Sapphire

I've spent quite a bit of time looking at homebuilts and reading about them-especially in the USA. It amazes me what deficiencies people will fly with. Wings have fallen off, fabric fallen off, cross threaded bolts and more wings falling off, marine fuel pump installed and melting apart, fueling a raging fire. I think fuel lines and fuel seals are the most overlooked item. Seen several pilots return almost "well done".

Ultralight said:If the media reported every single car accident with the same vigour, you would never drive again That would be physically impossible-there would not be enough air time. Besides the rate of death and injury on the road is "socially acceptable" and not of great concern

Training is not a punishment but a means to get satisfactory performance from a pilot. If the pilot does not respond because of psychological probems, then his lic is not re-issued. In addition to the cost of retraining, the pilot can get psychological help at further expense if he pleases. In the end, if he can't perform-he can't fly.

That's the next issue. How do you deal with people who demonstrate they can't drive, fly, etc. Governments look at them as a cash cow by fineing them. The rich can afford their ignorance and keep paying fines. In the case of a pilot who demonstrates he can't fly safely, take away his lic and require him to do his flying course over again-theory, basic flying, navs. That will straighten a few people out with enthusiastic support as well from training organizations, no doubt.

Terms are thown around but how do you define illogical behavour-stupid, tunnel vision, crazy. I put people into three catagories, those who think logically and make few mistakes, those who make lots of mistakes and if they survive, learn from them, and lastly the no hoper catagory, makes any mistakes that can be made and learns nothing from them. From that you can see lots of people are making lots of mistakes. The easiest place to see them is on the road. Every week in my town there are several auctions of damaged cars, each auction of a couple hundred cars. Most tell a story of an event that occured because of illogical behavour. I would not define them as "accidents" as an accident occurs when all logical precautions are taken. How does this apply to flying? The next time some illogical pilot threatens your life with his standard of flying, put him in one of the above catagories.

Another one for the never ending preflight check story/

Looking at the four forces, the greater the cash, the greater the desire and dreams, the less of reality. Cash should be 45 deg to the left

I never thought of that.

PP said: I've always had REAL respect for people who choose that career. . . That's not a career, that's a suicide pact.

No worries about fuel flow, ignition failure, mechanical problems until you land and drive off.

Float levels in carbies are usually out. The tabs for adjustment bend easily and so vibration always move the adjustment slowly to rich. The needle valve controlling the fuel level wears and allows too much fuel to the engine. Enrichment systems [sometimes called choke, but is not] can leak excess fuel through. If your carby is old it needs an o/h.

My first plane had strings attached to the chocks and I pulled then into the a/c-hand prop start. Some times after pulling real hard they would come whizzing at you like a bullet.

You know you are a weekend pilot when you sit all weekend in the club house waiting for the weather to clear-and it does on Monday.

I've seen a/c come from all directions, vertically and horizontally at unlic non controlled strips. Some from a different broadcast location. The Kamikaze ones get in first.

Any colour other than white, and a plastic plane would start to melt in the sun. Don't buy any composite a/c otherwise. Maybe can get away with yellow but black would would give you a new aerodynamic shape.

Exactly right, it was Narrogin. The bitumen strip is a hill and you cant see what is coming and radio doesnt go through ground. Had too many close calls with gliders and tugs-a dangerous place to fly.

I would be suprised if thermalling on downwind would be a common thing be surprised

Gliders thermalling on downwind is a big problem. They run out of lift and are forced to return for a landing, but a big thermal on downwind saves the day and another $45 tow. Talked to one RFD pilot and he had the windscreen momenartily filled with a glider. Complain about it and you get the ususal ho hum response, nobody died [today]

To attractive female offender, If you talk back to me one more time, I'll mistake you for my wife. In the end we always make up in bed.

I've done hundreds of top end overhauls on cars [o/h cyl head and replace rings] As long as the bore is better than 4 thou wear, you can stop the smoke and get the compression back with a hot half hour run [accelerator to the floor 60 to 100 k's top gear] Air cooled a\c engines seem to be fussy. The honing needs to be the right courseness and angle and the run in at full throttle and near full throttle. Anytime the valves see the light of day, replace the exhaust valve and the valve guide. They operate under conditions that would make dante's inferno look like the dark side of the moon.

Happiness can also be a cold snake.

That's the soft version of wht I was thinking.

And where did you loose the band pin??

I bought a diving watch on the internet for $8.50 and is good to 30 meters [for those water ditchings] Looses only about four minutes a year. Its brand is "We De" - good for thoses status conscious people.