Methusala

One should become truly familiar with whichever a/c you choose to fly. I don't wish to be controversial (you all know me!) but I do wonder, when there are people who swear by Jabiru engines whether some problems could be caused by "turn the key and blast off" types. I flew a VW powered a/c for 11 years and had virtually no problems. I always treat an engine with respect and care. A good instructor (and almost all are) will ensure this. No endorsement for 4 strokes and yet they can involve as much care as 2's. Don

G'day Flyers,

To start: Fuel boost on, choke (enrichers) on, Throttle closed, press start (pull rope), throttle smoothly forward while pulling choke off. Thoroughly warm at 2 or 2.500 rpm then taxi to threshhold. Never give full throttle to a cold engine. Descend towards landing with a little power to avoid shock cooling. I'm sure others can add refinement to this but 10 minutes would cover it. Oh, I almost forgot - add correct amount of good 2-stroke oil to fresh petrol just before adding to tanks. I thjink that 4-strokes with their propensity towards icing are at least as demanding. The RAA are directed towards instructor based, fee for service accumulation of proficiency badges. Don

FLY THE AEROPLANE!!!! Don.

Our sport is meant to be an area where responsible adults employ their own standards of risk management towards the sensible aims of safe operation. This should mean that participants will seek information required to fly and operate the aircraft safely. The insertion of a formal endorsement is, in my opinion, unnecessary and possibly dangerous because it can lead to overconfidence when the approach to all engines should be - don't trust them (but know them as well as possible). We have been using 2-strokes for 30 yrs and they have improved over that time. Never-the-less they tend to fail without warning and no endorsement can prepare one for that. Fly the aeroplane! The current regime at RAA ( I still greatly prefer the monicker AUF) is too wedded to the bureaucratic approach of CASA. This leads to less flying at greater cost and as I have said could compromise safety by breeding a less self reliant attitude towards safe operation. Learn by whichever means you feel suits you but never relax. Don

A very small point here. When there are two of us in the cockpit we always say either, "Handing over!" or, "Your aeroplane!" This removes any confusion as to who is the pilot flying. Cheers and my sympathy to those who are grieving, Don

You're correct Yenn. I don't think that magazines take their role seriously these days. I remember when my favorite was "Air Progress", when staff reporters where as passionate as their readers. These days journalism has joined the ranks of bankers and, perhaps, executives of 2 major grocery chains. They believe that they can get comfortable in their old age serving up old tripe wrapped in glossy paper. I suppose we'll be rounded on as a pair of grumpy, disillusioned old buggers! Cheers, Don.

"the one and only flying magazine i will actually spend money on is,,,,,,,,,,,Kitplanes"

.........and the Brit magazine "Pilot".

I hear what Ozzie says in his post a few pages ago (sorry, been working and have not kept up with this great thread). That is that those of us who want to use the priveleges won by people like Ron Wheeler 20 years ago don't see the equity in paying a lobby group to obtain further "concessions" from CASA that we neither need nor value. The fact is that the RAA board is over represented by those who make a living running flying schools. How many people realise that the ops manual states(ed?) that a CFI MAY require a flight test when signing off a BFR? How many of us have experenced a BFR where the CFI took as fact that a person was current on the evidence of log book entries and the judgement of his peers? Don

Perhaps the link between the 2 viewpoints is that, if we had a choice to just fly in uncontrolled airspace, below 5000 we would not mind paying something in fees. That is, to an organisation that would support our "freedom" to fly without the need for ASIC and ADSB. Not dissimilar, I suppose to FAR-103 in the US. Turboplanner has it nailed with his analogy to omnibus and coach rules in another thread. Exemption from ANO's worked well as a framework in the early days and could be developed. Don

G'day, The other day, while paying rego for the Thruster, I chanced to meet a high official of the AUF (pardon!) I stated a case for potential safety breech affecting RAA pilots, pax, aircraft and ground dwellers. Simply that if a pilot was averse to possession of an ASIC card, this may tempt him to land in convenient paddocks close to airports rather than on them. Many of us "came from paddocks" and so don't see this as too unusual. With the danger of power lines and more this could be a significant and growing safety threat. He dismissed this idea with no hesitation. He may be entitled to his view but there must be many cogent reasons why ASIC cards are not a good idea at airports infrequently served by large airliners. It is reasonable to expect that airline companies should take responsibility for their aircraft on the ground and that a statuary exclusion zone be declared around them on the ground. This is the sort of issue that I expect AUF or RAA to take up on our behalf. What do others think? Don

It is not at all a simple problem this one! I know of an instructor with his own flight school who kept a T500 on line for those who wanted a "bare bones" budget flight training regime. He sold it when the demand just wasn't there. It is possible that the young ones of today are not willing to forgo some comfort and sophistication in order to acheive their goals. In spite of perceptions to the contrary aircraft such as Thrusters and Drifters are no less safe than more conventional aircraft. Indeed the contrary arguement can be made regarding stronger primary structures and a lower performance envelope. Don

G'day, nice thread! I would like to say that there are a lot of us (and I would not refer to us as "oldies"; the 60's being the new 40's) who started flying with Scouts, Winton Grasshoppers, Pteradactyls and the like. The inestimable John Galpin , who's adventurous flight around Tassie we all enjoyed so thoroughly as we sat in the imaginary seat beside him flew for many years in a Canadian Beaver. We got our chance to fly because of the minimum aircraft movement. I'm sorry but I don't think this option is open to many these days. Regulation, which started to increase after the HORSCOTS report of the late 80's has gone "balistic" of late. It would be interesting to see how much the extra level of administration has cost each of us. I recognise that you cannot let anyone loose in a "plastic fantastic" with a high wing loading and speeds over 100kts without adequate training and without appropriate maintenance. The real question is whether people like us should bear the cost of services and regulations that are not necessary for our level of activity. Don

Argument, if it is to be meaningful, requires an alternative view to be reasoned and lucidly expressed so that the audience is informed. To bombastically condemn a thoughtfully researched and written report using hackneyed political speak is both insulting and offensive to other readers. We all know about opinions....everyone has one. Doesn't mean that to display an ugly one adds to the sum of knowledge.Don

I agree with Student Pilot- The comment from Gnu is offensive if not actually a malicious attempt by friends of Qantas management to interfere in legitimate (and timely ) free debate. Do these people believe in free speech or are they rich people who would stifle debate (if they had their way)? Don

Yawn...yawn Gnarly etc. What have you to contribute to the continuing disgraceful saga of what the finance industry is not doing to promote Australia's iconic airline? After all it was a close run thing that qantas avoided being sold to Alco Finance ( an operation that was quickly claimed as a casualty of the bankster's raid on the world economy). What wquld we now be saying about a certain CEO who literally grabbed the cash bundle and fled. Don

Just add my voice to the overwhelming chorus...NO! I once had a rear spar collapse on a Pteradactyl and had I been higher than 10 ft would not have survived. Anyway that's my say, Don

......began his pre-takeoff checks. Trim..nose down; Mixture..full rich; Flaps.. 1 notch. Ah it's sooo good to be taking off in this French built heavy transport, no one but the french.. he reflected savouring the rich scent of goose liver pate, Chanel nr V and Jean Moreau. Je suis une happy chappy! Oh yes, where were we? Pixie stretched langourously on the chaise-lounge, counted her diamond rings again, blue a kiss in Ah mee's direction and unexpectedly larfed. "Clear Fans" called Ah see...

Dear David, sad and happy in appropriate parts to hear that. We used to fly Javelins and Jeeps down in olde Holbrook Towne years ago. Good planes tho I think the Thruster T83 was a little more advanced(?) not sure that's the right word. Have my T-300 and working on re-engining the Karatoo clone with a Revmaster (2280cc) as well as the Goat-4 a-building. Obsession? Don't mention the word. Any way not retired, just tired. Keep up the good work and GET FIT. Regards, Don (not quite biblical age).

....."This is some kind of rip off!" Reflecting the nurse who keeps the cards that read, "have mercy on their souls!" *-*-*-* This world is exploding in brilliant spirals of sparks and huge shooting illuminations that resembleth possum tails tracking south in the general direction of Mascot and Smithy's venerated hunting ground. "You fool!", shreiketh Pixie with that distracted, maniacal leer, "You've just lit the blue touchpaper that belongs to the Puppet Premier, Hillarius Clintonburger". JUST IN TIME...who should appear to untangle this holy, holy mess than The Kid From Curried Hooley, that's right! Meth....

So David (if that is indeed your name), if you're anywhere near as old as you make claim to be, why aren't you out Citabria (spelt backwards) and Javelinning? No time to waste! Don:punk:

......Danzig where, at the time of the Reformation Martin Luther had the bisho***** (paedophile term) rings cut from sky pilots' (another aviation reference) hands, navels and other disgusting anatomical parts ( including the odd sphygmus) and melted down to form Czech gold thread that was purloined by a mysterious escapee from the Piper's antics in nearby Hamelin Towne and fashioned into the enticing embellishment that Rattus Rattus refers to as a "Toothe". "OMG!"...crieth Brinylon "What the....."

G'day all, I'm watching these slightly risque` comments. You're all guessing when it comes to the age of Black Rod and meself! Don

Ah, Maj. just a small point the Cayuna was a 430! The terra was great fun and, as I related in a previous thread on pitch control via power, I would fly hands off and by adding a little throttle watch the nose rise and gain altitude with no change in indicated airspeed. Conversely with a slight reduction in throttle the nose would dip and the plane would descend - again no change in airspeed. Fascinating! Don

And, with humble respect (adding that you are quite correct Horsefeathers) I believe that the concept of molar quantities is so abstract and bears so little relevance to flying, everyday life, why clouds are up there and not down here (thanks Andy for that) and my prospects for a good night's sleep that I'm going to forget the whole thing right now! Good night all, Don

In my opinion, affordable flying is perhaps a victim of over expectation. I started flying in 1981 when I was 30. I decided that if I was going to learn to fly then better not leave it any longer. I joined the Canberra gliding club. Around that time Kitplanes (then called Homebuilt Aircraft) carried a front cover picture of Quicksilver ultralights in flight. Ah! A eureka moment. Aerial go-carts, one of our earliest dreams and now a reality! I made contact with someone and soon had acouple of boxes and a cardboard tube, 2.4m long full of al pipes with Pteradactyl stamped on it. Later I graduated to a Tyro and then in 1995 a Volksplane with 10 hrs for $10,000. 550 hrs completed including many trips totemora, holbrook Narromine, Moruya etc, etc. Nothing over 60 kts but if in a screaming hurry, why not go Boeing or Airbus? My most exilarating, exciting and awe inspiring Aerial adventures have been in afordable planes. At the moment my mate and I are half way to completion of a basic ultralight glider which, when finished will give soaring performance of the best hang gliders with 3 axis control and good protection against heavy landings for around $3,000. By the way, in spite of advertisements offering my VP-2 over 3yrs - no action. So how affordable do you want it? Regards, Don