Powerin

As I said in my first post win, if RAAus was still a "true" ultralight body I wouldn't be flying now. Although the new RPL may have made a difference. If you are happy to pay the membership and rego win I can't see the problem, what's stopping you doing whatever you want? There's nothing in the current RAAus structure that prevents you from buying your own $10K aircraft and flying it is there? There's plenty of minimalist aircraft for sale in the member's market. I started this thread to try and work out what the thinking was in this grass-roots vs high-performance debate. So far the arguments seem to come down to keeping RAAus a "workers club" and preventing the "rich old boys" from getting in. It shouldn't be like that (says me the naive country boy ). We're all aviators. I don't care much who flies what sort of aircraft, just as long as we all have the same opportunity to fly under the RAAus banner.

Here's a video of the flight Tomo and I took in a J-3 Cub flying from Gympie Airport and over to the Cooloola Beach, up to Rainbow Beach and touch and go at Cooloola Cove airstrip. The video was taken with a humble digital camera and it's my first attempt at video editing, so it's a bit rough. It was a fun flight. Enjoy!

I must be slow....I don't see the potential. If that engine stops you are suddenly flying a brick aren't you? Does the self stabilizing mechanism used in toy helicopters work on a larger scale like this? I reckon this machine could do with some stability.

I would imagine that the journalist was writing notes from an interview and the person said "asra" as a word and they heard "AusAir". Sincere condolences to all affected by this sad event.

On holidays at the Sunshine Coast DBI

Thanks for taking me up Tomo! The Cooloola Coast is magic (between Noosa and Rainbow Beach). Brilliantly coloured cliffs and sands which photos don't do justice to. I've done the trip in a 4WD along the beach before, which is lots of fun, but so much better in a classic old aeroplane!

Well done Jake.

Recently and over the years the subject of RAAus returning to it's grass roots has come up. I only know bits and pieces of the history of RAAus and the AUF and I understand the desire of some to return to the heady days of cheap, experimental grass roots flying. I am an aluminium fantastic flyer. I've always wanted to fly, but the original grass roots ultralight never appealed to me and even less to my wife and family due to the perceived safety factor. I can see the attraction of low, slow and cheap flying. But for me, apart from the pure joy of it, flying is a chance to learn new things and see new places...but faster than a car. It's easy to say that pilots like me should just go GA, but that's something I could never have afforded. If it wasn't for the high performance end of RAAus I wouldn't be flying at all. I would guess there are many like me. Should pilots like me be excluded from flying altogether?

But what's the point of that? How many lives will that save and at what cost? Life is all about accepting and mitigating risk. There is some point where you say the risks are acceptable. If you are driving a car down the highway then the law says 100km/h is the speed which produces an acceptable risk of death. It certainly doesn't stop loss of life from happening...it is just the level we as a society accept for the privilege of driving cars at a convenient speed (and we don't have data loggers in cars). If you fly without a medical then the law says no CTA and 600kg max weight (amongst others) are the limits that produce an acceptable risk. As for 600kg aircraft hitting houses...well...when was the last time ANY aircraft in Australia hit a house and killed someone? I can't remember. When was the last time a car or truck in Australia hit a house and killed someone? Unfortunately it was just in the past few days.

The current engine is certified....so certification is no guarantee. I don't know much about it, but it seems to me sometimes that certification exacerbates things. Once a manufacturer spends all the money and gets a design certified the design is set in stone and then they can't make any major changes without spending all the money to re-certify. Even if those changes would result in a safer product.

Hi FL and welcome! I train in the same Teccie 2002 at Wagga...might see you there one day (or might have already!)

Mine's in the envelope ready for posting.

Mine's in the envelope ready for posting.

Well that seals it then....I can't stand mangoes Looks like I'll be sneaking over the border after all.

Welcome RF! I think I saw the same interesting post on Matronics......from a somewhat unhappy gentleman in the UK? (not that I blame him). Good luck with your 601 build!

I'm half Qld blood (don't tell anyone). Is that enough? Otherwise I'll cross the Macintyre after the border patrols have had their fill of forex....11am should be about right

Nah Turbo....just heading up to Qld next week for holidays.

Looks like I'll have to wander up to Gympie next week. Would be good to catch up with you Tomo.

But if we're talking reality, in this day and age how many people have been injured by a prop on engine start? (it may be more than I think)

I just think if you're going to yell out a warning it should be something that is understood by everybody, aviator or not. In reality probably the most effective thing would be to have a reversing beeper on the front of an aircraft that activates with the mags (and deactivates on start...maybe with the alternator warning light). Nearly everyone knows to stand clear when they hear a beeper.

What words do you use DJ? "Clear prop" has always seemed to me to be something said for tradition's sake (I was taught to use it). The term wouldn't mean much to someone without an aviation background would it?...and they are the most likely people to be near a prop without recognising the danger. Something like "Stand clear" makes more sense to me, or even "stand clear engine starting".

Wouldn't it be nice if legislators such as CASA could employ people to write their legislation with the same foresight and common sense as those responsible for that AOPA document.

Happy Birthday Frank and I wish health and happiness to everyone for the coming year. Peter

Porsche 911? Once saw a KR-2 with a Porsche engine.

I've wondered about this too Pud. I've been trying to figure out if it would be possible to make a fully enclosed spat that covers the whole wheel. Perhaps a clamshell type arrangement that you close over the wheel in flight. Of course this brings up the same problems as retractable gear in that you have to remember to retract the spats before landing. But still, it has the potential to reduce drag without the weight and complexity of RG. Edit: damn.....LoPresti has already invented it.