NT5224

The dog and the wife come as a package. He follows her everywhere. Actually his contribution to my take off usually comes after start up, chasing roos off the strip at RFX. But at 0930 it was too late for them. Alan

Nothing quite like a Lycoming.

Absolutely she does. Since she got her licence Im lucky I get I get any left seat time at all...🤣 Alan

After a month grounded first by monsoonal skies and then awaiting a replacement tractor tyre so I could slash Robin Falls International (RFX). I finally got airborne. Hoped for an early departure but after a thorough preflight and then a last minute decision to take on extra fuel, I then find my battery dead. So I have to fetch the wife and dog to help me jump start. Didn't get off the ground until 0930 but flight conditions were beautiful. Flew into Batchelor for circuits and bumps and shared a coffee with a senior aviator mate RFX is looking good and my wife filmed departure Alan VID-20220220-WA0000.mp4

I recall my wife's instructor always insisted that pilots fly with long pants not shorts, in case of fire. Im not sure how much difference pants would make. I tend to fly in shorts for comfort and an easier and faster exit if I need to. Never wear boots. with brake pedals and rudder pedals together don't want to risk landing on the brakes... Cheers Alan

My little Dynon EFiS artificial horizon just died. It was installed in my aircraft in 2008 so has had a good run, no regrets. Replacement options are the portable Dynon D3 which isn't really a panel mount and doesn't do much, and the slightly more useful Skyview SE with 7 inch screen for about 500 bucks more. Anybody have experience of either of these? Hear the Skyview does AoA which is fair substitute for stall warning. Any insights one over other? Cheers Alan

I have a Garmin aera 660 as my panel mounted GPS. Used to have a Garmin 596 and this is way better. Just love the simplicity. Is it over priced? Yes probably, and it doesn't do much your EFB can't.. But as a backup its great. My airspeed indicator and AH just died and I completed my flight using the Ground Speed and AH on the 660 panel.. Alan

So no extensions -even in states where health services are on the verge of collapse? I recalled there was a 6 month extension given in 2020...

Folks my basic medical is due renewal next month. Here in the Territory we expect a COVID peak around then. GPs are struggling. Have CASA granted a medical renewal amnesty (extension) or anything like that? As state health services struggle to provide emergency services... I have absolutely no problem with the medical. I just don't want to burden stretched Territory health services, and I don't want to contract COVID in a doctors surgery full of sick people. I live out bush so am not regularly exposed to COIVID. Cheers Alan

I must confess to have less love of radials than the original poster. I now fly behind a solid Lycoming after several in flight emergencies flying behind a rotec. Looks pretty and sounds pretty but I was always too terrified by the looming shadow of catastrophe to enjoy the experience. Despite constant investigations by qualified technicians had three failures and partial failures in about 20 hours at one stage. I'm too old for all that excitement! Alan

Maybe not yet, but its never too late... Alan

Spacey This kinda sounds like what we all did first time flying solo! Alan

Plenty of aircraft with manufacturer MTOW of up to 750 Kg have been registered with RAAus. Mine was. I have seen Cessna 152s, RVs and other types. But for compliance under RAAus rego weight is restricted to 600kg at takeoff. I had to chuck out the second row seat and with an adult passenger I was theoretically limited to about 1/4 fuel capacity....crazy! That’s why I registered VH to get around this restriction. Alan

Glad somebody else saw this. Is it clear how this subsidy will work? Is more information to come? Will this be good for a cheap Skyecho unit or is it worth investing in something more sophiscated? Opinions? Alan

Hi Yenn Yes, the ball was off and I was applying a noticeable left rudder to keep straight. However, prior to takeoff the issue of the uneven ailerons seems to have been remedied. At least they looked level. My LAME has since confirmed he adjusted them. I have no idea if my sensation of flying crooked and the unusual airspeed readings are related but one would assume they were. My aircraft flew perfectly before the annual inspection and ailerion adjustment, but slightly crabbed afterwards. However my LAME confirmed neither the Airspeed indicator or the GPS has been touched during the inspection. On my LAMES suggestion (and on yours too) I will try to clear the Pitot tube outward from the cockpit. Then I'll go up for a test fly, get up high, try flying slow see what indicated speed I get to just before stall. This would be no big deal, but for the GPS reading the same as the airspeed indicator. Baffling! Alan

Hi folks! Im just putting a query out there to the brains trust. Many of you are much more experienced than I and can bring a second (and additional) opinions to my own conclusions regarding an incident over the weekend. Here's the story. Sorry if its long but I'm including all potentially relevant details to give context So my bird went in for its annual this weekend. Its a great aircraft but I mentioned to my LAME that the last time the wings were detached for work the control lines hadn't been accurately tensioned, so the ailerons did not appear level when the stick was centered. And to maintain wings level in the air I was flying with the stick very slightly to the left of centre. I showed him this minor issue and asked if he could adjust during the inspection. Everything else was fine. I picked up the aircraft over the weekend. Doing my walk around I saw the ailerons appeared my level with the stick centred. But I didn't see my LAME, just took off and flew home. In the air I immediately noticed it wasn't flying quite straight. It felt like I was flying with rudder in just to keep straight. It made be wonder whether he had overcorrected the tensioning, or I was just feeling the difference because I was used to flying it as it had been before. Not sure. It was nothing dangerous, but we just seemed to be crabbing a little. Retrospectively I also recall my airspeed was rather low on the flight home. But things got really interesting when I came into land. Landing at my place in the wet season is kinda like landing on an aircraft carrier. On the approach you are at 300ft then you are suddenly at tree top height as you fly across the edge of the escarpment (the strip is on an escarpment). Flying my approach everything seemed quite normal but checking my airspeed I saw I was at 45 knots coming onto final and as I slowed for landing this fell to 35 knots! Normally I cross the threshold at about 50 knots and land touch down at 45 knots, so 35-40 knots seemed much too low. According to the operating handbook my Rebel will fly 34 knots with full flap, but I don't want to test that at 10ft over the trees, so I put on power and went around. My first thought was that maybe there was a headwind or something. so on my second approach I watched airspeed both on my panel and on the GPS (ground speed). Now, if the issue was a headwind ( and there was no evidence for a headwind on my windsock), surely my airspeed would read true? But both sets of data read consistently and again I was over the trees at 35 knots indicated. Again this was too slow and I was spooked and went around for a third time. I was actually worried and wondering whether i should head back to an alternate (less challenging), airfield to land at, so to figure out the problem. But then something occurred to me. On my approaches indicated at 35 knots, the landscape didn't seem to be moving any more slowly than usual. If I didn't have the instruments and flew looking outside the cockpit the 'picture' on approach looked quite normal. So I wondered if my gauge and GPS could be inaccurate (although it seems strange that both could be reading wrong by the same margin). So on my third approach I just flew like I always do, and didn't really look at the airspeed. I landed fine. I actually ballooned slightly and so it was a long landing because I subconsciously landed fast (worried about the low indicated airspeed). So ladies and gents, what's going on? I have thought this through over and over. The aircraft incorrectly configured, crabbing and flying slow, the mysterious 'gulley winds' for which our district is famous, or somehow both my pitot steam gauge and GPS both reading incorrectly. I struggle to believe my aircraft was actually flying at 35 knots, its never flown that slow before and it didn't feel sluggish or on the point of stall. And on my final landing I actually slightly ballooned which was unlikely to occur under 40 knots. But to my knowledge the LAME didn't so anything to the airspeed indicator. Very strange indeed. Any ideas or suggestions? Obviously I will discuss with my LAME Cheers Alan

What are the merits of dropping it into the surf just offshore rather than a beach landing? Was it because of people on the beach or concern about digging wheels into sand and flipping? In this instance maybe the pilot couldn't safely make the beach? Don't know the circumstances of this particular incident, but often thought a water landing close to shore in a low wing might be safer, although of course after saltwater gets into systems the aircraft belongs to the insurers. Thoughts? Alan

Ok just read the article and am somewhat relieved as it seems to be a long term engine wear issue, rather than bad fuel that can result in sudden engine failure in flight. Also I appreciate that as a fixed wing, even flying STOL operations over tiger country in the Territory, im not thrashing my Lycoming like those whirly birds which operate at constant high revs. I'll flag this with my LAME at some stage and try not to lose sleep! Cheers Alan

Unfortunately I live in the Territory and fly behind the same Lycoming 0320 as you find in Robbo 22s. I fuel out of drums the same as other remote operators... I remember seeing an article on this in Flight Safety but don't recall the conclusion. Am I doomed? Alan

Oh dear. Don't want that. Again. Anyway to test fuel? Alan

Hi Glen Is this just an issue of additional engine wear or could it lead to performance issues in flight? Cheers Alan

According to the RAA pitch what would be the benefit of transferring a VH experimental rego to RAA? And do you have to swap letters for numbers? Alan

Measure pressure with a gauge on my hose. Balloon tyres are designed to be run at very low pressures. 4WD tyres would probably come off the rim, obviously..

Thanks onetrack. That's useful info, although I'm guessing a 160km taxi charge might exceed costs associated with flying into Broome itself! The wet season conditions on the ground aren't an issue ...only very deep puddles that could swing my aircraft round on my short take-off roll. I run on 29 inch balloon tyres at 5 pounds/inch. Alan

Hi folks I've got a week off and we've been discussing flight across to Broome. What's the deal there? Do you fly into Broome itself or is there a smaller strip or club nearby with no or lower landing fees and parking fees, without CTA? Cheers Alan