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kgwilson

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Everything posted by kgwilson

  1. kgwilson
    Why was it even done the first time? Big risk there.
  2. kgwilson
    I have a Facet 4-6 PSI pump to transfer fuel from the 2 wing tanks to the main fuselage tank via a Left/Right/Off fuel selector. The aircraft is low wing so fuel must be pumped uphill via the selector on the lower part of the panel. Each wing tank holds 35 litres and the delivery line is connected to the bottom of the fuselage tank. When I did the test it took 56 minutes to transfer 35 litres into the main tanks that was already half full with 50 litres in it through 1/4 inch fuel line. That works out to 37.5 litres per hour. At the time I thought that was ridiculously slow but in reality when flying I run the pump for 10 minutes on each tank to put about 15 litres into the main tank and in that time the engine consumes about 7.5 litres in normal cruise so I am adding 7.5 litres in 20 minutes or about 23 litres an hour. I watch the fuel guage going up as I fly. Facet cube pumps get quite clattery when they begin to pump air and I can hear that over the noise of the engine so I know when the tank is empty. At full power delivery would barely keep up with fuel consumption but that is not a concern and is what fuel management is all about. Facet have models from 1 - 15 PSI and deliver 26 - 150 litres per hour depending on the model. I have never had a problem with either of my facet pumps.
  3. kgwilson
    The serial No indicates it is a Gen 1 or 2 engine. Based on the contact comment, I assume the piston was the early flat head piston without the valve relief indents so if the valve became stuck and was pushed back by the piston, that may have been enough to drop an already weakened valve seat.
  4. kgwilson
    Fire sleeve includes insulation so both are not required. Stainless safety tie wire is a good as anything and cheap. Easy to get off with side cutters & replace with new.
  5. kgwilson
    I can't see many people retrofitting BRS systems due to the ridiculous cost, difficulty in installation in an airframe not designed for them and the low risk factor of it ever having to be used. I built my aircraft and I know how strong it is so the likelihood of having a structural failure especially with ensuring all preventative maintenance and servicing is done by the book is very low. This would be the only reason to deploy a BRS as far as I am concerned. Even over Tiger country I'd far rather take my chances with a forced landing wherever it may be. I have landed in a tree before but then I was flying a Hang Glider.
  6. kgwilson
    Unless I had a structural failure I'd always take my chances with a forced landing.
  7. kgwilson
    Personally I think that the SE2 is a better buy even at twice the price of the Ping USB as there is no mucking around with cables as you may have your tablet connected or need dual USB power outlets etc & ADSB Out is there if your Mode S ADSB Out fails for any reason & if you have another aircraft without ADSB Out you can use it in that. Enroute software filters out all the RPT more than 5000 feet above and everything more than 20NM horizontally so as to reduce clutter on the screen which I think is a good idea. I don't care about other traffic if it has no potential threat.
  8. kgwilson
    It was hot at South Grafton on Friday (36 deg at 3pm). It was about 28 deg when I took off at 9am. Max height I got to was 5000 feet at around 10.15 & I noted the OAT was 29.5 deg. I had a SE tailwind at the time of around 20 knots as my ground speed was 136 knots. Oil & CHT temps were a bit higher than normal but still well within acceptable range.
  9. kgwilson
    The reality is that ADSB in will only be fully effective when every other aircraft is broadcasting ADSB out. It would be interesting to know what the uptake has been since rebate scheme has been in place & how much of the $5 million allocated is left. There have been quite a few forumites who have got them now. On our airfield there have been about 10 new SE2s purchased since the scheme began. One GA pilot who spent 5-6k getting his Modes S transponder upgraded to ADSB out has now got a SE2 for ADSB in. ADSB out is disabled in the SE2 and at $550.00 it was way cheaper than getting an installation integrated with his mode S transponder.
  10. kgwilson
    I was only about 12 NM from Coffs Tower when I got confirmation of visibility the second time & I could clearly see the airport. I did see an inbound aircraft about 20 NM away but that is the limit of the software I use as it filters out anything further away than 20 NM or more than 5000 feet above my altitude. Of course receiving ADSB will depend on the power of the broadcast. If it was from a mode S equipped transponder I would assume power output would be much greater than 20 Watts.
  11. kgwilson
    The SE2 ADSB transmits at 1090 Mhz. This is the same as all ADSB broadcasts from every aircraft. Airservices has had the capability of receiving and displaying this information for years. It transmits a squawk code of 1200 which is in a different downlink code to that coming from a transponder which ATC recognises as coming from an EC device and it cannot be interrogated. ATC had the ability to filter these out which probably was the case but the software has now been modified so EC devices are displayed on the screen differently. It would have been pretty stupid to filter EC broadcasts out as you can imagine what the investigators would put in their report if there was a fatal accident because they had filtered out the broadcast from a mid air collision where one aircraft had a transponder & the other had an EC device. The transmit power from the SE2 is 20 watts which is line of sight so they should see you at least 20NM away if you are high enough and where you position the unit is not shielded by any part of the aircraft. I am pretty sure ATC everywhere can see EC broadcasts. It must display the callsign as when ATC saw me he called me "Romeo 8664" to confirm visibility and should also display GPS location & altitude. I'll ask the Controller I know what detail they see next time I see him.
  12. kgwilson
    No mention of any radio calls made from either aircraft.
  13. kgwilson
    Yesterday was hot and I decided to go for an early morning flight. For me that means about 9am before I get going. I decided to head South from South Grafton around the back of Coffs close to CTR & check my visibility with the SE2 with the Tower. I set Coramba as a Waypoint which is 8 NM from the Tower & called 2 NM North at 2,500 feet. I was invisible on radar & ADSB as there are hills between me at that height & the tower. Once South of Coramba I could see the Airport & ATC called & said he had me on his display. I was within 500 metres of the zone boundary & climbed to 3500 feet to get over the ridge to my next waypoint of Bellingen. I called at 11NM from Bellingen & gave a position report. I got affirm & G'day. It's good to know you can be seen & identified. SE2 squawks 1200 but can't be interrogated. It also broadcasts your Rego so they don't need to interrogate you anyway by providing a code & then requesting an Ident which they then have to key into the system. So from a workload perspective ADSB reduces that load from ATC. Once it is in universal use they won't need to provide squawk codes or request idents at all but I suspect that is a fair way off yet. It was pretty hot by the time i got home. My maximum altitude was 5000 feet at about 10.15 am & the OAT was 29.5 deg.
  14. kgwilson
    It took about 6 weeks at the beginning of the scheme so they have got the process sorted just before it ends. That probably means there are not many applications coming at present. The announcement of the finish date may see a flurry of new applications.
  15. kgwilson
    Well, No. It has been proven in many studies that the addition of fluoride to the drinking water is beneficial to dental health. Dental carries has been on the decline since the 1960s. It has increased temporarily in different decades. It increased in the early 2000s but decreased again after 2010 to the level it was before 2000.
  16. kgwilson
    There is nothing like a GOOG story.
  17. kgwilson
    Conspiracy theorists grew like topsy during the pandemic and most were adamant supporters of the biggest one of all, Trump. We have one on the airfield and he is an instructor. Even when confronted with verifiable facts these individuals are completely unmoved. Something in their brain has switched and a dogmatic unmovable attitude has set in. It is pretty sad really and often they alienate themselves from others they have known for a long time.
  18. kgwilson
    Expulsion is the most severe punishment for any individual from an Association. In NSW incorporated associations must have the full process specified in their constitution. Most state the committee must act on any complaint about a member and may expel the member for a number of specified reasons. But the person expelled must be given the right to appeal the decision (within a defined period) which must be held at a General meeting of all members. The decision is only upheld if a simple majority of members present vote in favour by secret ballot. Of course if the person expelled does not appeal the decision, no meeting is required & the expulsion is final. If the expulsion was for something like misappropriation of funds and there is no dispute, it is unlikely the person expelled will publish his side of events.
  19. kgwilson
    The last Datsuns were produced in 1986 when the name was dropped in favour of the brand owner, Nissan so anything available for a Datsun will be after market with unknown quality.
  20. kgwilson
    10 years later and what has happened? Nothing. CASA directors come and go and the ingrained toxic culture remains to continue to serve its own ends and fail the pilots of Australia from the very top down. Politicians of all persuasions have gone in to bat for sectors within the Aviation community and numerous enquiries have achieved nothing. CASA's motto of "wer'e not happy till you're not happy" is as strong today as it always has been. The only way to sort it out in my opinion would be to sack the lot and start afresh with the only condition being if you were previously employed by CASA that would disqualify you from applying for any role in the new organisation. Utopia though only exists as a TV series.
  21. kgwilson
    I don't think much thought was given to it at all. As far as discounts go it is the most pathetic I've seen. When it was first proposed inflation was very low but fees kept on increasing at a greater rate. In 2009 full membership was $160.00. Last year that had increased to $275.00. It was $250.00 from 2019 - 2021 so there was no hedging against inflation if you paid 3 years in advance. Now with inflation at around 8% a 3 year up front payment may net you 6-9% plus the 1.75% discount. It's a gamble though with odds probably about as good as pokies.
  22. kgwilson
    Away with the fairies then.
  23. kgwilson
    Yep guaranteed to be a Trump disciple as well.
  24. kgwilson
    Lilienthal is known as "The father of Modern Hang Gliding" . There were many other pioneers in the 19th century, Percy Pilcher is one I remember but Lilienthals design and detailed documentation of his 1500 odd flights was second to none. Why they did not get a hang glider expert pilot to provide some initial instruction I don't know. Some of the semi rigid hang gliders when I was flying them in the mid/late 70s had parallel bars and moving fore/aft provided pitch control plus weight shift to the side with legs for roll. Of course the Rogallo design (originally developed as a re-entry wing for space craft that didn't succeed) evolved into the modern hang gliders of today as well as Trikes with the pilot (or fuselage) in a harness attached to the CofG.
  25. kgwilson
    I think the answer is "It depends". If you have a private ALA it is unregulated so there is no defined pattern unless you define it. The company should have defined approach and departure procedures for its pads. These are not controlled by anyone other than the owner and the airspace is uncontrolled.
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