FlyBoy1960

An X means that the runway is closed, it has no indication of a displaced threshold, the runway is closed ! A displaced threshold has multiple lines (parallel with the runway direction) running up to the gable markers which show the start of the usable runway. I learnt this in my first day of training!

The same happens on motorcycles and doesnt even rate a mention. Some 'kid' get a 1,000 cc rocket, and kills himself the first week and it barely makes the news, whereas, if it happens in an aircraft its front pages everywhere and people wanting to sue. Why is that ? I dont understand.

The aircraft is built in South Africa under the name Bat Hawk, it is manufactured under some sort of licensing agreement with the original manufacturer in New Zealand (Max Clear, if my memory serves me correctly) before his passing. This particular model is the Bat Hawk B22J with the letter J standing for Jabiru engine. I wonder why the Jabiru engine stopped, you can see fuel in the fuel line and after the accident so it was not fuel starvation. Not an expert but I agree with previous comments that it glides like a brick and they looked to be many other more suitable areas to land.

Just checked on aircrafts spruce and they are $1099 for the standard model without Bluetooth and $1199 without Bluetooth. On the golf coast avionics website the standard model is $999

When I am lucky enough to be taken for a flight the aircraft I go in has a Garmin GTR 200. It has a built-in intercom which is superb, you can listen to music as well, it has 10 W output and seems to be crystal clear. I just had a look online to see what the output was to put in my answer and I notice they have just brought out a new one which has built-in Bluetooth. The new one is $1395 and the old one is now reduced to $1100. That seems to be very good value for what seems to be in my limited exposure a very good product. It is also easy to read for failing eyes because the digits are about (I am guessing) 14 mm high so it is easy to see what frequency the radio is on and it also has that dual function to listen to 2 frequencies at the same time.

Was it a cherry picker wanting to grow up to be a Ferris Wheel ? ?

Why would you replace a perfectly good engine at 300 hours or 400 hours with a new engine ? It should only just about be run in with these hours based on their published 2000 our TBO. Their actual statistics (from the Jabiru classifieds section of their website) left me with no other option than to make an assumption that these engines HAD failed and HAD to be replaced. If it was just a small issue it has to be cheaper to repair than it is to replace a whole complete engine ? I am sorry Nev but I would expect an engine advertised with a 2000 hour TBO would go to at least what is advertised not only 20% of what is advertised. These observations are as an outsider who does not own an aircraft and who has only completed basic training so I am not an expert on the subject I am just making observations from the Jabiru website. Excuse me if I have it all wrong

I thought the best way to get validated information was to go to Jabiru's own website and have a look at aircraft for sale in the classified section. I went there about two years ago when I was thinking about buying an aircraft and I was genuinely surprised at how many advertisements that were saying Jabiru aircraft 600 hours, engine 250. This was over and over again! There were never any advertisements that said Jabiru 1500 hours, engine 1500 hours. It just didn't happen. I just went there again this morning to have another look to validate this comment but it now seems their website is infected by a Trojan and it will not allow you to visit (using the antivirus software installed on my computer) I don't suggest you go and visit just to validate what I'm saying in case you don't have decent anti-malware/antivirus software installed that is current and updated. Perhaps, this is the same infection on their website that seems to infect the Jabiru engines ? ?

Dear-O-Dear, talk about a cluster muck-up. The only people who knew what they were talking about was AOPA. RA-Aus were absolutely terrible. CASA were shown as bullies. What an embarrassment for everyone except AOPA.

I like the way in the old site how you could go to what's new, put your mouse over the heading and it would bring up an extract of the messages. The new site does not do this which means you may have to open different forums which you have no real interest in or you may miss some which could have been interesting. I also still liked the 24-hour button which I don't think is here anymore. None of these are deal-breakers, just comments seeing you asked for them.

Does anyone else think the shadow looks like something batman would fly ? Screenshot from video