Pearo

But a forecast will help determine you alternates/holding, and thats the whole idea.

I wont comment on legal issues, but if you were in the air with an approved radio, and an unapproved radio, ACMA would not be able to tell which one you used unless they saw you.. All they could tell is that you were transmitting a signal and then check you gear to make sure its legal. I would say chance of prosecution is almost nil, given that a paid owner of spectrum cannot get ACMA to investigate or prosecute someone who interferes with that part of the spectrum. ACMA is a joke. ACMA is more worried about content on TV than a rec pilot using an unapproved radio.

Another sailor here. Spent plenty of time in the briney, never been eaten. Just like most of my mates. One day I was sailing as youngen (maybe 15) when I broke a tiller in a race. Sailed the boat almost back in but capsized in the mouth of the river. I was tired and we could not get the boat back up. When we finally got it upright a fishermen upped anchor and offered to tow us in. When we got to shore he showed us his prize catch, a 5ft shark caught about 30m from where we capsized!! Most sharks are not interested in people.

I just bought one in the US whilst I was there. ACMA (or what ever they are called now, they seem to change their name every few years) is a joke, and they rarely prosecute. Mine is not approved for use in Australia as far as I know. It was purchased as a) a backup and b) for listening to comms. Chances are it will never transmit a signal ever, but it will ride in my flight bag. [rant] In saying that, if you were to purchase one overseas and use it airborne, I doubt you will ever come to grief. If ACMA had any balls they would chase up those shitty radios that no one can understand when the pilot makes a broadcast. The whole system is a joke, and not allowing a US model to be used because there is some minor difference radio performance is just some idiot in a government job trying to justify their own position. The US is leaps and bounds ahead of Australia in all forms of aviation and Australia should be using them as a role model. [/rant]

I have heard a saying that the worst drivers make the best pilots. Not sure how true that is... I dont think driving experience will benefit flight training, they are very different things. But I will say one thing, I believe flying will benefit driving skills. I say this as a motorcyclist, because we are invisible to most people on the road, however the training you get as a PPL student and the understanding you get with the human factors involving the eye are great tools for on road use. Also, pilot training forces you into a mentality of using things like checklists, and interestingly this starts happening subconsciously when you get in the car!! Anyway, enjoy both and take care. Both driving and flying will take can take you to some very special places in the country if.

Not everyday you get to sit in the left seat and see this: Half the cost of a similar flight in Australia too, and that includes the crappy aus dollar. For 2.3 hours in a low hour G1000 C172 the total cost was $530USD, and that includes an instructor sitting next to you.

Another one here. I ride a Triumph Tiger Explorer (1200) and a DR650. Also have a DRZ400 for trail and a '47 BSA C11. I think I am going to sell the DRZ though, last trail crash resulted in broken tibia and ruptured ACL. Several operations later and its still not fixed properly. Was doing good till I hit a kangaroo doing 110kph on the trumpy and broke my ankle (same leg). I think I may have undone some of the surgeons work to my knee. Looks familar, I was out there a few weeks back: Tomorrow I have managed to book a G1000 C172 at Henderson Airport in Nevada, and will be flying over the grand canyon. I have to fly dual, but I dare say the instructor will probably spend more time flying whilst I peer out the window and take photo's!

I heard the other day that Bris tower is going full digital strips? IIRC I think I recall being told that Melbourne had already gone that way. I know that the security issues are a problem these days, but its well worth a visit to BNE Center if you can. I got the full tour there, I was lucky cause I am friends with one of the old bosses. Anyway, my next venture is into Class C, Gold Coast!! I am off to the US for a month, but when I get back I will do another run into sunny coast then will start tormenting the goldy ATC's. I apologise in advance for my crap radio work!! I promise I will get my flight plans correct! If I can ask one question of any GC ATC or pilots, what are the quieter times to fly into the Gold Coast? I would like to try and plan around busy RPT times.

The girls are good too! I just say 'guys' but its actually very gender unspecific coming from me! My first clearance into YBSU was from one of our female ATC's. I was supposed to go up to the tower for a visit that day, but was running short of time.

Nope, you guys are awesome! I have had the opportunity to visit Bris Centre and tower thanks to a good friend (Geoff) and I got to see how our flight plans are used. As a student, we have to lodge flight plans for every training flight even if its OCTA. Where you work shags? If SEQ there is a good chance I will be talking to you soon!! I am off to the US for a month, but when I get back I will be heading to sunny coast, gold coast and archerfield. I think Archerfield is my first solo venture into controlled airspace.

Most ATC are pretty good. I actually know a couple personally. The only time they get annoyed is if you dont follow procedure, but they tend to be very forgiving to us students! The aero club has us state that its a dual flight when we request clearance so the ATC understand that you are a student. Brisbane is the only airpsace that really requires prior flight notification as they are really busy. I have spent some time up the tower at YBBN and I watched a GA aircraft land (I think it was RFDS if my memory serves me correctly) and because they are so slow it causes a backlog for both departing and arriving aircraft. Gold Coast is heading the same way, and in fact my instructor told me that you really need to fly a flapless approach to keep your speed up as long as possible.

Anyone have any info? Another pilot I know was out that way and participated in the search for a while. There was also a mayday call I think at the gold coast for an engine failure, but I believe the pilot landed successfully.

If you have done the training I have done, you know damn well you dont want to get into IMC. The basic 2 hours IF for a PPL does nothing to convince you not to fly into IMC. Getting blindfolded and putting yourself into a spiral dive and not being able to fix it is a good way to scare you out of flying into IMC.

This is being hammered into me. I am constantly doing instrument flight under the hood, not because you want to fly into cloud, but because you need to be able to do a 180 turn back out should you inadvertently fly into IMC. Someone said earlier you shouldn't fly into cloud because there may be an IFR flight in there (you should be following the hemispherical rules anyway so this wont be a problem) but this is not true. You should not do it because your brain is not capable of dealing with the situation. The main risk is to yourself. The old casa rule, you have 178 seconds on average to live if you fly into IMC. When I was under instruction for my GFPT, one of the instructors had me fly the plane straight and level with a blind fold on. You think you are flying straight and level, but when I took the blind fold of I was in a spiral dive. I knew something was wrong because of the engine noise, but I could not correct it for some reason, it just felt wrong to pull up. My brain tricked me. If anyone has not done this excercise, I highly recommend you do. I have about 5-6 hours of IF time under the hood now. Even though I can fly straight and level, and perform rate one turns as well as flying on headings, I still dont like it and I still dont feel comfortable. When flying VFR, you dont think about flying the plane, you just do it and react to it. When flying IF, it takes every part of my brain to process the instruments and maintain a workflow that will not kill me. I am not sure I could do it and process info from ATC yet. All this stuff has done one thing though, its given me a healthy respect for the dangers of flying into IMC. Even flying around cloud in VMC is fraught with danger as you are unable to sight other aircraft who might be doing the same thing. As much fun as it is to play in the cloud, I tend to give all cloud a wide berth if I can. EDIT: BTW. I am not saying this is what the pilot of that aircraft did. I am just putting out some info I have learned from GA training since there is a lot of talk about it. I was almost going to suggest that the flying into IMC stuff be taken to another thread last night, but being a new player on this forum I dont want to get out of place just yet!

Yup. All went well. A little overwhelming at the moment, bit like being in the circuit for the first time again! Solo nav on Monday, but no controlled airspace for this one! I am going to go up and do some circuits today. Seems my landings are a little off since I started the nav excercises. Not sure why though, so I figure I best go nip that problem in the bud now. One difference is, lots of straight in and base joins, which I am not really familiar with.

I flew over this area today. Its hard not to feel a little sadness as you go by. It also hits home about how vulnerable you are when you are in the air.

The answer is you dont need to fly in via the VFR approach points. However as dunlopdangler said, its best to plan for it as it makes everyones life easier. Unbeknownst to me, today I was not flying to maryborough, but rather departing kingaroy and going under the hood for some IF and to get lost. After finding where I was (kilkivan) it was time to divert to YBSU, so I ended up flying in via the Cooroy VFR approach point anyway. Must have done ok though, got the nod to do my first solo nav.

I correct myself above. Second full stop into controlled airspace., have passed through the YBSU airspace several times before.

I was just hoping to get an answer tonight so I could do the flight planning. Tower is pre-warned, and I have to lodge flight notification too. I was there yesterday, but flew in from Gympie so my FPT took me via Cooroy anyway. Not departing YRED till 1300, so plenty of time to sort it out. Sunny coast ATC are awesome BTW. Great place to learn. You just have to be a little patient when the RPT fly in, which seems to be everytime I am in their airspace!

I dont like the look of it either. Agree that it should be tie-wired.

I have a nav excercise into YBSU tomorrow. I will be coming from Maryborough. Just wondering if I have to use the VFR approach point (Cooroy) or can I just request clearance from say Coorobah? Only my second flight into controlled airspace so I am a little nervous about screwing it up!

There is a web version here: http://vfrg.casa.gov.au/ I wont have time in the next few months, but for a keen IT person it would not be too hard to scrape that site and turn it into a PDF.

I got a copy on pre-order, used it for my PPL theory exam last weekend (which I passed). Mine is already falling apart. I prefer the old spiral bound version, but at least this one can be updated.

FWIW, a well maintained battery will last a long time. Keep it charged, dont discharge it to much, try and keep exposure to heat minimused and any battery will lasst a long time. I have seen normal lead acid batteries last well in excess of 15 years thanks to regular maintenance and careful use. I even had a car battery as a 18y/o last 11years and that got swapped out of my regular car and into my muscle car, plus it did many trips in the tinny whilst fishing too. Nothing different to sealed batteries either, dont overcharge or overheat them, dont let them run less than about 60-70% of charge and they will last you a long time.

I would love to go, being a plane and car nut. I have an ASIC, but alas no nav endorsement yet... I would take my old 48/215 up there, but its a long way in an old, fragile car like that. Anyway, details for those interested. http://qhmc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/David-Hack-Flyer-2015.pdf I need to do a nav to towoomba at some point, so I will have a chat to my instructors tomorrow and see if I can work something out.