BBNNAAPPSS NNeewwss NNoovveemmbbeerr 22001144 BNAPS News Vol 4 Iss 6 – November 2014 BNAPS Gains Prestigious Transport Trust Award Following a visit by the Transport Trust’s Awards Assessor on 19 September, BNAPS was extremely pleased to be informed on 7 October that the restoration project had been given an award of £1500 and also the Ron Wilsden award in recognition of the high quality of the restoration work. This is a really gratifying achievement and reflects the hard work and effort put in by the restoration team and the outstanding support the project has received since the remains of “Charlie November” were recovered in July 2010 Information about the project on show for – more on page 2. the Transport Trust Assessor’s visit “Charlie November’s” Fuselage is Painted - Restoration Project Reaches a Major Milestone BNAPS Trustees, left to right, Bob Wealthy, Peter Graham, Bob Wilson and Guy Palmer, met up at the restoration workshop on 6 October to inspect the freshly painted fuselage of “Charlie November” See pages 5-11 for a full report of recent restoration work progress 1 Transport Trust Restoration Workshop Visit 19 September, 2014 BNAPS Trustees were most gratified to receive an award from the Transport Trust award in respect of completion of the fitting out of the fuselage of “Charlie November” by mid 2015 in time to be on show at the planned “Islander 50” event. The following photos were taken on the day of Transport Trust Awards Assessor’s visit to the restoration workshop: Bryan Groves and Paul Brook set out a display of restored parts and instruments. BNAPS team held a debrief after the visit Information about the project was on show for the visit BNAPS Also Receives the Ron Wilsden Award "The Transport Trust commemorates its most distinguished officers and benefactors, whose contribution to the Trust's work has been outstanding, by instituting awards in their names. The Ron Wilsden Award was set up in the memory of the Transport Trust's founder who in 1965 recognised the need for a consolidated approach to transport conservation right across the various sectors. Where appropriate these named awards are made to winning items from the sector most relevant to the particular interests of the person named and it is thus appropriate that a restoration from the aviation sector should be made in Ron Wilsden's name, his working career having been spent as a senior engineer at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough" Supporting BNAPS & Islander VCN’s Restoration AQS Ltd Bembridge Heritage Society The Propeller Inn 2 Channel Island Air Search Resumes Operations . On 3 November 2013, the Channel Islands Air Search Islander, G-CIAS, sustained severe damage following a forced landing on the north coast of Jersey. At the time the aircraft was engaged on a search and rescue mission in darkness and in extreme weather conditions. The pilot managed to get the aircraft down onto what was the only area of clear ground on the cliff top. The aircraft came to rest against a tree and miraculously all the crew escaped without injury. CIAS interim replacement aircraft Islander Arrangements were soon made for G-AWNT in its hangar on Guernsey temporary replacement aircraft but (photo courtesy of Ian Haskell) CIAS operations were not resumed until October, 2014. Statement from Channel Islands Air Search 09 October 2014 With the publication of the Air Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) report into the incident involving the Channel Islands Air Search (CIAS) search and rescue aircraft, Lions’ Pride, in Jersey on 3 November 2013, CIAS issued the following statement: “We accept the findings of the report, namely that the forced landing occurred because the aircraft was flown on the tip tanks, rather than the larger, main fuel tanks. However, as with every accident, there are always a number of causal factors which should be noted. The configuration of the small tip tank switches on this particular Islander aircraft revealed a weakness in the aircraft design, something that was attributed to four similar tip tank aircraft accidents as noted in the AAIB report. Additionally, flying conditions on the night were extremely challenging with low cloud, strong crosswinds and squally showers. CIAS volunteer crews turn out in all weathers to save the lives of others and on this occasion, the urgency to save those lives unfortunately resulted in human error. However once it became clear the aircraft would notTrislander be able toG -makeRLON theat Alderneyrunway at– theJersey aircraft airport, that the report described a ‘successful forced landingin whichin extraordinary Toby Dixon conditions’ made his which nostalgic is testament flight to the incredible flying skills of the pilot involved. We have improved our procedures and processes post the accident and are moving forward. All the interim aircraft and indeed our new aircraft have a revised and improved tip tank configuration. We have continued open dialogue with the Director of Civil Aviation to strengthen the operation of CIAS. This has resulted in an internationally recognised 30 page Safety Management System document as well as a robust pre-flight check list, all of which will make an incident such as this highly unlikely to ever occur again. CIAS has provided search and rescue cover for Channel Islanders for over thirty years without incident, which is an amazing track record. We are grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from islanders, including all the incredible fund raising efforts and are glad to be back flying as the lifeboats’ eyes in the sky.” CIAS Fund Raising for New Build Replacement Islander A massive effort is under way to raise funds to enable a replacement new build Islander to be purchased with a view to getting the full CIAS SAR capability re-instated. The new aircraft will benefit from the latest technology SAR mission equipment fit. In a recent CIAS news release it is anticipated that the new aircraft will be available in mid 2015. For more information about the CIAS organisation and contact details, should anyone wish to make a donation to this worthy cause, see: www.ci-airsearch.com Interim Replacement Islander G-AWNT Islander, G-AWNT, c/n 0032 made its first flight on 7 September 1968 and has the distinction of being the oldest airworthy B-N Islander on the UK civil aircraft register. G-AWNT has spent most of its time on aerial survey work, but was operated for 4 years with the Peterborough Parachute Club from 1984 to 1988. Other unique features of this aircraft are the early style main under carriage leg fairings and the absence of the inboard leading edge droop modification. 3 46 years ago - Islander G-AVCN Gains a Certificate of Airworthiness B-N Islander G-AVCN, c/n 003, was issued with a Board of Trade Certificate of Airworthiness No. A.9223 on 18 August, 1968, five days after it was delivered to Glos Air at Staverton Airport, Gloucestershire. The image of this historic document comes via BN Historians. 4 VCN Restoration Progress Report October 2014 – November 2014 The project took a major step forward with the spray painting of the restored fuselage. Thanks go to Bob Wilson and Guy Palmer for sorting out the paint with Wight Paint Supplies and for obtaining the help of Bill Mason, a specialist in car body refinishing and repair, who kindly agreed to undertake the spray painting work. The end result is a tribute to the efforts of the restoration team and augurs well for the future. Bryan Groves and Paul Brook continue to progress the electrics and instrument installation. Andy Stewart continues his sterling work to restore the outer face of the Baggage Bay Door so that it can be painted. The GRP Gel coat was mostly destroyed so resurfacing has been a time consuming job but Andy has now completed the build-up and replacement of a smooth outer surface. Bob Ward and Keith Winter have taken the elevator, elevator-trim, rudder and rudder-trim controls installation as far as they can go at this time and have started to install the window glazing. The sealer/adhesive is now available and this will be applied when a satisfactory dry fit has been achieved. The door windows have been fitted and following acquisition of new draught seals for the doors, the doors have been re-installed. Patrick Gallagher, with some help from the ladies, has spent much time and effort restoring the tail-plane and with last part of the surface area having been de-corroded, rubbed down and etch primed the tail plane is now ready for the top coat to be applied. The ladies, Rita and Jeni, have now returned to work on the fin by removing the original paint and de-corroding the surface ready for etch priming. Bob Wilson continued with surface preparation of the avionics bay cover as once it was sprayed the surface imperfections showed up and in such an obvious position that it was decided it needed to be rubbed down and filled again. It is now almost at the stage where it can be re- primed and top coated. Bob Wilson has also been repairing the tail cone cracks and damage plus repairing redundant holes found after trial fit following repairs to the major damage. This has now been etch primed and is ready for a top coat. Wheels have now been fitted to the fuselage cradle by Paul Thomasson and Keith Winter which will make moving it in the workshop much easier and will be particularly useful when we swap the position of the fuselage and wing in the next work period. The following series of photographs illustrate the work that has been undertaken during the current period: Fuselage after the top side and under side Guy Palmer preparing a had been spray painted passenger door for spray painting View of the fuselage under side View of the fuselage top side 5 VCN Restoration Progress Report October 2014 –November 2014 (Continued) .