< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 10 Industry and Community News Massey University’s new state-of-the-art Aviation Centre was officially opened by Transport Minister Hon Phil Twyford on October 18. The 2200 square-metre purpose-built facility brings all School of Aviation students and staff together under one roof for the first time. The new Massey University Aviation Centre is a flagship development of Palmerston North Airport’s 20-hectare Ruapehu Business Park. School Chief Executive Ashok Poduval says “the project is the result of many stakeholders working together to develop a strong cluster of aviation businesses around the airport to deliver economic benefit for the region. Others will now be able to leverage off our reputation as a leading provider of aviation research, education and training.” The centre is a collaboration between Massey and Palmerston North Airport (who lease and own the building respectively), and now replaces the school’s Milson Flight System’s Centre - home of the school’s flight training programme since 1994. Local Mayor Grant Smith spoke of the new Business Park being a catalyst for retail, accommodation and aviation business activities. Further development concepts include providing onsite accommodation facilities for up to 200 aviation students. “This new facility will pave the way for growth in student numbers,” says Ashok. “In recent years, our growth has been impeded by a lack of supporting infrastructure and the separation of our flight training staff from our academic and administrative staff. We intend our new centre to become a nucleus for the development and delivery of research- led education and training in aviation. It is a major milestone for the school and shows how far we have come since the Massey Aviation Institute was established in 1987 with just 28 students.” By way of comparison, the school now hosts over 300 students spread across various academic and practical aviation disciplines. “Aviation is critical to New Zealand’s tourism, transport and export sectors and there is a shortage of pilots and aviation managers globally. Our new aviation centre will be central to our ability to promote our capabilities to an international audience,” says Ashok. It’s a statement echoed by Phil Twyford’s comment that the new facility will ensure the trajectory of the school over the last 30 years will continue. Current student numbers include 115 (and growing) BAv ATP undertaking flight training, 200 BAv Man (Management) and 20 in post graduate studies including 4 PhDs. There are 14 academic staff and 30 instructors (6 A-Cat) including Massey’s CFI and Examiner. 10 PhDs have been awarded by the school in the last 12 years. Massey also provide RPAS training from a programme that commenced three years ago and now extends to 15 courses each year from which some 600 students have since graduated. When KiwiFlyer visited for the opening ceremony, we spoke to some of the academic students at the school, gaining a fascinating insight into current research activity. These included; how pilots make decisions and understanding when and why they might be wrong, the impacts of airlines on regional economies including the effect of subsidies and the influence this can have on society, biodiesel development in aviation, influences of branding in aviation within airlines and airports, and more. The other side of the school is of course, flight training. In 1987 the Massey Aviation Institute was formed under a concept to integrate flight training into a university degree and train to an airline standard. Massey University’s School of Aviation operates under an audited equivalence approval from NZCAA. Training for the BAv ATP consists of a series of academic papers with ATP theory and practicum components built into each. Students have the same instructor for each module. There are 12 compulsory courses in the first two years and 13 flight tests throughout the course. In the third year students focus on either management subjects or or can apply to be selected into the Flight Instructor Course (FIC). Those accepted into the 9 month FIC course will get intensive in-house grooming to New Aviation Centre for Massey University School of Aviation the Massey standard. They graduate with the Bachelor of Aviation degree including a C-Cat Flight Instructor rating. Senior people at Massey have all grown through the organisation. The CFI is a BAv graduate, and all their A-Cat instructors trained within the Massey system. Externally trained instructors are also on staff having taken between 3-6 months to become current and familiar with the regulations required under an integrated programme and the CAANZ equivalence model - unique to Massey University in the southern hemisphere. As well as the school’s fleet of technically-enhanced Diamond DA40 and DA42 aircraft, the new centre houses ground-based training facilities, including a new-generation (and nearly $700,000) Diamond DA-42 flight simulator. BAv ATP students spend around 60 hours in the sim throughout their course – including for scenario and upset training, single pilot IFR, and crew training. This is effectively a full DA-42 cockpit with wrap-around visuals that extend to the wings and engines. The sim can also be used for every second instructor renewal and ILS endorsements. During our visit to the school, KiwiFlyer enjoyed a local flight in the sim, an experience that was immersive enough to make switching off before taxiing off the runway feel quite wrong. Massey’s fleet of fully Garmin equipped Diamond aircraft and their degree based equivalence training have always impressed. The new Aviation Centre now matches that with an equally high standard of physical infrastructure. Already, Ashok reports an increased interest around international contracts for Part 141 training for airlines. Something else evident during our visit was how proud Massey staff are of their school and its new home. That pride is well justified. Massey’s new 2200 square metre Aviation CentreHon Phil Twyford and Ashok PoduvalKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 12 Fly above the weather and nearly everybody else at 310 KTAS and 31000 feet, on your PPL, in this marvel of technology and luxury. Back in Issue 53, Grant Benns wrote about flying the Cirrus SR22 G6. Grant summed up his review thus; “Fantastically designed and executed, with practical utility, speed, comfort and great looks,” then he teased readers with a mention of even greater things to come with the new Cirrus Vision Jet. After an invitation to an Australian demonstration tour, now he’s flown the jet too. contributed by Grant Benns Let’s make some hypothetical assumptions: you have a PPL; you have a few hundred hours and an instrument rating; you have a need to take yourself and up to four other adults 200-800 nautical miles around the countryside; you like getting well above the weather; you’re a previous Cirrus SR22 owner. Have Cirrus got the plane for you! Space Jet Grant Benns samples the G2 Cirrus Vision Jet Introducing the Vision Jet As I have described in previous articles on the SR22 G5 and G6, Cirrus build seriously capable aircraft, in speed, payload, electronics and most importantly, safety. An airframe parachute system, airbag seatbelts, and trick autopilot functions - like ‘blue- button push-to-level off’ and envelope protection. Modern car tech has made it to light aircraft, and, dare I say it, some of it greatly exceeds what is available in the cockpit of a so-called modern airliner. It’s beyond car tech though, and never mind the parachute; how about a big red button called ‘Safe Return’. This plane can land you back on the runway all by itself (more later). Numbers of Cirrus aircraft have risen steadily in New Zealand, but in the context of a register dominated by old Pipers and Cessnas, they are still thin on the ground. Our ‘average’ exchange rate against the US dollar doesn’t help, and helps even less in the context of a Cirrus Jet arriving here, but if you are the hypothetical person I spoke about in the opening paragraph, and you want all of that and more, here is your plane. The Cirrus Jet has been around since 2016, following a period of development that commenced in 2006. It isn’t a fast or easy process getting a plane off the drawing boards and into production, nor cheap. Many companies had visions (pun intended) of a revolution in personal jet transport at a reasonable cost, however, despite more than a half-dozen other aircraft being proposed or in development by various manufacturers, only Cirrus has managed to both get an actual plane successfully through certification and to 13 2019 #6 KiwiFlyer Feature sell enough to stay in business. Originally criticised for speed, The Vision Jet is in fact the fastest in its class, by virtue of it being the only personal jet in this class that you can currently buy new. And although ‘reasonable cost’ will always be a matter of perception, let’s get the price out of the way early by noting that it’s around three times the price of one of Cirrus’ SR22 piston aircraft. That’s between The V tail is necessitated by the engine location. Looks good too. A proper split / stepped door.The ruddervator becomes effective at about 30 kts. “ Never mind the parachute, how about the big red button... This plane can land you back on the runway all by itself. ”KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 14 G2 Vision Jet USD2.4 and 2.7m depending on specification, if you have to ask. It’s actually a good deal less than a typical seven seat corporate (low and slow) helicopter. You do get quite a lot of plane for the money. Is it three times better? Define ‘better’. Faster? Yes, but not three times faster. Does it carry three times the number of people three times further? Well no, but perhaps if you want to carry an extra couple of people a bit faster and a lot higher, you must find other ways of justifying the expense. Boarding the Space Jet The first overwhelming impression you get on stepping into the Vision Jet, through a proper split/stepped door, is the interior volume of the cabin. Okay, so a hint to this may have come from the exterior shape, but the true effect of that shape is not apparent until seated in row 2 (of three), the pilots ahead of you and the peasants behind, as you stretch your legs out and marvel at the gap between you and your partner beside you. The row 2 head room is equally impressive, although obviously is does start to decrease again towards the pointy- and blunt-ends, but not greatly. Row 3, whilst having three seats (for a total of seven), is perhaps better described as a 1+2 row – one full size adult in the middle and a smaller adult or child seat on each side. All rows get big windows, with the size of both the windscreen and main cabin windows being surprisingly big considering the pressurisation loads associated with flight at 31,000’. Did I mention that this little single engine plane can be flown by a PPL to Flight Level 310? At that height, above most of the turbo-prop airliners and with only the really big birds above you, you will be zipping along at 310 kts true airspeed, almost twice that of the SR22, while the cabin altitude sits at a comfortable 8000’. Going high helps with economy too, with the fuel burn dropping considerably when above 25,000, in typical jet fashion. Not that flying around low is an issue – in fact, with the great visibility afforded by the wrap-around windscreens, the ability to ‘see’ is exceptional, making for a very safe VFR machine too. A low-level scenic at 1000’ and 150 kts would be a dream, the big windows and docile handling making it even better than the SR22, even though this is not the Vision Jet’s natural realm. Simplicity Cirrus had the aim of making the Vision Jet easy to operate for the piston aircraft owner/pilot stepping up to a jet. Simplicity of systems, and, in particular, the operation of the mystical jet engine, are paramount when the speeds double and you are generally all by yourself ‘in the hot-seat’. This starts with the cockpit setup, as ably demonstrated to me by Justin Dillon, a factory Cirrus demonstration pilot tasked with showing off the aircraft around Australia during October and November. Today’s flight-demo is from Gold Coast Airport, near Coolangatta, into clear blue skies (quite alien for this kiwi pilot coming out of Auckland’s winter of gloom!). The airport I am familiar with, being a regular transit stop in my day job, but a VFR demo flight isn’t, so we are joined by Cirrus Sunshine Coast owner and pilot Ross Harrison, occupying seat 5 to offer airspace ‘guidance’. Also along for the ride is a typical and possible customer (and his wife), with requirements along the lines of the opening paragraph, resulting in a take-off weight 200 lb under the maximum of 6000 lb. We are carrying 650 litres of Jet A1, giving us around 2 hours endurance. (If we had topped up the tanks to maximum take-off weight, we would have had around 3 hours endurance.) When full, the two wing tanks hold 1120 litres, resulting in a still-air range of between 1100-1200 nm, depending on the chosen cruise speed. Typically Cirrus, the cabin is a luxurious space. The Cirrus Perspective Touch+ by Garmin Cockpit Plenty of space in row 2. Swapping to a front seat mid flight is easily accomplished. Three seats in row 3. The outboard two suit smaller passengers.KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 16 “Clear right” Actually “clear centre” (engine), turn the start knob to run, push the start button above it and wait, for about 20 seconds. The engine start on the trusty and proven Williams FJ33-5A engine is totally automated, with a ‘hot start’ - the biggest worry with any jet engine - being managed by the FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control). With the engine idling and a quick flick through the electronic checklist, we are on our way to the holding point. Being a Cirrus, and to keep things simple and light, nose- wheel steering is by way of differential braking á la the SR22, a little different from a normal jet. Unlike bigger jets, the Vision Jet needs a reasonable amount of thrust to get moving, and also when manoeuvring on the ramp at low speeds, particularly when braking to steer around turns. Because of the centrally positioned, top-mounted jet engine, a V-tail is required meaning no airflow over the rudder which ordinarily assists the piston Cirrus aircraft to turn. Jet thrust The lack of slipstream over a rudder is apparent during the initial stages of the take-off roll, with a touch of differential brake pressure being required to maintain direction until the ruddervator (a v-tail term) becomes effective at around 30 kts. Totally absent though is any torque or slipstream-induced yaw from the 1800 lb thrust jet, so all-in-all the Vision Jet is very easy to keep straight on take-off. Whilst not surging forward, the relentless acceleration of a jet has us quickly reach 90 kts, where a solid pull on the SR22- esq sidestick eases us into the air. Gear up, flaps up at 120 kts and engage the autothrust by bringing the thrust lever back to a detent labelled MCT (maximum continuous thrust) then pushing the AT button beside the thrust lever. Oh, BTW – jets have thrust levers, not throttles! Autothrust is a new feature of the G2 (Generation 2) version of the Vision Jet – the first 94 ‘G1’ Visions built did not have this capability. As with all cockpit automation, the purpose of the autothrust is to reduce workload on the pilot, and in the higher-speed, single-pilot, IFR environment that this aircraft is destined to operate, this is probably the biggest single enhancement Cirrus has made on the G2. The autothrust has two modes, Manual(!) and FMS. ‘Manual’ allows the pilot to select a desired speed to maintain, whilst FMS hands control of the speed to preselected speed regimes contained within the Flight Management System flight plan. With both the autopilot and autothrust engaged, speed and flightpath management are integrated through the various phases of flight, almost to touch-down. For example, speed reduces to various ATC or aircraft configuration limits during the descent, such as targeting 185kts for the first extension of flap (limit 190kts), with no pilot intervention required beyond simply monitoring the progress. Whilst on first glance such system seems complex to operate, Garmin and Cirrus have done a great job of integrating the automation using ergonomic and intuitive interfaces – in literally minutes my fingers where following my eyes to the right places, and it very quickly made sense. I am sure any pilot would leave the 10-day type-rating course, provided by Cirrus with every new Vision Jet purchase, fully conversant with the systems and their operation. Fully cleaned-up, with thrust back at ‘maximum continuous’ and a cruise climb speed of 165 kts set, our rate of climb sat around 1700 feet per minute through to 16,000 feet, our ‘play- time’ altitude. G2 Vision Jet17 2019 #6 Play-time Autopilot off! Justin, an experienced Vision Jet owner himself with over 1200 hours on type, kept a watchful eye on me as I tentatively started to explore the envelope, first of all doing some gentle turns. Straight away the directness but also smoothness of the manual controls became apparent, the side sticks having a solid and slightly heavier feel than the piston SR22 ‘side-yokes’. A bonus to me is the elevator trim in the Vision Jet, a system I find a little irksome in the SR22 due to its low gearing resulting in the frequent ‘overshoot’ of the in-trim state. With practice, the SR22 elevator trim (operated by a ‘top-hat’ on the top of the control stick) becomes okay - but not great - whereas the trim-rate in the Vision Jet varies with speed and, most pleasingly, also incorporates a trim wheel mounted near the throttle. This last addition is the icing on the cake, and when hand-flying I tended to use this more than top-hat switch. Because a yaw-damper system comes on automatically at 200’, rudder inputs are not required for turn co-ordination or in most turbulence, although the V-tail configuration is perhaps not as directionally stable as a conventional aircraft and in the little turbulence we did encounter there was a degree of ‘tail- wagging’, despite the yaw-damper working hard to counteract it. The yaw damper system directly and solely operates the inverted ruddervators, on the ventral fins beneath the v-tail. Safety As previously demonstrated to me in the SR22 piston Cirrus aircraft, the Garmin 3000-equiped Vision Jet is loaded with safety kit, both passive and active. The all-composite structure incorporates a safety-cell of sorts, also providing the necessary strength to allow for the pressurisation loads of keeping the cabin at a respectable 6500’ while cruising at 28,000’ (or 8000’ at the maximum ceiling of 31,000’). Of-course there is the parachute, mounted in the nosecone and operated by a handle in the cockpit ceiling at any speed, although the aircraft automatically slows to its maximum deployment speed of 135 kts before firing. On each side of the parachute handle are airline-style quick-donning oxygen masks for the pilot/s, and in the rear are drop-down masks for the passengers. Following a depressurisation, the Garmin autopilot will automatically retard the thrust and commence an emergency decent, just in case the pilot has lost consciousness. Envelope protection is provided through the autopilot/auto-thrust system, even if not ‘engaged’, providing high-speed, low-speed and over- bank protection. Common with the SR22 is the blue-button ‘push to level-off’ feature, which returns the aircraft to level flight following an upset or unusual attitude event. I was coached through a low-speed protection mode demo by Justin, and suffice to say it would be very hard to miss the audio and visual cues leading up to the approach to stall, at which point the stick-and-throttle pusher kicks in to recover the situation before the stall is reached. If you are worried that all of this tech will take over control of the aircraft, it is easy to override the control inputs if you really must. News Flash – Safe Return Just introduced, since taking my flight in late October, is perhaps the greatest advancement in safety for some time, perhaps since the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. Called ‘Safe Return’, a single button push (on the ceiling, behind the parachute handle) by a passenger will kick the Garmin-based system into action, Pull the parachute handle at any speed. Slowing before deployment is automatic.analysing the aircraft position relative to nearby airfields, terrain and weather, then automatically descend and reconfigure the aircraft for landing (including lowering the gear and flaps), carry out an automatic landing and bring the aircraft to a stop on the runway. Wow! Bear in mind this is certified and approved by the FAA, so it is REAL, and it will work outside of the US of A (like in NZ) too. Obviously, this is a significant benefit in the single pilot environment, should the pilot suffer any form of incapacitation. And this is on top of the parachute, so well done Cirrus. Have a look at this link (https://cirrusaircraft.com/ totalsafety/#safereturn) for a great introductory video. (Watch this video. Coolest thing for a long time. Ed.) You might be thinking ‘Wow, I wonder what that option costs?’ In fact it’s now a standard fitment on all new Vision Jets. Like the parachute, Cirrus clearly believe that safety shouldn’t be optional. Big views and party tricks Back to our demo flight, at this point I was relieved of my front/left seat and did a swap with a low-time PPL – a current SR22 owner/pilot and prospective Vision Jet customer. Ordinarily a mid-flight seat swap in anything less than an ATR or Dash 8 is either impossible or very ‘bum-in-face’, but because of the cabin room and the travel of the pilot seats, this task was easily accomplished. I now got to enjoy being ‘the guest’ and could savour the view from the surprisingly large cabin windows as well as the panoramic forward view too. The cabin seats seem a little higher than the pilot seats and the big wrap-around front windows work for both the passengers and the pilots. After the same handling demo for the new pilot, Justin had him set the KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 18 If the pilot is incapacitated, a passenger can push the Safe Return button. Parachute handle and oxygen masks in ceiling. G2 Vision Jet19 2019 #6 Safe Return will fly the plane around terrain and weather to a suitable airport. Safe Return will configure the plane for landing, then land and stop - all by itself. aircraft up for one of the Vision Jet’s party tricks – the low-speed/ high rate-of-descent descent. Idle thrust, gear down at 200 kts, half flap at 185 kts, full flap at 140 kts then pitch forward to maintain 130 kts. Keep pushing forward and the plane eventually settles at around 25 degrees nose down, with the speed stable at 130 kts and a rate of descent over 4000 feet per minute. I’m not too sure of the use for this (a straight-in approach to Queenstown from 31,000’ with 20 nm to run?), nor would this be the standard descent profile in normal ops or an emergency descent, but it was an eye-opener and fun! Back to the GC Sadly, time precluded me carrying out a landing, but I was able to watch a 120hr PPL operate the very intuitive autopilot system, with calm encouragement from Justin, to position us back into the circuit at Gold Coast airport. Except for the different power-setting numbers, the approach profile and speeds are very similar and very familiar to any SR22 pilot, with the final approach speed of 85 kts just 5 kts faster than the SR22. The view out the front during the approach and flare is better without the big Continental up front, and the trailing link main gear is both robust and flattering, qualities not needed this time as our PPL made a very good ‘first jet’ landing. A practical personal jet? Flaps up, engine switch to ‘off’, electrics off, job done. Whoosh, one hour goes by very quickly when you are having fun and trying to soak up so much of a plane! And what a plane it is – Cirrus have done a great job producing a safe and comfortable ‘personal jet’, but is it practical? That will depend on your mission. Back 09 238 6955 or 021 228 3833 phil@glenbrook.co.nz www.glenbrook.co.nz ARTICULATED TELESCOPIC LOADERS Self levelling boom Great ergonomics Transportable by car trailer Manufactured in Finland Distributed NZ wide by Glenbrook Machinery 5 sizes of loader available and over 100 attachment options! Complete loader & trailer packagesNext >