Jerry_Atrick

To bring some spirituality to aviation:

Realistically, if you are a person of interest to the police/intelligence agencies, they will certainly know you fly as well as whatever you may do. They may be observing you while they wait for you to led them to others or make a mistake to reel you in, so to speak. If you are a person of interest and you don't yet fly, would they really want you to be tipped off you're a person of interest when you submit your ASIC application once you a ready to go flying? Doubtful.. so anything that comes up will be relatively petty - maybe along the lines of known non-terrorist criminal behaviour or some form of mental illness in which they think you may post a risk while in command of a rotating knife-blade. This has nothing to do with terrorism, but is a way to extract money from mere mortals to keep those that should be unemployed from being on the scrap-heap...

Is there not a petitions site the Aus government provides to allow disaffected subjects to submit? There is one in the UK and I think if they get 10,000 signatures the relevant department has to provide a written response (in digital form); if there is I think over 100k signatures, they have to table and debate it in parliament. If there isn't an Aussie equivalent, I am happy to draft a petition, distilling the reasons to out on a petition site, though I think it should formally be submitted by an Aussie resident.

A work colleague is staying at our place at the moment (it's a long weekend). He has an Aussie PPL (he lived in Aus for a couple of years ago). We were discussing overseas flying and he had stated that since the ASIC/AVID, he had stopped visiting Aus altogether - usually goes to the US (Florida) or Canada now. Although he does intend to go to NZ shortly to fly. Another great score fo pollies/civil servants - inward looking - make a bi of money at the longer term cost to the industry.

Airbus aren't the only ones (although these guys will do a hybrid if battery tech doesn't move as quick as expected): easyJet backs Wright Electric's electric airliner - FLYER

Ironically, my parents separating got me into flying. I can't recall even knowing what aircraft were (well, not true; my brother used to assemble airfix models, but has graduated to become a white-knuckled flyer) before they were separated. When my parents separated, it wasn't easy for me, so my mother shipped me from Tulla to my grandmother's place in Bowen. I was about 9 years old. From memory, it was a TAA 727 and I recall the wonder of being thrust back into the seat and the view of the ground falling away - I was hooked. Then a visit to the cockpit with all the steam dials sealed the deal (I don't fly EFIS as I prefer analogue). The ride from Brisbane to Proserpine was, I recall, in a Fokker Friendship and I loved that even more - closer to the ground and a little more intimate. When I returned 2 weeks later, all I could blab on about was the flight and the aircraft, so my mother took me to the Aussie Air League; Every Monday night, I would eagerly anticipate going and it was great fun. The drill was a little boring, but the theory lessons and activites were good fun. We had a great squadron leader, Ricki Yousef, whose parents also owned a milk-bar - living the dream!. I digress. My first flight was in a Cessna 172 at some outing with the AAL - It was the most memorable flight I have ever had (except I can't recall its rego). Anyway, I was going to be a pilot. Unf, things deteriorated and I had to move to my father's place, who was encouraging with most things, but hated any idea of flying. He wouldn't let me join the local AAL squadron and eventually, the spark faded. As I entered adulthood, I had all but forgotten about aviation until about the age of 25 or so, where I met who was to become my fiancée. Her younger brother (about 14) was big into aviation and asked if we could take him to YMMB to look at the aircraft. We did and walked into the RVAC (there was Shutts, Peter Bini, Civil and quite a few others at the time, but I figured a club would be more accommodating). My then girlfriend declined to come into the building with us, preferring to watch the planes from near the tower. I was surprised at how accommodating they were, and an instructor took us out to look at VH-LBL. On seeing it, I was hooked again and when the instructor suggested a TIF at around $20, I sort of took a little less than 0.1 of a picosecond to say yes. My girlfriend was less than impressed as I found out upon telling her she has a real phobia of flying and thought I was going to crash and die (Aussie media does sensationalise a lot of light a/c accidents, after all). Anyway, I went and that was it. I was going to learn to fly. However, my girlfriend and I were at this stage living together (so we must have been engaged, thinking about it), and she was less than supportive. I selected an instructor on recommendation (never again, because who may be a good instructor for one person may not be quite right for another). Eventually, after an incident in which the instructor said, "That's a lesson in how not to do it", I decided time to change instructors. By this stage, RVAC had acquired a couple of 150s (1 or 2 aerobats, too). I decided to ask for the instructor who had the vintage plane - turned out to be Dick Gower. In our first lesson, he decided an aerobat would be a better choice than a PA28. We did some upper air work for him to assess where I was at, and it culminated in a barrel roll (to my surprise, with Dick having a laugh). I was hooked. So much so, I got the GFPT and did aeros; after which I moved to the UK, but with a job that had me in many parts of the country, I would take instructor-assisted flights now and then. Finally, I got a job that had me in one place, the company had a "flying club" and one flyout I joined, was to meet up at Le Touquet in France. I elected to fly with a pilot from the closest airfield, in a PA28 Warrior. It was in good nick and the flight, although amongst some clag, the flight was amazing and we were within the hour, seated at a fancy restaurant eating nice food and I got to enjoy a glass of red. I immediately inquired if a share of the a/c was for sale - it was, so I bought it... then submitted my log book to the CAA who said, just get your theory done and when your school thinks your ready, take the flight test - no min hours to convert, even though I probably had 3 hours of Nav training at best... Long story, but JAA license has just lapsed and waiting for an EASA replacement; moved from London and waiting to look at a 172 share down in Devon...

This is precisely what happens at other progressive cities around the world - they use the urban transport infrastructure to get to the required station and go from there. I see no reason why Melbourne can't achieve the same thing. What this highlights is a common problem emerging here as well; there is not enough investment in infrastructure to handle increased housing density - including improvements in transport infrastructure. But I see the Gov't's attempts at doing it on the cheap haven't quite worked...

Blimey! Sidchrome is gone? I had my old Sidchromes out yesterday thinking when I am in Aus, I will get some more - they are way better than what I can find here (at most retail chains, anyway) Looks like I'll have to make do or find specialty retailers that do good stuff

Hang on - are you telling me the south-eastern freeway (or Monash Freeway or whatever) is now a toll road? Blimey! And what about the Wells Rd freeway (the one that runs from Springvale-ish to Frankston) - is that also a toll road? Planning a trip to Aus - Usually land in Tulla and stay for 1/2 day at the Hilton to refresh, then pick up a pre-booked hire car (web is giving some amazing deals) for the drive to Canterbury where my bruv lives. Last time I took a taxi to his house, which at the time was about 3ks off the Toorak Rd exit near Tooronga, it was, from memory, about $70 - so shudder to think of what it costs now.So taxi and car rental companies probably lobby a bit, too.. Not having a decent rail link is a pain - but also, I think it hampers growth a bit; Business people (especially employees rather than those who have to pay for it) don't care too much, but tourists do and when planning where they go do take into account the convenience and cost of a place - Australia is not the only country that has unique tourist attractions. So since Aus is, from a US/European perspective, already at a disadvantage in terms of distance, attracting those that want to go somewhere different but not really specifically one country or another, Aus has to offer something to counter the distance to attract $ - and there is still a lot of $ in that cateory.

I wonder what training is required for a CFI to become an agent for verifying docs and, importantly, identifying forgeries? Doesn't seem like the sort of things a CFI would have as their main skill set. As an aside, say one wants to go to Mildura, Merimbula or Birdsville on their AVID, can they but avoid the arestha supports the heavy RPT traffic areas or the field?

That is either a great optical illushyn, or they have an incredibly short wingspan....

There's a charity here called Project Propeller where pilots donate their time and plane to ferry WW2 vets for a "reunion"; Basically, the organisers pair up one or two vets with a pilot; the pilot files to the nearest airfield/s of the vets and ferries them to the gathering airfield where a spread is laid on; after which the pilots ferry them to their home airfields. The gathering airfield waives landing fees and either they or the charity put on the food/reshreshments/marquee. It's a great day and surprisingly satisfying.

Ain't that the truth! After getting my GFPT (years ago), too my mum ,brother & sis-in-law up for a bimble at Coldstream (mum lives in Healesville) in a C152 (was a little tight ;-)) She loved it, as did the sis-in-law; learned that day my bruv was white-knuckle flyer...

As an Aussie citizen, my experience with the Aussie immigration officials is not much better... Heartless rectal doughnuts they were... and that was to my then 3yr old Aussie citizen son. It's the reason I am still here... The cool, reasoned approach they show on Nothing to Declare is not always how it goes...

Was expecting to see a mounted machine gun though

I did a lot of work in the US a few years ago and it was an eye opener as far as gun culture was concerned: - Bismarck ND: 16 year olds drive their "trucks" resplendent with gun racks and guns to school. Leave them outside. - Philadelphia. . Conversation with a drunk nutter on first day goes like this: He: "You and I are kindred spirit!" Me: "How do you work that out" He: "Your're Australian and I am American" Me: "And that means?" He: "We are both Irish" Me: "No - I'm Australian and you're American" He: "Yeah, but we both come from Ireland" Me: "With my surname, how do you work that out".. and then trying to change the conversation, "So, how do you like working here?" He: "It's going from bad to worse." Me: "Really? Seems a nice place to work" He: "Yeah, but they no longer let us carry our handguns in the office, so I have to leave it in the car" Me: (after a stunned look and slight pause): "Er... you leave a gun the car.. What happens if it is broken into or stolen"? He: "err... Have to get another gun, I surpose" - When still working in Philly I stayed a weekend at a colleagues place in Delaware state. As he drove me back to the hotel in downtown Philly, his wife handed him an innocuous looking satchel, turned to me and said "I hope you don't mind." I asked her what it was and she said it was a handgun. I said I would rather not, when he turned to me and emphatically said, "I never go to Philly without one." My response is, "And you are leaving me there?!?" - Later, on the evening that the assignment I was working on finished, another colleague and I went out for a few brews. He had a Mitsubishi somethingorother with a targa top. As we were stopped at an intersection on a fine summer evening at around dusk, so a little light about, he decided to shut the roof. "I suppose you don't want people spitting in here?" I asked. "Nope - that I can live with. The car-jacking could spoil our evening". - Dallas TX (late 90s shortly after they started showing the TV show cops in Aus, and I was only a month or so out of Aus at the time), talking to a brutish looking policeman, I asked him if what was shown in Cops was real or was it somewhat dramatized and he confirmed it was pretty real; after which I mentioned that in Aus,when one is pulled over for a traffic violation, one gets out of the car to talk to police (or did then, anyway) to which he responded, "Well, when you have law makers that TODAY enacted a law allowing concealed handguns in shopping centres, you know what we're working against!" So I asked him if he was supportive of gun control; emphatic yes.

Much the same as here. The pilot would be expected to make a report to the AAIB (which is summary of facts and a self-analysis of what the pilot felt contributed to the accident/incident) and it would be published in the AAIB bulletin.

That would probably depend on the nature of the power failure... Was he in a descent and one to many shock cooling events that caused the engine to throw a crank shaft or something? Was it Fuel starvation (though there was no mention of a prior surge which is common on those lycs)? The wx should be good at the moment, but if it was high humidity and moderate temps - was there carb icing - esp with the butterfly valve closed in a descent (happened to me - advancing the throttle does not much); The power issue (and I use power intentionally) may have occurred at that point on base - regardless of whether he was doing an overhead join or not... If course, if it was the shock cooling, he would have been in the overhead first, but just because he was doesn't mean he would have flown a tight circuit anyway. But fuel starvation/exhaustion may have occurred slightly earlier if it was straight in and he remained in cruise until overhead. Will the ATSB investigate (or commission an engineering assessment of) this or will the ATSB rely on pilot reports.. I am always interested in what happened because I am sure (or at least hope) the pilot did more than just open the throttle on losing power - but putting more detail in a newspaper report would be lost on Joe/Jill public.

Of course GA are taught engines fail - but only when other people are flying

Oi! Pipers are good (except for the 1 door thing) - they are honorary Rec Aircraft ;) Not judging the pilots choice of landing field (as we have no idea what the circumstances are that compelled the forced landing), that field doesn't look to make it very easy for a forced landing, so I'd say he's done a bang-up (pretty good - but pun sort of intended) job of it. I know a bloke who had an EFATO in an RV - made a bit of a hash of it, ended up in hospital for almost a week - nothing permanent nor major - his comment: "P|$$ed off I made a hash of it; problem is it all happens much faster when you're not expecting it".

Oops (just out of a pub and read coomentator) though whatever that commentator does - he should be fired as obviously has no concept if reality

They were practising GPS and magnetic field jamming at the time