2024

Season's Greetings / 2024 12 15 /

Warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and a happy, successful New Year!

Office will be closed for holidays from 23rd December 2024 to 2nd January 2025.

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F-1 Rocket / 2024 08 29 /

Frank Krause and his F-1 Rocket Evoliution have successfully completed their flight from Europe to America. Andrea Kastelic joined him at America's first airfield. Together they flew to their new home in Florida. Today we offer Frank's full story about the preparations and the flight across the Atlantic Ocean ( link HERE ). Thanks to Andrea and Frank for the beautifully prepared description, photos and video.

"Thanks to all who supported the project.
The company TERMIKAS, Porta Air and TurtlePac and all air ready-to-use bodies, as well as the official bodies such as customs and air traffic control on the commercial side.
But especially my dear wife, my children's self-in-law and grandchild, my parents, my two sisters, my brothers and all the nieces and nephews, as well as the married family, all friends around the world for your help, prayers, good wishes and fingers crossed.
It helped you were there.
Thank you with all the heart."
Frank Krause

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Mid-summer / 2024 07 12 /

The Maintenance Team is on the road again. We have already visited around 60 of your aircraft.
We wish you good luck and safe flights.
For all technical questions, please contact us,

Your Termikas team

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F-1 Rocket / Canada - Albany, USA / / 2024 06 21 /

"The weather forecast for Albany was good, but on the way the two weather model systems diverged again extremely. To put it bluntly, the DWD's prediction was wrong again. It's a good thing I didn't fall for the wrong forecast for Greenland."
"...as predicted, the weather got worse. Heavy rain, CB to flight level 250 and the upper limit of cloud cover rose to 14,000 feet. There was also moderate turbulence and I actually had to unpack my oxygen. I had to stay at 14,000 feet for the last 2 hours, the weather just wouldn't get any better. Albany reported a cloud base of 5,000 feet and a visual approach to Runway 1 was flown."
"The customs formalities went very quickly and the officials were very accommodating. Afterwards finally I could hug my wife again."
"After 4 hours 39, this day was also completed in terms of flying. Now it was time to restore the old setup, remove the additional tank and reinstall the rear cockpit."

Frank Krause & Andrea Kastelic

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F-1 Rocket flight / Greenland - Canada / / 2024 06 15 /

Dear Team Termikas,
"I stayed in the fjord as long as I could, came up to about 3000 feet in the first layer, turn right to mountain of terrain, but I could see the tops in between the layers and flew towards the blue sky shining through the icy clouds. Reaching 10,000 feet I didn’t pick up a single piece of ice. So the plan worked out nicely again."
"Winds were forecasted with 25 kn, in real they have been up to 45…"
"Enroute I stayed busy to calculate how much fuel I had to pump from the turtlepac into my left wing tank not to overfill and not let it run too low. Every 40 minutes I pumped fuel for eight minutes from my back to the left. After four time 40 minutes, the tank was empty and I was back on left and right wing tanks."
"Just before landing at Goose Bay switched to runway 26, so actually flew a straight in approach all the way from Greenland. Touchdown after 4:20, ready for the night. Just a little customs and refueling."

Herzliche Grüße,
Frank „R.“ Krause

Picture credit: Frank Krause

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F-1 Rocket flight continues / Iceland - Greenland / / 2024 06 12 /

Dear Team Termikas,
"The decision has been made to leave Reykjavik on Tuesday the 11th.
The weather minimum in Narsarsuaq seemed to be a reasonable, however, icing was a problem now that the strong winds and turbulence were gone. A plan had to be made. I could have climbed up to level 180, the plane is capable, and I had oxygen with me, to avoid the icing on route. The approach was more of concern.
So the plan was to extend the final all the way from above the clouds or to decent over the water to VMC and follow the Fjord to the airport. In anyway I had to fly around the south tip of Greenland, because descending over land with those very high MSA’s in icing condition could have been lethal. That however, added another 150 miles to the flight and brought it up to four hours and 40 minutes, taking away any alternate option.
To make it even more difficult the two different forecast systems I used showed the freezing level in the same attitude, but the cloud clearance to fly into the field in VMC were totally different.

So, flying VFR into the field was my last option. Take off was at 0925. The enroute was easy, I was above the clouds and could circumnavigate some some cloud decks.
Then I started the approach. The freezing line was forecasted quite precisely and the ice melted away fast and came of the plane in big chops. But the forecasted ceiling and visibility seemed a bit euphoric…
But I was still quite some distance away.

Then, finally, the weather report from the airport came true. I landed on one runway 26 with 15 kn tailwind, which was no problem because the runway has a nearly 2° up slope. I parked on the ramp, got fuel and a very good service for the next flight.

Well, the next problem: how to depart and avoid the icing?"

Herzliche Grüße,
Frank „R.“ Krause

Picture credit: Frank Krause

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F1 Rocket / 2024 05 31 /

"Flieger" Magazin published the first issue for the new year 2011 with the inscription: "F1 Rocket Evo. Die geht ab!"

But it all started in 2009 when we received parts for the F1 aircraft assembling from the USA. "Termikas" assembled the aircraft, painted it, made a unique engine cover, and installed the engine and avionics.

The aircraft was registered on 7 May, 2010. Frank Krause and Andrea Kastelic flew home to Germany.
Since then, our service team has been making annual visits to Itzehoer Aerodrome in northern Germany for maintenance. The cooperation continued for 15 years.

Frank decided to move to the USA. He chose to take his aircraft with him by flying from Europe to America. Wanting to cover this distance, Frank needed to install an additional 125-liter fuel tank, additional avionics, and a thorough check of the entire aircraft and engine.The F-1 Rocket EVO was back at "Termikas". Now, with full tanks, the aircraft can fly for 6:30 hours, covering a distance of 1200 mi ( 2200 km ).

Frank's planned route:
Pociunai, EYPR, Lithuania ( point of departure ),
Hungry Wolf Airfield, EDHF, Germany,
Wick, EGPC, Scotland,
Reykjavik, BIRK, Iceland,
Narsarsuaq, BGBW, Greenland,
Goos Bay CYYR, Canada,
Albany, KALB, USA, NY, ( pick up Andrea ),
First Flight, KFFA, USA,
Hidden River, 22FA, Florida, USA ( destination point ).

The distance: 4.852 NM ( 8.988 km )
Time: 27 h.
The upmost leg over the ocean: 675 mi ( 1200km )

Have a safe fligh!

Good luck to you, Andrea, and Frank
Good flights to you and your Midnight Pearl

Picture credit: "Termikas", Andrea Kastelic

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F-1 Rocket Evoliution / 2024 05 31 /

The F1 Rocket is a tandem two-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane built mainly in aluminum. The Rocket has a titanium-fixed conventional landing gear with a tailwheel. Designed to be built with a range of nose-mounted engines between 235 and 350 hp (175 and 224 kW) the prototype has a Lycoming IO-540 with a three-bladed propeller. The F1 has tandem seating for two with a rear-sliding canopy and a fixed windscreen. Tip-up canopies are also used. The prototype first flew in the United States in November 2000 and by 2003 seven others had flown. By late 2017, over 130 had flown.
F1 Evo - the evolutionary variant design utilized a tapered wing as compared to the rectangular wing on the F1. Significant changes were made to the aileron and flap design. F1 Evo uses the same fuselage and tail as the original F1. The Evo wing is no longer available.

Picture credit: Andrea Kastelic

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Service team / 2024 02 02 /

February 2024. We are in our 33rd year of operation at our base in Lithuania and your aerodromes. The service team has already left a few days ago. We are getting an early start as we will visit more than 80 new and long-established aviators this year. We are grateful for your choice and always ready to help. See you there!

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PZL-101 Gawron / 2024 01 21 /

Termikas is preparing PZL-101 Gawron aircraft for the upcoming summer season for glider towing.
The PZL-101 was a development of the Yakovlev Yak-12M, manufactured in Poland by WSK-Okęcie ( later PZL "Warszawa-Okęcie" ) under license from 1956. Until production ended in 1968, 325 planes were manufactured, including 215 agricultural ones, 78 utility ones, and 32 air ambulances.
Yakovlev's team designed the Yak-12 in 1944 to meet a requirement of the Soviet Air Force for a new liaison and utility plane and replace the obsolete Po-2 biplane. The build number is 4992.
In the 1960s, the Yakovlev Yak-12M was the most popular glider tug in Lithuania aeroclubs.
As many of these planes had double rudders, they became the first aircraft for many young pilots.

 

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