PaulN

OK, I'll stick my neck out and hopefully, if I get it wrong someone might offer a sensible correction from which we all may learn something. Funny you should refer to total failure of electrics ... been there, done that as flying past and west of YSCB under the 3500' step, but thankfully no cloud. Due to faulty rectifier/regulator the electrics were being powered only by the battery. As it failedthe first thing to drop out was the Flydat, then came the GPS, however, by isolating all systems except radio we managed to keep this alive for remainder of the flight home. More than once Idid a little deepthinking about the function of ignition electrics for assurance that the Rotax would keep purring. This must have been obvious as my passenger with a worried lookhad to ask "Is everything OK?" Now to your conundrum. Firstly, according to the AIP ENR 19.2, and from the good training we originally rec'd, it is inadvisable to continue a VFR flight above denser than SCT cloud (3 - 4 oktas). So, if I found myself in this situation I would be very conscious of keeping an eye to changes in cloud density (or rather the ability to take accurate fixes of ground features) around me ... situational awareness. In response to ... 1. In the situation described above except you did get all your electrics working properly ... I might havefive options here, the first three assuming I have a working GPS on board. (a) Being at 4000' and only 15 mins from destination I might select thatairport frequency in the hope of finding someone there to report the localmets. At say 120kts this places me 30nm out and at 4000' I should have aVHsignal. If lucky enough to get a reliably good report,then continue inbound track with reference to GPS while keeping clear of cloud; or (b) Request ATC for a mets report ofmy destination and if available and satisfactory continue inbound track with reference to GPS while keeping clear of cloud; or © Immediately turn 180 degrees to back track to known visibility, continue until safe to descend, set GPS for nearest alt airport (if no GPS get a fix from the map then locate the nearest alt airport) andput down to safety; or (d) Immediately turn 180 degrees to back track to known visibility, continue until safe to descend, assuming xpdr on board and ATC has a paint ofmy a/c, seek assistance for directions to nearest alternative airport and put down to safety; or (e)Immediately turn 180 degrees to back track to known visibility, continue until safe to descend, find a suitable location for a precautionary landing (airstrip, paddock, etc) and put down to safety. Of these, the first three are illegal (no VFR over 8/8 cloud), however as I'm already there I can't be any more illegal if I continueto fly out ofthe present situation to known safe air. The real consideration here of course is whether it's smart to continue ... what if the electrics drop out again? Good airmanship?? 2. In the situation described above ... If my electrics cannot be restored I have only one sensible option and that's (e) above. 3. In the situation described above and you suddenly see a very small opening that would hardly fit an aircraft in the cloud layer ahead of you? ... This barely needs asking. Don't even think about it, turn back andresort to(e) above. 4. In the situation described above and you luckily had installed an AH that is not electric so it is working perfectly ... This is a forum fundamentally for RA-Aus pilots and friends isn't it? Then flying in IMC conditions is not only illegal but stupid, even ifI'm smart enough to use an AH. Besides, haveI any idea for how far these conditions will persist? WillI be able to get down atmy destination, if indeedI can find it? 5. In the situation described above and you suddenly remember that when you were doing your flight planning the freezing level was 3,000ft. (this one will test you - if it is possible!) ... Being well above the cloud, even though the OAT may be minus 2 it is not likelyI will experience icing. And sometimes in a situation like thisone may find a temperature inversion puttingone at above freezing level temp. We often encounter this over the Snowies. WhatI won't want to do is fly near or in the cloud as icing then will be a very real risk. Again, resort to (e) above. In all of these scenarios, the obvious thing to do when safely down is locate the cause of the electrics failure and rectify before further flight. Just a note from another personal experience. Once, when flying from Newcastle to Cooma part ofmy NAIPS submittedflt planwas to climbto 6500' over Wollongong and track just OCTA past YSCB to awaypoint (Michelago) between Canberra and Cooma (106nm). As I would be tracking over tiger country I engaged Flight Following with ATC for this leg. The f/cast was for SCT cloud at 4500but half way along the leg the cloud beneath us began to thicken. So I tuned into YSCB ATIS to hear that local cloud over Canberra was SCT at 1500 and SCT at 2500 sounding hopeful for the cloud to thin out again soon. About then ATC handed us off to Canb App. On request Can App adv'd cloud o'cast over Canberra. I asked if they could check if any a/c near Cooma could give a report on cloud there. No good, however another a/c called in advising cloud over Goulburn was SCT. Using the mobile I called an aviator friend at Cooma and his advice was to divert as cloud was about 7/8 there. On request to Can App theycleared us for diversion to YGLB through controlled air and with permission to turn left and right as needed to negotiate cloud. So, yep ATC will help and quite happily. After taking on some late breakfast we continued on under the cloud to touch down safely at YCOM in time for lunch. Paul PS Sorry if this is too wordy but a good question is worth a thorough answer ... I only hope I'm not giving anyone a bum steer. PaulN

It's interesting to see how many CT panels are on display here ... they must be popular, eh? Go for it Ian, tell them it's your money and you want what you want

So how does this fit with CAO 95.55 para 5.2 (d)? ... "An aircraft may be flown inside Class A, B, C & D airspace only if all of the following conditions are complied with; (and I quote part (d) only here) (d) the aircraft is flown by the holder of a valid pilot licence (not being a student pilot licence): (i) issued under part 5 of the Regulations, and (ii) that allows the holder to fly in the controlled airspace." I'm confused now ... one says yes and another says no. Who's right and who's wrong and why?

Surely this would only be a case of operating more affordable UL aircraft under VH reg for basic PPL training ... not Rec Pilot Cert training as Sabre is asking about.

Clem, I don't understand your slant on UL training within GAAP. Please elaborate. Last week, while flying with a charter pilotout ofMackay (also GAAP) who tells me he is a GA and UL instructor, we got talking about training. He reckons that because his school (Aviation Mackay) operates in controlled airspacehe is unable to train for RA-Aus Pilot Cert level only PPL. Cheers, Paul

Sabre, in response to the first part of your question, it is highly unlikely that anyone at Archerfield does RA-Aus Pilot Cert training, certainly nottraining out of Archerfield as it'sa GAAP (controlled airspace). To operate in controlled air one must hold as a minimum a PPL or be training with a Student PPL. Jimbo at Mackay has the same problem. PaulN

Yep, like I said, an easy one. Can you guess the elevation? Nice place to stay for a few days. Paul PaulN

Lots of coconut palms but not Palm Island ... sorry.

Hi Micgrace, Thanks for your supportive note. The question of CO poisoning shows up regularly in PPL exams, like ... If you suspected carbon monoxide was present in the cabin, you should: (choose one only) (a) shut off cabin heat and continue the flight; (b) reduce power and airspeed; © increase fresh air supply and land ASAP; (d) check the carbon monoxide indicator and remove if it has changed colour. Paul

I need help with this one please. Quest 4. While cruising at 6500ft OCTA you notice that another a/c is converging on you from the LEFT at the same level. What actions should you take?

By "mugs" above, I meant mugs like me. So, here we go sticking our neck out again . The answer is somewhere in the clue I gave Geoff ... "take abig breath". This is not such an issue for ultralighters like us who are restricted to a 5000ft ceiling. However, having said that there are times we do have to climb higher tomaybe close to10000 when this issue may have some consequences. Also, I know some readerswill eventually be headingdown the GA track soan understandingof hypoxia is important. Trevor Thom puts it this way, hypoxia is the reduction of theoxygen carrying capacityof the blood. The brain needs oxygen for normal function, a reduction of which leads to disfunction (blurred vision, poor judgement, poor anddelayeddecision making, black out and ultimately death). As the body reaches higher alts (w/out the aid of oxygen supplementation and/or cabin pressurisation) the blood has less capacity to deliverneededoxygen.The normal healthy body can tolerate pressure and oxygen reduction happily up to about 10000ft AMSL, above this the effects of hypoxia can kick in. This may vary from person to person, not everyone has the same tolerance level. Other factors that may effect an individual's ability to tolerate the effects of reduced pressure/oxygen are: (a) Smoking has the effect of reducing one's tolerance by up to 4000ft to 5000ft, that is, it's like increasing the cabin altitude by that much thus risking the kick-in effects at lower real alts; (b) Anaemia of course reduces the bloods ability to carry oxygen; © Carbon monoxide poisoning (engine exhaust fumes) has the same effect as smoking; (d) Loss of blood (as in blood donation) reduces the blood's oxygen carrying ability. Therefore ... it is recommended to delay piloting an a/c 24 hours after giving blood to avoid the risk of higher than usual susceptibility to hypoxia. BTW, hypoxia can sneak up on you without you realising it's happening. Not that we rec pilots are ever likely to reach such dizzy heights but stats show that at 40,000ft a sudden loss of oxygen supply will render the brain unconcious in 12 to 15 secs. PaulN

At US$87k (~ AUS$117k)a newLambada looks pretty good. Take a look at http://www.ultraflightirl.com.au/Specifications.htm

Ian, if you mean Tasmania ... no Sorry Geoff, the technology got away from me again . Thanks for the fix Ian . PaulN

Hi Geoff, Back again. Time to get this thread moving again ... Boulia, Bedourie, Birdsville but I would never have guessed Innaminka. Following is my latest one and only. An easy one, looking down rwy 14 and with heaps of wind shear from 30kt SSE makes for an exciting approach. We got back home (by car) from this "paradise" on Sun morn to minus 7 degrees and thick fog and wondering WHY :confused:. Paul

Thank goodness he had a helmet.We can do w/out this type of blanket anti-ultralight publicity ...the term recreational aircraft is so much better. ??What are you doing on a site like that Michael??

Onya Geoff. He should be like me, don't drink ... you never know when someone might offer you a command and wouldn't it be sad to miss the opportunity to have a fly . Take a big breath and try again.

Clem said "perhaps discussion over the actual answer and the interpretation there-of". This was one of my aims for the thread ... discussion. The other, of course, is knowledge. Ian's point about the possibility of incorrect information being learnt is valid. My thought is that any answer (or correction for that matter)should be supported by a valid (authoritative) reference and with, if necessary, well considered discussion.Surely, inmost instances, authoritative references like the AIP quotedin my earlierpost, should be adequate. But as Clem ably demonstrated, discussion of the topic and referencesource is sometimes not only helpful but necessaryfor a fuller understanding of the topic/answer. Having a theory Guru on standby as a thread moderator is ideal, but probably not going to happen. I expect Lee and Chris areway too busy to keep us "entertained" and with total respect to them both, they too may have to research reference sources at times to provide fully correct answers. By way of example of helpful discussion, further to Clem's contribution about answer (e) to question 2, I filled out the exception to the rule by bringing to view the consideration of parallel runways and wake turb. Ian followed up in response to the correct answer to the original, carefully worded, question by asking "what if the preceedinga/c is heavier than 2000kg on a 2000m rwy?". With respect to the original question, answer (d) is correct as both a/c are of the same type and thus same MTOW, and less than 2000kg. However, if thepreceeding a/c isa heavy, then the AIPclause that Clem brought to our attention comes into play. As a rule of thumb an a/c should be considered by a following pilot as "a heavy" if it is twice the size/weight (or bigger)of his airplane. In which case he, as PIC,should exercise his responsibility as the ultimate decision maker with respect to the operation of his aircraft (CAR 224) and consider holding off for a longer delay, say 1-2 minutes (depending on how big the heavy is), before rolling to avoidany nasty effect from wake turb. Getting back to your thought Ian, my feeling is that to "hide" the answers in this quiz thread, until checked and verified by a moderator, would be just too ponderous and quickly lead to disinterest by readers. Perhaps, to protect Ian (and the mugs offering "correct" answers), a disclaimer warning the need for readers to do their own research before acting upon information hereinshould be placed on this thread/forum (unless of course Ian has already done this). Sorry to prattle on so much, Paul

Greetings Jimbo, Welcome to the forum. Keep a regular eye on this site and I reckonyou'll be the better pilot for it, the knowledge base here is very helpful. Tried the web but can't find it ... what's the Airlink Estate? About your learning. I did all my theory learning with the aid of the following list of manuals which are compiled for PPL training so offers the recreational flying student with pretty much all you need ... for theory that is (there's nothing like the experience). Also, the RA-Aus websitewww.auf.asn.auoffers an extensive training module but I'm not aware of any sample tests. This site (I tried to log onto it this arvo but it seems to be down right now) should provide you with the knowledge base specific to ultralight flying that the PPL manuals obviously miss. These manuals are really good and most have a review quiz at the end of each chapter as well as sample tests in the back. Take a look at The Aviation Theory Centre web site for ordering and prices. http://aviationtheory.net.au/students/cat/ The Flying Training Manual (no reviews or sample tests) Basic Aeronautical Knowledge Meteorology and Navigation Flight Rules and Air Law Flight Radio for Pilots If you want you can get sample exams for PPL standard these are also available through the same site. Just an aside, my wife and I are lobbing into Mackay airport tomorrow at 1040 (local) to join up with Gerry Turner of Aviation Mackay for a flt in his Cherokee over to Brampton ... can't wait , especially after it snowing down here today. Next time we'll do the trip in our CT,when it's finally repaired. Paul

OK, I'll go again. Quest 3 Do you recall learning "Human Factors" during your training? This question is... why should a pilotdelay 24 hoursafter giving a blood donation before operating an a/c?

(I know I'll regret saying this, but perhaps I represent a few others and you never know we might learn something from this) What calculation?? I chose my tie down rope for its colour matching the a/c. Oh, and yeah, it looked strong enough as well as lending itself to splicing. Paul

Choice (D) is correct ... refer AIP Enroute 5.5.1.a (5) at http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/aip/enr/111112.pdf Thank you Clem for the additional option as listed in the above AIP 5.5.2. It's worth knowing the other two possible exemptions to the rule, but which do not strictly apply to the question... - in the case that the aerodrome has two active parallel runways (left + right), and - to avoid wake turbulance from heavier a/c, a longer delay is advisable. NEXT QUESTION PLEASE SOMEONE ... let's keep this thread running. It can be anything to do with aviation knowledge, practice or theory.

Hi, A mate (member Snowy River Aviators) is looking at buying a Chinook with new skins & fabric, Rotax 377(see latest RA-Aus Mag ads p57 centre column bottom). He's wondering about its AUW capability. He is 105kg. Can anyone advise please?

Quest 2 You are planning a t/off from a non-controlled strip in an a/c of MTOW 544kg and have just lined up at the threshhold. Another a/c of the same type has just taken off from the same 1900m rwy. The earliest you can commence your roll is when the other a/c is airborne and - (a) beyond the upwind threshhold (b) commenced to turn © at least 300ft AAL (d) at least 600m ahead of your expected lift off point