Ben Longden

Do the math.. its pretty simple. Speed = distance/time Draw the lines on the map, work out the distance. Then find out your cruise speed and go from there... To make things really easy just use the wizz wheel. Ben

In a word, they were lost. These guys assumed their equipment was faulty - and assumed their position was somewhere else on the map. If they had trusted their compass and gone from there, they would have been fine. 2.2c worth, including GST Ben

Its a classic clip now. I have heard reports that the clunk sound near the end is that of a controller reaching for the crash alarm... I still wonder how they got the bloody thing off the ground considering she was in ground effect in the dirt at the end of the runway.. My guess is they used vodka instead of kero... Ben

Busted!!!! Ben

I wear a nomex flight suit when flying... but the looks I get on ground *what a complete * can be a bit intimidating. Still, after filming the aftermath of an autogyro crash for Nine News gave me a wakeup call. It was a sobering experience I tell you. The nomex overalls arrived a week later, as did the gloves. Ben

Good one Neil.... :thumb_up: Ben

Sir Humphrey would be soooo proud of that one.....:confused: Ben

But, surely... The answer to THE Ultimate Question.... IS 42 ? Ben

I guess not..... The conversation would go something like this; Student; Sir, why is there a big hole in the wing? Instructor; :hittinghead: Ben

Ain't that the truth..... ;) Ben

Just as well it was a 'gear up' landing then..... Ben

It might have been seriously beaten with the ugly stick... but if someone said to me, "its yours, Ben" I'd take it. No questions asked... Ben

Mmmmm I guess you dont need a balloon to get high, I guess..... Ben

This was the 'after siren' entertainment at the footy I filmed last night... Ben

:thumb_up: Ben

Lots of burning off in northern Victoria... so lots of smoke around. Did I say LOTS of smoke? I meant to say veritable shiploads of smoke. Around the Kyabram area vis was down to 500m. It was like a foggy night except for the smell, the coughing and the itchy eyes... Ben

To me, flying is a LOT safer than driving... and a helluva lot more fun. Robyn is a nervous passenger, and Ive only managed to get her in the right seat once this past year. The kids are a different story. I did the full safety routine with Robyn, and somehow that made her even more scared. She has a friend with a PA 28 "who never does any of that stuff" and she felt safer. Mind you, some of the stories of her flights with him made me wonder if the guy is fit to fly... Having said that, she has enough confidence in me to trust me with the kids, as she knows I go overboard on flight safety and wont risk anything - and always plan the flight and fly the plan. Ben

Mmmm... Shepp could be wider, and Echuca definitely needs widening... Cohuna could do with a touchup...;) Ben

Dad had the bullet scars in his legs.. along with shrapnel as well.... By golly he earnt his thanks from the King the hard way.. Those wings and medals were truly bought with blood and tears. Ben

Brilliant! Ben

The usual reason for one tank using more than the other is by flying in unbalanced flight. If you do it deliberately, and the light is hitting the AC at the right angle, you can see the plume of fuel venting overboard. Now you know how those fuel stains get on the flaps!! Moral of the story is with a Tecnam, keep the thing in balanced flight all the time or you lose fuel. Ben

Get in touch with Dr Ian Fitzgerald at the Aviation Medicine section of CASA. This guy is really helpful and will give you the right advice. Ben

I agree. Damned impressive design work by Jabiru. Ben

You can buy replacement windsocks for the mics and use those along with removable cloth ear pad covers from most pilot shops... the Dave Clark ones are the go, and they are really cheap, and will fit most brands of headset - including the ones Ian has in the shop. The advantage of the ear covers is really noticable in summer - your ears wont fill up with sweat... and in winter they take the cold edge off the ear pads.. Not only that, but the mic sock and the ear covers are washable. Ben

:thumb_up: Thanks Chris. Ben