HeadInTheClouds

Getting bored with the King Air are we?

Well done! You will never forget that flight!

Thanks for the reply, will stick with the one then. I also keep a spreadsheet with all my hours in it just as a backup incase something were to happen to my logbook (A bit overkill with only around 11 hours I know... but why not) so I could probably add a formula in there that displays totals in RAA and GA.

Hi all, Just had a quick question regarding logbooks and what people on here choose to do. Do people who have flown/currently fly GA types keep a separate GA logbook? Or is it the normal thing to do to keep them both in the one logbook because they are both use for logging hours in powered and most of the time single engine aircraft. I have read on the forums somewhere that people often keep gliding logbooks which is understandable to separate powered and non powered. I ask this because I will be moving to Armidale soon for uni, and so will be having a long break from training. So in order to keep somewhat current in knowing how to fly and also on the radio I figure I might take one or two flights with the GA flight school in Armidale, they only operate Piper Warriors, a C210 and a Supercub so nothing on the RAA register (So far as I know there is nothing on the RAA register in Armidale at all, not that I saw anyway) and I was wondering whether I should get a second logbook to split the GA time into (Granted that I will get a PPL some time down the track) Thanks.

Where are you based?

I forgot about the seemingly small gap between stall speed and cruise speed that high, and yes it would be bloody hard to fly by hand when you only have a margin of 10 or so knots. Also have to agree that sometimes economics comes first over safety which isn't the best thing to be happening. The whole thing on risks of failures reminds me of the discussion on insurance risks and recalls in the movie 'Fight Club'

I did not, but I got one in Armidale. Kind of a good thing as I'm not a fan of the heat, and being up there for two days in the 35 degree heat was enough for me!

Couldn't figure out where to put this but I will stick it here because it is somewhat relevant to learning. I found this post on Ben Sandiland's "Plane Talking" blog on Crikey. In it he includes an extract with a truck drivers perspective on flying and how technology and gadgets in aircraft can be a bad thing. I will post the extract I am talking about here, and the link to the full post at the bottom - Everyone drives. Everyone knows that being on the road is far more dangerous than flying. But how dangerous is it to fly if Pilots have insufficient experience or are poorly trained? I own and drive a 1994 Volvo truck and as well as being an experienced driver, I am a Trade Qualified Diesel Fitter. I am 56 and have driven Coaches, tippers, over-size low loaders, cattle, bricks and tour buses on Fraser Island. I have had a couple of hours in gliders. Guess what! I loved it! But I found out that even though I have a talent for driving big things, I have no talent for flying. So lets go back to what I know most about – trucks. Now trucks used to be really hard to drive, and you needed real ability to be able to do it well. These days it’s not so hard because of the technology that you can buy in them. Like fully automated gearboxes (not like your auto in the car) that have gears but no gearstick. Some still have a clutch pedal that you use to take off and stop but don’t touch while you drive and others have no clutch pedal at all. Like cruise control. Like infrared cameras that show things on a screen long before your headlights reach them. Like forward looking radar that first sounds an alarm if you are approaching something stopped or slower than you and will then bring the truck to a stop before hitting it without any input from the driver. Like side looking radar that sounds an alarm when the turn signal is activated and there is something in the lane beside the truck, possibly in the driver’s blind spot. Like engine computers that make it unnecessary to watch instruments. Like electronic braking systems that match the prime mover with the trailer(s) so well that optimum braking is achieved using only the brake pedal with no need for the separate trailer brake control handle that has always been part of an articulated truck until now. Some new drivers are going straight into trucks like these. Some are well trained and some are not. It is human nature to start to rely on all the gadgets that are there to help you. So what happens if the gadgets fail or the driver finds himself in an older truck that doesn’t have them fitted? If he or she does not have the training and experience to be aware of everything to do with and around their vehicle so that it is kept within it’s and the driver’s performance envelope and react correctly and instinctively in an emergency situation, you have a very dangerous person behind the wheel of what is effectively a truck that is not fully under control the moment it starts to move. I suppose it would be a bit like your A330 disengaging the autopilot then reverting from normal law to alternate law but you can’t figure it out and don’t know how to hand fly the thing at high altitude anyway. “STALL” Ignore that. You can’t stall these. That’s what they told us. “STALL” I’ll just keep pulling the stick back, maybe that will help. “STALL” Why don’t we both pull our side sticks back together. That’s gotta work. We’re not really sure who is supposed to be driving anyway. “STALL” Check the vertical speed indicator! Nah. Can’t trust it anyway. “STALL” What about ground speed? Nah. Can’t trust it either. “STALL” What about the artificial horizon? Nah. Don’t use them. “STALL” What’s going on here? “STALL” We don’t know Captain! CRASH. – with unimaginable horror. That is so ridiculous – it just couldn’t hap……..Oh yeah. AF447. I hope that a look at man/machine interface from a different angle and my little bit of nonsense will help the understanding of those who continue to argue that “World Best Practice” is good enough. Nothing but the absolute best is good enough. How criminal would I be if I chucked the keys of a brand new 700hp Volvo or Mecedes truck with all the gadgets to a kid who just got his semi-trailer licence and sent him to Cairns or Perth and said “Don’t worry. You’ll sort it out in a couple of K’s. You don’t have to do much – just steer it.” I wouldn’t do that with such an expensive piece of equipment ? You’re right! But some do and guess what ? It happens with aeroplanes too. If the two AF447 Pilots had spent perhaps even as little time in gliders as I have, maybe some instinct would have kicked in and all those people would be still alive because in a glider airspeed v altitude is a non- negotiable equation and there aren’t any gadgets. Every professional driver (that means of things that float or fly as well as things with wheels) lives with the constant doubt in their mind of how well they will perform when the “big one” comes along. If you don’t you either don’t know enough to be doing the job or you have become complacent and shouldn’t be doing the job. You learn from every incident and that equips you better for the next one. The name of this phenomenon is experience and there is no substitute for it. I marvel at the clips of landings at the old Hong-Kong Airport and asked someone I know who was still a First Officer before it closed “How the hell DO you land a 747 like that?” He said “It’s easy! You just look out the window and fly the aircraft.” I was amazed! He said “It’s your job. That’s what we do. It’s about the same as you sharing a narrow bridge with a truck going the other way. There are only inches to spare but you know what you are doing.” [/url]http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2012/01/29/a-truck-driver-on-technology-training-and-experience/ I found this to be an interesting piece to read. I guess one thing that we are blessed with in RAA is aviation at it's simplest. I am learning to fly with the use of only two instruments (Excluding engine monitoring gauges here) - the Altimeter and the ASI. No Artificial Horizon, not even a VSI (Not that I use anyway - it is an option on the screen but usually that is left to show only the engine instruments) Maybe it should be a part of airliner pilots currency checks to go and fly an Ultralight or a glider for an hour or two every 6 months or a year, some already do fly for fun on their days off but I would bet there are some out there who last set foot in a 2 seater aircraft for a CPL test.

Not up to nav training yet, but I will try to take some sporadic flights in this time (Harder though as I am moving away from the airport where I am training for the majority of the year for uni). I may go for a half hour fly with a GA school where I am moving too, just to keep somewhat current with aviation (And because I want to fly a Piper Warrior )

Usually 2-3 weeks, at one point I flew twice in a week (first solo and second solo). Unfortunately now I probably won't be flying until June, don't know how I will cope.

Possibly this one? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_MU-2

I have had limited experience with aircraft seatbelts, only in 3 types of lighties and commercial airliners of course. I like the 4 points in the Foxbat I do lessons in, feels a lot safer and helps in turbulence. 5 point would be even nicer though. I flew a J170 once and the lap-sash belt just didn't feel like enough. Felt like it was more of a formality and wouldn't provide any real protection. Was a backseat PAX in a PA28 once, and the lap belt only in that felt wholly inadequate and not really reassuring at all, lucky it was a calm day. I always get funny looks from most people who sit next to me when flying commercially because I do the belt up so tight for takeoff and landing, and I always cringe when people undo their seatbelts the second the light goes off on climb and then dont put it on again until told to before landing... very silly... If I ever buy my own aircraft one day, I will never buy one without a 4 point belt at the minimum or at least the option to have one put in, and I would probably try have a 5 point fitted.

Was hoping to go this year, don't think it will work out though

Amazing! Reading that makes me want to take up gliding even more than I already did... pity that time is an issue

Certainly is yours to take! I also like to keep a simple digital copy of mine in excel with some formulas to collate the totals of dual and solo day flights as a backup incase it gets lost, stolen, etc, but that's just me.

As long as they dont change the controls or general interface I'll be happy. FSX is great for flying aircraft I know I will never get to fly in real life (Such as turbines) and also practicing procedures such as engine failures. I also have found it good for understanding the dangers of instrument flight without proper training, decided to fire it up the other day and fly a Seneca in the dead of night. Amazing how the mind can play tricks on you even if it is a computer screen you're looking at, couple of times I was trying to level the wings because I thought they weren't only to look at the AH and find in my efforts I've just gone through 60 degrees angle of bank and not realised it.

Hi all, Found these 2 good videos recently and though why not post them here. This first one is a pilot somewhere in South America I believe who stuck a camera behind him in the cockpit of an Airbus A3something and condensed a whole days flying into 8 minutes by filming from the gate to FL100, and from FL100 back down to the gate. P.S. Mute it and choose your own music, trust me... Nice to see that some A320 pilots work the control stick as much as some Jabiru pilots I've seen on youtube!

A Cirrus SR22 undershot a runway at Warnervale and was written off on Christmas day, but this slipped under the media radar too.

Would I be right in assuming that seeing as airliners have a very large surface area on their sides, crosswinds would affect them more than say this: In theory the larger surface area would mean that the wind would be exerting more force, but then again there is the issue of inertia to bring into it...

I just have high standards haha

That was quite a bit of crosswind! Some nicely done landings there.

Here is the video of my second solo session of circuits, complete with the landings I didn't like!

I'll edit it and upload it later then.

Which one? The one with the not so great landings? (My second solo..) My first one is up a few pages back

Same sort of thing happened with me... On my first solo in the Foxbat it was great, pulled off a really nice landing too. Second solo however the landings were not the best. Ballooning wasn't really the problem but I think from watching the video I recorded the issue was holding off too high, possibly due to overthinking it. It's a bit annoying to come in for a nice smooth approach, be tracking right down the centreline only to then land quite firmly or even bounce a little...