Garfly

Yes, perhaps one of the few times it's crucial is in take-off/go-around mode, catching you unawares, as in that case.

On the subject of fatigued metal bits giving up the ghost: NTSB report: Report_ERA21LA183_102905_6_10_2023 6_57_08 AM.pdf

Yeah, me too. If it was just a SkyEcho2 (as opposed to a proper Mode S/ES transponder) it would show that the system is working - even for we, the masses. ;- )

Looking for more detail, I searched for the video BrendAn referred to. I think it's this one: ... which led me to the TSB Canada reports etc, that it was based on. My takeaways from all that: first, just how seriously federal agencies in Canada take ultralight aviation and its safety. (Imagine so comprehensive a report being done by the ATSB on an ultralight crash, and RAAus, of course, doesn't have anything like the resources needed.) And, second, that flying any fairly basic homebuilt ultralight might, itself, weigh-in on the pro side of a BRS installation, where practical. After all, it's not like either this particular pilot/operator or the kit manufacturer were heedless or clueless regarding the importance of the wing bracket that failed. In fact, the manufacturer required that the part be replaced before 500 hours - as, indeed, it had been. Anyway, I'm more convinced than ever just how crucial it is for all ultralight owners to keep a sharp pre-flight eye on lift-strut attachments (and to keep up a strict inspection schedule). Hidden metal fatigue is still a killer, especially in aeroplanes built for lightness. Annual Report to Parliament 2019-20 - Publications - Transportation Safety Board WWW.BST-TSB.GC.CA Annual Report to Parliament 2019-20 EXERPT: Risks associated with ultralight wing brackets On 30 July 2018, a privately operated Quad City Challenger II advanced ultralight aircraft crashed into trees en route from North Bay to Rockcliffe, Ontario, after the right wing separated from the aircraft. The single occupant was fatally injured. As part of its investigation (A18O0106), the TSBissued Aviation Safety Advisory A18O0106-D1-A1, “Quad City Challenger II Advanced Ultralight – Bracket Failure,” to alert Transport Canada to the possible risks associated with the failure of the attachment brackets that secure the wing lift struts on the aircraft. Quad City, the Canadian distributor of the Challenger II, is conducting a stress analysis on the addition of a fixture to reduce flexing and spread loads around the bolthole, where fatigue cracks appear to start. In response to the safety advisory, Transport Canada issued Civil Aviation Safety Alert 2019-02 to inform owners of the possible failure of the brackets and the need for disassembly, inspection and part replacement. Air Transportation Safety Investigation Report A18O0106 IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF RIGHT WING Quad City Challenger II (advanced ultralight), C-IGKT 30 July 2018 a18o0106.pdf EXERPT: Safety message The lift strut brackets used on the Quad City Challenger II have been in service for 35 years and are installed on more than 4400 aircraft worldwide, of which 608 are in Canada. In this accident, a fatigue crack on the right front lift strut bracket went undetected during the routine inspection cycle undertaken by the pilot, and the bracket failed in flight before the 500-hour stipulated life span. The failure led to the right wing separating from the aircraft, resulting in an unrecoverable loss of control and collision with terrain. Examination of additional brackets obtained from other aircraft, with various amounts of time-in-service, found that fatigue and delamination cracks are not isolated to the occurrence bracket. As this occurrence demonstrates, it is possible for fatigue and delamination crack failures to occur on these brackets within recommended time-in-service limits and to remain undetected during basic manufacturer-recommended inspection practices. Cracks that develop on an airframe component need to be identified before the component fails completely. This is especially true when the component’s failure can result in an irrecoverable loss of control in flight. Page images from the Report (click to enlarge):

"Birds often fly in groups and so do ultralight pilots. On June 3rd, a group of 10 aircraft took off from Hólmheiði (BI43) for a fun group flight to Reykjavík Airport (BIRK), where the 'Reykjavík Airshow' took place after a break of several years. In this section you will see and hear how group flights take place with us into controlled airspace. In order to reduce the load on the tower, only one program is entered in "formation" and 9 chasers."

Anyway, it looks like La Salette is a mere piece of cake compared to Valloire Bonnenuit. But again, our intrepid Jodel and Skyranger drivers show they know what they're about. From the Description (via Google translate): "As promised, here is Valloire Bonnenuit, well known to cycling and Tour de France enthusiasts, on the Col du Galibier road. The north/south oriented runway is located at 5600 ft, is 340 m long with a 9.5% gradient. We face south. The terrain is delicate with valley wind (downslope), with a venturi effect that can be pronounced. The final approach is very engaging, you really enter a funnel (at the origin of the venturi). Go-around is only possible as long as the valley is wide enough to turn around. It quickly becomes impossible. Pilots have died here for forgetting it. So if we get too high, too fast, we land anyway and we stop against the embankment at the end of the runway, sorry but alive! The visual of this rising valley makes it difficult to mentally represent the 5% plane on final, which can be tricky and cause us to approach on too weak a plane. If moreover that day, the wind is tail (mountain wind this time) and accelerates in the venturi when approaching the track, it is a blow to not being able to reach the track, even full throttle. It is therefore necessary to take the altimeter reference of the runway threshold during the low reconnaissance, then climb outward to the altitude of the downwind (here 6100 ft). Finally, once on final, check the plane with the vario once the runway is stationary in relation to the bonnet mark. Based ULM pilots, who are at home, must have other benchmarks. The next video will take us to La Tovière Val d'Isère, still in Savoie. Explanation of the venturi effect in detail: The AFPM field sheet indicates that the approach can be tricky in valley winds. It is important to fully understand how this may influence the approach in order not to make the decision to go around. Valley wind is created by the radiative cooling of air aloft in the mountains that flows up and down the valleys as it becomes denser than the surrounding air. The analogy with flowing water is quite telling. The stronger the radiative effect (cold soils at altitude), the larger the valley (supply surface), steeper and narrower, the stronger the wind will be. By watching my video you have surely noticed this small hill on the right on the short final which creates a pronounced restriction at the bottom of the valley. If the valley wind is present, it will increase sharply at this location. Now let's imagine an airplane on stabilized final. Approaching the venturi he will encounter a very strong positive wind gradient which will have the effect of increasing his indicated speed and/or causing him to pass above the plane and which may lead the pilot to believe that he is much too high and too fast to land and that at the same time, he has such climbing performance that he can turn around by overshooting. It is a decoy, because once past the venturi the opposite phenomenon occurs. It is therefore necessary to resist and be patient when aiming for the threshold of the runway, even on a very strong plane. Runway excursions at the end only exist if the speed relative to the ground is too high, but this is not the case. The indicated airspeed parameter will naturally decrease when exiting the venturi allowing the landing. Once the phenomenon is well understood, it will come naturally that it is suicidal to attempt a take-off in these conditions, the venturi can get the better of the planes that have the best climbing performance, unless they can pass well above the hill." SPEEDJOJO Blog: http://speedjojo.blogspot.com/ Shop SPEEDJOJO T-shirts: https://www.tostadora.fr/speedjojo/ca...

Yeah, not only does the device need to see the sky but you also need to see it's face to check for 'three greens' before trusting it. The BAT/ADS-B/GPS all need to give the green light. If GPS reception/transmission gets dodgy it will turn orange and finally red.

Did you catch Bertorelli on dodging meat bombs? (He has a little sting in the tail for we of the "perfectly good aeroplane" brigade ;- )

The man on the Clapham bus thinks the same about anyone who goes up in one of them little aeroplanes; jumping out looks like the safe option.

Or ....

It won't stop the Sports Ladderers, though. They thrive on the thrill of going that one rung higher.

Good you're still here to tell the tale! (Did you post a video? ;- )

Climbing up ladders is far more hair-raising to me. (Look what it did to poor old Molly Meldrum ;- )

Hey OK, I just use Googles "translate this page" function. Seems to work well enough most of the time, if you can interpret the Googlish. LOL Ah, here ya go. Found it: It still may be hard to find. You have to scroll down to January 29 in his blog (link copied again below) to find the 'hood flap' or 'bonnet flap'. You also may have to refresh the Translate this page request in your browser. https://speedjojo-blogspot-com.translate.goog/search?updated-max=2019-02-01T18:21:00%2B01:00&max-results=2&start=27&by-date=false&_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_sch=http

Yes, I think we discussed that here some time ago. It's his own design; it opens automatically on the ground to let some of the heat escape from the engine bay. He writes about it in his blog somewhere: http://speedjojo.blogspot.com/p/accueil.html

I think it's safer than many I've seen in PNG. A go-around even at the last second is always available; no mountain wall, just plenty of air and gravity assist. Turning base and final in and around ridges is very PNG-like. But at least La Salette offers the opportunity to bug out left or right if the sight picture is looking crook on final.

Yes, Nev, but that kind of flying - those kind of skills - is your ordinary day at the office for pilots flying, say, Level 3 charter in PNG. They're skills which must be obtained by new starts before they're let loose on the Owen Stanleys and similarly challenging terrain. But many private pilots too, can and do fly the mountains safely. As Peuzin says, you need to be methodical in your risk management, starting with an "in-depth knowledge of flight mechanics" as Google puts it - and which kind of covers it.

Yes, no wind in that last vid. from 6 years ago. But did you see the second film in the original post? It's called "Cross-wind at La Salette". But then Peuzin, himself, commented to camera after that circuit that he didn't think it "prudent" to have another go. In another of his La Salette films he admits to being a bit obsessed by its challenges. However, for those of a mind to label his videos "irresponsible" he mounts his own defence in the Description: [Per Google Translate] "I do not wish in any way to contradict the academic message of training from official organizations nor to “push to crime” by the supposed bad example given to young pilots. I think everyone is big enough to know their limits. Finally, although I am a captain in commercial aviation, that does not make me a reference for mountain flying. I just want to shed new and perhaps questionable personal light, based on my experience of mid-mountain flight on wheels (snow on skis is another matter), my in-depth knowledge of flight mechanics and finally the management of the risk that I practice daily as an airline pilot. This first video presents the best example of my "neurosis" by its spectacular aspect, but it also shows the methodical nature of the approach. My next videos will be less spectacular, they will stay in in an educational register to expose my theory on the main and subsidiary risks by land and how to manage them." (This has no subtitles but we get the picture.)

Yeah, I guess you don't ... you just settle in for a leisurely glide down to one of the valleys below. ;- ) But Fred Peuzin, the pilot owner of the Jodel (and airline pilot by trade) is well used to this strip. His uncle even gets into La Salette, without problems in his little Skyranger. This vid from 6 years ago shows the strip in nicer WX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db4C3-wZr20

Neil, I'd have guessed that the Ping being IN-only would not qualify for the rebate. If that's the case, then I suppose you may as well go for the SkyEcho2 because you get IN and OUT for a similar price. (with the rebate). You can always switch off the OUT function when needed, plus, the SE2 being portable could come in handy when you switch to another aircraft, for instance.

With english subtitles: From the channel's 'About': "The light aircraft in question in this blog is a Jodel DR-1050 MV Sicily Record F-PKPL, powered by a 100 hp Continental O-200 driving a Ratier propeller. Although this plane was designed in 1959, it still performs very well today, since it can reach a cruising speed of 210 km/h (factory plane). It is a 2+2 seater, with an empty weight of 460 kg, and a maximum take-off weight of 780 kg. It was built by Pierre Peuzin between 1985 and 1993.... The rest of this presentation on this link: http://speedjojo.blogspot.com/p/accueil.html"

Here ya go!

To me, it's interesting that big investment continues to go into new alternative-fuel ICEs just as unleaded petrol is coming online. I wonder at the business model but it must make sense, somehow. According to the article "according to the company" there's significant interest from the military and also from "kit builders". It'll also have to compete with the new similar sized, similar priced (?) turbines using the same fuel - and maybe not all that much more of it per mile.