Another notice from Mark Awad - Following is important information from AWAL’s Director of Self-Administration Peter Pring-Shambler: Late last year, one of AWAL’s members was having an Annual inspection carried out on their Yak-52. During an internal inspection of the wings some aggressive intergrannular corrosion of the top spar cap, just outboard of the undercarriage mounting, was discovered. The attached photos are a little blurry, but will give you an idea of the extent of the damage. AWAL recommends all Yak owners contact their Maintenance Organisations and advise them of this damage so a timely inspection can be carried out. I have been asked a number of times about the overhaul life of radial engines, in particular, the use of two overhaul times e.g. 1000/1500 in some AWAL approved Maintenance Schedules. Here is some clarification for the most popular engines: P & W R985 1200/1500 R1340 1000/1500 R1830 1000 Note: The higher period is subject to documented, new crankshaft bearings and non-chrome/cermichrome number 5 (master rod)cylinders being fitted at the last overhaul. Wright R1820 1000/1500 R2600 1000 **Note The higher period applies to the R1820-97 model only. This information was taken from CASA’s AD/Eng/4 Amdt 5 dated April 1995. If you require clarification or additional information, please contact AWAL’s DSA Peter Pring-Shambler,[email protected]. Thanks again to all of you who participated in our first Members’Survey! We hope to run them a couple times a year, and see a lot of value in the responses received. With regards to many of the replies I’ve read it seems to me that by-and-large, most members understand the role AWAL plays in protecting and expanding the rights and privileges we enjoy as owners/operators of Australia’s ex-military aircraft. That said, there is still a percentage of members – and no doubt a much-higher percentage of non-members – who to one degree or another lack understanding regarding AWAL’s functions and reason for being the administrator of Limited category aircraft in Australia. I may be the current Chief Executive of our organization,but I am first and foremost a member and will proudly continue as such after my tenure at the helm comes to a close. In my position, I’ve become all too aware of the balancing act AWAL has had to make (with varying degrees of success) over the last several years between being an association for and about warbird owners/operators and successfully undertaking the role of an effective administrating body. More and more,as CASA’s move toward the self-administration model for the various Sport Aviation communities progresses, we find ourselves with an increasing level of responsibility towards fulfilling our duties and ensuring all aircraft operating under our umbrella are doing so legally. This includes confirmation that all Permissions to Operate are in place and current, and any necessary fees have been paid. No-one (myself included) necessarily enjoys being told what to do, how to comply, or that you have to pay for a privilege; especially when many things with a price-tag now attached were available free of charge in the past. That said,those of us leading AWAL must take our role as the CASA-designated administrating body for ex-military aircraft seriously, execute it to the best of our abilities, and ensure we have the support (both of our members and financial) to continue promoting and operating warbirds in Australia. I, along with Peter Pring-Shambler, Robyn Waller, and the Board of Directors are working hard to both provide more value and minimize the impact these administrative demands place on members. While the process of getting a Certificate of Airworthiness or Permission to Operate may at times take longer or be more complex than you or we would like, we do our best to make it both quick and easy. Delays or complications occur when we are not provided with all the necessary/requested information, when the aircraft in question is a first-of-type to be administered by AWAL, or when other entities such as local airport operators/councils are slow to provide their approvals; to name a few of the more common causes. When you receive a call or e-mail from us before a fly-in asking if you have all your necessary approvals in place,it’s not AWAL trying to trip you up but rather our attempts to look after you and make sure you don’t run afoul of the regulations because of an oversight (For every fly-in/air show, we find members who do not have all their approvals. In those cases, we go into overdrive to help get all the “i”s dotted and “t”s crossed for them in time). While costs are certainly higher than most would like to see, we have done and continue to do all we can to keep them down as much as possible. The simple facts are these: While CASA provides us with a portion of our annual income, they do not fund us to the extent that our operating expenses are being covered. AWAL is not-for-profit and as such the organization does not look for income above and beyond what is necessary to effective ongoing operations, but we do need money to keep the wheels turning. Our only option to make up the difference between what we receive from CASA and what we need has been to rely on dues and fees, both for memberships and aircraft; and to run a very tight ship. We are seeking other revenue streams but at the moment they are limited and sporadic. Nonetheless we will continue to search, and will have successes as well as some failures. Along the way, we will work to explore methods by which we can add increasing levels of value to your memberships; whether that’s through various discount programs, regular fly-ins/get-togethers, or strong communication and advocacy. As part of that, we’re aware that a better job in general needs to be done in showing we welcome, respect, and value all members equally; not just those conducting adventure flights. On another subject… I sincerely hope that the unfortunate events of last year’s dispute amongst AWAL’s leadership is well and truly behind us. While the association incurred significant legal fees as a result, we have just this week been notified by our insurer that the claim we filed for coverage under our management liability policy has been successful! As a result, AWAL will be receiving a net payment of $21,396.31 which will cover a majority of the expenses resulting from the action. As you know, we now have a Board of Directors made up of individuals who were on both sides of the dispute. They and the rest of our leadership team have well and truly moved on, working together as friends and colleagues for the benefit of AWAL and its members. Furthermore, our new draft Constitution (which we hope to be able to put to our full voting membership in the next few months for ratification) has measures in place to guard against such a rapid escalation of hostilities in the future. We all hope this insurance payment draws a firm line under a dark chapter in our history. Our Administrations Manager Robyn Waller would like it mentioned that,over the holiday period, a number of memberships have lapsed due to non-payment. There are also approximately 20 past-due aircraft registration fees. Please check to make sure you are current on both counts and if not we would appreciate your prompt renewal/payment. Thank you! Late Development: I, along with AWAL Director/Safety Officer Matt Handley,will be visiting Caboolture on the 16th of February for a casual “meet and greet”, open to all AWAL members and non-members who may be interested in warbirds or our organization. AWAL member Bryan Carpenter and Mark Thompson have graciously agreed to host us at the Caboolture Warbird Museum where we will have refreshments and light snacks available. We’ll be there from 12:00noon-3:00pm and hope to see any of you who can make it! Please spread the word and RSVP to me directly at: [email protected] or 0432318282 if you will be able to join us. Following is a message from Kevin Scrimshaw in CASAs Sport Aviation office: Are your members subscribed to the Flight Safety Australia magazine? The current issue has some great articles which would be of great benefit such as: Blind Faith - discusses the risks involved in solely relying on your EFB. The Floating World - An overview of safety in the commercial world of hot air ballooning. Spiralling Danger - Looks at the tragic commercial ballooning accident near Alice Springs in July 2013, which highlights that safety starts on the ground. Too tired to glide? A close call submission highlighting the dangers of fatigue. In this instance it examines a glider flight that was impacted in such a way. The current issue can be accessed via the following link: casa.grapevine.au/lists/lt.phpid=Y0UDAgQMBAAIVB9VAgUHTAgCCQ4DAA%3D%3D. I would also like to remind all RAAOs that all stories related to close calls are welcome and can be emailed to [email protected]. Please be sure to notify us if you have any upcoming event(s) you would like publicized. Until next time… Best regards, Mark Awad Chief Executive Officer Australian Warbirds Association Ltd
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 11:23:38 +0000
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