djpacro

Tocumwal and Lilydale for a Eurofox. Savage Cub at Lethbridge. The Decathlon thingy at Lethbridge has gone - will soon be at Bacchus Marsh if not there already.

I agree in general. As I stated, it just needs enough down elevator to stall it (cambered aerofoils have more pitching moment to overcome, fuselage shape and its pitching moment also a factor). There are some types around which do have this apart from the serious aerobatic types. Me too. I totally agree. I have lost too many friends to spin accidents, including inadvertent inverted spins so it is near the top of my list. I agree, of little concern to the average GA pilot. Agreed, I see too much of this, even amongst instructors approved to teach spinning which is a real concern. CASA's Part 61 Manual of Standards specifies stalls in quite a few more situations than I see in a typical syllabus at a flying school.

Modern, specialised aerobatic aeroplanes these days have a high power to weight ratio so will be at an extremely low airspeed when you hit the rudder. A Pitts will even do a passable stall turn going backwards when rudder is hit. Plenty of slipstream over the tail for rudder and elevator to be effective. Torque and gyroscopics dominate at low speeds for small aeroplanes with big engines. Hit the rudder for the stall turn then need pretty much full opposite aileron and full forward stick to maintain the plane of rotation in yaw. Some people do it mechanically and if they hit the rudder at too high an airspeed the controls are set up for an inverted flat spin. A Pitts S-1D with flat bottom wings will do it just as easily as an S-1S with symmetrical aerofoils. Regardless, it seems to be quite happy in an inverted spin

Are you calling me a modern pilot? I bought the book only about 10 years ago, wish I had bought it 50 years ago. I hope to finish reading it one day. Not all Pitts have symmetrical aerofoils. The Decathlon doesn't have a symmetrical aerofoil, the earlier 7KCAB Citabria even more camber yet will happily spin inverted - even transition from an upright spin to inverted with barely a hesitation. All an aeroplane needs is enough down elevator to drive the angle of attack negative enough to stall the wing - many types do not, plus the high stick force/extreme forward position is un-natural enough that you have to really want to put the stick there. The Pitts catches many people out with aggressive spin entries, often to flat inverted, from a messed up stall turn or roll off the top. Very disorientating if experienced accidently for the first time. The "Silver Chain" wouldn't work here.

It regularly kills people flying Pitts.

What he actually stated in the book is quite correct.

Business cards on the board in the International Tent is evidence.

Safety pilot only applies to flights where individuals have such a medical restriction. An instructor is PIC or just a passenger. From memory the rules allow passengers on training flights except where emergency procedures are being exercised.

Part 91 is coming but I don't think that we'll like it any more than Part 61. The current rules we've been discussing are stated in the VFR Guide http://www.vfrg.com.au/general/pilot-responsibilities/classification-of-operations/

And I think you will find that CASA's view of the reg is that it must be approx equal cost share.

Charter flight?

Beer and bubbly for breakfast too I hope? Meanwhile, I had a very comfortable flight back on United.

Its been around for a while, good fauxtography.

I had a chat with Bevan at Oshkosh and explained why I had gone back to OzRunways and I'd forgotten those frustrations with AvPlan download times from a year or two ago. I now have an iPad Mini, no issues with OzRunways but I only have some of the charts. I assume you have informed both of the problems?

I don't claim any expertise wrt engines so I won't offer an opinion however I am quite confident that he will succeed based on what I have seen of the way he goes about things.

Caught up with Ian Bent for a good discussion on engines.

People are against Oshkosh?

Bumped into Jill tonight, after another long day ......l

Replica of the first Pitts Special, the Little Stinker, is right out front of the aerobatic club HQ. Empty weight less than 260 kg. Next to it is the last in the series, a Model 12.

Yes, I haven't seen them yet however as I'm immersed in the Pitts 70th Anniversary activities.

I was at one of the forums and the speaker was talking about two Barbies riding a dinosaur - complete with models.

The call on Centre is not mandatory. Interesting that the VPG (reading 2010 version) has southbound transits to Carrum at the same height as inbound traffic to MB at that point. And northbound - guess what the southbound departures will be at, but at least they will change to Centre frequency sometime after leaving the zone. As I said, I'd talk to MB as they know what's going on there and take an interest. The Tower folk are friendly and helpful. I'll see if I can get some current unofficial opinion from MB Tower and also Melb Centre to pass on. It is a very busy part of the world with most traffic on Tower frequency inbound or changing to Centre outbound. Both should see you on radar and Tower in particular may alert arrivals and departures if if etc. Writing this in a 787 halfway across the Pacific on my way to Oshkosh.

Mandatory call to Melbourne Centre at Carrum? Even going coastal outside the zone, MB Tower likes you to talk to them and stay on frequency while transiting nearby.

I haven't seen any info confirming engine stopped turning? Even if not told to stop turning it may have been the fuel system as a result of a long vertical up line?Verticals can also result in zero oil pressure .......

This one had an engine failure?? DZN I'd understood to be the common failed stall turn into aggressive spin .... reported "engine cut out" does not necessarily mean engine failure.