Powerin

In these days of mostly enclosed cockpits yelling "clear prop" seems a bit redundant to me. And how many non-pilots would know that this means "danger-stand clear"? Most times I recall hearing a call was when I was in right seat with the pilot. I think I have only heard a clear prop call once when outside an aircraft...and that was an aggie who happened to have the door open. If it's just a ritual that gets your brain in gear that's fine....but if safety is really an issue when starting an aircraft engine then why not fit a simple reversing beeper. This is now a widely understood signal to stand clear. Fit a button on the panel to sound the beeper that you have to press for the starter to work (engine won't start unless you are pressing the beeper button). Or perhaps even have the beeper sound when you switch on the master or mags and automatically switch off when there's voltage from the alternator after engine start. Silly idea? :confused:

Thanks skyspud! But I just now got home from Qld...came through Dalby on the way home though. JG at Kilcoy gave me a ride in his Savannah last Sunday and let me hang around the hangar while he and Kenny(trying to do the 100hr on his Savvy) put up with all my questions. Great aircraft and a beautiful place to fly from (thanks again JG!). Peter

And here's the previously mentioned Henty Machinery Field Days strip. Thanks Ian. HMFD_strip.kmz HMFD_strip.kmz HMFD_strip.kmz

Thanks Ed. Good advice. I want to start flying, but drought also makes money tight...however I'm starting to think another few $1000 on the overdraft for training isn't going to make much difference . The farmer in me is trying to justify spending the money...hence this thread to see if it's possible to (eventually!) get a return on the investment. I'm near Henty NSW, so Wagga Wagga is my nearest RAA friendly airport. Thanks for the other posts here too. Food for thought. Peter

No worries! You can also use the tool to measure distances you want to fly (change the units to nautical miles if you like). If you want to measure multiple points use the "path" tab and you can click on and add together all the different points you want fly to. Escadrille....Slarti has made a Google Earth placemarker for Tomo's strip. It is here: Tomo's Strip Peter

You could zip the file and attach it (zip files are allowed) but this just adds complexity for most people...plus it's a bit silly zipping such a small file. Attached is a zip file of a kmz. It is (I hope) an outline of the Henty machinery field days airstrip. Slarti...you might like to check if this works OK. Peter HMFD_strip.zip HMFD_strip.zip HMFD_strip.zip

Yes Ian, the Airfields section is fine, but (unless I am missing something) it uses Google Maps not Google Earth. GM only has flat maps/photos whereas with GE you have a 3D app in which you can "fly" around the site and shows terrain, elevations etc. Of course, the disadvantage is you have to download and install GE on your computer. I have noticed that members are posting screen shots of Google Earth showing places like farm strips to give people quick directions. I thought it might be better to post an actual placemarker file (they are under 1kb in size) for people to load into GE. I just tried to do it but found it wasn't an approved file type to attach, so I thought I'd ask the question to see if people were interested. Cheers, Peter

If it's not a security risk, I'm just wondering if it might be useful to allow Google Earth placemarker files (.kmz) to be uploaded and attached to forum posts (I think currently they are not allowed). Then if anybody wants to pinpoint an airfield or interesting place they can post a kmz and others can download it, find it in Google Earth, look at the surrounding terrain and even fly around the area in GE's built-in flight simulator. I often send kmz placemarkers and polygons to cropdusters to show places to land and paddocks to spray. If anyone wants a quick Google Earth Howto for this stuff I can write one to put here. Cheers, Peter

Hi Tomo, Click on the little ruler button at the top of Google Earth to get a measuring tool. You can use this to measure the length of your strip in metres, km, feet or whatever. Cheers, Peter

Thanks Ron, I thought that might be the case. Sounds like farming. So the old adage about how to make a small fortune in aviation....start with a large fortune...is true. But it's great if you love what you do and can pay the bills. Peter

Along the same lines as Tomo's thread about RA aircraft making money, I'd be interested in some opinions on making money, or even a living, out of Recreational Aviation generally. After 4 years drought thumb_down I'm thinking it might be time to explore options other than farming. Aviation would be my first choice but I think I'm too old (45) for commercial aviation. I think I'd love both instructing and aircraft maintenance, perhaps even setting up a school. Do you think there is a demand for more (or even a shortage of) instructors and lames? Is there enough work in those areas to make a modest living (I'm a farmer...I'm used to living modestly ), or is it only something you would do in your spare time to help pay for your own flying habit? I realise this is like asking about the length of a piece of string, but I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks. Peter

Hi All, Hope it's Ok to *ask* for a spare seat in this section I'm holidaying on the Sunshine coast for another week. I've never flown in a Raa aircraft (but hope to fly one eventually). If anyone in the area has a spare seat and would like a passenger (and of course someone to share costs) I'd love to go for a fly. Cheers, Peter

Thanks Sue, should have known laws were viewable online. So that particular subsection only relates to climbing or jumping off public structures (as Relfy kindly explained). Good! Maj...that's a very wise statement about adventurers advancing the species. Where would we be if people didn't take risks. Humans certainly wouldn't be flying! Peter

I wonder how long the "adventurous spirit" will be allowed to survive? Reading today's Courier Mail (currently holidaying on the Sunshine Coast :)) there was a small article about a rock climber in court for climbing Suncorp Stadium. The charge was one count of "Unregulated high-risk activity". Without commenting on the stupidity or otherwise of climbing a stadium, I despair a bit that such a law exists and wonder how broad in scope it is? What is considered "unregulated high-risk activity"? Peter

Hmmm. I like your way of thinking Graeme. But I guess Darky's right in that either way ends up with the same result and whichever way of thinking gets you on the ground is OK. But I have another question (remembering this is just a thought experiment for me): On short final your aircraft has low airspeed (kinetic energy), low altitude (potential energy), and high angle of attack. So if you are taught that elevators (not power) make you go up and you find yourself suddenly sinking towards the fence your first instinct would be to pull back and then add power to maintain airspeed. Correct? If this is the case aren't you in real danger of suddenly increasing your AoA past critical angle and stalling when you have little height and little airspeed to recover? Peter

Yes, but a flat plate will fly won't it? It will have horrible stability and stall characteristics...but it would fly. Look at a paper aeroplane. Yes, I guess I'll learn all about power+attitude when I do it. I don't quite get the attitude concept yet, except that it is a rough guide to angle of attack and that your reference to the horizon is what you have to use to judge everything. But to my mind AoA is everything...it is the measure by which you stall the aircraft. Attitude can be constant but your angle of attack can change by the position of flaps, ailerons, updrafts/downdrafts etc. Obviously I have a lot to learn:blush:Thanks for the informative posts. Peter

Thanks all for the great discussion! It'd probably be better to start a new thread (sorry Darky), but I'm the king of off-topic so... So far my understanding is that lift is all about Newton (as you are all saying)...in level flight your wings are throwing down (deflecting) a mass of air equal to the weight of your aircraft. The Angle of Attack of your wing is how you adjust how much air is deflected, and your elevators are used to control that AoA. Bernoulli and Coanda et al probably have some bearing on the process but the end result is the same. Before you worry about which girl and boy molecules are chasing each other, I think you have to remember that some aircraft have symmetrical airfoils (equal curve top and bottom). So the whole idea of air above and below the wing travelling at different speeds doesn't really apply, but they still fly. However, Nev (the wise) brings up a good point about too much knowledge. I don't fly but I already have fairly firm ideas on how an aeroplane flies. For instance, in my mind a given AoA (or a given trim) equals a certain airspeed and playing with a flight sim seems to back this up. Add more power and you get more lift and climb while maintaining airspeed, decrease power and you descend and maintain airspeed. From what I read some instructors teach the opposite (power=airspeed, attitude=climb/fall). So, when I (eventually) go looking for an instructor, is it best to find one that thinks like I do, or do I forget what I know and just learn to fly? Peter

I consider myself to have a good understanding of science, but I found the whole Angle-of-Attack concept of lift a difficult one to come to terms with, mainly because the "low-air-pressure-above-high-pressure-below-the-wing" (Bernoulli) concept of lift is so widely taught in school and popular science. The online book See How it Flies is the one that set me straight. I found it a good read. Peter

You can read a reasonable amount of the book at Google books. Of course there are some fair chunks of the book missing but there is enough to give you an idea of the style.... Stick and Rudder - Google Books Peter

Wow. Are things that bad? I really better start learning to fly before it's too late!

Excuse my ignorance but I often wonder why recreational aviation (or aviation in general) is subject to such hysterical scrutiny. I mean, how much damage can a RAA aircraft actually do in a crash? If you come down on someone's house I dare say there might be a bit of damage and maybe even death or injury to someone on the ground. But people are killed or injured, and damage caused, every day by cars or trucks. Many are "non-participants" and their property. And hardly anybody bats an eyelid. You get an ultralight aircraft down out in the bush with one person on board and it makes the national news. What is it about aviation that scares everyone so much? Peter

OK, I'm brave enough to admit it, skeptic36 wasn't the only one to make the wet t-shirt connection...but I wasn't brave enough to admit it first

I guess the aircraft equivalent to a Fendt Vario (computer controlled throttle and transmission) would be FADEC?? :big_grin:

Actually it's not all as silly as it sounds. My father-in-law was a shearers cook and used to cook for a shearing team that occasionally worked in the shearing shed at the south end of Avalon airport. I'm pretty sure the sheep grazed on Avalon.

Hi TC123, Hope you didn't take offence. If I were closer I would be happy to help your dad out with a sheep! Peter