M61A1

I’m sure our Defence Force could easily blow that budget just by taking over the contract. Then they would make it cost even more By incorporating other incompatible mods and then claim they bought a dud.

As for the Aussie ex-fighter pilot, I’m sure that he will learn quickly that the idea (mentioned in his statement)) That the ABC might be fair and balanced is just wishful thinking.

My medical renewal is coming up and I received the usual from CASA. It contained the following message:

 

**** Please note: If you are unable to renew or do not wish to currently renew your certificate due to COVID-19 and your current medical certificate expires on or after 01/03/2020 then you will have a 6 month exemption under EX57/20. This is an exemption not an extension, when you renew your medical during or after the exemption period your new medical expiry date will be from the date that you sit your examination with your DAME. Please see below link for more details. https://www.casa.gov.au/about-us/covid-19-advice-industry/exemptions-covid-19 ****

 

I do not have a degree in philosophy and cannot work out what they are trying to say. I have read the linked data. Can I continue to fly for an additional six months before renewing? What is the practical effect of the difference between an exemption and an extension?

I followed the link contained n your link. Does this help?

An exemption applies automatically to every holder of a CASA issued medical certificate that was valid on 1 March 2020.

The exemption effectively extends the expiry date by six months.

All existing requirements, conditions or limitations (however expressed) of the medical certificate must continue to be complied with.

The exemption operates by authorising licence holders and other aviation authorisation holders to fly without a current medical certificates for a period of six months beyond the certificates’ current expiry date. That means you can defer your next medical assessment if necessary.

The best solution that I am aware of is to wear foam ear plugs and an ANR headset.

If you use your "hierarchy of control", PPE comes in last.

1. Elimination- You could eliminate the risk by not flying....Not going to happen

2. Substitution- you could go in a glider.....not going to happen

3. Isolation- Still not going to work

4. Engineering controls- What the OP was looking for... There are several things that can be done from engine mufflers to cockpit soundproofing and so on.

5. Administrative controls- Won't do anything unless you use the paper as soundproofing.

6. PPE- Flash headsets, are great, and they work even better when you start by getting the cockpit as quiet as practicable to start with.

There is more to high noise than just hearing loss. As I mentioned earlier, I have recently knocked about 10 db off cockpit noise and didn't think that much of it until a few longer flights over 2-3 hours and found that I walked away feeling way less fatigued than I had previously( even with ANR headsets). I had been thinking about it for some time but hadn't changed anything because people I fly with said it sounded great. It got the better of me and now I wish I had done it when I rebuilt it a few years ago. The noise generators that I have left will be very difficult to remove, but it's much more comfortable that it was.

The quoted cabin noise of a Jab is 95db

There quite a few smartphone apps that will measure noise levels. I don't know how accurately they measure db, but they are good for comparisons to see if you made it better or worse and seeing which flight conditions are louder or quieter.

Having the prop in front is the main problem; it dirties up all the air behind it.

Have you tried it with the fan off? You may be surprised just how much noise is generated by the airflow over "dirty" bits of the airframe.

Lightspeed Sierra works for me.

Yeah, that's partial fix though. I was very surprised just how much less fatigued I felt after noise reduction, even with an ANR headset.

I found things got a lot quieter when I unplugged her headset..............

Yes, I have found that to work well. Or turn the ICS down..

The quoted cabin noise of a Jab is 95db.

Others like Sling and Technam I have flown seem to be about the same when you take the headphones off.

Any ideas on how to lower in cockpit noise.

For example any quite aftermarket exhaust systems for rotax or jab engines being made without loss of HP.

Any idea of prop noise level in cruise?

Have you correctly identified the source of the noise?

I had an 80hp 912 with a kit exhaust that was 95db in the cockpit. With careful internal baffling, I got down to 85 dB, in cruise, most which is wind noise. I don’t think it’s any quieter than a proper Rotax exhaust, but even at full power it gets quieter as you pull the nose up and slow down. Anyway, the point being, is it all engine noise or is it airframe noise?

They're going to put a clock on the leaning tower of Pisa. That way it'll have both the time and the inclination.

If you enjoy those, you may enjoy this also....

Imagine The Titanic with a lisp.

It's unthinkable.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

I ordered a thesaurus from Amazon but when it was delivered all the pages were blank.

I have no words to describe how angry I am.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I once dated a magazine collector. She had some issues.

(but it will be cooler in temperature to wear).

I have not found a helmet to be particularly hot, in fact I find that keeping the sun off my head is always cooler than no hat, and my white helmet is not hotter than my black caps.

More for the turbine but cheap as and available everywhere. Good at higher altitudes. The piston would be better at ranging as they always are but the engine weight saving is large so you could carry more fuel. Tip tanks. Nev

Like this....from Red's link in post #3

Before you prescribe things for a use, workout just what problem you are attempting to address. Not general ones.. "You would be safer IF.you had one on."(.speak).. specific instances when the FIX you propose would have been very appropriate. in our type of planes. Helmets ARE appropriate for parachuting speedboat racing waterskiing Racing go Karts Snow skiing, Ice Hockey etc. Fire or going through a wire fence are more risky than dropping on your head when the plane tips over and you release the seat belt. That's the only instance I can recall in a lifetime of flying where a helmet would have definitely helped the bloke in a tiger Moth that it happened to. Nev

Having read a few studies they generally report that in fatal aircraft crashes, multiple injuries is the primary cause of death in about 42% of cases, followed by head injuries at about 22%.

Non-fatal hospitalisations in aviation related injuries report the most common injury to be lower limb followed by head injuries.

It has been said that in the case of the crash at Aratula earlier this year the the pilot would have walked away, rather than airlifted and hospitalised had he been wearing a helmet. That's enough for me.

But, I would rather it remain personal choice than an enforceable law. I choose to and am fine with those who choose not to.

I will also add that an aviation helmet is quite light (assuming you don't have NVGs mounted on it) and must not restrict your vision or head movement by design.

If you have an open cockpit or can fly with the canopy open a helmet might work without cooking your head. With my 4 point harness tightly fastened I'm not going to hit my head on anything unless it is a major impact that crushes the entire fuselage in which case it won't matter.

I have an old Alpha that has been converted to GA comms, a Lightspeed Zulu, a Bose A20 and an in ear headset. I love the in ear headset, the Lightspeed and Bose are awesome, but I end up wearing my helmet because even when wearing a cap my ears get burned with the in ear set, and with the Bose or Lightspeed, by the time I've got my cap headset and sunnies adjusted just right, I move and have to adjust them again. So I throw them over the back and plonk my lid on. It's nearly as quiet as the ANR headsets, and I just drop the visor in the sun.

The crashes that worry me are the ones I read about that have landed in water or been on fire when the pilot has had minor head injuries and is unconscious and would have survived if they were awake to extricate themselves. It's not much of a stretch to smash your head on the panel in a lot of aircraft. In a lot of low wing aircraft, the panel may even meet you halfway.

Perhaps he deliberately applied power with the (mistaken) idea that it might help him get it back into the air before he hit anything.....

I'll bite.

 

How can that work? Sure: When they did the fence there was a 12 degree magnetic variation.

 

That was then. Now it is 16.5. So the fence won't run to cardinal points.

Be they magnetic or true.

A bit like the runway...It's good for a rough check.

Pardon my ignorance, but if you're taxiing along the centreline of a marked runway, can't you compare your compass reading with that?

It's good for a rough check....Remember that runways are rounded up or down to the nearest 10°.

How do you ensure your Magnetic Compass is accurate?

I just use a handheld magnetic compass to point my aircraft on the ground then swing it basically IAW the CASA document. I have found having the engine running can make a difference, even the iPad in the cockpit can make the compass deviate.

Many of their boundary lines follow cardinal points

A very useful bit of knowledge

Flying Australia did a review of it and said that the ailerons lacked authority, which would be an amazing thing to say about any aircraft.

I would have thought it a perfectly reasonable thing to say if the the ailerons lack authority.

I can tell you from experience that a standard CH601HD lacks aileron authority especially at low speeds.

VGs and higher ratio bellcranks have improved mine, but I'd like them to be as half as effective again. If I could make it have the same roll rate as an RV6 I'd be happy with that.

so, in this plane when is that going to be an issue ? During landing (low airspeed, low prop thrust- ie low control effectivness ) when a high amount of roll is "instantaneously" be needed to counter a Xwind gust ?

That is the main time I would really appreciate better aileron authority.

Someone who must like aeroplanes very much has built a house right at the end so he can see them close up when landing on 20.

I've never seen drones there. When I saw your post, I initially thought it was someone with real flying footage.

The QANTAS Academy fly around there a lot in Diamond Stars, but I haven't seen one land there yet. I just hear them on the radio a lot around Pittsworth, Millmerran and Stanthorpe.

Hey guys,

 

Can anybody tell me if this still happens?

 

I've got a flight into this Airfield soon and I'm assuming that it's been taken care of?

 

Nothing organised. I occasionally see other aviators flying from there.

Of note, in the video screenshot there is now a house in that empty paddock at the NE end of the runway.

The airfield is maintained. It is currently busy enough for a drone pilot to be a hazard too. I hope that doesn’t happen any more.

PM me if you want more information.

I dunno, my 450,000km 2.4L diesel Hilux cruises along quite happily at 75kmh with my 24' x 8' caravan hooked up. For people like M61A1, I've got the bumper decal that reads "SPEED ON MAD FOOL! HELL AIN'T FULL YET!" ?

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that if you’re the sort of person that is unnecessarily inconsiderate, whether it’s blocking the isle at the shops, clogging the highway or the circuit, then you have my utter hatred. I just don’t understand why they do it. Some of them seem to delight in it then get shirty when others have a go at them. If there is a hell, it’s full of caravaners and single lane roads.

How is that different to flying a Drifter in the 1000 foot circuit?

The difference is that when in the Drifter, you demonstrate some common courtesy and let faster aircraft go ahead if there’s any chance of conflict. Generally you Make effort to Not to inconvenience others, and that is the point being made..

I guess it's lucky M16A1 isn't in W.A. I regularly get stuck behind 100 tonne low loaders with mining gear on board, that are 4.5M wide, travelling at 70kmh, and have pilots front and rear.

Of course, the rear pilots are there to try and stop idiots from passing everything in sight, regardless of oncoming traffic.

 

I once had a woman in a Falcon overtaking my 100 tonne Drake low loader at 80kmh. The truck was doing 70kmh with a 100 tonne excavator on board.

She lost control after placing her RH wheels onto the gravel shoulder, swerved left into the front wheel of the Mack, and promptly rolled the Falcon.

She tore the front mudguard off the Mack, ripped off the steps, tore a hole in the fuel tank, and brought the entire equipment movement to a halt for 24 hrs.

All because she was in a tearing hurry, and didn't even have any basic vehicle control skills!

 

The brother was piloting the low loader once, coming out of Kalgoorlie, and ensuring oncoming cars would move over, as the load was well over 4M wide.

Then one oncoming car driver stopped dead, right in the middle of his lane, and complained to the brother, "But, THIS IS MY SIDE OF THE ROAD!!"

We get them too. Yes they can be frustrating, but they have a job to do, unlike Bob and Janice ( it says so on the back of the van) who are utterly ignorant of everyone around them. The big difference is that mostly caravaners could make the effort but don’t.

Most caravan combinations will be cruising between 85 and 95 for fuel reasons.

I do understand this. My issue is not so much the speed or lack of, but the the refusal to acknowledge what is viewed in their giant strapon Supercheap towing mirrors. I feel nothing but rage when stuck behind "Bob an Janice" at 75 kph as they point out the sights totally ignoring the 30 vehicles stuck behind them for many kilometres while the drive past every opportunity to pull over for a moment and let the rest of the world get on with earning a living.

Have a look at these times, where speed has been reduced for 100% of a 200 km leg, and you can see that if this only hapens say 5% of the time you're losing virtually nothing.

 

 

200 km trip:

100 km/hr - 2 hours

95 km/hr - 2 hr 6 min

90 km/hr - 2 hr 13 min

85 km/hr - 2 Hr 21 min

80 km/hr - 2 hr 30 min

Make that a 800-1000 km leg and see how much of your life this vehicular cholesterol steals from you. Also it's never only 5% of the time often 25-50% around here, some roads have very limited overtaking, but plenty of places to move over or stop. It's criminal, but QLD cops, from all appearances are only interested in speed enforcement.

You can drive like an utter f*ckwit as long as you don't speed and they won't look twice.

Horse floats are worse. They travel in convoys. Nev

That's what caravaners do here. I agree that those towing horse floats are worse, but we have less of them and they are usually just local traffic here, not clogging the main roads in packs.

BUT.

What does it mean, in the real world of things, ?.

spacesailor

Which one? OK's fascination with a certain number or caravaners being c**ts?

That's a bit harsh! My preference is that caravans and motor homes be only allowed on the roads between midnight and dawn.

The fact that most of them are parked up by 5pm for the night is one of the few comforts for interstate truckies.