FlyingVizsla

Welcome Pete, I know Proston, from the 1970/80's. Sidcup Castle, Boondoomba Dam (I worked for Water Resources then), a nice red-headed lad from a property just out of Proston who went to the Booie dances ... memories of my younger years ... Are you hoping to have the Sav finished in a couple of months - or just get back into flying? Plenty of Sav builders here with heaps of help and support. Sue

Probably cost. It is very expensive to have people travel and present, particularly as RAA members are very widely spread. They also lead busy lives, so lobbing in to a Regional town for a Saturday course will not pick up all those who want to do it. Membership fees would have to go up to cover it. Then members in the far flung areas will complain they are subsidising the people in larger centres, or that the cost for them in travel, accommodation, time away from work / family unfairly discriminates against them, especially if it was compulsory. I can hear the "not applicable to my aircraft" brigade declaring it a waste of time too. I have some experience with Scouts. All leaders have to complete modules of on-line learning followed with practicals and then face to face training weekends with an accredited Scouts Australia trainer. We would have about 90 leaders in our Region; getting 10 of them together in one place is a major undertaking. For the most part, the trainers are volunteers, and the venue belongs to Scouts, the food is provided by participants, but there are still costs for the trainer's travel (usually from the capital), accommodation, incidentals etc which makes it very expensive when we have an average attendance of 3 to 4 for a training weekend.

RecFlying is my first tab and I am on every day. Love reading about everything and contributing where I can. I have discovered some other forums for other topics I am interested in, but none comes close to RecFly. That's why I am a first class member - I use it and support it. My fav is the building & design blogs. I have introduced others to RF and they find what is useful to them - tutorials, media, resources, but most come back for the forum. Nice to see more overseas users. Thanks Ian

I am reading Michael Molkentin "Fire in the Sky; The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War" about 400 pages, well researched. From the first cadets in a Bristol Boxkite who only got to solo (such was the disorganisation and disinterest in Aust) before being sent back from whence they came, to the frenetic pace interspersed with days of leisure and thence to the developing seriousness of war as aircraft turned to a weapon, not just eyes in the sky. The larrikin Aussies shot up anything they saw, like Arabs with their goats and camels. They had to be reminded that when the engine quit they would need these guys on their side. Engineers / maintainers outnumbered pilots by about 22 to 1, but pilots died frequently - a lot lost in training. An interesting read. Next up is "Outback Airman" - Harry Purvis with Joan Priest - picked up at a travelling book exchange.

The L1 training got participants to read AC43, the Tech manual etc. Too many of us just assume we know what's in there. Multi-choice questions to see if you did read it. That's a step in the right direction. It affordable and easy to do for anyone with an internet connection. ELAAA are proposing a face to face course to teach practical skills, which has to be renewed. That has a cost involved, for the course and for your travel, accommodation etc. Keith, being a director of ELAAA, may be able to tell us how it all works. I understand they have already run a couple of Maintainer courses at Emerald & Innisfail Qld, a Human Factors course at Emu Park Qld and Safety for Pilots and one for Partners & family. So you can now choose (when ELAAA finally get approved) between two approaches to L1 etc.

Keith, No-one takes your pilot licence / certificate off you; but you can't use it if you have not done a BFR every 2 years, retained your car medical equivalent, passed it annually if over 75. As for Uni degrees, no one takes it off you, but most professions require you to do further recurrent training; I had to record 100hrs over a year to continue practising, doctors, dentists, engineers, accountants, etc all do this. Tradies - they have to keep licences up to date with continuing training - eg Gas certificates. Mechanics do car makers' courses. Diplomas, certificates, first aid, CPR - have recurrent training. A qualification you got a couple of decades ago is not worth anything if you have not kept up the recurrent training to maintain and update your skills. Ask a LAME what recurrent training they do. I suspect ELAAA also requires recurrent training for aircraft maintenance too, and require BFRs. I doubt this is driven by ego - more like making the world a safer place & providing customers with better service.

Brett organises it, so I suspect it has been skipped in favour of the 18/19 March Bush Fly-In. Nothing organised for February. Suggest asking BJFly in case I missed the invite. Feb 11 is a BYO breakfast (cooking facilities provided) from 7:30am, with meeting at 9am. Don't worry if you can't bring anything as we usually have lots to spare.

Merimbula to Collarenebri - that's a big commute! About 530NM. So long as you equally share costs (you don't get paid to fly them) it isn't a charter. However if you advertise that you are offering seats - that's a different ball game. Equally sharing costs means four people share a quarter of the costs each, including the pilot paying his quarter. Problems arise when one passenger pays for another eg a case where the boss paid for himself & his secretary - was determined not to be shared costs.

Childers Club has changed the meeting date to 11 Feb at 9am with social flying beforehand - if anyone would like to attend. Meeting on 4th Feb 2017 has been cancelled, but there's usually people around.

I knew Denis - he painted my aircraft (the green & gold trim, over the existing white) and was always thrilled to see me when I stopped off for fuel at Roma. It was an experimental mix which people said "would never last". but last it did. I worked with Laurie Curley "LPC" at Longreach (LAME) and was the last to see him alive as he departed to Roma to meet Denis to work on a Heron. He crashed short of Roma AP killing himself and passenger. LPC was hit on the head by a propeller and while the injury healed his thought processes were never the same. I had heard Denis met with foul play, but didn't know the circumstances. The brain is a delicate instrument.

In this case he disagreed with what the documentation said, so he put what he thought rather than what the study material said. If it was a "write an essay on this" type of question he could argue his case with convincing evidence. I think he did well for a year 6 education, but lots of experience. I certainly agree that writing question and answers is much harder than people realise (like writing children's books). I have printed out all the material for the W&B course and he has been reading that. I haven't bothered doing the L1 because I don't have an RAA plane in my name. I am having too much fun doing short Uni courses through Future Learn - free and lots of subjects - doing "Why Do We Age? The Molecular Mechanisms of Ageing", Did "World War I in 100 Stories" - looked at the Flying Corps, and "Liver Diseases"

Mr FV did his L1 and passed well. Got the Qns he got wrong: - one he missed the word "after" and gave the "during" answer, another he picked the first answer before he finished reading the Qn or the rest of the options, another he disagreed with the study material - one should always give the examiner what he wants. Multi choice exams are not the place to pick an argument. He passed first time, so didn't bother re-sitting to get higher. Now reading the clobber for the W&B.

It's not unusual - I had a "restraint of trade" clause in my contract which meant I could not work for any of my employer's clients for a period of 12 months to 2 years. That was to stop them poaching staff and also to protect corporate knowledge. Enforcing that could be costly to my employer. Similarly, if RAA put the clause in employment contracts, then if one jumped ship to work for CASA or SAAA or ELAAA or HGF etc there really isn't much RAA can do (economically) to redress the situation. CASA might honour such an agreement and not interview someone, but then they or the candidate might decide the skill set / career is worth the risk. As for keeping up your skills - most professions do it all the time as a requirement. Engineers, pharmacists, accountants, nurses, etc etc have to do a certain amount of recurrent training, new training, professional development and document this for review each year. Ask Col Jones about what Engineers are required to do. For people who aren't used to this it seems an impost, but it is required to keep up with advances in technology, legislation, issues, areas of weakness and existing and new skills. Pilots do AFRs, circuits, read the updates from CASA, RAA, etc.

Welcome Frans! Plenty of action around the Childers airstrip, if you would like to fly in. Meetings 1st Saturday of the month 11am with flying before hand - sometimes a social flight for breakfast or just a scenic. They have a fly-in breakfast about once every 3 months. Usually someone around on week ends, during the week too, Wed morning is a fly-in for smoko at the club hangar. 18/19 March is a fly-in, if you're interested. BJFly has posted info on that somewhere on here. See you 'round. Sue

1909 First woman to fly (not licenced) Florence Taylor - glider 1927 First woman to get an Australian licence, Millicent Bryant, after the ban on women holding licences in Australia was lifted. Others followed close behind, enough to stage the Ladies Oaks Race that year. From then on, women started setting records through the 1930's Nancy was born 1915. At thirteen she was reading Swoffer's Learning to Fly while working in her father's store at remote Mount George NSW. At 17yrs she took her earnings and went to Sydney determined to get a licence. Charles Kingsford Smith had recently opened his flying school at Mascot and Nancy was one of his first students. September 1933 (after about a month's tuition) she gained her A Licence. She went on to get her B Licence two years later, becoming the youngest female commercial pilot in the British Empire. Her father helped her buy a Gypsy Moth and together with Peggy McKillop (later Kelman), the only other woman with a Commercial, they went barnstorming to earn a living. They covered over 20,000NM in 3 months. Nancy went on to fly a nursing sister around remote areas from Bourke NSW for the Far West Health Scheme. She mortgaged herself to the hilt and ordered a Leopard Moth. It was quite a struggle to find remote properties, places to land, in sparse drought stricken areas, no radio or weather reports, but she did 500 accident free hours. Eventually the Scheme ran out of funds and she moved to Queensland doing 14,000NM in charter and ambulance work. Eventually she sold her plane, paid her debts and was left with what she had when she entered aviation. "She had gained neither fame nor fortune, but she had proven herself by earning a living in the most male dominated field of all." Nancy Bird (Mrs Walton) became famous after the War when "she stepped from the cockpit to the podium and is Australia's First Lady of aviation". She founded the Australian Women Pilots' Association in 1950, was a member of the 99's. She has written books, been conferred with honorary degrees, OBE, Dame of the Knights of Malta, A.O. She did return to flying briefly in 1958, coming 5th in the American Powder Puff Derby. - Information and quotes from Australian Women Pilots, AWPA, 1995 and "My God - It's a Woman" Nancy Walton

AWPA (Australian Women Pilots' Association) produced a booklet "Australian Women Pilots" ISBN 0959948511 which covers a selection of women - early pilots, record setters, early passengers, War ferry pilots, RAAF, airlines, Air Traffic Control, flying professionals (eg nurses, doctors), gliding, ballooning, Examiner of Airmen, etc. It was first published in 1988 (I think). I have an early edition and one from 1995. A number of the stories are in their own words, and many have passed on since. Lores Bonney learnt to fly in 1931. In her Gypsy Moth 5 January 1932 with only 8 hours 40 mins solo in her log book, she flew 1,000NM Brisbane - Wangaratta solo (a record). 21 August - 27 September 1932 she flew around Australia solo - 37 days, 8,335NM. A month later she she gained her Commercial Licence and was awarded the Qantas Trophy for 1932 for outstanding performance by a Queensland pilot. 12 April - 21 June 1933 Brisbane - London solo 71 days 10,000NM including a crash in Thailand. 1934 she became the first Australian Woman awarded the MBE. She went on to do more record breaking flights, however she was mostly overlooked by the Overseas press who were not interested in Australian achievements, and the Australian press wasn't interested in women's achievements - yet most Australians have heard of Amelia Earhart. According to the booklet Florence Taylor was the first known woman to fly in Australia, in a glider in 1909. Women were not permitted to hold a pilot's licence in Australia at that time, but her husband flew gliders and had one built for her. Apart from the one sentence in the booklet, she is not mentioned, but I did read a little about her in other sources. So many stories and achievements!

It's a moot point - first Australian with an overseas licence or first with an Australian licence flying in Australia, or first pilot (unlicensed because they weren't granted to women) Millicent Bryant is the first woman to gain an Australian licence. Others had flown in Australia before her, piloting gliders. Sister Hilda Hope McMaugh (in OME's article) was an Australian woman who gained a pilot's licence in England, but could not use it in Australia as women were not permitted to fly there. A brief summary Early Australian female aviators - Wikipedia Went looking for the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame - their website is "missing"

I have read the Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast Airport) screed here https://www.whitsunday.qld.gov.au/DocumentCenter/View/2846 Read it. What they ask is not onerous. Non VH aircraft (RAA, hang gliders, etc and foreign aircraft), Prior Permission is required & are not to operate for half an hour before or after jet RPT aircraft. Landing fees apply. The rest is simply - comply with CASA regulations. Prior Permission might be to make sure you are aware of when RPTs are due. When I see something like this I think "Who messed up that caused them to put this in writing?" Has anyone actually asked Prior Permission and been refused?

Ignore them Planet - I have been following your build and like what I see. Good on you for doing it and posting photos. Ignore the Egos, Thread Drifters and Knockers - just show me pics. Sue

There's a coming weight increase for RAA, been talked about for ages, and should be here "soon". Up to 760kg (Cessna 150's) rumoured up to 1500kg - taking in the RPL. ELAAA Pty Ltd announced - ELAAA is offering a service for Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing Aircraft at a MTOW of up to 760 kg. Flying training to RPL level with a CTA operations endorsement is planned for the FTF’s that join us. Our CFI instructors will be to the standard of being able to instruct on basic instrument flight requirements. This allows students wishing to make flying a career the ability to transition to GA Licencing. Presumably you can transition from GA to their licence / certificate. They are not approved yet, was to be 7 Oct 2016, but now talk of Feb 2017. They were also talking of a weight increase to 1500kg MTOW with 2 POB. There might be scope for a Piper / Cessna under either body.

If you have a read of the Training Syllabus - the Advanced Pilot covers things in more detail and to a higher standard. The scoring to achieve a tick is on a scale of 5 to 1. In a nutshell 5 - needs further instruction (can't proceed), 4 - needs practice, 3 - pre solo standard, 2 Pilot Certificate standard, 1 competent to teach. It's an award for pilots seeking higher skills at a higher level. No one if forcing us to do it.

From the Ops Manual:- ADVANCED PILOT AWARD ENDORSEMENT (APA) 13. An applicant for the issue of an Advanced Pilot Award must: (a) have reached the competency standards required under Unit 1.07 of the RA-Aus Syllabus of Flight Training; and (b) be recommended by an RA-Aus Examiner to undergo the flight test for issue of the endorsement; and © pass a flight test conducted by a Pilot Examiner or a CFI. ------- The following is a summary - to read the full 7 pages, go to RAA.asn.au - log into the members' portal, search for "RA-Aus Syllabus of Flight Training" A pdf will open - go to page 59. All the requirements are there. ------- SYLLABUS OF FLIGHT TRAINING - ISSUE 7 – OCTOBER 2014 UNIT 1.07 – ADVANCED PILOT AWARD SYLLABUS 1. AIRMANSHIP 1.1 General Airmanship 2. TAKE-OFF SAFETY BRIEF 2.1 Engine failure safety brief 3. STEEP LAZY EIGHTS 3.1 Entry 3.2 Maintenance 3.3 Airmanship 4. MAINTAIN BALANCED FLIGHT 4.1 Co-ordination 5. STEEP 360 DEGREE GLIDING TURNS 5.1 Entry 5.2 Maintenance 5.3 Exit 6. SIDESLIPPING 6.1 Entry 6.2 Maintenance 6.3 Exit 7. SLIPPING TURNS 7.1 Entry 7.2 Maintenance 7.3 Exit 8. PRE-STALL RECOGNITION AND RECOVERY IN A CLIMBING TURN 8.1 Entry 8.2 Maintenance 8.3 Exit 9.PRE-STALL RECOGNITION AND RECOVERY FROM A STEEP GLIDING TURN 9.1 Entry 9.2 Maintenance 9.3 Exit 10. GROUND REFERENCE MANOEUVRES (Constant Altitude/Radius Turns) 10.1 Entry 10.2 Maintenance 10.3 Exit 11. GLIDE FROM OVERHEAD THE FIELD 11.1 Aeroplane positioning 11.2 Glide 11.3 Touchdown point nominated 11.4 Lookout 12. CROSSWIND TAKE-OFF AND LANDING 12.1 Take-off 12.2 Circuit 12.3 Approach 12.4 Lookout 13. SHORT FIELD APPROACH 13.1 Pre-Landing Checks 13.2 Airspeed maintenance 13.3 Use of Power 13.4 Touchdown Point 14. WEIGHT AND BALANCE 14.1 Loading, and Weight and Balance 15. PERFORMANCE FIGURES 15.1 MTOW 15.2 Normal Approach 15.3 Vs 15.4 Va 15.5 Vne 15.6 Short Field Approach Speed

Yes Ollie, great place to learn about flying! Whatever you want, someone has flown it, whatever question you ask, there's an answer.... Lots of good stuff hidden away, apart from the forums, there's tutorials, resources (like plain English translations for weather), planes for sale, and the best laughter around. Sue

(Posted this earlier but it never appeared - apologies if it turns up twice) Except for the very early days - the rego number was unique eg 1234, regardless of the prefix eg 10-1234 but no 19-1234, 32-1234 etc. So in theory an aircraft could be moved to another category eg 24E-1234, 19-1234 (as happened with factory built and later de-registered and re-categorised planes like the Ibis). However, in the early days of the AUF they issued the same number with different prefixes. Most of these problems have been retired, but it is possible to find 10-1234 & 19-1234. Our Wheeler Scout had its number changed, possibly in an attempt to get a unique number, or maybe just an administrative mistake. Remember, in the early days, the AUF was run by volunteers who probably didn't have much time and didn't envisage how big the fleet would become, or the advent of computer databases. There is a long thread about how 10-0001 got hijacked, if you want to search for it. A brief thread here Sequential Aircraft Rego Numbers Sue

I asked the same question on behalf of a friend who had let his RAA registration, membership & certificate lapse due to medical reasons, but wanted to put the aircraft back on the register to get it sold. This was the response from tech at RAA "You don't need to be a member to register an aircraft, we have many aircraft owners who do not fly their aircraft but wish to be the listed owner on our database."