mountain flying · july-august 2017 • aviation news journal 1 news journal established 1991 vol....

July-August 2017 • Aviation News Journal 1

News Journal Established 1991 Vol. 27 No. 4 July-August 2017 $4.95

MOUNTAIN FLYINGWith HNZ Topflight

Paris Air Show: Boeing vs AirbusLangley Regional Airport expands

Chinese airliners: What you need to know

2 Aviation News Journal • July-August 2017

Aviation News Journal March-April 2017 - Vol. 27 No.2

Editor: Divan Muller

Graphic design and production: Low Flying Media

Tel: +1 403 589 7606

General enquiries and editorial contributions: [email protected]

Advertising: [email protected]

Website: www.aviationnewsjournal.com

Mail: PO Box 44081 Southcentre, Calgary, AB, T2J7C5

Aviation News Journal is owned and produced by 1983477 Alberta Ltd. trading as Low Flying Media. The views expressed in Aviation News Journal are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher, or writers. The editors and publishers cannot be held responsible for differences of opinion or statements published in good faith. Any navigational content and material contained herein is reference made by the contributing author for reading enjoyment or study and not to be taken as navigational fact unless so mentioned. The publisher will not assume liability for anyone using this information for reference to actual flying conditions or navigation. No part of this magazine, including advertisements, may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Copyright laws apply.

Cover: Bell 407This month’s cover features a Bell 407

flown by HNZ Topflight General Manager

Dave Schwartzenberger. The photograph

was taken by Divan Muller.

Publications Mail Agreement Number 43353029

Printed six times a year in Canada by Topline Printing Inc.


From the Editor 4

Aviation News 5

Mountain Flying with HNZ Topflight 12

Centre Spread Poster 16

Redemption 18

Langley Regional Airport - an Airport for Helicopters 22

What You Need to Know About Chinese Airliners 26

Aviation TOP 10 28

Pilot’s License: You Learn More 30

Cover: Bell 407This month’s cover features a Bell 407

flown by HNZ Topflight General Manager

Dave Schwartzenberger. The photograph

was taken by Divan Muller.

12

22

30

8


Once again, so much has happened in the aviation industry, that we have had to increase the size of the news section in Aviation News Journal. The recent Paris Air Show saw the debut of several new aircraft types, such as the F-35 and kc-390, but it was the battle for sales between Airbus and Boeing which gained considerable interest from the media.

Thanks to the 737 max 10, which sold like proverbial hotcakes, Boeing’s sales dramatically exceeded that of its European rival. That said, it appears that a number of those orders were from existing Boeing customers, which were converting prior orders into max 10 orders, thereby reducing the threat to Airbus somewhat. Also, Airbus has a noticeably larger production backlog than Boeing, due to hundreds of orders from the past few years, so the battle between the two airliner manufacturing giants remains an intriguing one.

When looking at Airbus and Boeing’s sales figures, it is simply astonishing how popular single aisle airliners have become, especially when contrasted with the lack of sales of Boeing 747s and Airbus A380s.

Meanwhile, here in Canada, we are enjoying an exciting air show season, coinciding with Canada’s 150th Anniversary of

Confederation. A considerable portion of the next issue of anj will be dedicated to air show news and photographs.

With this current issue of anj, we were privileged to experience mountain flying with hnz Topflight, as far as I can tell, the foremost mountain flight training experts in the world. The mountainous terrain near Penticton, bc, is truly spectacular. As the cliché goes, the photographs really do not do the scenery justice. For that reason, I would encourage you to have a look at our ‘behind the scenes’ video on YouTube. Simply search for ‘Aviation News Journal’. Yes, it is our fledgling channel’s first and only video, but we are planning to add similar ‘behind the scenes’ videos of our photoshoots, as well as air show reviews. So, as they say in the classics, “stay tuned!”

In keeping with this issue’s helicopter theme, we visited Langley Regional Airport. The airport is currently experiencing tremendous growth, and has become known for its focus on helicopter companies, while at the same time taking care of its general aviation tenants. It is certainly an exciting airport to watch. Read more about it on page 22.

Until next time, fly safely.

Divan Muller

News Journal

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MailPO Box 44081 Southcentre

Calgary, AB, T2J7C5


Pratt & Whitney Canada ProduCes 100 000th engine

Pratt & Whitney Canada (p&wc) celebrated the production of its 100 000th engine in May this year. Today, p&wc has 60 000 in-service engines operated by 12 300 customers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Its engine families span across general aviation, regional turboprops, business aviation, civil helicopters and auxiliary power units (apus), and total an impressive 730 million flight hours logged.

Every second, a p&wc-powered aircraft takes off or lands somewhere on the planet. Here are some of p&wc’s achievements: The pt6a engine ushered in a new generation of fast and versatile small aircraft. While pt6a technology has powered 128 different applications since its introduction, its benchmark reliability enabled the pt6a to be the only engine to achieve single-engine ifr status for passenger revenue activity in North America, Australia and now Europe.

p&wc has been a leader in the Regional Turboprop segment for more than 30 years and counting with the pw100/150 family of engines.

P&wc pioneered the light business jet market with the jt15d engine and then redefined it with the pw500 engine. The pw300 engine, the heart of mid-size and large cabin business aircraft, introduced full authority digital engine control (fadec) technology on business jet engines, and features low emissions combustor technologies, while the pw600 drove a series of innovative manufacturing changes at p&wc, such as the moving line concept. p&wc’s latest addition to its turbofan


engine offering, the PurePower pw800, brings fundamental change to the large business jet segment, powering the Gulfstream G500 and G600 next-generation long-range and ultra-long range business jets.

P&wc’s fleet of auxiliary power units (apus) equip a variety of commercial aircraft including jets and turboprops flown by regional airlines, and narrow and wide-body aircraft flown by major commercial airlines.

harbour air’s ‘share the Fare’ CamPaign and bees initiative

Vancouver-based Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, is launching a year-long campaign to donate to three bc charities on behalf of passengers who fly every Friday. Harbour Air has also committed to participating in volunteer opportunities with these charities. The Share the Fare campaign, which began on June 2 this year, will see Harbour Air donate $1 for every passenger who flies on Fridays over the next year. There will be no increase in air fares for passengers, the donation is from the airline.

The charities that will receive the donations are the Boys and Girls Club of South Coast BC, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and the bc Cancer Foundation. Passengers will have the option to add adonation to the charities when booking their flight, if they wish.

“We believe these charities have a history of touching the lives of British Columbians in important ways, including many of our passengers,” said Harbour Air ceo and founder Greg McDougall. “We’re delighted to contribute in any way to support their important work and I’m proud of our Harbour Air employees who will be joining me in volunteering their personal time to assist those charities meet their missions.”

Canuck Place ceo Margaret McNeil said: “We are so grateful for partners like Harbour Air who help make Canuck Place care possible for children with life-threatening illnesses and the families who love

them. The funds raised from the Share the Fare program will help ensure we can continue to provide complex clinical care to children and families when they need us the most here in the Lower Mainland and all across bc.”

Boys and Girls Club, President and ceo, Carolyn Tuckwell said: “One of the most important deliverables of Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC is to give kids a sense of belonging in theircommunity. Harbour Air is helping us to do that by raising money and awareness from their community in support of thousands of amazing kids. Thank you, Harbour Air, for believing, like wedo, in what’s possible when we invest in kids.”

“Share the Fare means hope for the 77,000 people in bc who are undergoing cancer treatment this year as proceeds will advance research and care at bc Cancer,” says Sarah Roth, President & ceo, bc Cancer Foundation.

Meanwhile, to celebrate its 10th anniversary as North America’s first carbon-neutral airline, as well as the 1st anniversary of its custom-built Victoria location, Harbour Air is deepening its commitment to sustainability by introducing a colony of honey bees and 50 solar panels on the one-acre grass roof of the Victoria Harbour Airport.The four large beehives, containing an initial 10 000 honey bees that will grow to more than 200 000, are designed to help Victoria’s urban ecosystem combat the decline in wild bee populations around North America. In some areas, bee populations have declined by over one third, meaning urban bee colonies have become essential to ensuring there are enough bees to help plants pollinate.

“Harbour Air is making an important contribution to the Victoria ecosystem, ensuring we have enough bees for our plants to pollinate,” said Bill Fosdick, the president of the Capital Region Beekeepers Association, who is overseeing the introduction of the bee colony. “Given that Harbour Air flies more than 450 000 passengers every year, this will also be an important way to educate people of all ages on the importance of honey bees to our local environment.”


First Canadian heliCoPter CirCumnavigation oF the World

In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, an all-Canadian crew, composed of father-son team Bob and Steven Dengler, as well as experienced helicopter test pilot Rob ‘Dugal’ MacDuff, will fly a Canadian-built Bell 429 Global Ranger over a distance of 38 000 km, in an adventure lasting 35 to 40 days.

Starting in Ontario on July 1, 2017, Canada Day, the crew will visit 103 airports in 14 countries as they travel around the world.

Not only will their circumnavigation take the crew through Ottawa and every Canadian provincial and territorial capital, but they will also visit many historical Canadian landmarks along the way.

The C150 Global Odyssey (C150go), as the adventure has been named, is the world’s first Canadian around-the-world helicopter flight, as well as the first ever father-son global circumnavigation.

C150go is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization developed to support and raise funds for both the Southlake Regional Health Centre Foundation and True Patriot Love Foundation.


a neW home For Coast dog aviation

Well-known West Coast amo (aircraft maintenance organization) Coast Dog Aviation recently moved into a brand new, larger hangar at Pitt Meadows Airport, bc. The company was founded in 2010 by Dale Floyd, who has been an aircraft engineer for more than forty years. Floyd also has well over 10 000 hours of flying experience, most of which are as pilot of floatplanes and amphibious aircraft, such as Beavers and Twin Otters. The new facilities have increased the capacity and efficiency of his team of highly qualified engineers, who have experience working on all aircraft, ranging from home-built aircraft to widebody airliners, including aircraft with floats and skis. Coast Dog Aviation is headquartered at Pitt Meadows Airport, but has branches in Yellowknife and Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories. In addition to providing maintenance to light aircraft, small turboprops and aircraft as large as Twin Otters and Beechcraft

1900s, the company offers pilot services and advanced flight training. With Pitt Meadows Airport located directly next to the Fraser River, floatplanes have easy access to Coast Dog Aviation’s facilities.

breitling to oPen its First boutique in Canada

Breitling, the Swiss watch manufacturer and chronograph specialist, will open its first boutique in Canada at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in July this year. Occupying approximately 500 square feet on one floor, the Breitling Boutique Toronto will feature the full assortment of Breitling and Breitling for Bentley watches.

Designed in a modern and original style highlighting the brand’s aeronautical heritage, the Boutique gives visitors the opportunity to plunge directly into the Breitling universe. It features pop art paintings by renowned American artist Kevin T. Kelly, and is decorated with American walnut floors and quadrillo wood panelling to ensure a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

The new Boutique incorporates a vip seating area that allows customers to sit in comfort and discover the true essence of Breitling.

“We’re thrilled to have the first Breitling Boutique in Canada located at Yorkdale Shopping Centre,” says Deepak Chopra, Country Manager for Canada. “It is the perfect destination to introduce Canadian consumers to the Breitling universe and to celebrate our iconic brand with our clients.”

Advanced training with Coast Dog Aviation


A longstanding partner of aviation, Breitling equips all its models with chronometer-certified movements by the cosc (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) – the highest benchmark of precision and reliability and the only one based on an international norm.

First Flight oF russian mC-21 Developed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau and produced by the Irkut Corporation, the Russian single-aisle mc-21 airliner completed its maiden flight on May 28 this year. Yakovlev and Irkut are subsidiaries of Russia’s state-owned United Aircraft Corporation. The mc-21 medium-range airliner is intended to compete primarily with the Boeing 737 max and Airbus A320neo. So far, 175 firm orders have been placed for the mc-21. Most of these orders are from Russian government-owned companies, but the option of having the aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney pw1400g-jm engines, as with the mc-21 prototype, is likely to make the aircraft attractive to potential Western operators. Meanwhile, Russian operators are likely to have their examples fitted with locally-developed Aviadvigatel


pd-14 engines, which are still in development. Russia’s largest and most significant airline, Aeroflot, will become the mc-21’s launch customer when the first examples are delivered in 2019. The mc-21 is the first narrow-body commercial airliner designed and developed in post-Soviet era Russia. The much-acclaimed Sukhoi Superjet, which preceded the mc-21, was developed with assistance from the usa’s Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Paris air shoW: boeing vs airbus

Held in Le Bourget in France, the Paris Air Show is arguably the oldest and certainly one of the largest air shows in the world. Historically, it has also been known to serve as a battlefield for the world’s two airline manufacturing behemoths, Boeing and Airbus. With this year’s edition of the show, held in June, it seems to be Boeing that has come out on top. The American manufacturer received orders for 571 airliners, to the value of US $74.8 billion during the show’s trade days. In terms of airliners, the star of the show was no doubt the 737 max 10, which accounted for no less than 361 of Boeing’s aircraft sales during that week.

Europe’s Airbus received orders for 326 aircraft, worth us $39.7 billion. The A320 Family accounted for 306 of these orders.

However, in the big picture, Airbus has a greater backlog than Boeing, meaning it has a greater number of aircraft that need to be built and delivered. Contracts won at the Paris Air Show were

enough to extend the Airbus backlog to an industry record-breaking 6 800 aircraft.

During the Paris Air Show, Boeing revealed its forecast for new aircraft demand. Boeing strategists projected a global need for 41 030 airliners over the next twenty years, worth an estimated US $6.1 trillion. As illustrated by sales at the French air show, the single-aisle segment will see the most growth, with Boeing predicting a requirement for almost 30 000 aircraft in this segment over the next two decades.

Boeing’s Current Market Outlook (cmo) predicts the requirement for the following deliveries, from 2017 to 2036:

Airplane type Seats Total deliveries Market valueRegional jets 90 and below 2,370 $110 billionSingle-aisle 90 – 230 29,530 $3,180 billion

Small widebody 200 – 300 5,050 $1,340 billion

Medium and large widebody

300 and above 3,160 $1,160 billion

Freighter widebody n/a 920 $260 billion

Total n/a 41,030 us $6.1 trillion

Below: United Airlines placed an order for 100 737 max 10s at the Paris Air Show.Dublin based cdb Aviation Lease Finance dac signed a memorandum of understanding for 45 aircraft, consisting of 30 A320neos and 15 A321neos.


Paris air shoW debut For embraer’s KC-390

Embraer’s versatile kc-390 military transport aircraft made its debut at this year’s Paris Air Show. The Brazilian company’s second of two prototypes completed a display routine each day at the show.

The first kc-390 prototype completed its maiden flight on 3 February 2015, with the second prototype following suit on 26 October that year. In February this year, Embraer announced that construction of the first production variant had already begun and that it will be delivered to the Brazilian Air Force in early 2018. It is expected that two aircraft will be delivered in 2018 and three in 2019. Whilst the kc-390 will primarily compete with the Lockheed C-130j in the military tactical airlifter market, a civilian version of the kc-390 will attempt to compete with Lockheed Martin’s lm-100j, the civil version of the C-130j. So far, the kc-390 prototypes have logged hundreds of hours of flight tests, with aircraft performance matching the goals Embraer had set for the aircraft type.

It will be possible to configure a kc-390 for specific missions, including airlift, high and low altitude airdrops, high altitude aerial assaults, in-flight refuelling for fighters and helicopters, aerial firefighting, medical evacuation, humanitarian aid, as well as search and rescue. According to Embraer, it will be possible to reconfigure a kc-390 for a different mission in three hours or less. As a true tactical airlifter, the kc-390 will be able to land on semi-prepared and unpaved runways.

The kc-390 has several modern features which make life easier for air and ground crews. An advanced fly-by-wire flight control system and interactive avionics ensure low crew workload, whilst dual head-up displays with an advanced vision system improve situational awareness, particularly in conditions with low visibility. Also, a fully integrated onboard maintenance system reduces aircraft downtime and maintenance costs. A hydraulic strut stabilizer is another useful feature, particularly when loading or offloading cargo in remote locations. This stabilizer, along with the cargo handling system, is controlled from the loadmaster’s protected station. Given Embraer’s experience in manufacturing airliners, it comes as no surprise that the kc-390 has an advanced and efficient air conditioning and pressurization system, ideal for troop transport and medical evacuation missions. The aircraft also has a versatile tactical radar and an array of self defence systems and mission systems. So far, operators from at least six countries have committed to purchasing kc-390s.


Hnz Topflight’s history can be traced back to 1947, when Okanagan Air Services, founded by aviation pioneer Carl Agar, operated the first commercial helicopter in Canada. During the early 1950s, Agar and his fellow pilots formed a flying school to teach mountain flying skills to the Canadian military. The school continued to operate from Penticton Airport, bc, as Canadian Helicopters School of Advanced Flight Training until 2012, when it was rebranded as hnz Topflight. Along with Canadian Helicopters, hnz Topflight forms part of the international hnz Group of Companies, hence the change of name.

Penticton Airport is located in the stunningly scenic Okanagan Valley, mere minutes away from the mountain training area. Despite its beauty, this mountainous area presents an extremely challenging flying environment, which is ideal for advanced flight training and studying the dynamics of mountain winds and terrain airflow. At the airport, hnz Topflight has modern training facilities with the latest in technology, purpose-built for advanced helicopter training. The flying school has nine full-time advanced helicopter flight instructors, with an average of 10 000 hours’ helicopter flying experience per instructor. hnz Topflight’s mountain flying course is offered every month and takes three weeks to complete. It is the only mountain training course in the world that is accredited by both Airbus Helicopters and Bell Helicopters, and the course is conducted on behalf of these helicopter manufacturers for their respective customers.

In addition to mountain training, hnz Topflight offers an array of courses, including slinging, nvg (night vision goggles - initial and advanced mountain training), water bucketing, operational training, such as flying in confined areas, to name a few.

As part of Canadian Helicopters, the largest helicopter company in Canada, hnz Topflight has access to many helicopter types, but the flying school currently has eight helicopters based at Penticton on a full-time basis: two Bell 407s, three EC130s, one AS350 B3,

one AS350 B2 and one Bell 206B. The Bell 407, AS350 B3 and EC120 are nvg certified.

An average of about 250 to 300 students attend courses at hnz Topflight every year. The instructors are clearly and rightfully proud of the school’s heritage, as the school is known for providing training to government, military and special forces, law enforcement, commercial and private groups from all over the world.

Hnz Topflight currently does not have a simulator in Penticton, where pilots are trained to manage emergencies and practice autorotations in real helicopters, day and night, with and without nvgs. However, the flying school does have an advanced Level 7 AS350 simulator at Edmonton International Airport, ab, where training is also offered.

Air-to-air photoshoot

The photoshoot for this issue of Aviation News Journal took place in the mountain flying training area near Penticton Airport, with two helicopters expertly flown by hnz Topflight instructors. The Bell 407 was flown by General Manager Dave Schwatzenberger, who, as it happened, began his flying career by receiving advanced helicopter flight training at Penticton. He then worked for several commercial helicopter companies, in every sphere of the helicopter industry. He also worked for the rcmp Air Section as a pilot, before becoming an instructor at hnz Topflight in 2007. The AS350 B3 was flown by Corey Arsenault, who has more than 4 000 hours of operational mountain flying experience, having worked commercially in some of Canada’s most challenging terrain.

We would like to thank hnz Topflight for this wonderful opportunity to see its helicopters and instructors in action. For further information, please visit www.hnztopflight.com

Above and facing page: Bell 407


News Journal

Hnz Topflight AS350 B3, flown by Corey Arsenault, with a Bell 407, flown by General Manager Dave Schwatzenberger. Photograph by Divan Muller.


Sitting at the kitchen counter one morning in June I thought I saw a way to make it right.

My 13 year old son had walked up and innocently asked, “We are flying to camp this year, aren’t we Dad?”

I looked at my wife Leanne. Her face had turned ashen and we both knew the import of his question. It meant that she might have to get back in the airplane for the first time since I performed a precautionary landing with her in the right seat last fall. The decision to abort the takeoff and land had caused her nascent faith in my flying ability to evaporate and she was terrified to travel in our 182 again. It was her trust that I had broken.

Neither one of us said anything so Justin filled the gap.

“I know we don’t save much time,” he continued. “And it is a little embarrassing showing up in a limo.”

I looked at him with encouragement and Leanne looked at him with fear.

“It’s just so much better to fly than to drive. I love circling over camp and seeing the big field where we play all those fun games, the beaches where we swim and all of the cabins.” His voice trailed off and he looked dreamily out the window. “What do you guys think? Can we?” He brought his expectant gaze back to us. As if we didn’t know, he added: “I really want to.”

My wife didn’t answer but I could tell she was stuck between two maternal instincts. On the one hand, she really is scared to fly, even on commercial jets, and our incident had done nothing but exacerbate her angst. On the other hand, we know that at his age he is growing up fast and there are fewer years left with him in our house than those behind us. She would want to be there to see him off. Unusual for his age, he rarely asks anything of us. Disappointing him was likely out of the question.

Looking at her she gave me a tentative and almost imperceptible nod. Unsure of the meaning I decided to bail her out until we had a chance to talk in private.

“We might be able to make that happen, let us talk about it,” I said slowly, answering for both of us but leaving wiggle room. “It sounds great, but as always it depends on the weather.”

Cleaning up the breakfast dishes, I waited for her to tell me what she thought. My wife is a person of few words, each carefully chosen and as good as gold, solid as iron. She doesn’t change her mind often and when she does it is cause for surprise.

“We can fly, it’s fine,” she said finally through tight lips. Sensing my unbridled elation she had to puncture it to bring me back to her reality.

“If anything bad happens, at least we’ll all die together.” “Not if it’s just us on the way home,” I countered trying to be funny.

“You’re a jerk,” she replied with a nervous smile and flipped me with the towel.

Covenant Harbor is a Christian Bible camp that sits on the north shore of Geneva Lake, in Southern Wisconsin. 65 nautical miles from our home airport outside Chicago, we fly into Grand Geneva Resort (C02), a former Playboy mansion that has an ample runway nestled in a narrow canyon of tall trees. Ground transport is free if you call one of the hotels who will send a shuttle but you might need to wait a bit; when time is of the essence I use A1 Lake Geneva Taxi, a professional one man company. Vito is always prompt and chauffeurs a champagne coloured Lincoln Town Car that is meticulously clean. I enjoy his company as well as his service.

The 5 mile drive takes 15 minutes as you first wind through the resort grounds, past a residential area and then along the touristy business


district. After the fudge shops and t shirt stores the main drag empties onto a narrow two lane highway. You are close when the massive vacation homes on the left give way to a thicket of tall trees and then a narrow lane appears behind a small perfectly worn sign - seemingly out of a Ralph Lauren catalog - that announces the entrance.

After a quarter mile the path through the dense forest opens to the main camp area and you can see in a glance that it is everything a kid could want for a summer holiday: Spartan bunk buildings scattered on a hill whose downslope leads to play areas framing scenic water views; Canoes rest upside down on a sandy beach where a long dock pushes out into the crisp blue basin and ends near a floating trampoline; a ski boat bobs and beckons the more adventurous while those less inclined seek out the covered pavilions nearby where they create amazing arts and crafts; all of it is bathed in sun drenched, lake scented freedom.

The staff consists of fresh scrubbed, earnest counsellors whose raucous greetings and each interaction inspires trust and makes you swell with pride that our country produces such incredible young people.

A seven year alumna calls Covenant Harbor ‘The only perfect place I know.’ The camp has an inspiring annual theme and this year it seemed especially appropriate. It encouraged all to “Be Love” and the logo used a paper airplane made from a page of the Bible. We aren’t the most religious family, but I adored the message and the visual and pointed it out to Leanne when the pre camp paperwork arrived. She noted the irony with a grimace.

The drop off is on Sunday afternoon around 5 o’clock. This means the thunderstorms and other cumulonimbus have a chance to build and it is usually a bumpy flight.

The day dawned as expected with mostly clear skies amid the promises of afternoon boomers. Earlier in the week an occluded front had zippered shut in a line starting near Rockford, IL southwest to

Cedar Rapids, IA. Strong storms exploded in fireworks Thursday night along our route and continued with enthusiasm most of Friday. By weekend the energy had dissipated into a stationary front that drifted north of our destination. The residual moisture powered by the summer solstice caused puffy clouds to appear as our departure time neared. They grew large and thick in hazy skies with 6 miles of visibility.

We launched on time and received our clearance in the air. I wouldn’t dream of doing this flight vfr, it is almost entirely under or in O’Hare Class B. Climbing through the bases at 2200 feet we hit a few mild bumps and by 4000 we were flying the cotton going in and out of the top of the clouds. My son had insisted on taking the right seat and had relegated his mother to the back. She was pensive when she climbed aboard, but since she declined wearing a headset, except for one check right after departure, we mostly ignored her once we were airborne.

It was a routine, uneventful flight except for a robust smack of turbulence that rattled our teeth after we exited the last of the clouds near the state line and visibility improved to 10 miles.

As is my custom, I asked Justin if he would like to take over the flight and he eagerly agreed. I cancelled ifr with Milwaukee approach and asked for flight following which they were happy to provide.

Clicking off the autopilot I handed the aircraft to my son – “Your Plane!” - who echoed his acceptance – “My Plane!” – and knew the approximate heading. Having made this flight before he had a general idea of where the camp was and he immediately steered toward it.

I love the seriousness Justin’s posture and expression adopts when at the controls, reflecting his acknowledgment of the burden he has accepted. This is a responsibility few adults have shouldered and his attitude while so engaged is the perfect blend of joy and caution.


Is there anything that flying can’t teach the aware and willing student?

Once the lake became clearly visible we had a picturesque view of the shimmering surface dotted with boats and their graceful wakes, some containing skiers adding a fugue of watery contrails.

Letting down from 3000 feet Justin did a great job losing a third of our altitude and then holding it while on a direct course for the bay. As we approached he put the aircraft into a gentle right bank so that we could partially circle his destination and allow him the opportunity to see where he would spend the next week. Just as we got over the camp he asked me to fly so that he could focus all of his attention on his sightseeing. His face was plastered to the window as he identified and pointed to the landmarks on his hallowed grounds.

Holding the attitude he had set, I did a 300° circle around the camp and then I turned toward the airport 4 nautical miles away.

The runway is northeast / southwest and nearly 4000 feet long, over 3 times what I require and twice what I insist on. The wind was blustery out of the southeast, 150 at 8 gusting to 14, making 23 a crosswind approach and landing. But once you get down beneath the trees the wind dissipates to a whisper and I knew this as we approached so I didn’t plan to add anything to our Vref.

With great care I put our airspeed exactly where it needed to be and went through the final landing checklist. The trees on the approach are higher on one side so I always stay right of the centerline and then after crossing the foliage move 15 feet left for the landing.

The way the wind was coming that worked out great and by luck we touched as softly as you can make any arrival.

“Are we down?” asked Justin with surprise as we slowed. The uneven surface of the runway answered the question before I could and he said, “Wow, that was smooth!”

Looking in the back seat, Leanne was nonchalant and started to gather her belongings, saying nothing. I knew she was relieved.

We taxied to the ramp area and Vito was waiting for us. After dropping Justin at camp it was time to head back home.

The previous times we have made this journey we dined at The Chop House, a steak restaurant at the resort. We then departed after dark, avoiding the bumps in the afternoon and enjoying the splendor of night flight. Leanne would have a glass of wine with dinner, which usually makes her flying more pleasant.

Unfortunately our schedule required we return immediately and we would need to fly through the same bumpy clouds we had

just traversed. Doing the preflight I saw Leanne reach into her bag and pull out a red Solo cup and a bottle of wine. Standing on the ramp she poured some wine into the glass, and then the glass into her. She buckled in and poured a second glass as I climbed aboard.

As I mentioned, Leanne doesn’t like headsets. They mess up her hair and she finds them uncomfortable so she almost never wears them. This makes flying with her like going solo because neither of us can hear each other.

As we bumped along in and out of the clouds on our way home I noticed her enjoying the view out the side of the airplane. This is unusual. Normally she fixates on a magazine in order to ignore

the fact that we are off the ground. Perhaps it was the wine but she seemed completely serene.

The flight was unexceptional and the only question to ponder was whether I would do a straight in to runway 18 or circle to land. At Clow (1C5) everyone I know would do the straight in on this Sunday evening.

Since it is within the mode C veil of O’Hare, my blank active traffic screen combined with the quiet ctaf and the controller’s report of an empty radar provided high certainly that there was no one in the pattern. But since I wasn’t ready for the flight to be over I did a slow descending tear drop to the 45 degree entry to the left mid field downwind anyway, all by the book.

I surprised myself with the second smooth touchdown in a row, thanks mostly to the Land-O-Matic feature of the 182. Anything between 60 and 65 knots over Boughton Road and you have the chance for a sweet kiss of asphalt.

I nailed the airspeed and got lucky on the arrival again turning off with minimal brake at mid field.

“Great job,” said my favourite passenger.

After we got home I poured us each a beverage, eager to hear what my wife had to say about the flight.

“That was fun,” Leanne said brightly as I handed her a glass.

I went for broke. “Why don’t we go to Mackinac Island after we pick him up next week?” I suggested hopefully.

“Maybe,” she answered with a sweet smile and a voice that indicated anything was possible and that future trips were assured. “But don’t push your luck.”

We clinked our glasses in a toast and I smiled my broadest smile.

Like all redemption, it felt so good.

“The decision to abort the takeoff

and land had caused her nascent faith

in my flying ability to evaporate and

she was terrified to travel in our 182 again.”

July-August 2017 • Aviation News Journal 23A Heli College student takes off in a Robinson R22, while instructed by Geoff Stevens, the most experienced Robinson pilot in the world.


Langley Regional Airport was built in 1938 and was purchased by the Township of Langley in 1967. Over the years, it has grown into a busy general aviation and rotary-wing airport, with tens of thousands of aircraft movements per year.

The idea of turning Langley Airport into an ideal location for helicopter companies was originally developed by well-known Aviation Hall of Fame pilot George Miller. After serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force (rcaf ) as CF-104 fighter pilot, Golden Hawks display pilot, and leader of the Snowbirds demonstration team, George Miller became manager of Langley Airport in 1991.

While simultaneously serving as chairman of the British Columbia Aviation Counsel (bcac), he realised that Langley Airport was ideally suited for helicopter operations. Therefore, he decided to actively

market the airport to helicopter companies. In 2000, he was awarded the bcac Airport Management Award for his work at the airport.

While George Miller certainly laid a solid foundation for Langley Airport to be associated with helicopters, his son Guy Miller would later take the airport to the next level. The younger Miller flew CF-18 Hornets with the rcaf, and Boeing 747-400s with Cathay Pacific, before being appointed as Langley’s deputy airport manager in 2006. In 2013, he successfully applied for the position of airport manager, replacing his father at the helm of the airport.

Why the focus on helicopters? Langley Airport is located in an increasingly populated area, so the sound of jet aircraft taking off and landing would not be popular. Also, with a focus on accommodating helicopters, runways would not have to be

The airport as seen from the air. Courtesy of Langley Regional Airport. Note that the airport has expanded since the photograph was taken.

Quick facts:Runways: 2 (2 743 ft and 2 100 ft)Helipads: 24Aviation companies: 55Aircraft movements: 80 000 per yearEconomic impact: $159 million

Airport Manager Guy Miller


extended. That said, the airport’s two paved runways are sufficient for maintenance companies to be able to maintain fixed wing aircraft as large as King Airs or Beechcraft 1900s. The central location, in close proximity to Vancouver, Abbotsford, the us border and the mountains, has made the airport an ideal base of operations for helicopter flying schools, fire-fighting and medevac companies, not to mention the rcmp Air Services. A variety of mro (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities, such as Vector Aerospace, as well as strong airport infrastructure, easy access by highway, comparatively affordable housing for employees, and competitive commercial lease rates, are all contributing factors to the airport’s popularity. As a result, Langley Airport makes a tremendous contribution to the local economy. According to Guy Miller, it is of vital importance for the airport to have companies that bring jobs to the region. “For us, it’s about aviation jobs,

not just the plane and the pilot,” he remarked. “It’s about all the businesses that support aviation.”

Langley Regional Airport has seen and continues to see tremendous growth, no doubt in part due to an efficient governance model, in which Miller reports directly to the chief administrative officer of the Township of Langley, who in turn reports to the mayor. Forty new hangars, all of which have been sold, are being built for general and recreational aviation, while older buildings will be replaced in the near future. Also, additional helipads, as well as a new control tower and terminal building are being built. The latter will house Nav Canada, airport management offices, a flight planning centre and offices for companies that support aviation. It is exciting to see Langley Regional Airport progress, not only as an airport, but also in terms of its remarkable contribution to the community and the aviation industry in British Columbia.

Left: The Canadian Museum of Flight will be moved to another area of the airport, where it will have more space for its growing number of exhibits. The museum has been located at Langley Airport since 1996. Several of its immaculately restored aircraft, including a Tiger Moth, Sopwith Pup and SE.5A replica, are in flying condition. Even at its present location at the airport, this beautiful little museum is certainly worth visiting. When referring to the museum and its volunteers, airport manager Guy Miller mentioned, “They are a huge addition to this airport. We really love having them here.” For further information, please visit www.canadianflight.org

Right: Maintenance at Heliwelders, a well-known and respected helicopter maintenance and structural support company.


Humble beginnings

China’s first domestically developed airliner completed its maiden flight in 1958, nine years after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed. The aircraft, named the Beijing 1, was an attractive light airliner, able to carry ten passengers. That said, it was roughly similar in capability and performance to the West’s Lockheed Model 10 Electra, which first flew in 1934. The Beijing 1 was powered by two Soviet Ivchenko ai-14 engines, similar to those used in the Polish pzl Wilga light aircraft and the Chinese Nanchang cj-6 military trainer.

This pioneering airliner could fly at a speed of about 160 kts and had a range of 1 075 km. It was designed by the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Only one example, the prototype, was

built. The aircraft is currently on display at the Beijing Air and Space Museum in China.

Several years passed before the Chinese aviation industry would again attempt to design an airliner from scratch, but the industry was by no means dormant. Several aircraft types, primarily soviet designs, were built under licence in China. Later, during the late 1960s, Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation developed the Y-7 from the Soviet Antonov An-24. The aircraft was partly developed for military transport duties, but as a regional airliner, the Y-7 has seen service in China, Cambodia, Laos and Zimbabwe. In 1980, ten years after the Y-7’s maiden flight, the Shanghai Y-10 took to the skies. Developed by the Shanghai Aircraft Research Institute, the Y-10 somewhat resembled the usa’s Boeing 707 in size and appearance and was similarly powered by Pratt & Whitney jt3d engines. The aircraft


could carry 124 to 178 passengers and required a crew of five. Three examples of the Y-10 were built, but the aircraft never entered mass production. The program’s cancellation was due to high production costs, outdated technology, politics, as well as the fact that the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacture Factory had acquired a licence from McDonnell Douglas to build md-80s. Although the Y-10 program had a short lifespan, its lead designer, Wu Xingshi, would continue to be involved with China’s most significant aircraft programs.

A new era

In 2000, Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation unveiled its ma60 regional airliner, a stretched version of its Y-7 with capacity for 52 to 56 passengers. Given its rugged design and short take-off and landing capability, the ma-60 has proven popular with air forces, but, as an airliner, it has seen service with dozens of airlines due to its comparatively low cost. A more modern and capable development of the ma60, named the ma600, completed its maiden flight in 2008. The ma600 was developed specifically for China’s booming airliner market, but also to compete against Canada’s Bombardier Q400 and France’s atr regional aircraft. Although only a handful of examples have been built, dozens of orders for the ma600 have been placed, particularly by Southeast Asian and African airlines. At the launch of the ma600, a Xi’an representative said, “We hope to see that forty percent of all turboprop aircraft delivered in the world in 2018 are from the ma series.” Xi’an is currently developing the ma700, a stretched version of the ma600, which will soon be completing its maiden flight.

Whilst ma series aircraft have seen and continue to see considerable commercial success, it remains to be seen if the same will be said of the Comac arj21. When it comes to modern Chinese-designed airliners, the arj21 could possibly be described as the black sheep of the family. The

prototype aircraft completed its maiden flight in November 2008, three years behind schedule, with the first production aircraft only entering service last year. Although more than 300 orders have been placed, mostly by Chinese airliners, the aircraft type has been described as ‘stunningly obsolete’. Designed by Wu Xingshi, the man behind the Y-10 program, the arj21 is similar in appearance to an md80 or md90, both of which were built under licence in China. That said, the aircraft has a new Antonov-designed wing with winglets. Perhaps there is more to the arj21 than meets the eye, given the fact that Chinese corporate decision makers are known to be long-term strategists. In the words of Wu Xingshi, “This plane filled the gap of market research, development, promotion, technology development, manufacturing and customer services of commercial planes after almost 20 years’ efforts. It gives us precious experiences and we have learned a lot. It also laid a solid foundation to develop large civil aircraft.”

On May 5 this year, the world took note when the Comac C919 flew its maiden flight. Designed to carry 158 to 168 passengers over a distance of up to 5 500 km, the C919 is powered by cfm (Safran Aircraft Engines) International leap (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines. The aircraft was designed to take on the 737 max and A320neo of airliner manufacturing giants Boeing and Airbus respectively. According to Comac, 570 examples have already been ordered. In terms of countries, China presents the biggest market in the world for airliners. It has been estimated that China will require almost 7 000 new airliners over the course of the next two decades. Still, for the C919 to be truly successful, Comac will have to avoid the pitfalls and overcome the challenges experienced by the crj21 program. Should the C919 be successful, it will lay a solid foundation for the future widebody C929, a planned joint venture between Comac and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation. If Comac applies the lessons it has learned from the arj21, then, with the C919, it may indeed be time for the proverbial dragon to rise.


Have you ever wondered which aircraft were the fastest, biggest or heaviest? Who were the most dangerous combat pilots of all time? We find answers

to these and other questions in our Aviation Top 10 feature.

Saunders-Roe Princess: 66.9 mDuring the 1950s, only three examples of this massive flying boat were built.

Boeing 777-300ER: 64.8 mThe extended wingtips of this ‘Extended Range’ 777 nudge it into 10th place.10

9876

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy: 67.9 mFrom the 1970s, the Galaxy has been the personification of intercontinental strategic airlifting.

Boeing 747-8: 68.5 mThe biggest 747 variant and the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States.

Bristol Type 167 Brabazon: 70 mThe Brabazon was a commercial flop, but in 1949 it would have been the largest airliner in the world.

Aircraft with the largest wingspan


5

4

3

2

1

Convair B-36 Peacemaker: 70.1 mIn many ways, the B-36 was a groundbreaking aircraft. Its existence as an intercontinental nuclear bomber literally helped keep the peace in the 1950s during the Cold War.

Antonov 124 Ruslan: 73.3 mThe An 124 first flew in 1982 and remains a workhorse in transporting commercial cargo and as a strategic airlifter. It has proved to be particularly useful in supporting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Airbus A380-800: 79.8 mThe massive A380 first flew in 2005 and is currently the world’s largest airliner. In a typical three class seating configuration, the aircraft can carry well over 500 passengers.

Antonov 225 Mriya: 88.4 mDesigned during the 1980s, the An 225 is currently the world’s largest and heaviest aircraft. Only one aircraft was built, but it is still in service with Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines.

Hughes H-4 Hercules ‘Spruce Goose’: 97.5 mThis one-of-a-kind behemoth was designed to transport troops and equipment to the European theatre of World War II, but development took too long and it only flew once in 1947.


I was talking to a colleague a few weeks ago, about how much you learn when you receive your pilots license. Of course, we started talking about aircraft systems, weather, navigation, etc., but I soon shifted the subject to the things that are not tested during the check ride. We talked for a good ten minutes about what flying has taught us and the huge impact that it has had on lives and our careers.

“Flying teaches you a lot and makes you confident,” she said to me after a few minutes talking about the lessons we have learned. I sat for a second and thought about that. I soon agreed, because that was probably the best way to describe my flying experience. Other than learning cool aviation facts and methods, flying has made me feel confident and has taught me things that have directly translated into becoming better at other activities and in general life.

There are literally hundreds of things that I have learned through my flying career and I am sure that you have learned just as many. (I would love to hear your insights on the topic.) The biggest thing that I learned, perhaps, was that you do not need to know everything, but you need to know where to find the answer. I learned this during my first flight with my primary flight instructor. He said that there is no way to know every piloting fact off the top of your head and that you need to use your resources to find/keep the fact handy. I have since translated this into real life and my frustration with not knowing everything for different activities that I partake in. After learning to fly, I realized that not knowing is okay; I just need to know where to learn the information, when I need it.

Another thing that I learned was that you are the ‘pilot in command,’ whether you are in operation of an aircraft or in just your daily life. What I mean by this is while others help you out with things and offer advice, ultimately you are the decision maker and the repercussions fall only to you.

I find this thought particularly useful when I am receiving unsolicited advice from people. While I love hearing constructive criticism and things that I should be doing differently, sometimes the person telling you those things don’t always have your best interests at heart. It often seems that some people tell you to do things that will only benefit themselves. I would love to heed what they want, in the end I am the person controlling myself and I need to choose what is best. I need to just tell them, “my airplane,” and go on with what I think is right.

The final thing that I will talk about is the amount of double tasking skills that you learn from flying. Before I was fifteen and starting flying, I was already a Grade-A multitasker. Or so I thought. I soon learned that I was not nearly as good as I thought I was. Well as they say, practice makes perfect and talking to the tower, focusing on other traffic, looking at my map, flying the airplane, etc., simultaneously, has made me a lot better. The key word here is “better.” I will never pretend that I am great at doing all of these things at the same time, because I am not. Nor will I ever be. No one is ever ‘great’ at doing anything.

Pilots far too often get in trouble when their confidence out shadows their desire to learn and to be safe. I intend to always keep on the right side of those two noble virtues, in aviation.

I hope that someday, I can find enough lessons out of flying that I can teach my kids them and maybe even write a book (I am being factitious on the book writing because it would be longer than the book of fars is).

Even if you think you have learned everything about flying that there is to know (stop thinking like that, because it is wrong), think about the “secondary” facts that you have learned and how you can apply them to your life to become a better person.


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