Eric McCandless

I was doing some spreadsheet calculations on the difference in the length of the day from first light to last light for different times of the year and found it interesting how the length of the flyable day varies significantly with season and latitude. For example Hobart gets more flyable hours than Cairns (both in summer and yearly total). Also interesting how twice a year, the length of the flyable day is exactly the same for all locations. Eric

Congratulations Ayavner. Well done and enjoy!

Nothing like Av8ta's aerial antics, but this is me in 1976 in a trials comp. [ATTACH]22962[/ATTACH]

Congratulations Mothra. Its a great feeling to be finally there. Can you give us some details of your Nav test. Eric

Of the 5 that I have flown, in order of ease of flying: 1. Gazelle - can't imagine anything easier 2. Cessna 152 3. Warrior 4. Jabiru J170 5. Jabiru J230

Bikes owned: Matchless 500 road (first bike - pushed it more than rode it) (1970's) CZ 250 road (1970's) Suzuki T20 cafe racer (1972 - 1982) Yamaha 125 Trail (1972 - 1975) Yamaha TY175-JC Trials (x 3) - rode competition trials 1975 - 1983 Yamaha YZ250 - rode competition moto-X and enduros 1983 - 1990 Honda CB150 road - 2004 to current Aircraft Hang Glider (1988 - 1990) - bent it and myself by crashing into a house Jabiru J170-C (2011 - current) Exotic Cars - ok so no Lamborghini's (so far) Messerschmitt KR175 & KR200 micro cars (1975 - 1985) Hemi Pacer 265 Speedway Fender Bender (1983 - 1985) Mustang GT (2004 - 2008) Machinery CASE 580D Loader / Backhoe (just purchased)

Awesome. Congratulations. If like me, it's a great feeling that is difficult to describe.

Yes agree, the breakeven point for owning vs hiring my J170 is about 140 hours per year. I did the sums before buying my aircraft to justify ownership vs hiring and decided that the spreadsheet must be wrong so I threw the spreadsheet out and went with my heart instead. Baked beans on toast for 3 meals a day so I can fund my habit ain't so bad. Eric

I can't do that in my Jabiru. Even when trimmed, the moment I take my hand off the controls it takes a random change in direction and attitude/altitude/speed. If I spend too much time with my head down doing calcs, I can find I am 15 degrees off course and (usually) descending about to enter a spiral dive (some exaggeration perhaps). As a low time pilot, I am continually refining and improving my cockpit management. I gave up on trying to use a knee board and have now settled on resting a cheap plastic A4 clipboard on my lap with pouch for protractor/ruler and marker pens. Without a passenger it is easier to manage because the spare seat acts as office space. My flight plan is clipped to the clipboard which then usually sits on my lap and my chart is folded (sometimes with help of some tape) and either sits on my lap on top of the clipboard or I place it on the passenger seat when I don't need it. I have arranged the flight plan template so I only need to write on the right hand side of the page. I keep the wizz-wheel (out of its sleeve) in the LH door side pocket and the pens/markers on top of the dash (I haven't got around to a pen holder). My charts are covered in adhesive plastic and I use permanent markers (which can subsequently be erased with Avgas or turps) to write as much as I can on the chart including headings, area and CTAF frequency changes, AWIS freqs, position check points, altitudes, and wind directions so I minimise switching between chart and plan. I write time on the chart with marker pens when I have confirmed my position. Because of the central control column on the J170, and as I am right handed I tried writing with my left hand but gave that up as almost impossible, so now I cross arms when I have to and fly the plane with my left and write with my right. Eric

Hi OME, Thanks and I did understand your question which I think I responded to in my first post. The point of my second post was to demonstrate why I think the original calculation doesn't mean anything as I can't see how one cannot consider other costs as these are what comes out of our pockets to get from A to B. I think it would be more useful to do a comparison based on all costs. Each aircraft will have different operating and maintenance costs. However as aircraft owners each have different use and maintenance profiles, perhaps the best way would be not to base calculations on owners costs but on average wet hire rates. A J170 based on hire rates is shown below. If you have a specific purpose for not including these other costs, then sorry I have missed the point and I don't wish to hijack your thread. Thanks. Eric. Hire costs per Seat Mile.xls Hire costs per Seat Mile.xls Hire costs per Seat Mile.xls

This is probably more representative of my J170 aircraft ownership costs and cost per seat mile (too scary to think about too much). Of course the costs would be different for hiring (a lot cheaper in my case). Aircraft Operating Costs Units per year Cost per hour Flying Hours (per year) 50 Cruise Speed (knots) 95 Number of Seats 2 Non-Cash Costs Aircraft Value $65,000 Opportunity Cost of Money (% / year) 6.00% $3,900 $78 Depreciation (per year) $3,000 $3,000 $60 Cash Costs Registration $130 $130 $3 Insurance $2,600 $2,600 $52 Engine Overhaul Cost $10,000 $500 $10 Engine overhaul Hours 1,000 Engine top end overhaul cost $3,000 $300 $6 Engine Top Overhaul Hours 500 Propeller replacement cost $1,500 $75 $2 Propeller replacement Hours 1,000 25 hour Oil & Filter Change (L2) $100 $200 $4 100 hourly (L2) $500 $250 $5 Maintenance (ADs, tyres, Instruments, Misc) $500 $500 $10 Hangar hire (month) $190 $2,280 $46 Fuel consumption (litres / hr) 15 $1,500 $30 Fuel cost (per litre) $2.00 Oil consumption per hour (ml) 50 $25 $1 Oil cost (per litre) $10.00 Landing fees per year $800 $800 $16 Total Cost $16,060 $321 Cost per mile $3.38 Cost per seat mile $1.69 Eric operating and maintenance costs per seat mile.xls operating and maintenance costs per seat mile.xls operating and maintenance costs per seat mile.xls

Jabiru J170 Fuel Consumption 15 Ltr/Hr Oil Consumption 50 ml/hr Cruise Speed 95 knots Fuel Cost $2.00 /ltr Oil Cost $10.00 /ltr cost per mile $0.32 per NM cost per seat mile $0.16 per seat NM I have attached a spreadsheet for others to use to calculate if they wish. However I don't think these figures mean anything in the real world as ownership and maintenance costs should be also considered which would change the outcome considerably. P.S. I wish I could buy Avgas for $2.00 per litre and oil for $10 per litre. Eric Operating Cost Per Mile.xls Operating Cost Per Mile.xls Operating Cost Per Mile.xls

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I now have a good selection of options. I would love to do the Victor 1 but out of my league at present I think. Eric

Ayavner, thanks for the kind words. Since getting my Nav endorsement, I have been flying the wings off my Jabiru (one of the advantages of owning vs hiring). I have been gradually extending my range and comfort zone. I still have a long way to go but with every flight I am feeling more confident (and hopefully more competent). I have yet to take a passenger and my elderly Mum will be my first PAX in just over a week. My training diary has completed but I may write up my trips in a blog some day as I am keeping the records. But it used to take me about ten hours to write up a one hour lesson and I have been too busy lately. Good luck with your test, but you won't need luck because as others have said, your instructor will not take you unless they think you are ready. Your instructor does not want you to fail and they will also take into account that you may be nervous. Just treat it as another lesson, relax, and enjoy. The feeling of freedom when you get your wings is awesome. Eric

Thank you. The link did not work for me, but I found the document on the CASA site. That route looks awesome and I would love to do it. I would need to drag my instructor along for the first time (at least). Thanks a lot. Eric

Get a good night's sleep (if you can, I couldn't) so you will be rested beforehand. I was pretty uptight about my test until I got into the aircraft and then I relaxed (somewhat). Just try to relax and do what you have done previously with the instructor and solo. Just think of it as another dual flight and do what you have done many times before. Focus on being precise but don't obsess about it. If you do make a mistake, don't dwell on it as it will affect your next move. Have fun and enjoy. When you land and learn that you passed, the adrenalin and euphoria will kick in and it will feel almost as good as your first solo. Eric

Hi 68volksy, thanks for the suggestions. I may have to talk to my instructor to work out how to avoid controlled airspace and maintain step separation around Lake George and fly at a safe height. My understanding is that I would need to keep 2 nm from the step boundary between 2001-5000 feet. Looks a bit tricky to me. Eric

Thanks for the suggestion HH, but what do you mean by "On number 3, keep going North to Victor one!"?

As a low time pilot with my recent RAAus Nav and PAX endorsement, I wish to take my 84 year old (and partially disabled) Mum on some scenic trips within about 100nm radius around Goulburn over a 12 day visit (from Queensland). She is very keen to go on some trips, but has never been in a light aircraft before and so I will start small and gradually work up to some longer trips and see how she goes. I don't wish to go over too much tiger country (which unfortunately seems to be where all the scenery is). My plan so far is (all these places I have been before except Wollongong / Batemans Bay / Tuross Head): Goulburn training area - Lake Bathurst - Goulburn sightseeing Goulburn – Crookwell – Gunning - Goulburn Goulburn - Wollongong - Mittagong - Goulburn Goulburn - Cowra - Young - Gundagai - Lake Burrinjuck - Goulburn Goulburn – Moruya - Batemans Bay - Tuross Head - Moruya - Goulburn Any suggestions? Eric

I've also thought the same thing. Surely it would save tyre wear and thus money.

A bit off topic (sorry Ayavner), but Snoopy taking on the Red Baron was the subject of a cartoon I drew when I was 14 (a long time ago).

Sorry I may not have explained what I mean well enough. I don't have a lot of flying experience. There is discussion (in another thread) of not using too much aileron into a turn onto final and always maintaining a balanced turn using rudder. A sideslip is a common technique for a crosswind landing. In a strong crosswind landing, I have used significant aileron and opposite rudder whilst flying at a relatively slow approach speed.I understand that when slipping the airspeed is actually higher than indicated due to the angle of incidence of the airspeed pitot tube to the airflow, so this establishes some safety margin. Given that if I wasn't using opposite rudder to establish a slip, I would be turning as I am using opposite rudder to counteract the banking turn. How much more unbalanced can you be when using a high degree of into the wind aileron and opposite rudder? Isn't this the same as an unbalanced turn? I suppose the airspeed over both wings would be the same in a slip, as opposed to when in a turn where the airflow is slightly lower for the inboard wing. But due to asymmetry of the airflow, would either wing be closer to stall than the other with potentially the same dangerous consequences as when turning? Also when the crosswind is gusting, there is a need to sometimes use significant aileron (and rudder) movements, which if in a turn should be completely avoided. I am very conscious of steep banking and maintaining balance during slow speed banking turns, but less so when slipping. Should the same caution be exercised when in a slip?

Depends how a spin is defined. I am talking about one wing stalling before the other causing the aircraft to pitch towards the ground. If one wing stalls before the other, then that may lead to a spin won't it? Eric

I find it very difficult to get a good heading reference with my compass as it seems to be very sensitive to aircraft movement due to turbulence (even mild) and also during climbing and descending (cheap Jabiru compass???). So I do try to pick a point on the horizon and fly towards that. However, with a 10 degree crosswind correction such as I had on a recent nav, if I were to fly toward that distant point, I would be flying an ellipitcal path off my intended track. So instead, with say a 10 degree crosswind, I should not be steering towards that distant point, but using a 10 degree offset to the longitudinal axis, and thus effectively panning across that distant point to maintain a straight track? I haven't tried it, but what about using an aim point 10 degrees to the left or right of the longitudinal axis? Eric

Another thread discusses stalls and turning, which I found very informative. But what about potential for stalls during intentional slips? The importance of a balanced turn is emphasised, but in a slip the aircraft is intentionally unbalanced. How does that affect the propensity for a wing stall? Will one wing tend to stall before the other, for example if more or less aileron is suddenly applied to make a change to the amount of slip and the airspeed is too low? Eric