Datson

EFI fuel pumps should NEVER be run dry, the precision internals burn up quick without fuel to keep them cool and lubricated.

Crash occurred around 7.15pm, that's a bit late for a student to be flying isn't it?

A lot of cars used a programmable bar of different coloured lights for when maximum engine revs are reached the red lights can start flashing. Something similar could be used on an aircraft for, say, angle of attack with the desired angle indicated by green lights.

Hooning at a higher level

As airspeed is so important I wonder why indicators are not usually mounted just below the usual line of sight. That's what we do with race cars, mount all vital gauges/lights up high so they are as visible as possible without interrupting normal vision. Just a thought, some things about aircraft seem a bit strange.

Funny that because the reason why automatic car shifts push for slow is the body's natural tendency to move forward when slowing down. And vice versa.

If the rotor gearbox, rotor and empennage separated from the aircraft then that indicates an attachment failure. Given the size and function of those components I guess that they would have been attached by several bolts to a structural part of the aircraft. So it seems strange that the cause of the attachment failure was not readily apparent upon examination eg missing/broken bolts, broken attachment points, etc. Be interesting to know the details of the attachment setup.

Pity that those who must crash don't do so in a historically valuable aircraft. What's wrong with an old Cessna?

Is there any doubt that responsible Boeing staff should be prosecuted for criminal negligence? Which involves jail time. Surely aviation is one of those industries where the duty of care is high and any decisions made that do not prioritise safety should be seriously questioned. Other US businesses have got away in the past with making risky decisions that eventually required Government financial assistance but adopting that 'business model' here raises different issues.

Had a look at the RAAus paperwork, couldn't find anything saying a non builder could not do maintenance. It looks like the owner can do some maintenance as can someone with a Pilot Certificate but it does get a bit complicated as to who can do what. Anyway the important thing is it looks like if I bought a built RAAus eligible aircraft I'm not barred from doing (some) maintenance. On speed, how much variation is there between similar sized and engined aircraft? Some designs look less draggy aerodynamically than others so I was thinking this could make a noticeable difference to general performance and fuel burn. EDIT: Oh and the RAAus Pilot Certificate maximum aircraft take off weight is 600 kg. Which should allow something decent?

Thanks for that info Derek, will have to look to see what constitutes a "builder" because maintaining my own aircraft is a must. Perhaps I would be a builder if I finished off someone else's project. Definately don't want to be caught in a situation where I have a licence but no aircraft of my own to fly.

I would want something small and as powerful as possible, that's a given. Being good mechanically is one of my skills so maintenance would not be a problem as would allowable improvements but buying would be best for someone in my situation.

Wow Scott, that's some home build ? Cheers, Richard.

At the risk of repetition you blokes have helped me sort things out in my mind so thanks again all of you ? It seems best to do that one hour intro flight first, if I like it then go for a licence pending my suitability. The ability to remain calm in any situation while evaluating options in an emergency seems crucial. If a licence is obtained then look around to buy ASAP so the skills gained are not lost by waiting too long to buy, hiring would just dissipate funds. Which means building is out. Make sense?

Thanks for the invite, I see that Lone Eagle have a $100 one hour intro flight which seems like a good thing to do for someone in my situation.