Steve Donald

Tiny tach is best and safer the old system used to stop the engine with a tack failure. Your question was replied there is no grey wire on that old 503

I have landed power out in many paddocks near Bordertown, in a glider admittedly.I fail to see the excitement here. The safety feature of all our aircraft is the low landing speed, NOT the engine always working. And many paddocks around Bordertown are as good as many landing fields.

Just so long as the pilot was allowed enough height to plan a proper outlanding then there never was a danger, only an inconvenience. I just wish our "safety" authority understood this, but I think they are too dumb.

I added this post to another thread but it was suggested I start my own thread about my engine so here it is:Perhaps a realistic alternative to a Rotax will be the engine that I have been developing and am in the process of launching. It is still at least 2 years away for first deliveries but we are making steady headway to that target.

 

Ive had fair amount of time in the Sonerai 11L very responsive spins easy builds speed fast if your not on it quick as it bites there was a wing mod AD years ago some dont have it . The aircraft was originally designed as a Formula V Pilon Racer 18ft 6 wingspan . If its ended up inverted on the ground you cannot get out something i took a lot of notice of. I hope this Man is found just awful

What's this then?

8:15pm - what light would there have been then?

It happens, acquaintance of mine trashed an R22 into some power wires, commercial ops, dropped it on the ground, injured the passenger, trashed the chopper. The insurance company paid out the pax, paid out the helicopter owner, paid out the power company and all the hangers on and then went after the pilot. He lost his job, wife and family, house, any tax return he ever gets, no prospects of getting much insurance for just about anything, can't get a job and still owes millions!!!Take care, insurance companies don't give a flying frog who you are or what the circumstances are, if they can they will always go for the money.

 

Young pilot in NT committed suicide because he was threatened with this type of outcome after putting a Cessna down in Arnhemland, many years ago, in the worst weather you can imagine. The operators insurance company would have gone him because of the circumstances and the CAA wasn't going to be any help either........By the way, the aircraft is still flying, pitty, he isn't.

 

Doom and Gloom I know but it is all to evident and frequent we, the general flying recreators don't hear about most of them.

 

Keep flying but keep safe.

 

Bigglesgreggles.

Wow. Sorry to hear about all the trauma Steve.My wife is a doctor, and this is becoming a real problem in society. She sees it every day at work. Yeah ambulance chasing lawyers and "no win-no fee" schemes are part of the problem as they give people completely unrealistic expectations (the compo they actually get is never anywhere near what the lawyers say they'll get), but also there is a strongly emerging attitude among many people of always wanting something for nothing. If they so much as break a toenail, they're after compo from someone - anyone. They're no longer happy to have walked away with their life and their health after a genuine accident. They're not happy to allow the courts to deal with any criminal causes of their injuries and impose punishment where appropriate. They want cash in hand and they want it ASAP. As an interesting aside, her medical experience is that these types of people often do not "recover" from their injuries until the compo claim is settled. Their post-accident health problems, although real injuries in the first place, transform into something more psychosomatic. She is forever telling them "if you really want to get better, sort out and finalise your compo".

 

I think the lessons for everyone might be:

 

1) If you're considering taking people flying, be wary of exactly what level of insurance you have.

 

2) You never really quite know who your mates are until the sh*t hits the fan.

 

Get well soon...

Well that's a different story, and makes a lot more sense.If it's a substantial claim this could go on for years.

What caused the engine to stop?

Steve it would be helpful to know just what has happened on insurance. I think you said RAAus insurance is making demands on you? I don't understand that. Have they paid a claim to your "mate"? You might, not know, I suppose. Did you have aircraft insurance that included public liability? It seems strange that any insurance company is having a go at you.

You had us all fooled Steve .It just needed a commer after compassion and a full stop at the end .

Mike

I was under the impression that Raa does cover the passenger ,and the warning in the cockpit about flying in this aircraft at your pun risk.Steve , don't worry to much about it , I think if push comes to shuv , you'll be fine .

Anyway the courts seem to be looking at this type of activity is hazardous ,

 

Passengers , mates , fly at their own risk

 

Mike

Y

My mate took me for a fly, about four years ago, damned glad he did. Now I have my certificate, x-country and passenger endorsements and have started building my own plane, wouldn't be happening if he hadn't. Since then he has also taken my wife, each of my three daughters and my old father for a flight and got them all on side for me too. I really feel sorry that your mate turned out to not be worth it, but have a think about your other mates, how many of them would have treated you this badly in the same situation? Might have been just a real unlucky break, not everone watches too much American TV.

par·a·graphn.

1. A distinct division of written or printed matter that begins on a new, usually indented line, consists of one or more sentences, and typically deals with a single thought or topic or quotes one speaker's continuous words.

I had an engine failure after take of yesterday Lots of crud had gloged the fuel filter ,

I'm going to pre filter all Mogas from now on .

 

It was BP 98 , port Augusta

 

Landed ok with back up fuel system that hadn't been used so the filters were clean enough ,

 

But still had crud in them ,

 

Cheers for now

 

Hiya mike yep me as we'll same supply same day only I ended up a write off in a paddock top it off my mate is now suing for damages no more free rides for me despite his walk away air crash I gave him first aid and sent him off in an ambo me I went home had a shower and went to hospital but as it turned out broke my back home now after 5days but I booked on and got a clearance for work so I can pay this bloke broken glasses shirt and jumper X-rays unreal no more free rides not even the mower it's all about $$$$$$ these days yea the fuel is a concern because you can bet this is going on elsewhere what is the filler these theives are using there are others as well just don't no it a major investigation is required one thing I know is my fuel is sweet soon as I mention that I got hailed Down, but a outlet testing should occur regularly or buy drum fuel this is a concern, this has been occurring for a while and kept quiet hope I get through my work ok 4 the next 6weeks and then I should be ok. And I use Mr funnel all the time but I think he must have been playing with Mrs funnel coz the crud gets through sticky gunk

 

Mike

Hiya fellow pilots, well we all know how mind blowing flight is every time we take off and land, and don't we talk about it, and look skyward every time you hear a familiar sound and this incredible thing we enjoy you just want to share with your friends . Well think again don't do it might as well fly single seat on thr 1st of this month I pranged my Lightwing engine st itself bad country no where to go but a crap scub paddock so in I go and stall it on to the crap, we walked away my mate had two stitches to the head sore bum, me broken l5 which I was not aware of gave first aid to my mates head. Saw him off in the ambo I refused an ambo went home had a shower and then went to the hospital I was not good bp 200/100 scann showed fractured l5 . I have spent 4days in hos. Told to have 2 weeks bed rest before a surgeon can look at it due to swelling thought I was going ok until today, my mate rocks up saying RAAUZ says I have to give you a letter of demand for compensation medical cost glasses and shirt and jumper that the ambos cut off, during the time I have been resting this fellow has been out partying helped a mate yesterday and drove out to pick up his 20ft north bank boat and take to his house whilst his friend got his car repaired. I am devastated now I have an access to pay with RAAUZ ins plus whatever crap gets chucked my way Never would I again offer or accept a request to or from a mate to share something special. I'm gettin on and scarred of being screwed I had plans for retirement was planning on buying a coast property near my daughter and kick back a bit. But instead I Am getting a clearance from a dr tomorrow to go back to work , fri I work security high end stuff but due to my mate have no choices now end of flying for me this. Mate has screwed my head if my back breaks at work in an altercation so be it its my fault I took a mate fore a ride he returned the favour, no thanks for the good outcome most that saw the scene and circumstances say not aa survivable situation what more can I say I feel like crawling into a hole top it off I'm on my own tonight it's gona be he'll I hate this its all about $$$$$$$$$

My sincere best wishes to Steve and passenger.This last monday night, I was talking to a guy who owns and flies a Jabiru with a Jabiru engine. He`s based up here in the FNQ area and is considering buying another aircraft with a Rotax blue head 582. engine. The CFI who taught him to fly, advised him to contact me for any advice or opinion I might have on the engine. The first thing he said to me, and I quote, " If I have an engine failure, that will be the end for me," I took that to mean, he would simply give flying away and so I let it pass.... ( I hope it`s what he meant )

 

Though the guy said the 582 engine looked very neat and tidy, I wouldn`t give him any opinion on it because the outside appearance had very little to do with the condition of the inside and I knew nothing about the history of the engine`s prior use. What I was prepaird to talk about was what I do know about the 582 and the fact that there are no guarantees that any engine won`t fail suddently, at any time, for any number of reasons.

 

The guarntee I did give him was the fact that in a single engine aircraft, if the engine failed, the only way he was going was down and if he wasn`t within gliding distance from a suitable landing area the outcome would be completely uncertain.

 

Over the years, I`ve had four 582 grey head engines, totaling 2985 hrs.... More egine failures than you can count on both hands but always walked away without a scratch or a broken aircraft so I`d like to think I`ve learnt a thing or two.

 

After 30 years of flying I still practice dead stick landings, regularly. ( only noise is the wind in the wires ). Because I fly for recreation, I will only fly within gliding distance to a suitable landing area.

 

Everyone chooses their own track when flying. Choose carefully and wisely.

 

Frank.

 

Disclaimer: I`m not sugesting anyone go out and do dead stick landings.

Steve... What a bloody tragedy...fortunately you are still with us . I imagine you are reading this immobilized on your back so my advice is rest that back as much as you can.

Good luck with the rehabilitation. Thinking of you.

I've got a few hours in 380 and was shocked to see the story of your crash on the news. Not sure if you know John Harding Steve but he was a previous owner and his partner was the inspiration for the hey Jude painted on the cowling. He also was shocked but not overly surprised, I think he said he'd had a few sudden engine stoppages in light wings over the years :)Get well soon mate.

Many thanks Steve for your prompt and informative posts, which may help the rest of us in the future. Sure makes up for all those other prangs- where we hear nothing and conjecture takes over. All the best.

Hi Steve , hope you get well soon ,Bad day today 1 st August ,

I took off at 9 am for an hour of flying ,

 

300 ft and the engine quit , lucky I've got duel fuel , after the initial shock I switched over to the multipoint SDS fuel inj. And the engine sprang back to life ,

 

Upon examination I found dirty fuel BP 98 that I got from port Augusta , clogged the fuel filter ,

 

I drained all the fuel and was amazed at how much crud was in the system ,ill be filtering all the Mogas from now on !

 

I think there is a bad Bach of fuel out there ,

 

I don't know the cause of your engine failure ,

 

But IDE be looking pretty close at the fuel ,

 

My engine just stopped suddenly without warning ,

 

The neighbors were at the next property with the sheep and heard me take off and then silence , I pretty quickly turned around and landed ,

 

I got a phone call tonight after them hearing on the news about your forced landing , they thought it might have been me ,

 

I'm really sorry to hear about your injuries ,

 

It's still all to real for me , it's comming up to two years since my prang ,

 

Where are you now ? In port Augusta hospital , or have they taken you to adalaide ?

 

If I can be of any assistance now or in the future , don't hesitate to contact me

 

Cheers and thank goodness , it could have been worse .

 

Mike Sharples

 

Druidvale Hawker. 018 phone

That goes to show how little vegetation can stuff you up. I bet from the air it looked like a smooth paddock to land in, but anything over about 6 inches of grass, especially scrub, will just be too much.

bugger the sections of the act or the abillities to quote superfluous crap, just follow them to a landing point and show them their error in judgement, some make mistakes like anyone can and some just dont give a shit or bother learning the rules or are too dumb to understand how their actions can affect others, or the posible outcomes for that matter. but hey it happens everywhere on the road water you name it, they are everywhere fly accordingly .

Yes very impressed I away flown behind 3blades so was a bit sus but it worked out good even looks the part .That was what bolly said was certified for the 582 s that why I went that way ..

582 blue top are you getting 75 out of the 582 ? i asked about the 2 blade 72 inch and they talked me out of it, i know 2 blades is best 2 for go 3 for show, glad your happy with that the 100hp rotax only just makes 80 ish thats a good outcome for you for sure.

Bolly 68inch 3 blade great performer just fitted one 70 it cruise and is approved for Lightwing