Can't get enough.

[HansK]

Hi all,

 

I am retired airline pilot. Flew 11 years for the Airforce, Harvards, choppers and then fighters, before joining the airline. I bought a Bantam after retirement, but fly an A22 LS Foxbat now. I live on a game farm, about 80km north-east of Pretoria, with my hangar and airfield next to the house. This has got the advantage that I can just hop in and go. Me and my wife often get in the Fox on a early morning for a "game-drive" dressed in our pajamas!! This of course, has the advantage that you are perfectly dressed for hospital should you have an engine failure!!!

 

One thing I realized since retirement is that I can never get enough of flying.

 

Regards and ENJOY.

 

 

[ozbear]

Hi all,I am retired airline pilot. Flew 11 years for the Airforce, Harvards, choppers and then fighters, before joining the airline. I bought a Bantam after retirement, but fly an A22 LS Foxbat now. I live on a game farm, about 80km north-east of Pretoria, with my hangar and airfield next to the house. This has got the advantage that I can just hop in and go. Me and my wife often get in the Fox on a early morning for a "game-drive" dressed in our pajamas!! This of course, has the advantage that you are perfectly dressed for hospital should you have an engine failure!!!

One thing I realized since retirement is that I can never get enough of flying.

 

Regards and ENJOY.

You lucky SOB sounds like a great life style do you have camo pjs

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Sounds fantastic; welcome Hans!

 

 

[facthunter]

If you fall out your wife will no doubt exclaim. Look NO HANS!. as she flies away with your money. Nev

 

 

[mAgNeToDrOp]

Sounds like you have it tough. Welcome :)

 

 

[dazza 38]

Welcome Hans

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hi all,I am retired airline pilot. Flew 11 years for the Airforce, Harvards, choppers and then fighters, before joining the airline. I bought a Bantam after retirement, but fly an A22 LS Foxbat now. I live on a game farm, about 80km north-east of Pretoria, with my hangar and airfield next to the house. This has got the advantage that I can just hop in and go. Me and my wife often get in the Fox on a early morning for a "game-drive" dressed in our pajamas!! This of course, has the advantage that you are perfectly dressed for hospital should you have an engine failure!!

One thing I realized since retirement is that I can never get enough of flying.

 

Regards and ENJOY.

Well the Red Baron (Baron Von Richtofen) had his PJs on when he was finally shot down, so watch out Hans !!!........Maj...

 

 

[Cosmick]

Hi Hans and welcome.

 

All of these guys (me included) who thought things were pretty good just got knocked down a peg. Sounds like life is good. Send a few pics of home from above.

 

 

[planedriver]

Welcome Hans, sounds like avery happy retirement situation to me.

 

As Cosmick has already mentioned, we'd love to see a few pics of where you live, but not of you in pyjamas :yikes:Sorry!

 

 

[BoxFat]

Ahh good another Foxbat owner to compare notes with - just wish I could park mine outside my door as you can - that's fantastic.I might drive the 80 mins to where mine is this week in my pyjamas too just to make it feel closer.

 

Welcome Hans. May I ask which radio is fitted in your FB ?

 

 

[HansK]

Ahh good another Foxbat owner to compare notes with - just wish I could park mine outside my door as you can - that's fantastic.I might drive the 80 mins to where mine is this week in my pyjamas too just to make it feel closer.Welcome Hans. May I ask which radio is fitted in your FB ?

Thanks. Radio is a locally made (I think) MGL which I will NOT recommend. I had a Filster (spelling?) in my Bantam which was an excellent radio.

 

 

[HansK]

Welcome Hans, sounds like avery happy retirement situation to me.As Cosmick has already mentioned, we'd love to see a few pics of where you live, but not of you in pyjamas :yikes:Sorry!

OK then. Here is where we do the "pyjama-departures" from. I also upload a pic of people that often see me in my pyjamas. It is a bunch of trike owners that every so often chase me out of bed early on a Sunday morning.

 

 

 

 

[HansK]

So

 

Sounds fantastic; welcome Hans!

Thanks Mate. Sorry for the late reply but we had a "fly-away" nearly every weekend and I also went for a holiday in the Kruger Nat. Park.

 

 

[rgmwa]

SoThanks Mate. Sorry for the late reply but we had a "fly-away" nearly every weekend and I also went for a holiday in the Kruger Nat. Park.

You call that an excuse??

 

 

[BoxFat]

Thanks. Radio is a locally made (I think) MGL which I will NOT recommend. I had a Filster (spelling?) in my Bantam which was an excellent radio.

Tks Hans - I am in the process of replacing my Xcom with a Funkwerk which I think is the same radio as the Filser.

 

Have you got the tundra tires on your FB ?

 

 

[HansK]

Tks Hans - I am in the process of replacing my Xcom with a Funkwerk which I think is the same radio as the Filser.Have you got the tundra tires on your FB ?

Considdering it seriously. I beleave that you loose quite a few Knots due to the extra drag.

 

 

[BoxFat]

There used to be a "Foxbat" specific forum but it seems to have dissappeared - I will try to get it resurrected as there are several things I would like to touch base about with you and other Foxbat owners/pilots.

 

My FB, with tundra tires, gives me 85 - 87 kts IAS at 5000 rpm. From memory FBs without fat tires gave about 90 kts at the same revs. Good rudder work is essential when sporting the Tundras because the big nosewheel acts a bit like an "anti-rudder" so you have to be careful to centralise it in cruise. It's also important when landing on a bitumen strip because the fat tires grip a lot and you can shoot off into the weeds if not aligned. These things don't bother me as I think it teaches good rudder discipline which is applicable in any plane. I really like the soft ride they give on the ground and the extra margin against damage if I have put down in a tussocky paddock or rutted road. What cruise IAS do you get at 5000 rpm ?

 

 

[facthunter]

Big fat wheels look like an aeroplane in Drag. Nev

 

 

[HansK]

There used to be a "Foxbat" specific forum but it seems to have dissappeared - I will try to get it resurrected as there are several things I would like to touch base about with you and other Foxbat owners/pilots.My FB, with tundra tires, gives me 85 - 87 kts IAS at 5000 rpm. From memory FBs without fat tires gave about 90 kts at the same revs. Good rudder work is essential when sporting the Tundras because the big nosewheel acts a bit like an "anti-rudder" so you have to be careful to centralise it in cruise. It's also important when landing on a bitumen strip because the fat tires grip a lot and you can shoot off into the weeds if not aligned. These things don't bother me as I think it teaches good rudder discipline which is applicable in any plane. I really like the soft ride they give on the ground and the extra margin against damage if I have put down in a tussocky paddock or rutted road. What cruise IAS do you get at 5000 rpm ?

I do not think my figures will be of help as it depends on the pitch of your prop. Mine is set to give a +/- static max RPM of (depending on the desity altitude on the day) between 5150 to 5250. My field is 3600 ft AMS and the density alt is often over 8000 ft in summer. I normally cruise at 5200-5300 RPM, depending on my weight, giving me a TAS of +/- 90 KTS (IAS +/- 83 KTS).

 

Should I put on Tundra tyres, it will only be on the main wheels, as a new nose-wheel fork will be too expensive.

 

Think I am OK with the more sensitive rudder as I often fly tail-wheels and I have got lots of chopper experience.

 

Flew a TW today as I forgot the Foxbat's ignition on, so flat battery this morning when a few of us were on a breakfast run. The one friend then picked me up in his Cessna 180 and let me fly.

 

Regards.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

None of our UK Foxbats have tundra tyres ( as far as I am aware, but then again, . . .we have not got much tundra here in England. . . ) and Boxfat,.. . . are you seriously trying to advise a retired airline pilot how to keep an aeroplane straight on a runway . . .?

 

( No I didn't think so, . . .must've been a mistake. . .)

 

Sorry about my friends Hans,. . . . . No offence meant ( ! )

 

( And YES. . .I DO know about the differential friction effects when using wide aspect tyres. . . .)

 

 

[Greg Spiers]

I worked with a Lady who's Father had an ultralight (can't remember what type) and lived and flew around King Island in Bass Strait, (Google Earth it). He was a very 'bulky' character and the aircraft was overloaded every time he got in it so, he always flew naked to save weight even when doing the lolly drop for the CWA (Cranky Womens Association) Welcome Hans, good to have you with us even if you do live the dream, don't expect any sympathy from us Ausies even if the engine does quit!!! By all accounts there are plenty of paddocks to land in, it wont be the landing that gets ya it'l be them darned cats!!

 

Greg

 

 

[BoxFat]

None of our UK Foxbats have tundra tyres ( as far as I am aware, but then again, . . .we have not got much tundra here in England. . . ) and Boxfat,.. . . are you seriously trying to advise a retired airline pilot how to keep an aeroplane straight on a runway . . .?( No I didn't think so, . . .must've been a mistake. . .)

 

Sorry about my friends Hans,. . . . . No offence meant ( ! )

 

( And YES. . .I DO know about the differential friction effects when using wide aspect tyres. . . .)

Not just airline but military. So, no, I was NOT attempting to give Hans a flying lesson. However, this is an open forum so lots of people - some like me no doubt with less significant credentials and experience - may read it. I have heard of a few newbie FB pilots being caught unawares by the grip of the Tundra tyres, just one of the things to think about when deciding which kit to choose I guess. I have since found out (following up from Hans' last comment) that the nose leg has to be changed when switching from one to t'other so not quite so easy to have both sets and change over for XC trips vs. bush bashing.

 

I have a cruise pitch setting on my prop, the T/O and climb performance being more than adequate for the lower altitude (the DA does get up a bit here in WA in summer too but not to 8000'). It seems like that just about compensates for the drag from the TTs so that Hans and I have roughly the same cruise performance. It's not about that really anyway with the FB...a great aeroplane for looking at big running animals from ! (you don't have any of those left in old Albion either Phil though I'm sure you scared a few buffalo when you were out here in between driving Tiger Moth's into ditches...yes I have a long memory !).

 

Foxbat specific forum should be up again soon btw.

 

 

[HansK]

None of our UK Foxbats have tundra tyres ( as far as I am aware, but then again, . . .we have not got much tundra here in England. . . ) and Boxfat,.. . . are you seriously trying to advise a retired airline pilot how to keep an aeroplane straight on a runway . . .?( No I didn't think so, . . .must've been a mistake. . .)

 

Sorry about my friends Hans,. . . . . No offence meant ( ! )

 

( And YES. . .I DO know about the differential friction effects when using wide aspect tyres

Not offended at all. That was good advice. I have flown with experienced airline pilots with surprisingly "dumb" feet. It is only the "Chopper boys" and taildragger pilots that has grown nice thick nerves between the brain and feet.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Not just airline but military. So, no, I was NOT attempting to give Hans a flying lesson. However, this is an open forum so lots of people - some like me no doubt with less significant credentials and experience - may read it. I have heard of a few newbie FB pilots being caught unawares by the grip of the Tundra tyres, just one of the things to think about when deciding which kit to choose I guess. I have since found out (following up from Hans' last comment) that the nose leg has to be changed when switching from one to t'other so not quite so easy to have both sets and change over for XC trips vs. bush bashing.I have a cruise pitch setting on my prop, the T/O and climb performance being more than adequate for the lower altitude (the DA does get up a bit here in WA in summer too but not to 8000'). It seems like that just about compensates for the drag from the TTs so that Hans and I have roughly the same cruise performance. It's not about that really anyway with the FB...a great aeroplane for looking at big running animals from ! (you don't have any of those left in old Albion either Phil though I'm sure you scared a few buffalo when you were out here in between driving Tiger Moth's into ditches...yes I have a long memory !).

 

Foxbat specific forum should be up again soon btw.

Tee Hee FB. . . . . . . a Tiger into a Berwick ditch was only a fairly early and TINY example of my aviation related incompetence, . . .you dunno a tenth of it matey ! fortunately ( depending upon one's point of view I suppose ) I've survived with nearly all of my bits still sort of working. . . .

 

Stay lucky.

 

Phil