President's Report

And now for Something Completely Different.

I have been very privileged over the last four months to be involved with the recovery from the February 22nd earthquakes. In my position with the Christchurch City Council I was asked to take on many tasks to help Canterbury prepare to recover from the devastation inflicted by the series of vicious earthquakes we all experienced.

After the initial lay-off from work while the scope was evaluated and the initial State of Emergency was instigated, I was asked to get involved with Cordon Reduction.

After the quakes the city was locked down and the boundary was the Four Avenues. As the assessment of the damage was done, and emergency repairs were carried, out certain areas were opened to the public. This involved coordinating Engineers, Safety staff, Communication staff and many other service organizations that were available to help people re-establish themselves.

There were 8 separate zones in addition the City Central Red Zone.

Zones 1&2 were opened quickly, these were in the South West of the city around Antigua street and Moorhouse Avenue. Other zones were systematically opened over the next two months.

My task was to set up a public information centre where people in those areas could come for information and to get access on their properties, either to make them safe or to recover belongings before the zone was opened to the public the next day. Initially our centre contained many services to help people; such as the Red Cross, IRD, Work and Income, Civil Defense, Coast Guard, Council, Ecan and a few others. It was found that those who represented these organizations actually did very little as there was no public need for their particular services at that time. The requirement for those organizations to be present was soon abandoned.

By the time we opened the last zone, Zone 6, we had only myself and a couple of Coast Guards to evaluate properties for residents to go back into. Zone 5 was interesting as it was the South end of the city from St Asaph Street to Moorhouse Avenue, and from Barbadoes Street to Montreal Street. All vehicles had to go through my check point to get to their buildings. I ran into many shop keepers that I have known for a long time. All were very pleased to have the opportunity to get back into their shops as they had not been, since 22 February. This was now April. Most were getting stuff out to start up somewhere else.

During those days of Zone reduction it was normal to be in the middle of once busy areas of town and be the only one in sight. How many can claim to have walked down Victoria St at 2.00pm and been in the Square at 3 .00pm and seen nobody in sight and no traffic on the road! It’s like being in some science fiction movie!

Zone 8 was Sydenham. I watched as old shops tumbled to the ground and the street changed its appearance daily. Eventually with most damaged buildings gone and the sites made good, the area opened. A changed area it now is, with clear sites almost making it better than it was before. Once the cordon reduction was complete I did a couple of weeks work distributing chemical toilets and collection tanks as well as setting up a contract to buy about a million dollars worth of chemicals for them.

When the need to open the zones was complete I started to get involved with business access to the Red Zone. The newly established Red Zone has boundaries of St Asaph to the South, Barbadoes to the East, Peterborough to the North and mostly Cambridge Tce to the West. Some minor adjustments are being made to the North boundary.

Since the quake, very few people had been able to get into their business premises. An on-line registration process took place with the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, who set up Recovery Canterbury. People were asked to register so that Recovery Canterbury knew who wanted to get into the zone to recover essential items, so they could run their business elsewhere.

A team of three project managers from the Council set up a process whereby they would enter the Red Zone and list premises that were not too badly damaged. This list was then set to Recovery Canterbury who contacted the owners. A list was sent to us. We then arranged to meet the owners at a point where they would be briefed on the process for going in. Initially people were taken in their own cars in convoy. Some had trailers and some took small vans. This system was replaced with taking the owners and helpers in, care of the Red Bus company and a truck load of yellow wheelie bins. Owners had about an hour to retrieve items before we came back out. Before the owners were allowed into a building it was inspected by an Engineer and a safety brief was given. When this programme first started in March many roads were impassible and had to be cleared before access began.

As time has gone on we have accessed over 1500 businesses and taken in over 5000 people. All are very happy to get the opportunity, with very few having anything negative to say. The programme has really made a difference to people; it has given them the opportunity to move on to either a new business, a new town or set up the business elsewhere.

The programme has now gone back to taking in cars, trailers and vans, into just a few premises a day as there is so much activity with demolition taking place that taking in a bus is not practical. At present we have a list of buildings that we have planned to go in for the week. We have had the experience of going to check the listed building before we actually take the owners in, only to find that the building has gone. Demolition is happening that fast now.

I am privileged to be able to help so many people and to be on the spot to witness the demolition of a city and hopefully it’s rebuild.

Here is a link to some Red Zone earthquake photos. They are general views but you may be able to identify them. Send in your answers to president@recwings.com. I will list the three best answers and provide the actual location, next month.

Mike

CFI's CORNER with Dave Mitchell

The fliers of JOL will have noticed a revised Pilots Checklist in the cockpit. The list is now on a single card with all 'ground checks' (Pre start, Post start, Engine run-up, Pre take-off) on one side and the 'airborne checks' (Downwind, HASELL) on the reverse - ending of course with the 'Shut-down checks'. This list can be found on the Club website under - "Introduction to flying and the Club" - page 33 - for those wishing to see what a Standard Checklist looks like.

Speaking of Checklists, pilots need to remember that when they up-grade to the Advanced Level , they will be required to demonstrate that they have the ability to memorise the Pre take-off and Downwind Checks for their aircraft. In JOLs case, the checks in the above list. This demonstrates that the person has the ability to remember the checks. So, if in flight your Checklist dissapears through a crack in the cockpit floor - you should be able to recall the checks required - from memory. All aircraft should have a Checklist in the cockpit - and it should be used - every time. However, if you are up-grading to the Advanced Level - for the purpose of that Flight Test - you will be required to do the Pre take-off and Downwind Checks from memory

Although the Club Open day in July was a bit of a 'blow out', with no flying practicle because of the NW'er, many people visited the Club. We recorded the names of those who wanted a Trial Flight and in the fortnight that followed, 9 Trial Flights were flown. This is a very good result from an Open Day. As a consequence, 4 people have joined the Club. The age range is interesting - from the late 40's to the late 70's !!

(Click for current JOL/R checklist. -Ed)

Letters:

Terry Salmon has asked me to print the following:

Dave,

please let all the members know that I'm not a medical doctor, and never have been. I'd rather the nickname "Doc" not be used any more as it could cause confusion. I may have contributed to that confusion by listing my occupation as 'medical consultant' for I am indeed a consultant to that industry, but I'm not a medical specialist. I have now changed my club database entry accordingly. However, I have long been qualified in first-aid and will continue to use those skills in emergencies.

Thank you,

Terry Salmon

Safe Flying,

Dave Mitchell

Safety

Our "Statistician" in his column has posed a very simple riddle. I suspect he has run out of other interesting things to write about for the moment.

I'd like some suggestions, please, for the prize that we'd like to award to whoever sends in the first correct answer. I believe the duties of the C.R.A.C Safety Officer go way beyond taking photos of runway prangs. We may be a particularly safe group of flyers, here. Or we may not. Either way, it's hard to deny that safer is better than the alternative. Of course. And if we can show that we are proactive in this direction it may help avoid having further legislation and regulation dropped on us.

As ever: fly legally - fly sensibly - fly safely.

Doug Anderson

Coming Events:

List header
• Weekly Socials - every Friday, Clubhouse.
• RAANZ AGM is to be hosted this year by CRAC, perhaps combining it with a fly-in, probably the third Saturday in November (19th). Preparations to continue.
• Taildragger Day, 17 September 2011, Hastings Aerodrome. Alaskan short take off and landing competition and jail bar bombing.
• Remembrance Day Airshow, 12 November 2011, The Vintage Aviator Ltd, Masterton Aerodrome.

Newsletter:

Thanks to all who have provided reports, stories, and photographs. We're very lucky to have members who are able and willing to volunteer their time 'for the greater good'.

For "Coming Events" please include contact details, and a registration form or request for RSVP if you require that.

Advertisements will be accepted, subject to the approval of the Committee, for the on-line newsletter free of charge provided they are from CRAC members, or would be beneficial to members, are aviation-related, take no editorial time to set them up, and have no cost to the club. Enquiries to editor@recwings.com

Editor

Club Captain's Notes:

See you at The Landing Spot where your coffee and ginger (or chocolate for the chocoholic amongst us - you know who you are!) biscuit await you as your reward for club-enhancing ideas!

Grant Porter

Statistician's Corner:

"Staying Alive, Staying Alive" - it's a percentage game

This month I pose a riddle, drawn from the CAA archives, where you will find the answer if you delve deeply and carefully. Or you can wait till I print it, next month. First correct answer to editor@recwings.com wins a prize. You might like to help suggest what the prize should be. Maybe the honour and glory of having your name published will be enough?

Question: "Based on current data [as at 2005, but changing little from year to year], passengers in very small aeroplanes (below 2,721 kg) are [approximately how many] times as likely to be fatally injured whilst flying as they are when travelling in a private motor car or taxi for the same period of time"?
1. 10% (the plane is safer)
2. 20%
3. 50%
4. 100% (equally safe)
5. 5 times
6. 10 times
7. 20 times
8. 30 times (the car is safer)
9. other (please specify)

For a bonus point, explain whether the number you choose should be considered a satisfactory state of affairs (or not) and why.

Peter Collins

Flyer Of The Month

Graeme Main

CRAC – A personal history.

I joined the club in 1985 – that makes me one of the longest members, only Chris Dyer and Keith Dekkers predate me. I had always wanted to fly, but with a young family, the costs involved in aero club training were prohibitive. The Club had been formed in 1983, but by 1986, when I first took on the Treasurers job, we had about 10 members, of whom only 4 or 5 were active. Our base was at Claxby, on the Spencer-Bower property on South Eyre Road. The only instructor was Merv Thompson (father of Brent), who had just bought a new 2-seat Thruster – state of the art for that time. I can still remember my first flight – I was terrified and exhilarated all at the same time! I then started learning to fly, and over the next 3 months of cold, frosty mornings accumulated 6.5 hrs dual, (things were a bit more relaxed in those days!). Merv then decided that I probably wouldn’t kill myself, so I was permitted to jump into the single-seat Thruster I had just purchased, and managed to get it down in one piece. In my view that’s when you really start learning to fly – when you are on your own, although it certainly helps if you can go on sorties with other aircraft, and then compare notes with them on the conditions you strike.

We held an Open Day at Rangiora in 1987, and around 500 people turned up. In those days, microlights were a real novelty, and people were fascinated that they could actually fly! With 3 Thrusters and 2 Quicksilvers available we had queues all day of people wanting to go for a ride. From the money raised we bought a Mirage, which was then pranged at regular intervals (nothing changes). In the mid-nineties we started using Rangiora as a base, but it wasn’t until the advent of the gaming machine phenomenon that the club really started to make progress. With Doug Anderson at the fore, and helped by Wayne Wilson, the club soon had a number of sites earning money for us – beats selling raffle tickets! No 1 hangar was built in 1999 followed a little later by the clubhouse, and we started acquiring aircraft for club trainers, firstly a Thruster, then a Rans S6 with a Rotax 503, which tragically crashed killing both occupants, and a second hangar in 2002 – all on the proceeds from the gaming machines. It wasn’t all plain sailing – I can recall one committee meeting when we were unable to meet the next payment due on the gaming machines (purchased with 100% funding) so we had to have a whip-round the committee.

By 2003 membership was over 50, but the advent of the two present S6’s has probably been the main impetus behind the increase in membership since - we now have approx 150 members (biggest club in NZ) and substantial assets. The aircraft flown have changed dramatically from the early models to todays plastic fantastics. We are indeed fortunate that CAA have adopted a reasonably relaxed attitude to microlights – thanks in large part to the efforts of successive RAANZ committees – although the regulations which govern us are significantly tighter than they were – probably for the best.

My own aircraft have included the following: Thruster single, Thruster Gemini, Sapphire, Phantom, Kolb, Pulsar, Skyranger, and now the Jodel D18. Speaking of the Jodel, I vow and declare never to build another aircraft (unless it’s a bolt-together kit) – while it has been extremely satisfying to see it finally fly, the problems encountered along the way were usually far beyond my limited skillset, and the end cost was also much more than estimated.

However the main plus for me in being a member of the club for the past 26 years has been the number of great friends I have gained – aviation is like that, wherever you go in the world, when you come across a fellow aviator, it doesn’t matter whether you fly a microlight or an airliner, you have something in common.

Graeme Main

Aircraft Corner

Family Connection

It is, as they say, a small world. This QUIK GT450, ZK-MAZ, shown here with Doug Anderson's trike behind it, has been assembled and readied for flight with the help of Doug and of the QUIK agent, Trevor Leighton, who operates his company out of Motueka. The craft, sensibly powered by a Rotax 912 ULS (your bias is showing again - Ed) is now on the last lap of its build, ready for CAA approval; after which is will be flown off by its new owner Gary Bolton, to their home strip at Fairlie. Gary's wife, Christina, who we'll doubtless see in the back seat from time to time, is Jerry Savage's niece - flying is clearly in this family's blood.

For the technically minded this pretty-looking machine stalls at 36mph, cruises at 82mph with a VNE of 110mph, has a 65 litre tank and is expected to burn 16 litres/hr.

The "Black Bandit" Gets a Boost.

This burly machine (ZK-MLT), dwarfing John Hood, its happy owner (and the NZ agent), has been visiting The Landing Spot for its routine check, and to have its computer tuned up to get the best out of the turbocharger.

Actually, the plane is not as big as it looks, but those huge wheels (who says 29" isn't a big wheel on a microlight?) do make it stand up high. This is a big benefit for bush work, of course, and with the Rotax 914 for power the extra drag is not an issue. With its Kiev 293 prop it cruises at 100mph, with stall at 27mph (flaps at 40°) and VNE of 130mph. It has 32 cuft of luggage space (it sleeps two!) and the wings fold in for trailering without disconnecting any control linkages. The tanks have 24 gallons useable (say 100 litres) sufficient for a range of 450 miles at the typical burn rate of about 20 litres/hr. The factory give it a climb rate of 880 fpm with the 912 ULS, but John claims that with the turbo active, he has seen 2000fpm on the dial - admittedly one-up, on a cold day, and with low fuel level.

There is a nice video of a short strip demonstration of one of these (also in black), at http://justaircraft.com/page.php?30

Little Pup finds new owner

ZK-FSK, an N3-PUP powered by the 35 hp MOSLER ("1/2 VW") pictured here with its happy new owner, the redoubtable Mike Fleming, seen here in suitably happy mood with his new puppy, which he purchased last month from Jeff Rogers, who had not flown it for some time and wanted to see it getting some proper use.

The plane was originally owned by Lionel Street, who started it in 1982 and completed its build in 1988, then had it for four years before selling it to Les Rushton, who passed it on to Jeff Rogers in 2000.

The plane stalls at 27 mph, cruises at 63 mph (burning 2 USG per hour from a 5 USG tank), has a VNE of 93 mph, and Mike says that it's a delight to fly.

Visitor from our Southern Neighbour

Loren Beesley, who many of us would know already, pictured here filling up the Ashburton Trust PA-28-140 (Piper Cherokee) ZK-DEL, before taking it back to Ashburton, having been involved in ferrying another aircraft. This was the second attempt to get the plane home, having been forced back by fog a day or so previously.

SOUTHERN SAFARI

PART 2

As we followed the frozen terrain below, Alex came into view and Mike spotted the airfield long before I did. There was a little traffic there doing circuits, but apart from that the airport was deserted. Once on the ground Dave joined us we had a little lunch while a couple of locals turned up at the airport to see the intrepid aviators. We had been seen coming in by a young family who came to check us out.

Next stop Wanaka. We took off to the West over the Clyde Dam to Lake Dunstan and Cromwell. The weather at this point was perfect and calm. The lake was a beautiful turquoise and shimmered in the sunlight. There has been a lot of development in the area, with beautiful houses on the lake front. The water is crystal clear and the bottom is clearly visible near the shores. We followed the lake around to Wanaka and landed there for fuel. Things were pretty quiet at Wanaka except for a body bomber that dropped a couple out as we lined up to leave.

We headed directly for the high hills to the East and all was calm there too. The terrain is rough and there was little snow around. We flew over the Lindis Pass and over the limestone pinnacles as we approached Omarama. Time was getting on and we decided to stay in Omarama. We tied down the planes and walked off to find a place to stay. The local pub was chosen and we paid over our $50 a night including breakfast.

After settling in we went to the bar and had a few ales, then a meal. We watched the Six O'clock News: a headline was the death of ‘Shrek’ the sheep. A history of his life followed on TV with the barman chipping in that he had in fact sheared ‘Shrek', of which a framed picture hung above the bar. I took it down and wrote ‘RIP’ on it, then hung it up again. A great sheep was gone! We went to bed early as there was not a lot to do.

Next morning breakfast was served as we chatted to the landlord. He offered to drive us down to the airfield, which was much appreciated. The weather was cold and frosty with a light fog hanging over the field. After de-icing the planes, off we went to Mount Cook via Twizel. The skies were clear and crisp as we saw Lake Pukaki ahead. The Pukaki airfield looked impressive with its housing lots all vacant. It looked like a great plan that didn’t happen. But one day, maybe. Mount Cook was in light cloud and the lake a beautiful blue. We headed up the right hand side followed by Dave.

As we approached Mount Cook the top cleared. By the time we got into the circuit the view of it was great. We approached over the river and landed uphill. Mike parked the Karatoo just as Dave touched down. The place was deserted except for a heli pilot and receptionist. They were both very friendly and offered us a cuppa. To land at this strip one is supposed to get permission from the operator at the Hermitage beforehand, to enter their air space. We pleaded ignorance and paid over the $22.50 landing fees!

Business has deteriorated over the last few years and the Christchurch earthquake has added to their woes. There are no scheduled flights their now by the major airlines and few commercial visits. We were a highlight of their day. We stayed there for an hour taking in the special experience of landing under Mount Cook in a Microlight and then departed back up Lake Pukaki and over the soft rolling hills, before flying close to the Army training area in the middle of nowhere.

Lake Tekapo township came and went as we approached Burke Pass. We headed inland a little from there and followed valleys and rivers until the Rangitata River came into view. Flying over the ridges and entering the Rangitata River valley was really spectacular. Over the ridge at about 5000 in ‘auto-pilot’ (me) and then entering a slow glide into Mesopotamia airfield. This strip is quite difficult to see from a distance and is not much better on approach. It looks like what it is, a river bed that has been rolled. A prop-strike with a stone is a real possibility here. The strip was deserted, but we did see one car come and go. The sense of remoteness and quiet is refreshing. It was surprisingly warm there and we enjoyed the moment.

We were all getting the feeling that home was now not far away and were keen to get going again. Take off was slightly to the west, with a quick check to the west after gaining a few thousand feet. Again we followed rivers and valleys heading toward Porters Pass. The scenery is rugged and flat spots are few.

A few turns and deviations found us flying over Lake Heron, then the Rakaia River to Lake Coleridge. The powder-blue waters looked fantastic as we headed through another valley to the Wilberforce River, then to Lake Pearson.

This was now familiar territory and the Plains were in view. The weather on the Plains looked crap and proved to be so. As we flew over Springfield the planes got soaked. Twenty minutes later we were home at Rangiora. The feeling was ‘nice to be home’ - but all a bit of an anticlimax, being on flat turf again, after the adventure we had all had.

A light shower dampened the atmosphere as KTO was put away and we departed the field. Looking back at the distance we had travelled it seemed a 'quick and easy' trip in the Karatoo. A Pathfinder might see it a little differently!

Thanks, Mike, for the experience. Both Dave and I enjoyed it immensely.

August 2011.

Mike Sheffield

Advertisements:

FOR SALE -

Caroline Sheehan advises that as she is relocating to USA, both her aircraft are for sale - Thruster ZK-FMH flying and in very good condition: $12,500; and the Karatoo project, part complete: $35,000 O.N.O. open to finance or trade. Full information on Trade Me http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/aircraft/aircraft/auction-391056949.htm

Aug 2011 version "Hotel"