rdarby

Does anyone know if there is anyone at Caboolture or somewhere near there that can do both low power and tailwheel, preferably on the same aircraft? I want to do those ratings, so I can see what it's like in case I want to buy in that direction. Cheers Ryan

Lets encourage new members, not annoy them TP. Man can do his own search and make his move when he is ready.

Yes that is Freeflying Redcliffe. They are $215 duel, $162 private hire, all wet. They have two SportStars, 2 years old. One is up in Cairns now though. The person who runs it is the person who owns Skyshop (www.skyshop.com.au). I will PM you his phone number. The hangar would only be open on weekends I think.

I fly the SportStar at Redcliffe. It's a very nice new plane. Glass cockpit and constand speed prop. It is easy to fly and is of a very high build quailty, I think above most other RAA aircraft. It costs though. Redcliffe is a nice spot. RAA is a lot cheaper to hire than GA, unless you are flying a lighter RAA type aircraft.

Where around the Brisbane area can you get a hangar space for $100 a month? I think the key is to get space, then be patient and find the plane. I don't think it will be a good idea financially, but I am suffering from not knowing where I will be able to hire from in the future and that is making me look closely at my bank balance and the classified adverts!

I worked it out roughly like this. I'm in the Virgin lounge so can't find my actual numbers. You need to look at fixed monthly costs, such as the hangar. Then you have hourly costs such as fuel. Monthly: Cost of finance. Say $300 a month for a $30k plane? I can't remember my exact figure. If you buy outright, you need to consider the lost interest on that money as a plane is a depreciating asset. Hangar, say $160 a month or $40 a week. Insurance, depends, my quote was about $1,500 a year. Registration to RAA. I think it was a bit under $200? Hourly: $20 put aside for a new engine every 10 years $20 an hour for fuel $10 an hour for general wear and tear like oil, tyres etc. Most people on this forum have indicated that you need to fly over 100 hours a year to break even. I agree with that. I have found that for me I need to be spending over $1000 a month on hire before owning costs the same, else owning is more expensive. I don't spend anywhere near that much. If you can get a cheaper aircraft, and do some maintenance yourself, and if you are lucky to have land to have a hangar on, then it can be cheaper. It isn't for me. But I still want one as it's convinient.

The effect of a quick lungfull of O2 will be short lived. Your body will process it quickly. It isn't like you are topping up your internal O2 tank, it just gives a quick increase and its gone. Since it only takes a short while for the effects of a lack of O2 to come in, the problem will come back. That is my understanding. The quedtion is probably best for a flught Dr and CASA as carrying one may lead people to spend too high too long. But we should't have much of a priblem at our altitudes. What I fly doesn't perform well at 7500 and I never need to go up there anyway. Personally I don't think it will be worth bothering with.

$40 a week is the lowest rent I have heard of, but that has been when people discuss the cost of owning so it may be an average. If it's out in Mackay I would expect to pay less. I was up there on Friday for the day. Nice. Humid! The outside viewing area at the airport is nice.

There is nothing on the flyer that helps. So its that Oakey, the one we stay out of? May be worth a look, it is very close and not the usual sort of location. I just dont want to get shot down going into restricted airspace!

So where is it exactly? They don't give any fly in info that I can find?

Why would a planewith 351 hours on it need a complete rebuild? Was it damaged? I'm asking as I often seen used aircraft with what I consider to be low hours, such as 351, and I think they would be a good buy, but I don't want to have to rebuild them every 351 hours!

Well, we set out and headed for Goondiwindi with a 15kt headwind but not too many bumps. I had to climb and decend a few times to find a smooth level, mainly as I had a passenger. The sky and the air were a little murky but visibility was fine, it just didn't seem as clear as it could, more reflective than usual. At Goondiwindi I had to go around then changed to the cross strip due to wind. While getting fuel (Lowes Petrolleum come out and fill you up, really nice people) some showers came through. So we waited an hour for them to pass then set off again. Still windy (Westerly) and I knew it would be a cross wind at Comeroo. The whole day was just windy. We headed West as that would take us North of the showers on the radar. However, we ran into light but constant showers/rain and were pushed further North. I thought I could go up North and then around and then head South, but after an hour of flying I was still 70mn from my first weighpoint, which was the dog fence on the border. It was about 70nm when I set out too. So it was decision time. I decided to try for Charleville. I was keeping an eye on my back door all the time and it was clear there, but I couldn't see the horizon in front or to the sides of me. It was legal visial distances and I flew over many little farm stips all the time so no danger, but I was being pushed North all the time to avoid showers. Then the sky got darker in the direction of Charleville, so I through I would try for Roma as it looked clear that way. After a bit if got dark there too. Still nothing showing on the radar, and none of this was forecast. At that point I had to look at my fuel and where I could land that would not be in the wrong direction, as I only had a certain budget to pay for hire of the aircraft. If i had flown all day I would have got round, but couldn't afford it. I was also not finding the murk to be fun anymore. My only option was Chinchilla, which by then was an hour away. That shows you how far the murk had pushed us to the North East. So we went there and had lunch, and then decided to just go home. After 6 hours of flying I was only an hour and a half away from home, in the wrong direction, and not liking the weather. Everyone I met said stay the night. Not easy as there is little accomodation in mining towns. But mainly they said it will all clear by the morning and right now I won't get over the ranges. I looked at the forecasts, liked what I saw and set out knowing I could come back. It was a smooth ride over the ranges and home, with a loverly tail wind. Later on I looked at the rain radar again for Roma and it was very wet there. If I had tried to get round it would have never worked. Then on Sunday it rained, so I made the right choice. And Monday was really crappy weather, and this is evidenced by the accident that happened to the Dragon. I would never had made it home on Monday. So I never made it to Comerroo. I took the blue sky option and literally fly to the lightest patches of sky until I was pushed back home. I learned how long I can fly in a day before I get too dehydrated is 5 hours. I learned that you can't always fly around showers. And I learned to look at the forecasts and make up my own mind as although there are great people on airfields to advise you, they arn't flying, you are. I learned if you land at Chinchilla call the RSL and a courtesy bus will come get you and they have great steak. The terminal at Goondiwindi is very nice and worth a stop there. But mainly I learned that weather comes from nowhere. None of this was forecast, and it was trending better all week which is why I set off. But then it changed badly. There will be other trips. If it doesn't feel like fun anymore, land somewhere.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/no-survivors-in-vintage-plane-crash-20121003-26y34.html

The one Crayonbox posted: http://www.liveatc.net/search/?icao=hvb Listening with Java.

They are confirming sending the other aircraft back, so I would say that it's into the next phase now. Someone from ATC must read this forum as the static has suddenly cleared up! I also heard the rescue choppers cancel SAR Watch. I find it almost ironic that those searching have SAR Watch, but it's pretty smart too. Sound like a very professional crew.

They have someone on the ground half a mile from the crash site and seem to be trying to see which other helicopeters are close by to go help. Not very clear and a lot of static.

Does anyone know a lot obout beacons that could write a guide somewhere on the forum, that could be a sticky, to help people decide on what is best and how they actually work? Just what I have read in this thread has made me realise they are not all equal, and really just may save our lives.

14? You would only use so many if you needed to cover a wide area and were not sure of where to look. Where would they get that many? This feels very close to home, we all knew that Dragon, and flew in the area it flew in, and I flew in the same weather earlier in the weekend and got on the ground in the sunniest area I was able to. I really hope all works well.

Very much so! But the intention of the article is to describe the procedure, not to be a self help manual, I am sure. It also gives people something to go and ask their instructor about. But it's important to do this with an instructor first. Getting the nose up like that and sort of hovering for a bit feels very different, and it's easy to form bad habits by not lowering the nose a bit to pick up speed in ground effect before you climb. I tried to shoot straight up and dropped about a foot before it luckily picked up flying speed. I was lucky! Thanks for posting Ian. Do you have one for short field landings?

Unless it turns out well they are unlikely to be in a state to use a phone.

Herm, the fact that you are aware of this means that you are winning. You are in control. And follow your gut. There is definately peer pressure from pilots, and also uninformed advice, mainly from stangers you meet on airfields. Very helpful to lend you a tie down or give you a lift into town, but they arn't the PIC. On the weekend I tried to fly to near Bourke and turned back after Goondiwindi. Weather that wasn't on the forecast or the rain radar got in the way. I got all sorts of text messages telling me how I can to to x or y and get round, and it did affect me, but I used my gut to tell me something was wrong so I aimed for the lightest patch of sky and went there and then home safely. In hindsight the weather was way worse than expected on the weekend, so I was right. But no one else is owning up to being wrong. Stick to your principles and you will be right!

My big once in a lifetime bucket list trip is to fly to Comeroo and see camels. I wanted to do it in June and got rained out. It's not looking like great weather this weekend, but I'm going to give it a go. Hoping to leave Redcliffe early on Saturday, refuel at Goondiwindi, then along the border dog fence until I turn left to Comeroo. On Sunday to the Hunderford pub for one of their famous steak sandwiches. Back home on Monday. I think Saturday is the worst day for weather, it looks like it will blow through after that. The synoptic chart has a lot of low's and an approaching trough on it, but the overall rainfall forecast isn't bad. 10mm forecast for where I will be going through on Saturday, and I will be able to divert straight back home as I approach the rain area if it doens't look safe. This should be an experience!

I think hiring works if you fly for a total cost of under $1000 a month. Two hours of hiring a month won't cover owning, as you start off with too large a fixed cost. The thing with a 582 is, the hourly cost is the same as a 912, and it lasts a quarter of the time. And costs a quarter of the price. I have seen 912 planes for $30k before, they would be a good buy. But a plane for under $20k that maybe you just leave alone and go hire, and only lose your $20k, is tempting. It's only $20k and many people can save that up again. I was thinking of borrowing the money but I think if I take 5 years I can buy something nice through saving instead.

There is a $20 landing fee at Orchid Beach, but its worth it.

No but I suggest calling The Trading Post to check on the strip. I assume you mean landing at Orchid Beach. Landing on the beach requires a special permit.