IanR

I just looked on the CASA register - there are only 4 7AC registered VH in Australia so not many to choose from !

My current modern bike is a 650 ABS Vstrom as well - I echo your comments - best allrounder I have ever had.

I go to the forums now - used to go to the home page but with the new site it says I am not logged on - when I go direct to forums all is fine !

Same here - works great

Yes - just looked up the register - 4 195s and no 190s !!

You certainly will not see many 195s in Australia - even at the AAAA flyin ! I saw this one at Moruya - its a beautiful example. I think the C195 is one of the nicest looking aircraft ever (big statement) !

The DAME will have the forms

Lightest C172 I have flown is about 690kg empty with a MTOW of 1089 - it was an early P model. The smallest standard tanks are about 150 litres. Not sure of the weights on earlier ones. So with full fuel and 100kg baggage you would have about 180kgs or so for people - two small adults and two very small kids I guess !! The newer ones weigh in at about 760-780kgs empty and depending on model are somewhere just over 1100kgs MTOW with 212 litres fuel from memory.

Do you still have it now ? If not I bet you wish you did - they go for silly money !

I don't think Greenham Common is an airfield at all now ! It was, of course, famous for the anti-nuclear protests in the early 80s.

I guess my interest started when I was little living near Greenham Common airforce base where B52s were operated. Followed by a diet of reading Biggles books ! Didn't actually get round to learning to fly till I was in my late twenties though.

The fuel consumption may be an issue !!

I agree completely Nev. In fact the NVFR was called Class (4?) Instrument Rating at one stage ! I have certainly been in situations where while legally VFR at night, there was absolutely no reference outside so had to rely solely on instruments ! (and yes I was instrument rated)

Not sure if this has been mentioned here before - but I came across an interesting web site that lists ICAO 4 letter type designators - many RA types are included Doc8643 - ICAO Aircraft Type Designators

Further to Mike's post, the aircraft that I have always thought displays the silliness of the current weight limits is the Jabiru 230. A kit built one RA registered is 544KG, a factory built LSA one is 600KG and a kit built VH registered is 700KG according to the Jabiru website. The logical assumption on this is that all are capable of the 700KG but are limited by legislation - so people may ignore the rules !

Yes - very rare - I had heard of them but knew nothing about them. After talking with people down there when I saw it I looked up on the net and found this potted history on Wikpedia - I guess AGC must be one of the two with the Gipsy 3 : In March 1929 when Flight Lieutenant Nicholas Comper left the Royal Air Force he formed the Comper Aircraft Company to build an aircraft he had designed, the Comper Swift. The Prototype (registered G-AARX) first flew at Brooklands on 17 May 1930. The aircraft was a small but graceful single-seat, braced high-wing monoplane of wooden construction. The prototype was powered by a 40 hp (30 kW) A.B.C Scorpion piston engine. After successful tests seven more aircraft were built in 1930 powered by a 50 hp Salmson A.D.9 radial engine. Trials with Pobjoy P radial engine for use in air racing resulted in all the following aircraft being powered by the Pobjoy R. The last three aircraft (sometimes called the Gipsy Swift) were fitted with de Havilland Gipsy engines - two with 120 hp (89 kW) Gipsy Major III and one with a 130hp (97 kW) Gipsy Major. Postwar, surviving Swifts continued to compete successfully in UK air races into the mid 1950's.

Another area to look at is if the fuel caps were properly in place - I think it has them in the wing ? I friend of mine was killed years ago when a fuel cap wasn't fitted properly and it sucked all the fuel out of the tank !

Yes - saw it when it did its second flight - I wonder how you actually see when flying !! Sounded great and looked great.

I am 6'3" and about 105kgs - with a 68KG instructor we had heaps of room for fuel. You would just need to take a bit less ! There was no issue for me in any dimension. A previous student they had was apparently 125 kg - and they managed to get it within weights

I finally got round to having a flight in an RA registered aircraft - a Jabiru 160 - just half an hour of circuits but enough time to get a feel for it. Now I have done it I may as well finish off the RA certificate so I can fly both ! First impressions were : Heaps more room once you sit in it than it looks from the outside (instructor Motzartmerv said he calls them the Tardis !) No mixture control Digital instrumentation took a bit of getting used to - must admit I used the analogue airspeed the whole time - I am sure it would be second nature after a while though Much more solid feel than I had expected Awkward control placement - you need at least two right hands (stick, trim, brakes, flaps, etc) All in all a good fun half hour.

I saw it the other day - looks nice - is it RA or VH ?

Very good !! Unfortunately you would not hear that with my wifes bonnie as she has the standard mufflers on it !

Probably will soon. I like the look of that 230 !

There are plenty of aircraft round I can use - just not at schools nearby ! I could use a J160 dual as well with reduced fuel. At The Oaks they don't have anything like those though.

I am interested in this discussion from the opposite perspective. Our local RAA school is also GA. They have a nice J230 but its VH registered. Would be perfect for me as I am quite heavy ! I asked if I could do my RAA certificate in it and the answer was yes.