flyingfooty28

Test flight was carried out but there was still some yaw moment to the right present on takeoff. May plan now is to re-inspect the top section of the mast for movement as I found previously. I suspect due to wear in the bolt holes which secure the top section as soon as there is a huge load applied like taking off the top section of the mast is slipping due to this wear. Therefore most likely a mast replacement. Will keep plugging away! Jon

Wow - this has been a very interesting discussion. I'll be honest and say that my original plan when say flying in a particular location with only rugged 'tiger' country and rivers/lakes/water etc would have been to ditch in the water close by the bank. With the points suggested so far I don't think I would be keen to put the aircraft in the drink especially with a passenger on board. I agree with David with regard to jumping from the aircraft again especially with a passenger ( I have enough trouble getting out on the ground) not a good move. So my risk management tells me, why put myself in a position like this again, lets face it, where not flying people out of a War zone and I haven't had to Medi Vac any passengers lately so why risk it - I think I'll take that 20 min detour for a safer ride. If I ever had to cross a large body of water it maybe seriously worth taking a heeds bottle- could make the difference. Regards Jon

Hello all, Just a quick update. Carried out inspections as indicated by various posts and called Airborne for advice on original fault. I didn't find any standout issues but did however find some minor play in right rotation (around 1/2 to 1 Millimeter) on the top black section of the mast. This right rotation made sense as the original issue was a twist moment to the right. I called Airborne and they suggested to back off the forward and aft bolt (front mast support) and the back up strap bolt to put the top mast section in place and re-tighten. After torquing these bolts up the top part of the mast had nil movement. I will be carrying out a test flight tomorrow morning to check full range/freedom and to hopefully have my original fault sorted. I have included photos for those interested. Thanks to all and will let you know how the flight tomorrow goes. Regards Footy

Thank you to all for your honest input, in particular David. Eastmeg my initial thoughts were similar to yours and I have done some informal checks some time ago by gently twisting the wing similar to what you suggested and think I did have some movement in the upper part of the mast. I will investigate more and appreciate the advice. For the record I did contact Airborne and my original CFI some time ago about this issue but got no reply from one and Airborne were very vague on the information back with regard to yaw movement with the wing. This may have been an off day for the team at Airborne as they have done great work for me in the past but left a huge hole in my wallet:big_grin:. Anyway my plan of attack is this: 1. Inspection of wing battons. With regard to the wing batton profiles is there a template I should have? 2. Inspection of upper hang bolt/ mast section for elongation of bolt holes in the top of the mast. (will contact Airborne to clarify movement tolerance) 3. Worst case scenario take the trike to Redhead for further inspection and possible replacement of mast. Oh and by the way the aircraft is grounded. Cheers guys

Hoping to get some advice on an issue I have noticed with my 2003 270hrs Airborne Classic with Streak 2 wing. I bought this aircraft at 190hrs and for the first 50 hrs found the wing and aircraft to fly very true and straight. After some particularly advanced and turbulent flying conducted in Townsville I started to notice a minor yaw/twist motion with the control bar -i.e my right hand position felt and looked like it was closer to my chest then the left and did not look perpendicular to the front mast brace and pod. This was more exaggerated on full power on takeoff. What I have also noticed is the aircraft wing has a very slight/mild right turn now and the right wire wire running from the control bar to the keel seems looser then the right. Inspection of the airframe does not indicate any major bends or twists but I have not done any in depth measurements or testing as I don't have the knowledge or procedure to do. I am really hoping some one may have already experienced this issue and maybe able to send me in the right direction. The aircraft remains safe for flight but i would really like to know what has happened and a way ahead. Regards Footy

Hi there, I will be in the same boat in July. I have a microlight and would be very interested in Hangerage and confirmation that I will be able to fly in the Towsville area. Any information would be much appreciated. Cheers Jon K.

Ken and his wife Edna went to the state fair every year, And every year Ken would say, 'Edna, I'd like to ride in that helicopter' Edna always replied, 'I know Ken, but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, And fifty bucks is fifty bucks' One year Ken and Edna went to the fair, and Ken said, 'Edna, I'm 75 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance' To this, Edna replied, "Ken that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks' The pilot overheard the couple and said, 'Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word I won't charge you a penny! But if you say one word it's fifty dollars.' Ken and Edna agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, But still not a word... When they landed, the pilot turned to Ken and said, 'By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!' Ken replied, 'Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Edna fell out, But you know, "Fifty bucks is fifty bucks!'

Question and some pics Hi all, Thought I might show some of my photos to give others ideas on converting a box trailer to fit a trike. Looked at various options with regard to buying new or possibly converting a different type of model but went ahead with cutting the back end off my old and reliable trailer. I still have a few jobs to do to finish it off i.e anchor points, prime/paint, stowage rack for ramps under floor and fit hand winch to front of trailer. I have tried to re-use as much of the cut off materials as possible and found it a great way to become quite comfortable with the welder and grinder - without annoying the neighbors too much. Some questions I have though are when pulling the trike up the ramps where is the best attachment point on the trike. I tried using two clips, one on the left and right axle and found the steering to move more then what i would have liked. Additionally when tying down the trike on the trailer again where is the best attachment points on the trike. Anyway any help would be much appreciated. Regards Jon K.

Yeah thanks for your help - I will give them a call to see what is my best option, with the position I am in at the moment. It isn't a good time of the year to be trying to sort 'my' life out! Anyway thanks again - I enjoyed the photos of the Maitland area.

Hi there, I started some microlight training back in about 1998 and only got around 10hrs under my belt when my work had me going away too much so i cut it away. When I met my wife some years later I explained to her the importance of me being able to one day get back into this hobby which is one of my life long dreams. Well still with a wife, three young kids and living in Sydney here I am looking at re-starting the journey I began many years ago. I have purchased a 1995 Edge Ex 582, it has 250 AFHRS but no wing. At the moment I am finishing off a modified box trailer so I can transport the aircraft to a club/person/mentor so they can have a good look over the aircraft, possibly inspect it/ re-register and get me trained up. I was looking at going to a school up near Port Macquare (near Kew) as i believe this school would allow me to stay up there and consolidate my training in week training (staying near by) rather than weekend which can somtimes be not so effective. But I have had no joy in getting in contact (maybe closed down?). My other option is Albion Park as this is where i did my original training and i will be moving back to the South coast in 2011. At this stage I am very excited but at the same time quite concerned about, have i done the right thing with buying this aircraft. Anyway thats my situation, if you have any suggestions or ideas please let me know. Cheers Jon K.

Hi all, great to be apart of what looks like a great site with many people who share my passion. I have just purchased a second hand trike and am looking forward to beginning a great hobby. I look forward to further chats. Regards Jon K.:thumb_up: