peter

thanks decca, I just don't have access to that here -- any salient points? Planning to cross spencer gulf up near wallaroo -- yes , in the Cobra Peter

Help please, I am planning a flight over water at the end of next week -- route I envisage has an across water hop of 24 nm -- could someone please enlighten me as to the regulations -- do I need to notify anyone? what must I carry? etc, just can't seem to find it in my copy of the ops manual. thanks Peter

Just checked google maps and that looks like the right area I will check my log book on the weekend Peter

Peter... Can you remember where abouts near Noosa? I'll look for it on Google Earth if you have a better location.. Sorry about the delay was about 5-6 years ago, situated several miles to the north/northwest of noosa airstrip and fronted onto a lake i remember flying and landing on the strip at Noosa only took a few minutes --Noosa strip was supposedly closed but the locals were using it. If you need more info I am away at present but will be back home soon and I could look it up in my logbook

Punkinhead (Dianne) made me a complete cover set for the Cobra Arrow, price was around 1,000 -- separate wing covers, fuselage and tail -- all in a lightweight, UV resistant material -- really well made, easy to fit with combination of velcro and quickclip adjustable straps, even has separate covers for the propellor blades - I am really happy with it Peter

My instructor only watched my first solo circuit after that he was in the training room at the end of a radio but never in visual range -- how can they keep visual contact when you are out in the training area doing airwork? In fact I am fairly certain that there were times when my "supervisor" was in the air with another student.

An Australian university study was done of how a cars colour increased the risk of having an accident - appears there is a far higher risk of having a prang with another car if you drive a darker coloured car. Thanks for the above quote HPD I have changed my plane from white to bright red on the gut feeling that it would be more visible -- watching Chris Sperou in action gave me the idea -- his plane was so easy to see from below, but of course I have no idea how visible from above looking down -- does anyone else find bright yellow planes easier to find? I do.

Bought my first Jabiru some years ago from a guy in a private airpark not far from Noosa - grass strip down the middle - surrounded by ???about 10 houses with varying acreages -- everything from small houses with hangars and Jabs to huge houses with multiple aircraft and one guy who was commuting to Sydney in his twin --Ii was very impressed with the whole setup.

we have the option to extend, terms negotiable

I found someone to share and we have a lease at Goolwa which is $25,000 for 25 years -- we built a hangar on it for $25,000 -- 12m by 12m - superbly constructed with concrete floor -- and it houses a Jab 230 and my cobra arrow. So it is costing about 1000 a year each, with no extra costs,( includes runway/landing fees) I think it is a bargain for what we get.

I think you are right Troy - makes no difference. I am very left handed,( and will ignore the above posts- I'm not in gaol -yet), and in retrospect I think it is an advantage in the Jab as we get better throttle control -- with right hand on the throttle I appreciate the "wind in" - push/pull throttles -- easier for me. I'm glad my dominant hand was on the jab throttle!!

re planning ahead to abort I have had significant engine problems(subaru) with my cobra so have done many fast taxi runs whilst checking the engine performance -- it is quite sobering to get to 60+ knots and then pull the power off and slow your bird down -- mine takes 350 metres to reach lift off point and then around 400 metres to slow to walking speed without using undue brake pressure -- thats a total of 750 metres.I know because I have actually measured it. If you had asked me before I would have said she was airborne in 150-200 metres. Amazing how we deceive ourselves. Our strip is only 700 metres long but has a grassed optional extension of 300 metres. In the past I only ever used the bitumen now I always check the the transition between grass and bitumen and use the entire runway. I cringe to think of the previous take offs which had minimal if any safety margin. Having done many practise taxi runs it is possible to rapidly scan engine parameters during the ground roll.It just takes practise to take in the numbers at a glance - I have an electronic panel which I think helps + it has flahing and audible alarms -- a feature which helped enormously when a radiator hose split in flight. Cheers Peter

I have skyfuels cards. Just one application and they send all 3 cards ,shell, BP..... very convenient as they send just one monthly account for all 3. My plane has been sidelined most of the year (engine probs) so the accounts have been very intermittent and small (only flown 20 hours)-- it has not caused any probs. Peter

just to make life complete around 10 per cent of myocardial infarcts are silent -- NO PAIN !!! I liked the reply which said call Mayday and land the plane ASAP, most infarcts are not instantly fatal so there is always hope. The pain may be anything from slight dullness to overwhelming so you may well be able to fly the plane quite well.Currently working in A&E at Broken Hill and I see plenty of people who have had their pain for many hours before presenting and many of them walk in! so give up the fags, walk/run/exercise everyday and enjoy life while you can

I can't see that I would ever use the online logbook but I LOVE the idea of the flight planner. If it comes online I will never leave home without my laptop again. As someone who is often connecting via motel telephone lines in remote places using only dial up access I greatly appreciate any effort to keep download times to a minimum -- thankyou for all the work you are doing. Peter

I have one but personally believe it does nothing for safety and is an expensive waste of time. Passing through Mt Gambier earlier in the year i had just refuelled and was looking for the toilets, saw two guys working on a light(VHrego) plane in a hangar so wandered over to have a "chat",-- the aerodrome was so quiet you could have fired a canon on the tarmac and not hurt anyone -- and the response I got came in a most unfriendly tone "have you got an ASIC card", I pulled it out and then had to endure a 2 minute lecture on how I should have hadit on display!!! I was amazed and greatly disappointed, this is the only time I have not been made welcome at a country airport. made me wonder if this was a sign of times to come. I still don't display the card believing it is a political stunt, nothing more nothing less. I wish the privateflying community had more votes - it is the only thing our politicians seem to listen to. Peter

Ian, I think all of the above are good ideas and I am hoping to attend both Avalon and Natfly. I would really enjoy meeting people from the forum. we will almost certainly be camping at Lara again and an evening get together in the club there would be pretty easy to organise. i am expecting to be working at narromine but at Avalon if you wanted "helpers" to man or assist at a stall (whilst you are hopefully really busy selling) I would be happy to assist Peter

As a practising GP who travels far and wide across the country, I have done all sorts of medicals for all sorts of occupational reasons as well as commercial vehicle licenses. I am also licensed to do private and commercial diving licenses. It is certainly my experience that they are without doubt a total waste of everybody's time. If someone wants to hide a condition from us it is pretty easy - just borrow a few antihypertensive tablets, dose yourself up with steroids to hide your asthma etc. the simplest solution is an honesty system of tick the box type forms and then screen only those at high risk. I never sign anyone off as "fit to dive", none of us were born with gills. It is just that some of us are less fit than others. I see it as my job to educate people as to the risks they are taking in their particular case and let them decide. I am currently working near cairns and took a reef trip last weekend - it was pretty amazing watching people being screened for their introductory dives -- they were following the manuals but coaching the people to give the right answers!! a rather dangerous practise. the other comment I would make is that most GPs haven't a clue about diving medicals (including a lot who dive) how would they be any different with aviation medicals? with recreational aircraft now regularly flying around 9,000 ft it becomes rather problematic. Their is no easy answer but pushing the respnsibility onto your local GP is not the way to go. We must take responsibility for ourselves, and our friends. If you know of someone whose medical condition is not consistent with safe flight what would you do? Would you report them? Cheers Peter

Exceptions to this rule can be made. At the last Avalon airshow (and I expect the same will apply for this one) a block exemption was applied for and gained from CASA which enabled radio but not transponder equipped RAA Aus registered aircraft pilotted by certificate holdersto fly into controlled airspace. The controllers were very considerate with us and I had no problems. It was a good chance for us "ultralight/recreational" pilots to demonstrate our skills. As a late comer to the sport and not having experienced the world of GA/PPL I certainly enjoyed and learnt from the experience. Cheers Peter

I'm a GP who got sick of the rat race and I now do rural and remote locums. when I can I fly myself to the jobs -- based in SA I have flown to Narromine, Nyngan, Broken Hill, Leigh Creek, Port Augusta...... It is a great way to get to work. currently working in North queensland so have left the little bird at home Peter

The papers are given to RAA Aus who then post them out -- that way the data base remains confidential. All recreational aircraft are considered as special interest aircraft. Last time I went in my jab SP470 and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun to land at Avalon - special permission was gained "en masse" for us all to fly in contolled airspace. I agree with everything Ange has written above -- that mirrored my experience exactly. we chose to leave early on the Monday morning which wa no problem at all. we were also able to access the trade only displays which I found very interesting. I have already faxed back my expression of interest and intend taking my Cobra Arrow (the Jab was sold earlier in the year) Peter

I would mirror all of Michael Coates comments re the Flightcell 2go -- I rang him and talked about the performance before I bought, I thought he was exageratingbut found out pretty quickly he was just telling it as it is -- mine has been great - noise suppresion and clarity is excellent. I would recommend it Peter

All the extrawater in our oceans is coming from the polar icecaps --Antarctica is melting, more bergs are breaking off etc If you don't believe in the hole in the ozone, you ought to spend some time in antarctica without sunblock ---YOU GET BURNT -- we used to get through buckets of the stuff, much more than I ever use up here in the desert (currently Roxby downs) The galciers dwon there are retreating, the Ross ice shelf is shrinking We are messing up the planet Peter

Have used a CDMA phone and had continuous coverage (over 2000ft) from Goolwa to Melbourne, Goolwa to Leigh Creek, Goolwa to Broken Hill, Goolwa to Narromine, Goolwa to Pt Augusta. Originally used to send SMS of my progress as a relaible form of personal SARWATCH but since getting a Flightcell 2go I can now use it through the headset -- reception is brilliant. First time I used it my wife thought I was ringing on a landline - she couldn't hear any aircraft noise. I have found good digital reception continously betweeen Goolwa and Melbourne but haven't tried it further afield --- yet. Flightcell is expensive but I've been so impressed I'm going to upgrade soon to the flightcell pro. Cheers Peter