wags

I haven't the time to read through all posts to see if this subject has been broadcast earlier. If it has I apologize for wasting everyone's time. Received the statement below as part of a newsletter put out by the Women's Pilots Association. If there is any truth to it we will all be able to fly around in aircraft up to 1500 kgs... or am I missing something? I also read into it that CASA are going to make changes to our current licensing regulations... or once again have I missed something? "I’ve been busy working on the General Aviation Task Force and we have been conducting some industry visits. Recently we were in Sydney, visiting operators at Bankstown and Camden to discuss the matters being considered by the Task Force and seek feedback. It is anticipated that the Driver’s Licence Medical option for some private operations will be out soon, it may be as soon as late February 2012. Pilots with an unconditional driver’s licence can visit their GP every two years (up to 65), and every year from 65, for a driver’s licence medical. They can then log onto the CASA site to register. Pilots flying on this medical will be able to fly single engine piston aircraft up to 1500kg (4 seaters), day VFR, with one passenger, and a restriction on aerobatics. Some restrictions (such as aerobatics and the limit of one passenger) will be removed if an appropriately qualified pilot who holds a Class 2 or higher medical occupies a control seat. The proposal is in keeping with the medical requirements for the Recreational Pilot Licence which will be implemented with Part 61 (licensing), most likely towards the end of 2013."

Maybe without the "Piper" branding the price will drop to something a little more reasonable. Guess it will be the same aircraft but without the big brand name.

Wouldn't call CASA as it is not their responsibility to keep airports open and/or report defects... I'd be calling the operator - that should be the local Council. Or phone AWIS on 07 4155 1858 and it might contain relevant info. The river is a long way from the airfield however... good luck.

Why carry just Water? We carry 4 large cans of tinned fruit... like peaches, pears etc as well as a smaller quantity of water (4 ltrs?). Fruit gives you energy and the liquid they are in also gives energy and helps with re-hydration. For what it is worth. Wags.

Has anybody any info on a rumoured fly in at Theodore in Qld on the 1st weekend in December?

South Grafton Fly In. Just returned from a great weekend fly in at South Grafton. Extremely hospitable folks run the Aero Club there and have 3 or 4 bunks in the flight hut plus shower and toilet. Contact John Gould There was a 10 seater bus running all weekend to take interested folks into town for a tour of the Jacaranda lined streets. On Saturday night there was a B-B-Q, cold beer and wine and on Sunday morning a "big" breakfast to get you home on. Can thoroughly recommend putting it in your diaries for the same weekend next year - it's the first weekend of the "Jacaranda Festival". Plenty of room to camp, fuel available by prior arrangement and it is only a very short walk to pubs and restaurants if that is your fancy. When departing, a short flight up the Clarence River to Palmer's Island airstrip is a great scenic. Top marks to the organizers at Grafton Aero Club!

Gympie Council rates for hangar space At Gympie we are going through a review process for rental with the Gympie Council who own the airfield, the Council having been given the airstrip by the Federal Government around 1992. Rental averaged $8 per sq mtr until recently when Council advise rate hikes of up to 300%, but the average increase was more in the vicinity of 100%. Council had an independent valuer do an evaluation, but he used places like Hervey Bay, Caloundra, Maroochydore etc. All the airfields he used have significant facilities such as PAL etc whereas Gympie is a quiet recreational based airstrip. Hangar owners believe the evaluation should be based on more representative less developed airstrips like Kilcoy, Biggenden, Monto etc. However it looks like the rent is heading to an amount of around $13 per sq mtr per year... or about $2600 for a 12 X 15 mtr hangar. Some hangar owners rent spare space at around $50 per week per aircraft... it helps cover rent, insurance etc but it doesn't make a profit for the hangar owner! Council believes we all make a motza from renting spare space. Most hangar owners only want to encourage more recreational aviators into the airstrip. Guess all these increases are a sign of the times.

This could help your problem Received this diagram the other day... I must stress it is not an official document but it appears to offer a satisfactory solution to the 45 deg downwind join procedure that CASA indicate in their diagram. It clears up the dilemma by indicating that you should overfly if approaching at 45 deg anywhere along downwind. If joining at 45 deg at the beginning of downwind then it is a "normal" downwind join procedure. OPERATIONS IN VICINITY OF AERODROMES.pdf OPERATIONS IN VICINITY OF AERODROMES.pdf OPERATIONS IN VICINITY OF AERODROMES.pdf

Getting old! Wait until you get to my age Tommo... you read things and immediately forget that you read it or even where you read it! Then to make matters worse you make a post only to receive 100 replies saying where it originally was and you got the content wrong.

Having received numerous enquiries re “Collapsible Fuel Bladders” I though I would post these two links… www.liquidcontainment.com.au, water bladders, petrol bladder, diesel bladder, tank liner, slim line water tanks Bush Plane Long Range Fuel Bladder - Turtlepac One is three times the price of the other… I know the expensive one is certified for carrying fuel in an aircraft in-flight, not sure about the cheaper one being certified. It may affect your insurance if you have an accident with an un-certified one onboard.

Not blonde either....! Merv... trouble is I can't claim being blonde or related to Barnaby Joyce either! Wags.

A definitive answer. Slarti has it right. Just get a PPL with suitable CTA endorsement and you can go where you want, when you want... no ifs, buts or conditions apply as long as you have a radio, transponder and approved engine.

Sunshine Coast Aero Club has obtained OK. Understand after making an application to CASA the Sunshine Coast Aero Club has received approval to operate RAAus training out of what used to be called "Maroochydore Airport". Haven't any details on what the restrictions (if any) are however, but a quick phone call will answer any queries. As of 3rd June this airport is having an "expensive" name change and becoming Class D airspace (it was Class C) - to be known henceforth as "Sunshine Coast Airport". Those of us that use the area are therefore forced to buy new ERSA's, VTC's etc etc etc etc to remain legal. Imagine what printing of all the new charts has cost Airservices Australia following the name change - both in time editing and then in printing costs! Someone probably received a promotion after making the suggestion! Bureaucracy sucks.

Video testament to landing gear designers. For those who want to fly to London City Airport, a cross wind adds to the excitement (in addition to the short runway and steep approach). The airport itself is located on the River Thames in downtown London, and gives business people very quick access to the city. The Millennium Dome is in the left side of the picture." "The runway is only 1199 meters long, which is very short in airline runway terms, thus it is only suitable for aircraft with good STOL (short take-off and landing) performance. It also has a 5.5 degree glide slope, as opposed to the conventional 3 degree slope to most runways. The BAE 146 is the main jet type to operate into the place. Most other aircraft are turbo props etc." "When doing the approach you have to be fully configured, i.e., gear down, full flaps and speed brakes before you commence descent from 3000 feet...or you won't get stopped before reaching the far end of the runway. If it doesn't look or feel right it is generally a good idea to give it away and have another attempt. For whatever reason, this flight crew decided to press, but they DID make the first turn off the runway. If nothing else, it's a testament to the toughness of the BAE 146 airframe. The pilots handled it like a dirtbike!" Enjoy... and I apologize if it has been posted before.

Mandatory Transponders? Ian, Can you explain how you see Transponders becoming mandatory after reading the article you posted a link to? I fail to see the connection other than research is being conducted to allow UAV's to operate and avoid automatically. Nowhere in the article does it mention Transponders being used. Maybe I'm missing something.

Impressions of Flight Design MC I have been lucky to have had the MC in my care for the past few days. For what it is worth here are my impressions of this aircraft. The first impression of this aircraft is that “it looks right” – and not only does it “look right” it also “flies right”! Previous Flight Design (FD) models (2K, CTSW & CTLS) are somewhat “quirky” in their appearance (and some would say in their handling) to many observers and pilots – that’s a matter of opinion. This aircraft doesn’t strike you that way. Yes it is “fat” up front - but the overall look is that this is a solid aircraft. The large proportions have been skilfully blended into the overall design. Being “fat” obviously leads to certain advantages in the cockpit… like the cockpit is a whopping 0.36 mtr (14”) wider than a Cessna 182! This has to be the roomiest cockpit in the LSA category with the cockpit measuring 1.37 mtr (54”) in width. And if you’re fat… you’ll fit with room to boot! Want to take along the mother-in-law… no problem! Apologies to mother-in-laws of course. The amount of perspex provides superb vision – probably the best of any LSA aircraft around, but the overhead perspex area will most likely need some form of shade for comfortable summer operations. Not hard to do with suction cup screens available from any motor sport supplier. A quarter window ensures all-round vision is as good as it gets. But because of the high wing configuration you have to remember to raise the wing in the direction you wish to turn to ensure the sky is clear. This is typical of any high wing aircraft. Best thing is that you can see sideways without having to duck your head = stiff neck after awhile in one particular high wing type. Seats offer (approx) 220 mm of fore & aft adjustment as well as infinite adjustment for rake. Vision over the cowl is also very good compared to past FD products and rivals or exceeds any of the LSA aircraft currently available. Some critiscm… the aircraft is an early production model and certain things need fixing; something the manufacturer has already attended to according to the Australian distributor Shaun Siepel from “Sports Aircraft Australia” (www.sportsaircraft.com.au). The headset jacks are mounted on the floor behind and between the pilots seats just waiting for someone to slip in a large parcel (or whatever) into the large luggage area – by the way this area takes 50 kgs without putting the CofG outside limits! Later versions will have the jacks most likely in the roof behind the pilots. The “Cockpit Heat” & “Carby Heat” controls on the upper glare-shield have the same shape knobs – again this has been addressed in later versions by changing the colour and shape of the individual knobs. Very obviously FD listen to their customers. This particular aircraft also has a BRS (ballistic parachute) fitted and removal would bring the Basic Empty Weight down some 20 kgs (and also save approx $2000) from the stated Empty Weight of approx 360 kgs. Personally I have doubts as to the fitting and ultimate use of these devices and look on them as a “touchy-feely” things that keeps the US aviators happy. Or maybe it’s a requirement overseas, don’t know and don’t care because I would rather fly my aircraft than have it parachute down without any control. My thinking is that it is an unnecessary fitment and can only be justified in the event of a mid-air collision or similar… but how many of these do we have on a regular basis in Australia? Another topic for discussion on this forum perhaps? Handling… in one simple word… “SUPERB and PREDICTABLE”! And if you don’t want to take my word for it that was also the comment of one well known experienced instructor and executive member of RAAus after he flew the aircraft. In fact he went as far as saying it was probably the best of type (LSA) he has flown. Guess that says it all. The aircraft is very dynamically stable - yet responsive. Stability around all axis is up there with the best currently offered… in fact it far surpasses most available offerings in this category today. It feels like a heavier aircraft both on the ground and in the air. Students will find this aircraft flies just like their instructor said all aircraft fly when delivering their pre-flight briefings. Set up your approach speed (in stable conditions) and it stays there unless you make a change in pitch and/or power. Cruising is a “hands-off” exercise once trimmed out using the electric elevator trim (standard fitment). 75% power returns a genuine 110 kts TAS… this is what I saw consistently over a period of 3 – 4 days while I had the aircraft in my care. Am I impressed by this aircraft? You bet! And the cost… approx $110,000 (GST incl) fitted with a Rotax 912 ULS (100hp), analogue instruments and fixed pitch prop – plus registration. With all the "electronic goodies” (Dynon EFIS/EMS, Garmin 696 GPS etc)… around $130,000 at present exchange rates. Good value if you are looking for a good looking, well built and superb handling aircraft. PS: I am not connected with the distributor of the aircraft in any way.

Coldstream trains both RAA & GA Hi Jim, Recently went through exactly what you are planning on doing for my wife. She has about 210 hrs RAA. After many phone calls etc we settled on the school run by Royal Vic Aero Club at Coldstream under command of CFI Dick Gower (0418 358250). Dick is a very experienced instructor and has a team of good professionals behind him. They have a path to PPL that starts on RAA registered aircraft with conversion at a late date to GA aircraft. Ensure you have both an ASIC card and an ARN from CASA before you start. They seem to really understand the requirements for both types of training and they do and will recognise RAA flying hours. The standard you are at will depend on just what they require you to do. If you are at a satisfactory standard they will probably only require some form of proficiency check, instrument flying training and CTA entry - of course what they require is not up to me and they will make the final decision in that respect. They will not stretch you out simply to take your bucks. Wags.

Aeroprakt A-36 Here's a link to more info on this delightful twin.... FPNA - A36 Vulcan Now if we ever see 750 kgs... well?

C150 antics? The guy in the C150 should loose his licence for being such an absolute idiot... no doubt his wayward actions were heavily discussed between himself and "friends" at a later date because he appeared to "behave" from thereon in. People like that can bring a fabulous Fly-in to its knees in a very short space of time! The organizers are to be congratulated and deserve support next year... it's undoubtedly "The Fly-in" of the year at the present time - if you enjoy basic flying.

Co-ordination needed Sue, all the clubs in the area need to get together to co-ordinate days for Club events. The same day we see Maryborough hosting a luncheon fly-in and you at Childers also have a breakfast morning. Can you get in touch with the Gympie Aero Club Secretary at [email protected] so we can all co-ordinate for next year - in fact for the rest of this year. If we all support each others events it can only help promote recreational aviation to a better degree. There is a huge active recreational flying community around here and we all have the flying bug! Let's get together. Wags.

Gympie Aero Club would like to extend an invitation to all aviators to participate in the following event ........... A flying competition day and trash and treasure market, hosted by Gympie Aero Club on Sunday 16th May 2010 @ Gympie Aerodrome, SE Qld. Details available at Gympie Aero Club: News All aviators and members of the public welcome. BYO aircraft. For a small donation convert your trash to someone else's treasure, or maybe find a treasure for yourself and also check out the static display of aeroplanes. Watch the flying competitions and/or compete yourself and/or represent your flying club as a group. Competition commences at 9.30am with a pilots' briefing in front of the GAC hangar… flying scheduled to start at 10:00. Spot landings, flour bombing etc. $15 entry fee per competitor – includes flour bombs and a couple of sausages from the BBQ for each entrant. Sausages sizzle available from 11:00 to 15:00. Cool drinks available all day. For further info contact… [email protected] or… Phone Club President Graeme Alexander 0408 864 584.

Apology Yep, you're right about the cruise speed - I got it wrong. The distributor said I had extracted figures from the original spec sheet. They now say in their brochure that 110 to 115 kts is the cruise speed @ 75% power. Many manufacturers state their cruise speed at max continuous so you have to be sure you compare apples with apples. As far as weight goes, A/C empty weight of 358 kgs (I believe that is for a very heavily spec'd aircraft - ie auto pilot etc), full tanks 75 kgs and that leaves 157 for pilot & pax by my reckoning. Leave out that stupid parachute (BRS) and you pick up an extra 17 kgs - giving a payload of 174 kgs with full tanks. I don't suggest that a 120 kgs pilot is the norm... just that a person of that weight can be comfortably accommodated in the voluminous cockpit. HH the pricing should come through the distributor, but from what I can see the aircraft fitted with a Rotax 912 (100hp), comprehensive steam gauges, GPS and ground adjustable prop will come in at around Euro 73,000; That equates to change out of A$110,000 from my calcs - full EFIS instrumentation etc will set you back about another approx A$6000 and Electric Constant Speed prop around approx A$7000. Depends of course on the Euro/A$ rate applicable on the day. Take out the parachute and you should save around approx A$2500 on the total figure. Compare that to another popular high wing aircraft with exactly the same specs that has a cockpit only about 1.06 mtr (42") wide and you can't see sideways 'cause your heads in the wing root and I know where I would rather spend my money! As I say... contact the distributor for exact figures, the above should have you in the ball park however.

Some detail photos Here are some photos of the CTMC which show the enormous cockpit width compared to another popular high wing LSA. The motor installation would be a dream to work on as everything is readily accessible. The photo down the tunnel shows the push-rod for the elevators... it's about 35mm in diameter! All controls, except rudder are activated by solid rods - no wires in the elevator or aileron control systems anywhere = safety. Unfortunately due to availability of a suitable mechanic the first flight is still about a week or so away.

Must be blind Sorry Slarti.... simply didn't see it until you brought to my attention. Now it sticks out like the proverbial... please accept my apologies.

This is very unnerving, landing with deck pitching 30 feet, at night, low on fuel. Incredible. Turn on your sound and go full screen. I guarantee this will definitely hold your attention. These videos show the difference between Naval Aviation and any other kind. The links below are two outstanding videos about F-18 carrier operations aboard the USS Nimitz during weather that causes a severely pitching deck, which you can see in the videos. It's more dangerous than most combat missions and the tension in the pilots and crew is very apparent. Watch Part 1 first. Great videos Carrier - Landing on a Pitching Deck Pt. 1 YouTube - PBS: Carrier - Landing on a Pitching Deck Pt. 1 Carrier - Landing on a Pitching Deck Pt. 2 YouTube - PBS: Carrier - Landing on a Pitching Deck Pt. 2