Table of contents for March-April 2024 in Australian Flying

It is expected Bouttell will leave in mid February for an Executive Manager position with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Bouttell said he decided to move on after seeing out his three-year contract with RAAus. "Leading the RAAus team as CEO has been an incredible privilege," Bouttell said in a member communique. "I cannot emphasise enough how hard this team of 20 staff work to make your interactions with us positive, to enable new privileges like Group G, to assist you in being safe aviators, and to support our flight training schools across the country. "We take immense pride in all that we do at RAAus, which has grown from humble beginnings into a professional and modern organisation that exists to enable our members to take to the skies." Bouttell…

The licence will come with limitations that prevent the applicant from working in areas they haven't studied and been qualified for. The limitations may be lifted after the applicant gains experience and passes further exams. CASA Director of Aviation Safety and CEO Pip Spence believes the modular licence will go a long way to solving the engineer shortage in the general aviation industry. "Changes to the Part 66 of the Civil Aviation Safety Rules (CASRs) Manual of Standards allow engineers to obtain a licence with limitations once they have completed the core subjects so they can work sooner in specific areas such as piston engines," she said. "If they choose to, they can go on to obtain a full category licence by building up experience and passing any necessary exams…

In 2016, NZAero’s predecessor (Pacific Aerospace) purchased the rights from the type owner (Found Aircraft) to the tricycle undercarriage E-350. Found Aircraft ceased trading in 2014, having sold 68 of an earlier version known as the Bush Hawk FBA-2. Found’s sales to government agencies in Canada and Alaska, where it is operated on floats, were strong. Specifications The E-350 was FAA type certified in 2008. The aircraft comes with a 315 bhp (at 2,700 rpm) 6-cylinder, direct drive, horizontally opposed, fuel injected, Lycoming IO-580-B1A engine. Maximum take-off weight is 1,724kg and useful load a massive 680kg. Length is 8.1m, wingspan 11.63m, wing area 17.2 m2 and height 3.2 m. The Hartzell, 3-blade, constant speed, hydraulically actuated propeller has a diameter of 2.1 m, with a big, silver central spinner. The…

NZAero – previously Pacific Aerospace and located at New Zealand’s Hamilton Airport – has been designing and manufacturing aircraft for more than 70 years. Types produced include the Victa Airtourer, CT-4 military trainer, Fletcher and Cresco agricultural aircraft, the multi-role P-750 XSTOL and, more recently, the five-seat, E-350 Expedition. Since 2006, the company has been owned by a proud consortium of Kiwi aviation professionals, providing support, including parts, across 55 countries. For over a decade the PAC-750 (Version I) has served as a parachute jump ship, people and or freight hauler – often out of remote, rough, or short strips, for example, in Papua New Guinea and in medivac roles. It is a low wing, multi-purpose, STOL single-engine turbine. The next iteration - the 750XL-II - has a derated, 900…

Dave Soderstrom brings us a round up of news from the world of helicopters Cairns based operator Nautilus Aviation was one of the Queensland based operators affected after Cyclone Jasper and the subsequent flooding that had hit the Cairns and Port Douglas regions. Cairns Airport was closed due to severe water inundation flooded the operators office. Sadly, two of the company’s helicopters, which were in the hangar at the time of the flooding, were damaged by the flood waters. Damage is estimated at over $8 million. Despite this, the company managed to put eight of their helicopters to work in support of flood and rescue operations in the aftermath of the natural disaster. ATSB releases report into Sea World midair collision ​The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released a report…

Our General Aviation Workplan is quickly approaching its second anniversary and we want your input into future areas of focus. We want to hear about the initiatives you believe should be included in GA Workplan 2.0 as we continue our push to safely reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and reduce costs where possible. The original GA Workplan was launched in May 2022 in recognition of the challenges facing GA, including those in the sport and recreational sector and for operators in remote and regional Australia. We wanted to draw together GA initiatives in a way that was transparent and that helped stakeholders understand how regulatory changes would affect them. This included making sure the link between changing rules and better safety outcomes was clearer and stronger. Our initial list included improved…

CASA has published a summary of consultation that appears to clear a pathway for the regulator to introduce a self-assessment medical standard. Public consultation– conducted between 27 October and 17 November last year–revealed that out of a mammoth 849 responses, 73% on average supported the Class 5 medical proposal. "A significant proportion of supportive responses did not include detailed comments, leading to a more pronounced visibility of negative written feedback," the summary states. "However, these negative opinions, while valuable for identifying potential areas of concern, represent a minority viewpoint. "Many respondents see it as a positive change that will make flying more accessible for certain members of the aviation community." The Class 5 proposal envisages a self-assessed medical for pilots that meet the criteria and operate under certain restrictions and…

Campbell becomes the second association CEO to return to the regulator in recent months after RAAus CEO Matt Bouttell also accepted an Executive Manager position. Campbell will take on National Operations and Standards with Bouttell appointed to head the Regulatory Oversight team. Campbell spent three years as RAAA CEO and during that time was instrumental in developing policy regarding importing engineers and the Federal Government’s aviation green paper. He also negotiated with AMDA Foundation to support a series of RAAA roadshows around the country. Previously, Campbell served as aviation advisor to former Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael McCormack and had careers in GA, regional airlines and with Cathay Pacific, peaking as check-and-training captain on B777s.…

Some of the most ridiculous aviation achievements fall into both the genius and crazy columns, and some seem to be so ludicrous that it’s hard to believe they can possibly be true. 1 Flying a 172 non-stop for 65 days In 1959, an inexplicable craze for flying continuously for extremely long periods culminated in a flight lasting 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds in Las Vegas. Robert Timm and John Cook flew a modified Cessna 172 from 4th December 1958 to 7th February 1959, refuelling by flying over a fuel truck driving on a race track. Timm and Cook were in a fierce rivalry with Jim Heth and Bill Burkhart, vying for the same record. Timm, a poker machine mechanic at the Hacienda casino, convinced the hotel…

Let me start by telling you a couple of stories about lecturers so you can see how different techniques work – or don’t. Legal studies 101 I’ve just seen the most wonderful story, on social media, about effective lecturing. Here is a pruned version. Even if you have seen it, it’s worth another look. It’s the first lecture on Legal Studies 101. The professor enters the hall and slowly looks round the class. Eventually he points at a student in the third row. "You there, what’s your name?” "Sandra," the girl replies. "Leave my lecture hall now. I don't want to see you in my lecture." Everyone is quiet while Sandra packs up her stuff and leaves. The professor looks around at the much intimidated class. “Why are there laws?"…

On Saturday Jan 13, Martin was flying his Jabiru J400 with his wife and daughter when he encountered an engine issue. Martin, thanks for talking to Australian Flying about your incident. Would you tell me in your own words, what happened? While the setting in the picture looks quite idyllic, the situation was not. My wife, Sandra, and daughter, Jess, were on board our Jabiru, Oscar (VH-OSM) and we departed Wedderburn for a planned two hour scenic flight to the Central Coast. I selected a reduced power setting and applied the throttle body injector (TBI) heat to commence a cruise descent just south of Sea Cliff Bridge and turned towards the north over water to remain below the SY C class 2500’ step. The aircraft was performing normally at this…

According to Cirrus, the new G7 cockpit has been re-designed to simplify operations, and includes technology and design that has cascaded down from the SF50 Vision jet. During the launch ceremony conducted in Orlando, Florida, Cirrus executives emphasised that the G7 was designed to make everything within reach, with a focus on emulating everyday objects such as iPads and phones. "Our aircraft are truly designed with people in mind and the new SR Series G7 is a testament to that philosophy," said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. "Our team and our aircraft provide a clear path to enter and advance within the personal aviation community by learning to fly and eventually transition to the Vision Jet with ease.” Ivy McIver, Executive Director of the SR product line, said the G7 was…

The Airservices Australia Industry Briefing Paper– made public earlier this month–will also see new VFR routes into and out of Bankstown, an expanded BK CTR, and a transponder and flight plan requirement for Class D, which is being termed Class D+. “The introduction of the YSWS airspace and flight paths into the current airspace structure in the Sydney Basin would significantly impact the airspace risk profile,” the paper states. “To safely manage these changes to flight paths, a change of airspace classification to Class D, with a flight planning and a transponder requirement, is proposed to an airspace volume in close proximity to YSWS, YSBK, YSCN and YWST [Westmead Hospital HLS]. “The proposal also includes an increase in the lateral dimensions of the YSBK control zone (CTR).” The Class D…

There’s a well-worn adage among airline pilots that goes along the lines of: “the reason airlines have two pilots is for one to make a mistake and the other to catch you making it”. Like many cliches, it bears a little truth. In the early days of flight, there were five crew members: the captain, the co-pilot, the navigator, the flight engineer and a radio operator. These days, most jet aircraft are designed for two pilots, with one pilot flying and the other monitoring the safety systems. This division of labour has been designed into the flight decks of jet aircraft for so long, it has become the default – until the emergence of the personal jet. At the turn of the century, very light jets (VLJ) began to pepper…

In the days leading up to Christmas, Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) received its long awaited revised operating certificate (Part 149) from CASA that now gives permission for RAAus to administer aircraft that operate with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) between 601 and 760 kgs. Whilst this doesn’t sound like much on the surface, what it does mean is that a whole new fleet of aircraft will be able to be operated by Recreational Pilot Certificate (RPC) holders including many of the Van’s RV aircraft, Cessna 150/152, Piper Tomahawks and many, many more. RAAus has advocated for more than a decade to achieve this is for RAAus members and finally its here. To operate aircraft in this new category – known within RAAus as Group G – existing RPC holders will…

Aircraft registration: ZU-YUM Date and time of accident: 14 February 2015 1345Z Type of aircraft: Lancair 360 Type of operation: Private (Part 91) PIC license type: PPL License valid: Yes PIC age: 38 PIC total hours: 810 PIC hours on type: 367 Last point of departure: Parys (FAPY), Parys, Free State Next point of intended landing: Kitty Hawk (FAKT), Pretoria Accident site: Next to Parys Aerodrome at 4728ft AMSL Meteorological information: 31ºC; 270º/08 gusts 20-25; Viz 10k Cloud Cover: None POB: 1+1 People injured: 0 People killed: 2 SYNOPSIS On 14 February 2015, the pilot and his six-year old son took off from Kitty Hawk on a flight to Parys. They arrived at Parys at about 1030Z. They parked the aircraft and had lunch at the aerodrome’s restaurant. At about…

I had been flying recreationally for a couple of years when I experienced a change of work circumstances. I was seconded from my usual IT job to my company’s sister company to immediately assist with a sudden manpower shortfall. This company happened to be a small boutique flying school and I was to run the front desk and daily operations. A large part of this new role was liaising with our maintenance provider, both in the usual scheduled maintenance, but also dealing with the unexpected. By this stage, I held a Recreational Pilot’s Certificate from RA-AUS and had also converted it to a Recreational Pilots Licence when Part 61 came into effect. I was fairly familiar - or so I thought - with the school’s aircraft fleet, as I had…