< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 30 ‘neutral stability’ during flight, meaning, it will stay where one leaves it. To create an agile aerobatic machine, you need to dial out the built-in stability found in grassroots trainers like the Robin, Aerobat and Citabria. On a cross-country this can have a negative effect in that it can be more tiring on a longer trip, but the high wing loading of the Pitts again comes in handy in turbulence or wind or any sort. The Pitts is a point and shoot aeroplane. Put it where it needs to be and leave it. One’s corrections should be quick and deliberate but subtle and concise at the same time. Keep it straight at all times. As the type rating proceeds, students are surprised how they soon get the hang of the machine directionally. It all comes with patience and time in the seat. With spritely handling near the ground, 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. There are significant differences in the handling from type to type. As the weight increased with the correspondingly bigger and more powerful engines, the original super light and near-perfectly balanced S-1S was lost to demands to cater to a steadily more competitive game. In terms of agility, the shorter wing S-1 also snap rolls a lot cleaner, and a lot more consistently than the heavier and larger wingspan two-seaters. That is not to say that they don’t snap roll well because they do, but just not like the original. The original S-1S also retained a highly competitive power to weight ratio which meant time on verticals was still very competitive even against the bigger six-cylinder cousins in the range. For me, experiencing those perfectly balanced ailerons is the biggest delight. It is certainly the most common reaction to new pilots’ experiencing this aeroplane for the first time. Vertical rolls are par for the course. Hesitation, and snap rolls, as previously stated, are the Pitts specialties. Back to the subject of spinning. Some horrendously inaccurate accounts and stories have done the rounds at different times over the years. While spinning has been well understood for many years, the Pitts caused many pilots a lot of problems in the early days, including ultimately fatalities. Because of its perfect balance and handling, coupled with the inverted fuel/oil system and symmetrical aerofoils, it loves spinning. It will seamlessly spin inverted or upright or transition in between – if the pilot allows it. If it is flown in balance with a positive angle of attack and safe airspeed, it won’t spin. If the critical angle is exceeded and it is out of balance, it will hint at a spin and if rudder is deflected, it will happily oblige. Conversely, if the correct action is taken for the recovery, it will equally happily respond on recovery. This is not to be used as a spinning guide, the subject is far bigger in scope than this and the necessary training cannot be done without referencing Gene Begg’s book, ‘Spins in the Pitts Special’, but needless to say, the aircraft is a wonderful spinning platform. Once you understand the fundamentals of the full spinning envelope, combine these with the Pitts and have an instructor to take you through the course, any trepidation is quickly lost. That said, I never take them lightly. In fact, whenever I fly a Pitts, I am not relaxed. I am always preparing, anticipating, and concentrating. I only relax when it is shut down and parked. In my experience, the biggest issue in regard to spinning the Pitts is not the aircraft itself but the pilot’s inability to recognize the type of spin one is in, and when recovery is made. Transitioning from an upright to inverted spin is not easy to spot The Pitts doing what it does best, a rapid roll rate, working the vertical lines, and using lots of smoke; a successful recipe for decades. Pitts Special Gavin Conroy images31 2022 #3 if you are not familiar with it. The Pitts, like all of its modern counterparts, spins seamlessly and the pilot must be able to recognize the spin configuration one is in at that moment. It goes without saying, sky above you is as useless as runway behind you on take-off. Flying aerobatics low reduces your options. I always do my training at altitude. I only exercise my lower limits to facilitate training overhead an airfield and I have a spotter on the ground with a two-way radio. This is essential when building up to competitions or air shows, to ‘dial oneself in’. Which brings me to descending and coming back to land. The Pitts has a very poor lift/drag ratio. The symmetrical aerofoil does not perform like a conventional general-purpose aerofoil. With the power back near idle, the Pitts descends like a lift with the cable cut. The combination of high drag and very low lift coefficient and the target glide approach speed in the S-2B of 90 mph really does limit your options, so hence my low-level training is always with a clear landing option underneath. For a standard approach one ideally requires a curve approach, much like the curve approach onto an aircraft carrier. Some will see this as ‘showing off’ at an airfield, but I can assure you, it is the safest and most practical way to land a Pitts and many other types. As with most taildraggers, forward vis is very poor and so having a clear picture of your landing area is vital. Side slipping is also very useful to maintain this picture. Side slipping is also very useful in a crosswind and if the need to steepen the approach is required without the penalty of increased speed. When learning on the type, the curve approach with power back is the most suitable. It should be added when approaching overhead, time must be taken to gradually reduce EuroFOX www.DtiAircraftSales.com NZ Agents for AeroPro EuroFOX. LSA or Microlight category. Tricycle or tail wheel undercarriage. Glider tow version. Rotax 912 ULS engine. Wings can be folded. Outstanding quality and reliability. Priced from €60,000 ex-factory plus optionsKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 32 MAP to avoid shock cooling, particularly if one has been up at altitude practicing. The S-2B and S-2S do have cowl flaps but the earlier models do not. As you come around the base turn, a CUP check is done to confirm Cowl Flaps are set wide open for the go-round, undercarriage is down (fixed), with propellor smoothly advanced to full Fine. I do the CUP check in all aircraft and was something I first learned while mastering this approach profile in the Yak 52. The instructor incidentally was a retired US Navy Combat Veteran. Norm flew A1 Skyraiders in Vietnam. As you come over the fence the key is to flare the aircraft and find that three-point attitude. Don’t fight the aircraft. Set it up and hold it. It is rather like coming down a ladder in the dark. If you have flared too high, or believe you have, go around. The aircraft sits very low to the ground so flaring too high is a common early error. Also, correcting drift is crucial. The aircraft has excellent crosswind ability, due to the points mentioned above. It does not require much of anything, but the Pitts does require that the pilot is accurate, clear, and concise of what he wants. If one is inaccurate, the Pitts will respond at once and display the pilot’s inaccuracies for all at the airfield to see! While the Pitts can be wheeled there is zero point, particularly for those who are new to the type. Wheeling the Pitts simply increases the unstable phase of flight from touch down through to 20 knots. It increases the landing roll. More technique is required because the gear is so stiff, the tyres are small and the CoG so far back. One obvious advantage is increased visibility, and a number of owners land their S-1s using the wheeler method on two-mile runways in the US; fair enough. However, teaching this technique to a 20- hour tailwheel pilot will very likely result in a broken aeroplane and a very upset Pitts owner. Budd Davison, a 9,000 hour Pitts Instructor in the US, and one of the most respected worldwide, swears by three pointing them in all conditions. That is good enough for me. As the aircraft settles on three points the job is by no means over. Keep it straight but don’t correct an error that hasn’t happened. With time and experience, use of your peripherals becomes second nature as the aircraft slows and becomes even less stable. The S-2C undercarriage setup largely corrected these issues, it tracks beautifully straight. I have always felt that the lighter S-1s are even more lively than the two-seaters, with their reduced weight and slightly shorter coupling. The best path to flying the S-1, is to get some two-seat time, ideally, in the front of an S-2 as this is the exact station where you sit in the S-1 although, due to the slightly wider fuse, the vis out of the front seat of the S-2 is markedly worse than the S-1. Pitts Special www.lightsportaircraft.co.nz Factory or custom build options and full build support available. Spare parts in stock. Contact your NZ ICP light sport aircraft agent Philip Seale at Westwind Aviation on 021 747494 ICP Savannah SICP Ventura Kits in stock NEW Factory built aircraft Patented Kiwi Made Spray Nozzles Improved Chemical Delivery Better Spray Drift Control Less Ground Time Tried and Proven Contact Glenn . 027 473 1403 . GlennKeane@xtra.co.nz 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.nz33 2022 #3 F K In summary So, there you have it, a delightful, spritely, and fun aeroplane, for whatever the reason is to go flying. It is not practical like a four-seat Cessna and therefore there are many limitations, particularly on a cross-country but then, the four- seat Cessna can’t do what you can do in a Pitts. It is all about what the individual wants out of the aircraft. For me, the limitations posed on a cross-country are worth the advantages of what I get when I arrive at my destination, an absolute riot of a time flying. The Pitts is not only a highly capable type, without being the benchmark anymore globally, but a piece of significant history that I have yearned to fly since I was a kid watching Richard Hood display the Pitts at Wanaka. As a teenager, I was inspired by three times US National Champion Patty Wagstaff’s story in her book, ‘Fire and Air’. She too began her career in the S-1S and later the S-1T before moving to the ‘dark side’ and the Extra 260 and later the 300S. Pam Collings has been a role model for years with her unique story with ZK-PAC as she imported it originally, competed in it at the Worlds at Kiev ’76 and later assisted me bringing it back home to Canterbury in 2019, following a twenty year path to a complete ground-up restoration. She has mentored me for fifteen years. It isn’t easy to get into a Pitts in the first place but then, nothing is easy. It all requires hard work, dedication and commitment and you have to really want to do it. There are some amazing people in this industry and the key is to surround yourself by people who matter and positively influence you. Clear prop! Andy Love Treasurer/Secretary, NZ Aerobatic Club Torque_Roll@hotmail.com A strong line-up of Pitts at an Akrofest event held at Omaka a few years ago. Andy Love Tick Tock ! The ADS-B installation mandate is 31 December 2022. Available while stocks last at our four locations nationwide Ardmore - Hamilton Nelson - Dunedin Fear Not ! We have a great deal on L3Harris Lynx ADS-B transponders. Lynx NGT9000 transponders have a colour touch screen for ADS-B Traffic and Terrain* with the swipe of a finger. The base price is NZ$7523 +GST plus installation. Remember you can claim $3000 for the ADS-B Rebate as this unit is ADS-B OUT and IN so effectively it will only cost NZ$4523 +GST A WAAS GPS antenna will be required in most installations and is available at NZ$487 +GST This offer is not available for over the counter sales. *Options are available at additional cost: l WiFi module (so you can display traffic on your iPad). l Active TAS Traffic (so you can see mode A/C transponders). l TerrainVision (Non-certified TAWS). Limited numbers available at this price now in stock (while stock lasts) so first in first served! l Comprehensive stocks of Aircraft AN, MS, NAS Hardware l US Industrial Tooling l Aircraft Spruce (NZ) Distributor (fortnightly delivery from USA) l Covering Products Contact: Lianne Bergin P: 09 476 0984 F: 09 476 0985 E: sales@apparts.co.nz www.aviationandperformance.co.nz Independent Helicopter Maintenance Company Harewood Aviation Park 4/25 Aviation Drive PO Box 39 144, Christchurch 7676 Tel: 03 359 1001 Cell: 027 733 6982 - Pip, Director 027 280 3160 - James, Chief Engineer E-mail: info@helimaintenance.com www.helimaintenance.comKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 34 ‘06’ was a little different to the other five Orions that the RNZAF has operated. The aircraft was among the first three Lockheed P-3B Orions delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force in in 1968. The official handover of the aircraft was in January and it started flying operationally in April of the same year as A9-291, the earliest numbered example. The second of six Lockheed P-3K2 Orions (NZ4206) operated by 5 Squadron RNZAF flew into Woodbourne at the end of January to be retired from service following 37 years with the RNZAF and with 22,000 flying hours to its credit. Gavin Conroy captured the moment, along with several others in the aircraft’s long history in New Zealand. Gavin writes: The odd one out, Orion ‘06’ retires Photographing an aircraft with an engine not running was new for me, however the Orion can extend its time on station and cruise the oceans quite happily on three. RNZAF News contributed by Gavin Conroy Contact David: 027 222 0872 avionicscanterbury@gmail.com www.avionicscanterbury.co.nz Big ideas but on a budget? Talk to us about Staged Installations We’ll work with you to plan everything you’d like, then implement that plan in stages to suit your budget. To help out, we’ll even rebate the additional set-up/dismantle costs so the price will be the same as if you did all the work at once. * Ask us about Discounts for AOPA Members. ADSB Grants Available up to NZ$3000+GST. Finance Available on all avionics installations. Call for details. *subject to forex and supplier price changes over time35 2022 #3 In the mid-1970s the RAAF decided they were getting to the point where they needed to replace the P-3B Orion with the more up to date P-3C model. These started coming into service in 1978 leading to disposal of the P-3B models. One of these was purchased by the RNZAF in 1985 for NZ$19m, becoming NZ4206. The remainder of the airworthy RAAF P-3B Orion’s were sold to Portugal. The RNZAF had been considering the purchase of a sixth aircraft out of the USA, but the Australian offer was far cheaper for an aircraft of similar age and flying hours - so the Aussies are good for a deal from time to time! The traditional sales rules applying to serving American military aircraft had to be followed which meant the Orion first needed to be sold back to Lockheed by the RAAF, then acquired by the RNZAF from Lockheed. At the time, New Zealand’s Orion fleet were going through the Project Rigel upgrade, receiving new avionics. The new arrival slotted into the end of this programme with all six RNZAF Orions becoming known as P-3K models. ‘06’ however, was still the odd one out. This aircraft was known as the heavy weight model, having a strengthened airframe compared to the other five which allowed a slightly higher payload as well as higher altitude flight thanks to a different pressurisation system. The aircraft was also capable of dumping fuel which the existing aircraft could not do. Crews have said this aircraft was always a bit better at the longest flights flown by the squadron seeing it could fly higher and above most bad weather if it needed to for a smoother ride, also taking advantage of stronger On the turn around following the last landing; can’t you just smell the Jet A-1! The end, but the technology coming to replace the Orion really is the best there is. Pilot Life Insurance Specialists who will guide you through the process of Protecting Your Family and Business as well as Insuring Your Debts INSURANCE l MORTGAGES l LENDING l INVESTMENTS Are your family and assets protected? Contact Craig Spratt Spratt Financial Services Limited 021 935 788 or 09 306 7250 craig@spratt.co.nz www.spratt.co.nz Part 147 P&W PT6A Engine Training Course Hamilton Airport: June 13 th - June 22 nd 2022 Mike Mitchell | 027 290 1885 | mike.mitchell@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 80 36 RNZAF 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 FLYING RNZAF P-3K2 Orion Specifications Manufacturer: Lockheed Engines: Four Allison T56-A 14 (4,600 shp) Length: 36m (117ft) Wingspan: 30.4m (99ft) Height: 10.3m (34ft) Basic weight: 30,450kg (67,000lb) Gross weight: 54,950kg (127,500lb) Max fuel: 27,300kg (60,000lb) Cruising speed: 630km/h (340kts) Ferry range (approx.): 7,100km (3,850nm) Typical performance: Radius of action of 1,850km (1,000nm) with four hours on station. Endurance of 15 hrs with two engines shut down to conserve fuel. Standard crew: Two pilots, two flight engineers, three air warfare officers (tactical coordinator, information manager, systems employment manager), four air warfare specialists and one air ordnance specialist. A final low pass before landing; always a great sight and sound down low and at speed.37 2022 #3 tail winds. Another extensive upgrade the Orion went through was project Kestrel. This involved replacing the entire outer wings, a job that had never been attempted before worldwide, as well as the horizontal stabilisers, leading edges, and installing new centre wing lower panels in each aircraft. All of the electrical wiring looms in the outer wings have been replaced and the engine nacelles refurbished. Later on the aircraft received new sensors and avionics which saw them become some of the most updated Orions to be found anywhere. With Project Kestrel, the other five were fitted with fuel dumping ability so the six were now closer together in regards to capability. In 2020 I was able to do a photo flight involving an Orion and Hercules and I was very pleased when 06 turned up alongside. The crew even shut an engine down for us which was common procedure to help extend range. These images will always be a reminder of an amazing aircraft that has done its bit – and I wonder how many lives were saved when using this aircraft for search and rescue, medical evacuations and natural disaster support, etc. 06 was in fact originally purchased as an attrition airframe but due to the amazing safety record of Orions with the RNZAF it has never been needed for that role. The type will be replaced by four Boeing P-8 Poseidon’s from 2023 and operated from RNZAF Base Ohakea instead of RNZAF Base Auckland. Gavin Conroy As 06 lands another Orion is having maintenance done before going back to 5 Sqn. The traditional water cannon salute, thanks for your service 06! F K LAST LOT LEFT SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD Lot 4 is a 5500m2 site with direct access to the 839 metre runway. Build your permanent or holiday home right next to the strip with plenty of room for your hangar and pool. No waiting in a queue for take-off here. Well away from all the heavy traffic of the Auckland North Shore area. Only 7 minutes to Warkworth and an easy commute to Auckland especially with the motorway extension coming soon. A unique and peaceful location. Call for further info. David Goodhue 021 663 633 d.goodhue@barfoot.co.nz VIEWING View by apptmt, Newton Rd. www.barfoot.co.nz/547050 FOR SALE $799,000KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 80 38 Aviation Meteorology contributed by Ciaran Doolin Last month in KiwiFlyer (Issue 79) I discussed the phenomenon of a blocking high, an intense and slow-moving type of high- pressure system. I explained how the New Zealand region is the favoured location for blocking in the Southern Hemisphere due to the asymmetry of the Antarctic land mass. In this article I discuss a phenomenon that sometimes comes hand-in-hand with a blocking high: a cut-off low. Cut-off lows – the other side of the coin of blocking highs A cut-off low is a slow-moving low-pressure system that typically brings sustained periods of unsettled weather; hence, these lows are sometimes referred to as a ‘weatherman’s woe’. A low-pressure system that is enclosed by concentric rings of isobars (lines of equal air pressure) on a surface pressure chart is called a ‘closed circulation’. However, in the upper atmosphere (5km above the surface and higher) it is often the case that the pressure pattern associated with the surface low is not closed, but instead an open, wavy pattern. Under certain conditions, a low-pressure system may become ‘cut off’, which means that there is a closed (clockwise) circulation through the depth of the troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere, where all the ‘weather’ happens). The name for this type of low is apt because it describes how they become separated from the prevailing westerly air flow in the upper atmosphere, which is responsible for pushing surface lows eastwards. Cut-off lows are, therefore, like blocking Cut-off lows: a weatherman’s (and pilot’s) woe Over the last couple of years Ciaran Doolin, MetService Meteorologist and Adjunct Teaching Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington, has contributed a series of articles on meteorology theory and weather events of interest to aviators. This article on cut-off lows covers an occurrence that can bring just about all the weather hazards an aviator has to be mindful of – poor visibility, low cloud, icing, turbulence, and thunderstorms. Ciaran writes: highs, a slow-moving affair. However, unlike blocking highs they tend to bring foul weather. Cut-off lows can develop in a variety of weather situations, across a range of regions. In the New Zealand sector, they typically develop from a trough in the westerlies or in unstable easterlies north of the country. As cut-offs are, by definition, regions of low pressure, there is strong ascending air motion associated with them, leading to widespread cloudiness and rainfall, as well as strong winds due to large horizontal pressure gradients. Thunderstorms may be a feature of cut-off lows, especially during the warm season. The challenge of cut-offs vis-à-vis other low-pressure systems is that they are slow-moving, affecting New Zealand for up to a week. Poor visibility in heavy rain, low cloud bases, possible icing in cloud, and turbulence due to strong winds over rough terrain are all hazards aviators may contend with in a cut-off low. However, hazards are not just confined to the lower atmosphere: cut-off lows are a well-known source of clear air turbulence (CAT) in the upper atmosphere. Figure 1 illustrates the areas where one expects turbulence associated with an upper-level cut-off low; the strong horizontal wind shears found in the ‘throat’ of a developed cut-off makes this configuration of the upper flow the most likely to produce severe turbulence. As it happens, cut-off lows and blocking highs sometimes occur in tandem; this set-up is called a ‘blocking pair’. Cut-offs may form in the very moist, unstable subtropical easterlies to the north of a blocking high over New Zealand. Individual cut-offs typically persist for a few days, but when they form as part of a blocking pair they can last for up to a week, as the following examples illustrate. Back-to-back cut-off lows in May 2021 During late May into early June 2021, two cut-off low pressure systems formed in the New Zealand region, one following the 39 2022 #3 other. The systems had very different origins, but their intensity and impacts, coming in short succession, were a reminder of the wild, relentless nature of the atmosphere in our region. At midnight 21 May 2021, a depression was identified southeast of New Caledonia with a central pressure of 1001hPa. Over the next 24 hours it headed south and deepened rapidly, being located northeast of Cape Reinga with a central pressure of 976hPa at midnight on 22 May. When a low undergoes as rapid development as this, the process is called ‘explosive cyclogenesis’; such depressions are also sometimes referred to as ‘bomb lows’. The criterion for explosive deepening is a drop in central pressure Figure 1 – [left] Depiction of the stages of development of a cut-off low in the upper atmosphere. Like on a surface chart, the wind blows roughly parallel to the isobars (black lines). Stages (b) and (c) are most likely to generate moderate turbulence as they exhibit well-defined regions where the flow spreads apart or comes together (known as diffluence/confluence; shaded). [centre] Depiction of the air flow at approximately 10km above the surface at 1200UTC 22 July 1998. The areas circled in red correspond to stages (b)/(c) from the previous diagram and indicate a risk of moderate turbulence. [right] Depiction of an upper cut-off with a well-defined ‘throat’ (shaded), a region with a risk of severe turbulence due to strong horizontal wind shear. Diagrams appearing left and right adapted from Hopkins, R. H., 1977: Forecasting Techniques of Clear-Air Turbulence Including That Associated With Mountain Waves. WMO No. 482, Tech. Note 155, 31 pp. of around 14hPa in 24 hours (at 30° South). So, a drop of 25hPa in 24 hours comfortably qualified this system as a bomb low! In the event, though this was a very intense depression, the impacts on New Zealand were limited as the system remained offshore to the east of the North Island. A period of strong southeast winds was experienced in exposed areas of the North Island as the low moved south near the east coast before moving well clear of the country. However, even as the next depression was developing in the Tasman Sea on 27 May (I will discuss this system shortly), the weakening bomb low was still affecting some eastern areas of the North Island! The reason it hung around the CAA Part 145 Approved Parts Supply Installation & Repair Ardmore based Fully mobile Representing Advanced Flight Appareo Avidyne David Clark Dynon Kannad PS Engineering Trig Aeroshell (reseller) 23 Victa Lane, Ardmore Airfield 09 299 9289 info@icea.co www .icea.co AVIONICSNext >