Andrew Beveridge

I was thinking Australia and 30 plus degrees. Even with a cooler the my musketeer gets close to the red line on a hot day on climb. The vernatherm cuts out the cooler when not required. Someone living in Alaska who ordered their aircraft with out a cooler (can you actually do that ?) would be stuffed if they flew to Texas in summer. 

 

I learned on a Tomahawk at Jandakot many years ago and it didn't initially have an oil cooler. Engine temps on a 30+ day (very common) were always at the top end of the green, nudging the red. So the operator had an oil cooler fitted and it just made managing the engine temps so much easier. Safer too. 

Whenuapai Airport is a military base close to the heart of Auckland at Hobsonville. It began as a military base just before WW2 and was Aucklands civilian airport up until 1965. It is the main base for the Oceanic patrol P3 Orions soon to be replaced by Boeing P-8s and Hercules transports. I have flown in there a couple of times, once for an air show. Recently there has been controversy over a residential developer planning 300 houses nearby and getting the Environment Court to rule in its favour saying engine testing noise was excessive. It has also been mooted as a domestic airport for Auckland due to the congestion now at Auckland main airport at Mangere and its proximity to downtown Auckland.

 

Well finally the Defence Minister has stepped in and reversed the decision effectively saying that if you move next to an airport you need to accept aircraft noise.

 

See https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116574054/defence-minister-trumps-environment-court-decision-on-whenuapai-airbase-engine-noise

 

That's great news! To all you Kiwis, can you please send some of that 'pragmatic common sense' over the ditch, as it's in precious short supply in Australia. Jandakot where I did my PPL has been under threat for the last couple of decades and will eventually become a housing estate... It will be an incredibly sad day for aviation, and "once gone", it will never ever be possible to reinstate such fantastic infrastructure, so close to the city of Perth. Sydney and Melbourne are facing similar challenges, and it really begs the question : "What is the national strategy for supporting World class airports such as Jandakot?..... when pressure from developers is leading to their inevitable, sad and appalling closure?" 

Love the Savannah, but it took me awhile to get to this.

 

I always thought they were ugly so never looked twice at one.

 

Then I had the opportunity to fly one, from the first flight I was hooked.

 

A fun all round capable aircraft. If I had to complain they are a bit slow.

 

But everything else about them makes up for this.

 

Oh, and they are not ugly anymore.

 

Indeed they are quite a pretty aircraft... Of course I just dream of the 'heady speed' that Savannahs cruise at... I've got a similar type that's an older design, and I flight plan at an even more racy 70kts!  Good thing is, rather than hammering along in a Grumman Tiger which I used to fly, doing 125kts, I'm actually enjoying going a fair bit slower. I now have time to actually 'spot and avoid' that tall radio mast, or to actually to see that NDB beacon... So, I'm enjoying the navigation a lot more, largely as I have got more time and less stress. What's not to like!