade. These two H145M helicopters will stay in Germany for pilot training at Airbus Helicopters' Training Academy. All helicopters are scheduled for delivery in Thailand by September 2016. Designed as a true military multi-role helicopter, the H145M offers a single platform, which is able to perform day and night missions in harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain. Its large mission equipment range, depending on the customer configuration, increases mission flexibility for military operators. The helicopter's Helionix® digital avionics suite - incorporating the in-house developed 4-axis autopilot - is designed to reduce crew workload while providing high levels of safety and improved situational awareness. The H145M is powered by two Turbomeca Arriel 2E equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC). Its low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class. The H145 helicopter family has proven its value for military customers for many years. For instance, the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), the launch customer for the H145M, has ordered 15 of these helicopters in a Special Forces configuration. The third helicopter will be delivered in the coming days.  Alaska, Anchorage: A Cessna 172 hit a bald eagle before it crashed and burst into flames just north of Anchorage, killing all four people on board. It is the first civilian plane crash to result in deaths after an impact with a bald eagle. Remains of the eagle were found on the plane's tail structure. USA, Manitowoc County: A pilot helping with the installation of transmission lines was killed when the MD 369E helicopter he was flying crashed in a remote and swampy area of Manitowoc County. The pilot was busy trimming the lines back and forth with a big pole trimmer when he crashed in trees just feet from the tower the crew was working on. USA, Pomona: Pomana Firefighters reported that a light aircraft with two on board crash landed atop a building in Pomona. One person was transported to hospital. The extent of that person's injuries nor is the fate of the second occupant known. The cause of the crash was under investigation, though officials report that the pilot said the plane lost power. USA, North Little Rock: Doyle Reynolds, 56, of Jefferson was killed while he was conducting a "check-ride," or flight-training session in a crash in a 1961 Cessna 310 at Little Rock Municipal Airport on Thursday and the National Guardsman he was training. Daniel Shure, 30, who was flying the aircraft at the time of the crash to obtain his air transportation license, Shure survived the accident. A witness who watched the plane leave the runway said it seems not to have enough power and it turned back and crashed. China, Kangding: China's civil aviation authority revoked the licenses of two captains and suspended an assistant captain with China Eastern Airlines' Sichuan branch, after a landing accident that nearly caused a plane crash, officials said yesterday. The Airbus 319 aircraft suffered damage to its tail and tires when it failed to land at the airport in Kangding in bad weather conditions on May 1. After missing the approach, the aircraft flew back to Chengdu airport, according to a primary investigation with the administration. The administration also pointed out that the co-pilot was resting in the cabin during the landing and the assistant captain sitting in the cockpit was not qualified to land at the 4,200-meter-high airport. Carriers operating on the high-altitude route must have two captains on duty, according to regulations. Flights on the branch's new highland routes were suspended along with its applications for new routes, charter flights and additional flights. The administration also fined the branch 50,000 yuan (US$7,700) because the crew of Flight MU5443 from Chengdu to Kangding in Sichuan Province lied to administration investigators after the accident. Singapore: A Singapore Airlines Boeing flight to San Francisco was accelerating for take-off at Seoul Incheon Airport in South Korea when a Korean Air Airbus flight to Saint Petersburg, Russia, unexpectedly taxied onto the runway. The Singapore flight which had 186 people on board was travelling at 120mph when it made the emergency stop, shredding the tyres and disabling the aircraft. The Korean Air flight was diverted back to the apron and left an hour and a half after the incident.  11 MAY 1927 Charles Lindbergh lands his new Ryan airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis, in St. Louis after a record non-stop overnight flight from San Diego of 14 hours, 25 min.  Charles Lindberg. Photo Harris & Ewing / United States Library of Congress With the onset of winter in May 1923 he returned to the air and first solo flight. In Georgia, a former Army flight training field, he bought a World War I surplus Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane for $500. After spending week or so at the field to "practice" (thereby acquiring five hours of "pilot in command" time), Lindbergh took off from Americus for Montgomery, Alabama, on his first solo cross-country flight, and went on to spend much of the rest of 1923 engaged in almost nonstop barnstorming under the name of "Daredevil Lindbergh".  Curtiss Jenny. Photo San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives/ commons.wikimedia.org  The Spirit at the National Air and Space Museum. Photo Meskens / National Air and Space Museum The airfield was not marked on his map and Lindbergh knew only that it was some seven miles northeast of the city. He initially mistook the airfield for some large industrial complex with bright lights spreading out in all directions. The lights were, in fact, the headlights of tens of thousands of cars all driven by eager spectators now caught in "the largest traffic jam in Parisian history."   04 Lindbergh with the Spirit of St. Louis Photo 1927 United States Library of Congress 05 Lindbergh accepted his prize from Orteig Photo Alan R Hawley Costyn / commons.wikimedia.org  TO ADVERTISE IN PILOT'S POST PLEASE EMAIL info@pilotspost.com  |
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