Ungrounded

Don't like it much - sorry. Perhaps if there were some gun sight cross-hairs in the middle?

Are there some Cessna's without starter motors? Or just a case of accidental start while moving prop during pre-flight inspection - live mag?

Yeah, but just one big temper-tantrum dummy spit from good 'ol Sol just might make things go awfully quiet upstairs.

AirAsia X flight from Sydney to Malaysia ends up in Melbourne after navigational error

Perhaps use a weighted metric of say number-of-likes/number-of-messages*100 ? Perhaps too simplistic and would result in people being court martialed for lack of likes and sliding back down the ranking scale. But take the idea and play with the math. You should be able to find a metric formula that ranks Forum users by both quantity (number of posts) and quality of those posts (likes).

They are changing them all. $5 note is just the first cab off the rank. $10 next etc all on down the line. About one year between introductions I think. They are harder to counterfeit apparently but at the same time "things" have been done to make it much easier for a machine to accurately identify/count them (note acceptors in vending machines etc-al). This was the main push for changing them. Or so I hear tell. And 'yes' I wouldn't give you $5 for one of the garish collideoscopic mashups either.

Interesting. How was the meeting advised to SAAA members? I've seen/heard nothing.

I'm also a member of both organisations. A very recent *new* member to both. As such I have no lengthy historical involvement with either. So what follows are some impressions from a somewhat bemused johnny-come-lately to all of this. These are just my *own* views from someone "outside", looking in. Views possibly flawed, likely inaccurate, but I'll share them anyway. 1. RAAus had it's roots in building/flying Ultralights (originally the Australian Ultralight Federation - AUF). But this is no more. The current focus is all about flight training and then flying very sexy, very expensive 600Kg factory LSA's. The recent rapid growth of RAAus seems likely attributable to a large influx of more senior gentlemen/ladies taking refuge from GA medicals. These people bring with them a GA view of the world. 2. RAAus looks on track to becoming a very professional organisation. But sadly somewhere along the road they seem to have stopped listening to what a large section of its members actually want. While still continuing to act in the best interests of "Recreational Aviation". Does anyone else see a problem here? 3. RAAus didn't seem much interested in builder assisting someone constructing an aircraft. 4. SAAA also had it's roots in building/flying Ultralights (originally the Ultralight Association of Australia - ULAA). But this is no more. The SAAA reputedly has a very professional focus on aircraft construction. But the aircraft today mostly seem to be very high end kits. The resulting aircraft are of course GA registered and often even more expensive, more capable and as a consequence heavier than the 600Kg LSA's. 5. The SAAA has in recent times has been so dysfunctional that even a simple e-mail to head office requesting information regarding the Builder Assist program went completely unanswered. So with this overly simplistic view of the current state of play. It makes sense to this newbie to at least discuss amalgamation. The SAAA could look after building, construction and maintenance and the RAAus can look after flight training and aircraft registrations. Excepting this isn't really an amalgamation but rather a re-amalgamation. Given that the RAAus was originally a break-away group from the SAAA ("...so just where are the Judean Popular People's Front?". CASA playing the part of the Roman's of course :-). Now here's something else that may (or may not) be of interest. I'm also a member of another Aircraft related organisation, the EAA. For the princely sum of $40 a year I think it was, they quite happily answer my technical questions. Recently the EAA even sent me an e-mail invitation to take part in an online survey. I can't believe that such a survey would have been created just for little 'ol me. So I'm assuming that quite a number of people reading this may have seen the same invitation. And the thrust of that survey? It was:- "Why are you a member of the EAA?" and... "Would you be interested in joining or establishing an EAA Chapter in Australia?". So maybe there are other opportunities for mergers/amalgamations? Or perhaps just even greater impetus to consider local options? Kind Regards All, Steve.

Same NSW. https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/check-registration-and-history-vehicle

Geez, why not? I kind of like the look of where they are going with their E-Fan!

Apart from all the obvious issues of build quality done by someone else. I'd be worried about registration issues. Looks suspiciously like it might need to be registered "Experimental" and that you may need to prove that you constructed 51% or more of the aircraft yourself.

What sort of aircraft is it? A Google of SportAir locates a company in the USA that sells multiple aircraft types (including the Sting). But this airframe doesn't look to be one of theirs. Looks to be wood and fibreglass construction.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-28/skydiving-cessna-crash-landed-in-adelaide-when-fuel-ran-out-atsb/7121110 https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2015/aair/ao-2015-115.aspx Fuel exhaustion apparently. Two fuel dip-sticks in the aircraft with different calibration marks.

Hi Mark, Was it you or someone else here that mentioned TX watchdog timers? Is this the only reason why the Icom airband radios/handhelds are no longer compliant? Because that lack such a timer? Or is there some other compliance issue? And if I am getting my head around all this. Then does this mean that the IC-A15 handheld has received special CASA/ACMA dispensation for continued sale because there are no other ground options available. Even though they are still strictly non-compliant (for some reason). Further, that if you already have an IC-A15 installed in a fixed ultralight installation then it is alright to continue using it. But that any new fixed installations of an IC-A15's would be verboten? Steve.

Yep I've got a plan. Staying out of the clouds!!! Here's another good video on the topic.