Sapphire

My last four years of flying have been next to a gliding club. Gliders thermaling in the circuit and kamikze tug pilots make you wonder if there are any rules. One RFD pilot told me he came so close to a glider he could see the fillings in his teeth,

Is that what they call a talking book?

There were two Jabs at a club I flew at and they were doing top end overhauls almost as often as they changed underwear. One new plane needed it done after 300-400 hours and another was done 3 times in about 3 years. He eventually sold it for something else which had electrical problems. Planes keep you busy

I think all that aileron movement was out of context and put for visual effect. At some stage he might have been close to the stall and trying to get one wing to stall using ailerons

It should be printed in invisible ink so the page is truly blank

Lots of products are put on the market with little safety testing. For a long time cars didn't have seatbelts but when the death rate embarassed the governments too much, they were manditory. We like to think a life has infinite value, but not true. The amount spent on safety in the airlines is based on a dollar value of your life-some figure I can't remember. If they spent more on a passenger, then it becomes cheaper to let the passenger die [statistically speaking] When you think about it, you can't spend an infinite amount on safety because there isn't an infinite amount available

When I work on an engine and remove gaskets I always rejoin with a high temp sealant. [red] Ok for exhaust. Avail Super Cheap about $20-25 for big tube that fits into a chalking gun

You can follow air legislation to the letter but still not conduct a safe flight. Commercial pilots keeep their job by operating as cost effective as possible but when the s hits the fan, guess who gets blamed first.

A lot of warnings on products are to protect the manufacturer from being sued. There will always be some DH who will try to use a toaster to brush his teeth.

I saw the program and can only judge it if the facts presented are correct. He was not required to nominate an alternate because the weather forcast for Norfolk was good when he departed.. So he carried minimum fuel to save the company money. The six or so missed approaches at Norfolk were his reserve. So far he is flying legally if you count using your reserve legal. Now he has to nominate an alternate, which is the sea surrounding Norfolk. He did not pass on to the radio operator at Norfolk where in the sea he was going to ditch which so far is the only thing he may have done that breached regulations.

The development of the 1600 Jab engine involved relatively few hours. Something like less than 100hrs on a test bench and about half that stuck to the end of a plane. It and other Jab engine developments took and takes place as a result of "feedback" from pilots who have had engine failures. They call that "tombstone technology". Though that happens to various degrees elsewere. Qantas nearly lost an A380 and wing cracking is becoming an issue. You have to look at how much testing is done before the product is is unleashed to the public and how much of a guinnea pig the public have to be.

Are you serious?

I had an unusual issue with a 0-200 Continental carby. A lever attached to the throttle cable at one end was held at the other end onto the throttle shaft with a nut and secured by a split pin. The lever and throttle shaft flange faces were serrated so when the nut tightened the two together they fit together like two gears would mesh. This prevented the two from slipping and changing throttle position. [most of you are falling asleep by now, but I am getting to the punch line] You tighten down the nut for the right throttle position, put in your split pin and think that job is over but the nightmare has only started. Slowly the nut worked slightly loose and unscrewed to the limit the split pin would allow. With pressure the throttle adjustment could be changed leaving you with idle power, full power or something inbetween. Similar result with going to idle on Bing carbys but for a different reason.

We went a longg way on pitot tubes at another thread

One a/c manual I have is quite detailed: -Confirm your head is within 1" of touching the canopy before you take off [Dam, forgot to bring the tape measure again] -In the event of fire, execute a precautionary landing as soon as possible [No thanks, I'll just stay up here and fry to death] -When hand propping, the Varieze with nose down parking chocks itself, and the pusher prop blows you away from danger. [i 'll remember that the next time my tie or coat gets caught in the prop]

Ive seen a loose nut unscrew downward a distance of inch and a half in a few minutes from just the vibration of the engine. Water will flow uphill before all manifold bolts tightened to touque will unscrew off? How could the engine run if the manifold separated even slightly. Exhaust manifold could come off and fly away in the slipstream and the engine might even run better [4 stroke]. Some funny business going on.

Sure is mesmerising. Found myself following the crowd to choose one , robotically reached for my wallet....it was empty! Good way to curb impulsive spending. Like to try it out someday. Maybe my dream Weed Hopper will be packed with the latest wiz bang stuff.

Don't give up-get mad-then convert the guilty

I know of a couple of pilots who regularly fly IFR in RAA aircraft with no formal qualification and probably many more do it because it is hard to get caught red handed. My personal rule is when flying a single engine plane I am comfortably in VFR [not messing around in marginal conditions VFR] and within glide angle distance of a survivable area to land. Even GA aircraft come down. Impossible to do in commercial operations but ok for fun flying.

Try the mile high club

Is Perth far enough from your airspace?

Brightness and clarity would be a major issue for me getting them. Transflective seem to give automatically increased brightness and clarity in the sun when needed as described above.

Buy a plane with fold up wings and tow on a trailer-Sonex, Hummelbird etc