flying dog

Um, I am not trying to sprook my spreadsheet, but was thinking: (yeah, I'm an old fart. I think, rather than act, in a lot of cases.) All these programs rely on internet connections, subscriptions, and other "ONGOING COSTS". This program is a FLIGHT PLANNER and NOTHING ELSE! Granted, the waypoints may be out of date - it still has SLS in its database, but so what...... Also: Granted it may not have new ones. Not the end of the world. It allows you to add your own/new ones. It does NOT promise to be perfect. It simply removes/reduces the repetitive tasks where mistakes are sure to happen. Totally shirking the flight planing stage to a program is only asking for trouble. True story: I have been to Tumut a few times. I have a GPS, and a flight plan. The GPS has all the waypoints and was programmed by me. (Yeah.....) The flight plan was a re-make of last year's with updated weather. I took off and was flying the GPS. I was still learning how to use it, so I wasn't going to start playing with it while flying. First leg YWOL - SLS/YGLB via a lake which is between WOL and SLS. That is SW. The GPS was saying head NW. It wasn't s short distance either. After a few checks, I decided to "chuck" the GPS, and skip that waypoint and go for SLS/YGLB. Looked at the flight plan and turned to the heading written on the flight plan. What happened? Well, when I entered the lat/long of the waypoint, I goofed with one of the numbers. It happens. But because I had a written down flight plan, I had a better option. CHECK YOUR FLIGHT PLAN! I have another story, but...... That's a different story. :)

Yes, track, heading, wind, magnetic variation. Distance, airspeed, time, fuel requirements. You "set it up" with the plane's stats and it does the rest.

Hmmm....... MD11. I didn't notice the third engine. That usually sticks out like.... Well, you know what. And considering I noticed no cabin lights and so scanned for the airline insignia and so looked at the vertical stab', I didn't see the third engine.

Nev, This is a 737 - or what ever. I have SEEN these planes landing time, and time and time. In all sorts of weather. 99.99999999999% of them have: Landing lights: on. Navigation lights: on Beacon: on Cabin lights: on Identification lights on the vertical stabiliser: on They are basically a "flying Christmas tree". This one had the nav and landing lights ONLY.

737 I think. Big, 2 engine, turn ups on the wing tips. 330? 320? 767? I only just noticed it because I think there was cloud and I was more looking at the road than the sky.

Yup. I drive there and rent from Bruce.

Good to hear yoyu pased the test, nav etc. Sorry for the bad typing/spelling,but windoze is a slow machine and it is just killing me with my typing skills. Good luck and all the best for the future. I have to go to Wollongong to fly and that is 1.5 hours each way.

Yeah, but I am surprised that there was/were NO identification lights at all. Other than landing lights and nav lights. To me that screams "Hey! Look at me!"

Sorry for the big quote. Haven't read all the replies. Alas "been thre, done that". It is not pretty what happened. You say share. That isn't really a good term. Do you mean SYNDICATE or you just rent the plane? SYNDICATE - unless you REALLY EALLY REALLY know the people, foreget it. Even the: Foregtit. Like marridge, money destroys syndicates. You said something about a condo with lots of room always available. Weird how after the papers are signed things like that change to "hardly ever available". Be it from other people using it or you just not having the time to fly. I used to do 6 hours a month. Now I am lucky to do 2 hours a year. That is a big difference. I strongly suggest you BITE THE BULLET, and RENT WHEN NEEDED. If the plane is booked, go else where for that trip, or use another plane. Committing yourself to that plane carries a lot of problems you can not imagine. Sorry if that is a wet blanket, but it is the truth from my experiance.

Tuesday 06:08-ish. Commercial jet going in to land 16 R. Only nav and landing lights. No cabin, tail, or any other lights. Grated cargo planes don't need cabin lights, but no tail lights, and from what i could see it was GREY. So basically: NO PAINT, or a very dull one at best. Anyone?

I have written a flight plan spreadsheet. It has most airports, VOR, DME, VFR, IFR (dunno why) and points in it. Alas it is BIG, but does fuel calculations, distances, all that stuff. A few people have it and use it. You can put in custom waypoints, if you want. Let m eknow if you want a a copy.

Here you are. Very good show.

Plane crashes in Antarctica http://hackaday.com/2014/01/25/repairing-a-plane-in-antarctica/

Tonight (Sat) I was watching the news - dunno why when you read what I am just about to post. A plane flying near.... (somewhere out west NSW) a passenger had to take control of the Cessna when the pilot had chest pains. Picture of an american Cessna. Obvious from the rego. Some "from the cabin" movies. No overlaying text. Then a clip of a Cessna landing. Again Nxxxxx. NOWHERE did they say "THIS IS NOT ORIGINAL FOOTAGE". What do they take us for? Total idiots?

No worries. Got it. Thanks to you both. Dunno why I couldn't find the link PA mentioned. Must be getting senile

Strange. I went to the link, clicked the download link (PDF) and was asked to "log in" to facebook. Just tried again and got same result.

It was funny. Though at the end it did get a bit "over the top" on language. Oh well. Got a few giggles from it.

Could / can someone download the PDF file forme? I am not on facebook and it won't let me download it.

rgmwa, Like with driving, I do en-route calculations. Check fule used to flight plan, fuel burn rate, check for cross winds, and try to calculate them. I don't care if the answer is right or wrong, I just try to go through the montions of from which direction it is blowning and how strong it is. Aalas the back of the thighs sufferes a lot and so I take my feet off the pedals fora while. Drink a bit of water at regular intervals. Listen to the radio and keep a picture of where the planes are, and what they are doing.

Yenn, But thePAX don't - usually - worry ab out road conditions. To keep myself awake, I do mental tests like fuel consumtion, time to next town, etc.

Ackward!

I was going to say that, but thought better of it. I never seem to win when stating th obvious.

(And I have to learn how to spell FELL - not feel.) Though a pilot feeling the stick has a WHOLE DIFFERENT meaning. ;)

(This is touch typed from today's paper) A councillor who fell asleep for up to 20 mminiutes while flying his plane to Sydney has blamed fatigue, illness - and listening to country music on the radio. Port Macquarie business-man and councillor Michael Cusato has been grounded after it was revealed he was snoozing while flying his Cessna 210 plane to Bankstwon airport in September. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report found Mr Cusato switched his plane to auto-pilot and was listening to country and western music when he dozed off. The report also revealed the councillor and businessman failed to respond to several calls from air traffic controllers in both Brisbane and Sydney sa he cruised through Williamtown, near Newcastle, airspace at 8500 feet. About 20 minutes latre the plane had begun a "spiral descent" near Brookly Bridge without clearance and several thousand feel highter than he should have been. Mr Cusato said last night he was suffering from the fly and was very fatigued". "It was one of those afternoons where conditions were calm and fatigue took over". Yeah, right.

Well, I stand corected by people who weren't there telling me what I did see. (I do'nt need thhis crap!) No more comments by me on the subject.