Jabiru7252

Maybe it was aliens - didn't an aircraft disappear without trace over Bass straight 40 years ago or more? I think the pilot reported strange lights before he disappeared. 🛸

When I was flying I ALWAYS had the beacon where it could be grabbed quickly and I briefed my passenger on how to use it. I ALWAYS flew as high as possible over water (usually between Wallaroo and Cowell in South Australia) and always let ATC know my intentions. But that's just me, I know of pilots who fly above 100% cloud cover and navigate by GPS alone. I know pilots who fly over water at low altitudes (due cloud) and have bugger all time to get out a mayday, trigger the beacon, brief passengers when the engine stops. They are out there with their 'she'll be right attitudes' and when they come to grief, too many take some poor soul with them. Alas, as I got older I got stupider (is that a word?) so I no longer fly.

When I was working I was involved in many trials and when something went wrong, you hoped the hell it wasn't your fault. Imagine being the person who wrote the code or wired a switch and got it wrong. Their head is probably on a pole in the company car park right now.

Beacon? - isn't that mandatory? And over-water reporting procedures? An 'experienced' pilot with perhaps a 'laissez-faire' attitude?

Yes - Oshkosh by Gosh. I was there for three days back in 1990.

I have dragged my Jab out of the hangar at sunrise in friggin cold weather. Used choke until it fired then no choke, keep the revs up a little (1100rpm) until the engine is warmed up. I suggest you talk to Jabiru.

In many countries, the first people at the scene of a crash, be it a plane, train or bus crash a LOOTERS.

I wonder if passengers went crazy and got into punch ups during flights back then like they do nowadays. Probably not as back then only 'cultured, educated' folks could afford to fly. These days any bogan in bare feet and a smelly singlet can fly. 😞

Further to my rant on the high prices of radio, attached is a picture of a transceiver that would be around $2500 (AUD). It's NOT an aircraft radio. Covers all the HF bands, VHF and UHF and does AM, FM, SSB etc. I know some non-radio nerds wouldn't be familiar with the gobblegook but the point is an air-band radio that only does air-band and only AM and nowhere near 100 watts output would cost the same. Just isn't right.

As a radio/electronics tech from way back - the easiest faults to locate is usually when the equipment is "dead". The Microair in my jab never faulted in the 12 years I owned it. As for paying $2800 for a radio, that's is just so wrong. An aircraft radio is just an AM transceiver, like the old AM CB radios apart from one being on VHF (the aircraft radio) and one on HF (the CB radio). Nothing, not quality control, not operating frequency, not bells and whistles, nothing justifies those sorts of prices.

I failed to check the door on a PA28 and flew a nav with it ajar. Apart from noise it was no drama. A friend flew a jabiru and the passenger door popped open so he landed in a paddock. He was scared it would blow off and take out the horizontal stabilizer.

Fake as...

That was MY jab until a few years ago! Never had a thing go wrong, always started first go, purred like a kitten. Sold it because I'm the one that's likely to have an engine failure. 🤪

If I were to make ONE call while in the circuit, it would be joining downwind because anybody listening would (should) know when I'm about to turn base and final.

I see on the news (7 Aug 2024) that there is a flying car that will be available soon in Australia. How is it a car I ask. A flying car is a vehicle that can be driven on the road like a car, and when at the airstrip, it can be flown like an aircraft. The 'Two Place Quad Copter' featured in the article cannot be driven like a car as it has no wheels. And even if it did, you'd never be allowed on the road with a machine that has eight rotors capable of slicing and dicing anything in range. Typical low quality idiot reporting that has become the norm these days. (A bit like AI, seems everything these days uses AI which is bullsh*t.) There's my rant for now...