2012 Newsletter

The first Newsletter for 2012 has been launched and you can get your copy here

Regulatory Impact Statement CAR Part 137

The RIS for rule Part 137 has been made available to NZAAA, and you can read the response to it here

December 2011

Newsetter for December 2011 is here

The SFF Project

The first stage of the SFF project "Environmental Best Practice in Agricultural and Rural Aviation" has been completed with the 16 Regional meetings finished.  You can access the report on these meetings here

Pilot Chemical Rating courses

For all aerial information involving:

-           Ground Crew courses

-           Initial Rating courses

-           Pilot Chemical Revalidations

Pilot Chemical Rating revalidation:

Rangiora -                     10 October

Ground Crew course for both loader drivers and those wishing to go on to the Initial rating course:

Rangiora                       19 October

South Auckland             4 November   Note: This venue may change to Taupo 

Initial Rating course:

Omaka                          24/25 November

These dates are probably the last for the year so anyone wanting to do any of these courses better sign in asap. After that, it will be on a full cost recovery.  Please contact Penny Guy for information and updates on any of the following contacts:

penny@tbt.co.nz

0274 962 782

Environmental Best Practice for Agricultural and Rural Aviation

This 3-year MAF Sustainable Farming Fund project got under way this month with a Stakeholder group meeting in Wellington, then the first two of sixteen regional meetings to be held around NZ.  A copy of the presentation to the Stakeholders is here

Operating costs and fuel prices

Costs are rising fast with fuel, one of the biggest single operating costs recently climbing another 14 cents per litre.  See the Press Release on this

Breaking news...

Further to the January Newsletter -

That’s a big hopper you have there sir.....

In the early days of the motor racing car regulators became concerned that bigger and therefore more powerful engines were being developed which when put in the vehicle would inevitably lead to accidents.  So in 1908 they decreed that the bore size in the engine should be regulated to a maximum of 4 inches (100mm), believing of course that the problem of more powerful engines had been fixed.  Sadly we all know they were wrong.  They had forgotten about efficiency, meaning that more powerful engines were developed while still complying with the limit on bore size of 100mm.

It seems entirely possible that under a late amendment to CAR Part 137, the size of a man’s hopper (in his aircraft) is to be limited according to the weight should the hopper be filled to the top.  More precisely, the CAA amendment will prevent an agricultural aircraft incorporating a hopper “which by volume, provides significant excess capacity in almost all likely operating conditions” (my italics).  Like the limit on bore size, this approach to the acknowledged issue of overloading is clumsy and inefficient and is based on assumptions about likely operating conditions that will almost certainly change.

To be fair there will be time for consultation on the amendment – but not much.  On the basis that we should bring solutions to the table and not problems, what would you propose?

Another first in pilot chemical ratings

Jeremy Traill - he's the young one on the right, and John Bargh.  Jeremy is the first fixed wing pilot to get his chemical rating under the new system.  Well done Jeremy

Pilot Chemical Rating courses

A course for the initial issue of the Pilot Chemical Rating will be run at Omaka 29/30 March 2011.  Candidates for this course must first complete a Ground Crew course.  One such course will be run at Drury on February 21.  A further course will be offered around that time in the South if numbers warrant it.

Details for the course including enrollment procedures and costs can be obtained by contacting

Penny Guy on 09 2946 754 or email penny@tbt.co.nz