Garmin D2 Watch Flight Training Extra 330SC LOST WITHOUT IT UNDER EXPERT WATCH TAMING A WORLD CHAMPION AOPATHE VOICE OF AUSTRALIAN GENERAL AVIATIONPILOTJune-July 2018 | Vol 71 No. 2 | $9.95 Quest KODIAK II A GO ANYWHERE, DO ANYTHING MACHINE Falcomposite Furio RG PERFORMANCE LSA Freedom to Fly in the Kimberley AOPA AIRSHOW TEAM AOPA PILOT AUSTRALIA CONTENTS www.aopa.com.au | June-July 2018 | Vol 71 No. 2 FLIGHT TRAINING 66 FLYING STATESIDE Training and flying in the USA 20 70 UNDER EXPERT WATCH With Instructor Eliot Floersch 48 WARBIRDS PRODUCT REVIEWS 74 DH82A TIGER MOTH A timeless classic 50 GARMIN D2 REVIEW Simply lost without it 78 STEARMAN Ben and his beautiful boeing AOPA AT WORK AIRCRAFT REVIEWS MEMBER COLUMNS 80 WANAKA AIRSHOW 52 FAA APPROACH 4 EDITORIAL 20 KODIAK SERIES II New Zealand’s best Captain Perry McNeil Try a little kindness Go anywhere, do anything 82 CATALINA PROJECT 54 AIRCRAFT OWNERSHIP Restoring a rare bird 5 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 26 RV8S EXPERIMENTAL Martin Hone AOPA spirit alive and growing Building a heavy lift cruiser MARKETPLACE 58 BUYING USED PART II 6 PRESIDENTS’ REPORTS 30 FURIO SPEEDSTER Captain Perry McNeil 86 DESTINATIONS Changing of the guard Performance LSA 87 SERVICES 62 EXTRA DELIVERY 88 CLASSIFIEDS 8 AOPA AT WORK 36 GRAND CARAVAN Rob Akron from Europe General Aviation Summit Big, fast, versatile money maker 9 AGM 2018 42 BOMBARDIER 6000 Annual General Meeting A class above 10 NEW MEMBERS 46 E33C BONANZA Welcome to new members Owning an aerobatic classic 11 MEMBER PROFILE PROFILE 14 Jim Stewart 90 years strong 48 PAUL ANDRONICOU 12 IAOPA QUEENSTOWN Simply lost without it AOPA World Assembly 14 ORD VALLEY MUSTER Freedom to Fly in the Kimberley 17 FREEDOM TO FLY Rylstone celebration success COVER PHOTOGRAPH 18 ASIC CARDS Quest’s Kodiak 100 Series II New requirements Improved “go anywhere do any thing” turbine that’s perfect for Australia. 19 MEMBER HONOURED Past President, Phillip Reiss 45 | June - July 2018 AOPA PILOT AUSTRALIA 3 AOPA AT WORK | EDITORIAL Flying High AOPA Australia Editor, Paul Southwick Email: [email protected] The editor’s father, who served as a WWII pilot It all reminds me of bad behaving contestants on a in the RNZAF, said “You meet all sorts of people dodgy reality television show, where by the finale in the Air Force, just like in ordinary life - nice everyone realises that there are no winners at all. people and unpleasant people. It’s hard to get Exactly what kind of example and message are we away from them, but the fact is you’re all in this sending to the youth who are so important to the together.” Never a truer word has been spoken! future of aviation in Australia, with infighting? “You got to try a little kindness... Perhaps we should heed the words of that famous singer, guitar player, and Grammy Awaard winner, just shine your light for everyone to see.” Glen Campbell, and his 1969 hit song; “Try a little kindness” - afterall, like my dad said... we are all in Your editor gets to meet many people in aviation this togther. and it never ceases to amaze how a few “bad” individuals do themselves, the industry, and this In preparing this issue the author has met many great country which is famous for “mateship” and a wonderful people in aviation – people who shine fair go, so much harm. their light for everyone to see, including: Bad behaviour in aviation takes many forms, •AOPA Australia’s youth ambassador, and flight from bagging out competitors, to rumouring, to instructor, Amy Chang, who is always smiling and BELOW vexacious and unncessary complaints to CASA, to never ceases to enthuse, both on Facebook and to On the flight deck of relentless and targeted online social media abuse. It all she meets, about aviation; Bombardier’s new Glob- seems that aviation attracts the full gammit of bad •Michael Loccisano a co-founder of Funflight, an al 6000 corporate jet behavior. aviation charity that gives disadvantaged children in Australia an opportunity to experience flight; •Judy Pay, who generously provides a whole fleet of aircraft for ANZAC Day fly bys, and her large group of volunteers who give their own time, for free, to keep the aircraft flying; •Eliot Floersch, one of the world’s best and most expereinced flight instructors who gave his valuable expert time gratis for the benefit of one of this month’s articles;. •Tom Haines and Mark Baker from AOPA USA who ‘spread the gospel’ of general aviation worldwide in a positive manner. Which type of pilot are you – the acidic reality show contestant harming our industry, or the shining light for pilots and general aviation? Who would you noimiate as the best ‘shining light’ AOPA member in Australian aviation? Please write and tell us so we can profile them in a future issue of AOPA PILOT AUSTRALIA. Thanks to all those members who wrote or called to tell us they love the magazine’s new format and content. We set high standards for ourselves and aim to get better with very issue! 4 | AOPA PILOT AUSTRALIA June - July 2018 AOPA AT WORK | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor Have your say with AOPA Australia Email: [email protected] AOPA Spirit at Rylstone system takes the cake! Under this system, charge for their services but keep clear of I would like to pass on my thanks and ap- we are being forced, unnecessarily, in a them until they stop charging. preciation to the AOPA and our Freedom to counterproductive way, to require students We own and operate the Goolwa (YGWA) Fly airshow team, who all recently attended to enrol in the 200-hour commercial course airport in South Australia, we receive no the Celebration of Aviation at Rylstone Air- because, as a small operation, we only qual- grants or concessions from local, state or park in NSW, helping make it an oustand- ify for the Part 141 school. We are being federal government. Yet we have to pay ing success. Over 110 aircraft owners flew forced to commit “business suicide,” along high council rates, various levies, state and in with over 2,000 people attending on the with the extra costs incurred in producing federal taxes as well as high fuel costs to run day. Paul Goard and the airshow team did a new Operations Manual. Concerning our machinery, plus maintenance of said a great job with the air display, along with the survivability of our business, we need machinery etc. We are a large airfield with Ben and the team with the Youth flight sim- help - I am thinking about appealing to the a 24 hour sealed runway plus grass cross ulators and bus. Congratulations AOPA ACCC and making a case for fair trading strips and taxiways. We open seven days a and we will see you again in 2019! and competition. This change will, increase week, 364 days a year (we have Christmas ROB LONERAGAN the costs of pilot training, be it under a 141 day off), earn less than minimum wage, AOPA #43840 or 142, with the cumulative effect of adding rarely have time off, all so that people can to the pilot shortage in this country. fly in and enjoy the beautiful Fluerieu Pen- User fees and YMMB Congestion GIL LAYT insula. I like to consider myself a good GA citi- AOPA #19049 Yes, we charge landing fees, but we do zen, in that I fly a Bonanza regularly and waive them if fuel is purchased. Of course contribute to the general aviation economy. New magazine format we want to encourage people to fly into However, I am increasingly concerned that Ben and Paul , the April - May 2018 edition Goolwa; we want people to enjoy the area whilst I and my GA friends are all paying of AOPA PIlOT AUSTRALIA was possibly and being all pilots ourselves, try to offer our way, our ‘recreational’ counterparts, the most professional and enjoyable edition those services we would like to experience who enjoy access to the same aviation I’ve read. I believe I joined AOPA around when, on rare occasions, we get to travel. that we do, are continuing to escape land- 2002, however previously another older But it is a service and we need to charge. ing fees and charges at airports. Why is member gave me a pile of magazines dating It would be more profitable for us to clear GA subsidising the access and enjoyment back to the very late 1980’s. Although I re- the land and develop a housing estate, but of ‘recretational’ users and when will they call some interesting articles and editions, pilots who don’t like landing fees would do the right thing and pay their own way? I must acknowledge this latest effort. In- perhaps be unhappy about airfields closing Im also frustrated that at YMMB the wait teresting content and very well presented. too! times for GA aircraft to depart can be up Well done and best wishes for the future. I encourage pilots who think $15 per tonne to 20 mins at RWY hold point, the airport AL HILTON is too much to pay to land at a major coun- operator needs to reopen the central RWY AOPA #47111 try airport to spend a day in the life of an to provide for safe arrivals and departures! airport owner. They will appreciate the ADAM BLENERHASSET Landing fees I just read the article in this month’s mag- time, effort and expense that goes into run- AOPA #43840 azine (April - May, Vol.