GraemeK

We now turn roughly at Coldstream West Road, ie 1.2nm final or thereabouts compared to power lines 2nm. On final in the Jab we keep a bit of power on until over the fence. We also do glide approaches, but obviously turn base much earlier. To avoid meat bombers and stay well clear of YCEM, circuits are to the West - so yeah the hills and Coldstream are limiting factors, plus one or two houses we dare not fly over!

Yep - Mazda's posts also encouraged me to look at the ATSB data (that's gotta be a plus - there's some interesting stuff there)! And the thing that struck me was almost all were in CTA, where radio is required anyway. And I reckon this is because this stuff gets reported (VCA etc) because there's someone listening. The stuff that happens out there in GAAP or Class G by and large won't make it to the ATSB list because there's no-one out there watching. SO - the ATSB data really doesn't help the argument in any way - we really don't know how many near misses in our airspace could have been avoided by radio. The ATSB stuff is a real red herring IMHO. My position is still that I wouldn't consider flying without a radio, and I think everyone should have one, it's just one less hole to line up in the cheese. But I would stop short of mandating it.

Yeah - not everyone does it (in fact, I don't remember seeing anyone else doing it) but my instructor showed me how. Just don't try it if he's sitting in the plane!

Static source is the tube poking forward from the top of the vertical stabiliser - to check it, you push the tail down and make sure you can see through the holes (drilled at right angles to the tube). Static source is vital to both the ASI and altimeter - also the Dynon EFIS depends on static and pitot pressure for all its indications - including its artificial horizon. So pretty important!

Yep - sometimes I try to get to the field early (I usually aim for morning flights) so I can go through that with the instructor. That, plus the hairdryers and other paraphernalia needed to get the Jabs started in this freezing weather! :stirring pot:

One thing I found useful for my preflight checks was the Jabiru POH - if you haven't already downloaded it it's a good reference for preflights. Some instructors forget things like checking the wheel struts for free play - the book has it all!

Qantas used to do the opposite - turn the wicks up full! I think theory was to make sure there was plenty of light in the crash if they lost it on finals :kboom: Now they do like pretty much everyone else - dim them so we call all go oooh and ahhh at the pretty lights .

DS - just had a proper read of your blog and sounds a lot like my experience. I certainly had trouble early on with the throttle, it just seemed counter-intuitive to push in for power - but now its second nature. I can also relate to the "looking at instruments" thing - at about the same stage as you I found myself looking inside too much rather than getting attitude right, then confirming with instruments - so much so that my instructor covered over the ASI and asked me to fly certain speeds. Again, not a problem now. Worst I did was get the flap switch wrong! After takeoff at 300' AGL, I went to raise the flaps but lowered instead - that combined with the usual increase in backpressure certainly got the instructor's attention! Lots of fun though! If you're interested in the theory, I reckon Stick & Rudder is a fantastic book even though it was written in the 40's. Also See How it Flies is a great on line resource. Cheers

Hi DS The way I approach my preflight inspection is to mention anything that looks unusual to the instructor - that way I'll hopefully learn what's important and what's not. I'd be careful of assuming someone else has already picked it up, because if everyone did that we'd be in trouble! Sometimes I've picked up stupid things, but that's learning and no need to feel embarrassed. Love your blog - great stuff! Have you seen this one? Hope to meet you at YLIL sometime - my next lesson is Monday morning. Cheers

If you're only in the training area, or doing circuits, go by the gauges in the wings. For cross-country, have a look in the tanks to make sure! Ask your instructor if you can help him refuel - it's something you should know how to do! The water check is legally only required for first flight of the day or after refuelling - but it's good practice to do it as part of your preflight. I take my time over the preflight - I'll often find something to mention to the instructor (he probably thinks I'm a bit picky, but there ya go!). If I've finished before he arrives, I usually amuse myself fixing up the Dynon ......... Oh, and welcome to the forum - good to see another YLIL student here .

The rules on crossing runways at GAAP airports just changed - previously you needed clearance to cross the active runway, now it's all runways. C0033/09 GENERAL AVIATION AERODROME PROCEDURES - (GAAP) CONTROL ZONES A PILOT IN COMMAND MUST REQ AND OBTAIN ATC CLEARANCE BEFORE ENTERING, CROSSING OR TAXIING ALONG ANY RWY WHILE AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES ARE IN OPERATION REFERENCE AIP BOOK A/L 59 EFFECTIVE 4 JUNE 09 AMD AIP ENR 1.1-50 PARA 27.1.1 B. TO READ: B. TAXIING ACROSS OR ALONG ANY RUNWAY FROM 07 201400 TO PERM

Absolutely - seems to me as a newcomer that the huge strength of the recreational movement is its great diversity in terms of experience and in terms of the machines it flies - bound together by the passion for flying for fun. Think of the advances that have been driven by the rag and tube guys and the home builders, look at our avionics compared to most of the old GA stuff out there - the great beauty of less bureaucracy is that it allows innovation - whereas the GA regulatory framework stifles it (and probably should, too, where paying passengers are concerned). So let's rejoice in our common enjoyment of recreational flying, and not obsess with what we fly or how long we've been doing it. And remember that we all contribute, and we need to respect each other's positions even if we disagree. Apologies for thread drift.

Spot on - that's the real point!!!

Personally, I reckon everyone should have a radio and use it - just one more thing to help stop the holes lining up in the cheese (although maybe offset by a tendency to be lulled into a sense of false security in CTAF and neglect looking out). Just not sure about mandating it though. (Jab 160, started Oct 2008).

Minor correction - you do not need CFI supervision to fly within the 25nm radius if you have your RA-Aus pilot certificate. If outside 25nm, then you either need your XC endorsement or you must be under the direct supervision and control of a CFI. RA-Aus Operations Manual 2.07-3 Despite legalities, I'd be personally reluctant to venture too far without full XC endo - how far is too far, well it depends I guess. Where I fly there are plenty of landmarks to guide you home, other places there may not be. I take turbo's point about weather, but that applies in any case ..... Landing at a new strip? I guess I'd be happier if I'd tried a few different ones first with the instructor in the RH seat, just to see how I could handle different situations.

You'll need to do the GA BAK if you only have the RA one (I was advised to do the GA one anyway - saves doing both). Main difference I think is that the GA one has more questions on weight and balance so you'll need to know your loading charts (alpha, bravo, etc).

Hi JayKay Good question - I'd always just accepted the definition of CAVOK as per your definition above, without going back to source. The BOM defines CAVOK as just "Cloud and Visibility OK" which is not particularly helpful to us! The AIP (AIP GEN 2.2) defines CAVOK in Australia as "Visibility, cloud and present weather better than prescribed values or conditions", again not much of a help! To get to nub of it you need to go to AIP GEN 3.5 4.4.1g which pretty much defines it as per your earlier post, ie vis>10km, no cloud < 5000ft, no TCU, no CB, no significant weather. Makes it a bit tough when you have to search that hard I guess - why couldn't the BOM and both bits of the AIP use a consistent definition? I suppose the answer is that if the ICAO changed their definition, then we'd only have to change it in one place - but there's surely gotta be a better way!

Used quite often - here's the current TAF for YDLQ f'rinstance: TAF YDLQ 050055Z 0502/0514 20012KT CAVOK RMK T 12 13 08 05 Q 1022 1021 1021 1022 You also see it quite often in the Area 30 ARFOR for Kilmore Gap - nice and succinct and, as you say, conveys a whole lot of information. Much easier to quickly interpret than "no clouds below 5000 feet above aerodrome level (AAL) or minimum sector altitude (whichever is higher) and no cumulonimbus or towering cumulus, visibility is at least 10 kilometres (6 statute miles) and no current or forecast significant weather such as precipitation, thunderstorms, shallow fog or low drifting snow" IMHO!

I dunno, but in Suva on holiday I was offered a human ear in a jar. Does that make it a souvenir?

Same here - I'd much rather he take over before things go really pear shaped. But it's a difficult area - how far should he let you go before he reaches for the stick? Too soon and you'll never learn, too late and ........ Fortunately, it's something we discussed early on, so we both understand - and it's worked well in my case :thumb_up:.

What's this with the bitumen and the white line? Luxury I tell you! I'm happy if I don't hit the markers on either side of the grass strip ! But yep - I had (sometimes still have) the problem of looking over the prop instead of straight ahead, when you can't figure why the instructor is still yelling "right rudder" when you reckon it's pointed straight ahead.

Most times we're on 119.1, with 135.7 (Melbourne Radar) on the second frequency. On weekends you'll hear a fair bit of traffic on the CTAF with several aircraft in the circuit and one or two skydive planes and charters coming and going. Bit quieter during the week though!

OK OK I'll admit it - I had one, albeit brief because it restarted - but it happened just as I was powering up on a go-around after a completely stuffed up approach. Bit scary when things go suddenly quiet .....

To be honest - in the Jab I'm stuffed if I can pick up something like a coupla degrees either way when I'm in the air, especially if there's a bit of turbulence .... So it's a bit academic really !!

Geoff's pic is here I think ....