Accreditation and Noise Abatement

The AIRCARE Accreditation programme willl be launched soon - see other news on this site. AIRCARE Accreditation will take the place of the current NZAAA Accreditation programme and will involve up to four Codes of Practice (CoP), GROWSAFE (agrichemicals), Spreadmark (fertiliser) and VTA (bait) depending on what work the operator does. There is a fourth Code on Noise Abatement which every applicant for AIRCARE Accreditation must meet.

More details on all this will be out soon but meantime, you can check out the Noise Abatement CoP, and the Fly Neighbourly Guide by clicking 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

Aircraft spread pattern testing

AgCal NZ Ltd will be in the North Island from the 10th January until early/mid February.

I plan to start in the Hawkes Bay area, work up through the centre into the Waikato. Start in Northland during the week starting the 17th Jan. Following that I will work my way down though Taranaki and the Manawatu. I already have work booked at Waipawa, Whakamaru, Morrinsville, Ohinewai, Pukekohe, Helensville, Warkworth, New Plymouth, Manaia, Feilding & Himatangi.

If you require fertiliser or spray calibration, Spreadmark or non-Spreadmark please contact

Russell Horrell

AgCal NZ Ltd

150 Halswell Junction Rd

Halswell

Christchurch 8025

E-mail agcal@clear.net.nz

Phone Office/Home - 03 322 8760 Mobile – 027 220 6610

Procedures for Cellphone and Satellite Phone Use in Aircraft

1080 Annual Report

ERMA New Zealand has released its third Annual Report into the Aerial Use of 1080. This report includes information regarding aerial operations, incidents and complaints, monitoring, communication and information on research into alternatives to 1080.

Spray drift and buffer zones

The problem of spray drift has not gone away. Have a look at http://spraydrift.com/ You are invited to suggest features you would find useful. So far there is a map displaying a buffer zone of a user defined size [that way users can have a nose around their area], sending out an email whenever the wind is forecast from a certain direction. There are also some measuring tools for area and length so that users can estimate how much buffer is required or how far say a school is.

Send any comments or suggestion you might have to Andrew Hodson hortplus@gmail.com