bushpilot

I spoke to reps of 'Sport Pilot' today and it was good to hear that modifications will be built into the next edition - notably: The word 'Pilot' in 'Sport Pilot' will be larger - as it otherwise can be mistaken for a general sports mag. (But the dodgy looking prop. will remain as is..) The general advertising will be less clustered. The classifieds photos will be much less heavily cropped. There will be more articles. (With the point made that if some of the 9,000 of us out there have interesting stories to tell - then submit them). Other general tidy ups. (Remembering that the current issue had to be put together pretty quickly). So, as one of the early critics of the new style, I'm looking forward to seeing continuous improvement in what could become a great mag, with a broader public following.

Bit of a 'silly' name, but this is another good resource for local (ground) forecasts. I especially like the detailed wind forecast charts - just select you State / region / town and then click on the wind tab at the top of the page: http://www.willyweather.com.au/ Try moving your mouse over the wind chart for predicted wind strength for any given hour..

Thanks Bob.. Yep saw that and I've since flown one.. I posted the following on another 170 thread: The handling issues mentioned above have been addressed in the latest J170 design. If you didnt see it at Temora - here is a pic: http://www.centralwestflying.com/newsart.php?k=36 (click on the photo to enlarge - and, yes, I know there are a couple of typos in the text..). I test-flew this particular 170 and liked it. Ours will be delivered in about 4 weeks time. It will get a real work-out as we do more than 100 hours training and private hire a month in our J160 and J230. The 170 will do a lot of the ab-initio work, so I will report on our in-service experience over time..

Just checked the web page link; very nice, Bas; simple design and functional. Will the side-grips accommodate a protective (silicon-type) cover on the iPad?

Hi Ian.. In time you could still consider an Apple iPad platform as well; a basic wi-fi-only iPad can be tethered to iPhone 4 to access GPS. There are many more apps available for the Apple platform than any other.

Well we have been told that the Editor is reading all our comments in this Thread - which is a good sign. (Why wouldn't he; feedback in this detail would cost heaps using typical product acceptance research methods - and here it is, all laid out..) But I would suggest, to give encouragement to those of us who bothered to offer commentary, that the Editor post his summary of which of the ideas and suggestions here he will take on-board and incorporate in future editions.. It's "our" magazine after all, so I'm sure we all want to see it at its best - and see it sell well on the newsstands, to assist in growing our segment of aviation.

Comments like this are not helpful - and generalisation is dangerous. We have 3 Jab's - 160, 2 x 230s, with a combined 1,400 hours in the past year. We have done little work on them other than routine (but correct and full) servicing. Our sister school at Orange has done over 4,000 hours in 3 160s over several years and has had the same experience as us. And, yes, I do know there are also plenty of examples of issues out there, but the number of Jabs in service is very large - much larger than any other Rec aircraft - which in turn means more reports of problems in absolute terms.

Exceptional! The filming, editing, captioning and effects; all top class. What video camera do you use? Maybe another angle for this Forum, Ian: "The 2012 Best Amateur Aviation Video competition." - and each year thereafter. Voted on my members and a prize each year donated by commercial supporters of the Forum. (I'm in for a prize donation).

The handling issues mentioned above have been addressed in the latest J170 design. If you didnt see it at Temora - here is a pic: http://www.centralwestflying.com/newsart.php?k=36 (click on the photo to enlarge - and, yes, I know there are a couple of typos in the text..). I test-flew this particular 170 and liked it. Ours will be delivered in about 4 weeks time. It will get a real work-out as we do more than 100 hours training and private hire a month in our J160 and J230. The 170 will do a lot of the ab-initio work, so I will report on our in-service experience over time..

And from the same 'library', this not-so-new gem:

Truly impressive stuff indeed... Any other comparisons on before and after - like IAS (at what RPM) and fuel burn??

Back on topic pleeeeease...

Whoops - I meant to also ask: Our charges are all inclusive of GST.. Do most schools build GST into their rates? (Thanks for all the replies to date! There is a fair spread of rates out there..)

My views: I understand the need to use a more commercial approach to packaging and presenting the magazine to assist increase circulation, however - The masthead ('Sportpilot' - I dont have a problem with the name) looks cheap and in particular the prop pic is a bit corny /cartoony looking. I think they should run a competition inviting entries to improve the look. The adverts. are very cluttered and uninviting to look at - especially those crammed together filling a page. The photos in the Classifieds are a joke; cut down so much that with some of the a/c all you can see are the wings. Potential buyers need a good visual to go with the description. Also, communication between the RAAus office and the magazine is off to a bad start. I asked RAAus 6 weeks ago to put a 'sold' banner on my a/c classified - and it is still there as 'for sale'. I will be passing these views on to the editor.

Must haves = Transponder, strobe, landing light - they all make you more visible in different situations. Also built-in GPS - basic Garmin models are OK. Nice to have = EFIS Any other non-approved add-ons or mods - check with Jabiru first re certification..

With fuel costs going up I'm interested to know what the various RAAus schools are charging for dual instruction and aircraft hire. Would appreciate it if Forumers could share what they pay (as students or hirers) or charge (as school operators). (BTW: All our current charges are on our website www.centralwestflying.com but are under review) Thanks.

We have 2 J230s in our school - doing circuit work, navs and private hire. One has done 440 hours in 18 months and the other 405 hours in just 9 months. We have had no problems with either - altho one has been slow to start when temps got under 5C. But mechanically - no issues at all. I would like to see Jabiru do something about the brakes; they require constant adjustment. Bottom line: A great a/c for the money - roomy inside, fast, low consumption, good looks.

I spoke to Jab Engine Shop about them today. Bottom line: They cannot be used legally in a certified Jab. So of no use to schools.

Any chance of posting pics of your discs? Sounds promising..

We do block training and operate 7 days a week (most weeks). We are located in Bathurst and housed in the premises of the Bathurst Aero Club, but with dedicated rooms. About 30% of our current students travel from Sydney to fly with us. Many of these have come to us on referral - which is always the best form of promotion... We have 3 Jabirus - shortly to be 4, and 2 instructors - shortly to be 4. In a few weeks time we will be adding GA training in a Cessna 172. Check us out at www.centralwestflying.com

Clearly the spats would make a difference to the performance criteria you are looking at. How about cold-starting? Has that got better or not? ie cranking time until fires.

I agree 100%. We want to see constructive contributions in these specific-subject topic forums. Some may think that being defensive about a particular brand/type relates directly to what the defender owns; indeed this is a natural reaction. But as Frank says, such bias (for or against) is not necessarily helpful. In my case we have just ordered our 4th Jabiru. We gain nothing from doing so other than some fleet efficiency. But if we did see obvious commercial advantage in going another way - buying another type of a/c, then we would. In fact each time that we get to the point of needing an additional a/c we do re-visit the options. We got close to ordering a Cessna Skycatcher recently, but decided that there are too few of them out there at this stage for them to have any in-service history. We also looked at some of the Euro brands, but in talking with owners became concerned about the availability of parts. In a school environment we need all of our a/c servicable for 99% of the flying days - save for regular servicing; and Jabiru gives us this operational capacity.. Whilst not related to this thread, there is also the issue of 'eye appeal', particularly from the point of view of newbies to aviation or recreational aviation; Jabiru's basic design/s meets the expectations of what a 'normal' a/c should look like - and makes the 'looker' more likely to sign on..

Yep - Carby heat, of course, then clear as required - and don't allow the motor to get too cold too quickly.. Our soaring is nowhere near as extended as those Pommy sailplane boys though; that stuff is amazing to watch...

We ridge-soar our Jabirus off Mount Ovens, near Bathurst, when the wind is blowing from the West.. We have done this many times in the past in hang-gliders and the technique is basically that same: Fly close to, above and parallel to the ridge, but always in front of it (upwind side), then when get to the end of the ridge do a 180 turn away from the ridge and back parellel again. A Jab will hold height in 15kts wind and will gain height over 15 kts - at idle. Good fun and skill honing.. One of the benefits of the weight limit in our category.. Come to Bathurst and try it sometime.

That is a very myopic view Don and a silly analogy - given the differences in production volumes and the environment that a/c engines (all of them) operate in, compared to cars. Would have expected better from a would-be representative of the RAA constituency...