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Aviation History
1977
1977 - 0014.PDF
LETTERS were perfectly adequate for this rather demanding role. The Auster 5 was the liveliest of the three and could achieve quite a steep climb-out if take-off flap was applied on rotating. Its engine was a bit diffi cult to start when hot, and it helped to refrain from priming and to have a full battery or patient prop-swinger. The 6 was heavier but sturdy, reliable and vice-free, though the 7 had a habit of dropping a wing at the stall. The short-landing technique was interesting and alarming at first. A 35kt approach with full flap and about 1,400 r.p.m. was taught on all the Auster marks. With full backward stick and throttle cut just before touchdown, one landed with brakes hard on. They remained that way until the speed had fallen to about 20kt, when a tendency to nose over became apparent. This was countered by re leasing the heel brakes alternately and in rapid sequence. It seems that the Auster could think of doing only one thing at a time, and if it was zig zagging a bit it forgot to nose over! A very short landing could be achieved by this method. Don't be beastly to the Auster. It forgave much uncouth handling and many came to regard it with affection. GEOFFREY MANSFIELD 9 Great Headland Rd, Paignton, Devon SIR—When the air observation post squadrons of the RAF were first equipped during the last war with the Lycoming-engined Auster AOP Mk IV, replacing the Gipsy-engined Mk III, starting a hot engine did initially present problems. I well remember that after my first flight in a Mk IV —to Smiths Lawn from 430 TU at Oatlands Hill one hot summer evening in 1944—having to spend two hours trying to start it again. An hour was wasted by winding the elastic the wrong way! We did however very quickly dis cover an infallible method of starting a hot Lycoming engine. We would blow the engine out thoroughly with the fuel off, and then start with the fuel still off, turning it on immediately the engine fired. All the pilots who flew any military Auster before the Mk IX could be recognised by their well developed biceps and forearms, built up as they coped with the heavy aileron control, and by a tendency towards double- jointed insteps, caused by having to dance on those heel brakes on narrow strips in far-off places. In spite of its many quirks, the military Auster did a splendid job for the Army over many years, and I was one of those who was very sorry to see it phased out. H. B. WARBURTON Ferranti Helicopters, Gatwick Airport Troubleshooter SIR—Regarding Mike Stapp's letter (October 30) about mentally ill pilots, I too have come across many cases of students whom I regarded as incapable of taking charge of an aircraft. Large numbers of these characters abound at flying clubs, and usually they want to go and do things outside the limits of either their licence or their capa bilities. A young Japanese gentleman came to learn to fly with us, but after a few hours it became obvious that he was far from normal. He wandered all over the airfield, climbing into aircraft— including visiting military machines— until he was chased off. He used also to sleep in his old car on the airfield, and he would wander around talking to himself with a pair of earphones over his ears. But this man had just passed a student pilot's medical and been found fit! I know that all good instructors should be psychologists, but I think that the CAA is getting a bit careless. Mental disabilities apart, our Jap anese student could hardly speak English. If I remember correctly, one originally had to state on the SPL application form that one could speak English well. Edinburgh Flying Club, LEN RICHARDS Turnhouse, Edinburgh The CAA replies: Not even elaborate, expensive and very frequent medical examinations would be 100 per cent effective in detecting all illnesses which could impair flying capability. That the present system is effective is shown by the extremely low incidence of accidents resulting from medical causes. The medical examination as currently conducted can be no more than a screening process, as many ill nesses, and particularly mental dis turbances, can develop in a matter of days or weeks. To detect these would call for impractically detailed and regular medical checks. The UK fol lows international practice in accord ance with Icao recommendations. Regarding fluency in English, al though the examinations and tests for a PPL are designed to show an indi vidual's flying knowledge and pro ficiency, a candidate could not pass the written and oral tests without knowing English pretty thoroughly. He prob ably could not even fill in the applica tion form. WHAT'S ON Jan 4 RAeS Young People's Lecture, "Designer's dilemma—or the ingredients of an aeroplane," by Prof D. Howe (Cranfleld Institute of Tech nology); 3 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place, London W1V OBQ; telephone 01-499 3515-9. Jan 11-13 AIAA: 13th Annual Meeting and Technical Display: Sheraton-Park Hotel, Wash ington DC, USA; telephone (212) 581-4300. Jan 12 RAeS Astronautics and Guided Flight Section; all-day symposium, "Appli cations of modern gyro technology"; details from Section Secretary, 4 Hamilton Place. FLIGHT International, I January 1977 Jan 12 London Society of Air-Britain: film evening, "Concorde," "50 years of the RAF" and 'Raising of the Blackburn Skua from the Nor wegian fjords"; 7 p.m., Holborn Central Library, Theobalds Road, London WC1. Jan 18-20 US Annual Reliability and Main tainability Conference; Marriott Hotel, Phil adelphia, Pa, USA. Jan 20 RAeS Test Pilots' Group: "Flying aeroplanes in buffet," by Dr Jean Ross (RAE Bedford); 7 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Jan 24 AIAA: 15th Aerospace Sciences Meeting; Hyatt House Hotel, Los Angeles, Calif, USA. Jan 25 RAeS Graduates' and Students' Section: "Harrier past, present and future—a designer's review," by John Fozard (HSA); 6.30 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Jan 26 RAeS Management Studies Group: "The establishment and future of the new British Aerospace Corporation," by Lord Beswick; 6 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 1-3 US National Safety Council: Air Transport Section Executive Committee Winter Meeting; Holiday Inn, Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA. Feb 2 RAeS Agricultural Aviation Group: all-day symposium, "Distribution equipment and propulsion"; 10 a.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb3 RAeS Graduates' and Students' Section: "The design of an aeroplane," by Prof D. Howe (Cranfield Institute of Technology); 6.30 p.m., City University, London. Feb 3 RAeS: Netherlands Lecture in London, "The German/Netherlands wind-tunnel project, with particular reference to aero-acoustic research," by Ir F. Jaarsma; 6 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 4-13 Third Geneva International Boat and Open-air Show, Aeronautical Exhibition; Geneva, Switzerland. Contact Salon Inter national de I'Automobile—Geneva, 18 Quai Ernest-Ansermet, Case Postale 65, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; telephone (022) 219533. Feb 6-9 Helicopter Association of America: 29th Annual Meeting and Industry Showcase; Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, Calif, USA; tele phone R. A. Richardson, HAA, (202) 436-2420. Feb 7 RAeS Man-powered Aircraft Group: second all-day symposium; 10 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place; details from Group Secretary. Feb 7-9 IEEE: Aerospace and Electronic Systems Winter Convention; Sheraton-Universal Hotel, North Hollywood, Calif. Feb 9 RAeS: Rotorcraft Section: all-day sym posium, "Problems of specialised helicopter operations"; 10 a.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 10 RAeS: Fourth Sir Sidney Camm Lecture, "Air power and the changing scene," by AVM J. A. Gilbert and AVM J. M. Nicholls; 6 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 14 RAeS Graduates' and Students' Section/IEE/IMechE: "Keeping up on the ground —an assessment of simulators as training devices," by Dr J. M. Rolfe (Training Command); 7.30 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 17 RAeS: all-day symposium, "Hang gliding"; 9.30 a.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 17 RAeS: Society Lecture at Yeovil Branch and 22nd Henson and Stringfellow Memorial Lecture, "Yeovil in aviation history," by Harald Penrose. Feb 17 University of London: first of seven lectures on "British air transport in the 1980s"; 6.30 p.m., Manson Theatre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1. Details from Barry Le Jeune, 12 The Glebe, Denman's Lane, Lindfield, Hay- wards Heath, Sussex; telephone 01-222 5600, extension 685 (day) or Haywards Heath 52639 (evening). Feb 22 RAeS Historical Group: "A personal appraisal of German aircraft of the Third Reich," by Capt. E. M. Brown (BHAB); 7 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 23 RAeS Air Transport Group: all-day symposium, "Third-level and regional air transport": 10 a.m., 4 Hamilton Place. Feb 25, 26 RAeS Luton and Stevenage Branch: Symposium on quality and reliability in aero space. Details from P. D. T. O'Connor, BAC Guided Weapons Division (PB192), Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Herts SG1 2DA; telephone Stevenage 2422, extension 2409. Mar 1 RAeS Test Pilots' Group: "The Shorts • SD3-30," by D. Wright (Shorts); 7 p.m., 4 Hamil ton Place. Mar 1-3 AIAA: Conference on the future of aerospace power systems; Stouffer's River front Towers, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
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