Orienteer

Well if no one else is game to admit it, I laughed.

Would love to Doug, but sadly i have a prior engagement with an orienteering map.... Definately keep me posted for next time though!!! Still hankering for a fly, and soon (i need to stop working full time!). Cheers, Tyson

Hi Di, Wow, it's taken me a while to realise that you've found the Recreational Flying Forums. It was great to read your article in the RAAus Mag. It's a pity i haven't caught up with you recently at Murray Bridge, i've been kept away from there too much lately, and i'm so desperate to get in the air again! Hope to see you around the school again soon! Cheers, Tyson

I got myself into the habit of doing this early on, one instructor told me that it made me sound more like a commercial pilot (i took it as a compliment at the time). Though another instructor of mine really gave it to me for that technique, i don't do it anymore, and i see his point and your point.

Thanks for all the tips. Looking around on Google, and froma tipoff from a friend, there appears to be a strip just north of Vivonne Bay. Has anyone got any experience with this strip?

Has anybody flown down to Kangaroo Island? I'm thinking of a trip maybe a day trip or an overnight trip down to there. Thought it could be fun. Don't have a clue yet of what (or if it) could be done, but i liked the idea of it. Any advice or ideas?

Where's the compass?

I wasn't sure wether the other aircraft was VFR on top and decesnding through a hole or wether the aricraft had descended through a cloud. From where i was sitting i could not see where the aircraft came from. As for the comment about earlier action, the pilots were working hard to communicate with the other aircraft. The whole ordeal up to the evasive manouvre was not all that long, maybe 45 seconds, and were were prepared to abort the line, the pilots i believe made all the appropriate decisions. We were all well brifed on what was going on. My comments weren't specifically about the incindent, but rather trying to make a point about the carriage of Transponders, things could've been alot different without a transponder on the other aircraft.

The last couple of weeks i've been working of the east coast of Victoria in our Dash-8 doing Survey Ops, it's been loads of fun and have had some good conversation with our pilots about aviation, piloting and the like. I had the pleasure of sitting in the Jump seat up front for a landing yesterday at Essendon on a visual approach. Watching the captain handle the aircraft made me think of how i land the Jabiru. The difference seemed quite minimal, just a different landing perspective, and a few more switches (that the FO took control of) on the final. It doesn't seem all that different from landing the jab. It was loads of fun to sit up there, and i will definately be doing again before i leave the field. The second is comment i have to make is somewhat more serious. We've been working whenever the weather has been good, this means i have worked Saturday and Sunday (today). The amount of traffic seems to double on the weekends and about 50% of that increase was recreational aircraft. We've been having serious discussions about the use transponders on any aricraft and what that means to safety. Today i saw the true value. With our aricraft fitted with a TCAS we get any nearby traffic indicated fairly soon. We had one aircraft (A GA cessna) come up which was VFR and on a collision course with us and was not listening in to the Area Freq. after many attempts by the pilots to contact the pilot to establish separation. An evasive course of action was undertaken by both aircraft which ended in a clearance of under 1000' lateraly and we were both at the same altitude. The other aircraft was indicated to be descending from above the cloud base, and we were close to the cloud base (we were under IFR on a survey line). If the TCAS had not warned us there would not have been an aircraft aware of the situation until the last moment. We were fully prepared to abort our survey line to avoid the potential incident. This made me question why more RA-Aus registered aircraft do not carry transponders? Is it a question of cost? This benefit for safety would surely out-weigh the cost involved. See and be Seen, wouldn't a transponder boost this to another level, especially since the TCAS can see through cloud? I'll certainly be chatting to my instructor about this topic when i'm finished in the field. I'd like to add that i do not believe anyone was strictly at fault here, it is just my thoughts on what i heard and saw today while working. And i'm thankful that no harm came to anyone in the air (especially me!). Lastly, The radio calls i've been hearing today from the RA-Aus crew in the air were definately as good if not better then most of the GA aircraft we've been hearing and in contact with. Good work if you've been flying out of Yarram today! My two (three) bobs for the weekend! Tyson

Mum and Dad heard from someone that they I haven't been eating too well (not completely true) So they were worried about my diet. They gave me three cook books, a bag full of spices, a lasagne dish and a crock pot. Very thoughtful though it means i have to work out what spices do now. Oh and a lovely 12yo bottle of single malt. Yum.

I just received my Pilot Certificate in the mail (the one that says i'm now a pilot) and under the endorsements i have got R - Radio, HP - High Performance, NW - Nose Wheel. But also there is HF. I know i should know, but what is HF? I don't remember filling out an endoresment form for HF. Oh, and yay, I'm now a pilot!

Congratulations! I now know how good it feels too! I achieved my certificate yesterday! Again i wasn't expecting to do it then, but more practice, but Neil my instructor said "We'll have a go." Glad he did! He through a few curveballs at me too, and i got a bit flustered at one point. It certainly wasn't my best bit of flying but i proved my technique. Unfortunately it was a fairly rough and bumpy day in the air so i didn't go back up for a celebratory flight. All smiles again, and head is still in the clouds (so to speak)

New PC!!! I have finally got my new PC: Intel 2 Quad Core. @2.8ghz 4gb RAM GeForce 9800 GT 3 HDD - 1x500gb, 1x320gb, 1x150gb (two are from the old PC) and two LCD Displays - 1 BenQ 21.5" full HD, 1 BenQ 22" (from the old PC) Daitek Cyborg EVO Force, and Saitek Prof Flight Rudder Pedals. The machine runs Flight Sim 10X better then the old PC and is 10X quieter too! I am the coolest person in my house right now. Pity it has left me a little out of pocket.

Hi, My PC blew up (something burnt out on the Mother board). So i'm in the market for a new PC. And since the whole flyin thing is becoming a big part of my life, i thought i'd try to pimp my potential new pc to be a superb Flight Sim box. So does anyone have some suggestion on what would make a great FlightSim PC? I'm a little left in the dark with PC Specs. So any help would do Cheers, tyson

Hey mate, i have been running Vista and the Evo joystick without any problems. Occasionally the force feedback won't happen, but it seems sporadic. Have you had the force feedback working at all? if yougo to "Game controllers" under Control Panel. There is a test function in that panel (it's kinda cool). My PC blew itself up so i won't be able to suggest much more than that. But i hope it is a step forward for you.

Thanks All, It's two days passed the experience and i'm still on a buzz. Desk Pilot: It is Neil Wickens, A good instructor, i've had experience with Neil, Doc and James, but Neil was in charge of me on Saturday. Cheers to all! Tyson

Well everyone should get a chance to let their pride show! I just completed my first solo! What a feeling. Rocked up at Murray Bridge nice and early for a change and had perfect conditions, cool air and a consistent breeze straight down 20. After a couple of circuits and EFIC at Rollos Field, we headed back to YMBD for more Circuits. On the turn to final at YMBD i called for a touch and go, but Neil, my instructor, asked me to correct myself and announce a full stop. I was confused :confused:. Once we touched down Neil took control and had us back tracking to the threshold of 20. He then jumped out and wished me luck! What a great feeling! And a very nice landing for my first solo while Neil was watching! Once i finally decided to quit and taxi back to the hangar, i had 4 or 5 near complete strangers shake my hand. I was so proud. My second session for the day wasn't as ideal (weather wise) with quite choppy air and a variable x-wind, i was a little hesitant. Neil stayed and completed a couple of circuits with me and asked if i could handle it (i said "I suppose so"), So we did it all again, he jumped out and watched my first circuit. It was such a great day out. So forgive my pride, i just can't wipe this smile off my face :big_grin::big_grin::big_grin: WOOP Tyson

I had the pleasure of spending too much time operating out of Karratha Airport. A daily visitor there was a Fokker 100 with rego VH-FKD. Which we dubbed the obvious. Later that deployment i got the even greater pleasure of travelling hom on said Fokker. I sent one of my matesi was working with a SMS with exciting news which he replied "Fokking Fantastic." My giggles were a source of amusement for fellow pax at the gate.

I was working in Ireland earlier this year as a coordinator in the back of a Dash8 doing Survey Ops out of Galway airport. Galway airport has several "Tea Breaks" during their day which closes the airport down for about an hour 3 times a day. I was conversing with the pilots about our fuel loading and the remaining time on task we'd have - they said about 2 hours which would take us past the closing time on the NOTAM. Though experience showed these closing times followed the appetite of the Controller, and not the NOTAM. So the 1st Officer radioed in for a clarification on the closing time. The nice Irish Controller had advised they'll close in about and hour. The FO radioed again to confirm the re-opening time. There was a bit of dead air then "Oh we might not open again tonight - bit tired." There led a stunned silence from me as a rookie Coordinator, then a quite shaky word to the pilots over the intercom - "Perhaps we'd better go home then." Time passed a bit and then across the radio "Nah, we'll come back for ya." The Controller had us (more specifically - had me), the pilots gave a good chuckle as i looked a little sheepish down the back. I never thought that ATC could have a sense of humour. Mind you - this was the same controller that was trying to sell us his daughter a couple of days later. The Irish were a fun lot to work with.

Thanks for the welcome guys, I always thought the phrase was "Once bitten, twice shy" or is it in aviation "Once bitten, twice fly?" At my age and the dad jokes are coming out. Wo is me. Me and a mate are both going through the training together, so it will be fun and a good way to learn by bouncing ideas off of each other. We've had a look around at the schools and had our first lessons with Mike. I'm in Mitcham, so it's a bit of a way to get to the Airfield, but with two of us, it should cut the travel costs in half! Cheers, Tyson

Just thought I'd pop my head in and say G'day. I've only just started out on the RA-Aus Certificate - 1 lesson. And am already enthused to get to my next lesson! I've only been introduced to aviation in the last year and a bit as a "system operator" in the back of a Dash-8, though I've always thought it looks like more fun up front. So here's hoping that I my budget and enthusiasm holds strong to get me flying. Start with a Jab and see how far i can go! Cheers, Tyson