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Ewen McPhee

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Everything posted by Ewen McPhee

  1. Ewen McPhee
    Great thread I found google has some of Langewiesche's Book Stick and Rudder book on line as a preview Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of ... - Google Book Search
  2. Ewen McPhee
    Thanks for a very detailed reply. Couldn't ask for a clearer summary of the issues. As stated out plane is running better than ever now. Local Instructor keeps wanting to borrow it :thumb_up:
  3. Ewen McPhee
    Thanks - I did modify my post after reflecting that I might be perceived as having a go at LAMEs. That wasn't my intention. We had cylinder problems and the engine was not running at full power. So obviously it was going to costs us. I suspect that we are paying for some problems that existed in the aircraft prior to purchase. It had had a 100 hourly done 6 months prior to purchase but had been sitting in its hangar since then doing very little flying. And it is obviously good that the LAME was dilligent in their assessment of the aircraft, to detect and manage the problems. I have read the discussion in another thread about 20 minutes run ins on the ground each month to turn the engine over (I suspect that was what had happened for a while) We had it inspected by an independent LAME and he virtually said the aircraft was the best C182 he had seen for its age and the engine was imaculate. Anyway it is running sweetly now so from a safety point of view it is all good. I am interested in the hows and why's of 100 hourlys and why they do cost so much. Is there anything you can do to reduce the costs as a pilot or Owner?
  4. Ewen McPhee
    What is an average expected cost for a 100 hourly? For a C182? Just had our first 100 hourly at $10K
  5. Ewen McPhee
    Thanks, will see how many I get wanting to come. I registerred the Plane as a static display. Only proviso is that you are there by 5pm Thursday and leave Sunday. Free shuttle bus, camp ground camping otherwise own arrangements.
  6. Ewen McPhee
    The enemy Little known is that fact that this was a CSIRO experiment in Flying fox control Strapping wings to a beagle was a master stroke. Propulsion remains an issue, but futre exploration in renewable fuels shows promise withe the development of Flamable bowel gases and direction anal control.
  7. Ewen McPhee
    We are thinking of flying down to avalon for the airshow in March next year. Can anyone tell me whats available there as far as accomodation nearby? I assume you can't sleep under your plane :confused: I have been to the Website AVALON 2009 - AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW AND AEROSPACE & DEFENCE EXPOSITION - 10-15 March 2009 GEELONG VICTORIA and there are a lot of details there but nothing about accomodation or other arangements
  8. Ewen McPhee
    If over 70% of accidents relate to Human factors, then perhaps some education would be good idea. Have just done my Exam and passed, wasn't that bad, with mainly practical questions; although I can't see the point of classifying stress as I am Panicking on final thumb_down. I spoke to a group for an hour on hypoxia, fatigue, spatial disorientation, medications and other things. No one complained and most learned something new. Aviation and Flying is about lifelong learning like anything else worth doing. Just simple things like flying with a cold, flying when tired need to be pointed out to some people. Maybe flying with fractured ribs is a bit obvious but I saw a gent the other day doing exactly that until the pain was too much.
  9. Ewen McPhee
    Initial adverse yaw - due to increased lift and drag on the rising wing, followed by yaw in the direction of the roll as the roll continues due to slip away of the lower wing and increased lateral force on the tail.
  10. Ewen McPhee
    Thanks muchly, I will do some more homework and wander over to bladeslappers. Hopefully they will talk to a fixed wing noob ;)
  11. Ewen McPhee
    thats what I thought But then I read that maximum vibration occurs at the time of transition from hover to forward flight. I also read that most accidents occur close to the ground. Silly questions really I guess since the Helicopters dont spend much time anywhere else but close to the ground.
  12. Ewen McPhee
    Have been asked a couple of questions with regards Helicopter operations in a course but I cannot find an answer. Obviously there isn't a forum I could find that deals specfically with this but. 1/. What instruments do Helicopter Pilots rely on most? I would have assumed that a Helicopter had the same instruments as a fixed wing. Is there anything else that a Helicopter has that Fixed Wings don't 2/. What instrument or instruments are most likely to provide the pilot with erroneous information during flight leading to Spatial disorientation? 3/. What are the critical phases of helicopter flight that are most likely to result in pilot or mechanical failure? I someone has or knew of a good online document that discussed safety issues in Helicopter operations that would be great
  13. Ewen McPhee
    No sorry to mislead you. We were not dodging houses, we were maintaining appropritae separation Cheers
  14. Ewen McPhee
    I worry that the fuel gauges make monitoring difficult
  15. Ewen McPhee
    Low level training This last Monday Morning I was doing low level work with an instructor. Emerald is surrounded by Farmland. We were down at 300ft to 500ft AGL for a about an hour. I couldnt imagine the difficulties in obtaining permission from all the farmers whose paddocks we flew over; it is simply not practical. Obviously it is a problem only if they complain to CASA, shame about the use of common sense seems that has gone out the door these days.. Flying back to the AP we flew in between houses, avoided cars, trucks and farm equipment as well as Paddocks full of trees. Certainly was a good exercise in learning to use power to maintain height in a turn and not pull back further on the stick.
  16. Ewen McPhee
    It is good that we have access to the reports, we should not draw any conclusions based on the nuances of language regardless of whether we thought there was some intended slight or not. The most important missing link is knowing what was going through the head of the pilot. Why did he entered IMC as a VFR pilot and suffered Spatial disorientation leading to a fatal accident. The psychology behind of these accidents remains a mystery to me. Is there something fundamentally wrong with the system that put him in that aircraft at that time and with that level of training. We can all blame "Pilot error" but for the fact that so many of these accidents happen to experienced high time pilots; just as much as low hour pilots. My son's first instructor was a highly regarded fellow with a wealth of experience and I personally flew an Introductory flight with him. Months later he CFIT in IMC condtion s while attempting to land in a Thunderstorm. Why he chose to fly that day and in those conditions we will never know but he was a careful and considerate instructor and I am sure had good reasons at least in his view to be there.
  17. Ewen McPhee
    In my opinion you're best to ignore her. It will be old news in 24 hours. Make a fuss and it keeps the issue in her mind and that of the paper. They do like controversy and unrest, it sells.
  18. Ewen McPhee
    I thought it would be interesting to seek people's experiences of Disorientation during flight, how they felt, how they dealt with it. I'm not even sure if people find that it happens very frequently, I would like to know what others think. The Texan I fly doesn't have a full panel and I need my eyeballs out side most of the time, so you cannot rely on instruments. Obviously Rec A/C shouldn't be operating at night or other than VMC too. My experiences so far have been of vertigo when I turned me head to look at a GPS in the seat next to me, while coming out of a turn. Returning my eyes to the horizon and levelling the wings settled things a bit. Do people find it hard to correct for up sloping runways. 15 has an upslope and I always feel that I am coming in too high.
  19. Ewen McPhee
    Radios in the circuit I have noted, not infrequently, that calls from rec aircraft in the circuit are over ridden by GA aircraft who subsequently call a long final. Twice Yesterday people in the circuit extended their downwind components to allow GA aircraft straight in. (admittedly one commercial twin had just made a departure call and was suddenly calling a long final - he had not declared an emergency but came back in quick smart). On discussion later we decided that we were being polite in allowing the faster and bigger a/c first place. But, the concern is whether by doing that you give the GA people the impression that all REC a/c will do the same. What is good airmanship in the circuit. Should we stick to the rules and tell the big guys to join the queue. What do you think? Flying as Copilot to my son was interesting last weekend when we hired a Warrior from Archerfield to try out the GAAP Procedures. We noted a Tecnam at the same altitude turning towards us over the Gold Coast and then a Tiger Moth flying in the opposite direction about 1000 feet abeam us on the way back to Archerfield. With so many a/c up there and so many calls it seems very easy to loose track of people. Luckily our eyeballs were working (and I am sure the other pilots had us nailed already)
  20. Ewen McPhee
    The Tongue in Cheek icon is almost mandatory :thumb_up: A couple of years ago I and several other Australians involved in an International on line University Diploma had to constantly clarify our comments in the forums. We were often too direct and too frank with our comments for other participants from Asia and the UK. And we were all supposedly educated professionals of similar standing. Culturally I think we do leap in where others would take a more reserved approach. It is hard to reflect the Mood and affect of our responses in an on line forum. With upwards of 2000 registered participants the moderators need to keep a finger on the pulse. Perhaps more use of the PM system for those with a gripe or bone to pick would be useful. An perhaps using real names might keep people honest
  21. Ewen McPhee
    Thanks very much everyone:wave:
  22. Ewen McPhee
    Thanks for that. I have been trying to read around medical issues re. altitude and oxygen use and it gets quite confusing whom is sucking on what.
  23. Ewen McPhee
    I am trying to grasp the different oxygen systems available for a/c and would like to ask for help. In light a/c I would assume that one would use a small presurised cylinder and nasal prongs if you were to fly at >10,000 feet for any length of time; given the portability and difficulties installing a permanent system. I am not sure what small commercial a/c do - say a Dash8. In Large commercial a/c I understand that the passengers are supplied with oxygen via a dry chemical exothermic reaction that lasts 12 minutes or so and is activated by pulling down the mask. What I dont know is what the aircrew get. In an emergency do they use pressurised cylinders (e.g. Qantas 747) or a bleed from the compressor a/c system that is stored in a reservoir? Hoping someone can help me
  24. Ewen McPhee
    Thanks for the feedback, you are quite correct of course. When you think about it it must be quite arbitrary up to a point. A texan has a purported glide ratio of 13 to 1, one of the little colvaer seaplanes is 20 to 1. I am sure some might have much lower glide ratios too. With my low time flying I spend a bit of the time looking for places to land, and the local race course looks promising if I am over the town (Hope the races aren't on at the time though). I am sure that 1000ft doesn't get you out of trouble every time, I believe air speed has something to offer too as my instructor keeps telling me 100kts is better than 80 in the circuit. The approach to Runway 15 is right over the town so the 1000ft rule is violated there anyway. How does one get assessed as to violations anyway. Is there a little Casa guy with a Tape measure hiding somewhere?
  25. Ewen McPhee
    It is for Recreational aircraft isn't it?
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