Barefootpilot

Hey Thruster Bob, I just looked at your photo's and saw your rego. Last year I actually bought a T-500 and finished a rebuild on it that was rego 25-295 so they must be sister ships! My one had a Rotax 532 on it and was very low hour but unforntuatly I couldn't keep it and is now for sale once again and is sitting in a hangar in Watts Bridge next to my Glasshouse. Small world. Adam.

A cheep way of seeing if its the flying would be to find someone just to take you for a fly for an hour. No circuits just a bit of a cruise around the local area and see how you feel when you get back. If your alrights its not the flying it must be the stress. That will go away after you become more confident in your skills and then you'll be able to sit back and enjoy! Adam

Are there any is Oz?

Hey guys just a reminder that the TBO's on the rotax's are recommended and alot of people will run them well over this (I've heard of over 1000 hrs) with no problems. Its a little different if you are buying the aircraft second hand and don't know how it has been treated but well looked after they can run well over the 300 hr TBO. I am not saying ignore the TBO but if you do buy it you could probaly get someone in the know to take the heads off have a look and give you an idea if it would require a full rebuild. I am no expert on Rotaxs (or much else for that fact!) but there are alot of people out there running the 582's TOSG (Tony) has flown many an hour behind 582's so he would be a good starting point. Adam

Ah Tony! Just my sort of thing put me down for a test flight!

I was lucky enough while I was in the UK on holiday to have a friend of mine set up a couple of flights for me. The first one was in the Bannerdown gliding club based at Keevil. It wasn't a perfect day for my first flight in a glider with a bit of cloud around at about 2000' and not much thermal activity at all. My friend had organised a flight with a friend of hers who she said "just works for the RAF" turns out he had just returned from two years in Texas where he was working out the test schedual for the JSF project, before that he was a Tornado display pilot so I felt I was in pretty safe hands! We did three winch launches with flights lasting about 10 minutes each where I was able to do most of the flying. The exception was the last one where Willy did some aerobatics straight of the winch - two loops two wing overs followed by a low level pass to a pull up and landing all from a 1200' launch (I wish the thruster had a glide ratio like that!) All in all a great way to spend an afternoon with a great bunch of people. Now all I have to do is get my licence! A few days after that she said her friend was going to drop in on his way to drop off the log books for a twin commanche he had just sold. About an hour later we hear a helicopter approaching and then landing in her backyard (an approved helicopter landing area!) So off we went for a fly in his Bell 206! I haven't done much flying in helicopters but he let me have a fly and its very bloody different! all was going well with the approach until about 50' and then I had no idea what I was doing but we did keep the Aeromed guys amussed as they watch us wobble around for a little while! I wanted to set up a flight in a new Thruster while I was over there but time beat me so I'll have to save that for next time all in all it was a ball and if anyone is ever in the keevil area I'd recommend dropping in and saying hello.

I'm not 100% sure but I believe so Ozzie I haven't flow either but have worked around them and believe the Turbo is just a Shrike with Garret (dash 10's??)

These aircraft are getting very old and tired now. most of the Shrikes are owned and operated by GAM and are engaded in night frieght operations. GAM do overhaul them to a very nice standard but still when they are reaching 30,000 hours maybe its time to push them up against a fence. I have a few friends flying or have flown these machines and they say its always in the back of there mind as they are in the pitch black trying to find there way around big CU's. Oh the the one that was leant to Bob Hoover actually came back with a bent wing spar and had to be rebuilt. Awesome pilot but they machine was not meant for what he was doing to it. And anyone who thinks they can do aero's in a normal cat aircraft should search youtube for the Partenavia doing aerobatics. Adam

Sorry but as I've said before Radios don't make it safe. Have a look at incidents as GAAP airports they all require radio's and people still land on top of each other, go head to head and have no general idea where anyone else is. They are an Aid and often far to relied apon. Two days ago I overtook and aircraft south bound from Newcastle heading for Sydney eventually got onto him and he said yeah I heard you... well thanks because we where the same level and i'm now 1/2 a mile in your 3 o'clock and I didn't know you where there! Radio's didn't help me but a lookout did! What would help collision avoidance is teaching and helping students with situational awareness!! Its not that hard to have a peice of paper and write down call signs that could be a conflict or have a general idea where aircraft generally come from or are going to.

Only about 120 more Ozzie! But here are a couple more. I'll write a trip report at some stage I'm slowly catching up on all the To Do's!

Taken at the Duxford Flying Legends Airshow

In the whitsundays on the seaplanes we used INOX which was pretty good as the aircraft was exposed to salt water everyday and it did help slow down the corrision on some parts. Down here in Sydney on the seaplanes we are using LPS 3 pretty much similar stuff. I still like the smell of INOX reminds me of sitting around having an amber ale as the sun sets! Ah the Whitsundays.. why would you leave!! Adam

Came from the mouth of a CASA FOI but then again that doesn't mean everyone in CASA would read it that way.

You can join a base leg in the circuit if you read the AIP http://www.airservices.gov.au/publications/current/aip/enr/1_1_1-116.pdf Part 64.2 It states "should" not "must" so you can join the circuit how ever you want.

Now this is up my neck of the woods! Float flying is some of the best flying out there. I've been flying floats for a living for the last 3 years from Cessna's to Beavers and having a ball. The regs on boat licences change from state to state. WA and QLD does not require a boat licence. NSW and VIC do require just a req boat licence which is not hard to get. You are required to obey all boat regs while on the water although aircraft are considered to have limited manourverablitly and so have right of way over most boats although most boaties don't know this and can be a real handfull like trying to race you on a take off run and other fun games like screaming past you while your sitting on the beach and causing the ancore to drag and your plane to sail off without you - all in a days work! The up keep of float planes harder but with a good wash down and some inox at the end of the day they will last just as long as wheeled aircraft (look at the beavers they are going on 50 years old) I was talking to Tony (TOSG) about putting a Thruster on floats not to long ago and believe it can be done (with some cooperation from the RAA) and think it would be a good aircraft on floats with a high lift wing the engine up the front and well out of the spray but alas as most of us funds do not permit at the moment but one day I will get around to it. It won't be a touring aircraft but it would be good fun. Adam

The biggest rule in floats is do not land on water with the gear extended even if its only partial. You won't do much damage if you land with your gear up on land but you'll write off an aircraft if you land on the water with them out. But iguess they found out the hard way. Good to hear no one was injured.

I'll secound toogoolawah 1.5 hours from Brissy but a good crew of instructors. I flew there for a year and a half good group of jumpers but the aircraft owner/operator is a nut job!

You are right Bruce in both your points this is a very big thread drift and that the AOA can change slightly. It have been a few years since I've actually had to think about it in depth but thanks for picking me up on it! I have no problem in being corrected because I know I still make mistakes! Adam.

Sorry there I go again! :raise_eyebrow: What I mean is the AOA achieved by the aircraft with power on and therefore greater elevator authority is higher compared with no power or prop wash over the elevator. The actual stalling AOA for an aerofoil never changes. Its alot easier if I could draw pictures and show you how I'm moving my hands!!!! Maybe I've got it out this time!!

Ah the one thing I did forget to mention was part of the entire reason I posted! Funny how that happens. With a power on stall with a pusher or a puller there will be more airflow over the tail surface and therefore it will produce a higher amount of downforce allowing the aircraft to reach a higher AOA and a slower "stall" speed. You probably all worked that out but thought I'd better put it in just incase. Adam.

Just to throw a spanner in the works of the stall discussion. Some aircraft don't actually achieve an Aerofoil Stall - That is the wing does not actually reach the critical angle of attack (around 16') What happens (in some aircraft! not all) is the elevator stalls or its travel limted the aircraft won't be able have the AOA increased AT SLOW SPEED which means just like an aerofoil stall the aircraft pitches down. Aircraft with very "soft" stalls very often have the elevator stalls versus more agressive aircraft that actually stall the wing. Some aircraft such as the Piper Warriors have the elevator travel limited to limit the angle of attack that is achievable at slow speeds and thus stops a proper stall being developed. I'm putting on my fire proof suit now and i'm ready to be shot down! Adam.

I'll secound Ozzie's info 74 islands in the whitsundays (as the ads keep telling me) and 132 in the cumberland group (Which includes the Whitsundays) most of which are big enough to camp on. If you want to get a taste of it go up to Airlie Beach and spend a week or more floating around this time of year is the best not to many people around and the weather is nice a stable. If your up that way make sure you go for a fly with one of the seaplane companies it will change your perspective of flying and convert you to the dark side! Lord Howe Island might be just a bit far for a 4 person boat but if your brave people have done it before! Adam.

I think someone must have been reading the same mag as I was the other day! Looks interesting - alot more aircraft than a Drifter. I believe it was built as a camera platform for a doco. The same company had used a drifter before but due to unforgiving terrain of the next movie Lockwood build a twin. $100k's for a twin? Not to bad pitty it would have to be GA!

Just out of curiosity how many hours do you fly in the aircraft you own? Did you think it would be more? Do you fly other aircraft instead? And what stops you from getting out in it more (apart from life!) ie 2 hour drive, weather etc. I'll start I only do about 10 hrs a year in my Thruster! Not good but I live interstate and when I do get to Brissy its a 1.5 hour drive to get out there and by the time I get it out clean it up and inspect it all over again - time runs out very quickly on a trip! But I still like the idea of having it there when I want it. Adam.