< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 20 Airport recognition of increased drone operation risks and benefits A student’s aviation research experience at Massey University School of Aviation One student who has recently led a research project under Dr. Hendersons’s supervision is Armar Syahid bin Abdul Razak. His work, completed in late 2020, has since been published in Drone Systems and Applications. Armar completed his Bachelor of Aviation Management in 2021. “I have been a cabin crew member with Singapore Airlines for 14 years,” says Armar. “During that time, I realised I wanted to learn and contribute more to the aviation industry. This led me to Massey University as it has a close working relationship with Singapore Aviation Academy and is widely recognised by its industry. My usual study routine before the pandemic was to bring my schoolwork overseas with me and use the free time that I had to go through my lessons and work on my assignments.” However, when Covid affected his schedules Armar took on part time work and negotiated his study schedules around this new way of living. He says, “It was a period of major adjustment as I was not used to having a 9-5 job and still having to do some studying after coming home. Nevertheless, I persevered.” Why undertake the research? “The advantage I feel I got from studying and working at the same time and being in the industry as part of my work was that I could experience first-hand how what I learnt was being applied in practice. I took on the research project because to do research is very different to normal academic courses and I wanted to challenge myself to see whether I could do it,” says Armar. Armar chose Unmanned Aircraft (UA) as an area of research as “I believe that it will revolutionise the aviation industry. The aviation world is still struggling to incorporate UA into their airspace and the potential benefits that it can bring to the industry are vast.” Drones, when operated outside of the rules, can pose a significant risk within the vicinity of an airport due to the presence of low-flying manned aircraft. Armar’s study found that airports recognise both the risks and benefits of increased drone operations. Airports are managing the risks by referring operators to the relevant regulations, providing, or linking to tools to help make compliance easier, notifying operators of potential consequences, imposing their own requirements, or investing in Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) technologies. Many airports are also trying to proactively engage with the drone user community and promote safety amongst operators, seeing their websites as appropriate places to emphasise key safety messages. And airports are also using drones for their own purposes, such as runway inspections, and often highlight the wider benefits of drone use on their websites. However, nearly half of the airports in the sample had no mention of any of these terms on their websites. This finding is likely due to many airports considering the risks of drones not to be high enough, lacking the resources to create policies, or considering the national regulations sufficient for mitigating any associated risks. Armar says “I was surprised by the fact that so many airports did not mention drones on their websites, especially when seeing many of the useful ways that other airports were using their websites to communicate key safety messages and ways of complying with the local requirements.” Armar also didn’t expect to see so many airports using drones for internal purposes, with nearly 14% of airports stating on their websites that they were using drones themselves. “In my 15 years as a member of cabin crew for Singapore Airlines, I have been to many international airports around the world. I never expected that the runways we are landing on or the terminals we operate from might be inspected using drones, yet some of the airports I have been to are doing exactly this.” Armar concludes, “I am very thankful for being given an opportunity to do research as a student that might actually be valued by airport managers and policy makers all around the world. The research process was tedious as I had to trawl through hundreds of websites, but I actually enjoyed it as it was very different from the standard academic structure of learning and assessment. I would recommend all students to go through this process as it truly gives a wholesome learning experience. “My thanks to Isaac Henderson for his mentorship; to actually get my research published is something I am very proud of.” The full article can be read at: https://doi.org/10.1139/dsa-2021-0048 Academic Inflation Another Bachelor of Aviation Management student is also awaiting the notification of research submitted for publication – the outcome of which is due later in 2022. Massey strongly encourages all aviation students to seize all opportunities such as internship placements or undertaking research. In these times of ‘academic inflation’ these add an invaluable and differentiating element to their qualification and are of definite value to current or prospective employers. For more information about any of the courses offered at the School of Aviation, visit www.massey.ac.nz/aviation In addition to being able to apply for an internship experience with an aviation organisation, Massey’s Bachelor of Aviation Management students are also given the opportunity to publish a piece of research. To have a piece of research be accepted for publication at undergraduate level is a significant achievement and one that Dr Isaac Henderson actively encourages his students to consider during their undergraduate years. Massey University School of Aviation Manager Business Development and International Programmes, Anke Smith, tells of a recent example: Aviation Training contributed by Anke Smith Armar Syahid bin Abdul RazakKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 22 Soaring New Zealand contributed by Jill McCaw After last issue’s epic story of soaring the length of the country I feel we need some balance. Soaring doesn’t always mean flying higher, further, faster. I’m aware that many of my columns talk about just that and I am worried that readers of my column will get a skewed idea of what the sport is all about. “The joy is in the flying. Where you go or what you do while you are flying doesn’t matter one little bit.” Warren Pitcher, a pilot from the Taupo Gliding Club said that to me once and I couldn’t have said it better myself. When I do fly these days, I’m a local pilot. Time constraints (because I’ve got quite involved in tramping and there just aren’t enough weekends in the year) mean I’m never quite current enough to comfortably fly cross-country, and actually, I’ve realised, I don’t really want to. Being out of glide range of my home airfield makes me a little bit nervous and I won’t do it if I haven’t got complete confidence in the weather conditions and know that I can get home again. I’m not saying I couldn’t land out. I know As any happy patch flyer will testify, there’s nothing wrong with, and actually everything good about, going for a fly around your local area for no other reason than because you can. For her gliding article in this issue, Jill McCaw relates exactly that enjoyment. In praise of local flying Jill McCaw enjoying stunning views overhead Taupo and also enjoying being in glide range of the field. the land out areas around Omarama and Springfield where I do most of my flying and I’m quite confident I could land in any of them safely. It’s just that landing out creates an awful lot of bother, especially if you hadn’t planned to go too far and you don’t have a crew prepped and ready. I do fly cross country with other more experienced pilots and it is a glorious experience. I’ve flown hundreds of kilometres and climbed to lofty heights with legends like Terry Delore and other friends. I’ve even had ‘epic landouts’ on some of these trips. (An ‘epic landout’ is one in which the retrieve is more of an adventure than the flight – for instance landing on the surf beach at Raglan and taking five hours to get the glider back to the airfield two kilometres away.) The thing is, I don’t want to go through any of that on my own. I like just pottering around in the air. I don’t need to go a long distance to enjoy my flight. Years ago, Warren emailed me to let me know that he felt SoaringNZ, my magazine serving New Zealand’s gliding community, was too strongly weighted towards epic adventures and ignored the large numbers of pilots who’d rather stay closer to home. He was having a great time and wanted to set the record straight. I’m going to leave the rest of the column to him. “I really enjoyed getting away from the home strip on the odd few occasions I flew cross country, but if I am truly honest, the hassle of retrieve crews and all the extra work, not to mention risk 23 2022 #3 taking, higher stress levels, etc, of that sort of flying meant that I enjoyed my flying far more if I could spend the flight close to home-base in familiar territory, knowing I would be safely tucked up in my own bed after just a brief walk back from the hangar to my tent. “I remember a flight in Taupo; I flew over four hours, always in sight of home and chatting happily to Christchurch control most of the time, as I mooched about high above Lake Taupo, well above seven thousand feet. I could have gone in any direction for miles, but the place was so beautiful and the lift that day was weak wave, silky smooth and simply delightful. When I finally landed I was met by many stories of cross country flights that had ended far away in paddocks with many folk involved in long dreary retrieve drives. I had had a wonderful time and ended up back home with my glider beside my tent and my un-driven car collecting dust under the tree the other side of my tent. Such contentment! “Never feel you have to apologise for flying locally, when you may have been able to fly many miles cross-country in some other person’s opinion. I know lots of pilots with a great many hours in their logs and who are far better pilots than I’ll ever be, who have never flown away from home base. They are all just as much in love with gliding as the fanciest cross-country pilots. Each to his/ her own I say.” Thanks Warren. I enjoy my thermals and my familiar view of the world from on high, every bit as much as those who have made it past the curve of the earth. Soaring is an amazing sport that really does provide something for all pilots. If you’d like to give it a go, get in touch with your local club via the Gliding New Zealand website. Jill McCaw At the 2020 Nationals in Taupo Taupo Gliding Club F K Tim Bromhead image Tim Bromhead imageKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 24 Andy Love is a well-known participant in New Zealand’s aerobatic scene. He is a promoter and enthusiast for the sport and particularly for his favourite airplane, the Pitts Special. To draw a quote from later in this article, he describes the limitations posed on a Pitts cross-country flight as being “well worth the advantages of what I get when I arrive at my destination, an absolute contributed by Andy Love with images by Gavin Conroy Little Stinker, the genesis During the final full year of WWII, a 65hp snub-nosed biplane took to the air for the first time. Designed and built by Curtis Pitts and called the Pitts Special, it was a tiny machine with an 18-foot wingspan. It was dwarfed by the Boeing Stearman, the most predominant biplane then in service across the US, before and riot of a time flying”. He also says that “if one is inaccurate, the Pitts will respond at once and display the pilot’s inaccuracies for all at the airfield to see.” Both fun and challenging in equal measures therefore. In another instalment of our series on iconic and interesting aircraft on the NZ register, Andy here tells the story of Curtis Pitts and his delightful biplane, the Pitts Special. Ryan Southam flying ZK-PUG (an S-1S model), photo-bombed by an upside down Andy Love and Lincoln Jones in ZK-LDJ (an S-2C model). Curtis and his Pitts Special25 2022 #3 during WWII. Curtis Pitts quickly built a second and third prototype; these were bought by Caro Bayley and Betty Skelton. Betty’s machine was nicknamed ‘Little Stinker’ and the infamous image of a skunk appeared on the vertical stab. They were to begin the Pitts legacy with air shows and performances across the US in the late ‘40s and early ’50s. Caro won the KiwiFlyer Feature US Aerobatic Championships four times. Requests for this aircraft started coming in from all across the States and soon Curtis was producing the aircraft in kit form. Sporting the original M6 flatbottom aerofoil and ailerons on the lower wings only, the type was a fantastic performer due primarily to its light weight, but also its extremely strong construction. View the whole range at www.lightspeedheadsets.nz 021 340 308 phil@lightspeedheadsets.nz UPGRADE your ZULU.2 to ZULU.3 See Website for details PILOT FLIGHT BAGS SPECIAL DEALS Meet Zulu.3 Durable Kevlar Core Cabling 7 Year Warranty ANR, Bluetooth, Stunning Front Row Centre Audio Modified Ear Seals for Better Comfort and Performance THE BEST VALUE BY FAR ! The Pitts office. “ This aircraft is an absolute delight to aerobat. Whether you want to take competition flying seriously or just want to muck around upside down, the Pitts is a fantastic platform. ” Gavin Conroy imageOnce aerobatic competitions resumed at the end of WWII, most in the US were still competing in Stearmans, Taperwing Wacos and the Great Lakes. Meanwhile in Europe, they were flying the Stamp SV4, Bucker Jungmeister, Tiger Moth and later the Chipmunk. While it was considered at the time that the Jungmeister was the benchmark, the small Pitts Special from the US quickly challenged the top tier in Europe, but the main issue was that not enough were available. Curtis initially hesitated to get the aircraft type certified but eventually he did as his new creation was now in high demand. On the world aerobatic circuit, the Czechs and Soviets, and later the French had dominated the competition scene. In the 1950s they simply continued from where they left off before the war. I believe the struggles of American pilots and manufacturers to keep up with the French and Soviets has a direct correlation to the early pioneering days of flight – the French and Soviets were simply more passionate about aviation. As the Wright Brothers slid into a decade long fight of legal battles involving their wing warping patents the Europeans seized the initiative and lead the way until the mid-1930s. It is still the case today. While there are some state-of-the-art American aircraft on the world competition circuit such as the MX series and absolute legends of the sport like ten times US National Champion Rob Holland and five times US National Champion Kirby Chambliss (both with KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 26 Pitts Special top three results to their names at the Worlds), it is the Europeans who continue to dominate the Worlds. Curtis began selling his single seat design as a kit in the early ‘60s. Hundreds were sold and successfully built. They took the US domestic aerobatic scene by complete storm. By this stage, the Soviets and French had established all but complete domination in the World Championships with the Yak 18PS and early Czech Zlins. By the time Curtis had both his two-seater, the S-2A, and single seater which became the S-1S certified, his kit-built machine was seen in competitions right across America. The S-1S differed from the original S-1C design in that it sported symmetrical aerofoils, four ailerons and the fuel injected AEIO-360 Lycoming with 180hp. And it received type certification. This aircraft ensured that this name would become truly synonymous with competition and recreational aerobatics. In 1972, the US Aerobatic Team, all flying the Pitts S-1S, finally won the Worlds with a clean sweep of both women’s and men’s classes, as well as the overall title finally going to Team USA. It was a huge achievement, and it certainly left the Europeans stunned. You know the saying, “If you can’t beat them...” and thus the export of the Pitts Special really took off. They became hugely popular in the UK in particular. The 1972 World Champion, Charlie Hillard, formed an aerobatic team, utilising the S-1S. They were called the ‘Red Devils’ and he invited Gene Soucy and Tom Poberenzy to join him. This team became a must-see act during the late ‘70s. When I flew into Oshkosh in 2012, I finally got to see this trio of machines at the EAA Museum. I stood for ages, just marvelling at these little rockets adorning the entrance and the history they represented. They later switched aircraft in quite controversial circumstances, to the Christen Eagle and became ‘The Eagles’. This team is one of the most successful aerobatic teams ever on the US circuit. More on the Christen Eagle later. Back to the S-1S’ big brother, the S-2A. This aircraft changed the game for aerobatic flight training globally. In the US, the venerable champion Citabria remained the only viable two-seat option for aerobatic instruction until 1970. The S-2A changed everything. It was slightly longer to accommodate the second seat with a 20-foot wingspan, sported a 200 For all your engine overhauls Lycoming, Continental, Gipsy, Rotax... Part 145 approved Call Damon Himburg or Graeme Daniell 03 489 6870 or 027 307 5850 Taieri Airport, Mosgiel. www.southair.co.nz There's a new level of customer focused maintenance at Hastings Aerodrome Fixed Cost Services Repairs & Restorations Scheduled Maintenance Modifications Bring your aircraft to Plane Torque Ltd and benefit from our co-operative approach to all your aircraft maintenance requirements. Contact Nic Roberts on 021 068 2271 email: nic@planetorque.co.nz www.planetorque.co.nz27 2022 #3 A 3-ship of Pitts Specials passing Vernon Lagoons on the way home following a photo flight that resulted in lots of good shots of this formation up close. 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Installed from: NZ$16,300. Includes Servos In Stock In Stock (1 only)KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 28 hp 4-cylinder Lycoming and a CSU working a 2-blade Hartzell. It was perhaps the single biggest step in aerobatic training and recreational flying around the world. It was extremely popular, succeeded only by the next derivative in the Pitts line, the S-2B. While two-seat advanced aerobatic aircraft are commonplace now, one must remember, this was simply not the case in the early post-war years right through to the ‘70s. In the early ‘80s Curtis finally mated the monstrous AEIO-540 Lycoming with an S-2A airframe, deleting the second seat, fitting symmetrical ailerons and with slightly longer gear, producing the S-2S. This aircraft upped the bar yet again, but when this aircraft was released in 1981 the monoplanes were already asking questions of the Pitts at the top level. Just 30 of this type were built as most buyers preferred the identical performance offered by the later two-seat S-2B. The S-2S later became the foundation for famous display pilots, Sean D Tucker, Skip Stewart and the late Jim Leroy. They flew highly modified incarnations utilizing the S-2S as a start point many years later. I have not talked about the homebuilts much. It is important to remember that they have been built and flown in tandem with their factory built cousins over the years and for me, provide the best explanation as to why this aircraft became so popular. The homebuilt Pitts is a fabulous start point to go ahead and upgrade and tweak the original design. One of the most famous mods was the replacement of the entire wing with the Falcon Wing. There are two S-1s in New Zealand with this configuration. The improvement in performance is truly phenomenal. Curtis followed the S-2S very quickly with the S-2B, the two-seat version which is without doubt the most popular two- seat derivative. This aircraft raised the bar yet again, particularly in the training world and at domestic competitions, although it too appeared at the Worlds, briefly. Evan today it remains competitive at advanced level at national competitions worldwide. The S-1S remained in production, but by now the famous US five times National Champion and 1980 World Champion Leo Loudenslager had developed the early Stephens Akro monoplane into the Laser 200. A unique monoplane with the same four-cylinder Lycoming of 200 hp of the Pitts but with symmetrical wings and full span ailerons. The Laser was constructed with a welded steel tube fuselage and state of the art honeycomb constructed wings give enormous strength. Meanwhile in Germany, Walter Extra later modelled his first aircraft, the Extra 230, on the Laser, and the rest, as they say, is history. Enter the Monoplane The top perch dominated by the Pitts for so many years, was finally threatened with the arrival of the Laser in the early ‘80s, and then finally removed from the top by the arrival of the Sukhoi Su26 in 1984, although it would not be until the fall of the Iron Curtain that these types could be exported to the USA. The Pitts never regained this top spot domestically. However, another prominent aviation personality deserves mention here, for his highly modified Pitts which he created in the early ‘80s, remaining competitive at the Worlds during his stint of twelve years in the US Team. Kermit Weeks coined his aircraft the Week’s Solution, and proved that this stubby little biplane had a lot more life in it yet. The original S-1S finally gave way to the S-1T in 1982, sporting the same injected 200 hp and Hartzell claw as the S-2A but with symmetrical ailerons. The wings were moved back an inch to counter the added weight forward of the firewall. I have not flown the T, but I understand they were indeed a step up in performance. The originally S-1S that started it all, continued to be seen in competitions around the world but was by far the most prolific type in US domestic competitions. The final Pitts to be seen at the Unlimited level Worlds was an S1-11B, flown by Robert Armstrong, at the 1996 Worlds in Oklahoma. The S1-11, nicknamed the Super Stinker, was Curtis’ response to the dominance of monoplanes globally. Kirby Chambliss, renowned for his double Red Bull Air Race Championship victories and for his association with Zivko Aeronautics, flying his Edge 540, described the S1-11 as flying like a monoplane with a wing on top, such was the performance of this aircraft. It remains available as a kit from Aviat. Model 12, a Pitts with a Russian M14P The radial powered Pitts designated the 12, appeared in the late ‘90s. This aircraft, similar to a Stearman in size, was designed around the famous Vedeneyav M14-P, a 9 cylinder 360 hp radial which powers various Yakovlev and Sukhoi sport aircraft. The Model 12 has become a very popular sport and air show aircraft. It never appeared in competitions but is a sight to behold at air shows. Richard Hood has displayed John Eaton’s example at air shows around New Zealand, and the easiest way to describe this aircraft, is to watch his displays. Christen Eagle, a Pitts clone? When Curtis sold his enterprise in the late ‘70s, it quickly changed hands again, this time to Frank Christensen, but not before he took the S-2A and developed the Christen Eagle. When Pitts Special Always wanted to fly? We’re here to make those dreams become a reality. Our experienced instructors will work with you, no matter your current skill level, to get you to where you want to be. www.aviationcentre.co.nz Dakota Way, Tauranga Airport Buy a Trial Flight online today! Ph 0800 359 249 RECREATIONAL FLYING - SERIOUS FUN Fixed wing & Gyrocopter29 2022 #3 he acquired Aviat, production of his Eagle continued. The original Eagle was a single-seater but the Eagle II really set the tone for kitset aeroplanes. It raised the bar to such a level, that all kit built aircraft sold today can trace their lineage back to Christensen’s attention to detail, production facilities, the plans he produced and the workmanship of the componentry. A big rivalry between Eagle and Pitts owners emerged. I have not personally flown the Eagle, but my understanding is that the comparison comes down to ‘horses for courses’. The Eagle, without doubt is a more user-friendly aeroplane but performance wise they really are similar to the machine they were based on, the S-2A. The curtain call The final model, which remains in production, was the S-2C. I have been fortunate enough to fly two of this type over the years, both here and in the US, and it is a tribute to one of the most significant aircraft designers ever. Curtis had a personal hand in both the Model 12 and C and thus, they are true Pitts Specials in every sense. The C was a drastic step up from the B. It has a totally new aileron and wing setup which did away with aileron spades and dramatically increased the roll rate. Aerodynamically the aircraft is quite incredible. The numbers speak for themselves. It has a rate of climb of 2900 fpm from sea level. It will easily do 150 knots indicated in the cruise. Roll rate went up to 300 deg/second and legal negative G limits went up from -3 to -5g. By this stage, the S-2C weighed a monstrous 1700 Ibs, compared to the original S-1S which was up to 1080 Ib all up weight. This certainly changed the handling characteristics which I’ll go into later. The Pitts continues to be seen in the Advanced Category in National Competitions around the world. These are almost always derivatives of the S-1. Sadly, the age of biplanes at the top level of the Worlds is a thing of the past with the latest designs from Extra, the 330SC out of Germany, and the Gamebird and MXS from the US which can all trace their lineage back to the Laser 200, currently filling the entrant lists. The Pilot’s View: The Pitts Special, for all the history and popularity it has generated over the years, nevertheless has a reputation among non- Pitts drivers as being twitchy, nervous, unstable, even dangerous. These are all terms that I have heard myself. Curtis famously retorted in an interview, “There is no such thing as a squirrelly Pitts, only a squirrelly pilot.” Never a truer word was said. The Pitts has a unique handling and operating envelope which, with time and an appropriately qualified instructor, one will learn and begin to master. The basic skills of flying taildraggers were commonplace before, during and after the Second World War, but the modern pilot, used to the familiar tricycle undercarriage arrangement of a Cessna or Piper, will often look timidly at the configuration of a Pitts. However, it is not difficult. I have background flying the S-2A, S-2B, S-2C and S-1S along with a few plans-built S-1Cs with various modifications and upgrades. I often say to my students, no matter what we are flying, “I can’t really teach you to fly this aircraft, but you can learn to fly it.” With good preparation, dedication, a positive attitude and effort, anyone can master this aeroplane. It really is that simple. The Pitts was designed to be good at spinning and to be energetic through aerobatic routines. The Pitts exhibits Pitts Special S-1E. Pitts Special S-2C. Pitts Special S-2S. Pitts Model 12. For more information or to arrange a demonstration flight please contact Jim Lyver (20,000 hrs Boeing, 10,000 hrs light aircraft including 1,500 tail wheel and 2,000 on Aeroprakt) 027 440 0747 or info@foxbat.nz www.foxbat.nz FOXBAT “The perfect high country plane” A32 Cruise speed 120 kts TAS with an all moving tail plane l Both types: VSTOL - take-off and land in just under 100 m l 27 kts IAS stall speed Rotax 912 ULS 100 hp engine l 30 kg luggage compartment l 200 kg available after full fuel l Centre Y stick or yoke control l Standard or long range fuel tanks l The best ab-initio trainers to teach students to fly in l Ideal private owners aircraft l Tundra tyres available for the A22LS These Aircraft are the future of aviation Two models: A32 or A22LSNext >