FlyingVizsla

AOPA airstrip directory,

Country Airstrips

Etc - they all write to Councils and operators for their updates and I reply and post it back.

Aero Club has it electronically Australia: Everything in aviation - Events, Clubs, Schools, Airfields, Aircraft and more... but he hasn't responded to any of my updates on the airstrips I controlled so it is out of date, but there.

What about asking Ian nicely for a download of the airstrip directory he had on this site?

Sue

So this is not all doom & gloom - the Isis Flying Club in Childers Qld have just had their lease at the Council owned strip renewed at a peppercorn rent with a doubling of the area available for hangars. Two new hangars are being built right now. The club help the council by maintaining the strip, the toilets etc and support local businesses, who in turn support them by allowing sausage sizzles etc outside their shops. They have also taken over running the Apple Tree Creek Markets 2nd Saturday morning of every month on the Bruce Highway.

The Club does fund raising to keep costs down. At present they ask for an initial $500 contribution from a new hangar builder, membership fee of $30 and $200 per year towards the Public Liability. That's a cheap hangar. There are about 12 hangars with room for about 10 more. Occasionally a hangar is offered for sale, and the Club owns one that they rent out. The long term plan is to build another hangar for rent.

The limiting factor is the State Govt tree clearing laws which make it much harder to open up more land around the strip. The Council is quite supportive. It does help that the strip is well out of town and so not subject to pressure from developers to carve it up into house blocks. There are cane farms either end. Only one property owner in the circuit area complains - an ex Club member who now doesn't fly - but I think RAA & Council are tired of him.

We had our AGM and changed a few faces on the executive, so if you want to contact them PM me and I will forward (I haven't asked their permission to put phone & email on forums yet). Majority of members are RAA - I wear a paper bag over my head at meetings ... but I am hoping to finish my conversion to RAA one day.

Sue

If you are going to sit the RAA Human Factors exam then you should get the RAA text. I can't remember the name of the thing now. Now well written, but some of the questions are taken out of that book. One question I got related to a particular HF system which is mentioned in this book and not in any others I have read - and I read widely. Something like "Which of the following is NOT a component of the BlahBlah Management System" Another series of questions related to a scenario which is played out in the book. If you took the incident in isolation you would get the answer wrong. The correctness of the answers in the book is debatable and the book and exam don't sing the same health message as the various Govt Health Promotions. However, it does not matter what you think, just give the examiner what he wants - you need 80% for a pass. Have heard that the exam is to be rewritten soon.

Any other reading on human factors would be beneficial for your own growth and understanding. People who have done a HF course are much happier than those of us who had to rely on the book alone.

Sue

Hi Folks,

I participated in a survey on CASA's drug & alcohol testing last month and I have now been nominated to attend a focus group in Brisbane 26th Aug run by Monash Uni. Is anyone else going?

I live in the sticks so it is a stretch for me to get there (well a $457 + $163 flight), but if there is no one else to represent our views I'll make the effort.

So - what do we think about the drug & alcohol testing?

Has it made aviation safer?

What is the biggest threat - alcohol, prescription drugs, illicit drugs, neither?

Is the legislation too broad, about right, not far enough?

Is testing effective, an abuse of power, aimed at the wrong sector etc?

Has this testing made any difference to your behaviour?

I value your input - for either myself or someone else to take to this group.

Sue

The RANS S7 owner & builder isn't a fan of the things - he says they only give you 5 kts at the best and increase drag and end up with more muck on the wings. He's never been a fan of vortex generators, or other STOL gear on an aircraft that already has a low stall speed. That's only his opinion, others would disagree.....

Sue

Yengarie - Maryborough Qld airpark

We swung by Watsons Rd and had a look at the proposed airpark. The better half who was raised in the area asked around and was told the guy proposing the airpark has sold it to someone else. The end of the dream?

Sue

How do we afford it? We have a pretty conservative lifestyle, and live frugally. Being rural helps as house prices are low (but there's very little capital gain - my land has just gotten back up to its value of 14 years ago) and the airstrip is a short walk away. So what you save on housing can pay for the plane and what you save on travel to the strip you can spend on hire or another plane. Social life is also cheaper as venues are often cheap or free and things run by volunteers. Shopping - there is not much choice and EFPOS isn't available in most stores so there is less opportunity to go mad with the card. There's no restaurant and the Cafe closed leaving only the takeaway for eating out (after you have had the Works burger and the fish & chips you've exhausted the menu), no cinema, no entry fees to sport, but the pool is $1.60. So we eat at home, entertainment is free and everything in town is walking distance. Down side is if we want to sell and move to the coast the same house will cost us another $200k.

I worked for years in very remote locations where housing was provided by the employer - so saving that rent each week paid for the plane.

I did the survey (link is back a couple of posts) - was supposed to be 20 mins but turned out to be more like 5min. The survey is a tick & flick about what they test for, what you have used, what you think is the most dangerous, has the D&A testing changed the way you / others use drugs & alcohol. There is a section for comments in which I did a rant and an invitation to join the focus groups in August to be held throughout the land.

So go to it and tell them what you think!

Sue

GA or RAA registered - it is one of the weird things in the industry that an aircraft, like a factory built Jabiru can be either GA or RAA - built to the same standard, but needing a different licence or certificate to fly. There are schools that teach both the RAA certificate and the PPL. To cut costs you do the RAA certificate on a RAA registered plane, then convert and finish the PPL in the GA registered aircraft at a higher cost per hour due to the regulations. Seems odd to have two aircraft, identical twins, but one has numbers and the other letters on the tail.

Sue

CASA survey on Drug & Alcohol testing

Have your say on this issue! CASA sent me a letter informing me that they are conducting a survey "12 months on". Go to Survey to give them your opinion on Drug & Alcohol regulations and testing. A paper version is available from [email protected] or 03 9905 1900. Information in confidence - the report will not attribute individual comments - only summarise results.

Sue

Hi Justin,

The 24 refers to what part of the legislation it falls into for RAAus aircraft (it is not GA but might be able to be registered GA). On this website, go to Aircraft, then Aircraft types and there is a description of each category. Things you may have to consider are flying in controlled airspace (need a certified engine etc with RAA aircraft). You also need a boat licence for amphibians. Seamax was a sponsor for our Northern fly-in at Monto Qld so I got to have a look at them. Unfortunately water to land on is in short supply in the outback or I would be drooling a bit more. There are people who live happily with amphibians. There was one at the airpark at Pacific Haven Qld - don't know what happened but the house is for sale on realestate.com.au - there is a picture of the amphibian in the hangar. It would have been a great life, but I can't convince the Pilot in Command to take it up - he says he hates sand flies.

Sue

Insurance

Hi Justin,

My insurance (I recently renewed) was 3.4% of the insured value plus $600 for the carnage I might cause on the ground and to my passenger - up to $1m. I get a no claim bonus (have not claimed in over 15 years) but it seems inflation keeps up with my discount. On a $100k plane that is $3,400 + $600 = $4,000 each year regardless of who flies. I have the aircraft insured for training, private hire and aerial work (not mustering). This gives me flexibility because there are not many aircraft for hire out in Western Qld and occasionally someone wants a licence or a night rating.

When choosing an insurer I asked a LAME, who did a lot of insurance work and also bought wrecks from insurance companies, What company is best to deal with? He highly recommended "The Pool" (which has now become QBE) - Pool because it was an amalgamation of insurers. I don't know what their reputation is these days, but they are serving me well - they seem co-operative, ask for their money nicely etc. If I have to pay insurance I would rather have one that co-operated when things turned pear shaped.

I was warned about a couple of insurers. One, which is no longer in business, had a reputation for not paying out, or taking ages to do so. I had personal experience of their tactics when a good friend died in a plane crash. I was at his house helping to field phone calls when the insurer rang. The bodies and wreck had been found that morning about 12 hours earlier, assuming I was the widow of the pilot the man began threatening me an insisting I sign a form he'd faxed to the office admitting he was at fault or he would "take the roof from over your head and everything you own". Doubtless they would do just that with ease once they had the signed confession. The aircraft owner said he chose them because they were the cheapest.

Commissions - I was the LAME's bookkeeper - he got an annual 10% of my premium every year for recommending me. When he died I asked if that could be taken off my premium - the answer was No, and because he was deceased no one got the 10%. It might be worth asking if they pay a spotters fee / commission, because you could get a friend who is an existing policy holder (or your LAME) to pick up the commission and share it with you.

As for the cost of 100 hrlys - see my post under a thread started by Crashbait about Aircraft ownership for my actual costs. These of course will vary given the age, condition, type of aircraft. Mine were about $2,000+ but, as I point out, the "surprises" can rip your guts out. Put aside something for the engine overhaul, prop replacement, instrument calibration etc. 50 hourly work you can do yourself.

Hope that helps. Search the forums because there has been a lot of discussions on the costs of owning, hiring, operating aircraft. Owning an aircraft is expensive, but also a tonne of fun.

Sue

Back in the dark ages - I had problems with serial pin cables yonks ago - look closely because some of them shipped with only 7 wires - you have to unscrew the cap to see how many there are. This is back in the days when they made things, not just mass produced them. Anyway I bought a new cable to run from my old clunker to my dot matrix printer and it wouldn't work, but my old cable would. Finally found that to be the problem and we went through the shop unscrewing till I found one with the full complement.

Good luck = Sue (did the IT degree in the 80's pre-internet, pre-Windows, pre-java, when the flat file database was king and Dbase II was considered high-tech.) :pc strikes back:

I have 2 DCs 13.4 oz which I have owned for 15 years and they are still in good condition despite students and hirers and swapping planes. They came with foam seals as standard but I changed to gel seals which were a lot better especially with glasses - you can really notice the difference in noise. The gel seals are not as robust as foam and I noticed the guys with rough stubble punctured or tore the membrane exposing the gel. The gel doesn't leak out but it does get sticky, the membrane does get a little sweaty in summer. Overall they do their job well and have certainly given me value for money. Never tried the Bose, so I can't compare.

Sue

Hi RD,

Our last build - a RANS S7 - tube & fabric took 6 years on & off. A lot happened in that time - wife No.1 got ill and there was a lot of travel and time away ending in her death after chemo, then there was the courting of wife No.2 (that's me) and a lot of other distractions. It will take longer than you think. Then there is that period in the middle where you have lost your first enthusiasm, nothing much seems to be coming together and the light at the tunnel seems a long way off.

Several things will slow you up - inexperience being the most obvious. Covering the aircraft is an art. The best place to visit is Spotlight or Lincraft (girly places that sell dress material and craft). Here you will find the pinking shears, curved needles, awls, stretchers and things you will need cheaply and quickly. Take the missus if you don't want to look like the only man in the shop. Find someone who has done fabric work before. There's cutting, doping, glueing, heat shrinking, stitching - a whole world you've never dreamed of. Natfly sometimes has a forum on the process.

Paint - weighs a tonne and costs a tonne. There are several systems (for fabric) available and it is worth talking to people who have used them as some are more fiddly than the others. Metal paint is different - it doesn't have to flex as much. A bloke at Barcaldine painted his Kitten with canary yellow house paint and it slowly cracked & peeled. You will also need lots of coats on the fabric. Consider reinforcing around the areas where hands and feet will contact (around the doors) as these can start to look terrible from bumps & scratches and hand grease. Fortunately for us, one of my husband's ex motorcycle hoon mate grew up to be a professional aircraft painter (now retired) so he helped us no end.

If we had our time over we would go for vinyl decals rather than trying to spray paint straight lines.

Cost was about double the kit price. I could do some itemising if you are interested in the Rans type build.

Sue

My husband got totally frustrated with the Flight Safety (Jul/Aug 10) Flying Ops quizz No.5

"When operating in the vicinity of a non-towered aerodrome, other than when joing on base leg or final, pilots are expected to make the following minimum broadcasts: intending to take off (taxiing call), intending to enter the runway,

(a) ready to join the circuit, overflying.

(b) inbound, ready to join the circuit, base

© inbound, base, final

(d) inbound, overflying, base, final, clear of the runways"

First, because it was talking about circuits he decided it only related to inbound, join the circuit, land, taxi, shut down. After that the terms threw him - "ready to join the circuit" when he was used to saying "joining down wind" and being there. Finally frustrated because none of the answers seemed right he turned to the back. (a) is the answer

If you read the CAAP 166 1(0) table 2:

6.3 When operating in the vicinity of a non-towered aerodrome, it is expected that all pilots would make the following minimum positional broadcasts from aircraft that carry a VHF airband radio:

(Table 2 is a little messy due to copying & pasting)

Table 2 — Circumstances/Broadcasts in the vicinity of non-towered aerodromes

Item Circumstance (non-towered aerodromes) Pilot’s radio broadcasts

1 The pilot intends to take-off. Immediately before, or during, taxiing.

2 The pilot intends to enter a runway. Immediately before entering a runway.

3 The pilot is inbound. 10 NM or earlier from the aerodrome, commensurate with aircraft performance and pilot workload, with

an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the aerodrome

4 The pilot is ready to join the circuit. Immediately before joining the circuit.

5 • The pilot intends to carry out a straight-in approach; or

• Join on base leg. On final approach at not less than 3 NM from the threshold. Prior to joining on base

6 The pilot intends to fly through the vicinity of, but not land at, a non-towered aerodrome. When the aircraft enters the vicinity of the aerodrome (as defined).

Note the CAAP says "in the vicinity .." and defines an inbound call as one of the 6 to be done "in the vicinity ..". yet the author of the question must be interpreting it as IN the vicinity - ie an inbound call is something you make before entering INTO the vicinity so an inbound call does not form part of a correct answer. Confused? He certainly was, as I got frustrated trying to explain that it was someone's interpretation. Reminded me of some PPL qns.

Sue i_dunno

(a) a pilot

(b) a female

© an engineer

(d) a dog lover

Answers in next month's edition.

I started my RAA conversion in 2000 and I am still looking to finish it! Difficulties getting a taildragger that I can fly and an instructor willing to take me. If you live way beyond the coastal fringe you get used to this - it is getting too expensive for schools with low student numbers to survive.

But it extends to all facets of life. I spent most of my life in far western Qld and about 15 years as a Scout leader. It was a solid day's journey to get to training, only to be told I couldn't do both days together, had to go home and come back next week. Why? That's the way its done. Finally finished stage 4, then due to changes had to do a conversion to new stage 4, not enough people needing the training out west, so never offered, never converted & couldn't do Stage 5. Then the whole program was re-written. Had to go back to completely re-do stage 3. Would not be an issue if I had finished Stage 5. Does this sound like flying?? Someone I know has been wanting to do his X-country, time off work, travels 8 hours to the school but the plane or the instructor is not available for days/weeks, now the number of hours flying required has doubled from 5 to 10hrs.

Same thing with medical appointments that stretch over months as it can be 3 - 6 months before the specialist returns to review your test results and send you off to the next test. One issue that happened in Jan 09 had to wait till March, test in July, follow up in Nov, test in Feb, follow up in May (but results hadn't arrived), follow up due Oct/Nov 2010 and I still don't know what it was.

You learn patience the other side of the Great Divide.

Sue

There was a great page in Australian Aviation called "On the Airbands" which related funny stories heard on the radio. It ended up being canned because CASA was putting the heavies on people demanding to know who / what / where / when so they could prosecute. Even de-identifying didn't help as they pressured the editor of the column for details. Some of the stories were rip-snorters and I was very sorry to see it go. If I find some old editions I will retell some of sorties. This is also the reason we are reading about ancient events in the Flight Safety magazine, things beginning with, "back in the early 1970's ....." The earlier editions were a much better read from a safety / currency perspective.

Sue (off to raid the shelves for old mags)

The son is building a Sonerai but has lost interest. It is partly completed and sitting in a shed - fuse, wings, tail. Needs engine, instruments, covering etc. I think it was more his father's idea - to give him some construction experience as he has been designing his own aircraft. Now he has moved on to doing beach buggies. He might be interested in selling. Building does take a long time and lots of space. They are slippery and not good for a novice pilot.

Sue

Ahh, my old stamping grounds. The channel country looks better than I have ever seen it and that lone gum tree has a fence around it to keep the tree eating beasties out. I built the roads Birdsville - Bedourie - Boulia - Winton - Longreach - Windorah and I managed the clinics Birdsville to Urandangie from Winton. Did trips over the Simpson to visit friends, but never bothered with Uluru. Went to Alice once for the Aust Women Pilots conference. The Alice - Boulia trip was the longest leg I have ever done - a tad over 4 hours into a headwind. Pax legged it to the amenities as soon as we landed. Your pictures have brought back many memories. Must go for a nostalgia trip one day.

Sue

Where I was based there were no planes for hire and I had a vast area to service. I had the cash so I bought a C152. After spending 13 hours driving to Birdsville for a one hour meeting I got permission from my employer to use it if the company car was not available. That didn't stretch to any compensation for it, but the hours saved for my personal life was enough for me (Qld Govt - they didn't pay overtime and you never got TOIL). The flying school about 200km away were looking for a plane to hire and I used to bring it over on weekends, then got a transfer there and got involved in the flying school. Best days of my life!

I was single with a good job and money in the bank so the occasional cost blow out didn't faze me. Most towns in Western Qld have airstrips with in easy walking distance of the CBD. I transfered to another town where I would walk to the strip, fly to any other town, walked to where (meeting, shopping, visiting) I wanted and fly back. The big brown dog (the Hungarian Vizsla "Sandy") was my most enthusiastic passenger and went everywhere with me. Sadly he died about a year ago of old age. My life has gotten awefully busy and I no longer have the time to fly for pleasure.

Building a plane is also a great way to get into ownership. When I met my husband to be, he was building a 2 seat ultralight in the backyard. I had always entertained ideas of building something that would fit me (being so short) and he was able to alter things to suit me - now I don't need a mountain of cushions. There's a great buzz out of building it yourself, and he certainly enjoys every minute of flying it. Now he's talking about doing another plane. If you have the time and patience this is a way to spread the cost and get what you want. Unfortunately we own so many planes that life revolves more around working on them than flying. Moral of the story - trim your life back so you can enjoy flying and stick to one or two planes.

Sue

Hi Jim,

I did a bit on aircraft costs based on my present C152 - you can find it in General Discussion a few pages back under "Aircraft Purchase" by Crashbait. Just saves repeating myself.

Good Luck

Sue

Hi Mark,

The plans are 'blueprints' with about 30 pages of different sizes. Very few notes but most are in English as well as Italian. Very little instruction - it is up to the builder to work out the sequence and method. There were a few mistakes but other builders have pointed them out for us. There is a manual with some construction and maintenance for the completed aircraft. We have been sent some pictures of aircraft under construction. We have not started - still thinking and looking at materials and suppliers.

Any more you want to know - ask and we'll see what we have.

Sue

Hi again Diesel,

Here's a picture of our trailer for the single seat plane. The trailer & plane are fairly light and we unhitch it and push it in the back yard. Beats paying for a hangar and you can work on it at your leisure. When we are away we toss the plane out at the airstrip and camp in it. There are removable brackets that hold the wings in place on each side and the wheels have a removable ramp and tracks and are then clamped into place for travel. This plane is light enough to be moved by one person, but the wings are a bit awkward for one. There are planes that have fold out wings which one person can easily set up. Having it in a trailer means you pay trailer registration (about $127 in Qld), a little more fuel to get to the airstrip and that's it.

The downside is that you can't get your plane from the land side to the air side at secure airports (any airport that gets regular airline flights) so you are restricted to country or secondary airstrips unless you can get permission from security.

Sue

We're looking for land for an airstrip near Maryborough Qld so we can live near our planes but we, too, are coming to the conclusion that FCRC is NOT the Coucil to deal with. The reason we are looking for our own airstrip is because of the bad experiences we have had with Councils to date. The better half does not want to be beholden to any mob of bureaucrats.

Maryborough is a better placed airport than Hervey Bay, but FCRC seems hell bent on driving industry and business away from it. Yengarie sounds like a good idea.

Sue