Louis Moore

I think Nev really hit the nail on the head with his earlier comment. We all hear of pilots who have an "instructor friend" and get an over the phone BFR. But there are also those instructors who tend to be (in my opinion) to stringent. Some guys want to carry out a full PPL check ride for a BFR, and others get all twisted up in knots if you mix your radio calls up just a little (like say Traffic Location instead of Location Traffic, which while it can be bought to the pilots attention is not in any way making him a dangerous, uneducated pilot). The standards for teaching in GA & RAA from what I have experienced are pretty much the same as realistically the way both aircraft categories fly is relatively similar and face the same emergency situations. All conversation I have heard to the contrary of that seem to, as far as I can figure out, be either hearsay or school/instructor specific as opposed to category specific. Now I am not saying relax a little, prudent emergency technique and current, updated training is a staple of a safe pilot. Still I think that those instructors who are to over the top with training tend to give both categories of aviation just as much of a bad name as those who are to lax. I also find those over stringent instructors tend to be more interested in waxing lyrical about their prejudice to the lack in flying ability of pilots these days than they are in actually teaching people how to fly!! The best instructors are the ones who want to make sure you as the pilot can fly and make decision prudent to the aircraft type and situation.

What are the species of low performance aircraft?

Thought so, guess I will have to book in for two then!!!

Wish I was closer to SA, would love to fly one. Have not seen any about so guessing there can not be more than a handful.

Not really sure where to post this, so forgive me if it is in the wrong spot. Just thought the Auster owners (or anyone who owns vintage british aircraft thats on here) might be interested in the following sight http://www.ajjcollection.co.uk/ it is a HUGE collection of negatives of aircraft. I contacted them about the J2 I own and they actually had 2 pics of it (attached below, there watermarked for web use but the personal copies I was given for private use a larger res and without the watermark!) which I bought for 13 pound. Fantastic for the history of the aircraft, they seem to have thousands of shots. Not only did I get the pictures but I got a page of hand written notes from the curators father about my J2, it's orginal colour scheme etc... from when the photo's were taken. Well worth the money and if you're interested you might find your old aircraft on there too!

This was coming up in another thread, had some questions so thought I would start a new topic. What is the legality with BFR's in the case of GA/RAA Pilots. Does a GA BFR count as an RAA BFR or are you required to complete two?

Thanks djpacro, that clears that up! Guess I better make sure I can fly next time I have a BFR!!!! Joking!

I thought technically you could not fail a BFR, as it is a review and not an examination or exam. My understanding was the only real power the instructor had was to suggest the weak areas the pilot needed to work on and if required suggest he book in for some flight training to brush those areas up. Either way the instructor still had to sign out on the BFR as it was conducted????

Think the FK9 is a nice looking aircraft, where are you flying it from?

There really great, thanks for adding the link.

Could not agree more. Different strips and scenarios will require totally different styles of approach on occasion, better to be able to control the aircraft in every configuration and understand what the effect of each application is going to be (i.e flaps/power/rudder etc...) for the given approach you are flying (and if they are needed or not for that given approach) than just have a parrot learning pattern that is always used. When I was in the states doing a check ride as it was the first time I had flown over there I was making an approach which was a little to high, so I took the power off and added another notch of flaps to correct it. The instructor said to me "Excellent glad to see you can do that, not many pilots can pick what a high approach looks like". She was serious and I found the comment extremely worrying! Well said and put perfectly motzartmerv.

Do not know the regs about it, but common airmanship would state he defiantly should have got the O.K to backtrack with you. I guess we do not know if his radio was working, on the right freq etc... but then again I guess that still does not really excuse him for entering the runway with you. If he was unable to contact you he should have just waited until you where clear.

Dave: In your case I agree, if your cold and need something anyway then for sure go ahead and get nomex, why not, I agree. I have a lyco engine and as such have a heater for the cabin so do not suffer from being to cold flying the Auster. I just do not think it necessary to go out of your way to wear nomax for ordinary flying operations. Turboplanner: Are we not supposed to stray off the threads topic? I was assuming it was okay to discuss what ever came up during the course of the topic, if this is not the case let me know and I will restrain in future?

Hey Boingk, Looks like most people have covered about doing your CPL in an RAA aircraft already, which is good because I have no idea about that side of things! Will do my best to cover the RAA into GA question. Which basically can be summed up as not an easy task. Now I am not positive about going into GA Experimental, you will need to wait to someone who has a more up to date an in depth knowledge about experimental. I think you need to be able to prove the 51% home built rule which I have only seen done the first time the aircraft is registered, never as a re-registration. Are you looking to go that way to keep it in self maintenance? As for standard GA, it will not be an easy, nor cheap task. Basically they have to carry out a full airworthiness check, and issue a new CoA, which runs somewhere between $10,000 to $30,000 as a rough ball park. It can be done but realistically they intend it to be a one way deal, as in RAA never really jumps to GA. If your buying the craft for a long term thing and really want it GA then it might stack up as worth while, if it purely an hour building machine, your probably better off hunting for a cheap GA aircraft or hiring to build them up as opposed to trying for the transfer to be honest.

Gnarly, I am not saying the fuel tanks position is not a concern. I am very aware of the fact that if I am going to crash I have 68 litres of flammable liquid sitting above my knees. I keep it my mind and if I should have to carry out a force landing it will be taken into consideration. As any aspect of the aircraft design your flying should be if your about to crash. I still feel people can jump into overkill mode when it comes to safety, as my favourite saying goes about my family in law "there so practical it is almost in practical". I have thrown spanners around a number of aircraft types and designs and I am as of yet to meet one that does not have fuel at some point passing through the cockpit! In fact you can go as far to say Auster's with the tanks up front have far less of the weaker fuel lines running to the engine as designs that have to carry it from each wing up to the front. Also wing tank are always more likely to rupture than a metal tank securely fitted between a solid steel frame (unless of course the engine comes through it!) I just think Nomax flight gear is overkill for us to wear, especially when not all that long ago there was so much talk about how ridiculous the BRS system is and how it now means pilots are wrecking their aircraft for unnecessary reasons. I can tell you I would rather a BRS system over a nomax flight suit any day. Just my opinion.

Well done, now just keep counting down the days until your free to head out on your own over a path picked by yourself. What a feeling!

I learnt in a nose wheel aircraft, then transitioned over to tail wheel later. To be honest I do think I lack any special skill nor did I loose out on some special quality for flying by doing it that way. As for the flash plastic aircraft teaching pilots less, in a lot of instances they take more skill to fly and handle. The end results of whether or not you will be a pilot in my opinion are a direct result of the students aptitude, school environment and instructors care during the flight training and NOTHING to do with what aircraft you're piloting. I was put through emergency ALL THE TIME in my GA training, do not think that is something that only to RAA schools beat into their students. End result in my opinion is go with what you enjoy flying the most and prefer to be flying. The less nervous you are during training the more you will be able take in.

Kaz, Not a member yet of the AAAA and as for scone, with the new motel there is not much chance of me attending. I went last year for a few hours and had a really good time so would love to go again but there is always next year for that!!! As for the talk of Nomex and all the comments about flying in it, are you guys serious? Motzartmerv I find you comment about not daring to get in an aircraft where the pilot occupies the same space as the fuel pretty ridiculous to be honest. Is fire a risk if we crash, HELL YES, is it for any aircraft no matter where the fuel is HELL YESS. I can tell you now that is not going to make me strap into a set of Nomax flight gear every time I go flying. Nor am I going to don a full mattress protection suit, fit a BRS, seat belts with airbags or bring along a diffribulator just in case I have a heart attack. I think there is a line we cross when we go from being practical and safe to basically being so scared where eventually going to convince ourselves to stay on the ground! There are a LOT of aircraft that house fuel tanks in the front or/and rear fuse, plus every ferry aircraft has fuel in the cabin some wear. Guess how many pilots I have mean that fear flying in them without Nonex suits, NONE! I don't even know if military pilots where nomax!!! Just my opinion but the fact there a pilots out there willing to slander aircraft that have fuse tanks as totally dangerous is ridiculous, I mean I feel sorry for helicopters, there is no way they can protect themselves!!!!! Find the fact so many guys are seriously considering Nomax as a viable protection for private pilots, yet so many are slandering BRS or personal parachutes totally insane!

Thanks Dave, I must say I am extremely happy with Auster. Is the perfect little aeroplane for my needs and a ton of fun. The military markings to the best of knowledge where put on by the last owner who has an Anzac school camp I think down near Helidon Spar, not due to any military service history but just for show being in the military style of camp. That is where I found it, a couple of years out of annual and just waiting for a new home! J2's original where built with a C75, this one was upgraded to an O-235 (As most where) when it started doing some banner towing. As for history, I do not know a lot of it, it came in to Australia in 1950 as VH-BNP, after a few years in Britain, with the royal queensland aeroclub. Spent a lot of it's early life there and was re-registered to VH-RQK. In 1963 it was re-registered again as VH-PUK and went through several private owners, mostly up in QLD I think. I bought it a couple of years ago and put it into RAA rego as 24-7588. I put a pic of it in 1954 as VH-BNP with it's original C75 engine. Is a fantastic photo to have of the old girl, it is part of the Ed Coats Collection and I give him credit for putting is wonderful photos on the net for us all to look at.

Hey Kaz, I am running an O-235 115hp in the J2. I have not as yet flown the Auster over to much timbered, vertical terrain. Why it flies nice an slow the J2 is flap less so that makes coming in super duper slow a little more challenging, as of yet I have only been brave enough to attempt a 45 knot approach under power. To be honest tough the main concern for me with the J2 and a prang is it's one of those wonderful designs where the fuel tank sits just above your knees. Have heard to many stories of survivable crashed becoming fatal after the engine made the fuel tank catch fire! All my rough terrain flying has been done in Cherokee's, Cessna's and a couple of different Grumman's! Guessing from what most people have said there is no hard and fast rules as to what approach is best when putting down in inclement terrain, which I consider as any type of terrain where it is known the aircraft will not escape without being damaged. That is that the there is no suitable landing choice for a safe landing where the aircraft would be flyable afterwards if not for the reason you where landing there in the first place! Touch wood I will never have try and give it a go myself!!

WOW, that's pretty cool, 2040 is a bit a while to wait though. Although it does bring up a question I have had about flying cars for some time. When your driving along the road, is that counted toward your engine TBO? Surely it would have to be which would mean in the long run those few KM's of road time would become very expensive wouldn't they???

She is a nice looking bird, good luck selling it. Will make someone a very smily pilot I am sure!!!

I joined up to the clifton aeroclub not long ago out near Toowoomba so thought I would do my bit to plug their scholarship. Hope it is allowed on here, there offering a good deal for people between 15-21, I have attached the media release they have on it. Guessing they have had a bad intake of applicants and there looking for MORE! So if you know of anyone between 15-21 who can get to clifton to fly, pass the info on to them on behalf of the clifton aero club. Cheers All Media Release re scholarship 2012 extended closing date.pdf Media Release re scholarship 2012 extended closing date.pdf Media Release re scholarship 2012 extended closing date.pdf

No Worries guys, Yenn: there is a place on the M/R I have made for maintenance and times it is due, in fact it is overall fairly similar to the GA type of M/R (Except you can write on these!!!!) so you should be able to stick with it and just fill out what you need, if that is upcoming maintenance and TTIS it is due then it is all there (If you like I can upload an old filled out one to give you an idea?)

Hey David, No the Auster is in RAA category so I am restricted the 600. But weight is not a big problem because the aircraft is a light little thing, the issue is space, I do not have much room at all to play around with! It is worth noting that I own a J2, which is a lot smaller than most other Auster Variants. Basically a copy of the Taylorcraft, since I am clever and just figured out how to post pictures I will add some of the old girl below!!!!