Methusala

Our recreational flying pursuit was never designed to be some sort of industry. So no, I don't think that it is "the customer" or " the general public" who need to be considered here. We started this movement as a group of amateurs who wanted the freedom to fly our recreational aircraft away from populations and to be self regulating. There are a large number of us who have seen our sport hijacked by another group who want GA but don't want to fork out the dollars. They are highly risk averse and pretty cashed-up. The answer for them is to go back to Ga, listen to the controllers on the ground, be beholden to their LAME's and give CASA all the power to "protect" them. I don't want that and I am not alone. The AUF is where I came from and it may be time for GA to wander back to their "roots".

Every recreational aircraft is mandated to display a prominent warning about the lack of official oversight both in design and maintenance, and that people fly in these aircraft at their own risk. Aviation has been officially recognised in the law courts as a potentially dangerous activity. Just like...Umm, base jumping or snake handling. No person is innocently flown in such aircraft, they are all advised to make their own judgement. I think, regardless of the circumstance, for example flight training, that they still have to make their own judgement . Warnings are not placed in our aircraft as a simple sop to conventions. Some of the faux concern and hand wringing comments are out of order.

Fuel consumption is related to work done. Your engine, being 625cc is probably capable of producing 65hp or so. But the air-frame is relatively light and fairly aerodynamic. So it is not doing a great amount of work. 2-strokes do use a significant proportion of their fuel to run rich and control internal temperatures. I fly a Kitfox and a T300 Thruster. Both are quite draggy and consume around 18l/hr on their 582's. Not very efficient! Don

The essential message here is to use the rudders. I have been involved in ultralight aviation for 35 years and have flown many types but all of them have been "low performance" and mostly tailwheel. Modern utility aircraft are designed to be easy and instinctive to fly. Differential aileron gives the pilot the idea that rudders are used on the ground to steer when taxiing. I know that this statement simplifies things a bit but I remember a female GA pilot who landed in a Grumman Traveller and asked whether she could do a circuit in the Thruster. Immediately after take off I became alarmed at her aircraft control. I asked her when she was going to get on the rudders. She exclaimed that she wasn't used to flying with rudders and would I do it for her. I quickly shouted,"my airplane" and completed the circuit. Every aircraft flies uniquely and requires correct technique to be operated safely. Air Force and airlines invest a lot of time and money in familiarising their pilots with the equipment. Don

And surely that is LAME.

Seen them but haven't flown one. James Waller, CFI at Hollbrook in the 90's reported ineffective ailerons. Did not like.

No sign of damage caused by impacting a wire.

In my limited experience, parachutes are worn in single-seaters but not usually in training a/c. Blaniks certainly not. Don

I presume that what it "says" about Army pilots is that they prefer to "breathe" rather than "suffocate". Funny, what?

HEY, WATCHIT MATE!!!

Here is one of Alan Sheard's scratch built "Locust" out at Lake George last year. He has also built in the past copies of the Chinook, aka "the old Chook" and a pioneer Flight Star.

Here's one of Howard Rocky (Scout owner), Art van Ousten (Builder of a Temain Monofly) and myself with my Pterradactyl at Holbrook in the mid 80's. Don

Helped us with purchasing our Kitfox. A true gentleman but with a wicked sense of humor and fun. Regards Don

Wondering what the legal limit for PCA is for pilots according to CASA rules?

"Frigate Bird"(1953), Captain P.G. Taylor , "Carrying the Fire", NASA astronaut Michael Collins. Regards Don

I saw one recently in the Berlin Technical Museum. Could get all the stuff...parachute etc. but seemed pretty unhinged concept really. Pteradactyls anyone? Don

Hey Nev! Most Pteradactyls I've seen in the air at once was, years ago at Lake George when 2 of us flew together. Ah, the old days! Don

I remember the Mustang that was used for towing target drones. Used to drive past occasionally. There was also a DC-2 parked in that corner. Identifiable by the 2 landing lights embedded in the nose. That was around '69 or '70. Don

Wally Rudin was a great CFI. I remember flying a BFR with him at Holbrook in strong winds. Thrusters can handle strong conditions and we weren't out there too long. Hope he is enjoying his retirement. Don. BTW: a Gemini on Gumtree at the moment for $4500 (what a bargain!).

I am like Farri, I only want access to a small amount of free air space in which to fly. I have access to this but, on occasions, I would fly to a local (200kms) air gathering. I liked to fly to Moruya and other airports. Moruya has RPT's and we could easily listen and hold out of the circuit for the small amount of time it took to do a straight in. Never had a problem. However, with increased surveillance of such get-togethers and the requirements to carry a full flight bag I don't bother anymore. I simply enjoy flying the T300 and the Kitfox locally.

An interesting point about the sharp decline in price for dairy products globally. Remember that in the '90's the US imposed sanctions on Iraq. This included dairy products as well as medicine. The result was that 500,000 infants died. When questioned, Madeline Allbright, then Sec. of State replied that ,"It was worth it". The current decline in prices for dairy is said to be a result of US sanctions against Russia. I wonder what kind of world we live in. Sorry to be political and I really do lament the demise of Camit. I think that, for the price, these engines were good and getting better. I flew 550 hrs behind a VW and never had a problem. I tried not to fly over country where at least I would save my life if the noise stopped. Don

Einstein was reported to have said that he wasn't sure what the third world war would be fought with but that the fourth would be fought with sticks and stones. Think about that. Don

Sorry, correction.... Russel Firth was the guy with the Scout

The prop strike occurred while the engine was fitted with a toothed belt reduction unit. This I later removed because it was so poorly manufactured the belt would run off its cogs and there was no way to align it. I don't think that the shock transferred to the crank indirectly via toothed belt should account for failure of the crank. You stated that some crankshafts were manufactured from crook steel - ergo the failure in my engine. I am not sufficiently in my dotage not to recall the frightening events of this time. It was probably on Ron Lang's advice that I fitted the exhaust seeing that he did not have an exhaust system supplied with the engine. I don't wish to open old wounds or criticise the guy for what happened so long ago. I accept that, in those days, we were all experimenting and that this was the way it was. I never flew at Pakenham and was fortunate, as were a lot of others, to come through those days alive. However I don't want anyone to remain under the illusion that this was a fit device to power any ultralight. I recall that Ron Firth, from around Bowral, had a Skylark with cast iron barrels and direct drive on his Scout and I never heard that he got anything but good service from it. Regards, Don

Yes Dick, you can see from my earlier post that it was a brave attempt but dangerous in the air. Mine was "equipped" with pressed steel mufflers from an early Victa mower engine and one split into pieces flying through the prop and wrecking it. The motivation seemed to be to make a quid rather than to be a responsible aviation enterprise. I replaced my Skylark with a Fuji Robin EC 44 and had no further power plant related problems.