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I have an 80 HP 912 and it will rev to 5800 when straight and level at mid 80 knots, but on climbout just gets over 5000 but the rate of climb one up is around 1600 fpm and two up still over 1000. That is with a 3 blade GSC ground adjustable prop. I have also flown with a 2 blade prop with about 12 laminations from Richard Sweetapple and that prop was absolutely magic. It revd. to 5500 on climb, but still didn't over-rev in cruise. I can't remember what the rate of climb was, but it was better. The blade seemed to be very flexible compared to the GSC blades. I had to give it back though. I suspect that a 912S pitched for cruise would still have plenty of grunt on climb in any of the aircraft thay we currently fly, so a variable pitch is probably a bit of overkill. David

One might think that Cirrus are not all that confident in the structural integrity of their aeroplane if they think it is necessary to install a chute. I'm with Michael Palin. David

I would suggest that you all put FLARM into Google and then come back and tell me why ADSB in and out has to be so expensive for recreational flyers. David

I suspect that if you are gliding into a headwind at your best glide and the wind is such that you are making no headway, then that is the best that you will do, because if you try to increase your ground speed by going steeper, although your airspeed will increase, the vector in the horizontal plane will get shorter as the vector in the vertical plane increases. It is all to do with drag and the business of not being able to stretch your glide you know. David

It arrived today David

Sorry, that should have been Narrandera. David

Did you have to get an ASIC to fly around Nerrandera. David

As I understand it, there is not yet a legal LSA category for a start and when there is, retracts will be either GA or if under 544 kg, GA or RaAus with appropriate licence/certificate but definitely not LSA. David

Also make sure that you have the necessary experience to competently fly the aeroplane of your choice. Methinks some of the ones mentioned do not fall into that category --- yet. David

Slightly "off topic", but I saw an aircraft at Narromine last year that had literally two of everything except the engine. David

Even if the aircraft is built under 101.28, it is not mandatory to have an additional fuel pump if the fuel can flow to the carby(s) by gravity. You do have a fuel pump on the engine, so you do actually have a redundant system. David.

Sometimes you just need to get your head out of the cockpit for a while to see where you are at; I'm serious. David

Perhaps you still have too much air passing through the cooler, so that it only requires a very small flow of oil to stop the temperature from rising once the thermostat starts to operate. My 912UL only has an air hole in front of it about the size of a tennis ball in the summer and about half that during the winter. You might be expecting to much of the thermostat. David

Addendum to the above. I also find that the best rate of climb seems to be a bit higher than the POH too, 50 knots instead of 40 knots - 1600+ f/min one up and 1000+ at 500 kg AUW. David

I am like Brent, my minimum rate of sink in the '701 occurs at a higher speed than the POH says is the best glide, so I assume the glide ratio is better at the higher speed too. What the actual number is though is pretty academic as it glides like a brick anyway, about 7 to 1. The space shuttle has a glide ratio of 2.5 to 1 and they manage to land it OK David

As a preventative, buy some blue plastic tarps and suspend them horizontally above your wings, so that the ordure lands on the tarps instead of the wings. It seems to work with swallows. David

Everything seems to have been covered, but if you are in the group that feels that there is a chance of you having a disabling health problem, you should NOT be taking up a passenger, however well briefed he or she may be. David

My mate Trevor has one hangared here. It is a very roomy, well designed and built aircraft. I don't know why more flying schools are not using them. They are a much better aircraft to learn in than any other ones that I have seen. My strip is 200 metres between the fences and it lands and takes off quite easily in that distance. On a trip he cruises at 85 knots at 14 litres per hour which means that you can cruise at well into the 90's if you are in a hurry, without stressing the 912S. The cockpit is 50 inches wide across the shoulders as it has bubble doors. Visibility is excellent all round and down.

I don't have a problem in the turns, I just look out through the top of the cockpit. The steeper the turn, the better the view. I'm not sure what the limiting crosswind is, something above 20 knots, provided it is coming from the left, otherwise, land across the strip. David Zenair CH701

However, in deference to the generally slower speeds at which they can be flown, the horizontal distance from which these heights are measured does not need to be the same 600 metres as for general aviation aircraft, and has been set at 300 metres for Part 103. This also provides a safe margin for a pilot to be able to glide clear of occupied areas in the event of engine failure. That bit strikes me as being a bit incongruous as the real ultralights are generally a bit draggy with poorer glide ratios so that in actual fact they need a greater distance to glide clear. David

That looks a bit like a certain Jabiru that finished up on the deck at Griffith a couple of years ago. It broke off at around the windscreen and left the occupants sitting in the seats. It has since been repaired. David

No contest. David

It's gotta be strong White King. David

If you have too much cooling, a thermostat should be arranged so that the oil bypasses the cooler. I usually put a piece of tape across the hole in front of the oil cooler during the winter to restrict the air flow and get the temperature up to 100 C. As you say it is cheaper. After a while you get a feel for the amount of tape you need. David

At the present time Ultralights fly under exemptions but with the new Part 103 and 149 there will be NO exemptions. You will be flying under a new regime, so you had all better go and acquaint yourselves with the new regulations. David