Admin

I think another thing that stands out is that we really do need to

 

promote ultralight flying a bit more in WA and SA when you compare the

 

numbers to the population in each of the states!

 

 

Just curious Howard if you would know what the number of ultralight

 

pilots there are in each State of Australia? - It would be interesting

 

to see which state when compared to population has the best take up

 

rate in ultralights.

 

 

- If anyone is interested the phone no for the caravan park right

 

opposite Shepparton Airfield is 03 5823-1576 and speak to Sandy and I

 

think the rate for an on-site cabin is $55 per night but don't quote me

 

on that

 

 

- Yeah Paul, got your email sorry I haven't replied - been so busy.

 

There isn't any delay in membership if you want to join the club at

 

Shepparton.

 

Your trip through the middle of Aussie sounds like a

 

great adventure although with some of the trips you have been doing

 

lately going by your posts here sounds like you may be waring that

 

aircraft out - make sure you take a laptop and log in here and keep us all posted with plenty of pictures along the way.

 

If

 

you can make it on the Saturday or Sunday I could catch up with you but

 

at this stage got a hectic work schedule all of a sudden so weekdays

 

are out for the next few weeks (damn work - if only I had next weeks lotto numbers ) but Nathan should be there and you know they have a bar there on Sat evenings and cooked breakfast on Sunday mornings!

 

My

 

CT is "on the water" at the moment being shipped with the boat due to

 

dock in Melb on Oct 1 and the Gazelle currently has the engine out

 

getting its 1500hrly

 

 

- Paul, glad the info about the GVAC Aussie Outback trip was useful,

 

see they met up with Dick Smith along the way. Apparently this is one

 

of their yearly trips always done about July. GVAC (Goulburn Valley Aero Club) m/ship cost:

 

$60 - Full M/ship

 

$40 - Student M/ship

 

$40 - Social M/ship

 

$10 - Jnr M/ship

 

 

Hi

 

Can anyone tell me what is a reasonable % amount of aircraft

 

value that one would pay for insurance for a Gazelle and used for

 

training and club member hire. The club has a clear record of no

 

claims. For example is 4.75% of aircraft value a good rate or just

 

average.

 

Thanks

 

 

The whole question of EPIRB / PLB's has also been on my mind of late. I

 

mean seeing my aircraft is being used for training and club member hire

 

- and I presume these people do not have their own PLB, do I get one

 

fitted in the aircraft, have a loose one in the aircraft or what. I

 

read a magazine article recently saying that offcourse it is always

 

better to have one for the aircraft (you may be left unconcious) and one for yourself (the aircraft may burn) but then you are looking at some serious money for that.

 

Apparently,

 

I am led to believe, that the new ones are ok for under water wheras

 

the current ones are useless if they are in the aircraft and it goes

 

down over water.

 

So, I need to get something and your post seems

 

to have come at an appropriate time so apart from this, is it worth

 

while perhaps for the RAA to maybe having a look at bulk purchasing a

 

suggested one and then on sold to members at cost, afterall we are

 

talking about peoples lives here. If they do not wish to get involved

 

then perhaps something could be done via this forum - any thoughts on

 

this?

 

 

Yes Rodger, I agree the panel in the gazelle leaves a lot to be desired but that the panel is basic made it less daunting for me when I started training. I had visions and thoughts before I had even seen an ultralight of a 747 panel and at my age then (45) my first thought was hell the heck am I going to be able to learn what all the buttons and gauges do. When I fist stepped into the Gazelle, my very first light aircraft flight, all those 747 thoughts went out of my mind and replaced with "oh my god does this thing fly" but I soon found out my focus was outside and on really only 2 gauges - ASI & alt. This helped me as a beginner to learn to fly at a pace that I was comfortable with.

 

Now, having said that the panel in my CT which has every type of gadget including an auto pilot and 4 stage flaps (inc minus 12deg) plus a GPS just above eye sight line but this is something that I believe I have earnt by learning the basics first. Can you imagine how daunting this panel would seem to an absolute beginner, but then I suppose an 18 year old mind would thrive in this environment. This panel was made up from the basic one that was installed new in the aircraft so a panel can be made up to suit the needs.

 

I agree the standard Gazelle panel does look old and all it needs is one more button "that "Land Me" button that I spoke about.

 

 

I own a Gazelle which is currently used online for training and although I have also just purchased a CT I would buy another Gazelle tomorrow IF they had more interior room, cruised at 100kts at 75% and better endurance. The only reason I bought a CT was the interior room and the performance (130kts @ 75%) not to mention its endurance of Melb to Bris on one tank and its light weight for luggage.

 

If I want to go on a cruise naturally I would take the CT but if I want to fly without having to think to much then the Gazelle will always be my choice. It is as if the Gazelle has a "Land Me" button on the panel that once on final you can just say to her land me and she does - she is such a forgiving girl which makes her a joy to fly. Her undercarriage is as strong as Mallee bull which radiates confidence when I am flaring and her crosswind ability - there's nothing better.

 

Some things I don't like about the Gazelle apart from her interior room, performance, weightand endurance is toe brakes, wooden aileron connectors and flimsy doors but overall I just feel at home in her, but then I did train in her

 

 

The only dumb question is the question that you don't ask. Doesn't

 

matter how silly you think your question might be ASK IT as it may help

 

many other's, even highly experienced pilots, to learn something that

 

they didn't know - go on do it.

 

 

Sorry to have to say this but I will for safety reasons, I know of 1 Sting that after low hrs (I forget exactly how many) the nose wheel assembly had cracks and was picked up just in time. Not long after a new assembly went in it cracked again but unfortunately this time it wasn't picked up and it callapsed but luckily he was just taxiing. The owner only just got it back last week after extensive repairs to the whole front end including prop, engine, front wheel assembly, front cowling and complete firewall.

 

I am a bit disheartened to have to note that there has been absolutly no notice to owners, no AD etc about this given that it has happened twice and I

 

heard (but may not be true as it was just talk) that cracks were found in another Sting in exactly the same place.

 

 

Gees you're quick with the moderation Ian. I was definitely more than just "excited" with the Polaris.

- Gregg re the Texan it is a magic looking aircraft and the room as well is great - do you know what the MTOW is?

Come on Gregg, I'm sure you would prefer that "other" German one

 

 

Camo,

 

I have flown the Tecnam and found it a very forgiving and fantastic training aircraft. Whilst it may have been my flying but it did drop a wing slightly in a stall but coming in on final it was very responsive to what I wanted it to do - as a trainer a definate YES

 

The Texan or Lightwing I am unsure of as I have not flown either of them but for my 20c worth.....

 

The Texan I believe has a very low MTOW so you may run into problems there plus it is a low wing therefor having a totally different ground effect to a high wing but if you are going to mostly fly low wings then yes it could be a consideration but if high wings are what you will mostly fly then rule the Texan out. - qualification, as I said I have never flown a Texan and I am only going by what I have read which could have been biased.

 

The lightwing has been around for a long time and I am told is similiar to a Gazelle which in my opinion IS the best training aircraft there is/was. So, if this is true then it would be a good training aircraft and again I have never flown one and I am only going on heresay.

 

Picking the right aircraft that suits your learning style may be a case of trying them all and pick the one that you feel most comfortable in whilst you learn and whilst it may be a little bit more costly you are still gaining the experience of different aircraft which adds to your learning experience - hope this helps

 

 

Posted on behalf of a guest:

 

AVIATE, NAVIGATE then COMMUNICATE.

 

There's far better value in lining yourself up for a nice landing than worrying about who to call.

 

In theory if you are already on the appropriate frequency for your area all you need to do is transmit when in trouble.

 

Valuable time can be lost when trying to dial up an alternate

 

frequency, especially if you've got one of those fiddly Microair's or

 

similar.

 

If time is tight, it may be quicker to set off your ELT first - you can

 

always cancel it later if you land ok. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

If you can, always lodge a flight plan too and activate flight following if appropriate.

 

7700 is probably not on the RA-Aus website because of the relatively

 

limited number of U/L aircraft with transponders fitted. Michael,

 

looking on the website at the Jabiru's that you've been flying, they

 

appear to be the exception to the norm and are fairly well equipped

 

with transponders, etc. This isn't usually the norm.

 

 

Rob

 

I know the feeling, I started at one school and then went to a

 

better one but much further away where I was taught to bring the revs

 

back from 5800 to 5500 once I got to 500 agl. I had cause to go back to

 

the first school where I got vigorously told off for reducing power.

 

They said not to reduce power till you reach cruise altitude. Being a

 

naive student at the time I was very confused so I emailed Tech at the

 

RAA and Jeff Shepherd sent back to me:

 

Makes life tough when two instructors are so different.My view, and I cannot tell an instructor how to instruct, that is their domain.In me A/C i take off at 5800 rpm (912uls), approx 500 ftagl pull back to 5500 for theclimb to my cruising altitude then pull further back to 5000rpm for the cruise.These are Rotax recommendations, and remember 5800 rpm is max for 5mins,5500 rpm is continues operation.

 

So I decided to heed Jeff's advice and went back to my other school who taught me that way.

 

 

Hi Mick

 

Firstly, welcome to the forums!

 

I was also trained to turn the fuel pump off (in a Gazelle) at 500ft AGL on take off and back on when doing your down wind checks.

 

I had a problem with my training that I started at one school (school A) for only a couple of lessons, went to another for nearly all of my training (school B)

 

and back to school A for 1 more lesson. At school B I was trained that

 

after takeoff and at 500ft AGL to turn the fuel pump off and bring the

 

throttle back from 5,800 to 5,500 to finish your climb and then further

 

back to 5,200 for the cruisewhich is what you do with Rotax's. When I

 

pulled the throttle back at school A I was hauled over the coals and

 

told off - my instructor said never do that again. I have since learnt

 

that this is what they do in GA with suitable engines but the Rotax has

 

a maximum of 5mins at full throttle. The point is it is hard when

 

different schools teach you different things but it did make me do my

 

own research, like you are doing, educating myself to the different

 

right and wrong ways of flying. This only makes you more knowledgable

 

when you fly.

 

 

Hi Biggles

 

My instructors always taught me to follow the

 

centre line so you had more control or room to move should anything

 

happen plus being on the centre line clearly indicates to any other

 

aircraft, that may not have a radio and on final, that you are

 

definately on the strip and not in the process of turning off.

 

 

This is an opportunity for everyone to learn how to stay safe. PLEASE post anything regarding any incidents or accidents that you may have experienced here. This area is the only place in the forum where you can do so. If you wish to post an accident or incident totally anonymously, then please send your post to site admin by using the "Contact Us" function of the site and it will be posted by Admin, no one will know who posted it and you never know you might save a life

 

Please note:

 

1. Accidents and Incidents posts are to be made with consideration to them being a learning tool for the betterment of all forum members
    
    
   
2. No conclusions shall be made on the cause of any accident.
    
    
   
3. No allocation of personal blame shall be made directly or indirectly at any person.
    
    
   
4. Possible causes, or contributory factors, of an accident may be explored and opinion given based on the poster’s demonstrated reasons for giving such opinion.
    
    
   
5. All posts shall be sensible of the feelings of family and friends and expressed accordingly.
    
    
   
6. Strict moderation will be applied to all posts to ensure these rules are adhered to.
    
    
   

 

 

 

 

He took off on low power and then tried to turn back to the strip ;)

 

 

Very good point Case.

 

Howard, is it possible to get details of investigations posted here or can you suggest someone I could contact to ask if this is possible?

 

 

Just curious given that the sand on a beach can be either soft or very hard and lumpy if one finds themself in a similiar situation is it really better to try and land on the sand or say in about waist deep of water by stalling a few feet high and pull the nose right up and just plonk yourself into the water. Would landing on the sand make you more prone for the wheels to simply dig in on landing and flip you over - as I said just curious?

 

Good to hear they made it with just bruises.

 

 

Chris

 

Aware of the importance of weight and balance, I just had a radio, transponder and extra gauges installed and a weight and balance was carried out after the installation by the LAME. Do I have to inform the RAA of this and if so how?

 

 

How true Arthur - and glad you caught it in time. I think this is a message to us all

 

 

Taken from a post at another forum

 

Cathay Pilot killed in plane crash

 

Wednesday, 14 September 2005

 

THE pilot of a light plane killed when he crashed in Queensland on Tuesday was flying to visit his parents in Moree.

 

Christian Paul Beattie died after his homemade aircraft crashed in apaddock off the Cunningham Highway at Whestone near Inglewood, about20km west of

 

Brisbane.

 

The 36-year-old had been living overseas for a number of years and wasflying from Toowoomba to Moree to visit his parents after recentlyarriving back in Australia.

 

Mr Beattie was a commercial pilot for Cathay Pacific with years of flying experience.

 

Australian Search and Rescue reported the plane missing to police about5.40pm. About 15 minutes later the wreckage was found by passers-by.Debris was strewn for about a kilometre but there was no sign of thepilot.

 

Inglewood police Sergeant Brett McKinnon said the pilot's body was eventually found by police three hours later.

 

Police said it was not clear whether he had been flung from the aircraft or had jumped out in the moments before the crash.

 

"They first inspected the plane and failed to find any occupants as thewreckage was strewn over a kilometre at the crash site," SergeantMcKinnon said.

 

"A search was conducted and the body of a man was located about 8pm a short distance from the single engine plane."

 

A spokesman for Australian Transport Safety Bureau yesterday said theaircraft was a Thorpe T-18, which is popular among home-plane builders.

 

"The Thorpe is a 'two-place, side-by-side taildragger' which waspopular in the 1970s and does not require any special skills for thehome builder," the spokesman said.

 

"The term taildragger is aviation jargon for conventional landing gear."

 

The ATSB spokesman said the bureau would not be involved in theinvestigation into the crash and little was known about its cause.

 

Mr Beattie was the sole occupant of the aircraft when it crashed.

 

Christian's funeral details:

 

Now 1.00pm Tuesday 20th September

 

Moree NSW Australia