PaulN

Hi all,

I'm in the process of fitting a 3 bladeAirmaster AP332 constant speed prop to our CT2K running a Rotax 912s.

If anyone has thoughts, comments or tips (positive or negative) I'd be keen to hear from you.

Thanks,

Paul

Ian,

Hope we don't miss you but understand about the work

thing. I plan to take heaps of pics along the way and will have the

laptop with us but mainly for weather and flight notifications. I may

send some pics while en route but using dial-up while travelling I

might findpics a bit chunky so these may have to wait until back home

with broadband.

Wear out the CT ... I didn't think they wore out.

I am presently editing a heap of pics for the forum albums so will be back here soon. Is there a preferred size (pixels and kbytes) that I should make these?

Bet you're hanging out for that ship to dock. Have you heard from Shaun lately. How does he plan (if he has a plan) to make delivery?

If

you're in touch with Nathan please let him know that I hope to catch up

with him. What's the name of the c'van park next to the airfield please?

Cheers,

Paul

G'day Ian,

When we drop into Shepparton, hopefully Mon morn

Sep 5, if we like what we see and choose to join the GVAC, is there a

delay from m'ship appln to acceptance?

Am I likely to meet up with Nathan while there to talk more about PPL training?

Did you get my private email of Aug 14?

Cheers,

Paul

Hi Ian,

When thinking our CT would be going on-line at Polo

Flat I went through the exercise of hunting down insurance. I finally

ended up dealing with Glenn Turner of Insurance Advisernet in SA. Glenn

being a fellow aviator is keenly aware of our issues. It seemed to me

that he was putting in the hard-yards to get the best deals available

for aviators. He did advise that very few insurers had any interest in

covering aircraft and related activities (same old story, fear of the unknown). Apparently only 2 companies QBE and Vero have an interest.

At the time I was looking to cover the CT for a nominal amt of $95K (hull) and $1m (p/liab) for around $5500PA, thats about 5.75% insured value. This allowed for $1500 excess with some limitations imposed (if we accepted $5000 excess the premium reduced to around $4500).

Since the idea of going on-line fell over we opted for p/liab cover only for private use with a prem of just under $900PA.

Maybe

it was just make-you-feel-comfortable talk but Glenn reckons insurance

costs for aviation looked like coming down. Hmmm, that'd be a first for

the insurance industry, eh.

Glenn can be reached on 0883961369 or 0418824328 or [email protected]

Cheers,

Paul

PS Thanks for the GVAC article ... what's the cost of m/ship?

Hello Ian,

I suggest, if your plane is for hire, one of the

conditionsmight be that the hirer provides his/her own EPIRB for XC

flight. Fittingan ELTto the plane is probably excessive, that is, if

your plane is in sufficiently OK condition after going down for the on

board ELT to function, chances are you and your personal EPIRB will

still be functioning OK too. Also, if when you are downed (God forbid) you manage to scramble from the wreckage before it explodesin a ball offire (nightmare stuff, eh? I must be thinking Gazelle or similar here) having a personal EPIRBabout your personcould bea good thing.

With respect to waterproof functionality of your personal EPIRB, you will find that most if not all models are waterproof (the GME MT310 certainly is).

This means that in case of ditching, after you've successfully donned

anddeployed your life jacket and you're sitting on your conveniently

bouyant CT wing avoiding sharks, you can then get about activating your

EPIRB confident that it is still operational. Don't know about working

under water, but I guess if your 20m down it won't really matter

anyway.

I

like Rodger's idea of the photojournalist vest with all those pockets.

When I fly I hang my EPIRB from a lanyard about my neck and slipped

into a pocket if available.

But, of course, all this is hyperthetical as CT's don't go down withoutbeing pointing down toward a nice clean runway.

Now,

about buying in stocks of these gadgets for distribution to members at

cost, I think this is dream-time stuff, esp considering their limited

shelf life (redundancy in 2009 or so). If an individual pilot values his/her life enough, he/she will make the effort to go get one.

Wish this wind would go away!!!

Paul

Hi Rodger,

Having recently gone through this decision process

myself, my advice is to outlay the $250 or so investment now in the

hope that the superseding system will be more affordable as the demand

increases. The 121.5 mHz model will be current until sometime 2009 (who knows, this may even be extended as authorities encounter user resistance to upgrade) so in my thinking $250 amortised over 3 or 4 years is pretty affordable assurance when XC flying.

I ended up buying a GME MT310 for $235 (jncl GST) in March as this is a neat, compact unit (160 x 65 x 25) in protective pouch and with lanyard and weighing just 210g all up.

Worth

considering is including on your pre-flight checks an item reminding

you to attach the unit to your person in case of mishap. There's not

much point having it tucked away in the baggage hold or somewhere else

inaccessible in time of emergency.

Enjoy your flying, it's the only way to go.

Paul

Hi Dave,

Welcome to the forum and the joys of affordable,

funflying. I know you'll enjoy the chats on this forum ... the

subjects are so varied and informative, and I know the rest of us will

appreciate your input and experiences.

To answer your query, RA-Aus issues its own Operations Manual (which I believe is in the process of being updated/revised). Take a look at our web site www.raa.asn.au (while

browsing this please substituteRA-Aus for AUF ... used to be known as

Aust Ultralight Federation but is now Recreational Aviation Aust [we

use the hyphen so as not tooffendthe Royal Automobile Association of

SA]).

This web site lists thecontents of the Ops Manual andto answer your question take particular notice of section 2.12.1 (www.raa.asn.au/opsmanual/new2-12.html) and section 2.07.2(www.raa.asn.au/opsmanual/new2-07.html).

When you're ready to start your conversion you'll need to join RA-Aus

and be issued with a Student Pilot Certificate which will duly be

upgraded to Pilot Cert on completion of these requirements. All you

need to do now is find a good ultralight flying school, present your

PPL stuff, join up and you're on your way.

It sounds like you

are yet to be endorsed for Xcountry flight. Take a look at 2.07.7

forpolicy regarding this. I'm sure you'll find heaps more helpful

stuff on the RA-Aussite.

BTW where are you based, what aircraft have you been flying to date and what got you into flying?

Hope this helps,

Paul

PS As of today I am now using the NAIPS flight notification system ... simpler than I thought it might be.

Paul

Hi again Rob,

Further on Flight Following (FF).

I

was told today by Airservices that FF is not a substitute for

submitting a flight notification and sartime. ATS will not be inclined

to get anxious if an a/c on FF disappears from the radar screen. While

flying from Cooma to Merimbula and return today I also noted that this

must be at the discretion of individual ATS operators. A couple of

times I faded off the radar screen and the operator called to check and

advise that reception was poor before finally terminating radar

service. It can sometimes be difficult for the radar to pick up a small

plastic craft in fringe areas. I was tracking at 7500 eastbound and

managed only about 5 mins of radar service. On the westbound return leg

at 8500 the operator tried to connect with me several times before

giving it up. I guess this is something I just have to live with when

flying over these mountainous areas.

Paul

Hi Rob,

Flight Following is only available if your fitted with transponder.

I make a habit of calling for it if flying over difficult (tiger) country just for the reassurance that (1) someone is watching in case I get into trouble and (2) ATC knows of my whereabouts and intentions to alert other pilots nearby if req'd and let me know of other nearby traffic.

The controllers usually ask if I have a plan in the system (which I don't because I rely on friends with whom I leave my flt plan to act as SarWatch).

They then suggest it would be better if I had done so butstill go

ahead anyway. Providing you're within radar range they will usually

oblige unless under heavy workload.

Just call up on the area freq in use something like this ...

Me ... "Melb Centre this is CT****"

ATC ... "Go ahead CT****"

Me ... "CT**** is tracking Cooma to Tumut at 7500. Request Flight Following"

ATC ... "CT**** squawk ident please"

Me ... "Sqwark ident, CT****"

ATC ... "CT****, sqwark code is 0571 (or whatever)"

Me ... "Sqwark 0571, CT****"

ATC ... "CT****, I have you at 4 miles NW of Adaminaby, confirm preferred alt"

Me ... "Confirm 4 miles NW Adaminaby and maintaining 7500, CT****"

Now, if you decide to change alt or heading or decide you no longer want flight following, it's important (not to mention courteous) to advise ATC.

These Air Services links will help

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/pilotcentre/training/nas/default.asp

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/pilotcentre/training/nas/nasfaq.asp#1

Hope this helps,

PaulN

Me again Tom,

I just re-read your post. Yes, Flightwatch

should help with info re active or inactive. I think Flightwatch freq

there is 128.15.

PaulN

Hi Tom,

From my experience with Williamtown (also a Mil CTR) you should call ACD (Amberly Clearance Delivery) on 134.6 at the req'd contact point (usually 10nm prior CTR). If active you'll get the normal response. If inactive you would expect no response so then call TWR (Amberly Tower) on 118.3 which is also the MBZ freq.

Last

time I passed Willy this was the sequence, however I got no response

from TWR but other a/c in the area confirmed that normal MBZ protocol

was in place.

To get clearance when active you should have a transponder and should have PPL.

Hope this helps,

PaulN