PROP TALKNORTH SHORE AERO CLUb bI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE // JUNE 2020
ContaCt the offiCe if you would like to reCeive a posted Copy of prop talk
INSIDE: THE BEES KNEES OF ADS-B 2
THE GOLDEN AGE OF STAN’S FOX MOTH
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Editor: Ian Couper [email protected]
Compiled By: Campbell McIver & Stef Gwilliam
This Edition’s Contributors:David Saunders - PresidentJohn Punshon - General ManagerDaryl Gillett - CFIIan Couper - SecretaryRoger Coleclough
Photo Credits:Front Cover: Ian Couper Rear Cover: Ian CouperBackgrounds: Chris Opperman, Steve Matheson, Jamie Davis, Levi Daniel, Stef Gwilliam, Campbell McIver
Front Cover: The drop to Alert Level 2 restrictions brought about a prompt return to flying at North Shore as Steven Grimmer pre-flights a C-172 for IFR training.
Rear Cover: Another early morning start with C Cat lnstructor Hamish McGill and Ollie Bradshaw pre-flighting before a lesson.
North Shore Directory .................... 3From the eDitor ....... 4PreSiDeNtS PublicatioN ................ 6the golDeN age oF StaN’S Fox moth ....... 8maNagerS memo ..... 12the beeS kNeeS oF aDS-b 2 ........................ 16cFI rePort................... 21meet the team.......... 24mileStoNeS................ 26arouND the club ... 27
coNteNtSProP talkJUNE 2020
Prop Talk is a bi-monthly magazine published by North Shore Aero Club. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of NSAC.
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North Shore Directory
President: David Saunders Vice President: Brent Hempel Treasurer: Andrew CrowhurstSecretary: Ian Couper Club Captain: David WilkinsonPatron: Stan Smith Committee: Roy Crane Douglas Kruger Lloyd Morris Patrick Sheehan Rodger Coleclough
Phone: 09 426 4273 | 300 Postman Road, Dairy Flat RD4 0794
021 115 4696 021 194 5546021 266 6656(09) 478 6351 021 468 270027 477 5475 021 340 654022 545 6968021 493 360021 732 107021 705 859
General Manager (A-Cat & Flight Examiner): John Punshon CFI (A-Cat & Flight Examiner): Daryl Gillett
B-Cat Instructors: Paul Ryan, Tim Marshall, Dawson Boles, Chantel Strooh, Rob Graham, Andrew Fisher, Tim Dunn, Jamie Davis C-Cat Instructors: Ming Zhang, Brendon Frame, Hamish McGill, Pierce Hargreaves, Campbell McIver, Josh McKoy
Office Manager: Lynn Packer
Office Staff: Claudine Allen, Stacey Olsen
Bar Staff: Brian Clay
Groundsman: Caleb Hanham
NS Helicopter Training: Roy Crane -
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FROM THE EDITORIAN COUPER
A big thank you to David, John, Daryl and their teams for a job well done.
When the whole of New Zealand literally shut down earlier this year our Club was no exception, with revenue derived from aircraft hire, flight training and air transport operators coming to a complete stop. To further complicate matters there was no information or indication given as to when normal operations could begin.
Supported by a sub committee consisting of the President, Vice President, Treasurer and General Manager the Club management and flight instructing team set about the task of running the Club
with significantly reduced income.
Fortunately the Club met the eligibility criteria and was able to claim the government wage subsidy. Over this time staff were- fully engaged and achieved a huge amount as the list of tasks and projects to undertake was significant. Ground courses were moved to an on-line form and proved very successful, generating much needed revenue.
Throughout alert Levels 4 and 3 our team of instructors maintained a very close relationship with allstudents with the result that, following the step-down to Level 2, we experienced a strong demand, with aircraft and instructors booked up three weeks in advance. The upshot is the return to businessunder Level 1 looks very positive. Long may it continue.
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PRESIDENTS PUbLICATION
DAVID SAUNDERS
It has been a tumultuous couple of months by anyone’s standards. A two months’ that no-one saw coming, and a two months that will leave an indelible mark on the history of this country and the world. New Zealanders have done extremely well and made huge emotional and financial sacrifices to limit the number of deaths due to Covid-19. But we all know that it has done a lot of damage to the economy going forward, and the question is, how much damage, and only time will tell.
The commercial aviation world has taken a huge hit, with a lot of our fellow aviators eitherfurloughed or out of a job. But the good news is that the
airlines are starting to get their timetables going again and their aircraft back in the skies. Hopefully the Australian and NZ governments will get the talked about trans-tasman bubble operating and flights will start again soon, and within NZ too.
Since the lifting of lockdown restrictions with the stepdown to Level 2, the club has been back in full swing with lots of members catching up on their flying. Strong representations to the Ministry of Health via CAA and the Aviation Sector groups saw GA get the ability to start flying again and with instruction allowed for students. The weather has been very conducive to flying during May, except the recent long weekend. At the end of May bookings were going very strongly with planes and Instructors booked up for at
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least 3 weeks. Long may this continue.
The committee has resumed their monthly meetings in May and meet for the first time via Zoom, as there were going to be more than 10 people present. The Zoom meeting went very well, so like a lot of businesses, the committee has decided that it will be holding some of it’s future meetings throughthis medium.
“THE ANNUAL SOUTH ISLAND TRiP iS NOw ONLY 10 wEEkS AwAY”The AGM is currently being planned and will be held at the club at the end of July, by which time we should be in Level 1 and there will be no limitations on groups meeting. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Despite the predicted downturn in the economy over the next couple of years, the club must focus on the future.
The Airport Master plan will need to be finalised and we must continue to work withthe Auckland Council to keep the airfield a valued regional resource. The committee will continue to plan for the extension and upgrade of the main seal runway and the eastern grass portion and willbe targeting the autumn of 2022 for the period of construction. Covid -19 has clearly illustrated the need to find sources of passive and alternative income and the committee will be discussing ideas as to where we can achieve this income. Members’ ideas are very welcome.
The annual South Island trip is now only 10 weeks away, so I hope that many of you will join us for what is always a fantastic trip flying the length of New Zealand and discovering what a beautiful country NZ is. Why not make it your “overseas trip” this year as I doubt there will be any international travel this year. It will be good to support all the South Island hospitality venues.
Safe skies, David Saunders.
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De Havilland DH83C Fox Moth ZK-APT, until recent times owned and operated by Stan and Gilly Smith at North Shore has a rather chequered career.
Arriving new in New Zealand in 1947 it was operated by the Marlborough Aero Club for use as a charter and light freight business as well as for members’ recreation. Less
than a year later, having already suffered damage to its propeller and undercarriage at Bluff Station, it was caught in a gale and blown from its moorings, sustaining substantial damage to the airframe.
Rebuilt at Rongatai it was again in the wars two years later when a severe downdraught forced the pilot to carry out a controlled crash in a gully. The lower mainplanes, undercarriage and engine mounts were beyond repair but just four months later a new Certificate of Airworthiness was issued and APT was back flying again.
The West Coast beckoned and in 1956 APT was hard at work
THE GOLDEN AGE OF STAN’S FOX MOTH
IAN COUPER
“ZK-APT survived three major crashes, three rebuilds and two forced landings”
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flying deer hunters into the bush and flying venison out. Another major use was to bring the whitebait north for onwards transfer to the markets.
“APT wAS HARD AT wORk FLYiNG DEER HUNTERS iNTO THE bUSH AND FLYiNG vENiSON OUT.”
The catch was never predictable but none could be left behind. It is said APT once got airborne off the beach over one thousand pounds overweight with the valuable whitebait, thuscarrying twice its own unladen weight. Climbing out of ground effect was not possible, even as fuel was consumed, so it proceeded along beaches and over coastal waters until Greymouth was reached, where
STAN AIRBORNE IN FOX MOTH ZK-APT (WHAT NO CHAMPAGNE!)
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the pilot put it down on the beach to unload the precious cargo.
Life on the West Coast was hard for APT and in 1962 its Certificate of Airworthiness lapsed. After its final flight to Omaka APT was condemned after a CAA inspector was most disturbed at what he saw. “The general condition of the aircraft can be described in one word – disgraceful. It would appear maintenance has been of a negligible nature for some time. The cockpit has the stench of anabbatoir and it appears that the aircraft has been used for carrying out deer carcases on the West Coast.”
“PROCEEDED ALONG bEACHES AND OvER COASTAL wATERS”
Fast forward to 1963 when the hulk of APT, less the Gipsy Major engine, was sold (for 75 pounds) to Stan Smith, then working as a ground engineer for NAC in
Wellington. Two years later Stan transferred to TEAL in Auckland accompanied by his accumulated aircraft collection (four at this time), and with the late Myles Robertson, set about the rebuild of APT. After approximately 10,000 hours of building APT was restored to an immaculate condition and was test flown on 23 rd June 2009.
From North Shore three passengers could fly in the Fox Moth in great company, as it transported them back to the golden age of light aircraft accompanied by champagne and canapés on scenic flights. ZK-APT joined Stan and Gilly’s
Images courtesy of Stan Smith
STAN RAISES A GLASS
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de Havilland Dragon ZK-AXI, which Stan also restored to flying condition after suffering a take-off mishap.
Stan, who was a former instructor at North Shore, is
also the long serving Patron of the Club, has reluctantly sold his beloved Fox Moth and it is now back in its original home in Blenheim, offering scenic flights to its delighted passengers.
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MANAGERS MEMOJOHN PUNSHON
Hi everyone,
You all know it’s back to business for us here at the Club so I won’t go over all that.However, I thought it’d be wise to provide a little commentary about the future outlook ingeneral.
It is with great glee that I report things are going well at the Club. We’ve seen a triumphantreturn to flight training and it’s great to see so many people have such confidence in the economy and aviation sector as a whole. My article this month is really just a personal opinion piece and should be considered as nothing else.
Over the years, we’ve seen many booms and many busts in the aviation sector. In fact, italmost seems like every 10 years
or so, the cycle repeats for one reason or another. The early 90s were a tough time for aviation, then in 2001, September 11 th decimated the industry and just as things were looking good, the GFC came along to rain on the parade. Now COVID-19 has changed the landscape yet again. The difference this time has been that global aviation has literally ground to a halt in a way never before seen. But history is a wonderful thing and it lets us predict the future if we use the information wisely.
I have spent a good amount of time looking at the recovery trends of the various aviationsectors following each of these major events and as we all know, the industry has bouncedback, but what many people don’t appreciate is that in previous events, the industry didn’t really shrink, it just stopped growing for a while. But once it started growing, it was at a higher rate than what
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it was pre-crisis and continued at that rate until it regained it’s original growth trajectory. I like to think its not just the optimist in me but the realist in me that says that is exactly what will happen again. Yes, I know this time the industry is going toshrink first BUT, what’s the rate of growth going to look like afterwards?
The reason I feel it necessary to share this opinion is because I’ve heard many people recently saying things like ‘who’d ever consider a career in aviation now?’, but the truth of the matter is, there’s probably never been a better time because once that growth cycle starts, statistically speaking, it’s going to be a whopper and it’s not that far away either. The industry has been facing a real crisis over the last few years. Airlines couldn’t recruit enough pilots, training organisations couldn’t retain their instructors and there has not been enoughstudent loan funding available to help budding pilots into the profession. What COVID-19has done is simply provide
an opportunity for the supply chain to catch up a bit, admittedly with some incredible levels of collateral damage along the way. Airlines will resume flying. Airlines that go bust will be replaced with new airlines backed by those with money that are eager to invest. Demand for travel will regain it’s original growth trajectory and before youknow it, we’ll all be reading the Airbus and Boeing forecasts for pilots and wondering how we will ever train enough pilots to plug the gap again.
“IF NOTHiNG ELSE, COvID-19 HAS REiNFORCED THAT wE ARE ON THE RiGHT TRACk.”So, still wondering about whether that career in aviation is worth it? Personally, I thinkthere’s never been a better time because by the time you’ve finished training in 2 yearstime, we will be heading right into the next growth cycle.
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Anyway, enough of the excessive optimism for now. I guess if I’m wrong, it’ll be the GeneralManager’s bar shout at the 2022 AGM, not the Presidents… As a Club, we will continue to proceed with the utmost caution. Decisions still need to be made in a conservative manner where we plan for the worst but hope for the best.
In accordance with the requirements of the newly updated Constitution, we will be presenting the 2021 financial year end budget in advance of the AGM. We’ve taken a cautious approach which will see a lower forecast net surplus at the end of this year than we’ve seen in the previous 2 years. Despite my previous positivity and assuming the economists are right, there is more economic hardship to endure before the recovery begins and we likely have not yet seen the worst of the economic impact. That said, the economic recovery seems to belying the economists forecasts so far and the country is doing better than expected. Let’s hope it continues.
Either way, the Club will continue to weather the storm without having to panic in theforeseeable future. Due to some wise investments made over the last few years and a little diversity in our revenue generating model, we have been able to keep our heads abovewater in a way others would be envious of. If nothing else, COVID-19 has reinforced that we are on the right track. Looking to the future, the prospects the Airport Master Plan brings will only help with this but at the same time, it is imperative we remember why we’re here… It is to look after the interests of our members and we must ensure that we continue to keep sight of that so our investments and growth strategies do not tread on the toes of you, the members. We want to see more members, better facilities, more private hangars, more private aircraft, more social activity and more smiles all round. It’s all got to be in your best interests.
That’s all for now.Happy Flying.
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We recently undertook our ADSB-2 upgrade and found it was a mine field of information to take in before we could make a decision about the right system that would suit our aircraft. Having visited Oshkosh five years ago it was interesting to see the little wing tip devices that replace a port nav light and can provide an ADS-B solution for as little as $1000 USD but alas NZ has a different system and these won’t work here.
As per human nature I tried looking at a cheap option for possibly adapting our existing Garmin 327 but I quickly found that ADS-B 2 requires a transponder to have ES or extended squitter to be of any use. Some of the Garmin 330 models have ES and this can be seen when you turn them on 330ES will show on start
THE bEES kNEES OF ADS-b 2ROGER COLECLOUGH up. ADS-B 2 also requires a
TSO’d gps signal which is fine if you have a GA aircraft with a suitable navigator but if you don’t, or you own a Microlight/Experimental aircraft, it means buying a separate unit.
The thing that exited me most about upgrading to ADS-B 2 was the option of having aircraft traffic around you displayed on a screen along with an audio call out if anyone gets too close. This is known in the airline industry as T-CAS. Having had
OLD TRANSPONDER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK
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two near misses in the past 25 years I strongly feel if you are not going to get this option, you are really not getting anything more than you already have right now.
“THE THiNG THAT EXiTED ME MOST AbOUT UPGRADiNG TO ADS-b 2 wAS THE OPTiON OF HAviNG AiRCRAFT TRAFFiC AROUND YOU DiSPLAYED ON A SCREEN”
On exploring the different options and watching You Tube videos showing what others have done we came across a unit called a L3 Lynx NGT- 9000 touch screen. I also noticed how some of the owners were giving their transponders a promotion (as it were) and placing them in a more prominent spot due to the extra information that these new units can now provide. While the Lynx had an eye watering price we could quickly see why. It’s an all in one unit with ES,TSO’d gps, touch screen and map with the option of traffic in while also displaying this information
ROGER WITH HIS CIRRUS ZK-WHL
18 Images courtesy of Roger Coleclough
on your other devices as well. (Garmin now also have a similar unit available). With the Lynx 9000 you have three traffic alert options, ADS-B Traffic in only with audio alerts, Active Traffic with both ADS-B and Mode S traffic in and a true T-CAS equivalent option which advises the pilot verbally of avoidance action required to avoid a collision.
The end result was that we went with the L3 Lynx 9000 with ADS-B traffic in and promoted our transponder
from the bottom of the stack to the top. It also meant that this was our first bit of touch screen kit onboard the aircraft. As part of the install we had to upgrade our Avidyne MFD screens software to accept the Lynx traffic info. Unbeknown to us and an extra bonus was to have traffic displayed on our two Garmin 430 navigators so as different screens are being used for different things we had at least one screen showing traffic.
Our installation came out at about $11,000 but with the
DURING INSTALL
NEW TRANSPONDER AT THE TOP OF THE STACK
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$3000+gst rebate, $500 for our old 327 transponder and $700 for our spider tracks it wasn’t too bad. We also comforted ourselves that the original T-CAS option on our Cirrus was $35,000 USD so a bargain if you look at it that way.
“UNbEkNOwN TO US; AND AN EXTRA bONUS wAS TO HAvE TRAFFiC DiSPLAYED ON OUR TwO GARMiN 430 NAviGATORS”
While we are very impressed with our Lynx 9000 we were
very disappointed with the installation and the company we chose. It was a rush job, poorly executed but what was even more disappointing was the amount of damage that was done to our aircraft during the upgrade. The repair bill came to over $3000 but to be fair they did make amends, but what a pain. I recommend you do your homework on who you choose to do your install. You would think taking a half million dollar aeroplane to someone for this kind of work, costing this kind of money it would be treated with Kidd Gloves. Apparently not.
GOOD LUCK.
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CFI REPORTDARYL GILLETT
I hope by now you’re all back to at least some level of normality, and even enjoying your passion for flight once again. It’s been heartening to see the club as busy as it’s ever been, and to see the faces of new members just beginning their aviation journeys. But at the same time it’s upsetting to hear about so many of our friends losing the jobs they love. Similar cycles have occurred before, and theindustry will recover. While it’s prudent to have a back-up or worst case scenario plan in place, at the same time it’s my preference to remain optimistic about the road to recovery – doom and gloom isn’t going to deliver results to our benefit. We do after all so much to appreciate and look forwardto.
In terms of getting back in the
air, currency is a matter we’ve all been aware of lately. There is ofcourse the legal requirements, and the COVID19 exemptions to consider, although type currency (3 take-offs and landings every 90 days) is not included in the exemption. But being legally current is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution, and in real terms, currency is a topic of much greater complexity, andone that in my experience pilots don’t consider carefully enough…
In a flying context, ‘currency’ is not only how well a pilot is able to physically ‘fly’ the aeroplane, it’s also a tolerance to managing workload. Just like g-force tolerance for example, your ability to manage workload will increase the more you fly – but ultimately every pilot has a limit, or in other words, a finite workload capacity. Any task that should or must be carried out above that workload limit, will require mental capacity that is already being used to carry out
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a different task – and this is where prioritisation comes into play…
Every pilot knows the acronym ANC – Aviate, Navigate, Communicate; arguably the most important set of words in aviation. This is the fundamental concept that maintaining control of the aeroplane is always the most important task. There are countless examples of accidents which demonstrate that if the pilot just flew the aeroplane, the flight may not have resulted in tragedy.
The point is the longer you leave it between flights, the less ‘current’ you will be i.e. the less capacity you will have to manage any and all situations that develop. Leave it too long, and the safety risk you and your passengers are exposed to will be too great to accept. The pragmatic, safety-consciousapproach at that point is to seek assistance in bringing your level of competency, and
ability to manage all aspects of the flight, up to the required standard again. And please remember we’re here to help anytime it is needed.
“EvERY PiLOT kNOwS THE ACRONYM ANC – AviATE, NAviGATE, COMMUNiCATE; ARGUAbLY THE MOST iMPORTANT SET OF wORDS iN AviATiON.”
Another part of currency is ensuring your pre-flight planning and preparation processes are up to scratch. If it’s been a while, the usual rhythm of the way you do things might not be so easy to achieve. The methodical use of good pre-flight planning checklists is a sound option to ensure you get it right.
Checking the NOTAMs should of course always be part of the planning process. At the time of
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writing, only the grass runway 09/27 is closed at NZNE. Due to Auckland’s severe drought the water table is currently so low that even after significant rainfall, excess water drains away quickly. So for now, the grass runway 03/21 is open – however things can and probably will change quickly, soplease keep an eye on the NOTAMs.
Lastly, planning for this year’s South Island Trip is in progress, and so far the interest is far exceeding expectations. This annual club trip is always a cracker week away, and the perfect opportunity to commit aviation in mountainous regions in a controlled environment. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’re interested – we’re doing our best to accommodate everyone.
Please stay safe everyone.Daryl.
The club is currently reviewing ongoing maintenance requirements for the aerodrome, facilities, buildings and infrastructure that it owns. This review is being conducted to facilitate production of a 10 year maintenance schedule and budget. We would like to request any willing assistance from members involved in certain trades to assist with the estimating process. The trades we require assistance with are:
- Builders- Plumbers- Drain Layers- Fencing Contractors- Painters- Chem Wash / Building Cleaning- Roading / Asphalters Please be aware that we are requiring assistance with cost estimations only. Members should NOT be volunteering to assist with the expectation of being awarded any related work.
- John Punshon
Assistance Required from Tradespeople
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John Punshon General Manager
Management
Daryl Gillett CFI
Lynn Packer Claudine Allen Stacey Olsen Caleb Hanham
Paul Ryan Tim Marshall Dawson Boles Chantel Strooh Rob Graham
Hamish McGill Pierce Hargraves Brendon Frame Ming Zhang Campbell McIver Josh McKoy
MEET THE TEAM
Ground Staff
B Cat Instructors
C Cat Instructors
Andrew Fisher Tim Dunn Jamie Davis
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NEW MEMBERSNorth Shore Aero Club extends a warm welcome to our new members:
Jason SmillieEmily Jay
Sasha Mukhametzhanov
Gen LiPamela
McInnes-StineRaghav Dhingra
Reuben StuartJinwoo KimSam FraserMark Cruz
Brendon JulianAndrew Wigney
Odette Sullivan-Yates
Romesh Anandaraja
Gergory FeyenHadi Alsaei
Hugh MittonBenjamin Lee
All committee meetings start at 7:15pm
COMMiTTEE MEETiNGSUpcoming committee
meeting dates:23rd June 2020AGM 28th July 2020
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MiLESTONES
Izak Pivac - MEIR5th June 2020
Kai Nowizke - First Solo13th June 2020
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AROuND THE CLuB
PHOTO COURTESY OF KEITH MORRIS, THE ROBIN FLEET ‘FORTUITOUSLY LINED UP IN REGISTRATION ORDER’
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE DAVIS, A RECENT GLOOMY DAY COMING BACK FROM THE BARRIER.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPH BERTHOUD ‘POT OF GOLD AT NSAC’
NORTH SHORE AERO CLUBPostman Road, Dairy Flat RD4 | Phone: 09 426 4273 | Email: [email protected]
