biggles5128

If you pay your licence renewal on time and renew your rego on time (providing everything is in order on your end) then just like car rego and licence you are deemed to be legal even if you have not received the paperwork in the mail. This may have to be tested in court one day with the RAA certificate.

Gorgeous, only a pilot knows the feeling hey...........

PM me mate and if you give me your number I can give you a ring some time and we'll have a yarn.....

Stab in the dark but were you flying out of YSCH a few years back?

Thanks Timbo, near Glen Innes.............

ERSA.... However, the basis on which they applied the need to have security control was I believe an airport which has RPT service it. If you have a look at Inverell for instance, ASIC required but alas... no RPT for a number of years. I questioned CASA on this about 2 years ago, am yet to get a reply.

How many are sitting on the desk that don't fit into any of the above categories??????

Good work mate, it is so nice to hear pilots making appropriate and clear radio calls without stumbling over their words, it gives other traffic, ATC confidence that the pilot knows what he/she is doing.

They are a good tool to shoot a few approaches, throw in some wind and do an NDB approach (Thats if anyone still does them) or practice the missed approach but for VFR flying, I think just a toy.

Have not started on the hangar yet due mainly to time so the aircraft sits under a tarp while we have a run of good weather then back to my hangar at the airport. My video camera is steam driven so not sure how I can upload this from the tapes, it might be easier if you all come around and sit in my lounge room and watch it. Will get a new digital video camera very soon and will post some clips from the aircraft and from the ground making the approach. In respect to your concerns re the grader, a good operator will get the job done very nicely and you wont notice any real edge. Thats how mine came up any hoot.

I flew into the strip today for the first time, I have flown it a million times in my head and all went better than expected. Surface felt good, touch down point was as expected with at least 2oo mtrs to spare and not even hard on the brakes. I did notice on takeoff that I did not have enough rudder authority. It is usual to input a fair bit of right rudder on any takeoff, however the nearly all grassed over surface may have played a part. I went for a short field takeoff as the first time off the strip. I had to abort 2 attempts due to insufficient rudder authority. I eventually just eased on the power and as the rolling speed increased so did the rudder authority and a very uneventful takeoff. I only used about 200mtrs of runway with plenty to spare so there was no need to power up on the brakes. Needles to say that I am as happy as a pig in a politicians speech.

I used to use a jeppersen soft folder which was A5 in size, strapped to your knee and had a number of heavy duty plastic sleeves built in. Very comfortable and perfect to hold approach plates and copies of the relevant pages of your ERSA, nothing fell on the floor and if you are flying open cockpit would work treat I think.

Good on ya mate, will be a big day for a great cause...

It is amazing how people try to turn a bad landing into a good one.... this can be done with plenty of runway and good control with experience behind you....... but there is a lot less shame in going around than bending the aeroplane. When I was instructing the CFI made it compulsory that we teach students bounce recovery, this is not in the syllabus (it wasn't then) but should be. IMHO

It is interesting to see the different views on this one. As there is no hard and fast rule when you have an engine failure, only that your main consideration is that you and your passengers walk away. A number of years ago I was doing a flight test with CASA for the Chief pilots job, during the test he gave me an engine failure, I went through the emergency procedures and briefed him that we were going to land on a strip of beach, he said "what about that paddock," I said "the beach gets graded twice a day and its my call", he couldn't argue with that. Every situation is going to be different and there will be some that will disagree with your choice, however thats the responsibility thats comes with being the pilot in command, you have to make the best choice as you see fit. For the record, I would have taken the road as well.

What a load of horse sh#t FT, please qualify that statement with facts not just theories.

Yep, see where your coming from but just jump through the hoops because you would be regretting your decision if you walked away. The cake eaters that make all these decisions up the line never talk to each other to ensure common sense prevails.

Go the 10 ply, you won't regret it...

Was that Phil flying the Cresco?

I don't know Dazza.. I would have thought those old guys would be past cutting their neighbours grass...

You are right David, however the reality is and nearly always has been that there is a shortage in the construction industry and usually an overflow in the aviation trade. The bottom line is that young instructors and not so young are forced to work for very low wages as there is always another 10 or so knocking on the door to take your job. Most are content to work for little to gain hours for that elusive job to fly something bigger or faster. It's easy to say that we all have the right to work for whom we like but rights don't pay the bills. Not being critical just being realistic. As for ground instruction, the company generally don't charge the rate they do for aircraft hire, so as that forms part of the instructors day, it thins the bottom flying for the company if they pay higher hourly rates for that part of the job. It would be nice to get $50 /hr instructing to try and recoup the tens of thousands that have got you there....

Sobering, we just came back from a mates wedding in the Hunter where the wedding party flew in by 2x R44's. Thoughts go to all the families, could not imagine what they must be going through at this point.

He was never going to make a good decision like that when he elected to head off in the first place...

It has been the case for as long as I can remember, the majority of flying instructors are there to build hours to get an airline job. There has always been very few career instructors and hence the experience that those people bring to the industry. Having battled on an instructors wage in the past I know the the arguments on both sides of the fence. I do believe that as an RAA instructor, you have pretty much reached the ceiling, so in saying that I think we will all benefit from a lot more "career instructors" as they won't all be heading for the airlines, this will keep a wealth of experience in the ranks.

I recall the day I got married and saw my wife in her beautiful WHITE dress... I made the comment that "I now have a dishwasher to match my fridge".