Articles Air Race (Page 45)

1995 PTAR – Picture gallery

1994 President’s Trophy Air Race

Held at Tempe, Bloemfontein – 26 to 28 May 1994
Pictures and article by John Miller

In Cessna’s 1979 model 310R brochure, the blurb at the back quotes a top speed figure of 207 knots at sea level and 195 knots at 75% power at 7500ft. That this year’s handicappers gave 1994 race winners Werner and Johan van Gruting a speed of 188.50 knots should, therefore, come as no surprise. Over the two days of the competition, the Van Gruting brothers managed an actual speed of 201.30 knots and yet competitors were still poking around the 310’s airframe for hidden speed mods. It didn’t help that the only other 3108 in the race, ZS-JOS flew at 193 knots which doesn’t explain anything.

Aero Club of South Africa boss and past race winner, Mike van Ginkel summed it up, “The only entrants ultimately satisfied with the handicappers are the winners”. This year, the competition, sponsored by aviation finance group MLS Bank, produced more than its usual bevy of objections, most of them aimed at the handicappers, which many thought they were running the race against. To make matters worse, weather conditions over the two day event should have favoured the higher powered aircraft – winds on the first day were gusting to 25 and 30 knots at times. Although the first three places were taken by a fast twin and two high performance singles, Free State farmer, Charlie Bosman’s fast B58 Baron was the next twin home at only 12th place. In between were plenty of ‘low powered’ singles. Last year’s winners, Steve Hartley and Joe Grove flying the same Baron B55, ZS-OOG claimed a compass malfunction, which left them well out of the race after the first day and second from last overall. Steve was seen consoling himself on the floor of the Bloemfontein Flying Club bar after the first day’s racing.

There were 67 competitors this year and judging by the show of hands at the prize giving ball, 50% were first time entrants. On the first day the fastest aeroplanes launch first at one minute intervals and the order is reversed on day two with separation based on first day results. The competition is essentially won by flying straight, accurately and figuring out the best height under the prevailing winds. Those serious about winning often practice low-level navigation for weeks prior to the contest and the top teams navigators will call out check points some two minutes before they appear along the course, also giving plenty of time to warn the pilot at each turn point – usually over an airfield. Needless to say, GPS is banned. Entrants further prepare by polishing their aircraft and extract maximum performance by flying with the ball in the middle at power settings a thin line from never-exceed limits. Winning can be a matter of seconds, and turbocharged aeroplane pilots have to decide if the extra time climbing to take advantage of their blowers is worth the effort – at around race heights – typically between 5000 and 7000ft, turbo’d engines have the barest advantage which is taken into consideration by the handicappers anyway. Van Ginkel, himself a winner in 1969 and 1972 has won by a nail-biting seven minutes and eleven seconds over a 1000nm course and reckons the first ten crews across the line on the second day will have made virtually no mistakes.

The race has an excellent record of safety, but isn’t always without incident. This year, Carltonville team Bill Stewart and Johann van Rensburg had an engine stoppage and skillfully forced-lobbed onto a dirt road near Ladybrand without damaging their Turbo Arrow lll. Bloemfontein Pilot Jack Onderstall made a successful precautionary landing in a field a few miles short of Tempe after suffering a fuel leak.

It was suggested by one long time pilot that the disatisfaction over handicapping has turned competitors away from the race – something which needs to be addressed. The system appears to be confusing and perhaps needs explaining – the race committee has recorded individual aircraft speeds throughout the past 30 years and many parameters are taken into account including crew experience. The number of entrants has reached 120 in the past and the organisers need to look at their publicity and media efforts to attract greater interest in the event. The air race is an exciting occasion for all participants and hones both flying and navigation skills – the weekend is strong on aviation-talk, the prize giving evening is splendid and the event attracts great support from NAC, the Bloemfontein Flying Club and Midwest Aviation, not to say those most valuable of sponsors – MLS Bank.

 

1994 President’s Trophy Air Race

Held at Tempe, Bloemfontein – 26 to 28 May 1994

Total Distance: 636.12 Nautical Miles

Pos	Race No	A/c Reg	Aircraft	HP	H/Cap Knots	Gain(-) Loss	Speed Knots	Pilot Navigator	Province Club
1	51	ZS-KRK	Cessna C310	285	188.5	00.12.22-	201.30	Werner van Gruting Johan van Gruting	Free State Bloemfontein FC
2	2	ZS-RMA	Beech F33	285	165.3	00:10.49-	173.80	John Mayer Marius Els	Tvl None
3	4	ZS-JFN	Beech A36	285	163.4	00.09.20-	170.54	Tommy Marx Marion Marx	Free State Welkom FC
4	32	ZS-IKJ	Piper PA28-180	180	123.8	00:08.13-	127.22	André Koen Neels Erasmus	K Z N Pongola FC
5	11	ZS-FIE	Cessna C172I	150	110.5	00:06.37-	112.78	Essie Esterhuysen Kobus van der Kolf	Tvl Aero Club
6	12	ZS-FJV	Cessna C172	150	110.5	00.06.36-	112.78	Frikkie Lubbe Nina Steenkamp	Cape Upington FC
7	15	ZS-JLD	Piper PA28-R200	200	138.5	00.06.27-	141.99	Andries Botha John McDonald	Free State Parys FC
8	33	ZS-LOM	Cessna C210N	285	162.5	00.06.21-	167.40	Chris Steenkamp Danie Terblanche	Cape Upington FC
9	62	ZS-KAL	Beech F33A	285	165.3	00:06.18-	170.08	Barry Dix-Peek Albert Stewardson	Cape Algoa Flying Club
10	68	ZS-ISW	Piper PA28-R200	200	138.5	00.05.56-	141.67	Jeff Shaw CC Berriman	Tvl Durban Wings Club
11	16	ZS-LBO	Cessna C182RG	235	150.3	00.05.47-	154.02	Peter Bouwer Chris Booysen	Cape Algoa Flying Club
12	54	ZS-FBT	Beech 58	285	189.3	00:05.36-	195.13	Charles Bosman Anton van Wyk	Cape None
13	8	ZS-JOS	Cessna C310R	285	188.5	00:04.37-	193.35	Marius Eksteen Gerhard Hattingh	Free State Bloemfontein FC
14	43	ZS-LAI	Cessna R182RG	235	150.3	00:03.05-	152.18	Rob Dowding Warren Collier	Cape Algoa Flying Club
15	22	ZS-MLX	Cessna R172K	195	124.8	00:02.59-	126.21	Phillip van Niekerk Maurice Nathan	Tvl Aero Club
16	26	ZS-JIG	Cessna C182Q	230	135.2	00.02.22-	136.50	Lumon Stadlander Renette Stadlander	Free State None
17	20	ZS-KVT	Cessna C172RG	180	134.3	00:02.13-	135.63	Ivanhoe Perelson Dave Perelson	Cape Algoa Flying Club
18	50	ZS-PIC	Beech E55	285	192.1	00:02.06-	194.53	Jacobus (Koos) Coetzer Alf J Coetzer	Free State None
19	18	ZS-NHZ	Piper PA31-350	350	191.0	00.01.49-	192.76	Michau Huisamen Peter Meyer	Cape Algoa Flying Club
20	3	V5-JFP	Beech V35B	285	165.3	00:01.28-	166.52	Bennie du Plessis Jannie Visser	Namibia None
21	34	ZS-KCD	Beech 58	285	189.3	00:01.20-	191.02	Norman Dixie Geoff Henschel	Free State Bloemfontein FC
22	14	ZS-DYK	Mooney M20C-Mrk21	180	146.5	00:01.16-	147.25	Rodney Redhill Roland Grinker	Tvl E A A 322
23	69	ZS-LSZ	Cessna C210L	285	163.3	00:00.58-	164.37	Rob Turner Richard Thornton	N/Tvl Defence FC
24	9	ZS-LCC	Piper PA28-181	180	127.7	00:00.48-	128.25	Hannes Roets Gerrie van Hiekerk	Tvl J.L.P.C
25	37	ZS-MLZ	Piper PA31-310	310	198.0	00:00.19-	198.79	Chris Briers Tony Straughan	Tvl Letaba FC
26	48	ZS-WSE	North Am Harvard	550	162.0	00:00.10-	162.27	Chris Kyle John Sayers	Tvl None
27	57	ZS-LUH	Cessna C210	285	164.3	00:00.02-	164.37	Dave Mandel Simon Mandel	Cape Algoa Flying Club
28	19	ZS-MFH	Cessna C210M	285	163.3	00:00.16	163.52	Henk Klopper Kym Morton	Tvl None
29	59	ZS-CMU	Cessna 182C	230	133.3	00:00.59	133.08	Roland van Tonder Gert Ehlers	Tvl None
30	29	ZS-DZE	Piper PA28-140	150	116.2	00.01.08	115.86	Anthony Fuller David Forster	Free State Bloemfontein FC
31	25	ZS-KVN	Cessna C210N	285	164.3	00:02.00	163.10	Jabra van Wyk Newton Walker	Cape Upington FC
32	44	ZS-IHO	Beech B55	260	186.5	00:03.20	183.85	Philip Gidish Richard Gundersen	Tvl Brakpan/Benoni
33	27	ZS-KNJ	Cessna C182RG	235	150.3	00.03.25	148.62	Charl Starke Neville Strauss	Cape None
34	63	ZS-KEM	Mooney M2OJ	200	159.6	00.03.26	157.45	Phillip Bierman Houkie Mostert	Free State Vanderbijlpark FC
35	56	ZS-MZC	Beech F33	285	165.3	00.05.32	165.22	John Legh Graeme Clarke	Tvl Aero Club
36	65	ZS-LAD	Mooney M2OJ	200	159.6	00:05.56	155.91	Arthur Engelbrecht Dudley Snell	Tvl Benoni/Brakpan
37	21	ZS-KLA	Beech A36TC	300	181.9	00:06.51	176.21	Nigel Townshend Steve Dewsbery	Tvl Aero Club
38	64	ZS-KSF	Cessna C172	160	115.3	00:06.51	112.98	Anthony Miller Dick Stear	Cape Algoa Flying Club
39	57	ZS-EBJ	Piper PA28-140	160	117.2	00:08.22	114.41	Robert Grantham Juan Venter	Bop Beuchamp Proctor
40	6	ZS-ECJ	Beech V35B	285	165.3	00:09.04	159.43	Anthony Franckel Ian Solomon	Tvl None
41	47	ZS-MGS	Beech F33	285	165.3	00:10.59	157.84	Neil Hellmmn Denise Hellmmn	Tvl None
42	52	ZS-MEA	Piper PA28-R201T	200	158.8	00:11.08	151.82	Willie Coetzee Chris Gerber	Free State Bloemfontein FC
43	10	ZS-JMW	Cessna C177RGII	200	142.7	00:11.09	137.09	Johan Bence Peter Franks	Free State Bloemfontein FC
44	58	ZS-EOX	Piper PA28-180	180	121.9	00:11.15	117.80	Louis Potgieter Boet Kleinhans	Free State Parys FC
45	60	ZS-JIA	Piper PA28-180	180	123.8	00:13.23	119.12	Louis Kritzinger Johan Loubscher	Free State None
46	12	ZS-FBK	Cessna C182	230	135.2	00.14.59	128.51	Willie du Plessis Deon Matthysen	K Z N Zululand FC
47	46	ZS-MTO	Cessna C210T	285	169.9	00:15.11	159.43	Gerhard Streicher Cornelius Ferreira	Tvl Secunda FC
48	10	ZS-CBE	Mooney M20C	180	142.7	00.16.37	134.48	Louis Farrell Carel van Vuuren	Free State None
49	41	ZS-DOB	Beech G35	225	157.8	00:16.42	147.93	Mark Holliday Robin Holliday	Tvl Lanseria FC
50	45	ZS-IAM	Cessna C182N	230	135.2	00:19.18	126.71	Sarel v d Merwe Mike Howell	Cape None
51	53	ZS-ICX	Piper PA28-R200	200	137.1	00:21.20	127.48	Peter Minchin Richard Roberts	Bop None
52	70	ZS-PFC	Cessna C172H	145	108.6	00:23.27	101.94	Jozua Cloete Dave Naude	Tvl Defence FC
53	36	ZS-EMU	Piper PA28-180Vp	180	124.3	00:27.23	121.39	Robert L Myburgh Graham Ross	Tvl Aero Club
54	7	ZS-MDT	Cessna C414	310	202.0	00:28.05	176.21	Carl Grobler Henk Freeke	Tvl Potchefstroom
55	35	ZS-FHM	Mooney M20G	180	144.6	00:30.20	139.19	Pieter Nel Eben Mocke	Cape Upington FC
56	38	ZS-FJT	Cessna C172	150	110.5	00.33.07	100.97	Dieter Bock Christo Lombard	Tvl Krugersdorp FC
57	17	ZS-CHN	Mooney Mark20	150	137.1	00.33.57	122.33	Jan Hanekom Willie Venter	N/Tvl Defence FC
58	40	ZS-EUM	Beech A23-24	200	124.8	00:34.56	112.38	William Mutlow Marco Fourie	N/Tvl Defence FC
59	1	ZS-OOG	Beech B55	260	186.5	00:54.19	159.83	Steve Hartley Joe Grove	Tvl None
60	39	ZS-EXO	Piper PA28-140	160	117.2	00:57.16	99.70	Johan Cronje David Hattingh	Tvl Defence FC