BirdDog

Come on guys.... seriously!!! Are pilots that fat and lazy they could not be bothered to make a simple radio call!!! FFS!!! There really is only 2 reasons... lazy or arrogant or worse still. Both.

Anyone?

But what happened to the folder names? Is the AUS/NZ stuff all just been merged in now? I have been away and just jumped back in and not sure what the go is. Thanks J

Hmm. You sometimes have to wonder about insurance companies. So he got the calcs wrong... isn’t that why you pay insurance??

This is also a good read.... It talks of chemical use, and causes etc. Environmental stress cracking - Wikipedia

Hmm... I am no expert (and someone else may add) but that looks like stress cracks. If the out and in and are still smooth, then it's obviously internal. It looks similar to what happens when you heat and cool plastics rapidly. like this image... http://www.annealingplastics.com/glass.jpg

WOW! Unbelievable!! My home AD is owned by the council, and it's a great little AD. What a shame for Gympie.

WOW!!. But why do pilots forget to fly the plane. AMAZING they survived.

Hi Clint. I am on the Southern Tablelands of NSW, and always looking for somewhere to drop into. Give us some more info mate. :) Cheers John

It's funny you say that Nev. I tend to leave my trim alone completely during take off and landing. I only trim out during level flight. I just never felt comfortable trimming on final and having a somewhat "sloppy" stick. I like to feel that I have back pressure etc - does that make sense? Plus I don't ever want to get into a situation where I am forced to put forward pressure on the stick because I have over trimmed it etc. Some pilots say I am mad, some say they do the same thing - but it works for me.

Looking at it, I can't see ANY power lines on Elder Smith Rd??

Yeah - I was thinking the same thing.... What would I say. But similarly, like you, I would have probably announced calmly that there appears to be 2 aircraft on final, and hope that they react appropriately. I don't think I would have said nothing though, and simply watch it unfold, and if you look and listed to that video, there was in fact a bit of time, as one of the guys comments that this could get ugly. :(

WOW! That's hard to watch! And to think, simple radio calls may well of prevented that from happening. I have been wondering why the guys filming it were not on the radio telling of the situation. I was told to always have a hand held on your belt when walking around the airfield, as you can hear everything that's going on, and you may need it in an emergency. Whenever I am at the field, prepping or washing the plane down etc, my radio is on and with me. Very sad indeed. :(

I have had a guy pull out on my on final at YWOL and so I punched out and went around. Admittedly I was still a long way up so had time.

Thank goodness she is on the mend and it went well. All the best mate.

Wow! Fair call. That said, my rego for my bird is not what I would call expensive. In fact, it costs me more to register my car than it does my plane, and the licensing and rego structure here means I also benefit from included insurance, so I am happy to pay it. :) I trained up to be able to do my own maintenance legally etc, so that also keeps the costs down. I am happy with where we are at for that side of things. I know some are not, but you can't please everyone right. ;)

LOL! So is your bird unregistered?

OMG!!!! That must have taken some serious self control old mate. You are better than me!! I might have accidentally tripped and used his face to break my fall! ;)

AHAHAH! Yeah man. I started in 2006 custom building drones etc, and then in 2014 I gained certification from Civil Aviation Safety Authority to open the first Multirotor RPAS Training School in Australia. It was a very different world back then, and wow, how times have changed. Looking at the video, and not knowing exactly what the Typhoon will do if it loses track, I would say it did just that. It lost you, and was trying to sort itself out. It's strange, as I would have thought if it lost track it would simply stop and hold. But maybe it continues on its way??

:) Awesome!! :) Lucky you are in US, the drone laws down here may prevent you from doing some of those videos! Glad you go the drone back, and yeah, drone Vs tree, doesn't often end well. I have been building drones commercially now for over 13 years, and the tech that is now available is amazing! I hate to think where we will be in the next 5 years.

Thats a cool video man! :) Very entertaining!

Yep. I witnessed a classic example of where it could all go bad. I was at the Airfield and when I am prepping etc, I turn my hand held on and listen to the radio while I am getting ready. Now I knew there was a bird in the circuit because I watched him go up and I could hear him. Now he assumed as there was nobody else around, he wouldn't bother making calls while he bashed a few circuits. Then.... I heard the distinct sound of a 2nd aircraft. He, probably thought, because he could not hear any calls, there was nobody around, so he just blasted right over the AD (and through the circuit). When the other guy came down, he was furious the 2nd guy didn't make an inbound call, to which I stated, "if you were calling your corners, I bet he would have" Both assumed as there was silence, there was nobody else around. It is dangerous to assume.

It still surprises me at the lack of radio calls by some pilots. I just don't get it.

Yeah - Did you notice plastic props and the machine was stopped before the bird sat on it. Now imagine a machine with Carbon and it does not stop. 1 damaged eagle - Guaranteed!

Yeah wow!! I have come across a number of pilots where I have asked how much they "practice" and got the response - "never, really" Crazy I think! But maybe thats because I am still sub 100 hours?? Maybe??