MIDWEEK UPDATE 6 JULY 2016THIS WEEK IN MIDWEEK UPDATE AvClicks Photo Competition……Plan Your Weekend……..Forthcoming Events 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 Four Finalist To vote for your favourite photo click on "Vote for"   Vote for 10-1…………………………Vote for 10-2   Vote for 10-3………………………….Vote for 10-4 Go to http://www.pilotspost.com/arn0001006 to vote for the May finalist    6: EAA Chapter 322 monthly meeting, Dickie Fritz Moth Hall Edenvale. Contact editor@afskies.co.za Mike Blyth to show The Airplane Factory's 'Wild Landings' at the forthcoming EAA 322 July meeting this coming Wednesday 6 July.  8 to 10: Absolute Aviation Beechcraft and Cessna fly away to St Lucia KwaZulu Natal. Contact Lizere Malan Tel: 011 548 3000 E-mail: lizere@absoluteaviation.co.za  13: Aero Club safety campaign, Northern Cape. Wednesday 13 July Upington Flying Club evening. 14-15: SAC Nationals New Tempe Airfield, Bloemfontein. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za 16: New Tempe airshow. Contact Andre Steyn e-mail: pro@westline.co.za Cell: 093 441 3903 15-17: Taildraggers fly in Nylstroom. Contact Richard Nicholson e-mail: rgn@pcwireless.co.za 16: SAPFA Hoedspruit fun rally. Contact Wynand Uys e-mail: wynand@ottersden.co.za 22-23: Middleburg airshow. Contact Richard Lovett e-mail: mail@pegasusi.co.za Cell: 082 771 8775 25-31: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. Camping on the airfield contact Neil Bowden e-mail: neil1@telkomsa.net. Hotels in Appleton contact Calvin Fabig e-mail: calvin@designer.co.za 27: Chopper gathering at AFB Zwartkop 5 Hangar 11h00 to 19h00. Contact Slade Healy e-mail: slade430@yahoo.com 27-28: Aero Club safety campaign, Mpumalanga. Wednesday 27 July Nelspruit Flying Club evening. Thursday 28 Middelburg Flying Club evening. 3: EAA Chapter 322 monthly meeting, Dickie Fritz Moth Hall Edenvale. Contact editor@afskies.co.za 5: SAPFA Protea Team Training Brits airfield. Contact Frank Eckard e-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za   5th - 9th: Thank you for joining the NAC Fly Away Team on what promises to be another spectacular four day flying tour of one of the most beautiful regions in our country. You can look forward to exquisite cuisine, beautiful wine farms, languid golden honey, breathtaking views and stunning sunsets. Click here to download your NAC Fly Away Information Pack which contains the schedule of events. Please feel free to contact Deneys Potgieter on +27 82 891 4354 or e-mail deneys.potgieter@nac.co.za should you require any additional information. We can't wait to share this adventure with you! 6: SAAF Museum flying training and open days. Contact 012 351 2342 or E-mail: webmaster@saafmuseum.org 4-14: SAC Advanced World Championships Poland. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za 13: Bethlehem airshow. Contact Stephan Fourie e-mail: fouriesj1491@gmail.com 15-17: Aero Club safety campaign, Eastern Cape. Monday 15 August, Border Aviation Club, East London evening. Tuesday 16 August, 43 Air School Port Alfred. Wednesday 17, Algoa Flying Club Port Elizabeth evening 21: Grand Rand airshow. Contact Stuart Coetzee e-mail: info@randairport.co.za Tel: 082-4440407 23-25: Aero Club safety campaign, Limpopo. Tuesday 23 August Polokwane airfield club house evening. Wednesday 24 August Tzaneen airfield club house evening. Thursday 25 August Hoedspruit airfield club house evening. 27: Chopper gathering at AFB Zwartkop 5 Hangar 11h00 to 19h00. Contact Slade Healy e-mail: slade430@yahoo.com 27: Toys for Boys at Tedderfield Air Park. Contact 071 516 2157. e-mail: jhb.parties@gmail.com  NELSPRUIT BASED MICRO AVIATION DELIVERS FOURTEEN BATHAWKS TO BOTSWANA NATURE CONSERVATION  Photo © Willie Bodenstein Brigadier, Benjamin Masunga of the Botswana Defence Force said that personnel from the Defence Force, Botswana Police Service and Department of Wildlife and National Parks concluded a training course on 17 June. Masunga said the government of Botswana wants to send a clear message that it remains committed to the fight against poaching in order to protect elephants, rhinos and other critically endangered animal species. The Botswana Defence Force is responsible for patrolling the eastern and northern parts of the country that include Chobe and Ngami, the police is responsible for the Central Kalahari Game Reserve while the wildlife and national parks department patrols the Kalahari Transfrontier and the Mabuasehube Game Reserve. The Bat Hawk, South Africa's bestselling light sport aircraft which features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration open cockpit, fixed tri-cycle landing gear and a Camit six cylinder 125hp engine set in tractor configuration is built for operations in rugged conditions. Due to its slow forward cruising speed as well as its quiet operation, it is well suited for aerial surveillance over game reserves. Some of its roles include reconnaissance and surveillance, carcass location, fence checks, aerial photography, surveys, water-point and rare species monitoring and scientific and research data collection.  The defence chief added that the NAF garrison in Kaduna will, before the end of this year, take delivery of three Pakistani-made JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft and Russian-made Mil Mi-35 helicopters to boost ongoing counterinsurgency operations against Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the northeast of the country. BLOODHOUND ANNOUNCES DATE FOR WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT: OCTOBER 2017  BLOODHOUND SSC will travel under its own power for the first time at Newquay in June 2017, in a slow speed shakedown test at around 220mph (354km/h). This will also be an opportunity for the team to practice live-streaming data and imagery from the car. Project Director Richard Noble said, "This is probably the biggest moment in the Project's history - now we can put our foot down and really go for it! We're in this position thanks to the incredible support of our partners and sponsors, and the dedication and sacrifice of many people, including a skeleton crew who have held the fort recently. Most of all it has been the amazing public response that has sustained us. Thousands of children up and down the country are racing Model Rocket Cars and there is tremendous public enthusiasm for the Project wherever we go." DASSAULT'S FALCON 8X RECEIVES EASA CERTIFICATION  Photo © Dassault In late April, Falcon 8X s/n 03 completed a global proving tour designed to demonstrate aircraft capabilities under different conditions of operation with a particular focus on cabin comfort and connectivity. The 65-flight 55,000 nm campaign took the aircraft to 46 destinations, from North, Central and South America to Europe, the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia. Missions varied in length, from 18 minutes to 14 hours, including ultra-long range flights from Singapore and Sao Paulo to Paris and from New York to Abu Dhabi. The aircraft experienced a full range of flight conditions, from hot weather and extreme cold (-33°C) to extra high and low humidity environments. A total of 26 test and operational pilots took part in the tests, along with more than 60 engineers, technicians and flight attendants. The three aircraft used in the flight test program are now being redeployed following the completion of the flight test and certification campaign, which totalled over 830 hours over 400 flights. Meanwhile, production is continuing to ramp up to meet growing demand for the aircraft. Serial number 26 is currently in final assembly at the Dassault's Mérignac production plant near Bordeaux. 12 aircraft are already in cabin outfitting at the company's Little Rock, Arkansas completion facility. FIRST COMMERCIAL FLIGHT OF CHINA'S COMAC ARJ-21  Photo © Comac According to Wu Xingshi, ARJ-21's former chief designer, the ARJ offers valuable experience for China's aviation industry, especially in the large civil aircraft area. In the 14 years since the launch of the program Comac has built just six ARJ-21. The Chinese market for commercial airplanes thought is huge and growing and with an estimated list price of approximately $30 million The ARJ-21 cost substantially less than similar Western jets. Almost a decade behind schedule Comac has received orders for 300 ARJ-21s. The majority of the orders are from Chinese companies whilst a few have been sold to too aviation companies in Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Republic of Congo as well as an order for five from US-based leasing company GECAS.  Photo commons.wikimedia.org India's first indigenous LCA, which is all set to replace the MiG-21 series, is a result of several years of design and development work by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL. The HAL Tejas is an Indian single-seat, single-jet engine, multi-role light fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Navy. The aircraft has a tail-less compound delta-wing configuration, which gives it high maneuverablility. It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, composite material structures, and a flat rated engine. It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft.  The new smoke oil car, built in a style similar to a dune buggy, was designed and constructed by EAA's maintenance team under the direction of Gary Doehling. Smoke oil, which produces the contrails seen during air shows, is transported by the smoke oil car to performing aircraft prior to their shows so crews can fill up the aircraft's reservoir. Doehling said the tank for the new car was built to hold two 55-gallon barrels of smoke oil. Typical airplanes use anywhere from a few gallons to 20 or 30 gallons, depending on the size of the aircraft. The maintenance team has been working on the new car for two years in between other projects, and Doehling estimated there are less than 100 hours of work left. The Buick Special, which was Tom Poberezny's first car until he donated it for AirVenture use in the 1970s, will continue to be used as a backup. Dick Knapinski, EAA's director of communications, said while EAA is sad that the bright red Buick has reached the end of its days, we are excited to unveil the new smoke oil car this summer. "It's one of those internal iconic things about AirVenture," Knapinski said. "It's a little known but important part of what makes AirVenture work."  Spain, Madrid: A LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner made an emergency landing in the Spanish capital of Madrid after the cabin crew reported possible gases coming from the cargo area during a flight from Germany. The airline said the cabin crew had reported the "possible presence of gases from the aircraft hold", which caused the alert. Emergency services met the aircraft upon its landing at Madrid Barajas International Airport and passengers were evacuated without incidents.  9 JULY 1910 Walter Brookins attains an altitude of 6,175 feet in a Wright biplane, becoming the first to fly a mile high and wins a prize of $5,000 for his feat  Walter Richard Brookins Walter Richard Brookins (11 July 1889 - 29 April 1953) was the first pilot trained by the Wright brothers for their exhibition team. Walter was taught at school by Katharine Wright, sister of the Wright brothers and that led to his interest in flying. He was one of the elite group whom the Wrights had trained to be exhibition fliers and had the distinction of being the first to whom Orville gave lessons. In the winter of 1910 Brookins accompanied Orville to a field near Montgomery, Alabama (now Maxwell Field), where the climate was more conducive to flying than at the Wright's Huffman Prairie, outside of Dayton. He was an apt pupil, soloing after two and a half hours of instruction and becoming an instructor himself when Orville went home.  Walter Brookins, surrounded by a maze of flight and engine instruments, at the controls of W. E. Scripps 1912 Burgess-Curtiss flying boat That summer Brookins took part in exhibitions at Indianapolis and Chicago, making a speciality of high flying; at the former city on 14 June he set a world altitude mark of 4,380 feet. Brookins had a few other tricks up his sleeve. On 7 July Wilbur Wright wrote to Charlie Rolls about Brookin's record of a complete circle in 6 2/3 seconds...I do not expect to be beaten soon. It was the most hair lifting performance I have ever seen. The circle was not over a hundred feet in diameter, measured at the middle of the machine, and about eighty-five at the inside edge. The centrifugal force was nearly double the weight of the machine, and the strain of the machine was about two and a half times the normal strain. It was a beautifully executed feat, but the strains were too great to make such things safe for everyday work.  Walter R. Brookins and his Wright Flyer at Atlantic City, New Jersey, 9 July 1910 Brookins later set world records for altitude, transcontinental flight and endurance. He died in 1953 in Los Angeles and his ashes were buried at the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, California.  For a free no obligations quote email info@pilotspost.com  |
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