What does the red line on your ASI mean? It seems to say bad things might happen if the pointer goes past that mark. Jim Davis disagrees. Here he explains why things can sometimes go seriously wrong way before the needle gets near the red.

In April 1 2010 a young charter pilot was descending from FL95 towards Swakopmund, in Namibia, in a Cessna 210. Apparently, without warning the aircraft suddenly came apart and scattered itself over a large chunk of territory. Two months later a pilot and his navigator were descending their Flamingo towards an air race checkpoint near Bella-Bella, north of Pretoria, when it also broke up in flight.

From pilot reports no significant turbulence existed in either case. It’s reasonable to suspect that aerodynamic flutter might have been the culprit in both cases.

Both pilots seem to have been doing what we all do. They were using the descent to make up for speed lost in the climb. We like to think we are safe as long as we keep below VNE – the red line. Sorry folks, it’s not that easy.

What is FLUTTER and what does it cause?

Flutter phenomena are seen when vibrations occurring in an aircraft match the natural frequency of the structure. If they aren’t properly damped, the oscillations can increase in amplitude, leading to structural damage or even failure.

NASA

If you want to let the needle move towards the top of the dial you had better understand exactly what’s going on. It’s a bit of a minefield, so let me walk you through it, and you decide what’s safe and what isn’t. First, let’s look at what ‘flutter’ is, and what causes it.

Flutter is what a flag, or your washing, does in the wind. It oscillates, at a fairly regular frequency, which increases with the wind speed. Almost any part of the aircraft can flutter, and the flutter mechanism can take many forms. Let’s look at aileron flutter because it’s one of the most common, and it’s easy to understand.

Have a look at the diagram. Now imagine that you hit a bit of turbulence and the wing deflects up. It won’t go far before it starts to spring back down towards its normal position.

Now look at what happens to the aileron – it gets left behind. So as the wing comes down the aileron goes up. It does this because its C of G (centre of gravity, the heavy bit which is marked with the little BMW sign) is behind the hinge point.

And when the aileron is up it forces the wing down so it sails straight through its normal position, reaches a maximum and then springs up again. But once more this causes the aileron’s C of G to swing past the hinge point and now it deflects the aileron down. This naturally forces the wing up again past its normal position and the whole thing starts again. Given the right combination of forces, each up and down stroke will be larger than the previous one until the wing thrashes itself to pieces. That, ladies and gentlemen, is flutter. Well, one form of it.

It can be anything from an almost unnoticeable buzz when a small area, such as a trim tab, flutters as it reacts with the main control surface in the same way that our aileron reacted with the wing. Or it can be a major terrifying event which shakes the whole aircraft so violently that it rips it apart. It may last for several seconds or for only a fraction of a second before it causes mayhem.

When the conditions are right the slightest thing may start it. It could be minor turbulence, or a twitch of the control column, or almost nothing.

It’s aggravated by any looseness in the structure, the hinges the control cables, the ball joints and the actuating rods.

The five factors that influence FLUTTER

Let’s look at the five things that influence it. Then we’ll see what you, as a pilot, should know to make sure it never happens to you.

1. Aerodynamic inputs

The first is the interaction of aerodynamic inputs. We saw how the initial trigger, in this case a gust, caused lift which, through mechanical action quickly finds the wing being forced to bend up and down by alternating aerodynamic forces. The only thing a pilot can do about that is to avoid any turbulence, however slight, when the ASI creeps towards the business end of the scale.

2. Structure’s elasticity

Your shirt flapping on the washing line is very elastic and flutters at the slightest provocation. Obviously a strong, stiff structure is less so prone to flutter. Nothing you can do about that – it’s all up to the designers.

3. Mass distribution

The weight (mass) distribution of the elements of the structure is critical. Our example had the aileron’s C of G behind the hinge point. This is obviously not good so the designer often mounts a lead weight ahead of the hinge line in order to balance the controls. Although this is initially a design feature, you as the pilot, can become very involved – so sit up straight and harken.

Some time ago a Cherokee in the US fluttered itself into destruction at circuit speed because the little arm with a lead weight on it, at the outboard end of the aileron, corroded and broke. The pilot failed to spot this during his pre-flight.

In April 2005 two pilots died at Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, when the wings were ripped off their Interavia, a tough aerobatic machine. It seems the spades had been removed from the ailerons, which altered their C of G and caused flutter way below the red line.

When we speak of the mass and C of G, remember we are thinking of critically small limits. For instance, simply painting a control surface can alter its mass and C of G enough to cause flutter. Folks who protect the leading edges of their full flying tail planes with chopper blade-tape or rubber strips are playing with fire.

4. Air density

Thick, dense air damps oscillations and delays the onset of flutter. It’s like oil in the shock-absorbers of your car. Obviously you have direct control over the density of the air in which you fly. High altitudes and hot temps mean less damping and a greater chance of flutter.

5. True airspeed

Finally, the one over which you have almost total control – the airspeed. Unfortunately this is not as simple as it appears. Although the airspeed indicator has a good solid red line on it, that is not necessarily the maximum speed you can expect to fly safely at, even in calm air.
Remember, as you climb into thin air you travel faster because you have less drag. But your ASI actually says you are going slower because its reading is influenced by fewer air molecules at the pitot.

So now four things are ganging up against us as we go higher:
1. We go faster.
2. There is less anti-flutter damping.
3. The ASI needle lies – it under-reads.
4. For flutter protection we need to know our TAS, but there is no gauge to tell us that.

Okay, don’t panic about the IAS and TAS – all will become plain in a moment. First you must know that there are different rules for normal aircraft, gliders and NTCs (Non Type Certified aircraft). Here’s how it works.

Normal aircraft

A bloke with a slide-rule works out a thing called design dive speed (Vd) which must, according to FAR23, be at least 40 per cent above design cruise speed. So Vd is a theoretical speed at which the aeroplane must be strong enough to withstand the aerodynamic forces. The designer must also be sure that it will not flutter. In fact, predicted flutter must be at least 1.2 of Vd.

The way they predict flutter is mathematical up to a point, after which it is by plotting actual test results on a graph with gradual airspeed increments.

Out of interest, the modelling analysis for the Ravin 500 predicted that it would be free from flutter up to around 390kts. But the aircraft’s red line is 243kts, presumably due to some other structural limitation.

So a test pilot climbs in, with his parachute, gets some altitude under his bum and goes for flight test dive speed (Vdf). This has to be Vd or less. We can’t expect the poor guy to fly the aircraft faster than the maximum speed for which it is designed. In reality, of course, this is not done in one flight – Vdf is only reached after a lengthy build up of test flights, each with its own data analysis.

Then the FAA guy comes along with his red paint brush and makes a mark on the ASI at not more than 90 per cent of Vdf – the maximum speed that the test pilot saw on his ASI. We call this red line Vne (Velocity Never Exceed).

So this means the red line is set at 10 per cent less than the fastest the aircraft has ever been flown. Remember we are talking about a new aircraft. You might be flying that same aircraft 40 years later – and you are still allowed to take it up to 90 per cent of its tested maximum speed. Seems a bit dodge to me – but that’s how it is.
Now we get to the interesting bit. We, as pilots, have no way of knowing whether the airspeed is limited by structural considerations or by flutter.

If the limit is there because of the physical strength of the structure and its ability to withstand aerodynamic loads, then airspeed is the thing that concerns us. After all, the structure is subjected to stresses imposed by our apparent speed through the air – the number of molecules that are pounding it. And this is exactly what the ASI reads. So indicated airspeed is the limiting factor as far as structural integrity is concerned. (For test pilots and nit pickers only: where I said indicated airspeed I should have said EAS (equivalent airspeed) which allows for position error, instrument error and compressibility error. But for us peasants it makes no real difference.)

But, if flutter is the reason for limiting the airspeed then we have to be thinking of TAS. If you were paying attention you will remember that thin air (with a high density altitude) permits flutter to happen more easily – because it has a reduced damping effect.

So to recap, IAS is the limiting factor for structural stress, but TAS warns us that we are approaching a speed where flutter is likely to start.

This is too complicated for us ordinary folks to work with on a daily basis, so the FAA made a law which basically says that aeroplanes must be able to operate safely up to the red line as long as they operate within their design parameters. These parameters include such things as gross weight and C of G. But they also include a maximum density altitude.

This means that as long as you operate within these limits you don’t need to worry about TAS and flutter, you will be on the safe side of that TAS provided you stay below the red.

Basically, they have given you a buffer so you don’t have to convert your ASI readings to TAS to make sure you are safe.

But, of course, that buffer gets smaller the higher you go. So if you install a bigger motor, or bolt on a turbocharger, or simply climb higher than the operating parameters specify – then you are entering forbidden territory and may well experience flutter, below the red line.

So that’s the story with normal light aircraft – Pipers, Cessnas, Beechcraft and so on. Now let’s see what happens with gliders and NTC (Non Type Certified) aircraft.

Gliders

Gliders are slightly different. They have high structural elasticity due to their long, flexible wings. This makes them more prone to flutter. Furthermore, many are capable of operating up to extremely high altitudes – which gives them poor anti-flutter damping. And finally, they are aerodynamically slippery and are capable of high airspeeds.
This means the manufacturers can’t give them a fixed Vne that will protect them from flutter at all altitudes. So they supply a table which tells you the maximum IASs for various density altitudes. Above is an example for the very neat little 15m wingspan Pipistrel Sinus, which is a powered glider.

Non Type Certified aircraft

For NTC aircraft, the regulating authority specifies the extent to which they must meet flutter requirements. Typically you will have a red line the same as any other aircraft, but the protocol for establishing this is generally less stringent and you may not have as much protection as with a normal (type certified) aircraft. Some NTC manufacturers test their aircraft as rigorously as normal aircraft, but many don’t. So not all NTCs are equal.

How can you be sure it never happens to you?

01 Start with a proper pre-flight. Pay particular attention to the attachment of mass balance weights, the integrity of control surface and trim tab hinges, as well as their operating rods or cable attachments and tensions. If it’s got play it is potentially dangerous.

02 Plan your top of descent to be early rather than late. Descend for 50 miles at 150 KIAS rather than 30 miles at 170 KIAS.

03 If there’s a chance of turbulence during the descent keep the needle below the yellow. This is true even without flutter – gust loads at high airspeeds can break your aircraft without going the flutter route.

04 If you feel a slight hum or buzz take this as a serious warning that flutter could start at any second.

05 Whether you get the warning, or the actual flutter, immediately throttle back and raise the nose. An increase in G and a reduced dynamic pressure may save you. But it often happens so quickly that you have no time to react before the aircraft disintegrates.

06 Don’t even think of modifying anything to do with the controls – or even painting them.

07 If your aircraft has a table of airspeeds and altitudes for Vne – pay very close attention. Remember that at high altitudes your mind is not that sharp – so even more reason to remember the table.

08 If you operate outside the aircraft’s design parameters you are looking for trouble.

09 Turbo-charging or increasing engine power may not be smart.

10 When your aircraft was brand new it was tested at only 10 per cent past the red line. After 40 years of wear and tear do you still think it is a good idea to find out if that is still valid?

My thanks to engineer Mike Beresford for his technical advice with this article.

Jim Davis has 15,000 hours of immensely varied flying experience, including 10,000 hours civil and military flying instruction. He is an established author, his current projects being an instructors’ manual and a collection of Air Accident analyses, called Choose Not To Crash. Visit Jim’s website by clicking here.

Article from Australian Flying

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Under the terms of the deal, the planemaker’s subsidiary, Eve Urban Air Mobility, will provide aviation taxi platform Ascent with access to 100 of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Ascent hopes to use its 100,000 allocated hours of flying time to service the Victorian capital. Other locations selected are Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, and Tokyo as soon as 2026.

The business’ platform is currently used to book helicopters, but it has long-planned to transition to eVTOLs.

The new deal expands on an earlier partnership between the two, penned in June. This deal focused on accelerating the development of the Urban Air Mobility ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific.

“Ascent is one of the greatest players of Urban Air Mobility in the Asia-Pacific and its strong presence in the region makes it an ideal partner for Eve’s operations,” said Andre Stein, president and CEO of Eve.

“The region holds a massive demand for transportation disruption that can be filled with our low-emission aircraft. This is the right recipe for sustainable growth.”

Embraer’s Eve has developed both a zero-emission low noise eVTOL vehicles as well an Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) system. Both are currently being trialled in conjunction with the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

The news comes after Eve and Airservices Australia announced their own partnership in December 2020. They revealed the initial concept of operations (CONOPS) for the flying taxi market in Melbourne.

The partnership also hopes to aid in the development of Eve’s UATM solutions. Australia’s government support of UAM solutions, and strong aviation safety record helped seal the deal.

“The creation of the UAM ecosystem requires innovative solutions, which is also a fundamental pillar of Embraer’s growth strategy for the coming years, and EmbraerX was built to address these needs,” said Daniel Moczydlower, president and CEO of EmbraerX, of which Eve is its first spin-off.

“We are jointly embarking on the first steps toward Australia becoming one of the world’s first Urban Air Mobility markets.”

The Flying Taxi to become a reality

Using the City of Melbourne as a model, the CONOPS examines how existing air traffic management solutions can enable UAM operations. There is simultaneous preparation for scale of operations through new traffic management technologies.

“This exciting initiative combines Airservices’ experience as the national airspace manager with the technical innovation of Embraer,” said Peter Curran, chief customer experience and strategy officer at Airservices.

“We have the responsibility of keeping our skies safe, and we are excited to leverage our significant expertise and operational capabilities in airspace management and partner with a global aviation expert to develop innovative solutions that ensure safe and equitable access to the urban airspace for a broad spectrum of aircraft, including conventional helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and eVTOL aircraft.”

Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff, founder and CEO of Ascent, said, “Eve’s innovative technology, combined with its manufacturing expertise and global servicing footprint through Embraer, comfort us in bringing a solution fitting the region’s complex requirements.

“With Ascent operating system onboarding Eve’s fleet and connected to Eve’s UATM, air operator partners will be empowered to elevate UAM operations at scale.”

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This protected nature reserve boasts an abundance of unique flora and fauna. It includes spectacular marine life and, of course, the adorable quokka. Discover rich cultural heritage, explore numerous beaches and bays, swim and snorkel in pristine waters. Don’t forget to meet the happiest animal on earth, all in this little pocket of paradise.

Rottnest Island also has a fascinating history to explore and learn about. Read on to discover more.

The Quokka

The Quokka is the only mammal which is native to Rottnest Island. It can be found almost everywhere on the Island. It is mainly nocturnal. This means that it is mostly active at night, preferring to rest or sleep in the shade during the day.

The Quokka bounds and hops along the ground although it can climb trees if it needs to. It will sit on its hind legs and use its front paws to search for and pick up food.

The Island habitat supports the largest known Quokka population and is essential for the survival of species. There are around 10,000-12,000 of these animals living on Rottnest. At all times of the year, there is a high number of Quokkas in the Settlement area. The small marsupials love this area because there is lots of water and food available. They have become one of the main tourist attractions of Rottnest Island. They have a cute appearance and are easy to see and photograph.

On Rottnest, Quokkas have a short breeding season which happens in late summer. One joey is born around February to April. It remains in the pouch until August or September. The joey suckles from its mother for another two months afterwards. The Quokkas on Rottnest do not breed again in the spring.

The History of Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island, Wadjemup, Rotto…

Rottnest Island has a rich history, spanning cultures and generations. It has been known by many names and used for different purposes. 

Wadjemup 

Rottnest Island’s history extends as far back as 50,000 years ago. At that time it was still connected to the mainland of Western Australia. Aboriginal artifacts suggest there was significant human occupation until ~7,000 years ago. At that time the rising sea levels resulted in the separation of the island. Without boats Aboriginal people on the mainland couldn’t make the crossing, leaving the island uninhabited for several thousand years. Rottnest Island features in Noongar Aboriginal mythology as Wadjemup, meaning “place across the water where the spirits are”.

‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottenest 

After separating from the mainland, the island remained uninhabited until 13 Dutch sailors from the Waeckende Boey landed near Bathurst Point on the 19 March 1658. This marked the beginning of the European exploration and settlement on the island. In 1696, Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh spent 6 days exploring the island . He then give it the name ‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottenest (“Rats’ Nest Island”). He named it after the quokkas which he mistook for giant rats. In his reports, Willem described Rottnest island as “…a paradise on earth”.

Swan River Colony Offshoot

A couple hundred years later, William Clarke and Robert Thomson received land grants from the British Swan River Colony. They were for pasture land and town lots to be built on the island. In 1831 Thomson moved his family to the island and began building up the island’s main settlement at Thompson Bay. Pasture land for hay production was developed west of Herschel Lake. Also several salt lakes were harvested and the salt was exported to the mainland. Today, you can wander through the main settlement and be transported back through time. As you stroll past early colonial cottages, including the salt stores, you gain a sense of what life may have been like in those times. 

Throughout the majority of the European exploration and settlement, Rottnest Island communicated with the mainland of Western Australia through semaphore flags and flares. Up until the 1880s, a manned lookout at Bathurst Point included a signalling station. It conveyed shipping information between the island’s Wadjemup Lighthouse and Arthur Head on the mainland.

Wadjemup Lighthouse has undergone many upgrades throughout its history, continuing to be in operation today by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. 

Rottnest Island Fortress

During World War II, Rottnest Island was an important part of the defence of the Fremantle port. Military fixtures including the railway, barracks, concrete lookouts, bunkers and four large guns positioned at Oliver Hill and Bickley Point became known as the “Rottnest Island Fortress”. Much of this infrastructure was decommissioned after WWII and in the 1990s the gun emplacements and railway were extensively reconstructed. Today, you can set up camp in the old barracks, take a tour of the guns and tunnels, and journey to the battery on the train from Kingstown Barracks. 

Rottnest Island still goes by many names – known as Wadjemup to the local Noongar people, and colloquially known as Rotto. Today, it is a popular holiday destination, with ~500,000 annual visitors. Rottnest has a rich social and geological history as well as a truly unique ecosystem. It has been classified as an A-class reserve – the highest level of protection afforded to public land. 

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1. The island is home to an impressive variety of marine life. There are over 22 species including whales and dolphins that stop by during their migration routes. The best time for spotting these creatures is between November and April. During these months the water is clearer due to less rainfall. It’s also a great place for snorkelers, the water is shallow and the coral beds are teeming with colourful fish.
   
2. The island has over a dozen beaches to explore, with everything from sandy shores perfect for swimming and snorkeling to rugged cliffs that make great photo opportunities. The best time of year to visit is during the summer (October – April). However even then you should be prepared for occasional rainfall.

3. Most visitors to the island are day trippers from Perth, but if you plan ahead there’s plenty of accommodation available on Rotto and in nearby Fremantle (about 40 minutes away by ferry).

4. A day trip to Rotto is a great opportunity for the whole family, with plenty of places specifically for kids. The island has four playgrounds and lots for the kids to see and explore.

5. One of the best ways to explore Rotto is via bicycle. These can be rented from the visitor center and taken along any one of the island’s bike paths or trails. All bikes come with a helmet, lock, and basket for convenience.

6. If you’re looking to spend a night on Rotto without heading back into town, there are three camping grounds. These open year-round (the best months being from October – April).

7. In addition to camping, there are a few day use areas available for picnickers and those looking to escape from the crowds of nearby Perth. Make sure you bring your sunscreen, hats and drinking water.

8. If scudding along the beach in your boogie board sounds like fun, make sure to bring one of those too! Rotto is reportedly home to the world’s longest boogie board, measuring 11 meters long.

9. If you’re a history buff and want to explore colonial relics on Rotto, make sure to stop by The Quod. It is an old settlement built in the late 1800s by the British for prisoners of Rotto’s penal colony.

10. If you’re looking to relax, grab a drink from one of many bars and cafes on the island. There are plenty open during peak season (especially around New Year’s Eve).

11. For those looking to explore the wild side of Rotto, make sure you visit Cathedral Rocks – a rock formation overlooking the Indian Ocean. It is possible to spot native colonies of fur seals from this spot.

12. Other interesting sites on the island include Salmon Bay, where large numbers of dolphins can be seen in winter months; and The Knoll – a raised sandstone formation overlooking the Indian Ocean that is one of Rotto’s most popular tourist attractions.

13. The Rottnest Bakery – this bakery features some tasty eclairs and other pastries that are perfect for a snack with coffee! They’re also famous for their custard slices, which you can enjoy in the outdoor courtyard space. Alternatively you can enjoy one from one of many cafes around the island.

14. The Quokka – an animal found on the island that is a member of the Wallaby family and looks like it’s always smiling! The Department of Parks and Wildlife has information on what you can feed to the quokka. This can be a fun experience for all visitors.

15. Bathurst Lighthouse Cafe – located on the island’s north-west corner is a cafe that offers delicious coffee (and other beverages) with some hearty breakfast dishes from their continental buffet.

As you can see there are many, many things to see and do on Rottnest Island. We encourage you to visit this great little island and explore the delights Rottnest has to offer.

We hope to see you soon!

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What is it like to have a job that involves taking charge of groups of people and flying them around the vast state of Western Australia?

Russell Christensen, a commercial pilot with more than 40 years’ experience, tells his story of keeping a hard road up his sleeve if the weather turns bad, hand-pumping fuel in the middle of the desert, and exploring parts of Australia many never get to see.

To get to any of the remote communities or the mining and pastoral operations dotted around the enormous state of Western Australia, flying is the only option.

And this is where Mr Christensen has spent a large part of his career.

On a three-day journey with Mr Christensen travelling through the isolated Ngaanyatjarra Lands in the western desert region of WA, it is clear just how isolated his job really is.

He is one of the only people who can provide a safe passage in and out of the small Aboriginal communities of Wanarn, Warakurna, Wingellina and Blackstone.

Out here it can be hard to get information on the condition of the unsealed airstrips at the other end.

Mr Christensen said if you could not land, you turned back or “found a hard road”. If you got bogged, you stayed the night.

“The biggest challenge is you do it yourself; you put the bags on and off, you make sure the passengers are looked after and briefed,” he said.

“You coordinate the departures, you check the weather and make any operational decisions that are required there.

“It’s not unusual to roll out a drum and stand it on end and pump it in by hand.”

But in that steady, calm tone often associated with pilots, Mr Christensen said he never let a situation unsettle him.

“You just keep plodding away at the problem until you find somebody who can provide you with what you need.”

“It’s just a matter of finding somebody who can find somebody.

“Sometimes things just happen at the pace they happen at, and when you get it done, you get it done.”

Growing cautious with age

During our trip there were a few occasions where we had to set off early, or delay our departure to avoid passing storms.

In Warkakurna, Mr Christensen had been watching the weather radar and forecast closely all day. He was trying to time our flights between weather activity.

He made it clear to us that we needed to get away on time. If we didn’t we may not get to our next destination in a comfortable manner.

In the air, on our way to Wingellina, which is situated on the tri-state border of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia, Mr Christensen pointed out storm columns ahead of us, and banked left and right to avoid them.

As we descended towards a distant red stripe on the earth below, our stomachs suddenly dropped. The plane seemed to bob freely in the air. The chatter in the back stopped and the noise from the engines filled our heads. Our pilot gently turned a dial here and there then rested his hand on the throttle.

A storm cloud had rolled over the range surrounding the small community. There was the odd flash of lighting that lit the horizon, and we were feeling the front of the system.

As the dark red stripe below began to resemble an airstrip, our pilot worked the throttle, holding us on course.

Moments before the wheels hit the gravel strip, a splatter of rain blew across the windscreen, and the storm moved in. We were out of the sky now and on the ground, and the chatter of my fellow passengers resumed.

Glancing at his watch, Mr Christensen actually seemed more proud of himself for getting there about a minute or so quicker than he had estimated.

After years of flying in and out of remote areas, he said there were times when he felt at risk. However not recently.

“You might make a few bad decisions early on, but if you find yourself driving home from work thinking ‘Next time I’ll handle that differently’ then you file that away as a learning experience,” he said.

His early training was under some very experienced pilots who became his mentors as he developed his own flying career.

He also spoke about a culture of cautiousness — a trait that had grown on him over decades of flying.

“We all cut our teeth flying around the bush, and when you get incidences like that, you think ‘Well, next time I’ll make a few more inquiries, or next time I’ll be a bit more wary’,” he said.

“By the time you get to my stage, you’re just pretty generally cautious.”

Enthusiastic about the mechanics of flight

For Mr Christensen it was a fascination with engineering and machinery that drew him to his passion for flying, something he has been actively interested and involved with since he was a child.

“Never ever wanted to do anything else,” he said.

“I don’t know why, I don’t know where the drive came from. Also I never wanted to be a cowboy or a fire engine driver. I just always wanted fly aeroplanes, so that’s what I did.”

“I have an interest in cars, I have an interest in aeroplanes, I have an interest in things mechanical.”

“But aeroplanes are something separate; as a machine they are actually quite fascinating.”

“And it’s not only the tinkering, I read books on them, I subscribe to magazines — I’m an enthusiast.”

The post Remote Flying in Australia – A Pilot’s Perspective appeared first on Country Airstrips Australia.

Australia’s remote airstrips are a lifeline for small communities. Australia is a vast, sparsely populated country. With a landmass of more than 7.6 million square kilometres and a population of about 25 million, it’s hardly surprising that vast areas are sparsely populated. Indeed, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2018 70% of Australians lived in major cities (i.e., cities with populations exceeding 100,000); the remaining 30 percent resided outside those urban areas.

One consequence is that people living outside major cities are often reliant on isolated airstrips for their mail and supplies. This is not just individuals but entire townships which have grown up around these strips.

In addition to delivering vital goods such as food and pharmaceuticals, this network of airstrips also provides a much-needed lifeline for medical emergencies.

Flights are vital for not just maintaining contact with the outside world but also importing medical equipment which may be needed urgently. (The relative remoteness of some settlements means they can’t rely on supplies from a larger city.) These flights also provide an essential lifeline should anything go wrong. Health services can reach people much more quickly by air than by road. For example, the Royal Flying Doctor Service has bases at Broken Hill, Wilcannia and Menindee. All are within easy flying distance of Sydney or Melbourne.

One of the remote airstrips in Australia is at Broken Hill, New South Wales (NSW). Originally a tiny settlement almost exactly halfway between Melbourne and Brisbane. Broken Hill was established as a mining town over 100 years ago. Today, it is home to 17,000 people but despite its size has an airstrip which serves regional passenger flights.

The importance of this strip isn’t just for those in town, but also for far-flung communities that depend on it. These include Wilcannia, Menindee and Tilpa – all townships in what’s known as ‘the west’ of NSW. The population of these three areas combined is about 2,600 people; QantasLink and Virgin Australia service flights to Broken Hill and another nearby airstrip at Tibooburra.

Heroes of the Outback – The Royal Flying Doctor Services

Many towns rely heavily on their airstrips for use by the Royal Flying Doctor services. These include:

· Innamincka (South Australia) which is closest to Alice Springs and home to a population of about 50 people; the airstrip was built in 1939 but it has been regularly upgraded since.

· Ayers Rock/Uluru Airport (Northern Territory). This strip is located on the outskirts of one of Australia’s most famous natural attractions. It’s used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and also private pilots. It’s also capable of accommodating larger aircraft such as those operated by QantasLink or Virgin Australia.

Other strips support small communities who see air service as vital to their survival. These communities are so remote that their local airstrips have become known simply by their location – for example, Borroloola in the Northern Territory and Marree in South Australia.

In these small communities, airstrips have become social focal points (in addition to the obvious role as an airfield). The land is often leased by families who live nearby and it becomes a place for not just private pilots but locals to congregate. In some cases, airstrips are also used for public events like fundraising barbecues.

A similar phenomenon can be seen at airports such as Alice Springs which has an international terminal and regularly handles scheduled flights from Sydney and Melbourne. However, it’s not just the larger regional centres that rely on their runways – even smaller towns with populations of less than 1,000 people may have flights landing every day of the week.

Small Communities rely heavily on their airstrips

Such is the importance of modern air travel in regional Australia that communities are often desperate for any sort of service. Even when flights have been cancelled because of poor weather, locals will still desperately hope for them to resume as soon as possible. In many cases, they’ll consider any form of scheduled air service – even if it’s provided by little-known airlines such as Brindabella Airlines which flies between Adelaide and Coober Pedy (South Australia) or QantasLink which has regular flights from Port Hedland to Perth in Western Australia.

In addition, there are some areas of the country where even larger aircraft won’t fly. While most airstrips in Australia can handle planes with lengths of up to about 20 metres, other strips must be able to accommodate much smaller jets (typically around 10 metres). This is because pilot visibility becomes a critical issue – if it’s impossible to see people and vehicles on the ground from high above, there’s a risk of crashing into them when landing.

And just as remote communities rely on flights servicing smaller regional centres, these areas need in turn to support their own airstrips. Because they’re so far from the nearest city, towns such as Port Hedland or Newman can’t rely on imports such as food or fuel; they have to produce everything.

The isolated nature of many of the airstrips in outback Australia can lead to problems for those who use them: pilots can sometimes find themselves operating under difficult conditions, especially when trying to land.

For example, Broken Hill is one of four Australian airports where the runway slopes downhill at its southern end – South Steyne on Kangaroo Island in South Australia is another example. These slopes are there because they help drain water from the runway and make it easier for planes to take off in wet conditions. However, when landing they can provide challenges – if a plane lands too fast or too slow it can start to skid downhill, especially on a rainy day.

A similar problem can occur at Alice Springs Airport where pilots must circle around before landing on the slightly sloping runway. On final approach, pilots may find their view of the strip obscured by turbulence – only after circling do they have an opportunity to land safely using visual cues on the ground.

Air Travel in Australia is the safest form of Transport

While these challenges show why some airstrips are safer than others, air travel in Australia remains one of the safest forms of transport. According to Airservices Australia, there were zero fatalities from commercial aircraft usage (including both charter and regular flights) between 1990 and 2005. Such safety is partly due to the nature of Australian flight paths where planes are often at a low altitude; circling for a safe landing can also allow pilots an opportunity to identify any potential problems with the strip itself – if they spot anything untoward like sand or livestock on the ground, they’ll need to divert their flight around this area.

Air travel has been crucial in helping remote communities survive over many years – indeed, without it life would be even more difficult for those living beyond major centres across outback Australia.

These are the reasons why outback airstrips are so important. Without them, many areas of the country simply wouldn’t be habitable for their residents. The isolation would make life impossible without access to flights from distant cities.

Many Remote Airstrips support Tourism

In addition, air travel has helped create jobs in remote areas throughout Australia; since airports have been established these spots have attracted further investment from tourists eager to experience their unique culture and attractions (such as Uluru) or just enjoy the tranquillity of the natural landscape surrounding such places.

Though there are still around 400 Australian airstrips with fewer than 200 passengers per year, they fulfill an essential role in providing services for local communities while attracting more tourists to these special parts of our nation.

It is not uncommon now in Australia for many large cattle stations and farms to have their own airstrips , with the plane used to carry out all manner of jobs such as picking up goods and dropping off workers.

Such airstrips are a vital link for a remote community, giving them access to services that would otherwise be impossible in such spots far from major cities. Unfortunately though, many of these valuable remote airstrips are being shut down as the costs to maintain them soar. Some town councils organise and build an airstrip to support their town, meeting some of the costs by way of landing fees from aircraft using the airstrip.

Landing on Remote Airstrips in Bad Weather

Because they’re so isolated, landing on a remote airstrip can sometimes create problems – pilots must always check the conditions before flying anywhere near it (and may have to circle around or land elsewhere if there’s bad weather), but is very important that people living in Australia’s most remote communities should have easy access to flights throughout the country.

An excellent example of this can be seen at Alice Springs Airport where Runway 17 is the last chance for pilots to land safely during bad weather. Pilots who have been unable to land on other runways must therefore succeed in landing here or divert their flights around the region.

Airlines operating small planes tend to use such airstrips as they are often more convenient than runways with staff on hand to guide incoming aircraft; but when travelling across outback Australia you should be aware of how important these strips really are – without them many people would have never settled in such remote locations where life was so difficult before the arrival of reliable flight services.

Australia’s Remote Airstrips – A Pilot’s Perspective

Flying our outback is one of the great joys and privileges that comes with an Australian pilot’s licence. As a pilot you will find that most airstrips out here aren’t overly burdened with the first class trappings of a city strip, like bitumen, a windsock or a centreline. Many pilots learn how to operate safely on bush strips as it opens the gates to so much of regional Australia that they’d otherwise miss out on.

There’s a lot to consider when planning to land on a remote Airstrip

• Is it actually suitable for your aircraft and your level of competence?
• Is it long enough?
• Are there any slopes to be aware of?
• What about the surface. Clay? Grass? Stony?
• How long since it’s been graded?
• What about the surrounding terrain?
• Is the farmer planning to open the gates and let his prize stock in to graze that day?

Once you arrive in the circuit area of an unfamiliar strip, the pilot will take the time to overfly it and, as well as checking out the surface, check for any wildlife waiting to meet you half way down the strip. Roos are particularly fickle and can be hard to see amongst any bushes either side of the strip. Without notice, they can bound out in front of the plane, often with family in tow. If you see you have company, the pilot must fly low and loud along the length of the strip to encourage them to scamper off.

The pilot must be very aware of the surrounds.  If they’re coming into a bush strip on a windy day, they need to have a look for any nearby trees or possible cause of rotor wash that’s going to disturb the air flow which, in turn, will affect the approach and landing. He must also check the other end as well in case of a go-around and size up whether there are any high branches, posts or powerlines that need to be factored into the equation. 

Australia wouldn’t be the country it is now without our network of remote Airstrips

As well as opening up regions of Australia that would otherwise be virtually impossible for people to inhabit, aviation has played an important role in attracting more tourists to these unique places and creating new jobs where previously little work could be found.

Such improvements have helped change the image of outback Australia from barren wasteland to somewhere with plenty of opportunities – so let’s celebrate the creation of these valuable strips across our expansive land.

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Learning to fly in Australia is cheaper than you may expect. As are the costs of building and maintaining an aircraft. It costs Martin Hone less to fly and maintain his two aircraft than it does his old farm ute.

Key points:

• It can take as little as $4,000 and 20 hours to get your recreational pilot’s certificate
• The certificate allows you to fly a two-seat recreational registered aircraft in uncontrolled airspace during daylight hours
• There are 10,000 recreational pilots in Australia, the most there has ever been

He is one of the 10,000 Australians who have worked out how to fly for fun, and on the cheap — with a recreational pilot’s certificate.

With safer aircraft, cheaper training and relaxed rules, flying schools and hobbyists are reporting that more people are taking up flying for recreation.

At least those who know about it.

“It’s a well-kept secret,” Mr Hone said.

Turns out you do not have to be Richard Branson or John Travolta to own your own plane or fly to Crab Claw Island for breakfast.

Flying is a pastime just about anybody can afford

Mr Hone grew up riding his bike to Moorabin Airport to watch the planes take off.

Worried his eyesight was not good enough or he would never be able to afford it, he put his flying dream behind him. That was until he found Recreational Aviation Australia.

Formerly the Australian Ultralight Federation, RAAus provided a window for Australians looking to fly small aircraft for fun in 1983.

“Before that, if you were rich you could hire a plane or buy one and fly around the patch. But really you were limited,” Mr Hone said.

“It wasn’t for the average person effectively to go flying for fun,” Mr Hone said.

“Now it’s a pastime that just about anybody can afford.”

Recreational Flying has Exploded in Popularity

Under the recreational pilot’s certificate, pilots can fly with one other person in a recreation registered aircraft weighing under 600kg at take-off. They cannot fly at night or charge for their flying services (unless instructing).

RAAus CEO Michael Linke said it was not until 2007 when light-sport aircraft — heavier and more sophisticated than their ultralight predecessors — came on the market that Australians took to the air in droves.

“That fit perfectly in the niche we’re at, the low cost, high-reliability group of aircraft that could come onto our register, and we exploded in popularity,” Mr Linke said.

When it comes to medical requirements, RAAus CEO Michael Linke said the same Austroads private driver’s licence health standard applied for recreational pilots.

So if you are fit to drive a car, you are fit to operate a RAAus aircraft.

You can assemble your own kit plane

There are thousands of aviation enthusiasts who and currently flying, or building their own recreational aircraft. The most popular of these is Van’s Aircraft, based in Oregan,USA. Around the world, on average, 1.5 RVs are completed and flown for the first time each day. These sports aircraft are reliable, fast and affordable to build. The average RV costs less to build than a top range 4WD car.

It took Josh Mesilane 32 hours and $5,760 to get his certificate.

The 34-year-old had just bought a house, started a business and was looking to start a family when he realised his flying dreams in 2018. Before that he had no idea recreational aviation existed.

The certificate requires a minimum of 20 hours, five of which are solo hours.

With schools typically charging between $200 and $300 an hour, you are looking at a bare minimum of $4,000 for your certificate.

A Cross Country endorsement will take an extra 12 hours and allows you to fly anywhere in uncontrolled air space (about 95 per cent of Australia).

ABC South East SA /

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In the past couple of decades, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged from academia into the mainstream. It is now being used in a number of applications and sectors, including air travel. AI’s ability to learn by experience means that it can be trained for any task or job within an organization. Even one as complex as aviation. As this technology becomes increasingly powerful, how will it impact the business of air travel? This article explores some possibilities.

AI is becoming more common and much more powerful. The travel industry has been slow to adopt AI, but it is catching on. There are a number of benefits that artificial intelligence can offer air travellers –

• Making reservations easier,
• Checking flight status or
• Finding the best deals for flights.

Although in its infancy, there are new technologies such as chatbots that can be used at airports. They will save time by eliminating check-ins and other lines before you board your plane.

This technology offers many advantages over traditional methods. For example customer service representatives who cannot keep up with demand due to high call volume.

Chatbots have features such as FAQs which make them faster than calling a customer service representative.

Some of the advantages of AI in aviation

There are other ways that AI will affect the future of air travel, as well. Airports are already using AI to predict flight arrivals and departures times with surprising accuracy. This can help reduce wait time for passengers when they land at an airport.

Flight arrival services too can benefit from the use of AI, which is currently being used to reduce the wait time for passengers and ground crew alike.

Predictions show that by 2035 there could be as many as three billion passengers flying each year around the world. That means airports are going to need help dealing with all these people. AI will also play a major role in helping airlines deal with this increasing demand. It can help forecast air travel patterns more accurately than humans ever could. AI-based systems are already predicting flight delays before they happen, improving customer service during high traffic periods like Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Artificial intelligence won’t be replacing human workers anytime soon. Instead it will supplement them by taking on busy work so that employees can focus on tasks that require emotional labor or creativity. With this new technology coming into the airline industry every day, how long until we see an entirely automated airport?

Can aircraft design and maintenance be impacted by AI? Will AI assist with flight planning, takeoff, and landing? There are already companies investigating these possibilities, and it is possible that AI will be more common in flight planning sooner than we might imagine.

Would you fly in a pilot-less aircraft?

Will aircraft pilots soon be replaced by sentient computers? Do you think the flying public are ready for this? Will it make air travel more affordable, or safer??

After all, one of the primary reasons people avoid flying is because of the fear that they’re going to crash. But if you could install a computer on an airplane that was as intelligent and competent (or better) than a human being, wouldn’t this significantly reduce your chances of crashing?

You might think “but hey – isn’t there still at least some manual control needed?” Well, in fact not really. The automated system can take over responsibility for much of what happens outside the cockpit. This includes communication with other aircraft and ground stations, monitoring hazards such as weather conditions or traffic, and even landing the aircraft.

You might be wondering how we know that it is safe to delegate so much responsibility to a computer? Well, in fact there are already some fully automated systems flying commercially! That’s right, you could fly from Singapore to New York with no human pilot aboard. In this particular case, the flight was piloted by an AI system developed by US company “SenseFly” (a subsidiary of eSpatial) which has been used for years on manned drones but not yet on commercial passenger flights due to safety certification requirements.

Conclusion

There are major technological advancements in aviation occurring all over the world. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and augmented reality are just some of the emerging technologies that will change the aviation industry as we know it today.

Will advancements in AI make pilots redundant? It is predicted there will be a shortage of 500,000 commercial pilots globally by 2037. In response to this impending crisis, earlier this year Rolls Royce’s Chief Technology Officer announced their plans to introduce an artificially intelligent pilot into service by 2030 – with a target date of 2025 for passenger jets too small to have flight decks.

AI will surely play a huge role in shaping the future of aviation. From intelligent flight control systems to augmented reality for pilots, innovations are bound to keep coming. AI has already brought crucial safety to commercial aircraft by detecting defects on inspections faster than anyone else can.

The future is bright for AI approaches in aviation and we’re only just beginning our exploration into what this technology is capable of doing! Expect plenty more developments coming your way about this very exciting field as research ramps up.

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The general public tends to be comfortable with a certain amount of automation in their lives. Frequent fliers understand that there are two pilots in the cockpit of the plane. But those human aviators are relying on autopilot for routine parts of the flight. A commercial airliner can even land itself if needed, although it’s bothersome for the pilots to set up that process. Military drones were designed from the ground up to fly with no-one on board—a concept that now is pretty normal. 

What might seem a little scarier is the idea of taking a regular aircraft like a King Air—a two-engine turboprop—and converting it to fly totally autonomously, with no humans on board. A new outfit called Merlin Labs has announced a plan to do just that with Virginia-based company Dynamic Aviation. Merlin has been testing their system in the Mojave Desert since 2019, albeit with a safety pilot on the plane. 

“What we’re developing is hardware and software that takes big traditional airplanes, at least right now, [and] enables them to fly autonomously,” says Matthew George, the CEO and founder of Merlin Labs. “But in the future, what we’re building truly is a digital pilot—it could be applied to future types of aircraft that don’t exist yet.” While they’ve used their system on different models of planes, their newest and biggest focus is on the King Air, specifically the 90 series. 

The company’s goal is for the system to be able to handle all the tasks a human pilot might execute, “from takeoff to touchdown,” George says. They’re also hoping to achieve FAA certification, which is the stamp of approval needed for a company to use the new tech to charge for services, like flying cargo. 

[Related: This surprisingly common flight issue contributed to Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash]

He emphasizes that they’re not developing a system where humans are remotely flying the aircraft from the ground, like what happens with the MQ-9 Reaper. In those cases, the link between the aircraft and the terrestrial world below is mission-critical. The Merlin system is different. “We believe the autonomy needs to be on the aircraft,” George says, adding that a person on the ground would be “monitoring, but not the primary controller of the aircraft.” He explains that a single person might even watch over multiple missions from terra-firma at once. 

The plane’s autonomy extends to being able to touch base with authorities on the ground. “We believe the aircraft itself needs to do all the functions that a human pilot does, and that absolutely includes communicating with air traffic control,” he says. 

All of this could enable a totally uncrewed aircraft to execute missions that are, as George puts, “dull, dirty, dangerous.” With its deal with Dynamic Aviation, Merlin is working with an aviation company that, according to its website, has over 140 airplanes and carries out tasks like ISR flights (that stands for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and data collection. Merlin will be retrofitting a whopping 55 of their aircraft for autonomy. “Those aircraft are used for a wide variety of missions—everything from helping fighting fires in California, to agricultural missions, all the way to providing geospatial data for the federal government,” George says. 

It’s hard to picture a robot airplane doing something tricky like fighting a fire—something humans do with tanker planes—but flying around and keeping a lookout makes more sense. George ticks off “fire surveillance” as one mission, and “maritime patrol” as another. Those offshore patrols, he notes, are one way that the US government could save money and keep humans safely on the ground. 

Thinking about an airplane being used in this way—a boring surveillance flight over the ocean—makes more sense than a large pilotless commercial aircraft with passengers on board. Even George, who leads a company focused on aviation autonomy, doesn’t see that happening. “I don’t think that there is a world in which there is an unmanned 737 carrying passengers,” he says. A more sensible step up from an autonomous King Air could be a larger plane, hauling cargo, with just one human pilot and a supplemental Merlin copilot. Or perhaps a smaller uncrewed plane with a Merlin system on board could help fulfil ecommerce orders. 

[Related: Joby’s electric aircraft inches us closer to a future full of flying taxis]

And then there are questions about safety. What if one of the airplane’s two engines failed—could the digital pilot handle it? George says that that’s where predetermined emergency procedures help out, as checklists already exist for how to handle scenarios like those. “That’s something we’re thinking a lot about,” he adds, to “integrate that into autonomy.” 

Even if the plane’s flight takes it mostly over water or other uninhabited areas, it could still presumably pose a risk to people on the ground if an incident occurred around takeoff or landing. Could the AI scope out a spot to land as safely as possible if it couldn’t reach a runway? “We’re actively thinking about that and working with the regulator to try to define what the art of the possible is,” George says. (Upshot of dealing with a totally empty airplane: you could hypothetically divert it into the ocean.) 

And while a human pilot can use their eyes to scope out hazards like power lines, a robot aviator (or the human monitoring the flight from the ground) would need to rely on onboard cameras or sensors. “Once again we’re still working on it with the regulator,” he notes, mentioning “a video feed and likely also other types of sensor feeds as well.” 

Ultimately, the push for autonomy is just one big theme in aviation innovation right now, with other related concepts being electric air taxis (which also could be highly automated) that will someday, just maybe, whisk people around cities—perhaps without a human pilot in control. 

Article from Popular Science Magazine

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Gender quotas are wrong says Australia’s first woman airline pilot, Deborah Lawrie. She believes gender quotas are discriminatory and devalue the achievements of those who get the job.

“I believe it’s wrong. They’re attacking it from the wrong end,” she said. “They need to go to the other end, and encourage women to get in the industry in the first place. By virtue of getting more applying, you’ll get more who are competitive with the guys.”

Lawrie is a trailblazing figure, having won her place in the cockpit by triumphing in a 10-month legal case against Ansett, which then refused to employ woman pilots at all.

“The best person should always be selected for a job,” said Lawrie. “And I think quotas devalue the ones who get the job through merit.

“So, if you say you’ve got to have 50 per cent guys, 50 per cent females, you are discriminating against the guys who might have been more qualified, over women who are less qualified.

“Plus, the women who are already there, who reached all the entry prerequisites, they feel devalued. They think, ‘Oh well, it didn’t matter if I wasn’t good enough or not, I would have got in anyway just because of my gender.’”

Instead, she said airlines should work harder to encourage school leavers to get interested in the industry. Currently many girls don’t think of it as a potential career.

“If there was more emphasis on it being a possibility as a career for a female, you’d get more applying anyway,” she said.

However, Lawrie also thought great progress had been made and pilot selection had “improved out of sight” from when she struggled to get her break.

“I would have just walked straight through the door with the qualifications I had, without any problems whatsoever,” she said.

Lawrie’s comments are interesting as most of the Australian industry has embraced ‘targets’ for their cadetship programs in particular – though many would argue there are different definitions, interpretations and blurred lines between what constitutes a ‘target’, ‘goal’ or a ‘quota’, and how they are implemented.

Now-defunct Tigerair was the most prominent advocate of targets and gender diversity.

At its end, Tiger’s female representation in the cockpit stood at 8 per cent, making it among the highest in the world.

However, brand CEO Merren McArthur said the figure was “nothing to crow about”. She transformed her all-male top team into one with a 60–40 split and set, and surpassed a target of ensuring 50 per cent of recruits on its cadetship scheme were female.

In 2017, Qantas committed to a goal of at least 50 per cent in its pilot cadet intake being female in a decade’s time.

However, chief executive Alan Joyce also said the airline would work “at the grassroots level” to encourage girls and women into studies that could lead to a career in aviation.

“We just need to reinforce the message that girls and women belong in technical jobs,” he said. Qantas was last reported to have hit 5 per cent of its pilots being women. That is higher than the often reported world average of just 3 per cent.

Finally, in 2018, Virgin said it was planning for a 50:50 gender target for its 2019 cadetship program.

Lawrie represents one of Australian Aviation’s most iconic figures. During 10 months beginning in January 1979, Lawrie battled through five separate legal cases to force Ansett to end its policy of refusing to employ women pilots.

In that time, she had her family planning intentions questioned, was told women weren’t strong enough to fly large aircraft and was even informed that menstrual tension could hinder her performance.

She became Australia’s oldest female airline pilot, too, when she flew with Tigerair, before being made redundant when the brand was discontinued.

Article from: Australian Aviation

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