< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 40 are available on their website, www.taupoglidingclub.co.nz along with webcams. We arrived during a strong wind day, however it was straight down the 925 m long main runway 22. Landing well in on the smooth grass meant just a short taxi up to the shelter of the clubhouse. There are two vectors here, the other being 07, (grass 25 is permanently closed) which is 540m. This strip is good for circuits as it avoids the hump in the middle of 22/04 which is 13 feet high - meaning that aircraft at each end cannot always see each other. The NZAIP cautions wind shear when rough. There can be plenty of traffic such as daily gliding, model aircraft flying at the local racecourse on any given day, and transiting traffic. I certainly noticed it was a high-density area and I was pleased to have a radio with a monitoring watch on it to listen to traffic outside of the CFZ. The NZAP MBZ is close by with private jets often buzzing in and out of Taupo in the summer and there is also daily skydiving activity at Taupo. Upon arrival, first impressions are of a very well organised and run club. We were greeted with enthusiasm and quickly shown the kitchen and accommodation options, and given a good briefing on how to look after ourselves if we wished to stay at the clubrooms. Given the weather we elected to stay, and the weather dawned perfectly the following morning so we brushed the frost off and joined many others for a dawn raid on Feilding to which we were greeted by a hot breakfast! The flight took just over an hour, past the lake and volcanoes. I had suddenly discovered this spot was a perfect base for exploring the Central North Island by air. There is lots of open airspace and I can imagine many flights being conducted from NZCG such as a one hour flight around the volcanoes to the south. Or day flights around the stunning lake, to Tokoroa, Turangi, Galatea and Mt Tarawera. Gliding is what this club does and does it very well, so on our return the Pawnee was rolled out and glider towing commenced. The club has four gliders, two of which are two-seater trainers. Mount Tauhara, standing at over 3500 feet right beside the airfield affords excellent lift and the views around the area are spectacular. ‘Tauhara’ in Māori means alone or isolated and legend has that he looks mournfully across the lake to his lost lover, Pīhanga. There is an ‘epic’ walking track that winds to the top of the mountain which is very popular with locals and visitors. I could see how soaring above the mountain in a glider would be incredibly relaxing. Places to Go l VSTOL: Take off and land in just under 100m l VHF radios l The best ab-initio trainer to teach students to fly in l It has a Y shaped yoke with twin throttles l Tundra Tyres l Mud Flaps l 30kg metal baggage bin with side door l Carry over 200kgs after full fuel Contact Jim Lyver: 027 440 0747, info@foxbat.nz, www.foxbat.nz “The perfect high country plane” 09 489 9650 val@hoodbrokers.com www.hoodinsurance.co.nz Public Liability Insurance Business Protection Insurance General Insurance Offering the best possible solutions to protect you business and yourself.41 2019 #6 F K When I was young, gliding was good option for us to become airborne because it was affordable and encouraged. Even though young people have so many choices these days, this club has a good retention rate for newcomers and I think one reason is because this club runs a lot of events and competitions. One is a competency competition where members are tested on their overall ability to remain ‘airworthy’ at all times. In the last comp the winner was one of newest and youngest members - great to see. Facilities onsite make an ideal base for fly-ins, club visits and competitions. There are two cabins - ‘Glidetels’, sleeping up to 6 pax or Bunk rooms (2 pax per room) at $28 per person per night. Camp sites are $15 per person per night (and there are 12 powered sites for the passing motor homer). This includes full use of kitchens, refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, shower room, lounge, TVs, the BBQ facilities and there is basic food to purchase via honesty box plus internet $10/week (or part thereof). Landing fees are payable by way of donation and there are tie down areas for light aircraft. You can even stay in the tower which was the original control tower for Rotorua. Trial flights are available seven days a week. It’s $220 for a first flight with an Aerotow to approx. 5000’ ASL. Up here you have superb views of the Waikato River, Huka Falls, Taupo town and the lake and mountains beyond. The experience takes 20 to 30 minutes. A trial flight also provides free membership of the club for three months and the opportunity for a further five flights at club rates plus free instruction. Right on the approach of Runway 22 is the Bruce McLaren Motor Sport Park which offers regular meets plus drive and ride days. Bring your own car or hop in one of theirs to experience the thrill of racing. There is also affordable accommodation here, sleeping up to 22 people - an ideal overflow option from the clubhouse if you are planning a big fly-in to NZCG. The Taupo Racing Club horse racing track is just adjacent and is a great day out, and right next to the gliding field. A horse race is a great excuse to get dressed up, so pack some smart casual into your flying bag. Food options here range from bring your own picnic, to onsite food stalls, or select from their pavilion buffet and for groups you can book a table or marquee and have onsite buffet or set menu. A great excuse to organise a fly-away around a horse race! Betting is not meant to be complicated and for as little as putting a dollar each way (one for a win and one for a place) it is also a budget friendly day out for the whole family. The Taupo golf course is also situated near the gliding club and then Taupo town is 6 km away with lovely shops and boutiques. There are plenty of rental car options and Uber in New Zealand’s voted ‘Most Beautiful Large Town in 2018’, but chances are a club member may give you a lift there instead. I highly recommend planning your fly away to Centennial Park with just your aircraft as transport, then enjoying the unique hospitality provided by the team at the Taupo Gliding Club. Ruth Allanson Patented Kiwi Made Spray Nozzles Improved Chemical Delivery Better Spray Drift Control Less Ground Time Tried and Proven Two Patterns Contact Glenn . 027 473 1403 . GlennKeane@xtra.co.nz Dr Anton Wiles & Dr Jon Nelson - ME 1 (New Zealand) - Australia (CASA) - U.K. and Europe (EASA) - AME (Canada) - United States (FAA) - Fiji Your Experienced Aviation Medical Services TeamKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 42 On this (special anniversary) occasion, regular Soaring contributor Jill McCaw reminisces on what gliding is all about: The Joy of Soaring I have been writing this column for Kiwi Flyer for exactly 10 years. In that time I’ve written an awful lot of words about the sport of gliding, the technicalities of how an engineless aircraft flies, the high points of the sport and occasionally I’ve written stories that on re-reading just make me smile. The following is one of those. This was written nine years ago and describes one of my best glider flights ever. Stories like this remind me of what gliding is all about. I’d been at the South Island contest at Omarama. I had been preparing for my daily role of time keeper when I was kidnapped off the grid by Terry Delore. Terry wanted company for: “A brief half hour flight... have you back before the launch.” Yeah. Right. Terry Delore is a legend in soaring circles around the world. He was An image from Jill’s flight with Terry, looking down the (longer than 12m) wing to Kingston at the end of Lake Wakatipu. New Zealand Soaring contributed by Jill McCaw adventurer Steve Fossett’s pilot (Fossett was relegated to a co-pilot role) for all of the duo’s world record flights and holds many world records in his own right. In 2019 Terry has been working on flying from Bluff to Cape Reinga. I’ll be sure to share that story when he pulls it off. Terry loves to share his knowledge with others in the gliding fraternity by taking them for rides and giving hands-on examples of how he does what he does. Terry flies an ASH25Mi. It is self- launching with a Wankel engine with retractable prop. The ASH has an enormous 25.6 m wingspan and looking out along the wing it seems to go on forever. The little Grob Single Astir that I usually fly has a wing span of 15m. You could nearly park it under his wing. Terry Delore loves gliding. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. He has flown further than any other person but one in the whole world. He soars for the sheer joy of it and on Friday 19 November 2010 he took me along for a ride. Terry doesn’t do short flights. We took off under our own noisy steam and climbed to around 2000’ AGL before shutting down the engine, climbing into wave and heading south. A week earlier Terry had taken my husband John on a similar expedition. They had ended up turning north again over Patterson Inlet on Stewart Island, a turn-point exactly 300km from their take off point at Omarama. They were prepared for a long wave flight. I wasn’t. I was wearing shorts and T-shirt, short socks and trainers. I did have a hat and I was sun-screened. I had none of my usual gliding paraphernalia, not even a drink bottle or a muesli bar. Fortunately it was a warm day and for most of the trip we had a clear sky. On oxygen we flew alongside lenticular clouds marking the wave at around 12,000 feet. We kept the airspeed to around 100 kts and at one stage the computer was showing a ground speed of 216 kph. With the sun out it wasn’t cold. Terry is a fantastic teacher, explaining tactics and intricacies of wave flying as well as letting me fly the aircraft. The long wingspan Jill McCaw image43 2019 #6 makes her very heavy on controls and she needs a lot more rudder than I am used to. She’s heavy on the rudder too, needing all my strength to “boot her in”. Terry ribbed me on the “windscreen wiper” effect the yaw string made across the canopy. We travelled south down a wave system formed by the Dunstan Mountains and crossed the Nevis Valley through gaps in the cloud. Overhead Kingston, at the south of Lake Wakatipu we could see that a front was moving up the country. The winds were changing direction and we wouldn’t be able to travel too much further south. I was fine with that, because among other things I didn’t have with me was my usual equipment to deal with in-flight ‘relief’. I didn’t want to be up there all day. Terry was sharing his water and some huckery muesli bars and lollies he found in the side pocket. We did manage to sneak down across the Mavora lakes and tip-toed out across Southland in an area of zero sink as far as Mossburn. The south coast and Lake Te Anau were in sight and we’d gone far enough. High overcast was starting to cut off the sun and we turned north to run for home. When you put the ASH’s nose down, she just goes. The ASH 25 might be old technology (they have been around since the mid ’90s), but there is still not much that beats them. With a lift/drag (L/D) ratio of 57 at 51 knots it goes for miles without losing any noticeable height. We ran, at what Terry reckons is best L/D of 120 kts for distance covering and were back over the Clyde Dam in no time at all. By then the high overcast had shut the sky down and the front was chasing us. Individual clouds were still marking the Dunstan Wave but it was nothing like the long smooth lenticulars we’d come down on. We were pleased that it was still around. At around 10,000 feet we needed it to get us home. It was not a problem (few things with Terry ever are). Terry showed me how to point the aircraft at a cloud and pull up and away as we came into the lift, gaining a thousand feet in height as we did so. It was glorious fun. The whole trip was glorious fun and the lines from John Gillespie Magee’s poem High Flight were running through my mind. Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence… Three and a half hours of wonderful flying after take-off we were back on the ground at Omarama ahead of the front. I was cold and desperate for a bathroom visit but wonderfully happy. I couldn’t stop smiling. This flight reminded me of something I often forget in the seriousness of editing SoaringNZ. Gliding is fun. Gliding is like nothing else I know for making me feel happy and joyous and that is why I do it. This flight, with a good mate who just happens to be the world’s best soaring pilot was fabulous. If you’d like to give the fabulous sport of gliding a try, look up your local club on the Gliding New Zealand website www. gliding.co.nz I’d like to thank Terry for taking me for a “short flight.” One day I’d love to go with him on a long one. For subscriptions to SoaringNZ email soaringnz@mccawmedia.co.nz Have a wonderful flying summer. Happy Christmas. Jill McCaw F K Contact David: 027 222 0872 avionicscanterbury@gmail.com www.avionicscanterbury.co.nz Grants of up to $2500 now available to owners of NZ registered aircraft installing ADS-B out. Fully mobile avionics service catering for customers throughout Canterbury and the South Island. Biennial Avionics Inspections. Installation certification and service of installed avionics equipment. Full aircraft wiring installations for all light GA, homebuilt, experimental and microlight aircraft. Fault diagnosis and rectification. ELT Battery changes for both Artex and Kannad brand ELTs. Finance Available on all avionics installations. Call for details. Approved Garmin Service Centre - Software and Firmware Upgrades for all Garmin Avionics. Get A S u B si D y with your ADSB and finance the rest with Avionics Canterbury Wide Come and see us for affordable accessible recreational aviation services NZ wide l Microlight introductory flights l Simple entry process - NZTA Class 1 medical, FPP l Microlight flight training l Online examination service l Microlight pilot certification l Microlight type ratings for Part 61 pilots (RPL, PPL) l Annual inspections l BFR, medical, membership, inspection reminders Simple, low cost aviation support by pilots, for pilots, in a club-based environment. All for just $70 a year! Affiliated clubs throughout NZ Contact us to get into serious fun! RAANZ (Inc), PO Box 15016, Dinsdale, Hamilton P: 07 825 2800 or 021 076 3483 E: office@raanz.org.nz www.raanz.org.nz CAA approved Part 149 organisation KiwiFlyer is published six times per annum. Visit our website for secure credit card payment, or post a cheque to: Kiwi Flyer Ltd. PO Box 72-841, Papakura 2244. kiwiflyer.co.nz Subscribe for just $40 (6 issues) Jill McCaw imageKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 44 The KiwiFlyer Annual Guide to Supply and Maintenance Services Supply and Maintenance Supplement Feature P: 06 879 8593 M: 022 636 6573 E: sammy@primaryavionics.co.nz Cresco Lane, Main North Road, Hawkes Bay Airport www.primaryavionics.co.nz Call Sammy or Steve Lillie today to discuss our new dealer offers TRIG TT31 APPAREO STRATUS ESG L3 NGT-9000 Need ADS-b? With the New Southern Sky ADS-b mandate now underway, and the recently announced MOT rebate of $2500 (+$500 for ADS-b in) now is the perfect time to get your ADS-b sorted.45 2019 #6 Aviation Safety Supplies Exclusive KANNAD Part 145 Repair & Service Facility Aviation Safety Supplies Ltd located in Tauranga is the only KANNAD approved Part 145 KANNAD repair station and warranty replacement facility in Australasia. Lloyd Klee has been a distributor for Kannad product for well over 25 years. Kannad 406 MHz ELTs need to be returned to an approved facility (KBRC) for battery replacement as specialised software and testing equipment is needed to re-certify them. In 2018, the number of locations was reduced worldwide. Testing as per the Kannad CMM ensures that the ELT is fully functional when it leaves the facility. These CMMs are now only supplied to approved facilities which in NZ include Fieldair, ICEA, SAB Avionics, South Pacific Avionics and of course Aviation Safety Supplies Ltd. NO other facility is authorised to directly undertake a Kannad battery replacement in NZ. Kannad ELTs only need bench testing every six years at the time of battery replacement. Aviation Safety Supplies Ltd has CAA Part 145 maintenance approval (including supply) and also holds ISO9001:2015 certification. They obtained SMS approval in March 2019. Lloyd was an active participant in several RTCA working groups that reviewed the next generation 406MHz ELT which will activate due to flight anomaly. The company offers a prompt 24 hour service for most 406MHz service requirements and have Kannad loan/hire ELTs available for AOG situations and/or any repair requirements. In addition, they carry stocks of newer Kannad INTEGRA ELTs. The Integra models offer both fixed wing and helicopter versions and come with a ten year warranty. The Integra range is fitted with an internal GPS and a backup 406MHz antenna within the actual ELT case. Aviation Safety has a new trade-in (rebate) arrangement for those wishing to upgrade the older Kannad Compact series to the newer Integra. This is an exclusive arrangement. The company also stock and service a range of Inflatable Lifejackets, Carbon Monoxide Monitors and most brands of 406MHz PLBs. The brands of products stocked include Baltic, GME, Kannad, McMurdo, Ocean Signal, Switlik Inflatable TSO lifejackets (stowable ten year service) and the popular X-Back Helicopter series, the Switlik Single Person Liferaft, a new Switlik Liferaft with a five year service life, the Switlik UZIP Immersion Suit and 406MHz ELT testers (BT200) from WS Technologies. Aircraft tracking devices such as the SPOT 3 and SPOTX are also stocked along with a range of SAR harnesses, lanyards and belts for human slung loads during helicopter operations, from Lite-Flite, Denmark. For enquiries on any 406MHz ELT and PLB products, accessories, servicing and repairs contact Lloyd on 07 543 0075, sales@aviationsafety.co.nz or visit www.aviationsafety.co.nz and Maintenance Services Stay Safe in the Skies with the world’s most innovative, resilient and reliable ELT Kannad Integra l The only ELT with back-up antenna that optimises signal transmission l Embedded GPS receiver ensures location accuracy l Industry’s longest warranty - 10 years Internal 406MHz Antenna GPS Module Aviation Safety Supplies Ltd. P: 07 5430075 or 027 280 6549 E: Integra@aviationsafety.co.nz www.aviationsafety.co.nzKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 46 StandardAero Brisbane: OEM-authorised PT6A overhauls and so much more! Supply and Maintenance Supplement Feature StandardAero is one of the world’s largest independent providers of services including engine and maintenance, repair and overhaul. The company’s Brisbane facility, inherited through the acquisition of Vector Aerospace in 2017, is a fully authorised Pratt & Whitney Canada Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) for the PT6A family of engines, and the only such facility in the Southeast Asia/Oceania region.The Brisbane team also provides service centre and field service support for the PW100, JT15D, PW300 and PT6T engines. New Zealand operators of the PT6A engine family are invited to contact Simon Wilks, Regional Sales Manager, or any of the team at StandardAero’s Brisbane facility for all their engine repair, overhaul, and accessory requirements, including for the supply of rental and exchange engines. StandardAero Brisbane: Proudly Serving the Asia Pacific Located in the Eagle Farm district close to Brisbane Airport (IATA: BNE, ICAO: YBBN), StandardAero’s Brisbane facility provides OEM-authorised PT6A engine support to operators across the Asia Pacific region. Formerly part of Vector Aerospace, which was acquired by StandardAero in 2017, the 26,000 sq. ft. facility provides a full range of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for no less than 55 different variants of the ubiquitous PT6A turboprop family. The Brisbane facility – which celebrated its seventh year of operation in August – is the only Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) authorised PT6A Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) in the Southeast Asia/Oceania region, and is equipped with an on-site engine test cell. In addition to supporting the needs of PT6A operators in the region, the facility’s 60+ employees also provide maintenance, repair and Mobile Repair Team (MRT) services for four other engines in the P&WC family: the PW100 turboprop, the JT15D and PW300 business jet turbofans, and the PT6T Twin-Pac turboshaft. These services include hot section inspection (HSI), borescope inspection, engine repairs, and fuel nozzle repair & overhaul. The Brisbane team’s diverse customer base represents a cross-section of the region’s industry, spanning from owner/ operators who fly their aircraft for personal use to armed forces such as the Royal Australian Air Force. Scheduled air transport operators supported include Maldivian, PNG Air and Solomon Airlines, along with aeromedical operators such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service and CareFlight. Charter operators, and air tour carriers operating pleasure flights over the Great Barrier Reef also represent a key customer demographic for the StandardAero in Brisbane is the only Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A Designated Overhaul Facility in the Southeast Asia/Oceania region. StandardAero Brisbane holds ratings (maintenance, repair & MRT) for PT6A, PW100, JT15D, PT6T, and PW300 series • Engine repair • Hot section inspection • Borescope inspection • Fuel nozzle repair and overhaul • Bleed valve overhaul • Failure analysis • Service Bulletin (S/B) compliance • Worldwide field service • 24/7 AOG desk • Parts support2019 #6 47 StandardAero is an OEM-authorised PT6A DOF during 2019, including Avalon Air Show, the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), ISTAT Asia, the Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia (AAAA) National Convention, the Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA) AGM, the Aviation New Zealand Conference, MRO Asia, the Regional Airline Association of Australia (RAAA) Convention, and the Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA) General Session. For 2020, the team will also be exhibiting at the inaugural ‘MRO Australasia’ event being held in Brisbane in March. StandardAero’s Brisbane team is also well known for its Customer Days, held for various market sectors, including the agricultural aerial application segment. These events – which provide a valuable opportunity to receive feedback from operators on their evolving needs – have included live PT6A hot section inspection (HSI) demonstrations undertaken by the Brisbane facility’s MRT experts. In December 2019, the Brisbane- based MRT group also supported a Customer Day held in China, offering live demonstrations on borescoping and engine maintenance practices. Coordinating closely with StandardAero’s other P&WC overhaul facilities in Canada, France, Singapore and South Africa, the Brisbane team has a solid reputation for delivered quality and customer service throughout the Asia Pacific region. The team is always happy to receive enquiries from operators in New Zealand. Please contact us on +61 7 3268 0000 to find out how we can support your needs. KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 66 48 2019 has been another busy and interesting year for Central Aero Engineering at Hamilton. The year began with a move to much larger and brighter premises just down the road at the airport entrance where the company now occupies the majority of the SuperAir hangar. Another significant change for the year was the appointment of Stephen Grainger as Chief Engineer, allowing company owner Paul Waterhouse to spend more time focusing on consultancy work which has become a growing part of their business. Paul says that a lot of external work is now undertaken for clients seeking help with “all things aviation, including managing regulatory requirements”. Part of that consulting work is a new contract with a PNG company operating out of Jackson Field, Port Moresby who required maintenance control services. This arose via a friend of an employee, with Paul now making several trips a year to provide maintenance advice and complete maintenance control formalities for the company. Maintenance control is also provided for local Waikato operators, as well as a ‘logbook fixing’ service for private operators who need assistance from time to time. Central Aero’s approach is one of ‘Delivering fair value’. It’s an approach that draws commercial and private operators, and a regular stream of home builders and microlight aircraft owners needing guidance on projects or their own routine maintenance. Hamilton’s Central Aero Engineering covers the maintenance spectrum “We’ll always try to help,” says Paul. “If you own it, or fly it, no matter what it is, from hot air balloons, to twins and helicopters, piston engines and turbines, give us a call for any advice or support you need.” Services and Capabilities Central Aero’s services cover everything from pre-purchase inspections worldwide, shipping handling, CoA preparation and issue, airworthiness reviews, maintenance, repair and restoration of all flying machines, 24 month avionics checks, dynamic prop balancing, weight and balance services, maintenance control for private and air transport operators, accident and incident investigation, parts and materials supply, and builder support. Paul is also willing to provide support to trainee engineers sitting their exams, particularly from the point of view of covering legislation and how logbook entries should be made. “We can help explain what is being achieved with correct logbook completion and what they should be looking for,” says Paul. Recently in the hangar Aside from a variety of routine maintenance and CoA tasks, an interesting recent project has involved major corrosion repairs and structural work in situ on a Fletcher requiring the tail to be removed and fuselage partially split. Another interesting arrival is a containerised PZL-101A Gawron from Hungary. This is a Polish built ag and utility aircraft powered by an Ivchenko 9 cylinder radial. “It’s a proper aeroplane,” says Paul, “round engine, stick in the middle and a wheel at the back.” It’s since been assembled and awaits its manual to be translated, having now secured the services of an authorised Hungarian translator. There is also the regular stream of rotorcraft (comprising around a third of the company’s wotk) with an R22 currently in for fuel bladder installation and other frequent visitors including types such as EC120, Squirrel, and BO105. Balloons, gliders and Rotax powered recreational aircraft are also regular hangar visitors. For more information Contact Paul on: 07 843 1200, 021 743 033, email: paul@centralaero.nz or visit www.centralaero.nz Supply and Maintenance Supplement Feature BO105 under maintenance in the new Central Aero Engineering hangar 07 843 1200 or 021 743 033 1 Ingram Rd, Rukuhia, Hamilton paul@centralaero.nz Helicopter Maintenance Aeroplane Maintenance Maintenance Control Services Light Sport Aircraft Maintenance Amateur Built Aircraft Maintenance Microlight and Autogyro Maintenance Rotax Maintenance Balloon Inspections Airworthiness Reviews Avionics Checks Propeller Balancing Digital Vibration Analysis Advice and support for all things aviation For more information, visit centralaero.nz KEEPING YOU FLYING49 2019 #6 Alongside, but independent of Central Aero Engineering, is Central Aero Electrical Limited. Along with Central Aero Engineering, in 2019 the company also moved down the road to a much larger workshop in the Super Air hangar. Central Aero Electrical was founded by Martin Ross in 2008. In 2019 Martin’s son Hamish took over as CEO of the company. Hamish is a LAME who has several years of aircraft servicing experience and of repair and overhaul of electrical components, including mechanical actuators and ‘running a company with an emphasis on service’. Hamish has led Central Aero Electrical through SMS certification and expanded their capabilities especially on starter generator overhauls from 150 to 400 amp models of three main manufacturers, by utilising his overseas experience to develop business relationships with many overseas companies. Martin says that “a lot has been achieved through these relationships regarding improving workshop practices and quality systems. Our Safety Officer, Zoran Djordjic has also contributed much to our SMS programme and ensuring best practices, not only on paper but also in practice.” Talking about the variety of work evident on workbenches, Martin adds, “we’re handy people – we’re good at twisting our minds around unusual problems and designs”. There are many occasions on the books where components that might normally have been replaced, have instead been repaired (at considerable Central Aero Electrical exchange components Central Aero Electrical solve all kinds of problems cost saving), delivering satisfaction to the Central Aero team and also the customer. And when they don’t already have an answer, the team’s connections can usually help. Central Aero Electrical has a comprehensive range of diagnostic equipment and a large test bench that will handle up to 12 cylinder magnetos. Capabilities cover a good range of starter/ generator, control unit rectification and overhaul work, along with 500 hour magneto inspections (usually completed with a one to two day turnaround). Mechanical actuator overhauls for various rotary and fixed wing types are also a regular job. Lately a lot of starter/ generator work has passed through the business, from helicopters through to Saab 340s. Dimmer control and EPO box (engine power out) test equipment is also to hand. Numerous exchange items are available, and Central Aero Electrical also stock a variety of parts for re-sale including starters, batteries, alternators, strobe units, starter/generators, GCUs, voltage regulators, ignition switches, and HT ignition harnesses. In many cases the company is able to deal directly with a component supplier, thus bypassing the aircraft manufacturer’s mark-up which they are happy to pass on as a saving to the customer. Contact Central Aero Electrical on 07 843 2936, Hamish on 027 493 9975, Martin on 027 733 0208, or email: hamish@centralaero.nz Pawnee maintenance in progress Balloon envelope inspection AS350 B2 maintenance underway PZL 101A Gawron post-assembly 027 493 9975 1 Ingram Rd, Rukuhia, Hamilton hamish@centralaero.nz DC Starter Generators Aircraft Magnetos Actuators Generator Control Units Starter Motors Alternators We have many exchange/overhaul components on the shelf and offer prompt turnaround time for all repairs and overhauls. For more information, visit centralaero.nzNext >