JG3

Yeh I guess just suck and see as usual. That hersey bar wing with low loading is already pretty stable, then I have VGs to help tame a sudden stall, so probably can have minimum washout. I also have a progressive flaperon adjustment so can easily try aileron droop. Thanks for the tip. JG

The reason I asked is that I've built an ultralight with Drifter skins on a strut wing, and trying to optimize it. I set 3 degrees wash out, but now feel that could be reduced and maybe improve performance. I measured an Austflight Drifter at our airfield and found one wing at 1.5 degrees and the other with no wash out at all..... It seems to fly well enough, so I could probably reduce the setting on mine.....

What is the recommended washout for a Drifter wing??? JG

<< surprising how well even half a kilo of powder works>> Just a caution about dry powder extinguishers in aircraft. There was an incident where one such extinguisher accidentally discharged in flight. The dry powder, being electrostatic, immediately coated the windscreen and all the windows. and couldn't be wiped off, just kept clinging on. Complete loss of visibility. He was only able to land by peering out a small vent in the side window......

Another Savannah in Africa

Of course this was just an airshow showoff stunt gone wrong, but is a really good lesson of how NOT to do STOL Ops. At a real STOL landing out in the bush there'll be no windsock and probably no indication at all of the wind down there, and if such a short landing is required then probably trees or steep terrain close in that will make the airflow even more unsettled. So the approach should be flying in at a safe margin, slip down behind any obstacle on approach, and only pull back to stall right close to the ground, always with the throttle hand primed for a blast of power to go around.... The video shows that the initial wing drop wasn't all that radical, and there was still plenty of height to pick up that wing with a blast of power, left rudder, and ease the stick. With those inputs that excellent light aircraft would recover instantly and be flying again. But the way that the wing yaws backward and downward sure looks like the classic mistake of trying to pick up a stalled wing with aileron.... Once again, a really good lesson of how NOT to fly STOLOps.....

May. Anticlockwise. The tropical 'wet' is finished, but foliage still green. Temps moderate. Winds favorable.

The Vintage Air Experience Fly-In at Archer Falls is also this weekend.....

Does anyone know what difference if any between the 170C wing and the 170SP sold in the USA??? JG

A likely way to commit suicide by justifiable police reaction.....

One aircraft returning south from Old Station along the coast at altitude reported 45kt headwind at one stage.....

Good idea! I've just discovered another feature especially for pilots. In the search box just enter the airfield designations for the route you want to plan. i.e.- Planning for Caboolture to Old Station, enter YCAB YGLA (with a space between them) and you get this graphic and forecast: https://www.windyty.com/?950h,2015-05-23-00,-25.487,152.103,7 This link doesn't show the track and the distance, but that comes up if you type in the start and stop airfields. Click the 'Play' sign in the lower left or click on any day to see how the wind is forecast to change over the coming days. It's impressive! JG

Yeh, and graphics are a heck of a lot easier than the coded jiberish in those aviation forecasts....

Here's a wind/weather map that I find really fascinating and useful. Check different altitudes for head/tail winds. Different overlays for cloud, rain, even snow, etc. https://www.windyty.com/?950h,-25.760,129.902,4 Particularly useful is the forecast section. Just type a location in the search box and it gives a 5 day forecast. Particularly interesting is the cloud graphic. This is the forecast for Old Station this weekend..... https://www.windyty.com/spot/location/-23.843/151.256/name/Gladstone?950h,-23.842,152.272,9 Note the 15-20kt SE on Sunday...... JG

The article in the last mag, 'Seeing the USA from Above', missed including a link to the blog with the photos and the full story. And there are some pretty good photos of that spectacular scenery over there.... Come along for the ride at http://jgflyingroadtrip2014.blogspot.com.au/ JG

This is how I made a sun visor for my Savannah. Works really well, and wouldn't do without it. http://www.stolspeed.com/savannah-visor

I wonder how they cool that rotor with the hot exhaust gas flowing through it.....

The advantage of carrying a SPOT as well as an EPIRB is that there is provision in the SPOT for three levels of urgency. I have mine set up with the lowest level message as "All OK" for marking my position when all is well but I just want to notify of my present position to selected friends. The second level message is "Stranded but uninjured" for when I have landed out and damaged the gear such that I can't take off again. That message only goes to selected persons who I trust to organize local assistance. The third level message is "Injured need urgent assistance". That message goes to the selected friends as well as to SPOT headquarters who organize formal emergency response. I sure like to have those options so don't have to trigger the EPIRB and call in the cavalry for a non-injured stranding. There is also an option, at extra subscription cost, to automatically leave a 'breadcrumb' track of positions every few minutes. SPOT does work in OZ. A fella at our airfield accidentally pushed the emergency button when he just wanted to send the OK message to his wife. Within an hour the police arrived! SPOT uses a different satellite system than the EPIRB so not the same coverage, but it's good to have both options. JG

Don't count on it..... Busy airspace on weekends..... Keep your eyes open and use your radio..... JG

Narromine Phoenix Easter Fly-In The Narromine Fly-Ins of old were the best by far that I have ever attended, so sure would like to see them grow again... A lot of fond memories of times at Narromine..... Narromine is such a great place, and has an excellent local supportive atmosphere...... Midway between Brisbane and Melbourne, so is the preferred overnight stop when we fly that route..... Convenient accommodation right at the field, and a short walk to the pubs in town unless the aero club is open... Sure hoping that enough flyers will turn up to make it a growing success once again..... I was really looking forward to going this year to help support that effort, but serious family matters have taken priority... And unfortunately two mates from SE Qld who were also planning to go have encountered family and medical priorities.... Bummer...... JG

Does Coober Pedy have a taxi now?? Didn't when I was there last time, long way to town. Interesting underground motels. Famous pizza restaurant. Curtain Springs is an ideal base for the 'Rock'. Right price, friendly atmosphere, not so upmarket as Uluru, near enough but not too near... JG

I remember reading a tourist guide about the 'Lake', saying that an aircraft got stuck there in the 60's, and is now "...a small salt-encrusted island.." Anyone tempted to try a landing out there needs to remember that image. I once watched a STOL aircraft try a touch and go on the surface, but broke through and started making deep tracks as the mud got hold. Fortunately he had enough power 100hp Rotax and a good high lift wing (Zenith 701) and a light load, but just barely managed to pull free......... It was a very close call, and a very tense time, with probably just as much of a mess in his shorts as the mud below.... Actually, I have landed out in the middle of Lake Eyre in a Beaver ultralight many years ago. But that was only after first walking out 4 hours under a full moon, and identifying a solid hard salt pan and marking it with my GPS. That spot was just as hard a concrete, as I found when I slept out there the rest of the night without a mattress.... Had to skirt around lots of soft muddy spots that looked just the same from the air but would have been traps for the unwary. Flew out the next morning and landed on that absolutely smooth surface, Waa-Hoo! JG

Exactly! JG