Thirsty

Something similar was done in 1960 - 102,000 feet freefall. Granted this current attempt is higher but really just more of the same.

If there is sufficient lighting around the field I don't see it as a problem. I think it's like most things in aviation - if there is no legislation forbidding it you must use your common sense. I'd taxi after last light if I could see what was around me (assuming there is no legislation saying no).

Yeah the amsa web site doesn't mention anything about finding the aircraft. Hopefully they'll find them and all will be well.

In that case tell me how yours goes :) But only if it's good news!

That's the one I recommended. I've just ordered one so we'll see if it's as good as it seems.

Please use the term vacated rather than clear. No confusion then. The word clear could be misconstrued as a clearance to do something, a long shot I know but in ga land the word is vacated.

Liquid motion ego 727. Has wireless, 720p at 60fps, 1080p at 30fps, has an app for smartphones so it can be controlled wirelessly. Can be bought for $150 delivered from USA or $199 locally.

Yep we do that as well.

Of course if all you want is to be an instructor in ga you still need to do a commercial license at huge cost. If casa ever change that then maybe more people will do instructing. I have no desire to do anything commercially other than instructing but theres no way I'm going to a commercial rating just for that hence I instruct in ra.

I guess for instructors to get paid well there needs to be schools around, like yours it seems, that have enough student turnover to pay them. I do it for the love of it because if I didn't, in Adelaide at least, I wouldn't do it at all! I didn't expect your last sentence though, I thought there'd be heaps of instructors around willing to work full time. I wished I lived in Goulburn :)

Too true however it is written that instructing is the only "commercial" activity allowed hence money can change hands for doing that. I'm of the opinion that a few cfis may well be making a living at this but there will be very few and probably no instructors making a living.

Thanks mate. I work for a CFI who makes his living out of his school. I was more interested in guys who work for someone though and still make a living at it. I know in GA most instructors are just building hours to get to an airline job but in RA that's not an option so do we all just do it for fun?

How does everyone else work out when to turn mid downwind after joining mid field xwind? I just fly for an amount of time, don't know how much I just judge it. Curious to hear what others do. And cfi, no hope I'll be in tassie anytime soon, I fly jabs and no way I'll fly one over there! I do love your state though!

Timed ccts will be close enough unless there is a huge wind blowing and even then I'm only suggesting you need to time the bit after joining midfield xwind so you know when to turn mid downwind. Another tip would be instead of joining mid downwind join further to the opposite threshold end thus giving yourself more time on downwind to get everything sorted out before base. Sorry cfi, just my opinion.

I agree with the others who say forget about local landmarks and fly a "general" circuit that will work anywhere. I flew to YWOL recently for the first time and landed on 16 with our approach to the airfield over the escarpment from the west and it was pretty easy. I reckon you should time yourself in your own circuit and use those timings at YWOL taking account of the local restrictions as noted in ERSA. Mick, are you saying just at YWOL or all the time? I was taught to turn xwind at 500' AGL and that's what I teach my students. I was taught that in GA in the 80's and RA recently.

As the title suggest I'm curious if any Instructors or L2's are making a living out of RA work. Not really interested in people that have GA qualifications as well as RA. I'm an instructor and L2 and I do it for the love of it but I was wondering on my way home tonight whether anyone actually does this for a crust. Seems to me from reading this forum that most do it for fun or part time or whatever.

I wasn't having a go mate just didn't want everyone to think that just because someone is in the military he is not just another person like the rest of us. And as I said I wasn't having a go at SR just making a point, he could be the worlds best President for all I know.

Ditto if you ever fly up to Murray Bridge (Recreational Pilots Academy). And welcome to the site.

Shirley you can't be serious? If you had ever been in the military you wouldn't have made that statement! I recall many, many dills that were Steve's rank (and above). And BTW, promotion to Squadron Leader (Major equivalent in the RAAF) was basically a seniority thing so long as you didn't make any really serious stuff ups. I don't know SR so I'm not commenting on him in particular just the above statement in general.

Proxy faxed and thanks Andy for putting all that info in one place.

It would be so much easier if we could all sit around having a beer and actually talk about the things rather than "write" it down like this. We'd be able to understand each others points of view much easier. At least the net allows us to discuss these things in this form which is better than not discussing at all!

G'day ray, yes that's for sure, a good plane. It'll be flying again next week.

Maj, I understand what you're saying but I know this fellow very well and he is a very capable person. I didn't feel the need to monitor him nor did anyone else as he seemed to be on top of things. The two lsa aircraft I refer to are the ones I train students in and I know they both use the same amount of fuel per hour. What happened to the "missing" fuel is a mystery. I think you would be right if the person involved was a different personality. I don't think we can just put a blanket over all low time pilots and treat them the same, I don't do that with students and I don't do it with anyone else either. We're all different. In this case I don't think anyone except the pic did anything wrong it was just one of those things. FYI, I flew with this fellow from Perth to Adelaide in a 160 and he helped me make many decisions on that trip despite the fact he is low time.

Agreed the major factor here was the different type. The major difference between the j160 he normally flies and the LSA is the fuel capacity. Consumption isn't hugely different but the capacity is. He learnt to fly in the lsa but the last, probably, 30 hours or so were in the 160. I also agree about fuel planning when going places. It's very important but the beauty with the 160 is you've got 135 liters (maybe not legally) so fuel isn't that much of a problem but in the lsa it's very much an issue.

Yes the other lsa was flown by an instructor with many years experience. It wasn't his first trip away just his first trip with a group hence the peer pressure. I don't think the problem was that he didn't refuel at wentworth before the trip to mungo just that he wasn't 100% sure of how much fuel he had. I don't really agree maj that we should have been looking out for him. He is a novice pilot but he is over 60 with many years of living and he is a cautious and careful pilot so it wouldn't have occurred to any of us to oversee what he was doing. I don't make a habit of checking what everyone else is up to when we go away, I tend to make sure I'm good to go and assume everyone else is doing the same.