djpacro

On 30/06/2025 at 7:24 PM, RYoung said:

Good evening gentlemen,

I think that I make builder number 3 in the world of Taylor Monoplanes. ...

My friend, John Biggs, built his in the '70s. I visited the Taylor family in the UK back then.

1 hour ago, skippydiesel said:

At the risk of enhancing my reputation for pedantry;

The student pilot does not meet the requirements for Command. .......

To Command you must satisfy the authorities that you meet the standard to do so. ......

Easily resolved, just ask CASA https://www.casa.gov.au/about-us/contact-us

18 minutes ago, skippydiesel said:

djpacro

 

I thing you are taking liberties with the CASA definition & the English language - "a person authorised under this Part to manipulate the flight controls of an aircraft during flight." does not automatically confer Pilot In Command status

True, a pilot must be authorised by someone to be PIC.

The thing about the definition of PIC is that it can onlty be a pilot in the aeroplane during that flight. So, for a solo student flight, it is obvious that the student is authorised to be the PIC, as there are no other options.

1 hour ago, BrendAn said:

Regarding your comments above wouldn't that be a police matter as well. Theft of the aircraft, especially the one that crashed.

They weren't regarded as police matters, rather failures of the flight schools' systems. No instructor authorisation. An example of insurance excess considerations. I agree, a departure from the rest of our discussion.

Quote

The student is pic because the instructor is not in the AC.

CASA's legal definition, per Part 61 (so not RAA) of a "pilot" means "a person authorised under this Part to manipulate the flight controls of an aircraft during flight." When solo, the student is the pilot, the only person, the only pilot in the aeroplane. So, yes, the pilot in command.

In CASRs Part 61 and Parts 141/142 (which don't apply to RAA), an instructor has obligations in approving a solo flight by a student. Then off they go on their merry ways, nil obligation to supervise the flight. On completion of a flight the instructor would take an interest in what was undertaken for the training records of progress.

Instructors do like to sit on the bench outside with a radio and observe a first solo (and listen to radio calls). 

16 hours ago, BrendAn said:

Would you not agree that when the instructor deems you competent to solo and  gets out of the aircraft he is shifting the responsibility of your safety to you because as the only person in the AC you become pic. ..... It is up to you to complete the flight in safe manner.

Yes.

I know of several incidents where a student took an aeroplane without being authorised by an instructor. One resulted in a bad crash at Moorabbin. Another took my aeroplane from a flight school to fly without authority, fortunately, no accident - but if there was, only one party was involved throughout to write a name on the insurance claim. Both were pilot in command, obviously.

3 hours ago, BrendAn said:

now let's uncross the wires.   i rang all the correct people to make sure i understood where a student pilot stands because it never gets a mention.

 

1. the instructor  is always pic if in the aircraft. that makes him responsible for the insurance excess if there is a mishap.

 

2. as soon as the instructor gets out and the student becomes pic then student is responsible  for insurance excess.

 

3. of course the flight school must have insurance , that is not in question. this is all about who pays excess.

 

4. i think flying schools with huge excess should be made to tell the students before they fly.

 

My observations from working as an instructor at several CASA approved flight schools and one combined CASA/RAA is:

1. The instructor will never be responsible for the insurance excess, being the employee of the flight school.
2. A pilot, even a student, signs whatever it is for the flight to be authorised so he/she can go off to fly an aeroplane as pilot in command. The fine print that is being signed for (whether it is a paper sign-out system or electronic) will refer to the flight school's T&Cs which few people bother to look at. It will include insurance information including responsibility for insurance excess which typically says that the hirer of the aeroplane (regardless of licence status) is responsible however there is generally a note stating that the flight school may waive the fee (which they normally do for an accident).
3. When I went to do some flying in a Gazelle to gain my RAA certificate I leant that the aircraft was not insured, it just had the RAA third party cover.
4. When a pilot signs that they have read the T&Cs before they go flying then they have confirmed that they have been told about the insurance excess. The excess for my airplane is $2500 - huge for some people but similar to hiring a car of very muich lower value.

Sorry, try the public page. Some recent activity there. Name of the President is mentioned. I know one of the people in a recent photo there. https://www.facebook.com/ColdstreamFlyersClub?

This still appears active online at Coldstream Flyers Aero Club Members | Facebook

15 hours ago, Kyle Communications said:

Looks like TDS is alive and well in this country too

Yes indeed. Biden's time was a debacle and we have been saved from a disastrous Harris. I lived in the USA for several years and wanted to stay longer - if I had been there as a younger man I probably would've stayed the rest of my life. The UK is off my list of countries to visit again, Australia has been heading down the same dangerous path.

I'm off to enjoy my American airplanes, my American car and to visit Oshkosh this year.

I'll leave you all to it.

3 hours ago, Garfly said:

 

It's too bad DJP never got around to building that app.

 

Unfortunately, that CASA link doesn't seem to be working any more.   

CASA has this sensible new AC:

Land and Land Ownership | Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping

"Apart from these and other similar statutory exceptions, the surface owner does own the airspace above their land in the sense that, subject to building regulations, they are fully entitled to extend their occupation of the air, for example, by building high-rise developments. However, judgements in recent cases are interpreted to mean that an owner's rights extend only as far as is necessary for the ordinary use and enjoyment of their land."

Hopefully some-one can help you with that.

CASA flight school Operations Manuals generally have the specific base(s) identified, even those of us who have one of the new-fangled Become a single-person instructor flight training operation | Civil Aviation Safety Authority - however, I see provision for a temporary Flight training locations | Civil Aviation Safety Authority (educating myself here).

Unfortunately, CASA's website does not help finding Part 141 flight schools.

My suggestion: look more widely than this website. Perhaps approach some flight schools directly. It is going to need an experienced instructor with the appropriate authorisations to do it all.

10 minutes ago, T510 said:

I like the look of these for extra fuel if your aircraft has somewhere to mount them.

 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com.au/catalog/eppages/ultralighttank05-12347.php

Not going to get approved for a "FACTORY BUILT TYPE ACCEPTED 95.55", especially an LSA. You'd need to prove compliance with the ASTM specification.

6 hours ago, Moneybox said:

.... any additional weight or accessories are fitted. .... From my point of view it’s saying, go ahead and do it but do it right. 

and doing "it", the approval of a change, "right" for a "factory built type accepted" aircraft, especially an LSA is where all the work is

1 hour ago, Moneybox said:

 

Maybe but why mention adding fuel to a larger tank if that option doesn't exist?

Perhaps there is a factory option and an associated flight manual supplement?

I believe that you have a 24 series registration "FACTORY BUILT TYPE ACCEPTED 95.55" which obliges you to follow specific rules about any modifications to the aeroplane OR .... not.

10 hours ago, Flightrite said:

This subject can be over thought in some ways. Simple solution is work out the worst case rearward CoG and Fwd CoG with these  numbers/weights handy and use them as a limit, anything less weight wise is obviously ok👍

Not necessarily. My POH for the Sportstar states "Minimum weight of crew ... 55 kg". It is not the only aeroplane where the loading system requires ballast with petite pilots.

2 hours ago, Moneybox said:

 

I'm confident I have it right. The empty plane bit has an ARM back from the leading edge. The weight at that point is the entire weight of the empty plane with 2.9L of unusable fuel. ARM x Weight = Moment. Total moments / total weight gives the CG. 

....

Anyway if you guys are calculating W&B before each flight then your opinion is more important to me than the expert (ex is a hasbeen and spurt is a drip under pressure) who learned it from a book.

Yes, I think that you have it right too.

But I'm a "has been", of course. Weight Control Authority for about 40 years. 

33 minutes ago, Moneybox said:

Thank you. Mine is an early model, 2004 with a single tank in the fuselage. ..... Reviving an old plane comes with its challenges.

I've been through that. I found an appropriate POH and Maintenance Manual - the latter has the moment arms same as you stated. Your spreadsheet seems fine to me.

My wife and I total about 150 kg and she would want to take more luggage than the 15 kg max of the Sportstar. Lucky, we have a different type.

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It looks like there's room to expand on the fuel or luggage if I get the balance right?

Max baggage is 15 kg and max fuel is 65 litres regardless of balance.

Great stuff.

1 hour ago, Moneybox said:

The Datum is the leading edge of the wing. The fuel tank arm is 920mm and the baggage is 1270mm (in line with the wing trailing edge) and is just big enough for that pair of electric scooters that we're going to need to make it from the airport into town 🤣

Which model of the Sportstar? The POH for the Sportstar Max that I grabbed from online is different. It has fuel arm of 26.75 in (679 mm) and baggage arm of 43.65 in (1083 mm) assuming my arithmetic is correct! Crew moment arm is also different from your spreadsheet - 545 vs 500 mm.

Suggestion: to check your spreadsheet use the example given in the POH. And ignore those who say use different datums etc, just follow the POH and the TCDS.

browser tripled it

browser tripled it

3 hours ago, Geoff_H said:

Don't declare Cialis.  You can't fly for 25hrs after taking one, and they are talented one a day.  .... What does Viagra and Cialis do to you that you can't fly?  Anyone know?

Not quite right - see the USA FAA guide (CASA is similar - they require proof of no side effects) Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners | Federal Aviation Administration

11 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

 

As recreational / private pilots, we should be doing everything we can to have this ridiculous, ineffective system disbanded

 

 😈

Even more ridiculous with the correct interpretation of the rules. Take a look at websites for Essendon and Moorabbin airports, for example - ring them up and ask.

22 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

The crew (pilot & passenger(s) do not need an ASIC until they get out of the aircraft. If one of the crew has an ASIC, they can escort the remainder to/from the aircarft. If no one has an ASIC, they can be escorted by any ASIC holder (security/other pilot/etc).

The regulation is very short with simple words and phrases.

"a person in the airside security zone of a security controlled airport must properly display a valid red ASIC"

It does not state that "a person in the airside security zone and not in an aircraft ..."

How do I know? Back when I had an AVID not an ASIC I regularly (but not frequently) took students into Essendon Airport - fly in, land, taxi around and takeoff again without getting out of the aeroplane. 

Only passengers may be escorted.

There is provision for special events at an airfield where less onerous processes may be implemented.

On 1/11/2024 at 9:34 PM, Blueadventures said:

Measurements as discussed.

 

Blue Cessna tow handle.docx 434.96 kB · 26 downloads

Any news on the manufacture of these? I have a tailwheel one and I need a new spring at least, perhaps the whole unit.