Services

Introduction

Today ultra-light aviation is the most popular and the most massive or spread way of flying in the world. These aircrafts offer to the fans the unforgettable flying and piloting experiences through their construction and the production of the modern, small, simple, but very reliable and safe aircrafts, made of the light materials having applied the new technologies in their production. These aircrafts have been acceptable to the high number of the potential fliers by their prices due to their simple and light construction, small sizes, and their excellent flying performances.

Namely, up to the appearance of the ultra-light aircrafts so-called General Aviation (GA) was the basic way of the engine flying. Although this flying segment controls the sport flying, that is the amateur flying, the criteria to obtain the pilot license (so-called PPL – Private Pilot License) are however still exceptionally demanding for the GA pilots, concerning the complexity, the extent and the time length of the instruction and training, the pilot health prerequisites and the instruction high price.

For example the reference GA aircraft is Cessna 172, the four-seater that has been mostly used for the pilot schooling to obtain the amateur pilot license. During the schooling it is required to have done some 60 flying hours with this aircraft to obtain the prerequisite to take exam. Since it is about schooling in the expensive aircrafts of the high flying performances with very strong power group that includes significant fuel consumption, this schooling is very demanding, expensive and long lasting one. Namely, GA aircrafts are with more complex instrument systems and with certified power group with the high maintenance, registration, insurance and other costs. Due to all of that the GA aircrafts are with very high exploitation costs and consequently the PPL pilot schooling price is multiple higher with the respect to the schooling of the UL license pilot.

From the other side ultra-light aviation offers the same and even better flying and piloting experience by remarkably lower costs and shorter time of the pilot schooling. Ultra-light aviation (that has been defined by the legislator as MLZ – Micro-Light Aviation) implies all types of the aircrafts less than 600 kg of the total take-off weight like one-engine two-seater aircraft, gyrocopters, engine and engineless gliders, engine parachutes, para-gliders and the like.

Although ultra-light aircrafts belong to the lower aviation category with the respect to the GA, today the small aircrafts of the extraordinary flying performances together with their top-sophisticated equipment have been manufactured through the application of the modern technologies and the sophisticated materials. Due to the use of the powerful, lightweight and reliable engines with the long-life engine resource, so-called TBO (Time Between Overhaul), their low fuel consumption and the simple maintenance, these aircrafts are with their extra-ordinary autonomy (the distance that an aircraft is able to fly over without adding new fuel) and excellent maneuver abilities. The aircrafts are reliable and safe to fly, and piloting is comfort-able and relatively easy one.

The aircraft exploitation and maintenance costs are significantly lower with the respect to GA aircrafts since as a rule it is about the uncertified aircrafts with incomparably simpler criteria concerning their use. For instance the best light aircraft engines in the world are Rotax 912 UL of 80 HP and 912 ULS of 100 HP already have achieved 2000 hours TBO, well the same as the GA aircraft engines (Lycoming, Continental and others). These top engines are extraordinary efficient, they have excellent power – weight ratio (912 ULS 100 HP engine weights only some 70 kg). Their low purchase price, easy engine assembling, simple maintenance and exploitation justify the fact that almost 80% of all small aircrafts in the world have been equipped by the Rotax power group. For instance only in Italy there are more than 10,000 registered UL aircrafts.

Training and schooling in the UL aircrafts are also incomparably less demanding, primarily concerning the health requirements of the potential flyers and so practically everyone who owes the car driving license meets all requirements to obtain a pilot license as well.

In contrast to the other aviation segments, the UL aircraft pilots are not limited by their age and so there is a number of the examples of the pilots who for the first time entered the flying world when they were 60, 70 or even more.

In the world of the UL aviation there is an extraordinary great offer of different aircrafts, so each potential pilot may choose the type and the kind of the aircraft in the accordance with his wishes and finance possibilities.

Particular significance and importance to the UL aviation have been given by many pilot civil and military schools in the world that quickly have recognized all advantages offered by UL air-crafts. One of the world well-known pilot schools Pilot Training Network GmbH (InterCockpit), founded by Lufthansa that operates on Zadar Airport does the basic schooling of the professional pilots in Diamond Katana DA-20 UL aircrafts, equipped by Rotax drive group.

How All That Started (Personal Story)

Already at the end of 1980s Mr. Ivan Vdovjak, founder, owner and manager of the Shaft doo company, recognized a new, modern trend of the alternative flying that irrepressibly was spreading in the most developed countries of the world. In that time also in our areas lower number of the pilot enthusiasts were working, who by their own expenses and in cooperation with the pilots and the UL manufacturers from wider surrounding (Hungary, Italy and other surrounding countries) were manufacturing the simple light aircrafts, mostly engine gliders, and they were flying with them. This flying practically was illegal since in that time any law regulations did not exist at all, which regulated these activities.

In 1989 Mr. Vdovjak, a great fan in flying as well, in the cooperation with the group of the pilots from Vojvodina, Serbia, who already in that time had the remarkable experience in flying with the engine gliders, drew a proposition of the law regulations for this aspect of the aviation, the law regulations of the developed Western countries were the model to it, and he offered it to the Ministry of Aviation of ex-Yugoslavia, that accepted it after a short period of time. So were obtained all prerequisites for the legal use of these aircrafts, i.e. their homologation, flying arrangements, the entry in the aircraft register, training and schooling of the new pilots with the valid flying licenses.

In the same time Mr. Vdovjak asked one of the most outstanding world manufacturers of the small aircraft engines, Bombardier – Rotax GmbH (now BRP – Powertrain) from Austria for the exclusive general representation for the whole area of ex-Yugoslavia, and he got it from them. Since in that time he was working in the most complex foreign trade business Mr. Vdovjak even more than that shaped certain premises and import facilities and with the responsible state administration he drew the law regulations, where all these aircrafts were exempted from import duties and sales tax payment, since all aircrafts were purchased and imported mostly by aero-clubs to spread the technical culture, i.e. for training and schooling of the new pilots. So for less than 2 years, up to the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence in 1991, Mr. Vdovjak delivered more than 200 Rotax engines and some 50 engine gliders to the whole area of ex-Yugoslavia high-professionally respecting the whole law procedures, what means that all air-crafts were homologated, registered, insured and released in the use having provided all necessary warranties, services and spare parts supply. The great confirmation of taking into consideration and seriousness of this program was the conclusion of the contract and delivery of 2 engine gliders for schooling the pilots in the Aviation Teaching Center of ex-Yugoslav People Army (JNA) at Rajlovac in 1989.

Unfortunately in 1991 at the beginning of the Croatian War for Independence momentarily all aviation activities were interrupted and closed, particularly UL aviation that practically disappeared in our areas. In that time Mr. Vdovjak kept good business cooperation with Mr. Ivo Boscarol, the owner of Pipistrel doo Company from Aidovscina, Slovenia, that then was manu-facturing in the world well-known engine gliders. Due to the disintegration of the former state and the independence of its members, Mr. Vdovjak agreed with Mr. Boscarolo his company Pipistrel doo to become the general representative of Rotax program for Slovenia, and Shaft doo Company to be the general representative for Croatia and other countries from ex-Yugoslavia.

Shaft doo Company Briefly

Shaft doo Company was founded in Osijek, Croatia in 1994. It has been specialized for manu-facturing, service, distribution and representation of the ultra-light (UL) airplane engines, engine gliders and ultra-light aircrafts, and all other light aircrafts.

• Already for some 20 years Shaft doo has been the general representative and authorized service center of the ROTAX program, the most well-known world manufacturer of the aircraft engines BRP – Powertrain GmbH from Austria for Croatia and the countries from ex-Yugoslavia.
• Since 2000 Shaft doo has hold the national Aviation Workshop Certificate, approved and certified by the Civil Aviation Administration within the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure (now the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency – CCAA), that has been acknowledged and accepted by all countries from the area represented by Shaft doo.
• Shaft doo holds a new, modernly arranged workshop and office rooms in the immediate vicinity of the Sport Airport in Osijek, the complete service and technical documentation, all special and standard tools and equipment as well as all original spare parts and consuming materials. It holds also the whole program of the new and repaired Rotax engines in its storage in any moment.
• Shaft doo has employed the staff fully qualified and technically fully equipped for servicing, maintenance and general repairs of the Rotax airplane engines.
• Mr. Ivan Vdovjak, the owner and the manager of the company, personally possesses all service licenses, including Engine Overhaul (general engine repairs) of Rotax engine manufacturer and of Croatian Civil Aviation Agency (CCAA) as well.
• Shaft doo has been personally and technically equipped for schooling of the UL aircrafts and engine gliders pilots as well, that has been carried out in the cooperation with the Aero Club from Osijek.
• Namely, beside the office rooms and the workshop within the family house, Shaft doo holds 2 new hangars at the Osijek Sport Airport, where there are the excellent conditions for the affirmation of these and similar aviation programs and project. Namely, after the war conflicts on these areas and after the occupation and the demolition of the Osijek home airport, a new modern international airport was built in the area of the Sport Airport together with all contents – 1200 m concrete runway, control tower, passenger terminal and other. After the renewal and the come-back to the Klisa passenger and cargo airport on the former location at Klisa, the Sport Aviation has been allowed to utilize this sport airport. During his 5-years term Ivan Vdovjak worked as the General Manager of the Osijek Airport.
• Mr. Ivan Vdovjak possesses the valid license of the Sport Pilots (PPL) and UL aircrafts and of the Pilots and Engine Gliders Flying Teachers as well. He possesses also the authorized expert license of the Aircrafts Accidents Inspection within the Agency, and in that sense he did the expertise of some 10 aircraft accidents.
• Mr. Ivan Vdovjak has been the member of the Aero Club Osijek for over many years, where he actively takes part in the Ultra-light Flying Section. Here in the cooperation with the Osijek Sport Aviation he takes part in the various aviation activities like panorama flights, competitions, pilots schooling and other. He owes some the most modern, top-equipped engine gliders and UL aircrafts ready for the market, and also an engine glider and an UL aircraft, equipped for the schooling of the new pilots.
• One of the most important references of the Shaft Company is successful business cooperation with Lufthansa Pilot School – Pilot Training Network GmbH (InterCockpit) that already has been lasting for several years, located on Zadar Airport, Croatia. Within this framework Shaft doo has continuously delivered the aircraft engines, spare-parts, consume materials and offered technical support to PTN.

At the beginning of this year Shaft doo agreed and concluded the business cooperation with the Italian company Alpi Aviation, the world well-known manufacturer of UL Pioneer aircrafts that owes its own manufacture plants at Stitari near Zupanja, only some 70 km far away from Osijek. Already for 10 years here have been manufactured the complete aircraft fuselages that afterwards have been transported to Italy to be finished in their home company, i.e. to be equipped by engines, aggregates, controls, instruments and propeller. So far some 600 Pioneer Airplanes have been manufactured and sold all around the world.

Since Shaft doo Company has been completely qualified for these works, it was agreed, that at the beginning Shaft doo would manufacture the power group for the aircrafts of the Italian manufacturer, what implies engine assembling with all aggregates, installations and aircraft frame, and very soon the complete finalization of the aircrafts as well.

Although the recession has significantly reduced the business activities, during last two months for this manufacturer Shaft doo performed the high-quality assembling of 4 drive groups (3 × 912 UL and 1 × 912 ULS) and successfully put them into operation.

It is to be mentioned that recently Alpi Aviation Co. has constructed and manufactured the first the four-seats UL aircraft – Pioneer 400 – founded on the Rotax 912 power group of 100 HP, what up to recently has been inconceivable in the aviation world. Momentarily this proto-type successfully has passed through all tests in England, and up to the middle of this year its inter-national homologation has been expected. It has been anticipated that after the assembly-line production has started the complete production of this aircraft type production be transferred and carried out in Croatia. It is quite certain that Shaft doo will get this job of the final assembling, i.e. the assembling of the engine and its systems in this UL aircraft of its last generation.

As it has been already afore mentioned Shaft doo Company fulfills the most demanding criteria for the performance of such production, what implies complete 100% aircraft engine supply, equipment, components and parts, all special tools and documents, completely harmonized with the home and world aviation regulations, mechanists and pilots personal with all authorizations and the like.

Furthermore, just during these days Shaft doo Company has been closing the certification procedure of its workshop in accordance with the highest world aviation standards – Part M, Subpart F, exclusively oriented to the Rotax engines. Although this procedure momentarily has been multiplicatively more complex in the organization, technical and particularly in the financial sense concerning the present circumstances (particularly within this recession period), the Shaft doo Company has been convinced in the complete soundness and suitability of this project.

Namely, after a long-range stagnation of the aviation in this region, first of all caused by the war consequences, the low life standard and the economic crises, the interest in the flying, particularly in the sport and the recreation sense becomes higher and stronger again. The recreation flying takes more and more significant place in the tourism offer, where Croatia is indisputably the great power.

Shaft doo Company has already agreed the business cooperation concerning the installment of the service centers for Rotax engines and the pilot schools for the UL pilots and the engine gliders with an accent on the hydro-version in the some most attractive destinations at the Adriatic seaside.

The business cooperation has been agreed with Mr. Rajko Tomasic, the owner of the small passenger company, and the manager of Vrsar Airpor in Istria, the most attractive small airport at the Adriatic seaside, that beside other is visited by more than 1000 ULs from the whole Europe each year.