paulh

Nice video Commander, got a bit worried when on climb out suddenly there were cars in front, thought you'd gone in but kept filming!!

Will be a cheap option. The Rand is up to #$%^ at the moment so this is the time to travel cheap. We are close to Johannesburg International. I can show you guys around.Can't say anything about our planes or school but search the net.

 

SA's flying is great but challenging to some. The high density altitudes are a challenge. On a 30degr C day at our home field (Petit) ICAO FARA, it easily gets to 8000ft DA and 30 deg C is still an average day. Down in the Lowveld where I used fly from, the day temps in summer also reaches the 45-48 degr C with 90-100% humidity. The humidity is the killer. It's a land of extremes, both climate and beauty. I love this place.

GraemeM, is there a regulatory difference between powered parachutes ie Aerochute type and powered paragliders? I've been looking at the web sites for paragliders, paramotors and paramotors with a trike or quad buggy and got the impression that they were "registered" with HGFA and the pilots HGFA licenced. HGFA looks better than RA-Aus at the moment.

Aha - I was wrong; as of this afternoon we do not have a 1-man 'the Executive' - we have a NO-man 'the Executive'. Paul Middleton has resigned as the Secretary, but not from the Board.Still, I have been told that all will be well - so no worries, eh? Nullus anxietas; we have no President, Treasurer, Secretary, or Public Officer.

The Skyraider is a nice looking little aircraft and the price seems very good, from the video and their web site photos the construction looks similar to an aeropup ie evolved from a kitfox type but without the flaperons. The old single seat Supapup doesn't seem to be popular and the Aeropup seems to be struggling for sales, not sure what the reason is, maybe Oz manufacturing costs are just too high, and GFC effects just won't go away.

Modern dirt bikes are soooo much better that the basic bikes of the 70's with about 5" of suspension travel, if I stuff up which is more often than doing it right, and land on the font wheel or fall off they don't seem to care, just shrug it off ( muttering to itself oh boy this guy is bad) and keep going ........ and about twice as fast as the old Suzuki's

Only ever owned various Jap bikes, but enjoyed riding mates Bultaco, Maico, KTM etc

Not keen on road riding, too many cars and drivers with the iPod earphones in with stuff all Situational Awareness

I thought the Baramba flying club were still at Wondai. http://www.barambahaeroclub.com.au/ It is the Burnettflyers that have set up at Murgon (Anglefield) http://burnettflyers.org/Cheers

Yep, not good with that much civil unrest in the lead up to the soccer World Cup, I hope that Brazil does well and the tax payers get some return on their huge investment.

Don't see many of the South African aircraft here in Oz, maybe I'll just have to get over to Africa one day and see them in their natural environment.

How about some details please, ie; what's the proposed devlopment or should we just sign everything blindly?

The principal being i believe we don't want closing airstrips to become endemic.

Amazing awesome aircraft, we should have fun stuff like this too!

Petition signed last night

Thanks Andy, I could have put it better. There is a middle ground and in Victoria that is not to exceed the prescribed content ( full licence holders in private cars and motorcycles 0.05 grams of alcohol per 28 litres of exhaled air). Regarding the decision to drive, that should be made before the drinking.

 

I think we haves drifted a bit off thread!

 

Cheers Laurie

Welcome Stefan. I'd like to see your aircraft design, if Admin agrees. I must say SA has the most inspiring flag of any nation.

The ABC airing this story now could be very bad timing for RAAus if it ends up stirring up more bad press for sport aviation, may result in a stronger push from CASA to get faster action to fix the problems or else .....

Wonder if the proximity of the federal election is helping us at the moment? Surely the minister (and therefore CASA) would be wary of pissing off 10,000 pilots this close to an election? Might be a factor in CASA's deliberations...

Just a thought

Another tragedy, dreadful news.

this is why I think CASA will be pushing RAAus harder to get much better in relation to safety matters, and quickly. Of course with generic reporting of the aircraft as an "ultralight" the aircraft may not necessarily be RAAus registered. In the bigger scheme of things however, doesn't really matter who it was registered with, another fellow aviator gone.

Ken is rightThe standard cables are way too small for a rear battery. I shifted my battery from behind the pilot in my XL down to the rear to make my CG more tail heavy as the aircraft was nose heavy...well in my opinion anyway. I used much larger cables to do the extension plus a busbar connection where the battery was orginally. My engine swings over quite fast I also run a separate negative all the way from the battery to the starter solenoid base abd then onto the starter motor so not relying on the frame for the negative return. The cable is 4 guage from memory in size

Must assist in reducing the corrosion risk due to potential differences.

Small world sometimes, my family comes from Murgon, last family lived there a fair while ago before moving away. Have to go have a look at Angelfield sometime.

Hopefully the second round of the State of Origin footy will teach those nasty bushwacking dang southerners a thing or two!!

oops, just realised cane toads can't fly.................maybe those cockroaches do have some advantages over us northerners

Hi Errol,I started out learning on a Foxbat and moved over to the Eurofox 3K (nose wheel) for my cross country endorsement and found it a fantastic aircraft to fly.

 

Whilst still fond of the Foxbat I much prefer the speed, feel and comfort of the Eurofox on local scenics and cross country treks.

 

To make room for a new aircraft our Flying Club's Eurofox is up for sale (24-5054).

The Eurofox tri gear sure looks nice, pity they only come as factory built.

What do people think is the closest to the Eurofox in a kit aircraft - the Kitfox s7?

Car manufactures mostly seem to use names rather than letters or numbers for their various models, seems to be easier to remember after seeing their latest offering on the tv, a name can also evoke an image.

A name that is too Aussie may not gel with overseas buyers, and need to avoid being kitsch and calling it the goanna or something else slow moving and not real smart.

Ok my turn,

In movies they still refer to and show "blue prints" of technical drawings or plans of buildings etc., even in a so called high tech show and the actor is viewing plans on an iPad the drawings are still shown as blue prints. The process was superseded some time after WW2, even ammonia prints and dye line prints were dinasaurs in the 1980's, still remember cleaning out the dyeline machine every Friday afternoon.

Maybe an image from a microfilm of a blue print if the bad guys are hiding some old warehouse

Must be getting to be a grumpy old man when useless cr..p irritates!!

Ok, I'll start the conversation, but from the perspective of a low hour RAA pilot

Option 1 high performance would rule out me, need to do a lot of hours training to be able to use some of the performance with safety - appeal to the more purist glider pilots. Self launch is good, go when you want on your own.

Option 2 this has appeal, something to keep in a trailer, low operational cost, a bit like an expand Sapphire with detachable wings

, not the full performance glider but still self launch.

Option 3 nice idea, obviously far higher cost to build and operate, hangarage an issue with those long wings. May have limited market, as despite the advantages of touring and soaring ability, they seem to be a low percentage of aircraft type at airfields around here. Not many Xenos in Aus.

Option 4 my undercarriage may not survive a hard landing! Seriously I think para gliders have this market and they fold up to put in the boot

Cool who was Celeste?

Dragonfly is a cool name, does bring to mind the Moyes Dragonfly tho, don't know if that matters, anyway more power to you having a good go!