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octave

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Posts posted by octave

  1. When I lost my log book I was able to get a copy from RAaus, when I first got my pilot cert in 1988 the Flying School had to send a copy of the logbook to AUF when you passed your flight test. Amazingly they found it for me, so I only lost about 20 hours but luckily I kept all my endorsements. However best advice is don't chuck it out because you don't think you will fly again:smash pc:

     

     

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  2. In the aircraft we fly we turn downwind at 1000' and that puts the runway at about two thirds the way up the strut thus we are about the right distance out and this is pointed out to students.

    That's a good point Thirsty, I think it's a performance thing. I remember during my training doing circuits on 18 Moruya, this runway is parallel to the beach, if you attempt to climb to 1000 ft two up in the Gazelle you end up further out to sea than is wise. I remember one instructor saying "don't go further out to sea than you are prepared to swim:blink:" and another instructor saying "can we please turn downwind before we get to New Zealand:freaked:"

     

     

  3. I was taught to judge the downwind leg by using the strut on the aircraft regardless of height. This is also useful in an engine failure situation, select a paddock and imagine that it is a runway and when it is halfway up the strut (with a safety margin) you need to begin turning base (disclaimer - I am not an instructor and this is not meant to be advice).

     

    If you only turn downwind at 1000 feet doesn't this mean that in a the trusty Gazelle your turn would be at a different point if you are one up on a cold day than being 2 up on a hot day?

     

    Also does this mean that if you have a Gazelle and Pioneer 200 in the circuit together that the Gazelle with its modest climb performance would end up turning downwind further out than the Pioneer?

     

    Most of my flying has been from Moruya where when taking off from 05 (now 04) you are climbing out to sea, I was taught to begin an early gentle turn onto xwind in order to avoid flying too far out to sea where an engine failure would be a disaster.

     

    I am now flying at another airfield where the circuit is quite prescribed (in terms of turning points) in order to avoid overflying houses.

     

     

  4. Does anyone really believe this nonsense?

     

    Why stop going to the moon, no mystery there just the loss of political will and the enormous cost. Why go to Mars instead, easy evidence that there was once liquid water therefore the chances of life in the past are much greater.

     

    Does anyone really believe this? and if you believe this conspiracy theory what about Richard C Hoagland's other conspiracy theories http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_C._Hoagland

     

     

  5. My problem with labeling pilot's who have made a poor decision as an "idiot" is that, I don't consider myself as an idiot and I have been trained not to turn back, so I don't have to worry about it because, only an "idiot" would do it, so obviously I wont do it. I am much more interested in why experienced pilots sometimes make these bad decisions rather than just labeling them as fools.

     

    I think the psychology of it is easily understood, the roads are full of idiots, means -I am not an idiot therefore I wont have an accident and if I do have an accident, it can't my fault it is the is fault of one of those "idiots"

     

    Air France Flight 447 - pilot pulls back on stick despite stall warnings - we could say what an idiot or we can ask what causes an experienced pilot to make such a basic mistake I recall taxiing up to the fuel bowser where I found on the tarmac the fuel cap to an aircraft that had just taken off, rather than saying it happened because the pilot was stupid (not like me of course!) I wan't to know how it happened and how I can avoid making the same mistake.

     

    The other approach could be something along the lines of, pilot finds themselves in fog, forced to land on road - cause of incident, well it's obvious pilot must be an idiot.

     

     

    now - standing by to be called an idiot!

     

    regards

     

    Graham

     

     

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