Jump to content

Stoney

Members
  • Posts

    108
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Stoney

  1. I was at an airport which required an ASIC on Boxing Day. I was airside, showing half a dozen family members my aircraft prior to individual scenic flights, when a "security guard" (unarmed, and so over weight I could have escaped by walking) called us over and proceeded to berate us for parking in a parking bay that was forbidden. (The car park was empty and the particular parking bay was not marked as anything but an ordinary parking bay). At no time did he ask to see an ASIC card or any ID. (We were all airside, except for him). Good to see the system works at keeping us all safe, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

     

     

    • Agree 1
    • Haha 1
    • Winner 1
  2. Wow, I have just finished reading the AAAA submission and think that it is one of the best letters I have seen. We should have more honest letters that say exactly what the reader means, too much of it these days is watered down to be politically correct.

     

    By the way, if I was running the country CASA would be one of the first organisations that I would fix.

     

    Unfortunately, I do not meet the requirements to be appointed to a senior Government position due to my parents being married when I was born.

     

     

    • Like 2
    • Haha 2
  3. I am surprised that no one has made the link between the French, archery and flying.

     

    The tail area on our planes is called the empennage , which is a French word meaning to fletch or to feather as in on the tail end of an arrow.

     

    Now, wasn't that interesting.

     

     

    • Like 1
    • Informative 2
    • Caution 1
  4. The thing to keep in mind is because the tanks are long and relatively thin - unless the aircraft is perfectly level the information you obtain can be misleading - the reason why I haven't made one ( safer to use a fuel log and compare with fuel guages)

    Frank, how accurate do you find your fuel log? I am still learning this (J230) aircraft and am finding discrepancies between the fuel log and sight tubes. After a cross country flight the actual fuel burn is as it should be. I seem to have issues if I have been doing circuits or PFL practice, it really mucks the figures up enough to generate doubt. The sight tubes are not the most accurate type of gauge.

     

    Also, the sight tubes measure to 100 litres, the remaining 35 litres over this doesn't show. How can I accurately fill the tanks to say 105 litres (above the top of the sight tubes) from a point where there is a 20 litre discrepancy between sight gauge and fuel log figures? This is basically my problem when I fly cross country with a passenger and can't take full fuel due to MTOW.

     

    Maybe the easiest solution would be for me to lose 30kg. I would look like a match stick with the wood scraped off, but at least I could have full tanks!

     

     

  5. Recover from a stall, first thing should be unstall the wing, release back pressure, enough to reduce AOA 1 or 2 deg will unstall the wing, all the while keeping balanced with rudder, if a wing drops, still, unstall the wing first, once unstalled everything works as normal, aileron, rudder etc, The use of rudder to "pick up a wing drop" should read more like, use rudder to stop the wing drop after the wing has unstalled, if it's unstalled by 1 or 2 degrees there's a risk the effective increase in AOA by the aileron could cause a stall of the wing with the down going aileron.In a spiral dive, the wings are still flying, so use aileron to roll level, then recover from the dive with elevator, in a spin, the wings are stalled, hence aileron will not help the situation.

     

    When near or very close to stall, rudder for balance only.

     

    This is what can happen when using rudder instead of aileron to initiate a roll when slow and close to stall AOA. This pilot overshot the turn to final, and used rudder to tighten up the turn

     

    Ultralights, thanks for putting this video up. As sad as I felt watching it, the lesson was crystal clear .

     

    As much as instructors explain the need to use small bank angles when turning in the circuit and ensuring speed does not drop off on final etc. this video really hits home as to the consequences of not doing so. There is so little warning and no chance to recover at that height. This was also the cause of the Spitfire replica crash at Parafield last March.

     

    All student pilots should watch this video to help it easy for them to make the decision to go around rather than tighten the turn if they misjudge the turn to final.

     

     

    • Like 1
  6. Maybe we need a thread on water bombers, Stoney.Came away very impressed with the young volunteers in their huge RFS vehicles, weary and blackened from a long day on the fireground. It occured to me that they are probably of similar to the young people we sent off to wars past. Young, but showing maturity beyond their years.

    Too right OK. My son is 21 and has been a CFS volunteer since he was about 15. He has been a triple zero operator for 2 years and is in the army reserves. I have to admit he is a lot more mature than I was at his age, I was all bones and balls, no brains at all. (My how things have changes, I'm not bony anymore!) I am so proud of the independent, confident and caring man that my little boy has turned into and I believe that the CFS has been a big part of that. These guys and girls really deserve our thanks and respect. I think Australia would be a better place if it were mandatory for all young people to do a couple of years of some sort of community service.

     

     

    • Like 2
    • Agree 3
  7. Great job Gary, have a cigar!

     

    Yes it was late in the day and it is a lovely place to explore. Wasn't that fun!

     

    I learnt a lot about the beautiful Victorian high country and added some destinations for my travels.

     

    Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

     

    Gary

     

     

  8. Garfly, you were absolutely correct! The initial part of the flight was under the YPAD 36 DME step and a Westerly course was involved.

     

    However, I did not go to Kingston, Aldinga or Goolwa this time. So no cigar yet, but I will let you have a puff of mine.

     

    None of these airstrips would show the coastline on the horizon if I was (a) on final (b) in the late afternoon © with the sun coming from the left (per the shadow from the vertical card compass on the dash).

     

    My total flight time was about two hours twenty minutes including a few minutes sightseeing detour.

     

    My altitude of 4,500' was specifically chosen as giving me a more comfortable margin than 2,500 would have done.

     

    It took less time to get there than it did to get home.

     

    Think hard grasshopper, I am sure you will get it this time.

     

    Gary

     

     

  9. The wonderful pilots of the water bombing aircraft and their spotters, both fixed wing and rotor, helping to keep us safe from bushfires.

     

    I spent the day with the farm fire fighting equipment hooked up and ready, liaising with the neighbours and monitoring the three fires within a few kilometres. I was watching the firebombers come and go and listening to the sometimes frantic calls on the CFS radio, feeling the wind changes on the back of my neck and wondering how hard it would be on the pilots.

     

    On days like today, I don't have to fly, nor do I want to. I am very grateful to those that do.

     

    Whoever you guys are, a very heartfelt thankyou, I salute you. Gary

     

     

    • Like 2
    • Agree 7
    • Winner 1
  10. Good guess Gary, but not quite, I would agree with your thoughts about YPOD for a relaxing afternoon jaunt.

     

    The airport is quite close to the ocean and the coastline can be seen on the horizon of my photo.

     

    I am hoping that you get it using a bit of deduction. It was late afternoon when I was on final approach.

     

    I had descended into the circuit from 4,500'

     

    Kind regards, Gary

     

     

  11. rankamateur - very close but it is a 1984 KV 175 and yes the shovel holder gets used regularly, but not as much as the machete strapped to the front fork.

     

    Deskpilot (obviously a fellow dog lover) I'll see your pair of Cavaliers to my three of a kind Aussie Shepherds (Dad, Mum and Son) (P.S. I am the one with the hat)

     

     

    • Like 2
  12. If you fly long enough you will encounter gusts near the ground that no plane is equipped to handle. If they are twisters or roll clouds associated with a front or severe wind change or downburst near storms , sometimes it is beyond your control and only good luck ( and perhaps a bit of the right effort) that sees you through. Avoidance of the conditions is the best move but not always possible. Look for raised dust, swirling leaves etc. Nev

    I was in the circuit at Parafield when my instructor took over due to a roll cloud at ground level coming from Port Adelaide. All it looked like was a line of dust and swirling leaves just like Nev said. The winds went from 10 kts to over 35 kts within 10 minutes. I'm so glad I had an instructor with me and have a better chance of recognising it if I see it again.

     

     

×
×
  • Create New...