Mike Gearon

I had a very quiet panic learning night flying in Nebraska as I’d guess most first time night pilots must. As soon as the first farm house lights registered I was fine. Had a horizon. Next was an all black horizon in pattern at new airport and instructor gave me a nudge to keep the turn from too steep. I was definitely IFR for that turn and hadn’t acknowledged it. I guess that’s why reading the report on that pilot in night VFR hit home. He was as reported a cautious pilot and just too many things compounded. Darkness, cloud and rain where the report he appears to have had for destination was going to be okay. Good info on the work load and costs. Understood.

French? Reached the top of a Taiwan mountain climb and 2 guys were already there. Turned their backs when I talked to them. French. I spend a lot of time outside Australia and when back (Melbourne) notice people not waving or acknowledging when you make space for them to enter traffic. I really don’t get this. Maybe things are changing and not in a good way. It’s so easy to acknowledge and it’s usually rewarding. Maybe they get some sense of superiority. Dicks.

That’s well worth asking about. Interesting how it’s changed. I’ve been reading Radio calls for VFR by Jeff Kanarish. Well... I read bits when I’m on commercial flights and suitably bored. He’s mainly using the book as an outlet with stories on his time as a commercial pilot and explains what everyone does wrong. I put it down while training because it wasn’t much help (IMO) . Now, with a bit of experience it does make more sense. It’s more Jeff has a whinge with helpful bits.

I was trying to find google references to this statement so I’m not asking stupid questions I could have solved.....Came across this accident report instead...https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4462266/ao-2011-100_final.pdf Makes you want to never night fly again! Question if you don’t mind...I’m puzzled over how VFR radio procedures have changed and what was cut back and how it related to costs?

Aerial yesterday from Foxbat. The angle one has problems with undulations and each has a down slope last 200m of 500m total heading west. Possibly need air brakes at 300m if not slow enough to stay on ground. It’s a work in progress.

That’s true. With regard to pressure.....The recording didn’t cause me pressure. I’d filmed 150 hours of tv (well, potential tv footage with Grand Designs) That had moments where we had producer, executive producer, sound, logistics (very attractive logistics), 2 camera men and a drone crew. I ignored all that or tried to ignore to keep the show real. When Pat (CFI ) and I reviewed Gopro he said “wow, if I’d seen this I’d not have worried” I had seen a few solo youtube Clips prior to mine. I figured if it can help anyone through theirs then it’s worth filming and publishing. First solo almost as much pressure as Checkride. It should all be fun as Pat kept telling me. My first moment of real fun was on a solo cross country and climbing through scattered cloud. Madison South Dakota flying school was also fun. A lot of young pilots studying and flying together. They were mainly getting endorsements or commercial. Great learning environment. The gyro below flew 5 times at Madison. Engine failed 4 of the 5 before it never flew again. I was thinking it’s a record for failures and what mad bastard kept trying!

I’m learning by error followed by more. Yesterday’s didn’t work. At 90km in Ute there are undulations that would stress an undercarriage. I can see why tail draggers are the go. They’d ride them out or glide over the lows where you’d be continually stressed over a nose wheel staying light to the ground. This is my hay paddock so I’ll want to quit moving strips at some point.

I’m finding it tough. I google earth then check paddocks each day. There is drainage and changing slope along with trees. I’m 98% sure this is the solution. pic below. Green is where I remove a small amount of 15’/ 5m tall trees at fence lines. That’ll equal some 50m (roughly) extra runway on approach. I think the LSA category I’ve flown in all take off easily and the 400m each direction won’t be a problem for departure. Approach (for me at least) I’d probably want a wingspan height over the 1m fence lines and allow a long float without undue concern. I was absolutely amazed when my A380 LAX into Melbourne didn’t flare a few weeks back and we floated just like the little planes I’ve flown. We touched then popped up and floated. We did a touch and go in an A380. 2nd time was well flared. I haven’t been able to take lessons at Tyabb due to wind. If by Tuesday I have the fence cut and cleared in each direction and can slash and level then drive without too much bounce I’ll see if instructor agrees to land the Foxbat. Might be able to sort GoPro footage.

I’m not sure. You can see the grass cross strip there. In this case we had 02 or 31 with 15 knots from 270. 31 made more sense. We were trying to sort my crappy short field hit the spot on 02 because that was likely runway for checkride. I couldn’t hit the spot. Same here I guess where you have to land within a 200ft nominated area? Touch down early and you’re failed because the early spot could have been a ditch before short field. Is that part of checkride here?

I seem to have this sorted. Somehow it works now with same cut and paste as above . Only thing I can think of is time after I posted to YouTube allowed it to link. Interesting thing is no radio contact. USA don’t seem to contact their student pilot. I guess it’s a controversial topic. If I’d had Pat on the radio it would have been as much distraction as help. I had to focus totally on getting it right without help or possibly distraction.

Here’s my one. I was thinking about this after posting. 15 knot from west mostly taken out by those buildings. I’m glad it happened. Only the once and very thankful I had Pat with me and hopefully ready for next time.

I have just sent a letter to my business partners as discussion on various business aspects and my stepping back. A bit of it was flying. I’ll either be around flying or drop out. Happy to share my thinking on subject and I hope all things related to lift as in planes and wind turbines are the direction I should be heading. Note.... I’ve had invariably excellent contacts with people so far both inside and outside the forum. Seem to be my type of people. ? Well, one grumpy plane importer as exception. Can’t all be fun I guess. I think my near runway crosswind disappears discussion is correct. Happy to be informed/ corrected if not. Always needs at the end of the day a strong lead who listens to input. 3. Other.... I’ll provide ideas without pressure as best I can manage. My own interests lean toward developing a wind turbine for the world. 3rd world country easily built or outback Australia built and maintained. This will keep my restless mind occupied along with flying if it stops terrifying me. Sometimes it feels like getting in a car and driving..... right up until landing and then its suitably stimulating. Apparently when that gets too relaxed you shouldn’t be flying. There are some 60 seconds from turn to final approach to a full stop where you need to have your shit together. It is done in my case and actually everyone else’s by being ahead of the plane. Turn from base to final you have mentally dealt with the radio call, the flap setting, altitude, speed, pitch, roll and yaw compensated for wind. Approaching the runway numbers you’re prepared for instance for the near ground wind to suddenly disappear. Your plane that was originally tilted to the wind and directed down the runway is suddenly crabbing sideways as the cross wind disappears near ground. You’re ready. You reduce rudder (yaw) you reduce aeliron (roll) and adjust elevator (pitch) and add or remove throttle as required. Just showing you you need your shit together to land a plane. Day dreaming can’t happen. Dangerous. Worst case as above for instance you just add full throttle and go around and do it again. You almost can’t force a plane down to the runway with full throttle even 300mm off runway. It wants to climb out. Bad pilots try to land a badly lined up plane. Good pilots go around. 4. Hong Kong. I’d like to have a discussion on this in Taiwan

First solo in Nebraska about 6 weeks ago. If you get that far I kept saying what a shitty landing. Pat told me the landing was fine. Just felt like I bounced high and in reality it was about 150mm. I have since sorted the flare.

I researched this after I flew with my CFI from Nebraska to Madison South Dakota. He did tail wheel while I built cross country hours. He’d come in drenched in sweat and tell me he now understands how I feel and had a bit of empathy again for my ordeal/ fun learning experience. Madison flight school. Australians go there to learn at spraying to do inbetween firebombing gigs apparently. http://www.rigginflightservice.com/ Anyway, I researched tail wheels and found an article on this problem. Can’t find it again now. My scratchings will have to do....

Yes, flown with both. Just location and proximity. Sorted with David Bell instructor just now and purchased VFRG. $34.95 I thought it was 120 for some reason. 34.95 is fine.

Thanks very much for advice. I’m heading to Tyabb as easiest to get to. Tooradin is really good. Tyabb just easier on ferry. Flying in would be 5 minutes, that’ll have to wait..... I’ll see them today or tomorrow and what I really want is reference material. Surprised CASA doesn’t have the equivalent of FAA free downloadable material/ books. Well, they or RAA May have. I’ve been searching which is one of the reasons I landed on this topic. Maybe you can advise if downloadable reference material that’d cover everything. USA as mentioned has the wonderful Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and Airplane Flying Handbook. You just go on website and open then save to books or kindle. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/media/pilot_handbook.pdf https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/

Great to make contact Ian. I’m still working on runways. They shift all the time.... todays pic/ plan below. (Not sure how to get bigger images up. I’ve seen the thumbnails are clickable. Maybe there’s a way to get them a little bigger. Last time I was posting on forums I could see the HTML and work out how others do it. Can’t seem to do that here.... I’ll keep clicking stuff... Im looking at setting this up over next month or two. Fencing and moving material at minimal cost (I do most of it) I have a gravel pit in bottom corner of property that’s really just a recent dam that happens to also now be a gravel pit and that’ll keep cost down for east west as I’ll need some gravel (French island gravel is just what we pull out so it has clay in it) to go over the sandy bits. Need to work out liability issues. I’d like in medium term to have fly ins and accomodation. Mobile (by message to provide) or message here for permission to just land and visit if probably going to work. Same as any private strip you’d want to know there weren’t wires strung across or new earth works (ditches). East west will always be dry. It’s sitting on sand and protected by being low. I suspect approach with cross wind would see the wind suddenly drop at about 20 ft. I’ve experienced this while in USA learning. A lined up approach with wing dropped into the cross wind suddenly became a side slip at round out. My CFI was always cool. He just quietly suggested we should get the rudder and aileron sorted or go around. Not sure if this is what would happen. I’ll depend on people with a lot more than my 80 Cessna hours and a few LSA to advise. ?

Even OCTA acronym is annoying. I just looked it up. Outside Controlled Airspace. Never came across this in FAA.

I think the different measurement system and rules are going to be a problem. The Feet and Metric mix is is particularly curious in Australia.

I’m trying to stay quiet on the forum as one of the new guys. However! I’m well positioned in this particular case/ if this question comes up again for anyone. I used the King school course for PPL in USA. He and his wife do a great job of videos and the course. It is however USA specific and designed to get you over the line for written then practical FAA PPL. I’ve found it difficult to locate resources here other than Bob Tait and www.pilotpracticeexams.com On that note. It’s different. Quite different in areas. For USA I finished up reading FAA free publications...Airplane flying Handbook and Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. I bit these off over a 1 week emergency trip back to Australia for a family member. When I returned to USA the CFI said you’ve never flown better. Definitely a huge help. Even with this I’m struggling with www.pilotpracticeexams.com questions that were never covered in FAA or very Australian specific regulations. About 20% is new stuff which is annoying after studying hard for 3-4 months. mike.

[ATTACH]41672[/ATTACH]

There are only around 100 people on French island. Amazing you’d know someone who lived here.

Day is going to be fine. My CFI said we will do the first 3 night landings and it’ll be interesting then it’ll get boring for the 7 more required. When we did the first take off into black and started pattern I wanted to tell him I just couldn’t do it. Landed and was so amazed by the third that it was just like he said. It became normal. I did start to spot farm house lights and established something of a horizon. That made the difference. I have a bit of learning to do. Just went and found the RAA information you mentioned. Good to be able to go into controlled airspace as an option in the right plane. PPL USA had to fly 3 landings into a towered airport. I used the magic words “student pilot" and the tower couldn’t have been more helpful. Had to do a sudden right turn on final at one point when an unscheduled Citation started in. I could hear the CT telling the guy off for being unscheduled and he got back to helping me on next approach.

That’s possible as well. ?