Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Blue Skies The official newsletter of the Mildura Aero Club
February 2016
Display of ASIC cards
Mildura Airport P/L Management has advised us that there will be a crack down on the display and use of ASIC cards in the coming weeks. The ASIC must,of course be valid, and not expired. An ASIC must be displayed in the following ways:
attached to your outer clothing;
at or above waist height;
at the front or side of your body or on a band around your upper arm; and
with the whole front of the ASIC or VIC clearly visible. Strictly speaking, using the lanyards provided by CASA may not comply! If the lanyard was pinned to your clothing it may comply. If you are using an invalid ASIC, incorrectly displaying or misusing an ASIC, then you may be fined or prosecuted.
Regular Friday Drinks Commencing Friday 5 February 2016, we shall have the clubrooms open each Friday evening from 5pm, for social drinks. Members and guests are welcome. Non-members must sign into the visitors book. Waddaya think Dave?
We are trying to increase use of the facilities and increase membership, so bring a friend and enjoy.
President’s Column There is no President’s column this month. The Mildura Aero Club offers its condolences to Adrian, Kirsty and family on the passing of Adrian’s mother; Valerie on 29 January 2016. Our sympathies are also extended to Adrian’s father Geoff, who many members will know as a past Aviator in our district.
Website - Up and Running The long awaited Mildura Aero Club Website is now a reality. Check it out at http://milduraaeroclub.com My technical expertise did not include “screen-shotting” the Home page, but you should see these images:-
Thanks to Brett Saunders at SDG Designs for setting up the platform and providing on-going support. The website should help visiting Aviators contact us, lift our profile and keep members up to date. Future newsletters and events will be posted on the Website. We look forward to all of our members regularly accessing the site.
LRT Magneto goes “dead”. “Run Ups” are part of every “Pre-Flight” checks in piston powered aircraft. Run the motor up to…(as per Pilot’s Operating Handbook “POH”), flick to Left Magneto, a drop in RPM, back to both, then to Right Magneto and back to “Both”. The POH will set out an acceptable variance between the two Magneto positions. As most of our members would know, the Magneto’s provide an electrical impulse to the spark plugs to cause ignition of fuel in the cylinders of the engine. The Left Magneto provides spark to one spark plug per cylinder and the Right Magneto to the other spark plug in the same cylinder. The Magneto system is used so that the engine keeps running in the event of battery or alternator failure. There are two Magnetos (left and right) for redundancy – ie if (only) one fails, the other should provide sufficicent igintion for safe powered flight.
In mid January 2016, whilst preparing for a flight out of Mildura my left magneto showed a drop of around 400 RPM (an acceptable drop is 175 RPM and acceptable variance is 50RPM). Running the engine a bit harder and leaning the mixture (to de-foul the spark plugs, if this was the issue) seemed to fix the problem and the flight was duly commenced and completed. A couple of flights later, I was preparing to depart Essendon. I requested Run Ups on R26 and…you guessed it….Left Magneto dropped . This time the drop was more like 800RPM + No hard running or leaning of the mixture would fix the problem. When left to run on Left Magneto, the engine stalled. Restart, one more try then, “Request cancel clearance and taxi back to parking”. I cancelled SARtime and then got on the phone to Horsham Aviation – seeking referral. I was put in contact with General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) at Essendon. GAM run and service the Aero Commanders that run Essendon, Horsham, Swan Hill, Mildura and return (VH-AJC and the like). They hold the Toll delivery service contract, and deliver the Bank satchels, etc. GAM run about 15 planes, and most clock over 100 hours each 20 or so days, so there is nearly always one in the workshop. Anyway the GAM Engineers were very obliging and repaired the Mags, attended to the Airworthy Directive;(AD 75 -
Impulse Coupling inspection - which had been due in an extra 60 hours) and moved forward the 500 hourly
maintenance inspection on the Magneto (also due in about 60 hours).
I spent an unintended day in my Melbourne Office. Whilst inconvenient, I was on the ground wishing to be in the
sky – which is far better that being in the sky wishing to be on the ground! As for the cost, well, I am of the view that
I just brought forward scheduled maintenance.
Given that there should be no short-cuts in aviation. Engine failure on the ground, is annoying, but it beats the heck
out of engine failure on take-off, landing, or in cruise. M Holcroft
Silver in the Sky Article submitted by Lindsay Anderson Potosi is a city in Bolivia of more than 130,000 people. The Spanish colonised it in the early 16th century after discovering the mountain behind it was made of silver. It is said that they mined so much silver from the mountain that they could have made a bridge to Spain. It made Spain the richest country in the world for 200 years. The locals still mine the mountain by pick and shovel. What has this got to do with flying? Well, Potosi lies at an altitude of 4,060 metres (nearly 13,500 feet). The mountain of silver rises to over 15,500 feet. The residents lead normal lives with the miners undertaking the heavy manual work required of their industry in the same manner as where anywhere else. Nobody wears oxygen. As we all know, CASA requires us to have either pressurisation or supplemental oxygen once over 10,000 feet and suggests hypoxia may commence for some people at much lower altitudes. (Editor’s note: the FAA allows American Aviators to fly at up to 12,500 feet without oxygen). CASA advise us that at 18,000 feet we can expect to lose consciousness after 30 minutes. Why do the Bolivians not appear to be affected? There seems to be three reasons proffered:-
1. They are used to it.
This appears to have some scientific basis as clinical tests show less effect of hypoxia on persons regularly exposed to higher altitude than those that are not.
2. The rate that you reach the higher altitude has an impact.
The Bolivians live there and do not need to adjust.
3. The period of time that you are there. That is, the longer the time you are at the higher altitude, the more likely or greater effect it will have on you. This certainly does not apply in Potosi as they live there (and some never see any other place).
My wife and I recently had the good fortune to visit Potosi by motorcycle. It is not just Potosi that is at altitude, we spent more than two weeks in the Andes Mountains at various altitudes over 10,000 feet.
We knew we were at altitude (try carrying suitcases up two flights of stairs), but had no other appreciable effects, nor did any of our group of 14. We, as flatlanders, are never exposed to pressure altitudes higher than 10,000 feet. The rate of climb achieved on many of the mountain passes would be equivalent to some piston engine planes and the length of time at these heights did not seem to make any difference. Whilst riding a motorcycle is fairly sedentary, it is much more physically active than flying a plane. Equally, the constant concentration required to navigate the thousands of kilometres of winding mountain roads was greater than that required for flying, even in IFR. So what does all this mean? The conclusion I have drawn is that for most people, sedentary exposure to altitudes up to 15,000 feet has little effect. (Ed note – although the sign-writer did leave the “e” off “Altitude”…CASA might argue that this was due to diminished capability of the sign-writer due to the effects of hypoxia!!)
Extra GA Parking Mildura Airport Pty Ltd has installed tie down cables North of Taxi way Bravo. The GA parking will soon be sign posted and added into ERSA. There is space for up to 20 GA aircraft.
Visiting Aircraft; VH – YDI is a 2014 Glasair Sportsman registered to Edward Taylor of Albury.
The Sportsman is a four place kit aircraft that claims a cruise speed of 137 knots if powered by the 180 hp at 75% power at 8,000 ft. The 210hp Lycoming results in a claimed 150 knots at the same settings.
The Joys of Summer Summer in Mildura can mean clear skies and lots of thermals and mechanical turbulence. It can also mean strong Northerly winds, which are great if you are heading South. It is not often that the Lance hits 200 knots, so when it does, it is worthy of a photo!
Calendar - 2016 February Every Friday – social drinks from 5pm – information for members and their guests. February 28 End of month BBQ from 6pm
Contacts
Mildura Aero Club Inc. PO Box 10144, Mildura, Vic 3502 Website www.milduraaeroclub.com Home Mobile Email
President Adrian Thompson 5022 8293 0407 663464 [email protected] Vice President Denis Moy 5021 0925 0417 306192 [email protected] Secretary Lindsay Anderson 5023 7806 0419 870998 [email protected] Treasurer Geoff Steedman 5022 1780 0428 250856 [email protected] Committee Rhonda Moy 5021 0925 0428 267698 [email protected] Shane O’Halloran 5021 1642 0418 176160 [email protected] Michael Holcroft 0419 891129 [email protected]
Graeme Gaylard 0429 179166 [email protected] Nick Mason 0448832260 [email protected] David Smith 0408 032 912 [email protected] Jim Cavallaro 5021 1528 0418 358215 [email protected]
