ruffasguts

Here we go... trying to legislate against natural selection again. The saying "you can lead a horse to water" comes to mind.Not suggesting that our aircraft shouldn't be maintained to a decent standard, but, that if you're smart enough to learn to fly, surely you're smart enough to recognize maintenance deficiencies/ unserviceabilities, or educate (or seek education) yourself, to adequately cover your needs.

Perhaps just include it in the BFR, might be a good idea, or do we have instructors out there without a clue as well?

 

Perhaps it's just me, but I would be appalled to find we've reached a similar situation a our vehicle drivers, who can have a licence, but wouldn't know where to find a dipstick, or how to change a tyre.

the problem stems from the early days when most people were enthusiasts building and maintaining simple aircraft ,now we have aircraft which make GA look stupid and people who want to use them like motor cars, and see Raaus as a cheap way to do it with little regard(and no knowledge) to the maintenance needs of these complex aircraft

Mick W

Hi another question...I have had a moving map program running on my laptop for about 7 years and all has been good. A Bluetoothed a G-Sat GPS receiver provided position data until a few months ago when the position data went seriously awry.

 

I was told it was probably the GPS receiver so I purchased a Dual GPS 160. The laptop recognises it but doesn't seem to know what to do with it. No position data is transferring to the laptop. I tried it on two laptops, one running an older system and one on Windows 8. Still no go.

 

It works fine with the IPad!

 

What am I doing wrong?

 

Thanks guys

 

Kaz:unhappy composer:

the auster has just realised u are trying to use modern technology

Mick VH ABS

use avgas for a while any leaks will soon be seen as the green dye leaches out

Mick W

South Australian chapters toy run Truro Flats Airpark November 24thMick W

Mick W

if it flys as well as the cx4 then it will be good

i built the first cx4 to fly ln australia

mlck w

Hi Mick,That was the forst place I looked but couldn't find what I was looking for … may be I'm looking in the wrong place?

 

Cheers

 

Vev

have modified several aircraft to eliminate tyre wear I fitted machine shims and set camber almost vertical with full fuel aircraft operating off hard surface and now do not have to rotate tyres every 100hrs to promote even wear

Hi Nev,It's a jab160 U/C

 

Cheers

 

Vev

Mick W

Hi all, the AAAA is running their toyrun again this year at barwon heads airfield, I've been to the last few .it's a great turnout ,well worth the effort

Mick W

My j160 2mains lean way out, outer 1/3rd of tyres only used, spoke to jab, they sell wedges, I,m about to order 2. ( have renewed tyres & tubes, need to set her up right )

Mick W

Not sure if it still is. It is considered a minimum, but I think I read somewhere that other would suffice if fitted. Most magnetic compasses are close to useless. the reason I brought it up is that one never uses magnetic by itself,( except for runway designation which is still based on degrees M, rounded to 10).

Mick

Just curious U/L Why would you want a magnetic compass? (unless for a power failure or gnss info). Nev

mick w

Mick W. In theory yes, but in appearance not good. The matters that would relate to geographical areas specifically would be few, really. Australia is a big place and travel from remote areas difficult and costly. Being a national organisation there may be some requirement for the representation giving some account to states as such. This should be checked so we know what we are talking about. Putting requirements on candidates may be difficult at law. Attitude has been a problem in the past. How does one assess that?. I would like to think we are past a lot of that. Nev

Mick W

Eight states and territories in this country, so who is going to miss out ?......Plus Queensland needs at least two reps. One in the South East corner is not going to give a damn about the North, and one in the North Probabily won't do much for the SE corner, as we already get ignored by them in most other aspects. Is NSW and Victoria going to be happy with only one rep ?.................Maj...

Mick W

My Auster did its hot bitumen trick last weekend. I was down to about 30 knots and holding it 3point just off the runway and it started going up again.It was hot and the wind a bit gusty, too. That's a "float" of a different kind.

 

Had to give a little squirt of throttle and try a second time.

 

K az

Mick W

Airport Metals Australia - Stocklist - ex MelbournePerformance Metals - ex Sydney - not as wide a range as AMA

 

Note from their product list you can also buy streamlined tubing in 4130 CRMO as well as in 6061T6, might be better for you. Depending on the design your 1" and 1.25" strut sizing (and wall thickness) sounds a bit minimal for buckling in compression unless they are very short and also have jury struts.

Mick W

If RA-Aus is to be able to logically argue that L1 and L2 maintenance should continue as it is then it has to have reasonable evidence that this is a safe system of maintenance compared with the fully "professional" LAME system.There is I would suggest, zero evidence to support L1 maintenance other than there has not been a statistical trail of carnage related to poor L1 maintenance (although Jabiru engine maintainers might be proving otherwise). The lack of failures due to poor L1 maintenance may have more to do with luck and the fact that pretty well everyone over 50 has lived through a time when car engines were simple and owner maintenance was typical.

 

Compare then the young person coming to Rec Flying who has never as much as changed a spark plug on a lawnmower who assiduously learns to fly and is awarded L1 maintenance privileges with zero knowledge/skill testing.

 

How often in recent years have L2s had to do the maintenance equivalent of a BFR? How many got their L2 as a sweetheart deal with an obliging Tech Manager? I know of one L3 (a former long-serving Board Member) that I wouldn't let near my lawnmower (if i owned one).

 

Professionalism is something that, unfortunately, we don't automatically associate with RA-Aus, the organisation that has administered amateur aviation for 30 years. Like it or lump it, if RA-Aus does not become professional we will lose the privileges that were so hard won by the pioneers - albeit in easier times.

 

Like FactHunter and others have said, without owner (or L2) Maintenance RA-Aus loses its reason for being.

 

RA-Aus has an obligation to its members to continually provide CASA with the comfort of knowing Recreational Aviation is being administered with a high regard for and achievement of practical safety. We have not done that, I would suggest, for much of the last few years. And who knows that better than Lee Ungermann and his boss Jonathan Aleck?

Mick W

I was flying a 3 hr cross country today in my Jab170c. Everything was going great until I noticed the voltmeter had dropped below 12 volt and obviously not charging. By the time I got to my home field YGAW I didn't have enough battery left to make radio calls.I figure the battery is probably fine and I have got it at home on charge. I expect the alternator is not charging. I have no experience with aircraft alternators and was hoping for some advice on where to start. I don't know if this has anything to do with it but I noticed my oil pressure gauge needle was not steady. All help appreciated.

I was flying a 3 hr cross country today in my Jab170c. Everything was going great until I noticed the voltmeter had dropped below 12 volt and obviously not charging. By the time I got to my home field YGAW I didn't have enough battery left to make radio calls.I figure the battery is probably fine and I have got it at home on charge. I expect the alternator is not charging. I have no experience with aircraft alternators and was hoping for some advice on where to start. I don't know if this has anything to do with it but I noticed my oil pressure gauge needle was not steady. All help appreciated.

Bugger using an iron, Way too fiddly. electric heat gun is quick and easy, as recommended to me by Howie at Lightwing and my local LAME. just remember to take the nozzle off the end if its removable. and depending on your aircraft structure watch out for over tightening the fabric as it can deform light frames, but this is easy to control with the heat gun.Just glue a test bit of fabric to something like an old tennis racquet etc. then shrink it until you go too far, its amazing how much heat it takes. good for testing finishing sealers, paint etc also.

MEK is brilliant stuff, wish I knew about it years ago, 20l was about $100 in WA from Blackwoods.

 

Andrew

Mick W

have built a Thatcher cx4 from scratch , now building a Onex from kit at Gawler welcome to look at both and ask questions ,More than happy to help any way I can,

I also hold Raaus level 4 maintenance authority , PM for more info

AAAA annual toy run in conjunction with the Barossa Birdmen. November 24 th 2013 lunch avaliable

Flyin to Truro Flats, Bring a toy to be distributed to those less fortunate than ourselves ,taste the Barossa Birdwomens famous steak sandwiches. All welcome

for info contact Mick W 0409676837

CX4 100 knots at 3200rpm with 2 litre Limbach need to up pitch prop want 100 at 3000 this on the first CX4 to fly in Australia

Mick W

Ben

suggest you get a real job so you can build the CX4

want inspiration call in at YGAW sometime

Mick W

a pilot in America was taking his non flying mate for a flight , as they walked along the row of parked Cessna 172s the pilot said to his mate see that one 5 from the end that is different from the others.

his mate said but they all look the same ,the pilot replied yes but that one is MINE

Mick W

Boxy,The L4 rating is the highest one can get with RAA. It is issued to select people who have the responsibility of approving airplanes before their first flight. So these people have to have lots and lots of practical experience dealing with all the systems of a light airplane.

An L2 is qualified to carry out maintenance. Without belittling any L2s, I would suggest that an L2 is equivalent to an unlicensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (although a heck of a lot of RAA L2s are in fact CASA LAMEs)

 

Why can't you son get an L2 ticket? Probably because his experience is with a completely different type of airplane design (unless he was working on light communications and observation types). What an L2 needs is greasy hands experience on simple systems. An L2 also needs to be able to put right mistakes and damage the correct way, without having access to highly complex maintenance documentation. I suppose that the best way to put it is that an L2 needs the experience with very light aircraft construction and design to be able to spot something that looks wrong without resorting to reference books.

 

I know it sounds like I'm putting your son's experience down, but put it another way, he is used to working with Thoroughbred stock. An L2 works with cart horses and hacks.

 

OME

Mick W

There is discussion on another thread where it was stated that it could be very hard to get an insurance company to pay out in the case of a claim.I'm curious to know if anyone has had an accident/incident and had their claim paid without too much drama or on the other hand if you've been shafted on a technicality.

Mick W