I write this report just before Christmas feeling the heat of the summer kicking in and the excitement of the Christmas break just before me. I send you all my belated Christmas cheer and hope that your festive season was one of fun and good times.
The following wraps up some of the business that has occurred at the end of 2005.


FLYING AT ALICE SPRINGS
An agreement established during the time under Craig Worth as Operations Manager has been renewed for the Alice Springs area. The renewal is ongoing until further notice of any variation from the standing agreement. The agreement defines the area where operations may be conducted, known as the South Face of the West Gap.
Any pilots wishing to fly this area should contact the Alice Tower by telephone (08) 8950 7505 or (08) 9852 2393 and advise them of the proposed activity prior to conducting any operations. VHF two way communications will be required with the tower and a continuous radio listening watch on Alice Tower frequency will be required during the active operation. Hang gliding and paragliding operations will only be permitted during hours of operation of the Alice Tower.
A copy of the agreement may be obtained by request to the General Manager.


CASR UPDATES
Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)
The new Light Sport Aircraft category came in effect on 20 December 2005 when CASR Part 21H was finally gazetted. The Regulations introduce a new certification category of aircraft. This category is a great step for recreational aircraft and aircraft builders. More information on the regulations can be found at the following web addresses:
[http://www.casa.gov.au/rules/changes/2005/sli321.pdf] - Legislative Instrument 2005 No. 321
[http://www.casa.gov.au/rules/changes/2005/sli321es.pdf] - Explanatory Notice
[http://www.casa.gov.au/rules/changes/2005/sli321ris0314.pdf] - Airworthiness requirements for Light Sport Aircraft

Part 149
Part 149 took another major step forward during the month of December with industry members meeting to conclude the draft notice for the part, that is now to be drawn into legal format before going to NPRM. This part defines who can be a Recreational Aviation Activity Organisation (RAAO), how to apply to become an RAAO and what the responsibilities for a certificated RAAO will be.

Part 103
Part 103 remains in draft, but because Part 149 relies on this part it should now progress quickly due to the progress with Part 149. Part 103 defines the regulations for the individual recreational pilot and replaces CAO 98.5.


WAIVER
The HGFA waiver is progressing, but slower than expected for this late stage of the development process. As noted previously, there are issues with bringing the waiver into operation through the Constitution and binding it with the membership to the HGFA. Legal review of the Constitution has been instigated (remember I am writing this in December '05) and it is hoped that we will have all necessary steps in the implementation process completed by the time you read this report.


CASA FEE AMENDMENTS
Notification of Amendments to the Civil Aviation (Fees) Regulations 1995 - moving to full cost recovery.
In December 2005 amendments were made to the regulations governing the amount and extent to which CASA charges for its services. The amendment regulations were registered on 19 December 2005 and commenced on 1 January 2006. The current fee schedule has been revised and extended under these amendments, with many of the existing fees being increased. CASA has been moved to a business conscious operation and fees will now be applied to virtually every aspect of CASA operations. Of significant importance to many of our pilots is the processing charge for Class 2 Medicals. These now incur an administrative fee of $130.
HGFA realise that this is another additional cost to the already escalating cost of participating in our sports, and is looking at ways to retard or reduce the overall costs to members.
More information on the regulation amendments can be found at:
[http://www.casa.gov.au/rules/changes/2005/sli322.pdf] - Legislative Instrument 2005 No. 322
[http://www.casa.gov.au/rules/changes/2005/sli322es.pdf] - Explanatory Statement


ACCIDENTS
During the last couple of months reports have come from pilots indicating unusual trends in the normally predictable summer weather patterns. Sudden unexplained bursts of turbulence, gust fronts and down drafts have caught a number of pilots out during flight operations on the coast. The trend is also being experienced inland with stronger and more punchy thermals and a greater number of days resulting in early rapid overdevelopment. Pilots are urged to give greater consideration to the meteorological conditions while flying and to err on the side of caution when conditions present differently to expectation.

1.
Pilot: Advanced
Experience: 210 hrs, 25 hrs last 90 days
Aircraft type: PG
Pilot injury: Broken forearm (distal radius)
Aircraft damage: Nil
Location: Inland
Conditions: Headwinds 10 km/h, nil turbulence
Description: During a late afternoon flight the pilot encountered fading ridge lift and was unable to retain sufficient height to make a top landing in the normal top landing area. The pilot calculated that height was sufficient to set up for a quick ridge top landing some distance away along the ridge in order to avoid having to land down at the bottom landing area and walk up the hill to where the vehicles were parked. The ridge section targeted for landing was wide and clear enough for a vehicle access track, but had small trees lining the end of the clearing so there would be no chance of flying on if the landing were miscalculated. The pilot set up for the landing coming in rather fast and attempted to bleed off the excessive airspeed by braking the glider hard. Brakes were applied below the stall position, hands below the seat. The glider stalled and the pilot fell the last few feet, contacting the ground first on the pilot's extended left arm, breaking it just above the wrist.
Comment: The pilot's first mistake was to attempt a landing in a tight and unforgiving area in order to avoid some effort and time in walking back up the slope to the vehicles. The second mistake was thinking that braking hard (and miscalculating the stall point) would bleed off enough airspeed to make the landing within the distance available, ultimately ending in a stall just above the ground. The option to glide to the safer but more distant landing area was ignored for the sake of expediency.

2.
Pilot: Intermediate
Experience: 120 hrs, 12 hrs last 90 days
Aircraft type: HG, intermediate performance
Pilot injury: Severe internal and head injuries
Aircraft damage: Broken uprights, base bar and nose tip
Location: Coastal
Conditions: Slight crosswinds 15 km/h, mild mechanical turbulence
Description: The pilot had purchased the new intermediate performance glider a year or so ago. Since purchasing it the pilot had flown mostly inland, but had done a number of hours on coastal sites to become better acquainted with the idiosyncrasies of flying the higher performance glider. On this particular occasion the wind was coming more or less straight on, providing good conditions for soaring. The afternoon breeze started to shift more to the north and the lift envelope began to diminish. The pilot made for the landing area. When setting up for final approach the pilot encountered an area of turbulence created by the shifting breeze flowing over the lower coastal cliffs. The glider reacted to the disturbed air by slipping off course and dropping one wing tip. The pilot, seemingly not realising the level of the wing had altered, pulled in the bar in order to increase airspeed for landing. The glider accelerated but dived due to the angle of the wing and torpedoed earthward. The pilot attempted to flare just before hitting the ground, causing the glider's trailing edge to drag along the ground momentarily. The base bar connected with earth and snapped in two, both uprights also snapping in half. The pilot landed hard onto the ground before being lifted slightly and then crashed hard again as the nose of the glider pitched forward and dug into the ground bringing the glider to a halt. The pilot was stabilised on site and later airlifted to hospital.
Comments: A number of accidents have occurred over the years, some fatal, involving pilots who have upgraded to higher performance gliders, requiring greater competency from the pilot. While it is recognised that the pilot has the ultimate choice in deciding which aircraft they buy and fly, it is evident that these aircraft demand greater skill on the part of the pilot. We all too often want to get the faster higher glide performance from our wing, but neglect the requirement for further training in order to up-skill ourselves to the level that the wing demands. Whether it is an impatience to take the time to learn ourselves and having to wait for the right conditions to do so, or in not being prepared to pay for the one-to-one instruction in perfecting our techniques as pilots before taking command of these higher performing aircraft, the result is the same, and often severe or catastrophic. Pilots intending to fly or purchase aircraft of a higher performance than the aircraft they normally fly are urged to spend time with an instructor who can demonstrate, educate and train them to achieve the higher skill and knowledge levels required to fly these more challenging aircraft.