spenaroo

Thanks,

re-reinforces what my instructors say about the pre-takeoff briefing being your plan and making the decisions then.

so you don't have to think about it in the air and can focus on flying the plane

left us on this day in an unfortunate aviation accident helping out a friend

 

Hope you don't mind me asking what happened?

well before I imagined I'd actually be able to get into aviation. and if its something I could learn from, I thought it would be worth hearing

Bring Out Another Thousand,

I don't keep track of the $$$ Ive dropped into my Jet-ski's. currently have the stand-up in pieces tracing an electrical fault.

But then I also don't keep track of my spending with flying lessons.

I dropped 3K into it last month... and reckon Ive got about that to spend again before Ive got my RPC

don't worry, its universal. some councils have fees on boat ramps,

and don't get me started on the illogical regulations

sniff, can we get back to talking about the plane

Aircraft like military fighters and bombers might be able to operate with a basically unstable design, all controlled by sensors and computers - but they have ejection seats, for that very same reason.

 

Dont forget that they have 3-4 of everything (both sensors and the computers they feed to), just for this reason.

and also have the ability to manually turn off specific sensors (like when refueling, they can shut off the probe side)

as they like to call it, its fly by vote

The Fighter Pilot Podcast has some really good episodes which discuss this.

behind the line?

recently decided to try and up my hours and fly as much as possible to get my RPC by the end of the year, and also get a better feel. two weeks between lessons is too long (get a Thursday off each fort-nite, which Ive been learning to fly with - because I can)

so did three lessons last week. on Thursday a refresher flight as it had been 2 months (work and holidays). then literally swapped to a different plane and instructor to go up for an introduction to steep turns (45 degree bank - made me dizzy and feel a bit crook for an hour or two afterwards)

But the last lesson yesterday (Sunday) was by far the most enjoyable, crosswind circuits.

had a different instructor (I can choose who to fly with through the school, but due to life tend to just choose whoever is available) I haven't flown with this Instructor before but enjoy changing up instructors as they all give different pieces of the puzzle. He was experienced and had a commercial approach (i.e. everything had a reason, and importantly explained why) he changed my habits on the ground to hold the stick with the checklist between my thumb and finger to operate everything with my left hand - as I would in flight. and use the thumb and finger to flip switches, as its easier in flight to undo if its the wrong one. shows the difference in approach/experience

but what made it such an awesome experience was his teaching in flight, made me talk through each step on the ground - not just parroting back what I remember. then pulled the power (telling me - at height/speed before I would normally put up flaps) to ensure I understood and followed through. there is more brain power on the ground then in the air for figuring out how to act. introduced me to side-slips, they are AWESOME!!! such a fun way to fly. Also picked up I was still tensing up and struggling with the transition from approach and flare, the ground. so had me fly a pass down the runway at treetop level after the flare. Made a huge difference to my feel of controls and reactions, the next landing was a full stop but felt so much more comfortable and was immediately able to respond to a bit of ballooning by instinctively dropping the nose and land without a bounce.

probably would have been a bit intimidated with all the information this Instructor gave if he was my first one, but at my current level its awesome and the different approaches worked really well and made it a lot of fun - but also a huge amount to process with lots happening through the flight, instead of the single focus building block approach Ive had with others (which is still something I feel more comfortable with for new skills) . I think regularly swapping things up with a different Instructor is a great Idea. each has their own benefits and help provide a better foundation.

came home feeling on an high, with a bit of an adrenaline rush. Cant wait to get back in the air Sunday

sitting at about 13-14 hours currently. hoping with 2 lessons every second Thursday and an additional lesson on Sundays I have a good chance of celebrating by the end of the year. Solo before my Birthday in mid November would be awesome

was more then just a low-speed nosedive, the whole aircraft rolled

Ive seen video of Mike bouncing Draco off bumps to test the suspension (which has snapped off) it was built very tough,

everything re-enforced and machined from billet.

just have to wait until after he is finished building scrappy,

and his next PT-6 powered race plane - which the engine is in his hangar for...

I think he said he already has the next 3-4 plane builds planned

It Was a good thing once, now illegal  Some one missing their money.

 

Biggest book depository  was of course "Piratebay"

 

Everything you want (as above), It was all there for the download.

 

( have to have a VPN to access it now I believe.)

 

Great pity it couldn't have been legalised.

 

spacesailor

 

not necessarily, just change the server address your internet connects through,

real easy to do, just changing about 6 numbers

because it can on occasion be Hilarious.

another forum I'm on has users regularly creating false accounts to ask silly questions or raise arguments.

It often brings great amusement to all involved,

sort of related,

what about a random thought thread?

We have one on a motorcycle forum I frequent.

its by far the most used and valued thread.  we use it just to make comments about things we encounter in life, pose questions that don't need a whole thread and post about things going on in our lives. its sort of a catch-all place, and helps build a sense of community.

Caught the end of Hughes's last film, "Jet Pilot" with John Wayne,

thought it wasn't half bad for a Sunday afternoon daytime viewing

haven't seen "the great waldo pepper" yet

and we cant forget the immortal classic

"Magnificent men, and their flying machines"

Oh and to get them out of the way,

Top gun (high water mark)

The aviator

Iron eagle

The red baron

Flyboys (guilty pleasure)

Red tails

Flight of the intruder

Hot shots (love the low flying down mainstreet)

Catch 22

Pearl harbor (chick flick done right!)

Stealth (almost forgot. Really should have)

Squadron 303 (Huricanes)

Is a great polish film about the battle of Britain and polish pilots involved.

Haven't found an English copy of "sky fighters" yet.

Okay so there is plenty of movies with aviation themes, and TV shows. Thought it would be good to have a place to share them 

Being of a younger and internet raised generation I've been enjoying anime related to aviation. That I'm not sure how well known they would be on this forum.

Some of you may have seen "the wind rises". It was on SBS last weekend several times. And is an (heavily fictionalized) account of the designer of the Japanese zero's life. The artwork alone makes it worth watching 

The creator also does a film called "porco rosso" which with the protagonist being an ace pilot turned into a pig, and sky pirates is a bit more lighthearted.

"The princess and the pilot" along with "sky crawlers" have some of the best dogfight scenes. Shows the strength of anime, allowing worlds that couldn't be shown using western film and CGI. Immersive story telling.

For jets nothing beats "area 88" a whole series dedicated to the story of a Japanese pilot tricked by a friend to sign a contract to be a mercanary. Who's only option is to fight to earn enough to buy himself out of the contract. Wide variety of jets used. 

Special mention goes to "last exile"

Doesn't use aircraft but "vanships" (think biplanes with no wings) once again stunning art and impressive characters/story

Been reading the accidental airline 

By Howard white and Jim Salisbury.

Intersting reas about flying around Canada during and post WW2

Damn...

The talk of equations triggered a memory of one in my first lesson briefing. It was something simple but I Can't seem to find the notes at the moment, and what I'm looking for isn't in the text books.

I think at the moment its the classic case of overcomplicating things. Trying to chase the best or most correct answer. Instead of the simplest.

That's the best answer so far spenaroo.  Did this instructor mention a simple equation by any chance?

 

No, just to fly the picture.

The instruments are there to be glanced at, just a very quick look to confirm.

If you are flying the picture outside (where the nose is relative to the horizon, where the ground sits on the windscreen during a banked turn) the instruments will reflect that.

submarines are one of the very few secret forces still in operation.

no one really knows where they are and what they do.

The most highly decorated boats aren't even public knowledge till they are retired.

if you want a good example of this, google submarine collisions. amazing how many have occurred between foreign submarines in peace time.

Collins class is still quieter then any of the American subs - downfall of nuclear is they are always pumping water to cool the reactors.

which is why the American's were so happy to design the propellers for it. they want the shared intelligence it can gather

Look out the window, and keep it balanced.

or at least thats what my instructor keeps reminding me (more so the looking out the window bit)

they said that about the F4, didn't even fit guns to it....

I think the word is called diplomacy

America wanted us to buy the jets, so we bought the damn jets.

don't think there was much say from the defense community compared to the politicians

could be wrong, but thats my perspective on it.

I feel the need, the need for speed.

Loved the original, as a kid growing up it was the greatest thing ever.

used to sit in front of the family's portable heater/aircon and turn the fan up and down by a lever,

pretending it was the throttle of a jet and the sound was the engines as it roared louder. one of my few vivid childhood memories.

still watch it once a year or so.

never gets old

I'm training to get my RPC at Lillydale,

enjoying the experience, its a great atmosphere and friendly staff.

I fly Thursdays

oh yeah, very quick way to lose money.

grew up around boats thanks to my father. small tinnies with oars, to a 40ft flybridge cruiser with twin 250 outboards drinking a litre per minute.

family now has a ski boat with a 350 chev sitting in it. (bought when i was a teen, sold when we were adults. purchased back again 10 years later when the first grand-kids started walking.) think the old man spends $300 each time it goes out.

I run two jet-ski's, a stand-up and a sit down.

also absorb the money like a bucket with a hole in the bottom. easily spend $150 on fuel and 2-stroke oil each day.

last time was almost a grand.... (fined for not having a torch in the stand-up, then it decided it didnt want to run anymore - still need to replace a component in the electrical box)

then there's the maintenance.

have to clean and flush everything when you get home.

(my ski's only ever see freshwater...... because im lazy, and cant be bothered with the maintenance that salt brings - easier to dive an extra hour to the lake)

constant corrosion everywhere