NT5224

Folks I appreciate the considered advice has gone into this thread, and that it re-emerged from the abyss of climate change standoffs. I never miss an opportunity to stick it to the Northern Territory Governments. Whether from Labour or Liberal, in recent years they have been the worst bunch of self serving, incompetent buffoons and have driven our Territory into the ground. But related to this thread, how many of you knew that the Territory Government announced it was hosting a 1919-2019 Centenary international air race, London to Darwin, utilising entirely electric and alternative energy source aircraft? Great idea. It would have been an amazing test bed for the efficiency and reliability of clean aviation, and put the Territory back centre-stage in global aviation and innovation. Like an aviation version of the popular Darwin to Adelaide Solar Challenge. Heres the background: https://www.katherinetimes.com.au/story/5303731/darwin-to-host-world-first-air-race-in-2019/ But then they stuffed it up. incompetence, mismanagement, and inability to sort out simple logistics. Typical for Territory Government. Heres the story: https://australianaviation.com.au/2019/04/great-air-race-2019-cancelled/ So, what do our political betters give us as an alternative to celebrate the centenary of this landmark aviation event that paved the way to a global aviation industry? Kiddies chucking paper aeroplanes! http://www.ntmajorevents.com.au/news/ntmec-secures-guinness-world-record-in-honour-of-great-air-race/ And that is apparently the best we can do 100 years after the first brave aviators touched down in Fanny bay. So much for progress and innovation! Rant over Alan

Awful news... This brave aircrew died in the service of their country, doing a challenging and dangerous job to protect others... My deepest condolences to their families... I'll be interested in the details of this incident and how it happened? Was the 130 actually on a bombing run when the accident occurred? As discussed in previous threads, there's been much faith put in water bombing as a quick-fix, politically expedient panacea for bushfires. Its even featured in recent political advertising... But of course its not the sons and daughters of the politicans flying the missions... Alan

Hi folks! A tough one here. Recent events have placed climate change concerns front and centre of the political agenda. As somebody who lives on the land, my observation of recent weather and climatic conditions in the far north has been cause for concern... Im no greenie, but I recognize the need to be more environmentally aware in our lives, if not for our sakes, then for future generations. And my wife and I have tried hard to translate intent into action. Im not going to list the things we do to try and reduce our environmental impacts, as am sure that most responsibly minded people do likewise... I guess the most gratuitous emissions we produce are from aviation. This is an unresolved question in our minds. Ive got no idea how emissions from a light aero engine compare with other emissions sources (can somebody here tell me?), but I suspect that as time passes private flying is not only going to be perceived as an expensive luxury but also an environmentally selfish one. For now the focus of Flygskam angst is commercial jet travel which obviously account for the bulk of aviation emissions. But sooner or later somebody is going to pick up on all the little Cessna's, Pipers and Jabirus buzzing around, and the dirty two-strokes screaming behind ultralights. How does flying in a light aircraft compare with emissions per capita/mile in a commercial aircraft? Im assuming even higher. Personally I'd love to have an electric aircraft. Since all my power is solar, it would be good and cheap to run although Im not sure how useful current models would be for bush flying... The range is a big concern. But other than putting the plane on bricks, growing a beard, wearing sandals and eating mung beans, is there anything we can actually do to make our passion more environmentally responsible? Gliding? Has anybody yet given this much thought? I guess its a personal accommodation we each need to make.... Alan

Interesting to read this... Thanks for sharing How does Open Airplane compare with services like Gobokko? If a business model where the company takes a share of the rental fee doesn't work because of econcomies of scale, has does a free service like Gobokko stay afloat? Advertising? I've only used it twice to book BFRs, but believe its still operating PS. Perhaps the title of this thread should be 'Closed Airplane' Alan

Thanks for clarifying that! Shame it doesnt seem to say any of that online on their webpages Alan

Hi folks just getting a CASA medical certificate for the first time and would appreciate some guidance. Im going for a basic medical that allows me more than 2 passengers in a light aircraft, non commercial. I’m guessing that’s basic class 2. From my understanding all I need to do for this category is download and fill in the form, get my quack to sign it. But then what happens? It says the form is retained by the GP. So how do CASA get it? None of this is clear from the CASA webpage or the form and I’ve already been on the phone with them on another matter... cheers Alan

Hi folks Just dropped off my IPad today for its hunderd hourly and oil change. Bloke told me there was insufficient available memory to do necessary updates... and that he needed to kill some programs to create space. He looked and found that OzRunways was the app using the most space ( all those maps loaded I guess). My subscription has expired and I need to renew. So I told him he could go ahead and wipe the app and associated files. Did I do wrong? If I resubscribe to OzRunways i download everything again, right? Please tell me I haven't stuffed up... Alan

This evolving story makes for fascinating reading Mr Neel's flight school and BHI are being investigated by AQSA, and have had RTO status revoked (which qualifies them for receipt of VET student loans). Perhaps there are some safety issues and aviation standards breaches that impact on its operation as a flight school, but is does it strike anybody else that Neel seems only interested in operating a school that receives VET loans? An alternative business model would be just to run a regular flight school like others where student pilots pay as they go from their own pockets. Perhaps SORE could offer PPL and RAA certificate courses to mature pilots? But as soon as the VET government dollars seem to be drying up, the proprietor is flogging off his fleet and shutting up shop. Is it cheeky to suggest be there's not enough money in 'honest' flight instruction? Alan

Im with Bruce. Why insure the hangar? If your aircraft are already comprehensively insured then all you are insuring is a steel shed, maybe some concrete poured on the ground and presumably any tools or bits and pieces within it. Unless you are worried about third party liability -and that is another story.... When I last re-insured my home I was asked if I had an airstrip? I was told (as Jaba-Who also found), that the insurer was concerned aircraft might 'crash into my house' on landing or takeoff, and that deserved a higher premium. My strip is a couple of kilometres from the house through thick woodlands so it would have to be a pretty disastrous landing at the strip to impact our home buildings... ? I won't bother insuring my hangar. As long as my aircraft is insured against fire, theft and accident, Im not too worried about what happens to $10,000 bucks worth of steel posts, cross members, sheeting and concrete. Having an aircraft hangared reduces the insurance premium on the aircraft, whether the hangar is insured or not. In fact, would hangar and contents insurance complicate an insurance claim for an aircraft damaged on the ground, for instance through a hangar fire? Alan Sorry Jaba-Who, this was written and posted before reading your response to Bruce

Been following this story with interest. It seems like some dreadful outcome for the poor young people who put their faith and dollars (their dollars? Our dollars?) into this Neel fella and his ‘business model’. At a time when we all agree we need to encourage more youngsters into aviation this kind of rort can’t be helping. Hopefully this with help deter further abuses. We can all learn lessons from this, including RAA! Alan

So is it true to say there is oversupply in hangar space at present? If so, has this been reflected in reduced hangar rents? Or do the perversities of the aviation economy strike yet again? Alan

Ive often thought hangars overpriced. Like everything aviation related, suppliers see flying as the reserve of the super wealthy and everything aviation related gets marked-up. You can throw up a perfectly adequate hangar for an aircraft for under $10,000 (materials). I watched a couple of blokes at local a flying club do exactly that, and aim to do the same myself. We recently hoisted a farm shed at my place that would accommodate a couple of light aircraft ( if it wasn't now filled with vehicles and equipment!) and my wife and I spent about $20,000 on it (with our own labour). Of course, I can't speak to the purchase or lease of the hangar site, utilities, or any other associated costs. But the basic structure wouldn't be expensive. Alan

This is awful! I sympathise. But surely there are ways around it? Cant you fly from a strip that doesn't have fees? I currently don't hold an ASIC (not through want of trying!) and have managed to pick my way across the country avoiding landing fields that require it. Surely the same must be possible to avoid high landing fees... perhaps somebody on here can collate a list of fee-free landing strips? I would be quite happy to have other aviators fly from and hangar at my own strip for minimal or no cost -as long as they did so at their own risk. I'd appreciate the company. But unfortunately Im too far away from anywhere for anybody else to want to base themselves here. Dont let the system get you down. Aviation is an extraordinary experience and priviledge, and aviators are extraordinary people. There seems to be growing awareness that GA is being weakened by the increasing associated costs and regulation, and so hopefully important decisions will be made to help re-stimulate the sector. And if grasping local councils and regulators become all too much for you, remember you can always spread your wings and fly north. You'll find a rather more benign aviation environment north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Alan

Hi Folks! I don't know how Av data works. I've only ever once flown into a strip with landing Fees and on that occasion I handed over a tattered blue note. But down in the big smoke (Darwin) and other regional towns, councils have a parking app that allows you to pay for parking with a mobile device. Its initially frustrating to set up, but thereafter works quite well (assuming you have a mobile device). It allows you to pay a fee for using a facility and keeps a record of that. Is Avdata like that? If not why not have a landing fees app based loosely on the parking fees app administered by RAA, or somebody else. It would simplify things lots... Alan

Hi folks! As a technophobe old fogey, I'm deeply suspicious of new fangled smart phones and 'apps', (but I do love my Oz Runways!) Then yesterday, while reading about the bushfires down south I stumbled upon reference to an extraordinary new app called 'Rain Parrot'. This is not an aviation app, but it seems to draw upon weather radar data and your location to give a highly accurate estimate of when rain is about to start falling at your exact location, its intensity and duration. Like most keen weather watchers I tend to do this intuitively just looking at the radar map and knowing my position, but when I tested the app last night I was really impressed. It was almost spot on to about 30 seconds! Much more accurate than my own assessment. Very impressive! So it got me wondering what other (aviation related) app things I might be missing out on? What aviation apps do you use for flight planning, navigation, weather, safety or anything else? Any tips much appreciated! Cheers Alan

I just come back to this thread after a few days- I’ve been busy spending my hols putting in a concrete floor into one of our outbuildings with my wife. It’s very hot work in excessive humidity... But absolutely thrilled to learn of the successes of our firies down south. What an amazing crew! If only our political elite had half of their integrity and sense of civic duty... Their stories need to be told. Every man and woman volunteering with RFS is a hero in my book! I’ve been trying to follow the story of the bush fires down south but now that the urgency and drama of a couple of weeks ago is gone, the media isn’t going there so much...so I’ve found this forum an great source of information with some of our members living so close to the fire line. But coming back to the thread, I’ve been staggered by how far it went off topic ... with all our old Gulf Warriors reliving their past campaigns.. The various perspectives made for fascinating reading Alan

Yenn in the Territory and other jurisdictions I’m aware of firebreaks are a legal requirement... Are you staying they aren’t in QLD? Firebreaks are not subject to land clearing regulations, at least not here Alan

Agreed This country is undergoing a slow decline in its rural and outback populations (the people who produce the food that the 90% urban population eat, and who manage the land and keep things in check to prevent natural catastrophes like the current fires). With current round of drought, fires and downwood pressure on agricultural prices from wholesalers, we are experiencing increased urban flight. At present, in my area we have on average one soul to manage every 300 square kilometres of country. That isn't enough, and people (especially the young) are fleeing to the cities and intensifying the pattern of urban flight. You can expect more and bigger fires as a consequence of nobody managing the land. Im sorry to come across as negative, but that's the reality of the situation from my perspective. The problem is so much bigger than 'Can we solve this problem with purchase of a fancy new water bomber?' Alan

This is absolutely true! if you want to live in the bush, do your firebreaks (although these are useless with the wind behind a fire) and clear or burn around your assets to ensure fire cant reach you. Anything else is irresponsible. And the same applies at a more strategic level. We need to be much, much better prepared as climate change intensifies fires and risks. Fuel reduction burns and enhanced forestry and landscape management may not have the high drama impact of jet water bombers (and thus appeal to politicans) but realistically informed land management is the only way Australia will prevent these catastrophic fires in future years. Alan

Not Wouldn't entirely agree In addition to the 150 series aircraft there will be a bunch of Bush type STOL aircraft, such as Super Cubs, my own Rebel and a couple of other robust old-school taildraggers that fit easily in under existing stall speeds. No, thats not all aircraft in the 600-760 weight class, but some. Alan

Best of luck with the fires deanfi... Stay safe and get out if you need to... We'll keep fingers crossed for you! Alan

SplitS Yeah I've heard about this. Here in the Top End we only have one supplier for fixed wing so its a monopoly, but competition for rotary wing services is pretty fierce. Its all coordinated by the NAFC apparently. But our NT government also has preferred suppliers. I've heard tales of skullduggery from one of the chopper operators Alan

No worries, Craig Lots of us on here just like yammering. Did you look at the CASA consultation paper on the MTOW increase that was open a few months ago? Still available on the CASA site. What is that aircraft in your profile pic? I can't make it out clearly Alan

HI folks! First, my deepest sympathies for all effected by the terrible bushfires in the southern states, and gratitude to those courageous men and women of the emergency services who give their time and energy and risk their lives to protect us all. I have followed this thread for a bit and now wish to contribute since its a topic close to my heart, and a major part of my lived experience.. As some may have noticed, I live in the tropical north which has a totally different fire ecology to the south. Fire prevention and management dominates our thinking and activity for about 9 months of the year. The reality is that I live in the heart of the most fire prone region of Australia. My wife and I actively fight fires at least three times a year, every year. Because of where we live, there is no rural fire service, no SES and the government does not offer any support to land holders in event of fire, unless lives are directly at risk. I know this because they sent everybody in our district a letter to this effect. Here is the essence of what we we have learnt: In the north, fire seasons are getting longer and fires more frequent and intense. As somebody who lives on the land, I have no doubt that weather patterns are changing and fire risks are intensifying on my country, It is extremely hard to successfully extinguish bushfires (and impossible with the wind behind them). We put lots of energy into fighting fires, but always even more energy into preventing them through careful pre-fire season preparation. Our bushfires calender is approximately as follows: four weeks weeds management, six weeks grading and preparing breaks, six weeks fuel reduction and boundary burns, and then approximately six months of monitoring and responding to fire threats. So I don't fully understand fire ecology or administration down south, but as a general principle I would say that when the fire is coming across the paddock its too late to start worrying about fire response management. Fire strategies need to be carefully thought through and preparations need to start months before the event to prepare the landscape. Now Im guessing that could mean things like fuel reduction burns through key corridors and establishing natural and artificial fire breaks. Where I live, our neighbours and ourselves have specific response plans for if fire comes at us from any direction. This is all worked out months in advance, and not in the heat of the moment when decision making could be flawed. And of course we take the pressure off by having our home and assets protected before the fire season (clearing and burning a few acres around the house and other buildings). Back to the issue of aerial fire fighting: I know the bloke who hires Air Tractors out as fire bombers during the season to the government. The government spend can spend 40-50,000 bucks in a single day on air operations around Darwin. That can go on for weeks. It may not sound like much compared to down south, but consider the size of our population and economy. I used to share an airfield with the Air Tractors. No doubt they're awesome machines, with fast turn-around times and an ability to operate off rough forward strips. In my opinion a handful of Air Tractors would be much more effective for fire fighting than a large Jet ( like a 737). However, its a sliding scale. I believe the $50000 you spend each day on Air Tractors would be much more efficiently spent on pre-season preventative measures on the ground. Air Tractors and maybe even 737s have their place, but they shouldn't be considered a primary line of defence. I have a sneaking suspicion that governments like them because they are highly visible and newsworthy and make the government look like its 'doing something', but also (in our case), enables them to defer any expenditure on fire until the last possible moment... even although the total costs will be massively higher at the end of the fire season. But 'emergency' expenses can always be written off more easily than maintenance or preventative expenses ( especially with the Commonwealth picking up the tab). Just my thoughts... apologies for rambling Alan

No, i can honestly say I've never seen that before! Ive now found the page where that shows, but I don't normally use the site that way and go through that page. Maybe something to consider? I'll subscribe Alan