Skyhog

That's really terrible news.Tony has been "the authority" on Thrusters for all of my flying career.I purchased my Thruster in 2005 through Tony and TOSG which involved re-assembling it from a trailer and some repairs along the way.It was February,Watts Bridge was VERY hot and humid.It was difficult for me but Tony was really copping it.He said sorry a couple of times for having to take a breather but I certainly didn't mind having a break.At the end he still insisted on giving me some basic lessons free of charge so I wouldn't wreck my new toy.It is a great privelage to know the man and have gained a small part of his knowledge.Tony...having been with you the day we put that yellow thruster together and seeing how much will power you posess,I can't see this bit of a bump in the road stopping you.Go hard mate and all the best,Gary Hodges.

Terry,just spend a bit extra and fit a Rotax engine.If you go for a cheap alternative you may well end up with "a lightwing with no engine" at 100' agl after takeoff. The only problem I've personally had was the flywheel bolts shearing on startup (I was lucky,one bloke I know had it happen at altitude).It was a saw blade spinning at 2800rpm and made a mess.There have been other problems with our 2 club Jabirus including cylinder through bolt failure,dropped valve,broken conrod,excessive oil use caused by overheating/excessive wear from factory economy kit.Our club sold its last Jab just over 2 years ago and bought a Foxbat.The Foxbat has done over 700 hours in our ownership with a 100hp Rotax 912S and has never had a spanner on it apart from scheduled maintenance.The actual time on the engine is 1080 hours and it runs like new.TBO of 1500 hours looks very acheivable.I have NOT seen a Jabiru engine reach TBO without major maintenance.

Good point Nev.The way you have put it IS what happens.Unfortunately I can't talk back as this is the point of the landing where I am still holding my breath!

I think you've nailed it Pud.I wouldn't have described it ANY differently.Funny thing about the taxiing speed bit is...most times you take a new passenger up they want to start a conversation as soon as the wheels touch the ground,THE most important part of the flight!

8 years next month.

Make a phone call Watto! If I need oil,spray chemicals,fuel,spare parts,or anything else,it's pretty easy to ring up & get a price and correct details before pickup.It costs next to nothing to enquire.If you deal with any sort of reasonable machinery dealer they will have a good spares bloke.You should use the oil in the Jab...Same technology:wasnt me:

Try Bill Moyes the hang glider bloke (or his factory anyway).I don't know the contact details but google will.They have Dragonfly aircraft for aerotowing hang gliders which have been painted with a UV resistant paint.These planes spend very many hours in the sun at the very hottest time of year and still look brand new.Hope this helps.

Merv you're right to say that mate, it's not illegal to turn downwind before 1000'.Maybe it's more of an airmanship/safety issue. I wouldn't like to be in a circuit with several other aircraft whilst I was still climbing on downwind and someone could also be on downwind already at 1000'. I'm not having a go at you but it could happen. Sometimes people don't talk or say the wrong thing on the radio. Several times into Bankstown we have reported at Prospect (NE corner) only to have another aircraft make the same call immediately after. When they become visual (if not already) they are nowhere near the reporting point. They are just trying to cut the corner and push in I guess. Cheers.

Depends what you're flying.A C150 turning onto crosswind at 500' agl on a summers day,2 up,will take quite a while to reach 1000' agl.It will take a lot longer if you took off with a crosswind that became a tailwind when you turned onto the crosswind leg.You may easily find yourself 3 or more NM from the airfield with a stiff headwind to get back to it (you may not glide that far if the engine stops).So in this case you can't really fly any tighter circuit (legally anyway).

I've been within about 300m of another aircraft twice since easter.Once at 500' agl during a joyflight showing relo's the farm and the other whilst on climb through 3000' amsl after a heading change in a nav comp with my club.The first was coming almost head on and the second came from left to right and was also on climb from a different airfield than me.Each time my radio and transponder were in use but guess what...no warning!(der)The only way to fly safely IS to look through the perspex.The only reason I saw these aircraft is because I do keep a good lookout but if I'd been looking at a map or GPS(as we all have to from time to time),I may have missed seeing them completely.So do keep a good lookout reguardless of what gadgets you may have on board. PS.No the thruster doesn't have a transponder,I was in a GA aircraft.

I got clocked by radar at an airshow at Maitland 10 or 12 years ago.My speed at ground level was 76km/h.Another guy who was heavier than myself(therefore having a higher wing loading)was doing 87km/h.We were on 120sq ft canopies at the time and had used extreme turns at about 400' to gain the speed from the very rapid descent.This guy pretty well comes straight in but would have to be doing close to 100km/h by the look of it.

Mate,if you'd seen "Doogle" after it had groundlooped,you'd swear it was a total wreck.It is a huge credit to NP to bring it back to life.

Yeah,it's only an Archer mate.If I was in the 182,no worries but,180hp/fixed pitch prop 4 onboard,probably not.A 185 would have no worries....you don't know where I could buy a cheap one do you? Is your club at Scone?If it is,the presidents aircraft would be VH-DGL(does ground loop).That plane was owned by the Newcastle Sport Parachute Club since almost forever and I would have jumped out of it close to a thousand times before some young pilot with glowing references ground looped it witin 100m on his first takeoff.

Well done Sherlock....Seriously though,when we are driving past next time I'll let you know and see if we can catch up.I will be passing by on my way to YPMQ for the June long weekend but your strip may not be long enough for the Archer.Cheers,Gary.

Hey Maj,it may make the trip a bit shorter if you went to Daly Waters before Camooweal:laugh:.Cheers mate.

Mine came from my surname,Hodges.In the RAAF some people called me Hodgey but one bloke always called me Hoggy,then it was shortened to Hog when I started skydiving because they said I was a jumphog(on every load).Anyway,I thought if I was ever rich enough to get those expensive personalised number plates for my car it would have to be SKYHOG.

I've jumped a 97sq ft parachute and believe me when I say it was quick.I've heard of some people in Aus jumping a 69sq ft model but this bloke (I think he's a Froggy) leaves all those for dead.You don't get a second chance on a 37 sq ft parachute!

Hey Frank maybe you need a hang glider.The Flatlands championships have been held at Forbes for the last few years each January.They are aerotowed by about 8 Moyes/Bailey Dragonflies (half looks like a Drifter without a pod from a distance).These thermally conditions at that time of the year are the absolute worst possible conditions to fly an ultralight but perfect for the hang gliders.The tug pilots have more guts than me to fly in 40 degrees and thermals.Paragliders have that very wide wing which would have to be extremely vulnerable in turbulance.Cheers.

Hi Frank.Parachutes can and have collapsed in turbulance.It depends a lot on how it collapses as to how much height will be lost.If one side collapses and the other side is still flying it may turn quickly enough to create line twists as seen in the video.This is rare and normally the parachute would just get buffeted around and stay almost completely inflated.I always maintained that in turbulent conditions that "airspeed is your friend".The canopy is only kept rigid by the air pressure against the leading edge that inflates the cells so the faster you are going the more rigid the "wing" is.

Hi there.If you go to the TOSG site and look under Thruster history,then Thruster types you will find a photo of a factory built example.As far as I'm aware,you can't just "do it yourself".The main difference is how short the boom is in front of the cockpit.Cheers.

I've had that same malfunction 3 times.Once my parachute had been packed by somebody that had borrowed it on the previous jump and twice by a packer that I'd paid to pack it(you get your money back if it doesn't work).My malfunctions happened from 2000' so you get time to spin around 4 or 5 times then you get off it and get stable then deploy your reserve.All that stuff he talks about slowing yourself down inside doesn't normally happen as you will find yourself under the reserve parachute at about 700' to 800' giving under a minute before touchdown.If you were at 800' and didn't open the reserve you would have 4 seconds to live.

Echuca has a great airfield and aero club but it only has one runway and the field isn't that large from memory.If you want rag and tube types to attend you need to offer more than one runway.It is also outside of walking distance from town. Edit.It does have a second runway.Didn't remember that one.Sorry.

G'day Tony.I haven't paid for 2009 yet.Has it gone up to $35 now?I'll send a cheque when I find out.Thanks.

Look in the RAAus mag,get the number for Lachlan Valley Flight Centre in Forbes.Give the CFI a call.He does RAAus and GA.The club has a C152 and Piper Archer on line for what you're after and C182 and Foxbat also.Prices are very competitive,several Sydney people have been training here.You don't have to do GFPT to convert as has been stated in several posts on this forum.There are 2 GA instructors so you could pretty much go full time if you want.Less than 2 hour drive from Temora.No traffic,no landing fees.

Almost anywhere (EVERYWHERE) would have cheaper avgas than Narromine at Easter!!We are taken for a ride each year!