Steve Donald

My Odyssey Coming up to 6 years it is as good as new in my j400Rory

Just replaced 2 battery's Odyssey PC625 on 2 aircraft here 8 years and 9 years and they just got a bit slow, you cant complain about that is about $ 28bucks a year good solid units just make sure your charge system does not exceed 14.8v or damage will occur cheers

 

 

Scenario: you have 2L of fuel left, in tiger territory, and going to make a precautionary landing.Do you:

 

- climb at Vy then glide at Vbg once the fuel cuts out

 

- climb at Vbg until the fuel cuts out, then glide at Vbg

 

- cruise at Vbg, then glide at Vbg

 

Vbg has the lowest drag, but Vy has the most power available (and presumably the best efficiency from the prop). in most planes they're pretty similar, but you can imagine a plane with an ultra-climb prop that has Vy much lower than Vbg.

 

the crazy idea I had today:

 

- auxiliary electric power hybrid plane.

 

this comes from the electric lazair thread:

 

if you have a plane with a 55HP main engine, could you put a second centreline thrust electric engine of about 10HP capacity, and enough batteries for 15 minutes of operation, and maybe 20HP in a life or death situation (the engine will overheat and need to be rebuilt, etc).

 

the two scenarios where this engine would be turned on:

 

- at takeoff, to make EFATO a less scary situation because you still have some thrust (especially if tuned for the right speed)

 

- in flight engine failure - to get some extra height or thrust at the right moment

 

- airbrakes on final approach - used to recharge the batteries

 

this system would weight about 10-15kg or about the same as a ballistic chute.

2L GIVES YOU ENOUGH TIME TO TEXT ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND SAY GOODBYE AND SAY SORRY TO YOUR INSTRUCTOR FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION IN CLASS.

 

 

Taking the advice of dunlopdanglerhttp://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pil...Obroforweb.pdf

"a timely thing to remind us all of this danger. As recreational flyers get the nod to fly up to 10,000ft, and we are approaching that cold time of the year, we should be all reminded of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning from poorly maintained/faulty heating systems and also hypoxaemia.

 

For those that pursue the habit of smoking, hypoxia can start having an affect on the body as low as 6,000ft depending on the individual. There was a case (again in America) where a well known (heavy smoking) actor who was flying his twin ended up making an emergency landing on a highway."

 

This danger applies on the ground as well. We in the VRA see some inexplicable road crashes; CO may be a more common factor than we realise. The worst was the bloke who drove his van through the night with his family sleeping behind him. To stay awake he apparently had air blowing on his face, but on arrival several of the family were deceased; CO from a leaking exhaust pipe.

 

Those little CO colour-change cards are a waste of time- they don't last long, and one of the first effects of CO poisoning is loss of colour vision... Good quality digital CO monitors are available; mine has paid for itself.

Hiya guy's yep the cards are a waste of time as when they change it is toooo late they react at 300 ppm, i have an electric unit which is self powered and goes off at 30ppm , which has gone off when taxing behind other aircraft that are running if my vents are open,scares the crap out of you but they work great gives you plenty of time to descend from altitude and land b4 you are affected adversely.

 

 

Hi, Im thinking of heading up to Lake Eyre over easter. The problem is that I can only make it if I can refuel at Pt Augusta, but I dont have an asic card and dont have the time to get one before Easter. I cant carry any extra fuel containers with me as my Wifes Uncle will be coming with me. Is there some way to meet someone there to help us out?Scott

HIYA SCOTT, hey just fly in to YPAG for fuel no card no worries, sensible operators here, avgas and jeta1, if you need some ulp give me a ring on 0428812422 or land at Stirling Nth i can take you to the servo in the car, cheers Steve

 

 

That's smart, because it ensures that the mod is done and Jabiru have arguably discharged their 'duty of care'. You don't get your money back until you return the parts you have removed from the aircarft and substituted with the replacement. After all they can be assured the mod has been carried out if you send back the old parts, can't they?Jabiru should be commended for this initiative, we are quick to bag them when by our perception they do nothing on issues they should; so we should be quick to commend them in this instance. Also having discovered some handling anomalies in certain conditions, now 'knowing them' they DO have a duty of care to rectify the issues.

 

Anyone challenging this directive from Jabiru should have another serious thought about the consequences of not carrying out the mod, even if it did cost money to install.

 

David

I agree David but some like not to conform to dirrections ie car seat-belt wearing until they or the passenger departs the vehicle via the windscreen, sad but true, we need to remember Aircraft are under constant development and mods occur for safety and best performance we should embrace this concept.

 

 

I wonder if Jabiru will ever value their customers and get this issue eliminated? Might just take a class action to get them to sit up and take notice. None of us want to see Jab in receivership we just want these potentially great Aussie engines do the 1,000 hours TBO that they are advertised to do.

Hiya Guy's, yep it is all a bit much i think Jab are now saying at any overhaul or necessary repair time, to upgrade to the new engine specs, which acknowledges a weak point, I would have thought an offer from the company would offer the conversion for engines sold over the last 3 years many only have 200 or so hrs, or at the least at cost only, b4 a catastrophic failure of the engine occurs which as we know can lead to various outcomes, i am not sure of the cost involved with doing the full conversion completely to the new specs, but hell it would be nice to have it done for that added piece of mind especially when you have your kids in the passenger seat, it does make a bit of a mockery out of the pre flight check, when you take off knowing there are these low hr failures, i do wish something can be done b4 lives are lost.

 

 

Hi the listen watch on the area freq is maintained and from time to time you may hear IFR traffic or VFR traffic reporting to Center position track destinations and times, they may be advised from center no reported traffic known in your area, unaware of your aircraft, this is a good time to transmit a position and intentions as well as updating your QNH in the process as well as having your transponder on 1200 at all times switched to ALT , most radios have duel freq listen so use this for monitoring CTAF and AREA Freq, remembering to change area freq as you travel and the different CTAF freq FOR CERTAIN AIRFIELDS, i like to highlight these as a reminder easy mistake can happen like Bundy heaps of pilots have flown into there thinking hec these fellers don't talk on the radio ha ha.

 

 

way off track for Cooberpedy and it sounds like the motion lotion ran out, no liquid gold on board Jesus are they lucky. man that is hard country out there could end up like Captain Lancaster find you many years later with your last words scribbled on your safety section of ERSA

 

 

thanks for all your help guy"s, merr Xmas and a great new year to you all, Cheers Steve

 

 

thanks for your help i will check it out.

 

 

hI CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF YOU CAN STILL BUY BROLGA BLADES, I AM HELPING A MATE OUT WITH PUTTING A GEARBOX ON HIS 277 ROTAX SINGLE SEAT CHINOOK, HENCE HIS BROLGA PROP IS NOW THE WRONG ROTATION DIRECTION IT IS 3 BLADE 54 INCH X 14 DEG PITCH THE PROP ID IS ULTRA PROP MOD 103P AND IS 54IN WITH 14 DEG PITCH BLOCKS, IF ANYONE CAN HELP IT WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATED MY CONTACT DETAILS ARE 0428812422 OR [email protected] thanks all merry xmax

 

 

hiya guy's i have owned both currently fly high wing, i find the high wing the only choice in the heat and if you go bush a lot, High wings taxi through farm Gates easy, very important feature, low wings just go crunch and block the gate , underwing shade and camping much better, but like everything pros and cons for both, but in the bush in summer cant beat a high wing in my opinion.

 

 

stopping the prop

 

Hi Gerg, I just hold on with my hand it's not too hard. it is only 80 psiRory

Hiya not so long ago whilst fiddling with the air tap i had just fitted to my leak down gauges, i had the prop fly around and smack me fair in the nuts, man never again will i stand in such a posi, voice is ok now, on the serious side yep real danger be careful cheers :black_eye:

 

 

Just curious... how's that?They wear relatively quick if operating off bitumen all the time, but if they are worn past their safety point. It isn't the tires fault, but the drivers, isn't it??

 

Daily inspections = tire condition... (wheel spat or not, I never go anywhere if I can't see what the tread/tire is like)

 

If it's way to rough for it, it also isn't the manufacturers problem, isn't it...?

 

Sorry If I'm sounding annoyed, but I don't like seeing people getting knocked for something that isn't their problem. Just like you don't go complaining to Kia because they didn't make their Carnival suitable enough to handle driving on the beach.

 

Sorry.

 

Btw, I've done a lot of my flying in a J120.

It is not about rough surface the slightest *****le thorne sharpie will have you landing with a flat tire, on those 120 tires and these were new tires i flew with 2 spare new ones in the back, quite a few pilots who have flown their new 120 home from Bundy have had a flat on the way home , as i said they have no structure a new tyre for the 120 can be screwed up like a rag in one hand, this is not about how good a 120 is flown the fact is if the tyre is flat you are on the disk with a stock tire, add a cross wind to that good night dick had to edit the tire that failed on me was new and there is not enough thickness for wear marks like i said a school at bundy used em for that reason, hec nice to have a reasonable chance of not having a flat when you land, i had 5 punctures on stock tires 0 on the new ones plus i could do circuits on flat tires now if i wanted to, Nose wheel is not an issue no weight and is never on the ground much still steers flat, but it has 2 tubes in it since it went flat heaps of jacks out bush.

 

 

Just an update, CASA contacted me and do not condone what happened here, they assured me that very appropriate action was taken, as i said it was strange because CASA has made huge steps forward in recent years as far as open communication with Aviators providing safety forums and they recognize the benefits of good relationships to be far more conducive in providing safe operational practice for all aviators.

 

The incident that occurred was out of their hands, it was outside of policy and regulations, so there you go Great to see we wont get this sort of thing happening, any concerns they encourage you contact them, cool hey cheers all

 

 

Guys,thanks to you all for the most helpful hints here and sorry for my tardy response. I will have a crack at going through the channels - I want it legal, but somewhere there must be an approval method. Afterall, years ago I can remember a written off Piper Pawnee being converted to a two seater legally - cost a bomb though I'll bet. If, as you say Mick, A CAR 35 engineer can approve a change to a 747 then this would be a stroll in the park. It must just be the powers that be find it a bit tricky and thus the decree is that nobody is capable to perform this most difficult task on this unbelievably heavy 2 seater!!

As I understand it now, Jabiru must give permission for the mod but it can be signed off by a qualified engineer - this negates the liability issue that Jabiru could have whilst still keeping it legal. I will continue and advise the end result, but probably not until 2011. In the meantime if anyone has more advice I'm all ears.

 

Cheers all and thanks again.

 

Ian

Hi Ian, the tyres from ******* 8 ply are aircraft grade 8 ply and dont change anything, the standard tyre is as soft as a rag and when it blows will leave you on the brake disk which is not round believe me a real handfull to keep on the runway, a phone call to Jab would surely accept this as the stock item is a safety concern the replacement tyre will hold section and keep the disk off the ground and roll still the stock one will not you will have a wheel pant on the ground as well as roll on the disk, there is no substance to the tyre, it is not aircraft grade a flying school at bundy is using these tyres as well for the same reason, that is where i found out about them, as for regs and safety, like see and avoid so is any other obvious safety concern with the stock tyre you stand a very good chance of losing control on landing with a flat or blow out, i would not wait any insurance company would agree and so would most 120 operators perhaps a joint request of approval, the tyres that Kevin sugested are great as well and i must reinterate no changes are made to wheels or fittings its just a heavier tyre.

 

 

well if they are using 'accident history' as an excuse...the only reference i could find to the 'stall on departure' was in 2002. But if you look at the atsb reports all incidents and accidents that i could find were vh registered aircraft...even if we are better off inland as maj suggests, this is besides the point really. Look at the wider implications for raa. If airports are able to do this, we are going to be running out of places to operate out of.

So i rang the airport operator, (council) who was very good about this...the reasons are

 

1. That someone killed themselves. (2002)

 

2. They can't track us down for landing fees

 

3. Someone made an rpt have to do a go-around

 

4. Virgin doesn't like ul's

 

this has been in for 6 years apparently and their attitude is that any raa registered aircraft is an ul regardless of equipment fitted etc...so your fancy j-230 with dual comms, txpdr and 120 knot cruise is a ul! They also admitted that they really can't do anything to stop you (but not on the record you know wink wink!)

virgin doesn't like ul's that's a shame i like virgin

 

 

Bigger wheels

 

Hope you have lots of $$$ should you ever have an accident because you are now unregistered and uninsured.

NO ISSUE HERE, the factory supplied tyre is like a rag, they blow on coarse bitumen and most owners will know puncture all the time, you learn landing with a flat real quick, yep change them, Kevin used the fergie type i used 8 ply aircraft tyres from the aero shop in the Mag, same rim size no change to the wheels nothing aircraft grade and stamped, excepted as a high performance aero Tyre, even when you let the air out they hold form ie the wheel pant is off the deck and the plane still is controllable..... the factory Tyre when flat will not roll also the brake disk is on the ground it is not round and it is it that you roll on and it is designed like a 50 cent coin believe me a real handfull to land when flat it happened to me at St George i had to get the mobile heli pad out to the runway taxi was out of the question, stock tyres are bloody dangerous and disbelieved them being approved. **** em off any CAR3 will agree.

 

 

i found the fool proof way to fly whenever you want... find an instructor for a boyfriend.... go halves in a savvy with said instructor / boyfriend.... and fly like crazy!of course... i plan to use up the kids inheritance.... and they have been informed their inheritance may take the form of serious debt by the time im finished.... but they get to have a cool mum who owns and flys a plane!

im sure all these responses to your initial question have been so very helpful... not! basically it comes down to money and how much you can earn and put aside for your passion. go for it ... you only live once!

GOOD ONYA FLIGHTYGIRL, your a legend and you nailed it with your last 4 words, and so wise, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, so true yea gooooo for it

 

 

spot on

 

Strange but true...At Echuca, the ambos were refused access to a key to get airside by the local council.. which meant a bit of an issue when they needed to load a critical care patient into the waiting King Air.

 

So, the bloke in charge of the ambo station got the OK from his boss to purchase a set of bolt cutters for each ambo truck in the fleet.

 

When they needed to gain access to the airstrip to load a paitient into the king air - now, remember this needs to be done preferably with the ambulance, a big GM next to the aircraft, so the patient movement is minimised.

 

You guessed it, each time the Air Ambulance arrived, out came the bolt cutters..

 

And then a radio call to the Ambo dispatcher to notify the police wot they just did.

 

It took about a year before the council got its act together... and Echuca is NOT a secure airport.. well in terms of needing ASICs anyway.

 

Ben

Hiya Ben, yes the so called security is a joke, like you say the Ambos lost valuable time just like the Fire truck at Bundy, couldn't get through the gate hence the aircraft was a total loss by the time it got there, it wont be long before this system causes loss of life, who will put their hand up for responsibility then Hmm. Also any of us when on route can be called on to assist with a SAR this may cause you the need to enter a secure airstrip for fuel due to your assistance with the SAR, you may be the hero of the day you spotted the search target and now a Council worker or CASA dude gonna fine you 500 bucks, gee thanks mate.i_dunno

Flying is still cheaper than a steady drinking and smoking habit, or sucking up to your woman, give all that stuff up and fly ya brains out, or just thought get a woman that owns a plane, yep that's the way email her first make sure you sound real cool, then ask her to send you a picture of her plane. that's gota work, well that's it for my life improvment segment for this week. next week will be first aid.

 

 

bolts

 

hey hang onto them the rest of the Airplane might rock uo next week. lol:keen:

 

 

carriage of documents

 

I recall another thread a little while ago which dealt with this. Anyway, start with Reg #233, Responsibility of pilot in command before flight:

I guess you need to read the AIP and carefully read the regulation above (I have no knowledge of any exemptions or differences for RAA registered machines).

 

I have my favourite pages from ERSA on my Nokia E51.

Yep thats right it is compulsory and has been for as long as i can remember maps and ersa data relevant to the flight, this must include alternates WACS OR IF A VTC area OR VNC AREA ERC, i carry the VFR nav on pc THEN YOU HAVE national cover of all maps including ERSA and is approved by CASA, I HAVE OUR OPPS MANUAL ON IT AS WELL saves a lot of room the whole flight planing and documentation in one small pack, i print off an A4 map pack for the trip in case the gps goes bunta, and mark off each ten mile so i can go dead rekoning instantly and play the whiz wheel if needed.

 

 

xc lightwing

 

Great stuff hec what good fun that would have been i just love those LIGHTWINGS ALWAYS GREAT TO FLY, our club has one now and the guys here are learning some new skills on a fun tailwheel Aircraft tough as a truck, i was rapped when i was asked to fly it home from Vic, really bought back memories, they just have a feel of their own, and those wicked side slips they can do, yep i had a play, well enjoy your next adventure cheers Steve.

 

 

Ersa

 

Hi I HAVE THE COMPLETE CURRENT ERSA FILE WORKS ON MOST PHONES AS WELL AS A PDF FILE .

 

Whoops sorry about the caps lock, i also use a 7inch windows pro flat pc touch screen with a solid state drive, so it is shock proof chrome screen bright and clear in all light full moving map, instument page gps TOGGLE FULL PAGE AH or multi instrument full AUS TERRAIN AND AIRPORT DATA STRIP DATA EASY TO SEE INTERNET ON WITH WEATHER RADAR IN REAL TIME , The processor speed and RAM blows Garmins and Avmaps out of the water gps report time of .2of a sec AH and VSI REAL TIME, and sooooo cheap everything cost about $500 takes me about 3 hours to set up and ya set, you have your office with you as well, just an interest for me i am doing a few for locals here as well beat the expence somehow, best thing is like your pc at home you minimise it hit the taskbar with radar or a movie for the passenger naturally or media player music all in one bundle it is bullet proof the first one which is mine i gave it hell in my 4x4 no problem, also will interface with auto pilot and engine instuments same as efis dynon only much faster and more powerful it has a dme funtion nearest airports and distance is always visable as well as nav aids, i will be doing some instrument test flying as passenger, we have a commercial Cpt here who is keen to play with it i will report more after that but so far i am gona bin the 296 cheers sorry no comas too tired PS oh it is 12volt as well just a lighter adapter 12in 12 out