Freizeitpilot

Aero 2024 Friedrichshafen opens tomorrow. That is where you will really see what direction new aviation technology is headed. There will be dozens of YouTube’s out by the end of the week.

Goulburn - home of the Big Merino !………and the Supermax. They need an airport for all the tourist traffic, and it’s popular with the meat bombers.

Well, they’re flying off the handle….

Yep, I think all options have been explored, and thumbing a ride from a like-minded soul is the most feasible. It’s been an entertaining thread though. I looked into electric options too and concluded that anything electric that can carry a person will weigh in around 12kg and up, and that’s simply too much. Electric scooters are still illegal in some States, and no doubt monowheels are too, not that that has restricted their use. I’ll get a 1.8kg trolley anyhow, as that will be handy to move Jerry’s from the car to the hangar and preserve my dodgy back

I note a comment in Australian Flying that a Jabiru Gen 5 engine was on display at Parkes. Any visitors to Parkes able to offer any commentary ?

Yeah - they look like a lot of fun too. Not sure about riding one carrying 2x20L of fuel though ! How much do they weigh ? That could be a key limitation carrying 1 or more in ultralight aircraft. FP

When I get a plane, I’ll make sure it’s got a tow hook for the boat.

If that was page 1 from your autobiography, it could be an interesting read !

Yes, you should consider the quality of fuel thing, but how much due diligence can you realistically do ? You go to a country servo and fill up, behind a number of other vehicles, you filter it through a Mr funnel into your plane, you do the mandatory fuel drain check, what else is due care ? Anyhow, I can now see a thumping great large rabbit hole, so here is a picture instead. 1.8kg and can carry 70kg $44.87 delivered.

I’m expecting a comprehensive report on my desk, first thing Monday morning 😜

Actually, I’d argue that on airfield fuel sources are not necessarily plentiful…and possibly getting rarer. In my (brief) experience flying around western NSW, almost the first item on the flight plan was where can I get (avgas) fuel ? ….and then potentially changing the route to suit the fuel sources, rather than simply enjoying playing tourist. However, almost every one horse town in Australia has a mogas bowser, which opens up a world of flying possibilities which is a key attraction of RA-Aus to me. The challenge is that quite often the servo is a solid walk from the airfield, but not if you’re lugging 40L of fuel…….and if you’re flying with a pax you may be fuel limited. I’m not tempted to go down the rabbit hole of avgas vs mogas and the freshness of that mogas from the one horse town bowser, etc, etc)…but I’ve appreciated the debate and I reckon Garfly has potentially nailed the solution anyhow.

Coming from a vertically challenged family, I already have a collapsible stool, and yes it would be ideal for filling a high wing while away. The tallest I’ve seen is approx 40cm, but that should be enough, unless you’re flying a Cessna Caravan or something. https://amzn.asia/d/4kzRF62

Thanks Danny, The various A/C I’m considering have limited cabin storage and a cargo door which looks too small (without breaking out the tape measure) to squeeze a rigid Jerry can through, hence the thought of collapsibles. The flying Ute looks a bit more attractive at this point ! …..but let’s not turn this into a thread about a/c choice, I’m just interested in how people get fuel from a servo to an airfield if thumbing a ride gets tricky.

Many aircraft have a duration of 5 + hours and simply flying somewhere else to get fuel, was not the original intent of the scenario….but thanks for the lateral thought.

From what I understand, you can carry up to 250L of fuel in compliant Jerry cans, but they should not be carried on the outside of a vehicle in an area that may be exposed to collision risk. Are NSW regs unique ? What if the airfield was in another State ?

Hmmm, thanks Garfly. Now we’re getting somewhere ! I’d probably retrofit bigger wheels to truck over gravel, etc, but the concept is good. FP

We’re all perpetual students aren’t we ? But, no, in this hypothetical, it is not a training flight. I also understand that a 7kg beach trolley weighs about 6.5kg too much. So I’m still interested what ideas the RF Illuminati can come up with to resolve the dilemma in the scenario.

…….and for a 24 registered aircraft ?

Maybe try Parkes, with an ‘e’ and you may have better luck ! The app shows 6 servos for me.

As a newbie on this forum and prospective LSA owner, I’ve read probably a cuppla hundred posts on the best methods of pumping fuel, arguments over the correct type of fuel, stale fuel, airfields with fuel nearby, etc, etc. However, I still have one dilemma I’m interested in how other pilots have solved….. So, you’ve landed at a specific location you really needed to go to, that has no on airfield fuel at all, but there is a servo about a km away. You have two x 20L collapsible (compliant ) Jerry cans with you, but the airfield is completely deserted, so you decide to trek on foot to the servo. It’s a hot day, but you make it to the servo and fill up your 20L fuel bladders with mogas - happy days ! You ask a bloke with a nice new car at the servo for a lift back to the airfield, and he looks at you and what he perceives are your dodgy fuel bladders, and says, sorry mate, I’m going the other way….…So, you begin the 1km slog back to the airfield on foot trying to lug ~ 17kg in each hand - I dunno about you lot, but I’m getting too old for that sh#$@t. So what’s the solution ? Do you show a bit of leg and hope to get a lift, pay for an Uber/Taxi (who then declines to carry your fuel bladders anyway) or what ?? Yeah, I know in trip planning, almost the first thing you plan for is fuel availability ! But that can severely limit your options if you only seek out airfields with fuel on tap. Is this a possible answer - it’s a half-sized beach buggy. They can handle up to 100kg, but weighs about 7kgs. Its a heck of a lot of junk and weight to carry around in the back of the plane just for this purpose, but at least it can be used for other things. How have others solved this dilemma ?? Opinions ? Experience ? Alternatives ?

The best App I’ve found to date is PetrolSpy. This will give you the location of all the local servos, distance to the servo from your location once you arrive, fuel grades available, and the most recently recorded price(s) (including when the most recent price was uploaded)……and it’s national. All you need to do is zoom in on your prospective airfield(s) and see how far away the servos are from the airfield, see what fuel grades they have and the price. Great App ! Sometimes you have to duck around the advertising on the app, but that is a small inconvenience for what is otherwise a great free planning resource.

I read somewhere that 200 aircraft have registered to attend …..and the weather looks perfect. I hope it’s a great meet for everyone attending ! (Sadly I’m not)

Hmmmm ok, so the thread got hijacked pretty early. No problem, it looks like the RA-Aus logbook was the winner. Thank you to the respondents.

That’s what I’ll be doing.

As an aspiring aircraft owner, I’m interested in what current aircraft owners use for a maintenance log book ? I use the RA-AUS Aircraft Maintenance Logbook I use a hard/soft cover Aircraft Maintenance Logbook available from an aviation store/site I made my own I use a purpose-made App on my electronic device Maintenance ? I changed the oil in 1997, or at least I think I did. Thanks, FP