Gentreau

Are there sufficiently detailed statistics to make fair comparison, and do they show that it to be the case ?

So if I understand the sytem correctly, the long term impact for a private owner of an Ibis is that it may have to be re-registered 19 and can then be flown again, and there may or may not be some loss of value. However for a training organisation, there is a more significant impact because the aircraft will have to be replaced with an alternative, certified, 24 registered machine. Can somebody explain to me why a machine used for training has to be certified and registered 24 ? What practical difference does that make to the safety ? Would an instructor go up every day in a 19 registered aircraft if he or she didn't consider it safe ? Does the system assume that private owners are somehow less safety concious than flying schools ?? Under the french system, any machine which is a legal 2 seater with full dual controls can be used for training if the PIC (instructor) is happy with it's airworthiness. In most cases he/she is happy with it because he/she maintains it and knows it inside out, as would any instructor who flies the same machine day-in day-out.

Trouble is "innocent victim" is a very flexible and much abused term ...

Actually that's an excellent analogy. It's also exactly what people do, and all the levels in between. Those who choose to ride motorcycles do so knowing the additional risk involved. They accept that risk in return for the extra freedom and the ability to cut through traffic. Do you hear anyone complaining that motorbikes should be as safe as a Mercedes model P (Panza) ? I thought it was only in Britain that society was getting so risk averse that nobody is allowed to do anything fun anymore. I do sincerely hope Australia isn't becoming the same. Life is for living and every individual should asses the level of risk they are prepared to accept. If they only want to drive a Mercedes/fly GA then they should accept the additional cost and restrictions. Those who want to ride a bike/fly microlights should be allowed to make an informed choice and that choice should be respected. Sure sometimes people get hurt or killed (that can happen in Mercedes/GA too) but that's life. Personally I'd rather go out in a ball of flame that rust to death.

So I presume that the Jabiru 2200 is quite a bit cheaper to buy than a Rotax 912, considering the greater maintenance overhead ? I can't find prices on the Jabiru website, which is why I'm asking here.

Then don't expect your flying to be any cheaper than GA.

I don't have enough information to hand personally to 'bash' any engine. I was simply comparing the state of that engine with what one would expect from a Rotax 912 with its TBO of 2000 hrs. When the OP said that at 750hrs it needed reboring and oversize pistons, I thought that must have been a badly treated engine. My observation was that nobody seemed to find that exceptional, and nobody commented about how the engine must have been operated. I'm sure that if someone made the same statement about a 912, we would be asking WTF the owner had been doing. Compulsion, one thing I would say is if you are that scared before going flying, then you may need to reconsider your choice of sport. Engine failures are something we should and do train for, we should all be aware of where we would go if the engine stopped at any moment. If the fan ever does stop, as previously said, it is not a death sentence, simply a long walk home.

That's the bit that got my attention. Does nobody else think it strange that the engine needs a rebore and oversize pistons after only 750hrs ??? Or am I missing something about Jabirus ?

Skydiving is not good for blind people either. . . . . . Scares the sh*t out of their guidedogs. . .

What's the quaification for a First Class Member ?

If you take a look at their website at http://www.warbirdrestoration.co.nz/current.html#ka114 you can see the state the aircraft was in before they started restoration. The 75% Mosquito in France was definitely built from plans and from scratch.

I believe the instructors fee will add 55 euros per hour to that, making it about 150 AUD, no tax to add.

It may interest you to know that New Caledonia is run under French regs......

And government says: "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is"

Why, did it get a puncture ?

I'm currently hiring a BRM Land Africa from my club and I pay 65 Euros per hour wet. The annual membership fee is 80 Euros. Annual public liability insurance is just over 300 euros. Landing fees are almost non-existant here. You can fly to a licensed aerodrome with an air-ground comms agent, 1000m of tarmac and a restaurant and pay between 3 and 7 euros. You're certainly right about the deregulation, which is probably why we have over 15,000 members in our microlight federation, and that's not obligatory, so there are certainly plenty of pilots who are not members of the federation. Registration and licencing is done by the French CAA (DGAC). We have 6 classes of microlight, including the recent addition of ultralight helicopters. (example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famà_Kiss_209) Basic rule is 300kg MAUW for single seat, 450kg for dual seat, 100HP single engine, stall speed less than 65kmh. Instructors, licenced by the DGAC, are wholly responsible for signing off a new pilot, no external testing, no minimum number of hours. One theory paper to pass covering all subjects, 75% pass-mark. One medical certificate required before you go solo, valid for life. Initial licence is for solo only, after an additional 30-40 hours, you pass a check ride with an instructor for the right to carry passengers. All maintenance is the responsibility of the owner, can be done by professionals, but the owner is ultimately responsible. Interestingly, despite this total lack of control and regulation, we don't have machines regularly falling out of the sky. Probably because the owner is the one at the controls and he knows it will hurt ! (Definition of a pilot: The first person to arrive at the scene of the accident)

Good news, do the aircraft for hire have to be certain types, such as those acceptable for training ?

Do the regulations in Australia make it possible to supplement a schools income with aircraft rental ? If so, is that a viable option ?

As previously stated 300 hours is the official limit, however. One of the major re-builders here in France says to send your motor in at 450 hrs, unless it has a problem. At our club we have a silver-top on 940 hours and a blue-top on 770 hours, both of which start after two blades and run like clockwork. The guys around here who know about these things will tell you to NEVER open the engine up unless it's not working, use high quality two-stroke oil, be absolutlely anal/pedantic/obsessive with your pre-mixing, and never use pre-mix more than a few weeks old. Also to respect the warm-up time (not long) and throttle back from 6500 to 6000 rpm at 300ft or as soon as safe after takeoff. With modern synthetic oils you won't get any carbon buildup so the 50hr de-coke is moot. What you can do, is to inspect the pistons through the exhaust port by removing the manifold. This allows you to check visually that the rings are not seized and to check for traces of blow-by on the piston surface. The avatar you see to the left was taken in a 582 powered microlight as I passed 10,000 ft, still climbing at 450 ft per minute. Personally I'm a big fan of the 582, only a few moving parts, good power to weight ratio and simple to maintain.

Le Roi est mort. Vive le Roi !

And that reply shows just how difficult the situation is. You have an association which could someday be declared insolvent, which has the delegated legal responsibility for licencing and registration of pilots and aircraft. Presumably if it ever did happen, the responsibility would default to CASA, but I wonder if that eventuality has been allowed for in the regulations......

I've been following this thread with growing incredulity and I need to ask something as an outsider. Is it the case that despite being obliged to become a financial member of RAAus in order to obtain your licence and registration, you could find yourselves financially liable for the mistakes of the elected board and executive should they run up huge legal fees or other costs ? That seems like an untenable situation, and possibly an unenforcable liability, so how the hell did CASA end up creating such a system ?

There is a guy in South Africa who makes a V shaped dipole which is claimed to work very well and the shape helps with the installation. It has the same name as a certain latex covered object with an internal unbalanced electric motor which I understand is popular with the laydeez :)

How about Fly Sythesis Australia ??? http://www.flysynthesis.com.au/home.asp

Pot, kettle....... I see Phil did yer proud, congrats again.