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The Last Minute Hitch: 29 May 2020
29 May 2020
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– Steve Hitchen
Whatever happened to biofuels? Not that long ago, aviation jet fuel made from products such as sugar cane and algae were the rising stars of the alternate fuel industry. Now it seems their positions have been usurped as hydrogen and electricity take over the mantles of the industry leaders. In recent news we hear that Pipistrel is working with other European companies to develop a hydrogen-powered shuttle and only yesterday a Cessna Caravan fitted with a 560-kW electric motor flew in the USA. Both of these technologies mean creating new power trains, whereas biofuels were looking to keep engines as regular as possible and have them burning new fuels. The problem biofuels had was that a lot of plant matter had to be grown and processed, which meant competing with food plants for growing space. The energy seems to have petered out in that industry at the moment as aviation corporations now look to other sources of power to fuel aviation into the future. In the next issue of Australian Flying–which should be out around mid June–we'll present you with a complete rundown on several future fuels and the state of play.

opportunities like this are too good to reject

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced airlines to hibernate their heavy jets, opening the way for general aviation to operate into and out of the major airports. This gives a never-to-be-repeated (hopefully, the industry couldn't cope with this again) opportunity for GA pilots to experience landing at a capital city international airport. I indulged in this myself a couple of weeks ago as part of The Wedgetails formation out of Lilydale, and the following day, air show favourites The Stooges grabbed their chance at Sydney. Back in the days when we had to share the skies with pterodactyls, you had to fly into a primary controlled airport to get your PPL and for some reason Essendon wasn't considered acceptable. Consequently, Melbourne International was plagued with Warriors and C172s wanting to play in their airspace just to qualify. I did this myself back then, although admittedly ML is a very different airport today. My point being is that opportunities like this are too good to reject and I would encourage everyone to have a go whilst they can. It will be a jewel in your logbook. Expensive? Yes; the landing fees are horrendous, but it's worth every cent to say that you did it. Hint: prepare well. My thanks to Melbourne Airport Corporation and Airservices Australia for giving this project the nod.


The 2020 CASA Wings Awards are now open and looking for nominations. Every year since 2014, the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and Australian Flying have banded together to present a series of awards to recognise the efforts and dedication of the people that keep general aviation running. The pinnacle is the Col Pay Award for a Lifetime of Service to General Aviation, which we are very pleased to have presented to some of the most hard-working, dedicated and deserving people in GA. Now this year we're looking for more people to honour. And we have a new category: Young Achiever of the Year. We want to reward passion and drive early in people's careers, and there are so many young people out there doing truly good work for GA. If you know someone like that, tell us, tell the whole world, and give them every chance to be recognised for what they are doing. For 2020 we've instituted a new nomination system that is totally online to make it much easier for everyone to get their submission in. Have a look at the criteria and nomination forms on the Wings Awards webpage. We want also to extend our thanks to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for supporting this year's awards. CASA has been doing some very good work to help the industry during the pandemic and their support of the Wings Awards will go along way to help Australian Flying see off the impacts of the downturn and make sure when this is all over the magazine is still there for the reading.

And speaking of pandemics, we'll be leaving our COVID-19 survey open for another week. After that, we'll start doing some analysis and let you know the outcome. However, the preliminary perusal of the data is showing that it won't be pretty.

May your gauges always be in the green,

Hitch

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The Sandy Serve - 

In reply to this bollocks...

..We want also to extend our thanks to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for supporting this year's awards. CASA has been doing some very good work to help the industry during the pandemic and their support of the Wings Awards will go along way to help Australian Flying see off the impacts of the downturn and make sure when this is all over the magazine is still there for the reading...

...Sandy deservedly returns serve - 

Sandy Reith • 17 hours ago

Hitch gives the much maligned CASA a pat on the back for supporting the Wings Award. Anyone still in the General Aviation industry labouring under CASA’s super expensive regulatory structure, and the swinging fees that go with it, deserves a medal. Awards, yes a fine idea and should get support.

Otherwise CASA deserves our ongoing criticism for it’s damaging regulation that will not allow independent instructors as in the USA. Or another like the medical reform Basic Class 2 (BC2), the reform you are having when you are not having one, that restricts pilots to Visual Flight Rules, thus encouraging pilots not to fly Instrument Flight Rules.

In addition to make the BC2 as difficult as possible you have to meet a standard ‘unconditional’ commercial driver’s licence when numerous bus and truck drivers can work happily with a ‘conditional’ medical.

Meanwhile down at RAAUS no such overkill and a proven, rational and far less expensive medical regime exists for private flying, essentially fit to drive a car, a completely obvious standard. Laudably CASA CEO Mr. Carmody has allowed some time limit overrun on medical certification, and on check flights, a pat on the back for that? More like the feeling that morale improves as the beatings are reduced in severity.

Sandy also returns serve to this Senator Rennick (QLD) FB post and Youtube interview: 

Senator Gerard Rennick
28 May at 15:29 · 

Great to join Martin North from Digital Finance Analytics to chat all things finance, and a little about myself...
Martin is a Sydney-based analyst and business consultant, specialising in the Financial Services Industry. He is Principal of DFA - a boutique research, analysis and consulting firm providing advisory services to companies in Australia and around the world.
You can watch the interview here.

And the Sandy serve...

Sandy Reith The way towards prosperity is firstly to cause our various governments to take off the bureaucratic hand brake which is strangling the powerhouse of free enterprise. The worst offender is the Commonwealth Government of Can’tberra. The examples are legion, example, you can’t now run a few animals on your property without going cap in hand to the C’Wealth for a triennial property ID which can only be had by answering 100% correct a bunch of puerile questions. But wait there’s more, your intelligence and dignity as a free citizen are further insulted by the compulsory requirement to “commit” to their system of control. Never mind the C’Wealth destroying thousands of jobs and businesses in General Aviation by allowing it’s creature (32 years independent corporate), CASA, a totally free hand to fee gouge and make work while feathering it’s own best to the extent that its senior personnel are paid as much and a lot more than the Minister who is supposed to be in charge but in reality is too scared to touch them. Canberra and the freedom of land use; virtually no freehold and about the tightest most controlled land use laws in the developed world. Seems like the Government is afraid of Australian free enterprise in it’s artificial capital.

Senator Rennick, of all the ‘boutique’ financiers in the world none of them are the prime generators who propel the economy. Of course we need their good advice and services but we can’t get up and go with your bureaucrats sitting on us. The big infrastructure can only be viable if the economy is free to generate the demand and create the funds for same. Keep the horse before the cart, or, don’t try to make water flow uphill by pushing it with a sharp stick.

MTF...P2