Light Aviation Magazine 2015 Click on the links below to open each issue of Light Aviation Magazine from 2015 January 2015 April 2015 July 2015 October 2015 February 2015 May 2015 August 2015 November 2015 March 2015 June 2015 September 2015 December 2015

Lycoming Lycoming engines in certain specific airframe types have been approved by the CAA for the use of unleaded Mogas, using the process described in CAP747 , See Section 2, Part 4, General Concession 5. This involves purchasing an STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) from either the EAA or Petersen Aviation in the USA and carrying out the actions called for by the STC. The procedures stated in CAP747 may be followed for LAA aircraft but only for aircraft with the exact same engine/airframe combinations quoted on in CAP747.. An LAA inspector must check that the aircraft operator has obtained a copy of CAP747, Section 2, Part 4, GC5 and of the appropriate STC and complied with the actions called for therein, and signed off a suitable logbook entry accordingly before the aircraft may be flown with unleaded Mogas.

Continuing Airworthiness Information One of the key strengths of the LAA's system is that we can monitor the fleet centrally and keep track of airworthiness incidents from around the world. Where necessary, we can then let our owners know, to help them keep flying safely. A full listing of Airworthiness Alerts, Technical Service Bulletins and Mandatory Technical Directives can be found below: ALERTS, TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS & MANDATORY TECHNICAL DIRECTIVES

< Back Engineering updates in July 7 Aug 2025 The following documents have been issued/updated in the Engineering 'Info Library' during July. Continuing airworthiness information : Mandatory Technical Directive MTD-05-2024 issue 2 - Jabiru distributor caps Mandatory Technical Directive MTD-03-2025 - Marquart Charger aileron slave strut Alert A-05-2024 issue 2 - Rotax engine oil spray nozzle Alert A-07-2025 - Glastar aileron servo-tab pushrod cracking Alert A-08-2025 - Gen 4 Jabiru engine crankshafts Technical leaflets : TL 2.00 - Revalidating your aircraft's Permit to Fly TL 2.19 - The LAA Generic Maintenance Schedule TL 2.33 - Insepctor categories for type TADS : 274 - Europa 315 - Eurostar 324 - Supermarine Spitfire mk26 Propeller type lists PTL/1 : Kitfox mk1/mk2/mk3 Forms : LAA/AR-REF (FB GYROPLANE) - Airworthiness review reference guide (crib sheet) LAA/AR-REF (HOMEBUILT GYROPLANE) - Airworthiness review reference guide (crib sheet) LAA/AR-REF (FIXED WING) - Airworthiness review reference guide (crib sheet) LAA/CFS-1 (GYRO) - Check flight schedule LAA/CFS-1 (FIXED WING) - Check flight schedule LAA/FBG-SUPP - Supplement to factory-built gyroplane revalidaton form LAA/PFRC-1 - Permit Flight Release Certificate LAA/FT-NEW - Flight test schedule, new builds, transfers, modifications and repairs LAA/FT-ENG - Flight test schedule, engine modifications Next Previous

LAA Member Discounts

E10 Mogas From 1st September 2021, the government mandated that all regular grade unleaded petrol must contain up to 10% ethanol, rather than up to 5% as previously. In the autumn of 2021, most filling stations around the UK re-marked their E5 petrol pumps to show that they now supply E10 specification fuel, and started receiving tanker-loads blended with up to 10 percent ethanol content. For the automotive world this means reduced carbon dioxide emissions, which is better for the environment, and, arguably in terms of eco-desirability, a small further reduction in the reliance on fossil fuel. The automotive industry had been preparing for this change, and people with road vehicles registered after 2002 should be able to switch to E10 without noticing any difference. Unfortunately, the additional ethanol content is bad news for aviation users if we were to ignore the change and start putting E10 in our aircraft regardless. Ethanol is a powerful chemical solvent which can attack components including rubberised gaskets and fuel pipes, older lacquered carburettor floats and composite or plastic components in some newer fuel systems. The doubling of the concentration of ethanol in E10 compared to E5 makes it much more likely that problems will be experienced if these parts are not designed to be ethanol-proof. Ethanol also has an affinity for absorbing water, which over time can then become acidic, attacking metal components in the fuel system and engine. Even if there was a practical way to do so in the volumes of fuel we use in our aircraft, we cannot safely remove the ethanol content from the fuel because the ethanol acts as an octane enhancer, so the washed-out fuel would be left with a reduced octane value, likely to cause detonation problems. Another issue is that ethanol-blended fuel has a lower energy density than petrol, so to develop full power from our engines using an E10 fuel, we may need to richen the fuel/air mixture, for example using a bigger carburettor jet size. Owners of Rotax and Jabiru engines are probably already aware that many of these engines are supplied as being able to use E10 fuel – though with Jabiru engines, in particular, it’s far from straightforward because some of the earlier engines require cylinder head modifications and reduced compression ratio if they are to avoid detonation issues when using any form of Mogas. Jabiru also say that Mogas of any type should not be used in commercial flight schools and only at the owners own risk. Even with a supposedly E10-compatable engine, the chemical compatibility problems with fuel system components are such that the LAA does not at present approve the use of E10 Mogas in any LAA amateur-built or vintage aircraft. For factory-built microlights and factory-built gyroplanes, where LAA is not the approving authority but only renews the CAA’s Permits to Fly, owners need to refer to the TADS for the types for details of the approved fuel types, and monitor the service bulletins from the approved manufacturers for news of any updates. Where we need to be particularly careful in reading-across from (hopefully) a trouble-free transition to E10 in automotive use is the big difference between our petrol cars and the way our aircraft engines are configured. Our cars generally have submerged fuel pumps in their petrol tanks and a sealed fuel system. In our aircraft we have an open-vented tank and usually a fuel pump several feet away, often mounted in a hot area of the engine bay near to the engine exhaust, dragging the fuel through a fairly convoluted pipework system, a filter and fuel selector – all features encouraging a vapour lock - and then to make matters worse we want to climb up to altitude and operate in reduced atmospheric pressure. Modern petrol cars have a fuel injection systems rather than carburettors, a circulating fuel system designed to purge any vapour forming in the fuel line, and an ECU that monitors the engine’s parameters constantly and adjusts the fuel mixture strength and ignition timing to prevent damage to the engine – and if all else fails and the engine should ‘pink’, we can hear it from the driver’s seat and drop a gear to lighten the load. Because of the much higher background noise level in our aircraft, detonation cannot be heard and the pilot’s first indication of a problem may be when the first piston crown disintegrates, or a valve head departs its stem. In conclusion - E10 is presently not approved for use in any LAA aircraft. ‘Hoping for the best’ and using E10 fuel in your aircraft regardless could risk ruining the fuel system components, fibreglass tanks falling to bits, engine failure through contamination of the fuel or ruptured fuel pump diaphragms etc, or more serious engine damage. For most of our engines, UL91 Avgas is the best choice, but 97 octane E5 Super Unleaded remains an alternative to the now-obsolete E5 spec Mogas.

< Back Mandatory Technical Directive issued for Rotax 914 powered Eurofox aircraft 29 May 2024 Mandatory Technical Directive, MTD-03-2024 has been issued today to introduce mandatory disabling of cabin heat on examples of the type fitted with Rotax 914 (and derivative) engines. This follows an in-service occurrence of carbon monoxide entering the cabin due to leaks from the exhaust system. The MTD must be carried out before flight on or after 5th June 2024. This MTD has been emailed to all affected owners. Next Previous

< Back Mandatory Technical Directive issued for Jabiru 2200 engines 10 Jul 2024 Mandatory Technical Directive, MTD-05-2024 has been issued today to introduce mandatory checks on the clearance between the distributor cap and rotor arm in Jabiru 2200 engines where the cap or rotor have recently been changed (or following subsequent changes). This follows an in-service finding where differences in distributor cap design were found which lead to extreme wear in the components causing the engine to stop. The MTD must be carried out before further running of the engine on or after 10th July 2024 on Jabiru 2200 engines where the distributor cap and/or rotor arm has been changed in the last 20 engine hours, or are subsequently changed. The checks are also recommended on all other Jabiru 2200 engines. Next Previous

Continental Covering Letter to Owners AAN PFA 999-413 Sup 3 Approved Mogas Aircraft/Continental Engine combinations Inspection Checklist

< Back The New Permit Revalidation System - Step-by-Step Guide 9 Apr 2025 The new LAA Permit to Fly revalidation system will go live on 15th April 2025. This streamlined, fully online process offers an easier and faster way for aircraft Owners and Inspectors to handle Permit to Fly revalidations. Watch this video for a step-by-step guide on how to complete the online Permit Revalidation process, both as an Owner and as an Inspector. There are a few key considerations to ensure your revalidation under the new system goes smoothly: Please make sure you know your username and password before applying for your aircraft’s revalidation. If you have forgotten your login details, please contact the LAA Office. All aircraft using the new system for the first time will require a check flight no older than 3 months at the time you submit the revalidation application. This is in order to provide a baseline for the online system. The 3-year check flight schedule will then apply subsequently to most aircraft types. Some aircraft will still require a check flight at every revalidation, these are: Aircraft cleared for glider tugging in their Operating Limitations document. Aircraft cleared for Night/IFR. Aircraft which have flown less than 12 hours since the previous revalidation inspection. You will not have to submit your CFS-1 Check Flight Schedule when applying through the new system. However, a CFS-1 will need to be completed for each check flight and stored with the aircraft’s documentation, so that it is available when needed. We encourage you submit your revalidation application through the new online system, as processing time is expected to be faster than an ‘old-style’ revalidation. If you still wish to make an ‘old-style’ application up until 15th May 2025, all 3 forms must be submitted by this date and you will only transition to the 3-year check flight schedule after your first revalidation through the new system. Note: The option to apply for revalidation in ‘My Aircraft Data’ on the LAA website may appear shortly before the go-live date on 15th April 2025 as our IT infrastructure is updated. However, we will only be able to process applications received on or after the official go-live date. A handy list of 'Frequently Asked Questions' is available below: 20240409 - Permit Revalidation Process FAQs V1.0 .pdf Download PDF • 175KB Next Previous

Engineering Fees Project Registration Kit-Built Aircraft - £373 Plans - Built Aircraft - £54 Initial Permit Issue Up to 450kg - £750 451-999kg - £857 1000kg & above - £964 Permit Revalidation Up to 450kg - £283 451-999kg - £336 1000kg & above - £368 Note: For FBGs - if the last Permit revalidation was not administered by the LAA, an extra fee of £160 applies Modification & Repair Application Modification & Repair Applications (except Repeat Mods) - min £107 Hourly rate beyond 2 hour's work - £59 Repeat Modification Application - £54 Hourly-rate beyond 1 hour's work - £59 STC Modification Application - £54 Transfer from CAA CofA or CAA Permit to Fly to an LAA Permit to Fly Up to 450kg - £298 451-999kg - £342 1000kg & above - £384 Category Change Group A to Microlight - £213 Microlight to Group A - £213 Change of G-registration Fee Issue of Permit to Fly documents following G-reg change - £64 Replacement Documents (ref TL 2.12 ) Lost, stolen etc (fee is per document) - £27 Endorsement of report for replacement logbook - £27 Payment Methods ONLINE You can pay for Engineering Services via the ONLINE SHOP BY CALLING HQ 01280 846 786 with card details BY INTERNET BANKING Account No : 26225220 Sort Code : 60-30-03 Please note, for engineering fees, you MUST quote your aircraft registration. or your payment will not be credited to the correct aircraft record. If paying from abroad, SWIFT code is : NWBKGB2L IBAN code is : GB81 NWBK 6030 0326225220

Info Library Navigate the folders below for any document that you require, like you would on your computer. To search for a particular document, use the 'magnifying glass' symbol below on the right.