Barefootpilot

The aircraft is from the states it has just had a rebuild by Wipeair. We run 29" and 1900 RPM for cruise which normally give you between 95kts and 105kts depending on the aircraft and how straight it is! I'm not totaly sure about the $$ but it would have been in the 500 - 600k by the time it landed in Oz.

Don't stress to much Motz these guys are just your typical junior GA instructors who are only there to fill the log book so they can run off and fly a nice shiny jet. They couldn't care less about the student or standards they are setting.

Recently I was asked to ferry a freshly refurbished De Havilland Beaver just imported into Australia from the Gold Coast to Hamilton Island for Hamilton Aviation. After a false start a couple of weeks ago with some paper work issues we managed to get away last Monday. After a proving flight around the Gold Coast making sure everything was as it should be we set off North with the Chief Pilot of Hamilton Aviation, the new Pilot for the company and myself. The idea was to get the new Pilot as much time on type as possible so he was in the left seat with me in the right making sure he didn’t try and bend the new toy! Perfect weather and a slight head wind meant that we got a ground speed of about 95kts at 2500’ with a fuel burn of just over 100ltrs an hour! Boy I’m glad I wasn’t paying the fuel bill! As we didn’t manage to get away until after lunch on Monday we decided to stop at Gladstone for the night. After managing to find a hotel for the night (not an easy feet) we settled in for a few beers and a good dinner before retiring for bed and an early start the next day. Weather wasn’t the best leaving out of Gladstone and we where down to 500’ for about an hour as we went through Rockhampton following the river and the Bruce highway. The weather started to clear about 40 miles north of Rocky and we climbed up to 1000’ and sat back and enjoyed the views as we slowly made our way north. We stoped in the Mackay to put Adam – The CP into the left seat so he could fly the new toy into Hamilton Island. Once we arrived at Hamilton Island and everyone had a good look through the new toy we did a quick photo shoot with a R44 and then I set about the task of converting the CP and his line Pilots onto the Beaver. They are pretty experience so it only took a couple of hours to get them familiar with the old girl and then I spent the next day training the new Pilot who was pretty low time but managed to get onto of it after a few hours. All in all I flew 17.5 hours in 3.5 days the ferry flight was just under 7 hours and we burnt about 750lts over that time! The aircraft performed flawlessly and was one of the nicest Beavers I have flown.

Can't you try washing your trikes instead of selling them! :) One day I will actually get back to Somersby and maybe even put my plane back together! Adam.

You shouldn't get too much carby ice with the throttle wide open climbing through it.

Frankmcm. I have no idea about the height a Jab can go too but your story is a good one. Lets just hope a few people read it and learn a little from it and it saves them from experiancing it themselves! It sounds like you have learnt your lesson.

The Catalian festival is on this Saturday at Rathmines. There will be lots of Seaplanes attending plus flying displays every hour. Lets home for some good weather! Catalina Flying Memorial

Hey Maj.... Not the largest anymore... as of next week we will have three Beavers and two Vans operational.... When are you coming to work for us? might be a bit of a commute in the light wing - good excuss for a new plane! Oh and I speant this morning waxing my beaver..... sorry I can't help myself. Adam.

HEON great news you will be there. We will be there with at least one aircraft most likely the Van. Maybe we can swap a ride around the lake?

IanR - Well there you go I was wrong... I should have probably know that!! Thanks Adam.

Yes.... thats what the Seaplane Pilot assc says but it is incorrect! In Melbourne you used to require a commercial boat licence and to register the aircraft as a boat but not anymore. Maritime are happy that the training you recieve when you do your endo is sufficient for operating the aircraft. Some people who do the endo's like you to do it so you have a basic knowledge but its not hard to make it part of the training.

BlackRod - I probably woke you up each morning - we flew out of Pelican for about a year I do miss it! It sounds like you have a good setup and it wouldn't be that hard to set up for a floatie.

Dazza its not required, I operated seaplanes out of QLD for two years in the end I had a coxwain but you do not need anything, its a black hole as far as maritime are concerned. Black Rod - No restrictions on operating privately from Lake Mac you may have issues if you have to build a boat ramp but if your waterfront is suitable to lower the gear and taxi up you would have no problems (except if your neighbours complain!) Where abouts is your house? I was living up at Summerland point for work for a while its a magic part of the world!

Ahh a take off with water rudders down! Happens to the best of us.... well the best of them I mean I've never done it!

You don't need a boat licence unless your in WA and I think that may have changed as well. Would love to have a closer look at the Super Petrel if you bring one down to Sydney HEON let me know! Adam.

It does look interesting. It very common to have gravity extention only for the undercarriage you pull the pin/switch/overide button and pull a couple of G's and down they go pretty simple. As for the panel anything that goes near water wants to be as simple as possible remeber its meant to be basic not a full glass panel. A.

I work out of Bankstown most of the week... whats wrong with it??? Where do you start!!! I much prefer Camden with a lot less ego's and a nice grass strip! But its not all bad they do let me land there! Adam.

A piston engine needs three things to run - Fuel, Air and a spark. When the engine stops unexpectantly thats what you need to check. Fuel - Do you have any? Can it get to the engine? is the mixture set? Air - Has something stoped it from getting to the engine? Ice? Hose come off? Spark - Have I turned the ignition off? has a Mag failed? If its not fuel or spark really there isn't much you can do about it so there is no point in trying a restart. So settle in, fly the plane and get ready to be the first person at the scence of the accident! KISS works really well. Adam.

Motz is right (as usual) I am in a similar situation as he is and its a hard balance between between scary enough to stop them doing stupid stuff and nice enough for them to tell you when they stuff up. Its a hard place to be and one you really only learn about when your in it. But my theory is that everyone should be man/woman enough to say they made a mistake and admit to it. Just remeber a mistake you made if not reported can come back to bite someone else in the XXXX if you don't admit 2 it!

Hey Pud, Now i waged in on Tomo's thread but I believe this is a little different. If the aircraft is desinged with no brakes and is configured correctly then operating without them is not to much of a problem. I've flown plenty of Thrusters without brakes (its actually an illegal mod on most Thrusters to have brakes!) but they must be set up correctly. The idle needs to be low enough to allow the aircraft to roll to a stop - this often means that the engine will be running rough with a 503/582 but if you don't you won't stop! The wheels also need to be a little soft and even with the bearings slightly stiff to help slow down. It also helps if you can operate of a grass strip or the grass beside the strip. It requires more planning ahead but most of the time can safely be done. Sounds like you made the right choice on the morning it was busy its really embaressing running into another aircraft with you feet out the door trying to slow down! Adam.

Just a quick note - light twins aka anything under 5700kg do not require the ability to be able to maintain a positive rate of climb on one engine - they only require to be able to maintain altitude. Aircraft above 5700kg require a positive climb rate and to be able to meet certain climb performances.

Hey Tomo, It wasn't a personal shot at you, I just thought I would point out the what if's. Some times we get wrapped up in the situation and forget about the simple things. I have been sucked into the situation before of "if you could just get it back to the hangar it would be much easier" and 99% of the time you get away with it but it only takes once for it all to go wrong but maybe thats just my somber mood tonight.

Like motza said if it unservicable and you break your plane do you think your insurance will pay? I know I wouldn't! We have all gotten away with things but one day we won't and if its due to something we could have prevented by grounding an aircraft etc that would be pretty embarressing if not expensive.

I doubt he would have been at MTOW as it was a medical flight. It looks as if he was trying for the sports fields but couldn't get there. He was an experianced Pilot having flown the aircraft for four years and a true gentleman. It is a great loss to lose such a nice guy.

Hey Tomo, Just confirming you flew the thing back with no brakes? Hmm interesting decion, what would you have done if you had the engine caughed just before rotate? Or and engine failure on route into a short field? I know lots of aircaft operate without brakes - my Thruster doesn't have any but they are a little different to a Jab. The other implication would have been insurance if you ran it off the strip after departing with a known unservicablity....