Mike Gearon

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.

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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. ?

Airstrip and AirBNB fly in possibilities. Note the house features on Grand Designs Australia. Episode 12 of season 7. options to view 1. Free.... low quality YouTube version... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6nVVT6mVn8 2. iTunes Store 4 dollars Grand Designs Australia, Series 7 by Grand Designs Australia https://itunes.apple.com/au/tv-season/grand-designs-australia-series-7/id1304136406 3. Wait for it to spin around again on Foxtel. I’ve only seen it once. Can’t stand seeing myself on tv. It does however introduce French island fairly well. Airstrip ruminations........... Looks like 17-35 can be 500m long. This is uphill on say 3 degrees (guessing). . I’m 90 hours into flying and can’t judge if this will work well based on USA experience. Started at towered airport Lincoln Nebraska with one of America’s longest widest runways built for nuclear bombers. 200ft wide x 11,000 ft. Moved to Wahoo which was paved and grass with nice CTAF radio replacing the 4 frequencies required at Lincoln. Clearance, ground, Lincoln tower then Omaha departure. Looking at the BNB accomodation I was thinking on plane during LAX to MEL we could combine fly in with Air BNB. I’ll ask some of the experienced Tyabb pilots/ instructors as I do PPL to Raaus conversion. Any comments here welcome. Questions I’m asking myself are flying in and flying out mostly downhill into the predominant winds. Would the 41 m width and say crowned grass runway of 15m width be okay? I could take the fence out to 50m for instance and center a gently crowned 20m airstrip. Location is based on dryness and generally flat although sloping nature of site.

Yes. Sorry I’ve been travelling Nebraska back to the island. Just arrived and responded.

Yes. Paul is an interesting character ?

I’m just back from Nebraska. 3 months fairly constant effort and finally have PPL. Includes night flying which doesn’t seem to be an option here on RaaAus conversion. Night flying in the remote mid west wasn’t much fun anyway with few lights after take off. Looking at at possibilities of planes for the Island. See pic with north south runway possibility.