Maritime_Ev

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience flying a light aircraft with infants/babies on board. My son is now 4 weeks old, and I reckon in a few months I could easily fit the baby capsule on the back seat of the Cessna to go to visit granddad out on the farm. The POH for the C172 even has a note about an optional baby seat in the luggage compartment but I think his mom won't approve My main concern is the noise, a headset is not an option yet, so how do you protect those sensitive little ears?

Took the old Cessna to the Archer falls fly in, weather was a bit blustery over the ranges, but not too bad on the ground. Some pretty interesting aircraft around, from quite advance to very simple. There were both British and German fighter aircraft replicas, the Brits were in the advantage though with a Spitfire vs the Fokker DR1 Dreidecker :)

Oh yes, very important to keep the smoke inside the electrical components. Luckily the guys at Sparkfun can help you out if you do manage to spill some, although I think it may no longer be available: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/10622

When this had just happened and it was speculated that it was a computer generated upset the big media were clamoring about too much automation on aeroplanes, then overnight they changed the tune to "let's get rid of all humans". I reckon pilots have saved an order of magnitude more people from faulty electronics than the other way around.

Went for a local ride in the Cessna on Friday, Gympie to Biggenden and back, lunch in the aptly named Grand hotel. Beautiful flying weather, nice views and a very decent $10 lunch special. To prove that you should always be alert for other traffic a Bonanza called in behind us, just when I remarked that we'd be unlikely to see anyone up in the circuit. And additionally to bring to point home that there's always someone with an even better toy! Looking forward to doing some more destinations from the pub+airstrip list this winter. Biggenden airport apron The Mary River still flowing from the rains last week. Is that a good looking aeroplane or what? Even looks fast from behind

For the local circuit/training area flights I was taught to just call up on ground. "Sunshine coast ground, cessna XXX is at ZZZ, for departure to the northern training area not above 1500, received Y, request taxi". Ground then clears you for taxiing to the runway and departure (for instance "over water, not above 1500"). When you come back report before entering the CTR, from the training area that would usually be at the Noosa heads VFR entry point or just north of lake Weyba. Very rarely got any delay at all, and that seemed to be related to the instrument approach being used. With the nav flights we always filed a plan, after all it may save your life one day... Also it's free and easy, so why not. I was quite impressed to see how little technology there's actually in place to control the traffic, basically the ouija board (?), a VHF and a pair of binoculars... All fine if there's just a couple of flights coming and going in different directions, but with a couple of in and out bound A320s, 5 little ones in the circuit and a bunch of Saudi helicopter trainees departing it must take a special kind of mind to keep the picture clear.

@rhysmcc How would this work for a flight to the training area originating from a class D airport? I assume the strip is made when I call sunshine coast ground after startup; do they keep they keep it in the system for when you come back or do they have to make a new one?

I guess it's just what you're used too, but I found flying into a (somewhat busy) CTAF a lot more intimidating than flying in class D. Instead of having ATC holding your hand and telling you where to go and where to look (and correct you if you make a wrong radio call!) you suddenly have to figure out where everyone is all on your own. YBSU is pretty quiet (compared to say YBAF) so don't think they would make much of a problem if you show up without a flight plan. Very different in the class C at YBCG (and YBBN I guess, has anyone taken something small in there? If a RFDS PC-12 is holding up traffic already the Foxbat is probably a bad idea ). It does get a little bit busy around midday when there's some arriving and departing RPT, especially on a nice Sunday when the local flying schools are busy, which can make circuits a bit of a lengthy affair (with some orbits or a really long downwind thrown in for wake turbulence).

Beautiful looking aircraft, but it's kinda strange that the there's not a single pic on their website of it in flight... It does actually fly does it?

OK, I guess I was asking for that In the grand scheme of things a C206 is still a tiny AC, but at the moment anything that I can't pull out of the hanger by myself is 'heavy'. It's a bit like the situation with the ship I'm working on; for the non maritime peeps it is a big ship... However my old cargo ship colleagues are making fun of being able to put the whole 3000 tons of it in one of their cargo holds with plenty of room to spare.

Did my RA-Aus conversion flight in a Foxbat on Tuesday; cool little aeroplane with amazing views (looking down, not as much in the circuit) so much glass all around that I even felt a but queasy glancing down during the first left turn. Impressed with the Rotax, it sounds like a lawnmower but it goes alright, on the first take off I was off the ground before I had the throttle fully open (flying from 18, we could probably have climbed to 500ft, landed and taken off again from an intersection departure). After the (heavy G1000 and full long range tanks equipped) C172 the day before the controls felt very light, and with the wrong hand too... I guess that's where the 5 hour requirement for GA/RA-Aus conversions comes from (I already did sufficient time in the C162 which is also classed as an LSA). Has anyone here ever gotten into trouble switching types? Not too much harm in flaring the Foxbat early, worse case you add power and go around, but in the other direction it might be more 'interesting': flying a C172 (or worse, something heavier like a C206) after flying a foxbat for a bit and you might come in a bit heavy.

Went for my first flight using my PPL privileges on Monday! First half a dozen solo circuits to get back into it, after 2 months at sea (and the first landing counted triple I think). And then off to the most import 'check' flight of them all: Took my wife up for the very first time, just a quick hop from YBSU coastal to double island point and back as it was a bit bumpy with showers predicted later in the afternoon. While she was a tiny bit startled on landing, she enjoyed the rest of the flight a lot. So I think I can start planning for a bigger trip, can't wait to actually go somewhere flying! We flew over land from Noosa to the field and there was quite a bit of turbulence on the approach to 12, both mechanical from mount Coolum and the normal Qld summer afternoon thermals, which made for a lively bit of flying. She said: "it was a bit scary, but you didn't seem to be freaking out so I guessed it was OK", that's the right attitude for a passenger I guess ). Any tips from the old hands on keeping spouses happy in the air? If I ever want to get my own aeroplane I must make sure she enjoys it too

You know what they say about rental cars being the quickest vehicles in the world, no matter what the model is... But seriously, about the scared test pilots thing, the reputation of the C162 just never recovered after they crashed one during spin recovery testing. Cessna did fix that problem with some extra fins under the tail, but it is still placarded as 'do not spin deliberately' and that seems to scare people even though AFAIK most LSAs are not tested for spin recovery at all. I think it would have been a good thing for Cessna to have some sort of replacement for all those venerable 150/152 and older 172, they will not last forever (with the SIDs becoming mandatory in Oz soon a lot of them will be scrapped) and with a new price of $300.00+ for a new 172 it will be very difficult to make a profit for a flying school.

I think the 162 has a worse reputation than it deserves, it's just a bit too heavy for a LSA (especially the 'luxury' version with the 2 screens), with me and a skinny instructor on board it was just workable for a X-country if we took fuel halfway. If you put 2x 85kg people in it, you have about 30minutes before you reach your reserve. But I guess that's just an LSA problem in general, with only 600kg of MTOW you just don't have much weight to play with. But apart from that it's a nice little aeroplane, the view is slightly better than from the 172 and feels more solid than some of the plastic LSAs out there. And I did like the stick/yoke combination thingy. Didn't spin it though...

I think there's a bright yellow Antonov 2 operating from YCAB, probably not for rent though. Also likely to use more fuel than my ship (and definitely more oil!). Remember reading somewhere that the AN-2 is the largest piston powered single in the world, with the back-end of it being a reverse engineered DC-3(?) I guess if that's true there are no SEPs of more than 5700kg. You can buy one for (relatively) little in Eastern Europe, but having worked a bit with Russian engineered engines and auxiliary systems I wouldn't want to own one (unless, like the ship, it came with a 5 engineers, lots of spare parts and company paid fuel and LO). Russian built cars/ships/aircraft have the reputation of being built crude but strong, but in my experience (just with cars and ships admittedly) the only reason all this Soviet made stuff still drives/floats/flies is the ingenuity of the guys (and a few galls) in the dirty coveralls. That being said, that radial does make a really nice noise, and if you can't afford to the upkeep you could always put it in the yard as a cubby house (the kids would love that!)

The tailwheel endo will be the first one I'll do I reckon, a bit more attention to the footwork during the landings can only help and all the nice looking aircraft seem to have the little wheel at the back . If I do it in a decathlon I can get the MPPC endo at the same time and maybe even a little bit of upside-down stuff.

Thanks Phil! Did my training in (two different) N types and a few hours in the 162, but for my test the 172N was undergoing its SID inspection. Had to change to a newish G-1000 SP version that doesn't have the barn door flaps (but it did have lcd screens and a faint new aeroplane smell in it). Those 40deg flaps are like throwing out an anchor, and like you said not really needed for the kind of ops that a new PPL should be engaging in. But could be handy to get it down on the golf course if the engine fails after take off. As I mentioned in the first post, I tried quite a few different RAaus aircraft when I got started and I just didn't seem to fit in any of them (I'm about 195cm). In the older 172 models I have heaps of head and leg space to spare, the new S model doesn't have as much headspace, I think it's the 20g seats that are a bit higher. Ev NB. Heard some numbers floating around for the SID inspection on the old bird (not the one in the picture), and I think I'll wait a bit before joining the ranks of aircraft owners

Just as a follow up, got word from home that my PPL has showed up in the mail (missus was a bit disappointed: "it's just a bundle of A4s, looks like something you could print at home"). Passed my test on 6 January, CASA flagged it as received on 20 January and finished processing on 29 January. So not nearly as bad as some of the rumours made it out to be. I assume that the time between 6 and 20 January can be split equaly between the flying school, OzPost and the CASA mailroom. Can't wait to do some flying when I get home in 10 days or so. So... If there is anyone out there with a 172 (or something equivalent) that needs a few more hours on it, someplace near YBSU let me know! I can rent one from the flying school of course, but it would be great to have an aircraft that I can take away for a few days to a week for a big trip.

My current school at YBSU has both an IFR 172 and a 206 online, even flew the G1000 172 for my flight test cause the analog one was out for maintenance. But both a PIRF and a 206 checkout are for the long term though, let the finances recover a bit first.

I think the story about the Decathlon/Citabria was that they are a bit more benign than say a cub or a C120, hence the quote marks. After all: what do I know about taildraggers, only have time in the C172 and C162. Think the Decathlon has a CSU so that would be another more design feature endorsement in one go (well, probably a fair few more than one). About the touring part: there may be a lot more of that, but I guess that will all depend on how the trip up north is working out with my wife, as I never managed to get a GFPT she hasn't flown with me yet. Guess she'll be right tho, she's less prone to sea-sicknes than me (and I'm a pro!), they're tough as those Aussie chicks The PIFR is definitely something for later on, if ever, and I don't think I'll be getting my N-VFR at all: not to start a flame war but the whole concept of flying around visually in a situation where you can't really see just seems flawed. The CASA Part 61 booklet stated that it was possible for a single pilot aircraft to need a type rating, so wasn't sure, but I just had a look at the COMLAW website and you are right, none of the SEP cessnas are on the type rating list (from the singles only the 208 is listed, but that's obviously another beast altogher). It's an accademic point anyway, no owner will let me fly one without a lot more training and experience. Anyway, fun times ahead for sure! But for now I'm off to my bunk, it's alsmost midnight on this side of the world and my weekend only starts in about 3 weeks from now.

That's something to consider indeed, but I don't think I'm ready for aircraft ownership just yet. And most importantly I wouldn't know what to get: maybe nicely restored Cub to fly around slowly with the doors off? Or build a RV-8 to hoon around in? (really like to looks of the RV taildraggers, but I think I need to finish the house before I can start thinking about building one). Or maybe just a sturdy C172 so the kid(s) can fit in the back. Guess I have to try 'em all before I can make that choice.

After a couple of years of practice, interupted by all kinds of non-flying issues, I finally managed to book and pass my PPL flight test a month ago. And now, according to the CASA website, the licence is in the mail! So just to make sure the missus doesn't get used to the money not going to flying training , my question is: What to do next? So many fun options out there :) Of course, first of all I just need to go flying; the plan is to rent a 172 or something equivalent and go and tour up north along the Queensland coast and have a look out back as well. But then when I get back, what would be the highest bang-for-buck in terms of becoming a better pilot/having lots of fun? -Tailwheel endorsement, highly recommended by my instructor and probably good for my lazy feet and not-sensitive-enough back side. Also most of the aircraft I've been secretly looking at online have two wheels in front. Could even be done cheap(ish) in a drifter at Gympie, even though I'm not sure if that would transfer over to my CASA licence (looks like fun flying tho!). Otherwise, is there any place in SE Qld where you could do a TW Endo in a Cub? -Aerobatics/upset recovery training/spinning endo, probably good for the same reason as the TW endo; learning to fly more precise and just to get more confident in handling the aeroplane. Could even combine the two if I did it in a Decatlon or Citabria (although I heard that they are not 'real' TW aeroplanes because they are too easy to land?) -Do some gliding: probably the cheapest option of them all, lots of educational value and probably heaps of fun flying without engine. Only downside is that it is mostly a club thing and mostly on the weekend, I don't really have the time to properly contribute as a club member (I get my free time in blocks of 5-6 weeks and the weekends are usually fully booked). Would it be frowned upon at gliding clubs to just come for a few Saturdays and pay the introduction flight rate? And where would be a good place to do that? I'm about an hour drive from Gympie, or an hour flying from Kingaroy if I can find someone to join me and share the cost of the flight. -Get signed off in the C206 (not sure if that would be a type rating?) so I can take a few more people to visit the family in Rural NSW or take my mates fishing at Fraser Island. I know that the idea with Cessna is that "they all fly the same" but I guess something that big and complex is probably best left untill I got a few years and a couple of hundred hours under my belt (right?) -get a PIFR; also probably something for down the track, I really do enjoy looking out of the windows while I'm flying, after all SE Queensland is stunningly beautiful from the air. But that said, my one flight into Coolangata, flying in class C airspace and doing the whole procedures thing was kinda cool too. And it would make flying to places more of a legitimate transport option (with a much smaller risk of getting stranded on your way back from a weekend in the whitsundays). But then a PIRF with a few navigation and approach endorsements would probably be more expensive than my whole PPL. -Continue for a CPL; why not... Once I get some more hours in I might be tempted to just give it a go. But that'll be a long term project.

Thanks! I'm kinda glad that I have to go back to work now; it would be pure torture to sit at home for weeks waiting for CASA to get done with printing the licence. Hope that by the time I come back they will have managed to print it, and maybe the weather will have calmed down a bit too (it was a very bumpy check ride). (Way too hot to make oliebollen in Queensland summer, but we're going to have a crack at them come mid-winter )

It's been awhile since I posted this but due to ATO availability, weather conditions and work commitments I only managed to get my test done today. And I passed! Heading back to sea soon and hopefully CASA will have my licence printed when I come back in 6ish weeks.

Well... I reckon I will be renting for a while after getting my licence, at least until my 'budget for expensive things that are not our house' has recovered a bit. So I won't be making any scam offers anytime soon.