www.royalaeroclubwa.com.au

Official Publication of the Royal Aero Club of Western

Australia (Inc.)

October 2015http://www.royalaeroclubwa.com.auAustralia $4.00 (Inc. GST)

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ISSN 1833-6116

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Contacts

In This Issue Deadlines

Main Office & Operations:41 Eagle Drive, Jandakot Airport, JANDAKOT, W.A. 6164Phones: 08 9417 0000Fax: 08 9417 0040Email: info@royalaeroclubwa.com.auWeb: www.royalaeroclubwa.com.au

Flickr: Royal Aero Club WATwitter: www.twitter.com/royalaeroclubwaFacebook: www.facebook.com/royalaeroclubwa

Murrayfield Operations: Lakes Road,NAMBEELUP, W.A., 6210Phone: 08 9581 6222Fax: 08 9583 3922Email: murrayfield@royalaeroclubwa.com.au

Racwa Team Members: CEO: David CurreyClub Secretary: David CurreyCFI (IFR) / Chief Pilot: Trevor JonesCFI (VFR) Rob PedriCFI (IT) / Murrayfield: John Douglas Chief Engineer: Glen Caple Operations Manager: Rick EnnisOIC Murrayfield: Michael Chlopek

Tarmac Topics: Publisher: The Royal Aero Club of

Western Australia (Inc.) 19 537 624 305

Editor: editor@royalaeroclubwa.com.auPublishing / Advertising Manager:

Shelley Cruden Ph. 0423 892 084 tarmactopics@royalaeroclubwa.com.au

Printer: Mike Severn (Success Print) Ph. 9279 3214 mike@successprint.com.au

CommitteeAndrew Eldridge

President: 0438 220 703 or 08 9221 4336 Andrew.Eldridge@bigpond.com

Mitchell Wells Vice President: 0400 700 824 mitchellwells@hotmail.com

Steve Wilson Treasurer: 0407 772 324 swilson@btel.net.au

Craig Hensley Club Captain: 0439 528 733 craighensley@y7mail.com

Marco Surace Director: 0467 791 537 marco.surace@gmail.com

Linda Maule Director 0411 480 909 linda.maule@hotmail.com

James Murphy Director: xxx xxx

Martin Jones Director: 0407 033 737 martin.jones47@aol.com

Rachel George: Director: 0418 957 225 To Advertise

Disclaimer

Cover Photo: The pre-dawn light is so peaceful - it belies the busy preparations for the Dawn Patrol that morning.- Photo: Dawn Russell

The views expressed in TARMAC TOPICS are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Racwa, nor does it automatically endorse products advertised. Racwa retains the right to reject or edit submissions for publication to conform with Racwa policies or due to space constraints. Aviation regulatory matters are mentioned as general information only - readers should obtain the current status immediately before flight operations. No responsibility is taken for any loss or damage suffered by any person or entity attributed to the content of any article or advertisement published in this magazine. Reproduction of material published in this magazine is permitted after approval has been obtained from the Publisher of Tarmac Topics, and on the condition the article/photo source is acknowledged.

Advertise in Tarmac Topics now. For details, check http://www.royalaeroclubwa.com.au or contact Shelley Cruden on 0423 892 084 or tarmactopics@royalaeroclubwa.com.au.

FeaturesFlying is Fun 6The Few 7Night of Nights 8Night of Nights (cont.) 9Expanding Horizons 10Murrayfield 11How are We Going? 12Words of Wisdom 13Green Fingers 14Out 'n' About 16

Regular ItemsContact Us 2News 3What's On? 4Around The Club 5On A Lighter Note 15

The deadline for receiving articles and photos for the following month's edition is the 17th of each month.

PatronHer Excellency Kerry Sanderson AO

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From the CEO's Desk

The Club is well positioned to record a significant growth this financial year. We are experiencing increased enrolments in WAAC, new business

from Polytechnic West and a general growth in the demand for flying training - all of which bodes well for our future. Our marketing initiatives have been targeted at niche markets, rather than simply promoting brand awareness which can be very expensive. The increased demand for our aircraft indicates these initiatives are bearing fruit. In addition to the Careers Expo, teams of instructors have visited many schools over the last few months to promote aviation as a career. There is a lead time of up to three years when promoting the College, but this has to be an essential part of our marketing mix. Our presence in the social media arena is also attracting new students. The increased demand for aircraft, especially 152s has revealed that many flights are returning late, thus inconveniencing all flights for the rest of the day. This may be a nice problem to have (rather that aircraft standing idle all day) but we need to ensure members can access their aircraft at the start of a booking time. If you depart late for whatever reason, you must return the aircraft within your booking time unless you have been granted additional time by our operations staff.Our fleet continues to be improved, with VH-UWC’s refurbishment nearing completion. Thanks to a generous donation, UWC will have Greg Hill’s name on the engine cowling – a fitting tribute to Greg for his many years of support to the Club. The Club is the first in Australia to test a C172 with an electronic CSU. Initial tests indicate that the aircraft more than meets the CASA requirements for a commercial training aircraft. We intend to evaluate this aircraft over the next month or two before making a decision about expanding this conversion to other S model 172s. Decisions regarding the composition of our fleet often have to be made a year or two in advance, and have a major impact on our competitiveness. Fleet selection is an ongoing process that is constantly reviewed by committee and management.The next months will see the Club truly fulfilling its mandate of promoting aviation to the public. Murrayfield will be fully occupied with a week-long Air Force Cadet camp (26 Sept to 4 Oct), Cirrus will be

hold an open day on the 3rd October, the WA Aerobatics Championships are being held at YMUL from 8 – 12 Oct, followed by the Greg Hill Memorial Trophy and a club competition on the 18th October. The Club is also involved in organising the last fly-in to Langley Park to commemorate Langley Park being used as an aerodrome 100 years ago. Training for the WALACs will also increase activity at Murrayfield, so book your aircraft well in advance. We will be running a double instructor course at Murrayfield in November and again in January. In addition to this activity in October, the Club will be hosting a CASA seminar at 6.30pm on Wednesday 14 October entitled “Aviation Safety – Lessons for Life”. All members are encouraged to attend this seminar; registration is via AviationWorx. .Please diarise 17th November as a date not to be missed. We are having our second New Members’ Night from 6.30pm. I urge all members to come and welcome our new members, congratulate those who have recorded their first solo in the last three months and socialise with other members. The evening will include a presentation by the Bureau of Meteorology regarding forthcoming changes in Area Forecasts.The leasing of the public parking area has relieved the parking congestion in front of the Club. Members are requested to use the public parking area whenever possible and only park in front of the clubhouse if no other parking is available.Congratulations to Club Captain Craig Hensley for organising a highly successful Battle of Britain Dawn Patrol. A total of 22 aircraft were scheduled to commemorate the heroic actions of “the few” in 1940. This is a welcome growth in activity from previous years and is indicative of the resurgence in Club events.We welcome James Murphy to the committee and thank Rod Garnaut for his valuable input during his three years on the committee. Rod’s marketing experience has been particularly valuable to helping us promote the Club and College. James brings his engineering and project management skills to the committee. Even before accepting the position on the committee, James met with officials from the Shire of Murray to rejuvenate the long awaited development of Murrayfield Airport. Spring is definitely in the air, along with longer days and clearer skies. Make the most the Perth weather while you can.

David Currey. CEO

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October26-4 Air Force Cadet camp, YMUL 2 CPL Meteorology course starts 3 Working Bee, Racwa YPJT 3 Cirrus Showcase, Racwa YPJT11-12 WA Aerobatics Championships11 Murrayfield Comp - Practice Forced Landing14 CASA Safety Presentation17 Learn to Fly seminar, Murrayfield17 AOPA Seminar18 Last day for ordering Wings Dinner official

photos18 Greg Hill Memorial Trophy (formerly GM Perpetual

Trophy)19 PPL course starts20 Aviation Workshop20 Infrequent Flyers Forum - AFR Refresher25 Jandakot Challenge - Fastest Circuit30 Industry presentation30 Formation Friday30 Old Fliers Group31 AWAPA Halloween Quiz Night

November 4 Jandakot Engineering Seminar and Have your

Say Forum 7 Learn to Fly Seminar, Jandakot

Coming Events

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7-8 WALACs 2015 - Bunbury Aero Club14 Murrayfield Moon10 CPL Flight Performance & Loading course starts17 Aviation Workshop Evening17 New Members Evening19 CPL Human Factors course starts21 Jurien Bay Fly-In21 Warbirds Downunder, Temora27 Formation Friday27 Industry Presentation27 Old Fliers Group29 JT Challenge - Instrumentless Circuit

Later 6 December Leeuwin Estate Luncheon13 December Murrayfield Comp - Fastest Circuit20 December Jandakot Challenge - Two for One

Regular EventsMurrayfield Comp 2nd Sunday of the monthAviation Workshop Evening - 3rd Tuesday of the monthFormation Friday - Last Friday of the monthIndustry Presentation - Last Friday of the monthOld Fliers Group - Last Friday of the monthJandakot Challenge - Last Sunday of the month

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Murrayfield Learn to Fly

Saturday October 17

2 seminars at 10:30am & 1pmThe Sebel Hotel Mandurah

Register online at: becomeapilot.com.au

You’re Invited to:

The Royal Aero ClubNew Members Night

Where we will welcome our newest members & celebrate the social side

of what the club has to offer

6pm Tuesday 17 NovemberRoyal Aero Club Members Lounge

All members are invited, old & new

Night will also feature Jonathan Grimes from The Bureau of Meteorlogy

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Good morningI am a past member of the club. I’ve been having a clean out at

home and have a large pile of Tarmac Topics from about 1991-1999. Would they be any interest to anyone at the club?!Kind regards

Veronica Binns veronicabinns@me.com

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Occasions

● Year 12 Maths Bridging Course● Required to satisfy minimum entry criteria for QANTAS roles● Accredited certificate on completion● Course Dates subject to enrolmentsRegister your preferred dates & interest online:

www.royalaeroclubwa.com.au

Joanne Allan (our LAME Paul Drayton's

wife) made this special cake

VH-UWC is looking good part way through its refurbishment project & is a living memory of former Club Captain & stalwart Greg Hill.

Christmas in July was a great hit as these members will attest

How's Your Maths?In partnership with The Royal Aero Club, The WA Aviation College is establishing a QANTAS approved Maths course to bridge year 12 maths and satisfy the minimum requirements

for entry for pilots into a QANTAS role.QANTAS requires:• Higher SchoolCertificate (documentation required),with

passes in suitable Year 12 Maths and English - approvedbridgingcourseswillbeconsidered,or;

• Approvedequivalentcoursecertificate.• AfullycompletedBachelorDegreeinanydiscipline.• Tertiarystudiesarehighlydesirablebutnotessential.The Course will run for 7 days (8am-3pm Monday - Friday & an additional Mon & Tuesday 8am-3pm)The course dates and prices are subject to enrolmentsAnd an accredited certificate will be offered upon completion.To register your interest and include your preferred course dates visit the Aero Club or Aviation College webpages.

Jandakot Engineering SeminarWHEN: 4.00pm Wednesday 4th November 2015

VENUE: Royal Aero Club of WA

41 Eagle Drive Jandakot

Register online at www.casa.gov.au/avsafety

Light refreshments will be served

Maintain Your Knowledge

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Continued from last monthDay 3 Forrest – Coober Pedy (365nm) Wednesday 8 July 2015As this was the longest leg of our trip, I was conscious of keeping very precise fuel logs. After reviewing the forecast, we were fortunate once again to have tailwinds. Today, the cloud base was very high and we set course for Coober Pedy climbing to 7500’. At cruising altitude we had a G/S of 120kts and flying conditions were like silk. Maralinga, our midway point, served as a critical point to either return to Forrest or continue to Coober Pedy. We had made good time, so on we went on.Some 80 miles out from Cooper Pedy, the landscape changed with various big lakes on the way. As we approached the airport we could see thousands of mine mounds where opal miners have been looking to make a strike. After landing, we refuelled and contacted the Comfort Inn to collect us. It's an underground motel converted from an old opal mine. People are attracted to Coober Pedy for many reasons. Some are fascinated by the underground lifestyle - like nowhere else on earth. Many of the homes, hotels, churches and restaurants are tunnelled into hillsides and are almost invisible on first inspection. Others are drawn by the very thing that has pulled people from 47 nations to this desert region over the past decade – opals. Then there are those who just come to see the landscapes: the majesty of the Breakaways, the spectacle of the Painted Desert and the bizarre, moon-link surface of the mine fields.Day 4 Coober Pedy Thursday 9 July 2015Today was spent sightseeing around the town and a guided tour to various opal mine sites along with a visit to the Breakaways Conservation Park - a protected area 35kms north of Coober Pedy. The Breakaways are a striking and unique example of arid scenery and are one of South Australia’s Outback gems. Day 5 Coober Pedy – William Creek (86nm) Friday 10 July 2015The morning air was cold and crisp for our short flight east to William Creek via Anna Creek Station. We landed at William Creek around 10.30am and booked into our air-conditioned cabin. After a short briefing by the local pilot, we were airborne once again heading out to see Lake Eyre which is 32nm east of William Creek airstrip. From there we flew across the southern end of Lake Eyre (North) and them southwest down to Lake Eyre (South) over to Pelican Point lookout and then back to William Creek.William Creek is located halfway on the Oodnadatta Track, 210kms north of Maree and 166kms east of Coober Pedy and has a population of 6. The hotel offers accommodation and meals as well as a well-maintained, if somewhat dusty campground. In the Memorial Park it is possible to see diverse items such as the first stage of the Black Arrow Rocket, Britain’s only successful independent space launch that was recovered from the surrounding Anna Creek Station. Australia’s first public solar phone was installed at William Creek.Lake Eyre can be seen from several vantage points along the Oodnadatta Track and appears as a rather featureless, white saltpan. It is only from the air that its immensity can be appreciated. The curvature of the earth can be seen on the horizon and it is possible to identify the courses of the ancient rivers that still occasionally flow into the lake which covers about 1,200,000 square kilometres.Day 6 – William Creek Saturday 11 July 2015We woke to gray skies and very strong southerly winds. I was hopeful the weather would improve by late morning but the winds did not abate all day, so we didn't fly. Day 7 William Creek – Ceduna (240nm) Sunday 12 July 2015Strong headwinds

were forecast for our flight to Ceduna and due to the frontal system - we decided not to proceed to Streaky Bay but fly direct to Ceduna. Once airborne, we managed to climb to 2000’ AGL with a 35 knot headwind that reduced our groundspeed to 80 knots. We overflew the Painted Hills, a well known tourist attraction. They are brilliantly coloured, eroded sandstone ridges. Due to the weather conditions forecast for Ceduna, we just flew directly over the Painted Hills and set course direct for Ceduna. After tying down ITW for the night we went to the local hotel for dinner and the local whiting was yummy.Day 8 Ceduna–Nullarbor–Forrest (300nm) Monday 13 July 2015We departed off runway 29 at 09.50 setting course for the Nullarbor Motel. The cloud cover was patchy once again with rain showers in the area. After many heading changes due to rain and low cloud, we arrived overhead the Nullarbor airstrip at 11.30. We could see the Great Australian Bight in the distance but as the weather was not good - our plan of flying directly over the Bight was cancelled. Our initial plan was to land at Nullarbor but we proceeded to Forrest, landing at 12.50. After refuelling, ITW was put in the hangar for the night. Day 9 Forrest – Kalgoorlie (345nm) Tuesday 14 July 2015We departed Forrest at 9.25 via Rawlinna Homestead, Coonana and onto Kalgoorlie. The weather conditions were once again overcast and we were lucky enough to get a slight tailwind at 2500’. The Kalgoorlie ATIS forecast a 7 knot wind from 090 so we joined downwind for R/W 11 at 12.35. Day 10 Kalgoorlie – Serpentine (303nm) Wednesday 15 July 2015 Our departure was delayed due to low cloud cover. We finally got away around 11.42 for our final leg back to Serpentine. It was hard to believe that we had travelled 2,450nm in 10 days with 2 non-flying days. In all, a fantastic trip and holiday which was only possible after many hours spent planning and poring over maps some 3 months before departure.In summary, I would like to say a very big thank you to Ian Williams of Albany Air Charter who was my mentor for this trip and reviewed my flight plans etc.. We kept in touch each day and also a quick de-brief on the early stages of the trip. This was our first big adventure in ITW and I am pleased to report that we had a very enjoyable and relaxing time but the weather certainly kept us on our toes during some of the legs as already outlined above. We will have to make Streaky Bay next time.A few statistics for those who may be interested: 4 Distance travelled – 2450nm 4 Flight time – 25 hours 4 Avgas used – 800ltrs 4 Average – 32LPH 4 Oil used – 2.5 ltrs 4 Fuel price per litre at William Creek $3.10 followed by Forrest $3.08

Ian Wright #406

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Lake Eyre

This year marked the 75th Anniversary of

the Battle of Britain and the annual Commemoration Flight Dawn Patrol was held again on Saturday September 19th with twenty three aircraft and their crews taking part. Six flight groups were formed - Hendon Flight, led by Andrew Eldridge, Beaufort Flight, led by David Currey, Mosquito Flight led by Gary Evans, Tangmere Flight led by Michael Stenson, Duxford Flight led by Werner Buhlmann and Harvard Flight led by Trevor Jones.The weather was not great to start with - a stiff SSE breeze with some very low cloud at 800' plus some drizzle,

had the covers put on the Tigers. With most of us arriving by 0500, there was time to collect our aircraft books/keys and do our pre-flight before the programme start. With the aircraft checked, it was straight to the welcome urn

for coffee and briefing notes .Club Captain Craig Hensley did his traditional welcome and the operational pilot brief was run by Trevor Jones. The brief covered flight group sequencing, flight crews to know their position within the group. The actual flight route would be departure on RWY24R, track to BoatYard (BOAT), then to Fremantle (FREM) where leaders would obtain "clearance BRAVO" for the flight to Kings Park War Memorial. From there, tracking via Herdsman Lake (HKE)

to Observation City (OBC), down the coast to FREM, Woodman Point, turn inland at "The Chimneys" and join downwind for 24R. Start up time for the Hendon Flight group was to be 0610. A weather brief was held and revised start times were discussed with the emphasis placed on each pilot's capabilities on handling the current forecast weather conditions. Mosquito Flight opted not to go, but that is what flying is all about. If you are not comfortable about your capabilities - don't go.An excerpt from Mick Harcourt (No3 in Harvard Flight)

"Take off in the Tigers was as normal as could be, if not a little bumpy, this was after a wait to see how well the weather would improve.Tracking west then north up the coast to Fremantle we were given clearance to proceed on our journey along the Swan River in CTA.Some low cloud lay threatening off the coast but it was a way off and nothing to be concerned about, so we continued overhead Kings Park and out to Observation City, then coastal south to Woodman Point maintaining our Diamond Formation, with a headwind that slowed us considerably...I even checked to make sure we weren’t passing Bunbury, it seemed to take so long!Inbound calls to Jandakot were made by leader Trevor Jones and we made an early change to echelon right in anticipation of a stream landing.With a left downwind join for runway 24R, we stream landed in a fair crosswind that made sure we were awake and on the ball!It was cold in the Tiger, I have to admit, even with gloves on it took a while for my fingers to thaw out, but that’s all part of the joy of flying these old aircraft".

The Muzz Buzz "Mess" team did a very nice cooked breakfast and we were treated to a very informative talk on "Cold Weather Ops" by Emirates Pilot Graham Hartree. He explained about combatting ice and snow and how the modern aircraft has evolved today to counter this weather phenomenon. One can only begin to imagine what these brave young men were faced with and the aircraft they had to fly in.The cost of the Battle of Britain itselft was high – of the nearly 3,000 aircrew who fought, 544 lost their lives and a further 814 died before the end of the War. The Battle of Britain Monument on the Victoria Embankment, London, records the names of the 2,936 flyers from the 15 nations who flew for Britain in the Battle.Piloting a 350 mph fighter daily to within an inch of your life, was in fact a deadly serious business requiring a cool head and a steady, calculating nerve. Only a fool would treat it casually as, if he did, he would soon be bounced by an Me 109 and become another name on a war memorial.The average age of an RAF pilot in 1940 was about 20 years. Some were as young as 18 and others were over 30. In those days, with the age of majority set at 21, many of the RAF’s Battle of Britain pilots were not old enough to vote but not too young to lay down their lives in the face of a life and death struggle to save Britain from coming under the tyranny of the Nazis.Not all were British – in fact Fighter Command was a cosmopolitan mix. Poles (141), Czechs (87), Belgians (24) and Free French (13) swelled the ranks along with those from the British Commonwealth and other nations who answered the call for pilots to defend freedom.Today about 125 aircrew who flew in the Battle are alive and scattered around the globe. Most are members of the Battle of Britain Fighter AssociationPhotographs courtesy Ang Graville, Rob v H, Lori Hensley, Jim Campbell, Dawn Russell

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Moving beyond tradition, this year’s annual affair was held at The Crown, in their Astral Ballroom on Friday 11

September. Attended by just short of 200 guests, it was a night to be remembered, Professional events are a speciality of Crown, and they definitely delivered. With

the high ceilings, stage and the accompanying visual experience, it was a perfect venue to showcase our professional image.The feedback from Wings, overall has been overwhelmingly positive. We took a risk with the buffet dinner instead of service to your seats; a rotating magician who visited each of the tables was also a different addition, but it worked. And accommodating each of the various awards was a juggling process, all which could not have been accomplished without the dedication of our Event Manager Coril Bere, who is the brains behind such a

successful and dazzling night.It’s Coril’s fortitude that makes every Wings even better than the last, and we are very fortunate for that. Even CEO David Currey has agreed that this Wings was “the best ever!”Adding to this – the event could not have been made possible without the benevolent contributions of our sponsors. Air BP donates

the Tom Millar Scholarships every year and we are eternally grateful for this award; recognising that pilot

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training is a luxury and giving deserving, hard-working pilots accessibility to soar higher. The additional financial contributions from insurers BMG Aviation and QBE were also significant to the events success. Without these contributions we simply could not hold such an event – thank you.Congratulations to all award recipients who accepted their respective accolades so graciously including two RFACA Federation Awards presented to our club President Andrew Eldridge and CEO David Currey, nationally recognising two of the most giving people in the industry, and we’re lucky to have them both on our side. Congratulations also to each and every pilot who walked up on stage to accept their Wings. We only exist because you exist, and every year this night is dedicated to your hard work. Post-event we were invited to make the most of the playground Burswood is renowned for, but the Dinner having fallen on the Friday and with Saturday being one of our busiest days at Racwa, may have balanced the bar tab favourably with pilots electing to drink soft drink and go home early instead. Professional Photography from the night can be viewed at Stevesphotography.com.

au. Simply select Wings Presentation Dinner and the Passcode is 110915This gallery is limited and will close on Sunday October 18

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Experiencing the Cirrus LifeCirrus aircraft staged their biggest promotional event ever

in Australia recently with over 40 Cirrus aircraft and 130 delegates from around Australia attending the Cirrus Life

Conference on Hamilton Island in Queensland’s Whitsundays. The busy three day schedule included comprehensive aviation education sessions, a product expo and daily 2 hour flying training slots with Cirrus’s senior instructors - many of whom were from Cirrus factory headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. The after-hours social programme was highlighted with a surprise performance by music legend James Morrison - also an experienced Cirrus pilot!RACWA member Vaughan Emery attended the event along with fellow members Scott Rawson, Andrew Dean and RACWA Instructor Trent Donovan. Andrew is the proud owner of VH-ICE and flew

his Cirrus from YPJT to YBHM. Vaughan who completed nearly 4 hours in the cockpit of a new SR20 with senior instructor Kevin Korteum from Cirrus HQ told Tarmac Topics his first Cirrus flying

experience was simply exhilarating. Vaughan said for a limited experience C172 pilot, the all glass Garmin Perspective cockpit and unique side stick control replacing the traditional yoke, meant there was much to get your head around at first. However, the actual flying quickly became less overwhelming as a result of the great mentoring provided. After the first day’s session practising basic handling in the lumpy air off the tropical Queensland coast - and managing the slippery speed of a Cirrus, - the second day was spent in the circuit and general flying became almost intuitive. Hamilton Island is also

a busy regional jet airport and an unexpected side benefit was the experience gained from sharing airspace with the B737s!Cirrus Aircraft showcase is now on its way to RACWA.On Saturday October 3 Cirrus will be showcasing three of their latest aircraft including the special edition SR22 Australis which is touring around Australia. Also on display will be a SR22 GTS and a SR22 Generation 5.Don’t miss the opportunity to come down to our Club and get upfront and personal with these amazing aircraft.For more information - contact Vaughan Emery on 0412 923 494 or email vaughanemery@bigpond.comO

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A Warm Welcome to our New Members,

and Congratulations Achievers New MembersAna Beth Sulat, Matthew Alexander, James French, Quentin Wilson, Stuart Cunningham, Lochlan Milburn-Thomas, Bradley Simpson, Alexandra Fyfe, David Butt, Jeff Brooks, Jackson Hill, Byron Manning, Gareth Bretherton, Jacob McGrath, Lindsay North, Greg Anderson, Anthony Rengel, Callum Wood, Andrew Rose

First SoloMaxim Riley, Lewis Bree, Ben French, Jayden Roepen

RPL

Glen Webster, Danielle Moran

PPLAlice Harford, Lewis Newman, Simon Audrain, Christopher Pringle, Shannae Terrill, Ian Loveday

CPLJoshua Del Prete, Lauren Dowding, Elizabeth Garcia

Flight Instructor RatingBrendan Swale, Timma Bushell, Joshua Van Dordrecht, Karl Prandl, Benjamin Lardner

Instrument RatingMichael Burbidge, Richard Lewis

Perth contingent L to R: Corrie Watts with Andrew Dean, Scott Rawson, Vaughan Emery and RACWA Instructor Trent Donovan enjoying a chat with

Cirrus Aircraft CEO and founder Dale Klapmeier ( black shirt centre) at the Cirrus Life Gala Dinner on

Hamilton Island.

RACWA member Vaughan Emery (left) following his first Cirrus experience at Hamilton Island flying the SR20 with Kevin Korteum , Cirrus’s senior

instructor from Duluth, Minnesota. Jandakot AvSafety SeminarWHEN: 6.30pm Wednesday 14th October 2015

VENUE: Royal Aero Club of WA

41 Eagle Drive Jandakot

Register online at www.casa.gov.au/avsafety

Tea and coffee will be served

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My student waits for me in the aircraft so this month’s article is brief. Next month I will write about all the activities from the Cadet camp, aerobatic competition, Greg Hill Trophy, Learn to Fly seminar, RSL Pinjarra presentation night and much more.Happy flying .

Michael Chlopek,

OIC Murrayfield

Murrayfield MattersHello everyone,

This month has been a fantastic for flying. The weather has been great and the demand for aircraft at Murrayfield has

increased 10 fold. At this stage there is a backlog for students for up to 2 weeks.When this article is printed, Murrayfield will have finished playing host to the Australian Air Force Cadet biannual flying camp. 12 Cadets fly full time at Murrayfield to try and go first solo within a week. I hope they all went well. This work is keeping our little airfield very busy.Glenda has moved into her new classroom. A donga has been hired to equip instructor training with a newer facility for training and to accommodate larger courses. This leaves our hangar open to more students and members, along with a spare class room for briefing and member competition days.I recently had the privilege to take the Mayor of Mandurah, Marina Vergone, for a scenic flight around Mandurah. She was an excellent passenger and it was great to discuss all the local plans for the Peel Region. She stated “I had a great time, I will be mentioning this to anyone who will listen”. Always encouraging.Murrayfield will be hosting a Learn to Fly Seminar in Mandurah. It is the first for many years and is already showing promise. I will report more on this next month. but we're hoping it will be a huge success.With the warming weather, new life is evident all around with baby birds flying from their nests, rabbits out and the reptiles bathing in the sun. A warning to all who are visiting, stay clear of long grass as the snakes will no doubt start appearing.

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Award Description RecipientChristopher Little Memorial Award

Awarded to a Commercial Pilot on the basis of outstanding effort and achievement in the face of challenging circumstances

Benjamin Larder

WA Airways Award In recognition of a standard of excellence achieved by a pilot on the Command Instrument Rating course

Richardo Jardim

John Douglas Instructor Training Graduates Award

Presented to a graduate of the Instructor Training Course who demonstrated exceptional standards in achieving an Instructor Rating

Nicole Stoddart

Adkins Trophy Established by the late Mrs Shirley Adkins OAM and Mr Reg Adkins to recognise a successful new competitor in Club flying competitions

Peter Marshall

Eclectic Trophy Awarded to the pilot with the highest aggregate score in the open section of the Club Flying competitions over the past twelve months

Michael Stenson

RFACA Federation Award In recognition of outstanding contribution to the Aero Club movement of Australia

Andrew Eldridge and David Currey

Air BP Tom Millar Scholarship

Generously provided by Air BP: This scholarship is divided into 3 categories and provides funding assistance for each recipient to continue their flying training (Commercial Pilot Licence, Private Pilot Licence, Recreational Pilot Licence)

CPL - $3,000 - Peter GrahamPPL - $3,000 - Tim KuruckchiRPL - $4,000 - Matthew Vance

Instructor of the Year Awarded to the most outstanding Flying Instructor based on initiative, professionalism, productivity, student management and positive attitude

Michael Chlopek

50 Year Members Members since 1965 Robert Da Prato and Maurice Barnes

Don & June Phillips Club Service Award

Inaugural award set up to acknowledge the support and dedication to Racwa by Mrs June Phillips and the late Mr Don Phillips. It is awarded to a person who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the Club

John Ridgeway

Neil Baird Clubman Award For outstanding services to the Club in an honorary capacity Craig Hensley

Racwa Awards

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From CASA CEO, Mark Skidmore

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Strategic Plan Update #3/15STRATEGIC PLAN Target Deliverables Progress

C152 Refurbishment Update upholstery, trim, exterior and seatbelts to make the ab initio fleet more appealing

Refurbishment of VH-UWC expected to be completed by end of September 2015.

Fleet Restructure Replace ageing CPL training aircraft. Upgrade 1 additional C172 to S model. Tailwheel aircraft. ADS-B for IFR..

Electric CSU fitted to ZDR and testing is underway. S model C172 EWC acquired. JDW written off. Decathlon TQO back on-line.

Derive Revenue from Murrayfield Hangars for sale on leased land. Increased activity.

Meetings ongoing with the Shire of Murray regarding requirements for Development Approval.

Develop a Plan for the Continued Development of WAAC

Ongoing WAAC improvements. IREX evening class introduced and proving successful. Anticipating new Aviation package from ASQA. Promotional visits to schools..

Review Accounting Procedures and Processes

Improvements in point of sales and cashiering efficiency.

Ongoing. Servers purchased and due for commissioning in September will support improved performance of key systems.

Develop a Strategy for Diversifying Club Activities and Training between JT and YMUL

Ongoing Murrayfield Development Sub-Committee management. Improve hours and activity at Murrayfield.

Growth continuing. Demountable hired to provide additional lecture room. Club activities held at Murrayfield whenever possible.

Increase Sales; Improve Marketing; Improve Communications to Members

Ongoing growth of sales by improved marketing. Communicate better with members.

Plans to commence Christmas voucher promotion. Electronic signage on Karel Ave has proven effective.

Clubhouse Refurbishment and Utilisation/Optimisation

Building assessment. Develop a maintenance programme

House & Grounds Sub-Committee now active. Busy Bee scheduled for October. Building security enhanced. Lemon tree planted. Parking congestion resolved.

Develop an IT Strategy Ongoing continuous improvement of hardware, software, and backup/security

Terminal server infrastructure to be commissioned in September 2015.

Review Light Sports Aircraft (LSA) Options

Obtain accurate unbiased information and data. Make an assessment on the viability of LSAs at Racwa.

Evaluating aircraft and options.

Develop a Membership Benefits Package Provide member benefits and services aimed at member retention and satisfaction. New Membership cards.

Membership Benefits Package to be launched 4th quarter 2015

Racwa Young Eagles programme Ongoing programme for youth, aimed at developing growth in the number of new young members.

Spring 2015 program now completed with great success. Plans to ensure this is an ongoing product.

Hangar Refurbishment Refresh the hangar. Create more functional space and improve capability.

Scrapped aircraft relocated to external salvage yard, freeing up functional space.

The Royal Federation of Aero Club’s Australia (RFACA) is again running their annual Learn to Fly Scholarship. Two scholarships are available to win, valued of $7700 worth of flying.The Royal Aero Club has had a great track record of our students winning these scholarships in the past; Harriet Swale in 2013, Liam Birch in 2015 and numerous other recipients who are flying as instructors for us today.If you’ve just begun your journey in aviation, applying for this scholarship is your best way to lighten the financial side of flying and fly more often.

RFACA ScholarshipsThe Scholarship is open for applications from October 1, 2015 and closes on March 28, 2016.Simply discuss the scholarship with your friendly instructor and take a trial flight within this time to be eligible to win. Also available are two scholarships open to PPL pilots to go towards their CPL or Instructor Rating. Entry to these scholarships are by nomination of an RFACA Member Club.Nominations must be returned to RFACA Office by April 1, 2016 to be included in the draw.

www.royalaeroclubwa.com.au

From CASA CEO, Mark Skidmore

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I am very pleased to have released CASA’s new regulatory philosophy, which sets out ten key principles to guide and direct the way our organisation

will regulate Australian aviation. These principles will be reflected in regulatory policies and practices and in the way CASA engages with the aviation community. The principles include building trust and respect, taking a risk-based approach, being consultative and collaborative, balancing consistency with flexibility, embracing a just culture, taking actions that are appropriate and in proportion to the circumstances, exercising discretion fairly and limiting CASA’s role in support of punitive action where it may be necessary. I believe this new regulatory philosophy is an important milestone for both CASA and the aviation community. There is now a clear and concise set of principles to guide all our actions. I am committed to ensuring these principles make a real, positive and lasting difference to the way CASA operates and the way we interact with the aviation community.I will take action to ensure every member of CASA understands these principles, how they apply to the work they do and the need to ensure they adhere to them in practice. The principles will guide and direct the making and implementation of regulations, safety education and

support, the delivery of regulatory services, operational surveillance and enforcement, as well as our consultation and communications. Many of these principles are already reflected in existing policies and practices but the adoption of this regulatory philosophy will sharpen the focus on how and how well we are performing. Where necessary, we will develop new policies and procedures to give meaningful effect to our regulatory philosophy. I appreciate some people may be sceptical at first about how or whether these principles will make a practical change to the way we carry out our regulatory responsibilities. But to regain trust CASA must earn trust and as an organisation we are looking forward to the opportunity to do just that. I invite the aviation community to use CASA’s regulatory philosophy as a benchmark against which our performance can be measured.Read the details of CASA’s regulatory philosophy.Safe flying

Mark Skidmore CEO & Director of Aviation Safety,

Civil Aviation Safety AuthorityReprinted with permission

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We were

delighted with the turnout to our meeting on August 28th– particularly

seeing a number of younger guests who came along to join us for lunch and to hear our two guest speakers.First up was Frank Cocks, who gave a lively account of the Lee Enfield .303 rifle and how, while on guard duty during his national service training at RAAF Base Pearce at night, he relied on his trusty .303 during a challenge in a dimly lit area. “Who goes there”, shouted Frank – and an officer fell off his bike. Frank put a good deal of fear into him as he stood over him with his .303 with bayonet attached.Speaker of the Day was Andy Anderson who flew Short Sunderlands during WW2, patrolling above convoys and seeking out the U-Boats that were causing enormous losses to vital shipping in the North Atlantic. He had a box seat on the tragedy that unfolded below him. He had nothing but praise for the sailors,

Old Fliers Groupairmen and merchant seamen who took part in the action.The merchant seamen had their pay stopped when their ship was sunk and, if lucky enough to be rescued, had to make their own way home at their own expense. Andy also told us what it was like to be on patrol and to lose mates.He received a standing ovation at the end of his talk.The next Meeting is on September 25 at noon in the Member’s Bar.

Steve Rogershttp://oldfliersgroup.org.au

https://www.youtube.com/user/OldFliersGroup

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With spring cleared for take-off and football fever hitting great heights, the House and Grounds maintenance subcommittee has been preparing

to take full advantage of the favourable conditions to complete the necessary tasks around the club.The subcommittee was recently formed as a way to hand back ownership of the club’s grounds to the members. Members once took a lot of pride in their Clubhouse and from doing so, reaped the benefits of their labour. On Saturday 5 September the subcommittee met to introduce a brand new lemon tree to the RACWA family. An initiative designed as a fresh restock for the bar and all those who like fruit in their drinks. Thanks go to member Haydn Vernon, resident of the Swan Valley who kindly procured a fantastic Meyer Lemon tree, soil conditioner and mulch which is now planted in the open space at the rear of the club. This area will also be the focus of continuous improvement over the next few months. We’d also like to extend our appreciation to dedicated member George Rolfe who does a great job keeping the lawns under control throughout the yearThe subcommittee plans to hold a working-bee on October 3rd a spring clean. With many hands we can get the outdoor area and gardens looking great again just in time for summer.The subcommittee would love to hear feedback from our members about the clubhouse and grounds of Racwa and

Lemon Treewhat members would like to see done to make it a more enjoyable place to spend time. For example club President, Andrew, has pointed out a couple of areas on the south western side of the Clubhouse needing attention and we intend to address these. Over the years the weather has caused the decorative concrete coating on the outside stairs from the bar and observation deck to the tarmac level to gradually flake and fall off. We plan to scrape the remainder off and refinish with a couple of coats of an attractive hard wearing paint.We’d also like to put a call out to any members with green fingers who have any spring cuttings suitable for transplanting into the garden beds around Racwa; they would be gratefully received. Members who’d like to contribute to the clubhouse and grounds of Racwa are encouraged to contact Steve Wilson at stevoair@gmail.com. There will be substantial remuneration, in the form of lemons, for anyone willing to contribute.

www.royalaeroclubwa.com.au

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The SwampUsed by permission of Gary Clark www.swamp.com.au

Club Captain's CornerHowever last light is at almost 7pm so numbers will be strictly limited. The Fly In to Jurien Bay is on November 20th - 22nd. Come up on Friday or Saturday and enjoy a social weekend with an inter-club competition on Saturday afternoon. This is a hotly contested event and we need to put Mid West in their place this year - so brush up on your short field takeoff and landings. Finally I'd like to congratulate Coril and everyone involved in the Wings Dinner. All the ladies (especially Lori) looked fantastic, both the food and venue were magnificent and the Coronas tasted just a little bit too good. It was a great night with terrific company. I really appreciate the kind words from Andrew and the recognition from the Club. Happy Landings

Craig Hensley #6844, Club Captain

G'day Members,Spring is well and truly upon us and

the good weather means endless opportunities to use your flying privileges. Why not take advantage of

the recently negotiated removal of landing fees at Rotto for Racwa C172s and enjoy a day over there? Regain your currency at our Murrayfield Competition or get back into Jandakot flying at our monthly comps. We've got lunch trips, weekend Fly Ins, WALAC at Bunbury, commemorative flights and Formation Fridays if you want to get into the art of flying up close and personal. The club is here to support your flying dreams, so join in. Don't let your inhibitions get in the way of your ambitions. The YMUL comp will be pushed back a week this month so the AACWA guys have Murrayfield to themselves on Oct. 9-11 for the State Championships. I hope they appreciate it. We have the Greg Hill Memorial Trophy on Sunday 18th. Greg was always a great supporter of Club Flying and it's great to have his name associated with this event. It replaces the GM Trophy which has been a comp between instructors, members and students. Starting at 10am, it will be followed by a flour bombing run, then a BBQ lunch and beverages will be available after the flying is done. Come down for a very social afternoon. At the end of the month we have a precision circuit at Jandakot on Sunday 25th. Registration is at 13:45 in the pilots' bar, with drinks and snacks afterwards and our monthly raffle (the winner can fly the next comp for free). Come along and test your skills. You might be a better pilot then you think. Next month is huge with WALAC on Saturday November 7th at Bunbury Aero Club. Make a weekend of it - enjoy a night with the Bunbury Aero Club members on Friday night, and Saturday night's big presentation dinner. Let's have some good Racwa representation down there. On Saturday November 14, we intend holding our rescheduled Murrayfield Moon camp overnight. The weather should be kinder and warmer for camping too.

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The Bunbury Aero Club's monthly "Big Breakfast" is always held on the first Sunday of each month and as Bunbury will be hosting the Western Australian

Light Aircraft Championships (WALAC) this year thanks to our Club Captain Craig's negotiating skills, RACWA was invited to join our hosts for breakfast and some practice competition flying afterwards. The format - a Practice Forced Landing from 2500' overhead the field with three areas "marked" on the runway for the spot landing, with bonus points for touching down in the centre box.Nine aircraft and their crews flew down including two from Murrayfield. Our departure was originally planned for 0815 and we were to team up with another C172 (crewed by Mick Harcourt, Michael Stenson and Jim Di Menna) to practise some formation flying on the way down, but due to some fuel/water issues in our pre-flight, we missed our "window of opportunity" and did not get going until 0835. The cold morning made for a rather lengthy warm up and we finally taxied to Holding Point "Sierra" RWY06L with myself flying the Jandakot to Bunbury sector. Our track was via Lake Yangebup, LTOM (Lake Thomson), Mandurah, Preston Beach, Myalup and then into YBUN (Bunbury). Once clear of controlled airspace, we climbed to 3500ft. From Myalup, we kept a listening watch on the Bunbury frequency and it certainly sounded busy with lots of aircraft arriving mostly from the north and east. It appeared another aircraft would be joining the circuit at the same time as us, so we opted to slow down and extend our downwind leg - giving us a longer final to settle in for our landing on RWY07 at 0920. Parking was at a premium, but we managed to squeeze in next to the Piper Warrior who landed in front of us.These breakfasts always draw a large crowd and it is nice to see how well organised the volunteers in the kitchen were. A $5.00 fee (excellent value) secured you a plate for the buffet line. Finding a table took a bit of bribery and effort but we eventually settled into a great breakfast, chatting with the locals and other flight crews. We were also introduced to Chris Shine (new Bunbury Aero Club President) and Catherine Jones (club Office Co-ordinator). Catherine does an excellent job co-ordinating club fly-ins and other social events. Bunbury Aero Club is holding a Kalbarri Fly-In on the weekend of Oct 30th to Nov 1st so if anyone is interested - contact Catherine. After breakfast, the three RACWA Mooneys crewed by Mitchell Wells, Jake Sanders and Marco Surace put on a very nice formation fly past in Vic and "Missing Man" sequences.

The competition brief was run by our Club Captain Craig with six RACWA Members and Chris Shine in his Tiger Moth signing up. Mick Harcourt was the air judge (let the games begin!!). RACWA aircraft must be well serviced and rigged as my aircraft (even with a pax in the back) just wanted to glide and glide. If RWY 25 was 500 metres longer, I might have got somewhere! I believe we should all do one of these on a regular basis as it certainly teaches you awareness of "flying the aircraft", selection of area, radio call, passenger brief, your "aim point", shutdown & other checks. We had a perfect day for flying, with almost nil wind, so strong winds will challenge your decision making even more. Some members were worthy of "dishonourable" mentions in despatches. Mick Harcourt didn't allow for some "crosswind" when tossing keys around, so they hit Catherine Jones square on her forehead (nice one Mick - how to impress a new host club member). James Murphy in his Jabiru thought it was legal to carry a spare scoresheet for a checklist. All in all - a great morning and good flying experience. With the comps over, we said goodbye and with Bernie as Pilot In Command for YBUN to YPJT - we departed for our coastal run home. We had a nice tailwind managing a groundspeed of 130kts at times. Flying conditions were still smooth and it was nice flight home to finish the day. So members, WALAC is just around the corner. Give it a go - you will learn a great deal about your own capabilities, and make all the difference to the organisers who put in a lot of effort.Rob van Hamersveld,

#8706