Hello everyone,
Many thanks to Steve Phoenix for the very enjoyable & entertaining
quiz last month. (I won’t
name the winner as modesty restrains me).
It was noted that there were no cries of “spotter” this time though!
On 4th March at the kind invitation of
Dudley
, another visit to view progress on his Flitzer took place. With a much
better turnout, we achieved the maximum of 8 people to fit into the
workshop! It was a very
interesting and informative evening and certainly opened our eyes to the
amount of work involved in building a wooden aeroplane!
For those who missed out,
Dudley
will be hosting another evening in a couple of Months with priority to
those who didn’t get to this one.
Thank you Duds.
When I had finished the
RV4 I did thirty minutes with Steve Nujaim in an Extra 300 at Kemble. This
was to reacquaint myself with spinning as the last time I had spun was in
the Fury some six years earlier and I needed to do the aerobatic schedule
in the RV4 in order for it to get an aerobatic permit. In the restaurant
after the flight Steve told me he had just bought a 'kit' for a Flitzer
for his father in law to build for him. I said I was looking for a new
project but as the Flitzer was single
seat it was not really in the running.
'Ah but' Steve said '
Lynn
is designing a two seat version'.
It took me about three nano seconds to get into
Wales
to meet Lynn Williams again to
talk about the Flitzer Schwalbe (dove).
Lynn
, by the way, is the younger
brother of the late Neil Williams, aerobatic pilot extraordinaire.
Lynn
had the first two sheets of the
Schwalbe drawn and I came away with these and a full set of Flitzer Z21
(the standard) drawings.
Lynn
said he would keep ahead of me
with drawings, but of course the design was not yet PFA approved. The
problem is that
Lynn
is a multi talented chap, being
an extremely good artist, an author and a college tutor amongst other
things. The demands on his time, and the fact that he is an artist,
means that he does not settle down and finish things in order, but has
several balls in the air at once and drifts off into many flights of
fancy.
After a chat with Simon Randle, an airline pilot who has undertaken to
get the Schwalbe through the now LAA, I changed tack to the Z1R. Yes, I
know, it's another single seater, but I was hooked on the idea of a round
engine which the Schwalbe was to have. In my naivety I thought that as the
Z1R was so close to the original Flitzer it would go through the LAA 'on
the nod'. Since then I have found that's a bit like comparing Lechlade
bridge with the one at
Forth
!
Nevertheless real aeroplanes have two wings, round engines and drag
their tails behind them so I persevered and left the thorny LAA acceptance
problem for the future. As Mr Macauber said 'something will turn up'.
On the last day of August in 2005 the spruce was delivered. I had already
studied the drawings (those that I had anyway) and built my bench so I was
able to get straight into carving up wood.
I had some difficulty in sourcing the GL1 plywood required for the
aircraft build, so at this point the Swindon Aircraft Timber Company was
born.
It is not an easy build. The standard Z21 is far easier, the Fury was
also. This is compounded by the fact that it is a variation of a variation
of the original. The Z1S was the first derivation of the Z21. It sported
four ailerons, rounded wing tips and bigger spars with the intention of
being aerobatic. It still had a VW type engine nailed to the front.
Frenchman Herve Ribet asked
Lynn
to redesign it to take the seven cylinder Rotec 110hp radial. Lynn
beefed up the spars yet again, increased the chord of the lower wing to
that of the upper and moved both wings forward, the lower one by as much
as eight inches (about 200mm for younger readers) to cope with the much
heavier engine.
The exact name of the creation is actually Z1Ra. The R is for Radial and
the 'a' is for widebody
(sounds like a Jumbo doesn't it?). The standard would have a fuselage
width of 22". That's overall the longerons! The Fury was
24" overall the longerons and was cosy so I opted for the widebody
'a' version which is also 24". At the moment G-ZIRA is available so I
may grab that one soon as others are starting to build the same model.
Herve in
France
is ahead of me, he has mounted
his engine and is doing his tanks at the moment, but I am catching him up.
I hope, however, that he is going to keep going so that I will know how
long to make my engine mount to get the C of G right. It would be nice if
he flew his first as well just to make sure it does.
To date I have spent about 2,000 hours and am probably just short of
being halfway. A lot of time is spent trying to find notes that
Lynn
hides all over the place on his
drawings, I have less hair now than when I started.
Duds.What is Air Scouting?
Air Scouting
is a branch of Scouting, not a separate organisation. It is based on the
same fundamental Scouting Aims & Methods. Air Scouts follow the core
balanced programme for their section but then add a aeronautical twist to
the programme and activities. Many Troops and Explorer Units meet more
than once a week in the summer period and the additional meetings are used
to develop aeronautical skills and airmanship training. It is not training
for an Air Force career, although Air Scout training can be very useful
for young people who are so interested.
Air Scouts
start with the Scout section as part of a Air Scout Group, or as a Air
Scout Patrol in a "standard" Group. Explorer Air Scouts can be
found in Units directly linked through partnership agreements to Air Scout
Groups, water activity centres or as part of other District based units.
Cub Scouts and Beaver Scouts in an
Air Scout
Group follow the same programme as all other Cubs/Beavers albeit with the
likelihood of some air based activities being provided by the Scout
section.
In the
1930's Scout Troops near to airfields and gliding clubs started to include
air activities in their programmes and an 'Air Patrols' pamphlet was
produced by HQ's. The Air Scout Branch came into being in January 1941,
during the Second World War and provided for air- minded youngsters too
young for the ATC where the minimum age was 16 at the time. The response
was immediate and enthusiastic, with many demands for literature and
advice as Troops and Patrols were formed in many parts of the country.
Recruitment was little affected by uniform restrictions imposed by clothes
rationing and it was possible to introduce a distinctive uniform in which,
for the first time, a beret replaced the traditional Scout hat.
Air Scouting
reached its numerical peak in 1944. With the end of the War in the
following year, number began to fall, but there was no lack of enthusiasm
in those who stayed on. In October 1950, as a result of successful
negotiations with the Air Ministry, a scheme was introduced for Air Scout
Troop to be granted Air Ministry recognition provided certain conditions
were met. Members of recognised Troops were permitted to wear a special
badge and to have the advantage of certain much needed facilities
including opportunities for flying experience in service aircraft for Air
Scouts who had reached the required standard of training.
To begin
with, few Troops were strong enough to qualify for recognition but the
scheme itself, gave the incentive, so that by 1955, nearly 40 Troops were
given Air Ministry recognition. In that year, the Assistant Chief of Staff
at the Air Ministry, Air Vice Marshal J.G.W. Weston, accepted appointment
as Headquarters Commissioner for Air Scouts. Very quickly, he prepared and
received Committee of the Council approval for a revised policy. 1955 was
further notable because it also saw the introduction of Scout gliding
courses.
In 1959, the
Association bought its first two-seater glider and, in the same year, Air
Vice Marshal Weston was succeeded as Headquarters Commissioner for Air
Scouts by Sir Bernard Chacksfield who held the appointment until 1972 when
he was succeeded by Group Captain W.S.O. Randle. He, in turn, handed over
to Group Captain G.N. Brierley. In the meantime, the position was renamed
Headquarters Commissioner for Air Activities. For some years, up to 1978,
the Association maintained an Air Activity Centre at Lasham, near
Alton
in Hampshire. However, the
increase in demand for the facilities at this airfield for other flying
purposes gradually diminished its suitability for Air Scouting and the Air
Activity Centre closed. 1991 was the 50th Anniversary of Air Scouting.
LAA News (from Alan Twigg)
PFA ET – This is the separate Education Trust set
up to look after all the training and, as the title suggests, education
ranging from young people to engineering and aviating. The formation of
the trust was completed early this year and a new Education Manager, Mr
Ian Bloys, has been offered the job of running it. As you can see, the
name will now have to be changed to the LAA ET to bring it into line with
the corporate identity. The Spirit of Devon Youth building a plane project
will also be transferred to this Trust. The aircraft is progressing well
and will soon be ready for first flight.
Part of the change to the LAA is ensuring all
documentation or notices must follow the corporate identity and to this
end a CD has been produced to allow members and branches simple access to
the correct layout and font type. (oops
– not toeing the party line with this newsletter then – Ed)
The engineering section has a new member of staff, Mr
Jon Viner, who will be coming from the BMAA on May 12th.
This year we will be celebrating the 100th
anniversary of the first flight in the
UK
and the LAA will have a large presence at the Shuttleworth event on the 19th
& 20th July. I expect to have a large display from the
newly formed Vintage Section.
The fuel derogation issue is still being resolved but
at least AVGAS now has it’s own line on the tax system. This could be
only 2p on the price but today’s Budget may tell you otherwise. The
diesel issue is much, much worse with up to 35p being added per litre! The
commercial helicopter operators are really upset about this as it could
add around £100 to the cost of each flying hour!
Yes, that’s not a misprint!
As boats also use diesel, the boating community is up in arms as well.
Membership of the LAA has made a small increase from the start of this
year but many more members are needed. I know that many of the people who
attend the Oxford Branch are not members. You know that the LAA is
fighting both
Europe
and our own regulators to keep the price of flying as low as possible and
to ensure any proposed regulations have a minimal affect on the GA
community. You are taking advantage of all the work both the LAA and your
branch are doing at very little cost to yourself! If I embarrass you then
good; join the LAA and help in the fight tokeep GA as low cost and
regulation free as can be achieved.
One of the results from the recent LAA questionnaire
is that 120 people have volunteered to help the Association. Maybe you
should ask yourself the old question “what can you do for the
Association?” rather than the usual “why isn’t the Association doing
……?” There will be
three regional rallies this year plus a large LAA presence at Aero-Epo and
at the Air Britain Fly-in. These events are your chance to get involved as
the very small staff team at Turweston cannot be expected to be everywhere
at almost every weekend. If you are considering attending one of these
events and can spare an hour or two to help man the stands, please send
your name through to Penny Sharpe – or just turn up on the day and say
you want to help support your Association by volunteering for a while.
It’s no good criticising that the LAA were not very active at an event
you attended as you must remember that, if you are a member, it is your
Association and will only be as good as you make it!
The Auster fleet now has the opportunity to transfer
to the LAA Permit system and the first one should be processed next week.
If you wish to read how this is to be carried out, go to the LAA website
on: http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/engineering/TechnicalLeaflets/A%20Technical%20Leaflets%20Index.htm
and for the letter to the Auster owners go to:
http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/engineering/engineering.html
.
No Type Rating Authority (TRA)
has come forward so far for the Jodels and so they should soon be able to
all come over to the LAA Permit system. There have been some issues with
those still on C of A’s which could not continue but equally could not
be transferred. This should soon be resolved.
Stampes have a more
difficult problem as a few people have submitted applications to become
the type authorities and the CAA are in the process of discussing the full
responsibility to these people before concluding how to proceed. The
French Stampes are on French permits.
The issue of Ethanol being
added to Mogas is a problem to those using Mogas, although Rotax engines
are apparently OK. The CAA however says that no aircraft on a permit can
fly with any alcohol present in the fuel. The system shown in the safety
sense leaflets does not work for very low levels and other methods are
being investigated.
These include using dyes
and electronic probes. The engineering section would appreciate anyone
with the electronic knowledge to develop such a device to contact them to
help in this matter.
The ridiculous anomaly of
the same aircraft type but one on a permit and one on a C of A being
either allowed to overfly towns or not is still not resolved as a couple
of high level people in the CAA are raising objections.
This prevents the next
stage of the anomalies to be presented where an aircraft that was on a C
of A and could fly at night or IMC when transferred to the LAA Permit
system is prevented from continuing to do so!
You may have seen a letter
in Today’s Pilot on the ‘Pilot Mentoring Scheme’, which was
suggested by Alan Gray. This idea is gathering momentum and the LAA are to
the fore in working out the details of how it can operate.
Many pilots have been doing this process for a long time. For example,
someone talks to you about your machine and you take them for a flight to
let them experience it. They then continue to either get a licence or do a
type conversion. The method can increase the number of people wanting to
fly or can provide experience for those new pilots of a different kind of
flying. The Terms of Reference are currently being worked out and, from
the LAA perspective; it will probably come under the control of the Pilot
Coaching Scheme. The really important part of the idea is that, unless the
pilot is an instructor, instruction must not be given!
On the matter of the Pilot
Coaching Scheme, remember that there are three events planned for this
year where you can meet and use the coaches plus have some fun. The first
of these will be at Breighton on May 4th, the second at Sywell
on July 26th and the final one at Popham on October 5th.
These will be fun events as there will be opportunities to have a go at
flour bombing and spot landings plus a BBQ for LAA members.
Mode S is still wandering
the halls of the CAA. There is to be a second consultation meeting with
the CAA at Turweston this coming Saturday March 15th, with a
start time of
10:30
. There should be some answers to the 1st
consultation questions plus a review of how the CAA plan to implement the
system and when.
As to the Turweston LAA HQ
building issue, the planning inquiry is now finished and the inspector’s
response is expected during April. It is thought that the result will be
the OK to go ahead but the decision will be made by the EC after
evaluating the long term viability of the site.
This months meeting (Tue 18th March will
be a “project night” – Alan Twigg will brief us all on the night,
but basically we want to build some smaller aircraft to be used at Scout
camps, Young
Aviators and events like RIAT (very successful lastyear).
The plans are for a Mustang and Tiger moth.
This months speaker (Harrier operations) couldn’t
make it due to other commitments but hopefully will be with us next month.
April: We have a fly-in on the 26th (27th
as weather back-up) at
Inglesham.
11th/12th May – Young
Aviators (hopefully at Kemble but to be confirmed) – with the Oxford
Strut.
14th/15th June – Airscouts at
Lower Upham
.
Mid-Summer BBQ and fly-about (venue to be decided) on
17th June.
28th/29th June – Airscouts at
Bicester.
6th/7th September – Airscouts
at Croft Farm (helping Gloucester Strut).
The Wiltshire Flyers annual fly-in will be at
Lower Upham
on 21st September.
The 2008 Great Vintage Flying Weekend (G-VFWE) which was to be held at
Hullavington, Wiltshire, has been cancelled. The event was started by
former publisher and enthusiast Peter Campbell, and subsequently developed
by Operations Manager Terry Booker. Its long term future had been in doubt
for some time. Despite early optimism and considerable effort, the
organizers said it had proved impossible to create any form of umbrella
organization to take on the brand. (This, despite efforts by Pete White, John Broad of
the VAC and Wally Epton of the HAA –
Ed).
G-VFWE was one of the few volunteer run events to achieve national and
international significance. It had no salaried employees and the whole
event was personally underwritten by the organizer. In a brief press
statement, Terry Booker said: "I am
proud that everyone has worked together for so long to make G-VFWE into
the flagship event in
the
UK
for vintage and classic civil aviation. The enthusiasm of the pilots,
their generous financial
contributions, the funding from our sponsors and commercial supporters
and the interest shown by the public has made the show consistently
successful. But our costs continue to rise and while we have never made a
loss, the struggle to just 'break-even' gets harder each year. I have
always been required to underwrite the event's finances from my own bank
balance. The current uncertainties in the wider market place and their
undoubted knock-on effect on consumer spending can only increase my
personal risk. Sadly, as I near my 70th year, this is no longer a risk
that I feel either willing or, indeed, morally obliged to undertake."
During the eleven years of its existence, G-VFWE generated around 12,000
incident free aircraft
movements on eight different airfields, in front of approximately 70,000
spectators.
Terry Booker will still be involved in the 'Wings and Wheels Fly-In' at
Henstridge airfield in
Somerset
on August 23rd.
Could those members without access to an aeroplane or
without a license make themselves known to Duncan or me please so that we
can target you for spare seats for the fly-ins/outs & abouts.
If you haven’t already, please look at
Duncan
’s list of members and studiously check your email address please.
Please help us to run the events that I’ve listed
– even if you can spare only an hour – it will be very much
appreciated.
My sincere thanks go to Ken Cattel for writing the
Newsletter for the last 16 Months, and if there are any volunteers to take
over, let me know.....
Cheers, Blue skies and happy flying,
Daca Daca
The Wiltshire Flyers
