The Official Magazine of the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association
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The official magazine of the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association www.aopa.co.uk 2018 FLIGHT DIRECTORY WATER WATER COLLISION AVOIDANCE The all-inclusive guide to Adam Winter explains how FLARM offers an affordable aviation companies and flying water, and its changing states, collision avoidance solution... but schools around the UK can alter your flight will it solve GA's problems? The Swiss Army Knife of the We look at one of the world's most versatile turboprops; the Skies impressive Pilatus PC-12 MAGAZINE 06.2018 FREE TO MEMBERS WWW.AOPA.CO.UK 03 CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE WHAT DOES EDITOR David Rawlings POST-BREXIT [email protected] ART EDITOR MEAN FOR GA? Dan Payne [email protected] OPA has been a consistent supporter of the Annual Duxford Safety Day over past years. We were there again on 14 April as one of SUB EDITORS fourteen table-top displays from GA associations and other relevant Lucy Debenham, Gabrielle A organisations. Lecture presentations were available from the CAA Chambers General Aviation Department, NATS, the Royal Institute for Navigation GA Navigation Group (GANG), and D&D. If you have not attended one of these CONTRIBUTORS events before, think about doing so; the effort is worth making as, apart from the Adam Winter, Pauline Vahey, networking opportunities, the talks provide a good way of catching up with the Mick Elborn, John Walker, David latest safety issues and developments in GA. Overall, the event was judged highly Hastings, George Done successful with over 60 aircraft flying in. Six of us from the AOPA Board attended to answer queries from members and PUBLISHED BY non-members alike. It is always a pleasure meeting AOPA members, and gratifying AOPA UK to receive feedback such as: "keep up the good work...”. We are very conscious 50a Cambridge Street, that pilots and owners have no obligation to join; so we concentrate on doing what London, SW1V 4QQ is expected of us to maintain the current and future viability of General Aviation in +44 (0)20 7834 5631 the UK and further afield. Several questions focussed on general aviation in the UK post-Brexit. Since June ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTIONS 2017, when the topic of this column was just that, it is disappointing to say that there has been little detail emerging from Government regarding the envisaged AOPA UK outcome on the day we leave. This is despite regular engagement with the CAA British Light Aviation Centre 50a Cambridge Street and the DfT. Recently, however, articles have appeared in the national press London, SW1V 4QQ expressing concern about future UK involvement in Galileo, the EU’s Global +44 (0)20 7834 5631 Satellite Navigation System (GNSS). Similar concern has also been expressed following the issue on 13 April 2018 of a ‘Notice to Stakeholders’ from the EC HEAD OF ADVERTISING regarding ‘Withdrawal of the UK and EU Aviation Safety Rules’. This affects a David Impey multitude of areas such as airworthiness, certification, licensing, aircraft operations +44 (0)7742 605338 and registration. AOPA maintains a completely neutral political position on Brexit in view of the wide variation of opinions of our members. However, this does not PRINTING stop us working hard to achieve the best possible outcome for General Aviation Fisherprint in the UK, as well as pushing for an early resolution, so that businesses relying Padholme Road on GA can plan ahead. CEO Martin Robinson met recently with Baroness Sugg Peterborough, PE1 5UL CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, with responsibility +44 (0)1733 341444 for aviation, to discuss such topics (see page 7). If a member is concerned that www.fisherprint.co.uk Government is not addressing the situation with due expedition, we recommend © British Light Aviation Centre Ltd that they write to their MP, preferably with a copy to AOPA and the aviation AOPA is a member of the International minister. Mention should be made of the contribution to the UK economy that GA Council of Aircraft Owners and makes. Pilots Association. IAOPA AeroExpo UK 2018 takes place again at Wycombe Airpark on 14–16 June, by which time we should know more. I look forward to seeing many of you there. • Articles, photographs and news items from AOPA members and other readers are welcome. Please send to the Editor. Inclusion of material in AOPA Magazine cannot be guaranteed, however, and remains at the discretion of the Editor. Material for consideration for the August George Done issue should be recieved no later than Chairman, AOPA UK 01 July 2018. [email protected] June 2018 AOPA Aircraft Owner and Pilot 04 INSIDE THIS MONTH CONTENTS JUNE 2018 07AOPA AFFAIRS AOPA's CEO Martin Robinson 18NEWS All the latest news from the world of talks through the cost of modern General aviation, including the latest tech updates, Aviation, and offers some ideas on how it events and all you need to know about big could become more affordable for all. business in GA. 09AOPA COMMUNITY Your go-to section of 25FLYING GUIDE the 2018 AOPA Flight the magazine to see what AOPA is doing to Directory includes everything you need to ensure you're able to fly when you want, and know about what's on offer at flying schools how you want. around the country. 10WORKING FOR YOU Pauline Vahey chairs 36COVER STORY An in depth look at the go the Members' Working Group meetings and anywhere, do anything turboprop – the Pilatus explains what's been going on behind the PC-12. We talk to the UK distributors of this scenes to keep your best interests at heart. versatile machine. 13AIRFIELDS UPDATE All the latest news on 42TECH REVIEW The FLARM collision avoidance the airfields around the UK that are currently system could save lives; in this tech special we under threat from local authorities and look at what it can do to help you stay safe in potential developers. the skies. 14PPL CORNER We all know what the different 45BOOK REVIEW AOPA's Chairman George states of water are, but do we really know how Done reviews Twin Cessna - The Cessna they affect flight when they are changing from 300 and 400 Series of Light Twins – the latest one state to another? Adam Winter explains... book from esteemed author Ron Smith. 16HELP AND ADVICE You would have heard 47CLASSIFIEDS Search for your new aircraft about the changing laws in data protection. or a share in an aircraft right here! Or if your Mick Elborn puts your mind at rest by pride and joy needs something, these are the explaining how AOPA uses your information. pages for you. AOPA Aircraft Owner and Pilot June 2018 05 EDITOR'S MOMENT It finally seems as if summer is here, at last! It's lovely to sit in the garden in the evening 42 and hear the familiar sounds of a piston engine bimbling overhead – I just hope that it's a trial flight, or someone taking their first lesson who is about to get bitten by the flying bug. Martin Robinson (page 7) talks about the need to get more people into aviation and how reducing costs will help. Elsewhere in the June 2018 issue there is the AOPA Flight Directory to offer everything you need to know about the UK's aviation businesses. Probably most exciting though is that it's now the season of airshows, expos, fly-ins and gatherings. It's where we as lovers of aviation, can all come together and share our passion of flying. On 14-16 June Aero Expo is taking place at Wycombe. I'll be there and I hope you will too. If you see me, come and say "hi," I'd love to chat about aircraft of any kind over a coffee. Whatever your aviation plans are this summer, I hope you enjoy them and make the most of it. David Rawlings Editor, AOPA Magazine UK 18 [email protected] 15 June 2018 AOPA Aircraft Owner and Pilot 06 AOPA AFFAIRS WE NEED THE COST OF AVIATION TO DROP TO KEEP GA ALIVE ver the past 30 years I’ve cheaper alternative. When I asked the seen a great deal of change "These projects CAA to tell me if EASA aircraft were in General Aviation and not are research and less safe, the same, or safer than Annex O all of it due to regulation II aeroplanes, the response was EASA but also due to a lack of a positive development only aircraft are slightly, ever so slightly safer policy towards the industry. – but at what cost to the owner? Since Since the 1980’s we’ve been through and do not lead to the mid 80’s the GA fatal accident rates a national regulatory system to a set of have remained largely unchanged. I do European regulations under the JAA, and any implementation not want to see costs rise for Annex II in 2003 EASA was born out of the fact aircraft owners, but we need prices to that the JAA system only achieved some or mandatory fall for EASA-certified aircraft. harmonisation. The EU set the regulatory equipment fit" The rules for GA still need to be requirements through the basic simplified, I hear pilots who are leaving regulation which EASA delivered on the system say “there are just too many through rule making activity. The focus publishes a rule that delivers on what regulations”, and too high a price to pay in the Basic Regulation was towards the basic regulations requires they are for the activity – When you look at pilot the ‘highest uniform level of safety’ – required to publish a Regulatory Impact ages, the age profile is rising – again unfortunately this statement was also Assessment (RIA) – but there is no medicals can be and do become an issue, applied to the part of General Aviation form of qualification with respect to the so again if the national medical system that fell within the scope of EASA.