Relatively new to the aviation scene in New Zealand, Brett Anderson has been involved in LSA in Australia since 2009 as the Australasian, Pacific and Asian distributor for the BRM Aero Bristell series. He is also the agent for Beringer wheels and brakes and DUC propellers.
Like many aviators I know, Brett was interested in flying from an early age, actually starting to learn to fly at age 15 in a Cessna 150 at Melton, west of Melbourne. He has flown powered parachutes and other LSA and GA aeroplanes, including Cessna 152 Aerobat, C172, Fuji Subaru, Piper Warrior and Aztec, Fly Synthesis Texan, Tecnam and Bristell NG4 and NG5.
Although flying is his passion, Brett’s lifetime career has been in the movie industry, involved in the production side of TV and coordinating stunt work. He is also a skilled photographer.
His main areas have been in drama, features, commercials and film clips, including The Flying Doctor series, and during his 40 years in the business he has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. He worked in New Guinea with Pierce Brosnan just when it was confirmed that he was going to be the next James Bond. After “Locomotion” he shot the next seven clips for Kylie Minogue from “I should be so lucky” onwards.
One story Brett relates involved being a passenger in a Pitts Special during filming of The Flying Doctor series. The pilot, an aerobatic champion, was having so much fun he forgot that Brett was there in the back seat. Several positive and negative G manoeuvres later, Brett came down with a bleeding nose. Maybe a bit more acclimatisation to aerobatics needed.
In mid-2009 he had time to take up flying again, and following research of the available aircraft settled on the Bristell NG5. In fact he was so impressed with the type that he became the regional distributor and formed Anderson Aviation, based at Riddells Creek airfield, west of Melbourne.
To date, of the 320 built in the Czech Republic he has sold more than 60 NG5s in Australia and three in New Zealand, with delivery commitments for Australasia from the factory of about two per month. As this is being written another one is on the water for New Zealand, to be displayed this month at National Fieldays, Hamilton, and then become the company demonstrator.
A recent resurgence of interest in Bristells in this country prompted the formation of Anderson Aviation New Zealand as a sub-agent to look after Kiwi sales and after-sales service.
Martin and Donna Henton are dairy farmers at Gordonton in the Waikato, and Martin is the principal of Anderson Aviation NZ. From an early age he was interested in becoming an airline pilot, but family and work commitments got in the way, and he finally started flying in 1998 with Dave Readman at Te Kowhai. So far he has amassed some 1550hr.
Martin trained in a Bantam microlight and two years later bought his own Bantam which he recently sold with about 1250hr on the clock. For the last few years Martin has been looking to upgrade from the Bantam, with the main criteria being 100kt cruise speed and enough size to fit his 6ft 3in frame comfortably.
Most of the current high-performance microlights fall short of his cabin height requirement. The Bristell NG5 has the widest cabin in its class at 130cm (the C152 is 82cm and Piper Tomahawk 107cm), and height wise the Bristell can be configured to accommodate tall pilots with the design of the seat cushions and moveable rudder pedals.
Although the Bristell shows some similarity in appearance to the SportCruiser more familiar to New Zealand pilots, the two aircraft types are very different. The Bristell NG5 designer is Milan Bristella who was involved in the design of the Evektor microlight and the SportCruiser. He went on to form his own company, designing and producing the NG4 and NG5. There is naturally a family resemblance between all three types, but the Bristells are in fact a clean sheet design using CAD design tools and production methods.
After gaining his advanced microlight certificate with passenger rating, Martin joined the Te Kowhai Microlight Club which enabled him to fly with other like-minded pilots on group trips. The Gordonton Microlight Club (GMC) was formed later, and Martin added an instructor rating to his credentials. He is the GMC’s CFI and has so far trained four pilots from scratch, and his carrying out trial flights stands him in good stead for giving prospective customers demonstration flights in the Bristell. Martin is thrilled that the Bristell exceeds his expectations and is looking forward to flying further afield than was practical in the Bantam.
Helping Martin with technical advice, test flying and training is Bill Henwood, currently an airline pilot and Piper PA-18 Super Cub owner, training pilots under the Classic Cubs name from Te Kowhai in the Cub or their own aeroplanes.
Bill conducted the endurance test flying and type ratings of both Bristells to be recently imported into New Zealand. He first flew the Bristell with Brett Anderson at Riddells Creek and recently gained his RAAus (Recreational Aircraft Association of Australia) microlight certificate at Bathurst, NSW.
He was particularly pleased to fly the taildragger version of the Bristell with John Blackburn, a former RAAF fighter pilot and graduate of the Empire Test Pilot School.
Options for the Bristell NG5 include long or short wing, nosewheel or tailwheel, retractable undercarriage and, soon to be released, 145hp Rotax power.
Avionics can be glass or analogue and the NG5 can be registered in New Zealand as microlight, LSA or certified aircraft, depending on the paperwork option from the factory.
“It has the best fit and finish of any of the microlight aircraft that I have flown,” says Bill, “and has stood up to the rigours of training. One example I flew recently at the Central West Aero Club at Bathurst has over 1000hr on the clock and hardly a scratch on it and no signs of wear around the edges.
“Currently about 50 percent of Australian orders are for flying schools, 25 percent for private owners and the other 25 percent for retired air force pilots. One school has predominately certified Bristells on the VH- register, training up to CPL level and night VFR.”
Fieldays at Mystery Creek near Hamilton is on this month, and a theme this year is a focus on Czech industry. As the Bristells are built in the Czech Republic, its government was keen to have its aircraft industry involved. The aircraft to be displayed in the Czech area of Fieldays was recently displayed at Friedrichshafen in Germany, and New Zealand is its next stop.
A flight evaluation of the Bristell NG5 is planned for Aviation News in the near future.
- Report by Neroli Henwood, photography by Neroli Henwood and Bill Henwood.