Week in brief August 5 2011

The Royal Flying Doctor Service’s Tasmania branch has a new simulator that’s set to improve training for paramedics and reduce costs. Jointly funded by the RFDS and the Commonwealth, the $600,000 mobile simulator has been designed to mimic the confined space conditions of the King Air B200s the RFDS uses. The simulator, which is a realistic representation of the fuselage of a King Air, is the only one on the east coast of the country. It will be made available to Ambulance Tasmania to enhance their training of paramedics in a safe and inexpensive environment, without the need to use ‘live’ aircraft.


And while we’re on those heroes at the RFDS, this year marks the 10th anniversary of RFDS fundraiser, World Flight Australia. The event will see a team of 15 pilots and support crew spend a week ‘flying’ around the world in a full-size Boeing 747-400 simulator, landing at major airports along the way. With full-motion sensors and a high definition wraparound screen, the RFDS says this isn’t too far away from the real thing. The sim circumnavigation leaves on November 7, and you can follow their progress at www.worldflight.com.au. And the RFDS is giving private pilots and the general public the chance to try their hand at the very same 747 simulator. It’s based in Sydney and costs $200 for a three-hour session. Or, with Christmas around the corner you can shout a friend – and you know you’re money’s going to a good cause. To have a crack call Terry Scanlon on 0438 647 409.

 
Two new F/A-18F Super Hornets arrived at RAAF Base Amberley yesterday, bringing the current Australian Super Hornet fleet to 20 with a further four aircraft to be delivered by the end of the year. The fourth generation fighter can carry about one-third more fuel and weapons payload than the F/A-18A or F/A-18B Classic Hornets, while maintaining the same speed and handling characteristics in combat configurations. The first 15 Australian Super Hornets became operational in December last year following the retirement of the iconic F-111. A further three Super Hornets were delivered to Amberley last month.


CASA’s aerodrome flight safety checking team (which is actually contractor Radiola Aerospace) will be out and about at 19 aerodromes across Queensland this month ensuring that flight paths at the aerodromes continue to be safe. Checks will be conducted at Roma, Taroom, Kingaroy, Sunshine Coast, Gayndah, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Thangool, Gladstone, Blackwater, Emerald, Clermont, Rockhampton, Dysart, Moranbah, Mackay, Chillagoe and Chinchilla. A series of low level flights in a Cessna Conquest will be undertaken at each aerodrome to check the safety of flight paths. Low-level flying is an essential part of the safety exercise, with aircraft down as low as several hundred feet at times. The checks will be carried out between Monday August 8 and Thursday August 18.


That new four-seat, high-wing C4 model from German manufacturer Flight Design that we reported on a few week’s back (click here to read) seems to have turned heads and prised open wallets at AirVenture 2011 last week. Flight Design signed 40 orders for the C4 at the weeklong event. While Flight Design has long been a popular name in the LSA market, the C4 marks the manufacturer’s first entry into the certified market.


BRS Aerospace, designer of the ballistic recovery system whole aircraft parachute that comes as standard on Cirrus aircraft and is popular amongst many pilots, is developing a new electronic ignition system for the parachute. The electronic ignition system is being designed to prevent inadvertent deployment of the parachute, and it’ll come with a back-up battery so it’ll still be able to be deployed during an electrical failure. The new system is said to be easier to deploy, with deployment immediate, compared to the 1.5 second delay incurred by manual deployment. The new electronically activated system will be installed as standard equipment on the above-mentioned C4.