nomadpete

So, is she for sale?

I thought that all of Queensland was north......... (since I moved to Tasmania)

We had an incident with our glider tug - Cessna- which highlights the possible serious outcomes of a starter malfunction. The starter jammed engaged. Nothing obvious happened on the takeoff run. The aircraft took off normally but at about the end of the strip, a burning smell filled the cockpit. Instrument chech looked normal except for high battery voltage. Then the cockpit filled with acrid smoke. What happened was the starter, When run at speed was generating uncontrolled power. The risk was of cockpit fire. I'm glad that my Lightwing has a battery isolator. Note that an turning off the start solenoid source may not save you from this scenario. Peter

Thanks. I'll have to get myself one of those.

What tool do you use to open the filter?

This latest direction of debate has been very illuminating for me. Thank you all for bringing such an important facet of our recreational aviating into the light of day. I believe that although it is a definite drift off topic (and probably not relevent to the tragic accident which started the thread), we should bring the issue of standards, and the comprehension of same, to the forefront of discussions about Recreational Aviation (and its future) because it is all about the trade off which allowed us to enter affordable aviating. Also it is a critical aspect of risk management. Fortunately for us, so far there has been little evidence of structural issues causing any negative trend in our accident statistics. Peter

Does it have the "Automatic NO FEAR darkening" feature?

BUT.... if she does happen to have an ASIC card, then it's all OK !!!

That strip would need all the luck and skill he could muster. Winter Tassie twilight is pretty dull compared to mainland light (not joking). I guess he knows the strip so well, he can do it in his sleep. Or he still had a bit of light left over from Daylight Saving.

Not trying to come between you pair, but... My experience of EFATO at about 200' supports the 'variability of ability' theory. No, I didn't freeze. I immediately adjusted nose attitude as the power failed. "Fly the aircraft" had been drilled into me. BUT beyond the instinctive reaction of maintaining airspeed, and briefly checking paddock distances, I still took a couple of valuable seconds to glance at instruments and to process what was happening. I did not stall nor did I consider turning back at that height. Never the less I was aware that in spite of thinking that I had prepared for my takeoff (prep includes some thought of EFATO options), I was somewhat sobered by the realisation that the 'Oh Sh!t Delay' had stolen time from my options. This unpredictable duration of delay is a vital part of this discussion and may be something that an individual needs to find out about themselves before attempting to set a rigid automated response to an unexpected event. I cannot blame my instructor for my reaction time. He has primed me with the knowledge to fly properly. He cannot be accountable for any human factors which may change the way that I react. BTW, I would consider turn back if I was at a suitable height. Have practiced it at low levels in Gliders. Also, I support the view that the real killer here is loss of control, due probably to lack of currency in low level maneuvres.

This is a very interesting thread. I have just discovered it so please bear with my comments which hark back somewhat. There has been much valuable discourse about the physics of the 'turn back maneuver'. There has also been a lot about psychology and training. I only wish to comment on these last items. Firstly, here is my anecdote: A RAAus Instructor was providing type conversion training. Upon landing, the student bounced the aircraft. The instructor called 'My aircraft' and the student (having already given full power and levelled the wings) handed control over. The instructor took hold of the stick and.............. did nothing. He froze. The aircraft proceeded through a ditch and came to rest without it's undercarriage. Later enquiries revealed that another pilot had previously experienced a similar scenario with the same instructor, but had saved the aircraft. They reported "If I hadn't taken the control back we'd still be bouncing down the strip". My point is this: How can we identify those people who are prone to Freeze (instead of Fight or Flight or Reason), from becoming pilots? Especially how can we prevent this type from becoming signed out as an instructor? Don't just say that my story is a isolated case because there are probably many folk who may freeze regardless of their training and we should be able to use psychology to identify the cause and address it. And here, I'm not just referring to the accepted 3 or 4 seconds required for logical reasoning to be activated. When the instructor took control, all of his automated training should have had him 'fly the plane' away from the ground. In the turn back scenario, reaction time lost means the difference between success and tragedy. Peter

I think that Dick was saying 'Nothing has been done in 30 years.." with reference to our military deliberately (routinely) making impudent civil aircraft wait for permission to use airspace on the coastal route past Williamtown. It's not as though it would take a real lot of thought for them to decide - "Hmmm, let me think, is there some risk to our national security posed by this passing aircraft?.... let him circle while I throw this dice...." I think he has a point there. Especially when you think about the only route options available. Pete

I'm warning you lot....... Watch out for random lightning bolts !

I got my Pilot Certificate renewal in the mail last week. The cover letter reminded me of the dire consequences of letting it expire, and telling me that RAAus does all it can to help me keep a current financial certificate. It also reminded me that my current Pilots Certificate will expire in....... oh, that was two weeks ago!! So their proactive renewal would have been sent maybe a month too late to do what it intended to do. No, I didnt go flying in that time, or I would have noticed the expiry date. On the positive side, my prompt payment resulted in an email two days later to confirm that the money has been banked and I am now currently current. Peter

Tasmania doesn't show up on GOOGLE earth either - it's never been out from under the cloud long enoughfor them to get a photo of it. Peter

I, for one, am thankful for Mark's contribution to the running of our organisation. It's not a job that anybody could do for ever. He lasted over a year and that is a lot better than some in a 'poisoned chalice' role, and we are better off thanks to his energy and work. Thanks, Mark

Well, nobody has yet discovered the inscription that tells us exactly what the pharoh really asked for ! My bet is that he actually made a modest request. Then the design committee took it from there........... And they came up with THE PLAN..........

I first encountered it when it came as a test text on a teleprinter back when Telecom/AOTC/Telstra started churning along its tortured pathway to privatisation. It must go back through the ages - maybe Aristotle wrote it?

Turbs, That just sounds too modern to contemplate. We are having trouble dragging ourselves into the last century, let alone trying to get into the 21st one.

You're in Taz aren't you? If it's just started raining, wait a minute or two - it should all change completely by then. Pete (moving to Franklin)

Very interesting Thanks for posting. Those photos indeed present a terrifying prospect.

Not a bad thread - seems to have been popping up for years! Just re-registered my Yamaha XV1100 (she who must be obeyed calls it the Viagra) I've always said that riding helps me to fly co-ordinated when I get to the field. (and she fell for that line) Just to add to the concept, I find bikes and planes go well together (so I keep telling her) and also that Glider pilots often have sailing in their lives...... So these groups are usually cash deprived but have a great time keeping that way!!! Peter

If you have verified that all crimped connections are low resistance, and the box is well grounded, then it follows that you should have charge coming out. However, the input voltage seems a bit low to me. Unloaded, at 2000rpm or so, you should expect maybe excess of 20volts AC coming from the charge coils. When you replace it, make sure it is located somewhere in airflow as these regulators dissipate quite a lot of power and if they are allowed to get hot it will shorten their life a lot.

Hey John, That is an absolutely great resource. I heard that there is something called "the hundred dollar hamburger" (in the USA maybe?) and we really need to know where we can head off to instead of just flying around in circles. Especially a list of B&B's that we can take the 'storm-n-strife' to on the weekend. Is there any way that it could be set up so we can add to it as we discover new places? Just the thing to keep the 'Recreation' in RAAus.

Well, rail infrastructure sure helped the USA......... but that was back in the 1800's. Are we that far behind?