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Orf

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Everything posted by Orf

  1. There is nothing like the trip you made to lighten ones heart. Well done. Two things that come to mind that can improve such ventures. Fly in the morning and enjoy your stopping point in the afternoon. Less thermals and less fatigue. Flying 9 hours in one day is not a good idea. Fatigue is one of those things that get forgotten until an emergency happens and then you realise your thinking is not as sharp as it should be. Too late, you have now used up two points (emergency, fatigue) and if anything else goes wrong, such as weather, it is usually fatal.
  2. Tied downs need special attention to get the best results. If possible have the wing tie down ropes at about 45 degree angle so that the aircrft is not pulling the anchor out of the ground, it is pulling partially sideways. Also have it about 45 degrees to the wing cord so that they are anchored against side winds. By having a 45 degree angle tension on the ground point it is less likely to be pulled out of the ground. There are specifications for concrete tie downs so that they will stay put. Have the tail tie down in line with the fuselage about 1-2 meters behind the aircraft. That will allow the tail to lift off the ground without putting too much strain on the tie down point. I use straps for tie down because they are easily adjusted and they have some give in them (see my previous comment). There should be no tension on the tie downs nor should there be any slack. Slack will allow the aircraft to lift and suddenly come to a halt when the strap goes into tension. That increases the load on the ground anchor point. Also, chocks will not help in a high wind. The aircraft will lift and move and could possible jump the chock.
  3. Suggest you get a loop sewn into the ends of those straps and put the ground end through that loop before anchoring to the ground. That way if there is any slipage it will not let go.
  4. I certainly remember my prayer wheel because I still have it. It is growing old but is in good condition. It came into my possession in 1954 and was used extensively over the next twelve years to navigate all round Australia and overseas as well. Luckily, it was not used again because I had a break from flying. When I took it up again in 2012 the iPad was all the rage and in particular, AvPlan. I was not sorry to leave that darling contraption at home buried safely in the bottom of a drawer where it could stay warm and cozy. Now I create flight plans to anywhere in Australia in a few minutes without the need for said prayer wheel.
  5. If someone really wants to save money while learning to fly, try this: 1. Study aviation theory for two or three months before looking at an aircraft. 2. Ask aviators at your local airfield to explain any parts of the theory you do not understand. 3. Leave home and go to a place that has good weather at that time of the year. With no day to day family affairs to worry about, reduces tension and increases learning. 4. Take up lodgings for as long as it takes. 5. Be available to fly twice a day. 6. Study the theory in between flight and at night. 7. Be prepared for some hard work. 8. Return home a qualified pilot.
  6. It seems that some pilots do not understand how to read glass cockpit indications. I have two Dynon Skyview displays and set them up with one showing flight instruments and navigation data and the other engine instruments. Let's deal with the engine one first. Each gauge has colour (green, amber, red) A quick glance can tell you if all gauges are in the green. No need to read that actual numbers, they are in the acceptable limit. RPM and Manifold pressure are of interest numberwise when changing the throttle position. Therefore these dials can be made larger that the rest and grouped together at the top left corner of the display - the first think that the eye usually looks at. There are two ways to adjust the throttle setting, watch the numbers change or move the throttle and wait and see what the resulting RPM is. The first method means eyes in the cockpit, the second means eyes can be out of the cockpit. Therefore always use the second method. The same applies to flying the aircraft. I want to make a 30 degree banked turn. Apply aileron until you think the aircraft has 30 degrees, now take a quick glance in the cockpit and adjust if necessary. Eyes are out side the cockpit most of the time. The flight instruments initially take a while to get use to and need reading the numbers. Once set, let's say in the cruise all you should be looking for is changes in speed not the actual speed itself. Any change would be because the nose has been lifted or dropped and throttle movement is not necessary. The altitude gauge should show a rate of climb or descent and take note of this rather tha the exact height. Likewise, the heading you have set may change if your wings are not level. Most glass instruments have bugs that can be set, and usually will be set at the top of the compass rose. If the bug moves, move it back again. Once again you can watch it change as you manoeuvre or you can guess the amount of change and the correct the result if not spot on. From what is stated above there is a way to fly with your eye outside the cockpit and looking at changes to glass instruments rather than harping on the actual numbers. Give it a try and happy flying.
  7. I once tried to break the speed record from Melbourne to Sydney. One had to fly over Essendon at 1000ft and over arrive Mascot at 1000ft. I was flying a Avon Sabre and climbed into a jet stream above 40,000ft. I managed to do it in 45 minutes 35 seconds, just 21 seconds outside the record. As far as flying slow, I was once flying over the great lake in Tasmania and my track to Devonport was 338 degrees. My heading to make that track was 270, yes 68 degrees of drift. My IAS was 130 kt and the wind speed was up round 80 +kt.
  8. There is a self-sealing bag available at some aircraft parts shops that can be used for men who need to go. They are also good for passengers that can't hold their breakfast. These bags are flat and stow easily before use. Once used they can be dropped on the floor, they don't leak. I highly recommend them and have used them for many years.
  9. I guess I am lucky because I don't need an iPad in the cockpit for navigation. I use AvPlan and transfer the flight plan to my Dynon SkyView display via Wi-Fi before I take off. Everything I need is now in my instrument set and available to the autopilot etc. In the event of a failure, I still have the iPad with me.
  10. If an F35 wants to target you he will fly at 20,000ft and let a missile do all the hard work.
  11. If the order comes out - no more flying - run the engine once a month and even go for a taxi. Use your imagination and pretend you are flying.
  12. I once was refueled from a 44 gallon drum where the refueler put the pump right to the bottom of the drum. The result was over a litre of water being pumped into my tank. On doing a fuel check straight after the refuel, it became obvious that I had water in the tank. I drained out about 20 L of fuel/water and demanded a top-up at no expense.
  13. There is a golden rule for bad weather landings. "Try once and if you know how to fix a miss approach try again. If unsuccessful try the alternate."
  14. My check list says to select the tank with the most fuel for take-off. A rule you break at your own risk.
  15. I consider flying with only one navigation source, foolhardy. Failure is always a possibility and it has happened to me twice due to over heating. When I ordered my aircraft I intended to fly it from both the left and right seats. Consequently, I installed two Dynon Skyview displays, one each side. The intended use of my aircraft, a Pipistrel Virus SW, was to travel all over Australia, which I have done. I use AvPlan on an iPad, most plans take less that one minute to complete. The iPad is capable of transferring the plan to the two Skyview displays via Wi-Fi, thus giving me three copies of my flight plan.
  16. Apparently the pilot had just been built the aircraft and wanted to fly it before going overseas the next day. He took it to Warwick for its maiden flight. He spent only 30 mins putting on the wings and commencing taxiing. He had trouble taxiing the aircraft and at one stage shut down the engine, got out and turned the aircraft in the direction he wished to travel, got back in and proceeded to takeoff. He was under the impression that he should reach a speed of 90 kts before lifting off. The videao shows the aircraft going down the runway with the right wing wanting to lift off before the left. The pilot held the aircraft on the ground and when it did lift off it banked sharply to the left. The video shows the ailerons to be in the full right stick position but they did not stop the aircraft from banking. The rudder appeared in the central position. The aircraft did a very quick 90 degree turn to port before the left wing hit the ground. The old addage of not test flying an aircraft that you have built apparently was ignored.
  17. Thanks BlackRod, I now have a lead as to which way to go Iphone wise and yes GPS skills should be taught as part of a flying licence. You are correct ozzie in saying that pilots should stay on top of map reading skills. The basics never change and map reading is one of those basics. Once a student can navigate by map reading he should be taught how to use a GPS. This also applies to any other equipment that is fitted to aircraft. What is the good of having equipment in an aircraft if the pilot does not know how to use it. Any aircraft capable of having a GPS system installed should have it installed. If and aircraft is incapable then a hand held devise should be mandatory.
  18. Although slightly off topic GPS is an important nav aid. As a backup for a failed unit is there an Iphone that has GPS that can give current position? I have heard that an Iphone is handy for getting weather and other airfield info. I have not bought one as yet but a GPS featured one would, or should I say could, be handy.
  19. I think it would be fair to say that the instructor should ensure the student has sufficient knowledge to safely undertake a flying exercise, be it a navex or ciruits and bumps.Of course we all make mistakes occasionally the important thing is don't make fatal mistakes. Even experienced pilots should continue their training and brushing up on their skills. How many readers of this post for no good reason suddenly pull off power and set in motion a practice forced landing? You should you know. Familiarity with a procedure will increase the skill necessary to carry out a forced landing for real. It will also reduce panic. If the engine does cuts out requiring a forced landing, say to yourself, I can land safely I have done it many times before. Practise makes perfect. Do not limit practicing procedures to forced landings, all aspects of flying should get a refresher every now and again. Try covering your GPS during a navex, a flapless landing, short field landings, airborne fire drill, the list goes on. It is your safety we are talking about. Quite correct and you should be able to see who will make a good pilot or be a danger to himself and others. That is one of the skills of an instructor. Most people are reluctant to admit making mistakes. Therefore the bar is probably the best classroom you can have because after a beer or two people are more willing to say what went wrong on their flight. I am just getting back into flying and after each flight I go home and think long and hard about what I did right, what I did wrong and what I could do better. Several people have asked me when am I going solo. My reply is, I don't want to go solo. I want an instructor or experienced pilot there to tell me if I go wrong, otherwisw I would never know. After I buy my own aircraft I will go solo but in the meantime learn, learn, learn. By the way, I have over 2400 hours flying single and multi engined aircraft both jet and piston.
  20. The lesson that Bluey gives us is that when in trouble ask for help.Talking to someone tends to lessen panic and now there are two or more people trying to solve the problem. In this day and age all flyers should carry a GPS of some sort. However, if used as the major nav aid back it up with map reading. Accidents are usually caused by 3 things going wrong. An example for getting lost can be GPS failure, weather and lack of proper planning - 3 things. Bluey had the advantage that he recognised that he was starting to panic. He took the first step by handing over some of the decision making to someone else who should know what they are doing. If you analyse some of the tales of people getting lost you can see that lack of planning is usually in there somewhere. I do not necessarily mean flight planning although that must be a consideration. Lack of planning also covers knowing how to operate all aircraft systems and what they do - responder, Eperb, radio etc. What a helper may ask you to do to identify yourself - turns, sqawking etc. A flying instructor is responsible for insuring a student knows procedures and aircraft systems before letting them disappear over the horizon. Too many pilots think that once they go solo that that is the end of learning. It is not. There is much more to learn. A flyer should learn something every time they get airbourne even if it is how to land at the right speed at a predestined spot on the runway. When you cease to learn think hard about giving up flying.
  21. Nice one, Bluey. Glad you made it. In my day as a fighter pilot it was the norm for pilots to keep a mental plot of where they were. so that at any time they could say with some surety their position. It was surprising how accurate mental DR can be. The only nav aid we had was a radio compass which was handy except when there were thunderstorms around. The needle always pointed to a thunder head. Military airfields had a direction finding capability which showed the bearing from the airfield of a radio transmission. Skills were honed to the extent that one could be vectored over the base at 20,000 feet, turned onto an outbound heading and a descend commenced. On reaching 14,000 a left hand rate one turn onto the runway heading would bring one out in line with that runway at about 8,000 feet. The DF controller would then give corrections if the bearing was not the same as the runway heading. A straight in approach would be made hoping to break cloud by 2000 feet. It paid to have a good DF controller and be able to accurately fly by instruments. Later in my flying career ground radar was introduced. It was known as GCA - Ground Control Radar. A good operator would talk you down the glide scope to a height of 200 feet then say, look ahead and land. On more than one occasion I said keep talking because I could not see the runway. Nothing to do with navigation but I remember one night I was doing an asymetric GCA landing in a Meteor (twin jet) and I was talked down to 200 feet and then told to overshoot because there was an aircraft lined up on the runway. Minimum height for an asymatric overshoot was 600 feet so I was committed to land. It was a matter of putting on enough power so that I could overfly the aircraft on the runway while still keeping control of the aircraft. As I passed over the aircraft I saw that it was a TAA DC3. I guess the skipper got quite a shock to see a jet overfly at about 10 feet!
  22. Thanks for the info, Nev. I have just returned from Natfly and had a great time there. I have narrowed down my short list to 3 aircraft - a CTLS, a Pioneer 300 and a Paradise P-1. There is not much between the three. The first two seemed more susceptible to air turbulance that the Paradise, however, this aircraft has the slowest cruise speed at 99 kts. I guess this is the same old story - comfort v speed. The Paradise does have plenty of luggage area being originally a four seater. The Pioneer being low wing with retractable u/c does introduce the problem of climbing in and out (I am getting on in years) but it does make refueling easier than on the high wing a/c. I note your comment on fixed prop if not above 100 kts which simplifies flying the Paradise. I will list all the features of the three a/c in a spreadsheet and make my decisionin the next few days. Of course, any comments are welcome. To that end, I will be mostly flying to places far and wide rather than circulating home base for an hour before coming down to earth once again. I intend to fit auto pilot to whichever a/c I buy, which should help in lessening the effects of air turbulance. Orf
  23. Thanks Matt, my mistake I did mean pitch. Am I correct in saying that a variable pitch will reduce fuel consumption and increase cruise speed over a fixed pitch prop? I am talking about cruising at altitude over long distances. I gather that the constant speed prop is a bit of a compromise and would not be as good as a variable pitch prop. Obviously the constant speed would not take any pilot management as would the variable. I am thinking of buying a LSA where there are options of prop to fit to a Rotax 912 100HP engine.
  24. Could anyone tell me the performance difference between fitting a fixed, constant speed or a variable speed prop?
  25. Military pilots were required to fly under enemy radar which meant getting down close to the deck. At the time of my incident I was flying Vampire aircraft. I was once told by an instructor that if I can fly under your aircraft you are too high. Many-a-time I have seen formations of up to 4 aircraft flying over water leaving jetwash on the water. I agree. I did not mean that you start on reaching altitude. Students may find their time is fully occupied while climbing and their ability to navigate as well could be limited. What I was getting at was that by the time they reach cruise altitude map reading should be fully established. Once again I agree but here we have a situation where a student does not know where he is and needs to find a place to put down. What are you teaching for this senario?What I am saying is a reciprical is better that nothing. In my last post I mentioned using the radio. If the student calls in and the info he gives is passed on to the instructor then he should be able to make calculations as to where the student will end up after a reciprical flight. This info could then be passed to the student to see if he can recognise a feature that the instructor has noted in the likely area of the student. Preferable the instructor would get airbourne and hopefully meet the student because he is likely to be disorintated and may find it hard to do things in a rational manner. At least if he can talk to him, a friendly voice can be reassuring. Questions can be asked. What terrain features can you see? Is there a river were you are and what direction does it run? etc. I do not know if direction finding equipment is still installed at manned airports. If it is, why not use it? You are right but if a student reaches a second way point his navigation skills are reasonable and the chances that he would get lost after that would not be great.Once again we are talking about trying to get the pilot back into a training area where he may recognise his position. Let's get back to the accident that caused this thread. It seems that the guy just flew on until he ran out of fuel. He was either not briefed on what to do if he got lost or he ignored the briefing. He must have been in a panic to run out of fuel because common sense dictates that is a last resort. I do not know what happened, all I am saying if all else fails fly a reciprical and try to get back too familiar grounds.
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