Ada Elle

You can practice circuit calls , run up check lists , stall speeds and all of the things that have to become second nature if you are to fly safely. At one stage I had to stop using my flight sim because I was using a joy stick with little rudder input and when flying the real aircraft my feet became lazy. Its all about using the sim to practice the basics, and as I did if its not helping don't use it.

You know what a flight sim is really good for? Instrument navigation. Even there it doesn't simulate how crappy some of the navaids are (both on the ground and in the air)

Those same retired gentlemen get to make retirement because they make good flight decisions.....unlike some of the younger pilots.

Franks point wasn't age related...rather its a reality of VFR flying.......being young and determining you must be home before X oclock is, if you step back and look at it critically, simply suggesting that gethomeitis will likely be a factor publically before any accident has even occurred.......If you want guarantees in recreational aviation then you have to shell out the big$ for the aircraft and the training that can perhaps go part way to providing that certainty (IFR), or keep your outings to a relatively short distance from home base.....

I'm not saying that I will suffer from gethomeititis. I'm saying that the potential for that is causing stayathomeitis, and if you want young pilots to come to things...

As for dates: I don't know about other states, but there's a long weekend coming up.

Commercial airlines use flight Sims to train and practice all forms of flight simulation.The whole point of using a flight sim is to familiarize yourself with the aircrafts characteristics, cockpit layout , take off , landing, and the ability to replicate aircraft flight at a low cost.Why pay $200 an hour to have your instructor tell you where the altimeter , Tacho, etc,etc. is when you can practice at home on your computer.

2. The takeoffs and landings are unrealistic, at least when comparing MSFSX to anything I've flown.

3. I don't know of any flying school that charges for engine-off briefing time (within reason).

Perhaps then RAAus would have changed its revenue mix to be more from airplane rego and FTFs than from members. This may help keep people in - people probably aren't going to de-register their aircraft and re-register them, but they may balk at paying $200 annually if they're not flying. I know I didn't pay dues for three years because I was too busy with work to fly.

(you could tax student training hours at $5 per hour, or something like that, to account for the fact that school airplanes get a lot more time put through them than privately owned ones, and thus on a per hour basis school aircraft are cheaper to register.)

Also, it's not clear with the insurance whether it applies to RA-Aus members flying non RA-Aus aircraft:

1.1 The Legal Liability of the Member whilst flying or otherwise operating Aircraft

Can someone tell me what the 'member liability insurance' in the revenue section of the accounts is? Who pays this 282k in liability insurance?

Final observation: Jeez you guys are old. :-) I am "in transition" from bicycles/motorcycles and the demographic change is very stark.

3.30 / 4pm only applies to locals.When I attended Temora airshow for a Sat /Sun event, arrived Friday and planned out Monday. Weather turned crap so sat back and watched aerobatic practice for 2 days and returned home Wed/Thurs in perfect VFR weather via Toowoomba. (Over 900nm direct) So concerns about early departures to a lot of us are funny. When flying VFR build in possible delays and enjoy the trip.

I wanted to go. I had a plane booked. I then looked at the weather, which was forecast to worsen, and the cloud base, and decided against it. If the temporary closure had finished half an hour earlier (1530 rather than 1600) that would have had more safety margin.

I understand it's a tradeoff. I'm just trying to say that leaving enough time afterwards to get back to Sydney comfortably, rather than making it tight, might have encouraged this little black dog and other pilots to go for the day.

It depends what you fly but a jabiru would have had you back at the oaks or wedderburn by 17:40 about 30 minutes before last light. An Rv-7 or 10 and its earlier.

The times were in the notams, why not plan to leave early Sunday, or stop somewhere

For me: I've never hired an aircraft for an overnight trip before. I don't know how many other pilots are in this category.

Secondly, there are some aircraft that just don't have the physical room to take overnight bags for two. So staying overnight isn't a great option.

I know that getthereitis is bad. So why set up the times to tempt getthereitis?

Temora is a reasonable day trip from both Melbourne and Sydney (200-250nm). Definitely not a day trip from Brisbane.

Narromine: Day trip from Sydney. 400nm from Melbourne/Brisbane - tight for a day trip.

Gunnedah: Day trip from Sydney/Brisbane. Too far from Melbourne to day trip unless you're rocketing.

Consider that you can't leave until after 1600, and that last light on the coast was in the order of 1810. Given the fairly low cloud base on the day, I don't think you would have made it home to anywhere east of the mountain, at least not with a margin of safety. Add in the queue to leave; how many people were off the ground before 1630?

Having the Dividing Ranges between the major population centres and the fly-in will always reduce the number of pilots!

Also, if it were held later in the year (during Daylight Savings) some of us would have been able to get home afterwards. That's one of the main reasons I didn't go.

Some of it is the fact that motor gliding, the bottom end of GA, and the expensive end of RA, are all coinciding now.

I agree with you for 95.55 machines (other than the medical!) - there's no reason why 450-750kg machines should be able to be registered with three different bodies, and have three different sets of rules, in this country. (Something like the Pipistrel Sinus Flex - which has removable wingtips, and so can be motor glider VH, 24 or GA VH).

Keeping 95.10 as an exemption I think is important in light of the ozzies of the world.

That was a lovely day for flying!

Places to land on harbour scenic one: north sydney oval, the domain... A Warrior II is 12:1, so 1500ft buys you 3 miles if you're really lucky. North Sydney Oval is about 1.2, Moore Park is just under 2. Some tall buildings to dodge on the way, though!

Sydney Tower were lovely. We couldn't get Scenic One due to traffic, so did Scenic Two, then asked for Scenic one, and after tracking to Manly went back to the bridge for one loop (not the two you normally get with a Scenic One). Lots of talking to CTA. I'm glad I didn't cancel the lesson - did three lots of talking to ATC for the day.

Reasons to get controlled airspace endorsements:

(Also, when NAIPS says SEV TURB BLW 8000, believe it!

Is it little wonder that General Aviation in all its forms thrives in the USA when States support it with organisations such as these http://www.marylandregionalaviation.aero/ ?Just for information, Maryland is one of the New England states. It is 160 x 400 kms in size (32,ooo sq kms), which is one third the size of Tasmania.

I agree,. . .nice looking aircraft,. . .doesn't change my opinion of the Piper Arrow IV though. . .!And as for "Stabilator". . .one of those Americanisms,. . .mind you, they DID manufacture the aircraft in the first place ! . . . combined Horizontal stabiliser / Elevator . . . see where it came from . . . ? Lucky they didn't call it a Horistabilaterer. . .

Is there a better place for it, though? I'm trying to think of an airfield near a major centre which has parking for 200 planes.

You may be able to argue the case once in terms of your safety in an emergency, but the fact remains, we are VFR pilots and if the conditions are bad, we shouldn't be flying.

Perhaps the problem is lumping together 95.10 and 95.55.

I don't. Look at the FTF's around. Yes there may not be a lot of young people coming into our sport, but there are still a lot of middle aged people who are finding that they now have the funds to pursue childhood dreams. many FTF's are fully booked on most weekends. It may not be a young mans sport but it is still attracting new people.

You could, of course, find a school with a 152 Aerobat.

I wonder why the Tomahawk's tail stops flying at 55 knots. Not a problem with any other T-tailed aircraft I've flown (all two only!)

You would think HE wouldn't need reminding "think AEROPLANE" when in one. Nev

Anyway, apparently, the PA38 was placarded against any kind of spinning. And I'm with Nev on this one, I cannot see any technical reason for a light, propeller driven single engined aircraft to have it's horizontal stabilator up at the top of the fin. . .looks pretty does it. . .? Hmmm. .. this includes the Piper Arrow 4, PA28 R200 retractable dunlops 4 seat tourer.. . .. there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with the Arrow 3,. . .with the stabilator in the conventional location,. .. probably more of a sexy marketing idea that anything else. . .

I fly a plane with a T-tail. It's derived from a motor glider. The other common motor-glider derived plane, the Diamond DA20/40, is also T-tailed.

(reduces drag, and lets you take the tail apart for trailering.)

Bathurst runway is almost a mile long and super easy to land on other than the slope. I think they teach to land with power at CWFS. Are you looking down the end of the runway?

There's no substitute for intentional practice.

http://australianaviation.com.au/2015/09/lockheeds-team-21-finally-confirmed-as-air-5428-winning-bidder/

suggests that Tamworth might turn CTAF.

the Vne is a bit low for such a clean design

and there was the Simonini for a while - one in a Zenair 701 at Rangiora which i'd like to find more about. I think it got swapped out for a Rotax 912.likewise the small Wankels, all of which are unobtanium around these parts. Diamond AE50R / AE75R is the last heard of.

A gear drive 75hp would do for my application. I used to run 503 in Bantams and liked them (except for the grenade episode)