Garfly

Seeing this it's easy to imagine how the ancients came up with earthocentric spheres. If only they'd had YouTube back then ...

Juan's take on it ....

https://www.aviation24.be/airports/austin-airport-aus/a-very-close-call-bewteen-a-southwest-boeing-737-and-a-fedex-boeing-767-at-austin-airport-texas/ (The YT Comment section gives a lot of context so better to click "Watch on YouTube")

You may have seen this one already; Bobby Bailey putting his design through its paces in Nepal. From the YT description: "The Dragonfly Rancher is “The Most Versatile Light Aircraft in the World.” And quite likely, be the most fun you will ever have. The Bailey Moyes Dragonfly was first introduced in 1989 by the “Godfather” of Hang Gliding, Bill Moyes. And, quickly gained the reputation as the best aircraft for towing Hang Gliders aloft worldwide. With little surprise, as aero towing was what Booby Bailey designed it for."

It's not all fun, though. I see that apart from hang-glider towing, the Dragonfly has been put to work crop-spraying. (Not that that wouldn't be fun, too. ; -) CLICK PIC FOR FULL REZ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eXAkUNOsaM

When I had a query about a particular NOTAM not long ago, I got a quick and useful reply from the: Network Coordination Centre Duty Line Manager Airservices Australia [email protected]

Well, yes, exactly! That's why I'm hoping the US effort to fix NOTAMs trickles down to us, sooner rather than later. It's not like professionals are any better off than amateurs; they're worse off, having to deal with it every day. To repeat a few of the comments (presumably from professionals) to the original YouTube video (above). Matthew Butler 3 years ago I think the issue is that in order to pick out and determine which are applicable to you, you still have to read each in its entirety. For example the one they read regarding taxiway barred, it didn't say who it all applied to until the very end (aircraft with wingspan larger than...) Andrew Truax 1 year ago Realistically, if every airline pilot went over every relevant NOTAM for every flight in a single day, they would have literally no time for other tasks. Tom Nguyen 2 weeks ago (edited) NOTAMS need to be prioritized and filtered so that the important ones aren't lost in the layers of more insignificant NOTAMS. Plus the raw text is awful to read. And it's not like the problem is not known locally. There was this Flight Safety Australia article from 2020: https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2020/07/missing-the-message/ Missing the Message : How do you find the vital pre-flight information you need when it’s buried deep in a stream of NOTAMs? This frustration, felt by pilots around the world is finally being addressed—but don’t expect change anytime soon

Nobody's giving olde-world personal briefings to recreational flyers these days. Of course It's all done by machine (and if you're using an EFB's 'smart brief' app, it's based on your electronic flight plan - submitted or otherwise) and it's ready in an instant, no matter how close to your ETD. But the point is that people in power don't regard notams as conveyors of information so much as coverers of backsides (that is, their own). Who cares that the one crucial bit of info was buried deep in the middle of masses of irrelevant garbage.: "You can see, Your Honour, that the information was plainly available and so the agency itself is blameless and the prosecution rests its (strict liability) case."

U.S. House Passes Bill to Improve NOTAM System https://www.flyingmag.com/u-s-house-passes-bill-to-improve-notam-system/ I, for one, am hoping that the same happens here. As I posted above: "Last year I wrote to OzRwys support about the way NOTAMs are handled in their SmartBrief feature" "I’m curious about how and by-whom notams get selected/ordered? Is there a way around having to wade through tons of dross to get to the few morsels that matter. For example in this little (test) plan, I was interested to see if the notam about the grass strip at Taree being unavailable, due soft and wet, would turn up. I reckon that this would be, perhaps, the most important piece of info for anyone flying in who didn’t otherwise know that. Well yes, it does turn up ... but right at the bottom of the very long list - at #58 in this particular instance." (15/7/21) OzRwys reply: "This is because NOTAMs are very poorly sorted by the authorities (currently under a big review by CASA) and we are not given geographical information to link them more logically for users." "

Ooopsie! 😉

And even those who DO have "understanding of what a single engine landing entails" can not know what it MIGHT entail (what, with one having quit for unknown reasons). I'd be rolling the ambos if it was up to me, if only for fear of looking like a goose if it ended badly - a BA38 style arrival, say - with nary a first-aider in sight. (BA Flight 38: the 777 that fell a bit short at LHR 15 years back.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_38 )

But operating single-engine mid-ocean ain't no walk in the park. Surely, there were no options but an immediate MAYDAY/Datalink SOS in this case. It would have triggered responses from the system. I'd suppose - and expect - that AMSA was already sussing-out shipping near the route. MAYDAY may be "the HIGHEST risk level" - but it's not like there are heaps of levels. Heck, aren't crews now bound to declare MAYDAY-FUEL even if they're going to land just a smidge under legal reserves. No such thing as a cool PAN-PAN-FUEL call. Of course there's heaps of hype around such events. The public holds endless crazy notions, panderable to for profit. Koshie even rolled out Richard de Crespigny today for us to fawn over. Insider insouciance is, I guess, the reaction.

In any case, losing one of two, mid-ocean - and wondering if #2 might follow suit - sort of makes "possible assistance needed" a little understated.

Apparently the accident was live-streamed from inside the pax cabin. https://7news.com.au/travel/plane-crashes/chilling-videos-show-the-moment-passenger-plane-plunges-into-mountainous-nepal-c-9459068 https://www.thedailybeast.com/jet-carrying-72-people-crashes-into-gorge-in-nepal

I agree. I think I was just as nervous going solo on the roads as in the air, maybe more so. (Probably with good reason.)

368,244 views Sep 11, 2020 Taking off from Old Park Farm, South Wales. Aircraft is a Streak Shadow fitted with a new Rotax 582 engine which had about 20 hours on it since I fitted it to the aircraft. Cause of failure still being investigated. 840 views Jan 24, 2022 In 2020 I posted a video showing the cockpit view of my engine failing on take off. I posted the video and it has many views, but of later interested parties (and other pilots flying similar aircraft) have asked for a `Follow Up,` video of WHAT CAUSED IT.

Okay ... but "If it's Boeing, I'm not going!" is just a play on the cap-cliché : (unfortunately, way out of date, nowadays ;- )