MIDWEEK UPDATE 29 JULY 2015

By the Pilot's Post Team

THIS WEEK IN MIDWEEK UPDATE


Plan your weekend
Forthcoming events
Notice Board
This week in aviation history
Worldwide incidents and accidents
Aviation News
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1 Aug: The East Rand Flying Club invites aviators to a free fly-in breakfast. Breakfast will be served from 08:00 till 10:30 in the club hangar to the South of runway 14/32. Parking will be along the taxiway in front of the hangars to the South of 14/32. FASI frequency is 122.4. Call crossing N12 to North & N17 to the South.
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
Visitors flying in for the Air Show via South Africa are reminded of the supplementary return SAA flight on the 1st of August 2015 from Johannesburg to Windhoek. Seats for these flights can now be booked online or at travel shops and details thereof are as follows:
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 September: Kitty Hawk are pleased to once again host the RV lotus day. Free caps and an American breakfast for participating RV pilots. All aircraft are welcome! More detail closer to the time! Contact our airport manager Dawie for more detail: 0767980235

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 30 1971 - Apollo 15 Mission - David Scott and James Irwin on Lunar module, Falcon, land with first Lunar Rover on the moon.

July 30 1921 - Swiss pilot, Francois Durafour, achieves a daring first by landing his airplane on the slopes of Mont Blanc, Europe's highest mountain in the Alps.

July 30 1909 - Orville Wright flies with passenger Lt. Benjamin Foulois at an average 42.58 miles per hour (68.53 km/h) mph over a measured round-trip course, successfully completing flight tests in the Wright Military Flyer for the U. S. Army at Fort Myer, Virginia. The Army buys the airplane for $30,000.

July 31 1991 - Senate votes to allow women to fly combat aircraft.

July 31 1930 - First dirigible takeoff and landing on an oceangoing vessel.

August 1 1976 - (August 1 - October 1) After his 1973 RTW attempt was aborted by bad weather between Hokkaido and the Aleutian Islands, Don Taylor of California successfully circumnavigates the world (Oshkosh eastbound to Oshkosh) in his Thorp T-18, the first aviator to do so with a homebuilt aircraft.

August 1 1929 - Dr. Hugo Eckener commands the first airship flight to circumnavigate the globe when the flight leaves Friedrichshafen, Germany. Graf Zeppelin arrives back at Friedrichshafen on September 4, having logged 21,000 mi. 12 days, 12 hours, 20 min flying time.

August 1 1916 - The first issue of America's most influential and long-running aircraft magazine appears at a price of 5 cents. Called Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering, it is ancestor of Aviation Week & Space Technology and is published twice a month.

August 1 1911 - The Aero Club of America grants Harriet Quimby the first U. S. pilot's license issued to a woman.

August 2 2013 - British Airways flight 902, an Airbus A380 (G-XLEA), operates the 1st fare paying flight for the new British Airways A380 fleet to Frankfurt. Departing London Heathrow at just after 7am.

August 2 1909 - The first flying machine purchased and put into service by a government is the Wright Flyer. The US Army accepts its first airplane and pays the Wrights $25,000, plus a $5,000 bonus, because the machine exceeded the speed requirement of 40 mph.

August 3 1921 - Lieutenant John A. Macready of the U. S. Army Air Corps finds a new use for airplanes when he sprays a patch of ground infested with caterpillars. This practice becomes known as crop dusting.

August 3 1914 - France and Belgium enter World War I when Germany invades Belgium and declares war on France.





New Zeeland, Napier: A 26 year old drunk New Zeeland woman who yelled at crew members and refused to stow her carry luggage forced the flight to return. She spat at police who arrested her.

USA, Cody: Four people were killed when their Cessna 310 small plane crash Saturday near Cody. The aircraft had departed from Cody and headed to Yellowstone National Park. After circling the park, the pilot radioed Salt Lake City and requested a new IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) heading to Billings. Shortly afterward the plane suddenly turned due east towards Cody and immediately went into a steep descent and crashed.

USA, Memphis: Part of a FedEx airplane ended up on top of a loading truck Sunday. FedEx said while unloading the plane, too much weight ended up in the back and not enough in the front, causing the plane to tilt backward on its wheels.





AIRVENTURE 2015-A TREMENDOUS WEEK!



Photographs © Willie Bodenstein


Whether you're talking weather, variety of aircraft, volunteer support, air shows, or the plethora of “Only in Oshkosh” examples, a weary but happy EAA Chairman Jack Pelton said EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 was another great week.



“I don't know what else to say - it has been an absolutely incredible week, nearly perfect weather, the assortment of aircraft has been tremendous, the volunteer support has been great,” he said at his closing press conference Sunday at EAA Press Headquarters.



But what's especially worth noting, he said, is the fact that the organization appears to have come back full circle to the EAA culture.



“I think what's most important to all of us at EAA is that it really felt like we are getting back to our culture, and the vibe overall on the grounds and everywhere has been back to the community-family that we've been striving to get to over the last three years,” he said.



Oh, and the numbers: they were pretty good, too. Pelton said that while final tallies won't be available until sometime next week, he said 2015 will wind up being the highest-attended convention since 2005, with total attendance around 550,000.



As of Sunday, we had already established an all-time record of aircraft movements - 16,278 for the week - with some single-day arrivals alone exceeding 3,000.



“Our air traffic controllers were boasting that it was double the number of what occurs at O'Hare at any given day, so for a controller that's a big milestone,” Pelton said.



The number of volunteers, without whom none of this could happen, again exceeded 5,000. There were just over 800 exhibitors, 970 media representatives from six continents, and camping numbers show a steady 4.3 percent increase over prior years.



EAA was focused this year on ensuring a diversity of attractions to help bring people to the show. “We worked really hard all year long on ensuring that we had something for everybody with an overarching theme that really says 'Only in Oshkosh,'” Pelton said. “And I think that panned out very well.”



F-35, B-52, F-100 Super Sabre, Goodyear's Wingfoot One, the Airbus A350, and the replica Junkers F13 all made first-time appearances. The Apollo 13 reunion, Burt Rutan's return, father of ultralights John Moody's appearance - all these and more were threads in the “Only in Oshkosh” cloth.



Pelton also thanked the controllers as well as Wittman Regional Airport officials, who need to ramp up their operations for this one week out of the year.



Pelton reiterated EAA's effort to urge senate support of the Pilots Bill of Rights 2, which at this writing remained three short of the required 60 bill co-sponsors to go to the floor for a vote. Looking ahead to 2016, which takes place July 25-31, Pelton hinted at several attractions already being discussed. “We will stick with the theme and model of this year and just inundate you with sensory overload every day in some form or fashion,” he said. For starters…

Burt Rutan bringing his SkiGull
Hoping that the B-29 Doc is flying and ready to come to Oshkosh
The 30th anniversary of the RV-6 design, the most successful kit design ever, led by 4,000-hour RV-6A pilot Paul Rosales.
Anniversary of the F-16
Centennial year if Boeing

“We can say we clearly had a success, and we will continue to build on it,” Pelton said. “We will start the brainstorming process tomorrow.”


FLIGHT DESIGN C4 PROGRESS REPORT


Many new things have been going on with the C4 program recently and we thought it would be an appropriate time to bring you up to speed. As most of you know, The Flight Design C4, the new advanced four-place GA aircraft, achieved its first flight on April 9th 2015 at Kamenz airfield (EDCM) in Kamenz, Germany. The successful test flight was performed by Damian Hischier an FAA and EASA approved test pilot living in Switzerland.

The flight lasted one hour and the C4 was tested for basic handling, longitudinal trim, spiral stability in 20 and 30 degree banks, approach to stall and practice go-arounds. The primary engine operating parameters were also confirmed. The test flight was performed in a special test area at an altitude of 5500 Ft. MSL.

The process for flights by a non-certified aircraft in Europe is different than in the U.S. The plane is issued a “Permit to Fly” under a process involving EASA and the local CAA, in this case the German LBA. In meetings with EASA managers the basic design is reviewed, the load tests and aerodynamic calculations are verified and the flight-conditions for the test plan are approved.

Prior to the first flight, the C4 passed numerous ground tests including control stiffness tests, a ground vibration test from an independent engineering firm and a powerplant installation audit by a Continental Motors engineering representative.

Since the first flight, additional flight tests have been performed to open up the weight and center of gravity envelope to establish a baseline stall speed at gross weight and the most forward center of gravity for stall speed determination. The C4 has now flown at 2640 Lbs. (1300 Kg) and shown a stall speed of less than 54 kts. The rate of climb has been demonstrated to be in excess of 950 FPM at gross weight and a cruise speed can now be projected of 145 Kts. The airplane is still in very basic condition aerodynamically (no fairings, rough wing profile) and as such the top and cruise speed can only be projected at this time. Upcoming tests are planned during the next few months to further open up the center of gravity envelope aft, more stability tests and more detailed performance testing.


FLIGHTSAFETY INTRODUCES NEW WARRIOR AND ARROW TRAINING AIRCRAFT FROM PIPER TO ITS FLEET



Piper Aircraft, Inc. announced that FlightSafety International has signed an agreement to purchase 20 single-engine Piper Warrior and 6 single-engine Piper Arrow aircraft. The new aircraft will begin to enter service at the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida later this year.

This initial order for the trainer aircraft is part of a fleet replenishment initiative agreement between the two companies. FlightSafety has an option to acquire 20 additional Piper Warrior airplanes in 2016.

“The purchase of these new Piper aircraft demonstrates our commitment to provide FlightSafety Academy students with the highest quality training using aircraft equipped with the latest technology,” said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO, FlightSafety International.

“Piper is honored that FlightSafety, a recognized world leader in aviation training, has selected our company for this sizeable fleet procurement of training aircraft,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott. “Our single-engine aircraft provide the best value and most reliable training platform in the industry for aviation students. We are, quite literally, producing the pilots of tomorrow.”

All of the aircraft will be equipped with Garmin G500 avionics suites and ADSB for the most comprehensive traffic and weather solution. The aircraft will have satellite enhanced dual antenna traffic awareness technology, enabling one-second updates for traffic situational awareness. All aircraft come equipped with GTN 650, replacing the former GNS 430.

Established in 1966, FlightSafety Academy is a world leading provider of ab initio training. It is a reliable and highly respected source of well-trained pilots for a growing number of airlines around the world. Over 21,000 graduates fly for some 62 airlines and 100 corporate flight departments worldwide.

FlightSafety International is the world's premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides more than a million hours of training each year to pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates the world's largest fleet of advanced full flight simulators at Learning Centers and training locations in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.


SUKHOI COMPANY TRANSFERRED A BATCH OF SU-35S FIGHTERS TO THE RUSSIAN AIR FORCE

The Sukhoi Company transferred a batch of Su-35S fighters to the Russian Air Force. The transfer took place in the framework of the Unified Military Hardware Acceptance Day in the Sukhoi Company's branch - Y.A.Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant.

The aircraft were produced in line with the State Orders for the military hardware supplies to the Air Force of the Russian Federation stipulated by the State Armaments Program for 2011 - 2020. Implementation of the Orders will provide for a deep modernization of the Air Force and will guarantee a high stable work load for the coming years for the Sukhoi Company and its partners.

The Su-35S is a deeply modernized super-maneuverable multirole fighter of the “4++” generation. The applied technologies of the 5th generation provide for the Su-35S superiority over similar class fighters. The aircraft has a much better flight characteristics compared with standing analog fighters and more perfect on-board avionics. Many technical characteristics of the aircraft exceed the ones of the foreign analog fighters in service.

The Unified Military Hardware Acceptance Day was introduced in 2014. Representatives of the

Defense enterprises report in a videoconference mode to the leadership of the country and the Ministry of Defense on their fulfillment of the State Defense Order.

The Unified Military Hardware Acceptance Day helps to exercise a quarterly control over the new hardware delivery to the military. It helps planning and setting up a stable working process at the enterprises as well as in the MoD.










Midweek Update








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