Mike Gearon

https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-can-travel-further-and-longer-in-the-air-11587564001?emailToken=57b5cc5fa3668e24056ccee15794223eYp7qE98mlnco1GVjjYlhNmDbDc9nmC9Gwaeet8ORu+D4X5RNJ25plmwNmqPnTIHPTB5Ssv2V3p6b48GUY9FZNxW9kkJPuENo1B8am8WeRbBVeDc8zZw60m+YVQ46c4GX&reflink=article_copyURL_share

Fabulous. Brightened a hard day at work!

@Mike Gearon - I am not sure I entirely agree that your environs you grew up in set what you need. I know people who come from farming and don't even loke countryside holidays, preferring the concrete jungles on the Costa de Sol. Both my partner and I a re city born and bred and while I enjoy going to the city for work, I am darned gald to get out of it. We had 13 acres and loved it (well, the partner ended up no liking the realisation the country, despite its tranqulity, it a cesspit of death and violence if you happen to be an animal of prey). We really like the open spaces (can't call south west England wide) and my partner has no intention of going back. Maybe its also an age thing..

Yes, we are all different. Makes the world interesting. I guess I’m going partly on myself and on my French Island farmers. Almost invariably they are like me. Grew up on a farm and drawn back to it. I’m at my happiest in a farm shed, on the tractor singing badly or watching young calves running fast just for fun.

 

As an aside....As a young man I was informed that some people were city people. Some people were country people and some people were just c@#ts. My American wife can throw that word around with ease. In the USA it’s apparently like bum. Not a big deal announce somebody is one.

If for example you have a control system that keeps the altitude constant and uses a human that can only see an altimeter, nothing from outside then you have to put 0.5 as the probability of his failure.

 

I’m not seeing this.

Condtion 1. An automated altitude control has a mathematical probability of failure of almost nothing. Say .005% chance of failure just to put an arbitrary figure on it.

Condition 2. Altimeter has failed.

A)Pilot has a failure rate that’s tiny based on looking out the window and keeping the plane clear of terrain until landing time. Even then a good chance. For instance Wing spa sights the runway Half way up at 1,000ft AGL downwind.

B) Condition changes when in cloud. Near 100% failure unless cloud clears.

 

I get what you’re saying. The example bothers me.

I drove my ex-wife's stuff to Tasmania in a big trailer ,and I have to say that I didn't really start to feel at ease until I hit the plains of NSW. I like wide open spaces.

We seem to need the environs we grew up in. My mother in law is from Great Plains USA and isn’t happy without a visible distant horizon. I grew up on farmland and I’m not happy in the city or suburbs. Currently 12th floor of the middle of Taiwan’s second largest city. Not happy! I have weekend escapes to mountains and lakes now. That helps maintain a modicum of sanity. No idea why my pics insist on sideways.

 

.A small percentage of people have most of the wealth, and a small percentage of people do most of the productive work.

Yes, a small % have most of the wealth. That’s a problem.

 

I can’t understand the small percentage doing productive work. What’s the definition of unproductive work? If we are talking pure communism or socialism we can point them out. Our capitalist system guarantees most are productive or won’t be employed. Even government departments don’t seem safe for slackers these days.

Depends what you mean by "productive", really.

 

It could be argued that an unpaid mother raising her children to have great social skills and good character is far more productive than the CEO of a hedge fund which produces nothing, and creates nothing. Yet one is paid nothing and the other tens of millions.

100% agreed.

An old mature aero engineer once told me that dual mags were needed in early days because they were so unreliable that operating on one was quite common hence the reason for a spare ignition source. But all reasons given so far make sense

100% still the number 1 reason would make sense. I’m wondering if anyone has a story of having to switch after take off to avert an emergency landing.

 

Second reason in the case of the spaced spark plug engines you’d think would have to be a say 5% increase in efficiency. That would add up in commercial flying.

 

I’m now wondering if the Jabiru engine designers slapped themselves across the head at any stage and went “that’s why they put them on opposite sides” “Bugger, I better make up a good sounding engineering reason why mine are on one side"

I just watched a video of two people playing tennis rooftop to rooftop on adjacent buildings as an example of social distancing, but if one was CV positive and the other picks up the ball, they've managed to catch the disease.

 

Just a note on the ball and virus.....I don’t want to be the smug guy living in a country almost free of CV and telling my fellow Australians how to do it. It’s a big deal though so I’ll do my little bit for fellow pilots. Taiwan has gone for a few days without new cases. I was shocked this morning to suddenly see 22 cases. It’s a navy thing same as that aircraft carrier in USA. Taiwan community transmission is all but eliminated currently and remains so (for now)

 

Why is Taiwan doing well? It’s constant temp checks, face masks, hand washing and tracking and quarantine of suspect cases.

 

I read the article in Melbourne Age on Friday where a professor said “I wished I’d never picked up that book” Book in question handled by the newly CV positive author. Now, keep in mind the professor sat at a table with the author for an hour (if I remember the article correctly)

 

The western countries in general have a fixation on hand to mouth transmission and are throwing their hands up in the air over carriers without symptoms. It’s hard to watch! If as in the case of Taiwan the entry for professors book lecture had temp checks, masks for all and mandatory spray wipe it’s unlikely the professor would have become ill. Likely the author would have been found with temp elevated at entry. If not he’d have had hand wipes and after lecture met at table with face mask on.

 

The obvious conclusion. You’re sitting 1 to 2 meters away from an aerosol CV dispenser for an hour or you touched a book. How did you get the virus?

 

I’ve been meaning to write a letter to the Age and won’t bother. It’s a cultural norm that’s not going to be changed in a hurry. We don’t wear masks. I’ve been guilty of this in Taiwan. 100 people in the supermarket and 99% wearing masks. Like Trump and I don’t want to be like Trump it was “well, I don’t really want to”. It’s not a choice now in Taiwan. Out in public (defined as public transport, groups, shops etc ) you must wear a mask and peer pressure also reinforces. Just mentioning there because I’d like my fellow pilots to stay safe.

 

Flying... I’m still looking to July 1st USA. Wife must have an operation soon and it’s in USA. Paid for there by insurance so USA. Australia as backup plan. Reality is probably have to remain in Taiwan. It’s not that bad. Yesterday pic at sun moon lake.

Doesn't the forced landing at night in a SE include

"Landing lights - on

If you don't like what you see, landing lights - off"

That’s exactly what I was told while night flying. It was already stressful. ? Somehow it ended up being one of the best parts of learning. I think you’ve got to be prepared to be a little shocked at how little information seems to be available (lights) to fly in remote country airports. Probsbly also makes it the best learning environment.

You only check for a dead CUT with motor at idle.

This I didn’t know. It’s nice to have in the tool box of checks. Almost positive but wouldn’t bet money it wasn’t in King School, either FAA book I read from cover to cover or in Cessna handbook.

Poor vapourisation also retards the flame propagation rate giving worse response than when warmer up fully.

Expect we are all looking forward to the time when the word “vaporisation’ doesn’t take you straight to coughing and Covid 19

Interesting Jabiru specific no more than 100rpm drop from 2000rpm. That’s 5%. With both plugs being together it’s likely the difference in efficiency of the complete electrics from spark plug backward. If somebody was really bored they could swap components 1 at a time and take notes to determine which particular parts or combination of parts affected the initial 5% dropped side.

 

Based on the Jabiru being plugs together and also potentially dropping you’d then do the same on a Rotax and check if the same thing happened and swapping parts changed the side with the drop.

 

You’d then match parts that have no drop on either side so efficiency of circuit is eliminated. Then flick a side off and see what happens. Then compare plugs together to plugs apart.

 

I think you’d need to be really bored to do it.

 

edited just now..... I see the post with Jab engine identical. Makes the spaced plugs likely more efficient.

Want to fly.... Can’t like most of us. I did have a very enjoyable morning via Facthunter posting this in another thread.....“Almost balances Farri's idyllic flying at Deeral in the Drifter.”

 

Found Deeral on the map. Found some great drifter information. There’s at least 1 of them at Angeles flying club, Philippines. I’ll fly it when back there once the corona has calmed down.

 

Watched the video linked here. Really well done. An 11 minute flying journey I’ve participated in from a Taiwan rooftop. This is as close as I get to flying. Maybe that’s why breakfast on the roof. Signs virus spread is reducing in Australia as a possible destination. USA looks like people fighting for the right to not be told what to do and that’s not going to go well. Might be a while to get to USA and fly.

 

In that case sandman, here`s mine to help the page along!

 

[ATTACH]40269[/ATTACH]

 

Franco.

That’s helped

another good one

 

Wasn’t hanging on your every word. I just happened to complete the morning Taiwan rooftop ritual of coffee with Wall Street journal then Rec Flyer check in before getting to work. All good. I’ll get back to work now. Probably lucky I’m in Taiwan and it’s business as usual with just temp checks on getting to work and strict mask on policy around people.

MODERATOR'S COMMENT:

This comment was reported to Moderators for being rude and nasty. The way BLA82 expressed his disagreement with OneTrack did not advance the discussion.

 

It is perfectly OK to disagree with other people, but firstly, do it politely, and secondly, put something down that supports the reasons for your disagreement. By doing so, you advance the discussion. In this case a simple "Are you sure about that?" posed to OneTrack would have elicited the response as given in Post #142.

 

So, argue your case fervently. Attack the content. Play the ball, not the man.

 

Old Man Emu

Maybe you could delete my comment above and this one. Up to you.... I’ll explain....It was made when your post appeared without content. Really took me by surprise because it seemed to be saying “Onetrack, you’ve commented and this is what I think” that, being the comment from BLA82.

 

Now your comment has the content you intended (which I might add is well put) my comment is out of place. Whew!

MODERATOR'S COMMENT:

People I know and mix with just don’t talk like this. Maybe it’s my problem.

 

I was also taken aback yesterday when I noticed a onetrack comment on pilots bodies in another incident discussion. Was admittedly insensitive and his post above I thought was an apology and explanation of hope. Reading it again it’s not really saying that or apologising. I don’t understand it either. Might be related to a work attitude and it just delivers here in the wrong way. Who knows.

 

I’m reasonably new to the site and I’ll step away from this. It’s why you go slow and I’ve been trying to.

Karma is having a wow of a time kicking bean counters in the bum. You can't improve the lot of your own people if you give their work away to other countries.

I wish we could. When I built my house I had to get an 900mm round brass fireplace door machined. In Dandenong, one of the last remaining really large (steam train large) lathes. It was so cool to see it working.

Today. I’ll forget motors and stick with trying to extract the PVC stuck screw from an extruder barrel with a Ukulele heater pad. Not going any better and it’s 1950’s tech with no help from YouTube. Gas torch tomorrow.

Is the big difference a propellor in the way?

Yes. ☺️ I’ve missed the bloody obvious yet again. I guess you’d get somebody who wants to use their arm one last time to throw the rag at air intake.

Is the motor in your CAD a download? I work in Solidworks. Wouldn’t want to be drawing that up. Even a rough non spec would be 20 hours.

Not sure a comparison takes you where we need to go. Power to the rear wheel gets the weight off the front one so it's not twisting the frame, if that's the problem on the bike.. Ground looping is different.. It's not something you practice though.

Any "problem" I've had is with pupils who lose control, But I've always managed to recover it EXCEPT for ONE where the plane ground looped a full 360 degrees right in a couple of seconds at most. I don't know how the tires stayed on the rims. My neck got severely kinked but my head hit nothing such were the forces. The plane then trundled straight along the runway as if nothing had happened. I reckon the pilot landed with one brake on and the plane just went straight into it. There was really no time to do "anything" with this one. So far I've not done one solo and I hope it stays that way.. No one can really say It won't happen...The joys of tail wheeling. Nev

The joys of instructing as well!

 

Motorcycle very different. Only similarity is power on can fix problems where it’s a trained response and not a natural one.

Checked the blog. Very cool. Will enjoy watching your progress.

Agreed... unf, we have all taken the bait.. I won't put anyone on my ignore list as I like to hear what they have to say.. But I just won't respond to anything I think is futile to respond to. In the name of ettiquette though, we should be better and refrain from insults. But I can understand people are frustrated at many different levels..

 

When I was a kid, my older (and physcially stronger) brother would tease me all the time - incessantly and to breaking point. My mother would constantly tell me not to react and it will subside, but as a stubborn son of a gun who had to be heard and defend himself, it wasn't in my nature. One day it got particularly bad to the point I was ready to more than verbally bite back, when I realised he was aching for me to start something so he could finish it (I must have really pi$$ed him off for some reason). I just started letting all his taunts slide - ignoring them.. It wasn't two minutes before he gave up and literally decided to ride his bike. Served me well ever since.. Yep, sometimes things rile me, but I have learned to work out when it's important to react or just let it slide.

 

[Edit - the perceived futility of responding could be both in my perception of the other person's closed mindedness - or my own closed mindedness..]

100% agreed minus the part where I was the older brother. Younger brother still talks about me testing the electric cattle prod on his kidneys. Sorry...?

Did your survey. That’s a lot of work you’ve put in. I see the problem with the ladders in your survey pics that don’t go high enough on those really high wing planes.

 

Good luck.

Motorbikes mostly fix themselves if you add power and that’s pushing from the back into whatever mess you’ve got yourself into. The props even better from the front.