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FAI Environmental Commission Agrees On Code Of Conduct Minister Opens FAI Parachuting Commission Meeting Surface to Air

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FAI Environmental Commission Agrees On Code Of Conduct    Following the adoption by the FAI General Conference in Rio (October 1997) of a FAI Statement of Policy on environmental questions, the FAI Environmental Commission has moved quickly to implement General Conference's instruction that Environmental Codes of Conduct be developed for all air sport disciplines.    A general Code of Conduct, applicable to all air sports, has been drawn up by the Commission and can be seen in DRAFT form on the FAI website at http://www.fai.org/~fai/environment/code_conduct.html.    FAI Air Sport Commissions are being invited to comment on this general code, and to set about drafting their own specific codes, in amplification of the general principles. A final version of the complete Code of Conduct will be published later this year.    Anyone involved with air sports and who has professional expertise in the area of environmental protection and conservation is invited to comment on the draft code. Comments may be sent to the FAI Environmental Commission at envir-com-l@fai.org.    Those interested in the interaction between air sports and the environment may subscribe to the FAI's public mailing list on environmental matters by sending an email to envir-info-l-request@fai.org, mentioning 'subscribe' in the Subject line.

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Minister Opens FAI Parachuting Commission Meeting    The Portuguese Secretary of State for Sport made the journey from Lisbon to Vilamoura in the Algarve to open the annual plenary session of the FAI's International Parachuting Commission (IPC) on 7 February 1998.    In his opening remarks, the Minister stressed that skydiving was emerging, both in Portugal and internationally, as an adventurous activity that was gaining interest with significant groups of the population. He pledged his Government's willingness to collaborate with and support those responsible for promoting parachuting.    Only two years after its foundation, the Minister pointed out, the Portuguese Parachuting Federation was not only hosting a meeting of the International Parachuting Commission of FAI, but also organising the European Championships in Formation Skydiving, Freestyle and Skysurfing at Evora in September. The Minister described parachuting as "a spectacular and high-emotion sport that draws the attention of millions all over the world."    Following these remarks, the IPC committed itself to the promotion of sky-diving on television, in pursuit in particular of the goal of achieving a place on the Olympic programme.    No doubt with this aim in mind, the IPC meeting awarded the 1999 World Formation Skydiving Championships to Australia, and decided to hold the year 2000 IPC meeting in Canberra, shortly before the Sydney Olympic Games.

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Surface to Air    Many motorists stuck in traffic jams might wish they were James Bond. The fictional secret agent hero would surely just pull a mini-helicopter out of his car trunk to beat the jam.    Mathias Klug, an aircraft instructor from a small town in western Germany, doesn't quite have Bond's resources, but he is a step nearer than most - he has developed the only vehicle in Europe to gain a road as well as an aircraft license.    In technical terms it's called hybrid plane, but its inventor simply calls it his flying car. For the Skyline Event Ground Tracking System flies like a conventional ultra-light aircraft and drives almost like a normal car.    The machine was conceived mainly for ultra-light aircraft pilots in Germany who want to remain mobile even when they have reached their flight destination.    With just a few adjustments, they can remove the light, 11.5-metre wings from the two-seater plane and start their reconnaissance trip by land.    Later, they simply return to the airstrip, stick the wings back in their sockets and within a few minutes they are ready for take-off again.    Klug and his mechanic Peter Weyer used an ultra-light plane powered by its weight as the technical basis for the Skyline Event. This aircraft already has the basic requirements for road use because an ultra-light can move from the aircraft hangar to the take-off strip under its own steam.    But a great many changes had to be made before the flying machine could take to the open road.    The plastic material body work was reshaped and widened, the controls were expanded and the undercarriage adjusted for the new tasks.    The German road vehicle testing authority and the licensing authority also demanded front headlamps, indicators and rear lamps, as well as a stable framework and a stronger braking system. They were also unhappy about the large propeller on the tail.    Klug therefore put a protective cover over the rotor blades and considered some alternatives. He chose a scooter engine with a back wheel drive. It has only 8 HP, but is still big enough for the plane which weighs less than 200 kilos.    With this engine, the Skyline Event can reach a speed of 50 km per hour on the ground. If you turn the tail switch to the air traffic mode, the two-cylinder, two-stroke engine achieves 64 HP, making it possible to reach an air speed of 129 kmph.    After the road vehicle testing authority and the German transport ministry had given the green light, the ultra-light also passed its individual inspection. In August this year, it finally received its official stamp from the licensing authority.    All a driver needs to take it on the open road is an ordinary private car driving license and a helmet, although no safety belt is necessary.    To take it in the air, you need an ultra-light pilot's license, which can be obtained after a six-month training period.    Klug said the Skyline Event will only go into serial production if he receives at least 10 orders.    It would cost around DM 90,000 (around $50,850), which is not a vast sum considering a normal ultra-light plane costs between DM 50,000 and 100,000 ($28,250 and $56,500). After all, it offers customers a car and a plane rolled into one.

OTHER ARTICLES OF ASI MARCH'98 ISSUE | Editorial | President's Page | From The Secretary General's Desk | Air Waves | | News In Brief | Letters To The Editor | World Records | | No Swan Song Here | | Ninety Years Ago Most Aerial Voyages Ended Up Water-Borne | | Assessing The PW-5, ME-7 and EA9 | | 11th World Hang Gliding Championships | | Musical Parachute Which Destroyed Blanchard |

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