Fly Me Friendly

While at Avalon Airshow 2009, the FlightPathTV.com team got to interview a C5 Galaxy pilot and film the aircraft opening up prior to letting the public walk through. Together with Captain Lee (our media liaison) we made our way down the far end of the static area to where the C5, a KC135, DC10 tanker (not a KC10) and a pair of B1Bs were parked.

Damn that’s an enormous aircraft :)

We discussed the interview with the crew and one of the junior pilots was “volunteered” for it (the chain of command in action :) After a few discussions outside and some establishing shots, we put our earplugs in and they fired up the APU (very noisy). First up the nose was opened, lifting up over the cockpit and looking very much like a Great White Shark about to bite. The ramp was extended in stages with crew walking around to check everything was deploying correctly. Naturally, this started to draw a bit of a crowd at the public fence area.

Once the nose ramp was fully deployed we moved around to the tail where it was even noisier. A huge panel at the rear moved up and a pair of doors opened outwards. Once again a massive ramp slowly extended itself in stages, although this time there were a few problems with getting the rubber mats at the very end to sit right (typical that it would happen while filming). Apparently the rear ramp can be opened during flight but they don’t do that much any more.

Once everything was opened up and the APU shut down, we moved into the cargo hold and started the interview. Most of the crew sat around enjoying the show, heckling when the camera wasn’t running. We had a few interruptions as a RAAF F18 landed and taxied back, then the KC135 fired up its APU so it could extend its boom.

Eventually we moved upstairs to film the cockpit and crew space then complete the interview up there. I managed to get some shots out one of the escape doors and the hatch up on top. We also went back into the “passenger” area, a separate compartment between the wing & tail upstairs. This area is where any troops or specialists that may be travelling with a load will spend the flight (facing backwards). We were also shown the tail structure that’s above and behind the rear ramp. This area is unpressurised in flight and is bigger than the cargo hold of a C130. Wow!

The C5 Galaxy is definitely a HUGE aircraft and it was great to go clambering all over it. I’ve loaded the photos I took into the C5 Galaxy album in the gallery. A few will also make it into the Avalon 2009 album.

On my first day at Avalon Airshow 2009, the FlightPathTV.com film crew I was with spent about 3 hours in Lockheed’s F35 simulator. During this time, Ken from Lockheed (one of their human/computer interface team members) was working with a RAAF Air Commodore as he flew the aircraft through some example encounters. We also filmed Ken as he explained the F35′s systems, the cockpit interface and the STOVL version’s features.

What a freakin’ incredible piece of equipment the F35 is!

First up, there’s no HUD. All the information from the HUD is displayed on the pilot’s helmet, along with plenty of other information as required. The helmet’s movements are tracked and the displays adjust accordingly.

The main panel consists of two large LCD displays that appear almost as one. The panel can show any of the multiple information screens in any combination of sizes and positions with the pilot touching points on the screens to resize them, move them around and so on. There is a constant one inch high band across the top of the panel that has the information screens represented in miniature (with other information as well). Just touching one of the representations brings that screen up on the panel.

When a pilot enters the aircraft, they slot a mission cartridge into the system that contains information about the mission, munitions and the pilot’s default preferences for screen layouts. So, when the pilot turns the aircraft on, everything they like is all ready to go for them.

Throw in the sensor suite that includes infra-red cameras around the aircraft and you have an amazingly powerful real world display. In addition to showing on the panel, the sensor suite’s information can be displayed on the pilot’s helmet. Combine this with the movement tracker and the pilot can see a synthetic vision view of the world around them – like looking *through* the cockpit floor, wings, weather, etc. Simply amazing.

Being the IT geek I am (as well as an aviation geek), I was drooling at how well this interface worked. As if that weren’t enough, though, we were also shown how the computerised flight controls made it a LOT easier to focus on WHAT a pilot is doing rather than HOW they are doing it.

Say the pilot wants to initiate a 50 degree climb – they use the side-stick to put the nose where they want, set the throttle and then let go. The computers will keep the aircraft going where the pilot’s said. Total no brainer. The system takes the developments of the past decades and brings them into one incredible package.

There was, of course, more to it than this but I was still reeling from what I’d seen in front of me. I would have loved to jump in and go through the demo routine but we’d already been in there two hours and Carlo & Fletch had both had goes, so I didn’t want to overstay our welcome.

I’ve loaded some of the photos I took inside the simulator room into the F35 demo album on the gallery. Other photos from my two days at Avalon are also being uploaded into the Avalon Airshow 2009 album. Enjoy :)

It’s been over a week since I was at Avalon Airshow and I’m only getting around to posting about it now. Sure, I ran up a few Twitter entries about it but I’ve not had a chance to really blog it. This time it’s thanks to lots of work to do since the show finished, plus spending some good time with my son before he visits Argentina with his mom for a month.

I’ve also been editing photos before I can upload them. I’m not someone who can just slam the raw pix up online. I like to weed out a few first, plus edit those that need lighting towers removed (the bane of any airport photographer’s existance :) or any other gear like mobile lighting rigs, etc.

I’m getting there and the first few have been uploaded into the Avalon Airshow 2009 album on my flying gallery. I’ll upload more as time permits and post on the blog when it happens. I’ll also get around to posting what I got up to on the two days I was onsite along with other thoughts about the airshow.

Every two years the Avalon Airshow is held at Avalon Airfield (YMAV) about an hour out of Melbourne on the way to Geelong. Aircraft range from warbirds to super hornets, 747s to C17s, lighties, loonies and the tradeshow. While nothing like Oshkosh, it’s still an amazing show lasting about a week and featuring a night airshow on the Friday (starts at dusk, goes into the night and typically ends with an F111 doing a ‘dump & burn’ and the huge wall of fire – great for killing your night vision). Watching combat jets launch at night on full afterburner is amazing (especially the F111) as is a Super Constellation taking off with the mixture full rich.

I’ve been an airshow volunteer working out on the tarmac at the past 3 airshows and attended a previous one on the trade day. It’s an amazing event and I’m usually working the warbird tarmac, surrounded by beautiful old aircraft. Our home base tent is next to the combat jets tarmac so we’re right in the heart of the action. While I’m on the warbird tarmac, I’m often also found marshalling at the exit of the combat jets tarmac or the junction between taxiway A and ‘the loop’ just in from ‘the keyhole’ (where the heavy iron is parked).

Thanks to this I’ve marshalled jets, transports and lighties, giving me great experience with a range of pilot ability (and a healthy respect for jet-blast). The military guys are precise and rapid, the heavy transports & commercial jets are enormous and they all understand that if you slow down the speed that you wave the bats about, they should slow themselves down too and get ready for a change of direction or stop.

Sadly, this does not apply to many of the pilots coming through in light aircraft. These poor buggers have never been taught how to follow the bats and have no idea. You signal them to keep going where they’re pointed and they turn & come right at you, so you tell them to turn left and they go right. DOH! After a few misadventures, I learned to give the lighties ‘special directions’ (you! go there – you! go there, etc) All good fun but kinda scary at times.

Unfortunately this year I’m not going to be able to spend 7 to 10 days working at Avalon. At first it was because things were flat out in the office and I couldn’t spare large amounts of time away, but now it’s ‘cos I’m unemployed and looking for work. It’s a major shame as I’d been looking forward to spending days on the fun side of the crowd barriers, mixing it up with the noise, catching up with friends and sending updates on Twitter. I am still going to go down for one of the trade days so I’ll get a partial fix, but it won’t be the same.

Better luck in 2011, I suppose.

On Saturday I was taking Kitt out to the Yarra Valley for a “Hen’s Party” winery tour (the “Buck’s Party” was last weekend – paintball – I’ve still got bruises) when I spotted a sign saying that Lilydale Airport (YLIL) was having an airshow. Neat! As I was thinking I’d better lock the date in to be there, I realised that the damned thing was happening TODAY!

Our route from Melbourne to Yarra Glen took us right past the airport (the road goes just south of the threshold of RW36) and after some frantic looking between the road and the airport, I did confirm the presence of a good lineup of aircraft. After getting Kitt to the meeting point and seeing her off with the other ladies (note: Hen’s parties are SCARY!) I ran a quick errand and then high-tailed it back to the airport.

On arrival I noted that there was no one taking the entry fee so I figured it must be getting close to the end of the day (it was 3pm by the time I got there). I walked in and started checking out the aircraft on display. The announcer was talking about Dick Hourigan’s Mustang (a license built and slightly modified P-51 manufactured in Australia during WWII) which was in the process of taxiing out to take off. Last time I saw this Mustang was at the 2002 Albury Airshow (scroll down the linked page to see photos of it) and it sounded great just taxiing in the distance. I didn’t bother with photos as I figured I’d get them when he came back in so I just enjoyed the take off. He did a low downwind pass then came back around a bit faster (and was that a tad lower?) for the upwind pass. Damn I love the sound of a Merlin! After that pass he left the area (which seemed to surprise the announcer a little) and that was the official end of the show.

Just as I was wondering who I’d have to talk with to get onto the flight line for some good photos, I realised that they’d dropped the barriers and we were allowed out with the aircraft. Wow. You have to appreciate that.

There was a huge line up to check out the Soko G2A “Galeb”, a Yugoslavian jet trainer that’s designed to operate from grass runways. Still flying under its Yugoslavian registration, it certainly did draw a crowd. As the only jet aircraft there it was like being the prettiest girl at the dance. Most people wanted to get their photo in the rear cockpit (mostly kids) and the pilot was on the wing helping them out. I managed to get some shots in the front cockpit and had a quick chat with pilot while this was going on. He’s been invited to the Avalon Airshow which is great as he’ll probably be parked on the warbirds tarmac where I’ll be working. Excellent!

I’ve loaded the photos I took into my photo gallery for you to enjoy. There were a number of aircraft there, including at least 3 Yaks. I just wish I’d grabbed a couple of shots of the Mustang in flight – oh well, maybe it’ll be at Avalon along with a few others like the 2007 show.

Some of the aircraft on display included:

• American Champion Super Decathlon (VH-JIR)
• Auster J1N (VH-SAH)
• CA18 Mustang
• CA22 Winjeel (VH-EDA)
• Cassutt Racer (VH-MXA)
• Cessna 206P (VH-TCZ)
• Cessna 337A (VH-NFW)
• Extra 300S (VH-XTR)
• Pacific Aerospace CT4A (VH-CTV)
• Piper PA22 (VH-RDB)
• Stinson L5B (VH-CDF)
• Soko G2A “Galeb” (YU-YEA)
• Yak 50 (VH-BYJ)
• Yak 52 x 3 (VH-RED, VH-YKK & VH-YLG)

There were other aircraft there, of course, including a few helicopters and lighties in the static area. After chatting with some of the folks working airside I headed out through the flight school to find out what the reason was for the airshow (“Oh, we just do them now and then”). After a quick chat I returned to the car and spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with a friend who flies for Global Ballooning. We sat on his veranda and chatted as the afternoon drew to a close and a light aircraft practised aerobatics overhead. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.

Here in Melbourne we have at least one DC-3 based out at Essendon airport (YMEN) that’s operated by Short Stop Jet Charter. They have it available for winery tours, joy flights and dinner flights. It’s not uncommon to hear it out on a good night flying a group of people around the Port Phillip Bay area & over the city. It’s a beautiful sound and I’m very pleased that these guys are able to keep it in the air.

Actually, it’s in the air right now and I’m listening to it as it flies around the city, passing over us here and there. The house is quiet as everyone else is asleep, but I’m working and the drone is soothingly wonderful, triggering thoughts from my past.

I have very fond memories of being in the right place at the right time while hanging out at Bankstown airport (YSBK) in Sydney and helping with the DC-3s that were parked there. Working with Captain Jack Curtis to taxi one that needed to be moved due to some works being done. This involved pumping the hell out of the wobble-pump to get the engines primed & started then sitting in the copilot’s seat and watching out the window to ensure we didn’t chew up any cones. Another time I went along as we taxied from one side of the airport to the other, wound up sitting inside and chatting while the aircraft was used as a backdrop for a photoshoot, then taxied it all the way back. During an airshow at Bankstown in the 90′s I was cleaning the DC-3 between rides and helping to guide people to & from the aircraft plus wheeling the steps in & out. Later I helped walk the wing when we had to bring one out from the static park to replace the one giving rides after it’d gone U/S. When the airshow itself started, I got to sit on top and watch the show – best seats in the house.

Many years and a few countries later, I was at Moorabbin (YMMB) in the dark at 5am on the Royal Victorian Aero Club’s flight line preparing our assigned aircraft to go on RVAC’s Dawn Patrol when I heard that beautiful drone once again. I called it and we all stopped to listen for it. Sure enough, a set of lights could be seen flying a distant downwind, rolling onto base and then coming in to land in the dark. As it came over the threshold we could confirm it as the old Ansett DC-3 and didn’t it look beautiful. I caught up with the crew just before the pilot briefing for a quick chat about people, places and so on. Magic moments.

I would really love to learn to fly the DC-3 at some point as it’s a beautiful aircraft and we need new pilots to help keep the old birds flying. Maybe I’ll head over to the USA to get a type rating via Dan Gryder and the HERPA DC-3. I didn’t realise this option existed until I heard about it on Aero News and listened to Stephen Force doing his SIC rating.

For now, I’ll just looked forward to the day when I’ll be able to spare some $$$ to go on one of Short Stop’s dinner flights. Of course, I’ll be wanting to spend the flight on the jumpseat in the cockpit instead of in the passenger chairs (who needs food – just let me do the flight up front).

On the way home from the city today, we caught glimpses of the RAAF Roulettes demonstration team putting on a show over Albert Park. I was wondering if they might have been doing a practice run for the Dawn Patrol event organised by the Royal Victorian Aero Club. It didn’t seem right though as the Roulettes aren’t always there and, if they are, they often put on a quick show over Moorabbin Airport at the end of the patrol flight.

Turns out there was Military sponsored fun run event at Albert Park. They were have defence displays and activities through the day, including parachutists, helicopters, bands, tanks and even a dragon boat race. As we were arriving back home, we saw the aircraft with the jumpers but it wasn’t getting too high due to an overcast layer a few thousand feet up. A short while later the heritage trainer flight from the RAAF Museum flew over a few times. Nothing like a Winjeel, CT-4 and Wirraway to make a lot of noise.

Not sure what else was around as I had to head out again and wasn’t around to watch. It’s handy living near Albert Park as we often get to watch air shows from our balcony or roof, especially when the F1 Grand Prix comes to town :)

I just watched the RAAF Roulettes display from the roof of our apartment building. We’re pretty close to Albert Park where the Melbourne Grand Prix is running and, while not a perfect viewing place (damned trees) it wasn’t bad.

Now, while I’ll probably never be good enough to fly that kind of formation (although I do aspire to getting a formation endorsement one day), I do have to make some comments on the show. These guys are good and their show is well flown, but having seen the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy Blue Angels a few times, I did feel that something could have been done to pick up the act a tad.

It’s not a jet vs turbo-prop thing!

Yes, jets pack more punch BUT it’s also the choreography of the whole show.

With the last few Roulettes shows I’ve seen, you’re often looking around, either following them behind you as they re-group or wondering where they’ve gone. With the other teams (and many earlier Roulettes shows) there’s always something happening. The other groups use their “soloists” extensively so as the main group are reforming one or two other aircraft are doing something back in show center.

Today’s Roulette show did make use of the soloists, but not to the same degree of continuity as some of their past shows (let alone the level of the other teams). I guess I’m being over-picky, but it’s just something I’m left with after the amazement has worn off.

Meanwhile, I’m watching these guys do things I can only dream of and I’d love to get a ride with them (yes Carlo, I’m still damned jealous! :) ). Until then, all I can do is use the show as yet one more piece of fuel to power my drive towards the sky…

At last, I’ve finally had enough time to load the first day’s photos from the airshow on the website. You can find them in my photo collection. I just need to finish the Grand Prix pix, then do the other 7 days of Airshow pix and then sort out the movies I shot on site…

Well, it’s been a couple of days now and I’m pretty much recovered from the Avalon Airshow (although my feet are still a bit sore now & then :)

The big thing about this airshow was that it all just worked (aside from the traffic jam on Monday :). This was the first time that we had an AGO rep in the box with the “Ring Master,” allowing them to discuss the impacts of changes to plans, placement of aircraft and so on. In the past, this had happened via relaying between multiple people over radios and so on. Now that an experienced ground control person was involved from early planning through to execution, good decisions were made, people knew what was going on and bottlenecks were, on the whole, avoided.

This was reflected in comments from pilots saying how well it worked and that it was the best organised airshow they’d been to. It was also reflected in my general feeling that a lot of the chaos, madness & stress I’d experienced in past shows wasn’t present in this year’s show. Sure, we were running about and busy at times, there were occasional stuff ups but, on the whole, it just flowed.

A couple of negatives were the lack of radios for the ground staff (it’s frustrating trying to sort things out when there’s not enough people around with a good picture of what’s going on – doubt they can ever fix this one) and (the biggest annoyance of all) serving tuna sandwiches for the lunch. Not all the sandwiches were tuna on a given day, but if you were a bit late getting back to the Green Room for lunch, the “real food” would have already have been eaten. Bad luck if you hate fish, eh?

Another interesting item from this airshow included a friend of mine launching a new flight simulator based company, Flight Experience. They have a fixed-base 737-800 simulator and are offering flights to people – you can come in and see what it’s like on the cockpit of a new jet. You can also get type endorsement training and so on. Their big market though is people who just want the experience.

Once again I was able to bring Kitt and Nykolai down to have fun at the show on the Sunday, although they weren’t really impressed with the traffic hassles. Perhaps next time we can look at getting them in & out via train to Lara and the shuttle bus over. At least they had a great time and I got Nykolai into the cockpit of the Kittyhawk thanks to Steve Death (the pilot).

All up, I enjoyed it immensely and will definitely volunteer again (if I’m in Melbourne, etc :)