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ABC Four Corners

Well done David, beat me to it, work demanded the first few hours of the day; I'll give Natalie a call. Looking forward to puting faces to the names, as well as seeing a few familiar ones.

Sounds like money well spent RD and proof that a new set of eyes on a situation are often able to see what someone intimately involved cannot. As to the results of a break in flight - hmm wouldn't want to be in the aircraft when that happened! My closest experience of this was in a Zenair 601 where someone apparently hit the trim tab, which protruded from the main control surface in this installation and in so doing bent the thin push-pull rod actuating the tab. It seemed to have been semi straightened and the bent portion pushed into the end of the cable sleeve. The fault was missed on preflight, trim repositioned pre-takeoff, which would then have exposed the bent portion and the thin rod duly let go the first time trim was altered in flight. This set up a terrific buzz through the stick and to a lesser extent the airframe, the frequency of which altered part way through the remainder of the circuit. On landing we found that the trim tab had partially torn away under the force of the rapid oscillation, hence the change in the buzz through the controls. I'd like to think the tab would merely have torn away completely had the aircraft been further from the field, but I'd not like to bet my life on it - flutter in an airborne context has a negative effect on my bowels, something I discovered in a paraglider many years ago. (And yes I am aware of the difference between fluttering fabric and the nasty type)

No - but it looks like somewhere I'd like to go.

Good question David, it doesn't look as though I'll be flying down and I also scanned the mag with this in mind - was considering doing the unthinkable and actually calling someone who may know.

Location City: Gustavia, St-Barthélemy, Guadeloupe Name:Gustaf III Old (Alt.):St-Jean ICAO / IATA:TFFJ / SBH Details Type:Airport (Aerodrome, Airfield) Latitude:17°54'16"N (17.904444) Longitude:62°50'37"W (-62.843610) Elevation:49 ft (15 m) Runways:1 Longest:2133 × 49 ft (650 × 15 m), paved 650m was always going to require digit absent from orifice in an Aztec (I think?) but geez he had quite a bit of time there where he could have pushed everything forward and gotten away with it.

Oh dear, a case of PUI or just not reading previous posts:oh yeah: And for those not familiar with Bob Tait's steed, herewith photo taken at Watts Bridge - I'll second Maj, pretty as..... [ATTACH]13384.vB[/ATTACH] Maj, I can't speak for Howie Hughes and his measuring tape, but similar stories are told about BD Maule and his aircraft.

SP you'll find most of us are capable of distinguishing a humourous touch....., don't stop, life is serious enough as it is.

Terrain can also be a trap for the unwary too ie. me. Back in my paragliding days I was revelling in flying conditions that had smoothed out late afternoon after a fairly rough afternoon. Beautiful view out west toward mountain peaks that reach a bit over 10,000', watching the sun dropping down toward them. Obviously there was still daylight where I was, but my landing field, tucked up in a valley around 3,500' below me was already receding into the gloom and was most definitely dark by the time I glided down. Not too serious, given an approach speed of 12-15kts, some light spilling from the campfire and a few gas lanterns, but I didn't reckon on the breeze switching directions on me from an upslope easterly to a downslope westerly as the earth cooled. Not being able to see any indication of wind direction I set up for landing in the same direction as my takeoff 2 hours or so earlier - and ended up on my face when my legs were unable to cope with the downwind landing speed! We live and hopefully learn - still was a magic flight though:thumb up:

Beware the three pointer - when flying a nosewheel equipped aircraft!

Thanks for the update Swanny, he is certainly in our thoughts and prayers.

Like the poor bloke who dumped his Volksplane into the trees a year or two back after knocking the magswitch - ouch! I have vivid memories of sitting in the back of a trike over a patch of unfriendly terrain, pilot and I taking turns to tug on the starter after a wee bit of mismanagement in switching fuel tanks - a bit of adrenalin helps but it still isn't too easy to achieve. We eventually resorted to my loosening my straps, hanging out of my seat to the left, trying to keep us on an even keel with one hand, whilst the man upfront tugged his heart out, swinging back into the space normally occupied by my head and shoulders.

Dave I've got a fair collection, pm me an email address and I'll send you a selection - just mail me a copy of the brochure when done. Cheers Carl

Damn, sorry to hear that!

Hi Gary, welcome aboard. I've not had the opportunity of flying at Redcliffe, but the school has a reputation for being a little more expensive but very professional. Keep us posted on your progress. Regards Carl

As with most things aviation, placing the switches is a compromise - I'm not sure that I'd want to separate them though, I've already had one occasion where I quickly killed the motor just before taxi because I was unhappy about the movements of someone else's passenger in the vicinity of my prop. It was very useful to be able to stick out two fingers and stop the engine in a second or two.

If it weren't so serious I'd have been tempted to place this in aviation laughter! Delhi to investigate 4500 pilot licences Amanda hodge From: The Australian EVEN the most cavalier passengers knew something was amiss onboard IndiGo airlines' January 11 flight from Goa when it landed with a terrifying, lurching thud - nose wheel first - on the New Delhi tarmac. The flight's captain, Parminder Kaur Gulati, may have been the only one that day to see nothing awry in the unconventional and perilous landing. A subsequent investigation determined she had done it 15 times before. More distressing still was the discovery that Ms Gulati, 38, had failed one of her pilot exams and then forged her results to obtain her licence. "Only a woman could do it,'' read an ensuing headline - one of several predictable joke lines that followed, besmirching women drivers. As it turns out, Parminder Gulati was merely the tip of the iceberg. With a second pilot arrested for licence fraud on the weekend and an alert issued for two more absconders, India's Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi has been forced to launch a national investigation into the validity of more than 4500 Indian pilot licences."I have directed the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) to examine all the licences issued in the past and to establish a procedure for more detailed verification while issuing such licences,'' Mr Ravi told parliament on Tuesday. "I propose to set up an expert committee in the ministry to examine the current examination system, need for introduction of e-technology, new procedures and process and effective system of cross-verification of documents filed by candidates for various licences in DGCA.'' In a country where it is not uncommon for parents to present their children with a driver's licence inside their 18th birthday cards, the notion that some pilot licences may have been bought rather than earned should not come as such a surprise. India's airlines have struggled in recent years to recruit enough pilots to keep up with demand for air travel among India's rapidly expanding middle classes. But the revelations have shaken the community at a time when billion-dollar government corruption scams are dominating the national headlines. Adding to the Indian aviation industry's woes - and passenger anxiety - this month is a report revealing 57 pilots were caught drunk on duty in the past two years, but only 10 were dismissed. Mr Ravi said the remaining 47 pilots were either issued warning letters or removed from flying duties for a short period. The Indian Pilots Guild has also called for an end to "nepotism and corruption'', citing the recruitment last year of the son of an Air India commander to its low-cost carrier Air India Express after he failed a compulsory written pilot's test. In January this year, the same man was promoted to Air India's much sought-after Boeing 777 training program. Last May, a plane crash in southern India killed 158 people and an official investigation later blamed it on a "sleepy pilot''. Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/delhi-to-investigate-4500-pilot-licences/story-e6frfq80-1226023003381#ixzz1Gsclk1Ce

Kaz you might do well to duck down your chimney if you're going to persist in taking my contribution out of context - I think you'll find that I suggested earlier on that we ask the ladies present for their impressions. So far, unless I mistook your gender, the silence has been deafening. Far from wishing to speak for women, I am stating my opinion of what I frankly find a patronising approach. As far as history goes, I am well aware of past discrimination, however am equally aware that by the time I graduated, there were more women than men in the graduating class - ah bless Ally McBeal and her wardrobe:clap: Oh and a final point, my wife has quite enough expensive hobbies without any help from me:big_grin:

Geez louise, things are quiet in here - is that an echo I hear? Found an online ad for a Europa "converted from monowheel to conventional undercarriage" so it seems the ID was good. The original has a quirky appeal but I believe ground handling is a little "different" too, so not a bad idea - I've never quite been able to warm to the looks of the tri gear, a bit tubby about the middle or something?

Maj, with respect we have had 3 serious incidents reported in 2 days - that qualifies as a rash in my book, if not yours. A quick scan of the forums reveals that it is quite some time since the previous serious RA Aus incident was reported.

Ah no, not good news. Found the link online; http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/man-hurt-in-light-plane-crash-near-port-lincoln/story-e6frea83-1226020021631 , looking at the photo I wonder whether the firies cut the wing off to reach the pilot, one would hope that they know the fuel lines run through there..... Careful out there people, we seem to have had a sudden rash of these things.

I think you're calling that right Scott, I've even seen morning fog down on the low coastal ranges around here, so a bit higher and with all that moisture available..... Carl - in holding pattern.

Somebody on here made an interesting point a while ago, saying that out west the red earth rendered orange (eg marine V-sheet) almost invisible, suggesting that a bright blue tarp would be the best colour for visibility. Maybe the Savvy owner has ambitions.....

Thanks Ignition, not an uncommon configuration but still a worry. Sadly if the burns are as serious as reported, surviving the accident itself isn't really the issue. Lets hope it isn't as serious as all that.

Awful news, my thoughts are with the pilot and his family. A post accident fire is a scary prospect - where does the Sierra carry its fuel, wings or fuselage?