Jerry_Atrick

That's fat-st, OT.. Shame on you! 😉 Seriously, outside the effects of that obesity, there is usually some medical or psychological condition the predicates people in that position. I weas talking to a DAME (well, over here, they are just called AMEs) about it, and he has passed class 2 obese people because there were no obvious signs of impending issues, despite the risk that they may well develop conditions very quickly in between medicals. Over here, you can still get a Class 2 if you are colour blind, have diabetes, and a few others that would previously rule out the class 2. However, there are restrictions placed on you flying. For example, colour blondness (depending on the type) will usually stop you from night VFR, but some will allow you instrument flying (day, I think). I don't knoiw all the rules, TBH; just what I read in the magaiznes and AOPA.

It's a little more complicateed than that. If you're a UK PPL and you only want to fly your aircraft in the UK and its protectorates (channel islands, Isle of Mann, etc), yes, it is fine. But trust me, you feel caged flying only in the UK with Europe a hop, skip , and jump away, and because the LAPS and PMD medicals are not ICAO standard, your not valid even glying a G reg aircraft in the territory of another country. If you're a LAA pilot, however, your LAPL medica, which is a European standard, allows you to fly your recreational aircraft throughout Europe (the LAA and the BMAA managed to get their regulations accreddited by EASA to allow them to keep flying in Europe). The PMD, which is a self-declaration, does not allow one to fly rec aircraft in Europe - a LAPL medical is required - and this is less burdensome than the class 2, but pilots still think it is too onerous. FWIW, in later November, I will be doing both the UK and Aus Class 2 late November over here at an RAF base. TYhe paperwork for the Aus class 2 is mind boggling!

I honestly don't know Scots law so would refrain from opining, but it is good to see England doesn't only have the corrupt councils 😉 Plymouth City Council is alleged to have been corrupt in its handling of issuing the 99 year lease to Sutton Harbour Holdings (SHH), with an armageddon clause that they evenutally decided to manufacture to trigger. They basically revoked permission from the airline at the time that was based there, then declared the airport was no longer viable despite others lining up to be the next airline to operate the airport. Until the housing boom, there was nothing on the rada thast would have indicated they were interested in anything other than operating as an airport. SHH had a lease as well. I guess it would be determined as to what the lease contains as to what a lessee can do with it. Note, Plymouth remains undeveloped but has been closed for 10 years by now. However, from the Mooraabin Airport Website, https://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/about-us/overview: "Moorabbin Airport is wholly owned by Goodman, a publicly listed property group with operations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Americas. Goodman’s global industrial property expertise, integrated own+develop+manage customer service offering and significant investment management platform, delivers essential infrastructure for the digital economy." If the airport is wholly owned by Goodman, do they lease it to MAC? Is the lease breakable, and under what conditions? Also, I guess there are covenants on the airport land as well.. but these can be removed All I am saying is that there appear to be grounds for keeping a sharp eye on things.. appreciate there may be no cause for alarm at the moment.

It may be a but Chooky Looky, but look up Sutton Harbour Holdings and Plymouth airport. All grand plans for the airport in terms of developing aviation; but when the housing boom meant that land was suddenly worth a lot more as housing than an airport, my how quickly things changed. Corporations are in it to make money. Publicly lsted corporations habe duties to their shareholders and one is to maximise earnings. No doubt, the Aussie planning laws and business landscape is different to the UK. But one this is for certain, if the airport suddenly becomes much more profitable to justify redevloping it as a used car lot, then they will attempt to do it. I am not saying they are planning it now, but eventually, they will run out of land to develop and want to increase their returns. Then what? It may not happen in our lifetime (no idea how old you are)..

I recall when taking off on the 18 runways, or landing on the 35 runways on a hot day being buuffeted by the thermals rising from the tin rooves of the factories in Braeside, that were closer to, was it Lower Dandenong Road? At low speed and relatively close to the ground, one learned to keep their wits about them. Now to pick up form where I left off.. Re the RVAC bar demise, true. But looking at their websire, it seems to be open enough for a club: https://www.rvac.com.au/flight-deck-bar---grill, which was better than when I was there. Re Gen Zs and Millenials, I would be surprised if they made up the bulk of the membershuip, and people to change over time. Also, I am quite sure they all don't sit on computer games iand interact through discord. It's about generating interest rather than wiating for it to come. I am gald to hear there is great grass roots activism in KCC and the community, because while the owners may not at this time be thinking about redevelopment of the airfield, when it becomes economic for them to do it, they will.

That is a good point, but arguably some of the fields provided a safety buffer and accommodted mixed aviation use well. Also, since 1993, which is when Iwas flying there, the movemebts have dropped off 30% despite a) a large increase in the populaton of Melbourne (3.238m --> 5.235m) and the introduction of larger commercial training (e.g. Oxford Aviation). That, of course, doesn't really say anything other than there could be a drop in interest of the community in aviation related activities, but I can't help but wonder if some of those facilities that provided parents the opportunity to take their kids to for some cheap entertainment has not planted as many seeds of interesst as there would have otherwise been. Also, I would movements alone don't make an airport great - but YMMB is still pretty great. Maybe I am oversimpliifying it, but wouldn't that same liability extend to virtualy every park in Melbourne? Of course, the company that owns YMMB would have to maintain it, and I would put it down to the cost to a private company over pure liability. Last time I visited (2018), I recall teh car park gone, but not the miuseum extended, do kudos where it is due. When I am next out, I will be sure to pay a visit. Fair enough - I was just going on this thread... Have to go to work, will pick up later, no doubt

Sadly, the amounf (rather than quality) of development they have permitted at Moorabbin over the years has already diminished it somewhat from when I flew from there. It seriosuly was one of the best GA airports (outside the USA) I have visited - well, except for the cafe facilities. I recall taking my then very young kids there for a family day - the playground, able to set up a BBQ, and even using that old car park opposite the tower to let my then 3yr old son have a steer of the car while sitting on my lap. From a flying perspective the facilities were excellent. And if one was an RVAC member, there was the members bar as well. Your flying school/club was out of aircraft? No worries - they cross-hired from others. Cross wind runways, and the like was fantastic. Sincethe good ol; days, it has been overdeveloped; the kids playground is gone, the carpark, from memory, is gone. Ugly block building adorn what was a community asset that allowed people to participate in aviation, ether it was actively or passively. I don't think DA (state of Victoria) or any government agency diectly benefits from losing Moorabbin. From here: https://www.moorabbinairport.com.au/about-us/overview, "Moorabbin Airport is wholly owned by Goodman, a publicly listed property group with operations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Americas." The money has already been made by the government. The UK is full of ex-airfields whose owners are property [development] companies. The do not care about flying.. If they can make more money turning it into residential, commercial, or mixed use, then they will. And 297 hectares in mioddle south-east Melbourne will return a lot more to the owners fully developed than the aviation businesses will return. Better get prepared to band together and roll your sleeves up for a fight. It is hard, but it can be worth it. Plymoth Airport has been closed for about 12 years, and our little PA28 was one of the last visiting aircraft to take off from its runway before it closed. Sutton Harbour Holdings had the lease with an armageddon clause that if it was not profitable, they coudl develop it. A long hard fight with the council and a well organised group wanting to take it over on a sustainable going concern basis has so fat thwarted the effort.. but it needed broad public support to do it. Sadly, many others have lost the battle, incluing a listed WWII airfield, Old Sarum.

Holy Poop! That was sad.

I dropped QANTAS (Queer and Nasty Travel Air Service) years ago as my go to. They aren't a national carrier - they are just another publicly listed corpration that is designed to extract as much cash from its unsuspecting customer for as little in return as possible. The fact that Queer and Nasty has been able to uphold its charade of the "national carrier" is a testament to our press.. keep giving the press freebies and it will work well. Well, I guess Kerry and/or Lauchlan/Rupert still have credits owing, because the press has turned on them big time: Mind you, the sky presenter who said, "Once you put people before profits, you have crossed the line.." or some such words shoudl reflect on his puppeteer's behaviour.

Looks like the pilot wanted to make sure.. Had to be a darned hard landing to do that!

Blimey... That insurance is expensive! Is that rate (c. 3%) the same for GA aircraft?

Plenty of people who fly them do fly them for recreation, but a fair few combine business with pleasure, and use them as their business transport. Also when flying them for recreation, that includes all weather, IFR under misual meterological conditions and some fair-dinkum touring.. Most (not all) of which is beyond what the average pilot flying for recreation does.

I'd like to thank you all for contributing to my new aeroplane.As a sign of appreciation, I am happy to etch your names on it as a recognition of your contribution/sponsorship

Prices here have skyroocketed across all class of light aircraft; they really are asking silly money and getting it; and well in excess of inflation. A few here would disagree. A mate of mine had a Pegasus Quick-R and toured Europe in it often (not sure he tried the Alps in it, though). Ge gave me a lift to France in it. Slings seem to be the choice for around the world flights, but this young fella did it in a shark. I think his sister also flew solo around the world in one: British pilot becomes youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft at just 17 | Daily Mail Online WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK Mack Rutherford, a Belgian-British dual national, landed on an airstrip west of Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, to complete his mission and to claim... I read an artiicle today in Pilot magazine which asserts that the cause in the cost increase was a large number of people signing up to get their ticket (whether PPL, NPPL (sort of RAAus certificate as well as a separate class for microlioght flying). The reasons for most were that during the pandemic they wanted to learn a new skill, or after lockdowns , the airlines and major airports were in total chaos and flying became (and still) very expensive, so they wanted a better way to travel. Years ago, I flew to Italy in my Warrior; As it was my first time to the continent (well, beyond Le Touquet, which may as well be a British GA airport in France). I followed an RV9 (I think) to build confidence. I lost touch with that RV9 well before I got my confidence. VLAs, ULAs and Microlights are flown everywhere here.

I used to commit as much to memory as possible; I have dispensed with the normal ops checklists committed to memory and try to commit the likely emergency checklists and of course, the late final check list.. I had a friend make be a plate for a RAM mount (I don't use tablets when flying), and have flip top laminated checklist mounted on it.

Nev, you surely know me well enough to answer that question 😉 Getting harder to find my other mate, Grant Burge around this neck of the woods...

Must have been distracted by Wolfie Blass

Thanks @KRviator. No idea how I missed the Tocumwal one.. I am on that site looking at Tocumwal, maybe twice/week. Just noticed they have a hangal plot for sale.. Inquiry sent.

LTF, where did you hear about this? I regularly search the interweb for blocks for sale at Toc airpoart and only get the original Facebook advertising the council did. Without a Facebook account, I had no chance of seeing the original lots for sale, where of course, the Berrigan shire short changed their constituents and gave them away for a song. I would be most interested in purchasing a block a Toc... or even a finished poroperty.

Booo! 😉 Cessna's a great aircraft..

Often, things are missed when tiredness and fatigue set in. And in high concentration situations, apparently, hearing is the first sense we dispense with. This wheels up landing at a French altiport, where once committed, a go-around is not really viable is a good example of that: One of the problems with TB20s is that the gear undercarriage horn is almost, if not identical to the stall warner. I was admitted to my TB20 group as they ejected a pilot from it for conducting a belly-landing. On my check flight for joining the syndicate, the instructor demonstrated the horns. The instructor felt sorry for the previous pilot as apparently, he heard the horn, thought it was the stall warner and gave it a bit of stick. The landing hear warning system will activate when the throttle is back to less than 1/2" or the flaps are extended to fiull flap. He was doing a flapless landing. It wasn't until the crunch on the bitumen he realised what was happening. I have to admit, those green lights down where checked downwind, base, and late final. When I was doing ab initio onf pa28s, C15x and C17x, the instructors all icluded gear checks even through they were fixed gear aircraft. I have always repeated them in downwind and finals checks (and after the TB20, base leg, as well). After a while, it becomes second nature. I don't agree that there are pilots who are going to do wheels up checks.. Those that are may well suffer other serious events well before they get to forget to extend the landing gear.

Or, alternatively, about an hour and a half to Staverton (Gloucestershire), to the Jet Age Museam.. mainly meteorts, but a few others; and free; and then to some of the other schools/clubs for a flight. Undoubtedlly, if you're after checking out a vintage aircraft collection, Suttleworth has more variety.

Oxford Kidlington airport is the closest field to Oxford. From a flight school perspective, it is primarily for commerical students. I haven't been there for years, so can't really give any advice, apart from checking the web and calling/emailing; maybe GoFly - they seem to do PPLs as well. If you have a car or access to transport, Enstone Flying Clube (https://www.enstoneflyingclub.co.uk/) would be my choice. Bicester is prrobably closer, but I think it is gliding only.

Blimey.. all this debate about climate change on a change of CEOs in an airline; thought you chaps were onto how airliners are a contributor to climate change.. BTW, on climate change, opinion is often mistakely claimed as fact. But one of my favourite quotes is "Facts don't give a sh!t what poeople think". Back to the matter at hand I can only respond in this way: