Lexman

I caught most of it as well. It came as something of a surprise that the pilots aren't doing stall recovery in their simulator time - I just assumed they'd be doing all sorts of abnormal scenario training that is not practical to perform in an actual passenger plane. It was also a real eye opener that the simple procedure of increasing power was not done immediately in 10 of 13 similar pitot tube incidents. But then again, I'm not a commercial airline pilot so this is just me grandstanding, feel free to take my opinions with a grain of salt. As for the supercooled liquids, I experienced a freezing rain storm when I was living in the US. The precipitation fell as rain but it was so cold it froze the moment it touched anything. Brought down all the power lines (we had no electricity for 7 days), trees and branches, etc. Got lots of awesome photos though. You can supercool fluids at home, place a sealed container under pressure in the freezer. When you open it the contents will freeze almost as rapidly as the demonstration last night. Easiest example is cooling a stubby of beer in the freezer, only to have the contents freeze solid after one mouthful. Cheers, Lexman the verbose.

Katoomba Hi RRamjet, I'd heard there was a strip at Katoomba and had spotted it on Google Earth, but had decided it must've been closed down as I couldn't find any further info anywhere on the web. Is there any way of getting more details as I am in the process of finding a flight school and live just down the hill? Cheers, Lexman.

The Cobra Arrow looks like a plane very worthy of consideration. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers, Lexman.

De-rigging wings so the plane is can be put on a trailer - Just to make it more convenient with regards to departure point, for various reasons. I see this as a big plus, but would only consider it if the de-rigging setup doesn't weaken the planes structural integrity. I definitely won't be committing to a kit until I've done the full due diligence on the manufacturer and model. Cheers, Lexman.

You're right Slartibartfast, the Sierra is basically everything I'm after. There's only 2 things that gnaw away at me with regards to it's suitability; Firstly, I'm not sure whether I should go for low wing over high wing configuration. Secondly, I'm a technology whore and aluminium over composite seems just soo last century. Apart from that, the Sierra is spot on (but doesn't look as sleek as say the lightning, but I'm guessing that's due to the aluminium shell). Cheers, Iain.

Steve T, I noticed the instructor from Dave's Flying School is in Llandilo, so I am seriously considering them and will be making contact in the not too distant future. I do like the idea of getting experience at a tower controlled airport such as Camden and Bankstown, but Bankstown is probably too busy. I've also tossed up the idea of going to Bathurst, it's only an extra 20 minutes drive on Camden. Mick, That's all good advice, I've been warned about some of the rubbery specification numbers that some manufacturers come up with. I would very much like to go with an Aussie company but if I can't find what I want locally then I am prepared to go with an international manufacturer. I am currently very much leaning towards the Jab3300 to power my plane. What I'm thinking (at this stage) is a plane with very good visibility and low speed handling for tootling around but also has decent cruise speed, range and carrying capacity so I can do weekends away and ultimately a trip around Australia. De-rigging wings to allow trailering is viewed as a huge advantage. Maybe I need to build 2 planes... Cheers, Lexman.

Steve T, Since you're only a few minutes down the road, any suggestions on flight schools? I've checked out one at Bankstown and will shortly be checking out ones at Camden and The Oaks. Let me know how the trip to the factory goes. Cheers, Lexman

In response to your question Darryle, I think she just took pity on me... I carted the entire family off to Temora at easter, arrived on the 4th (all the ads said April 2 - 4) just in time to watch the last few planes leaving. I was shattered. As I said, I think it's just a huge case of pity. By the way, why the goodness would they advertise April 2 - 4 when in fact everybody has left town before lunch on the 4th? Is it just the RAA version of a practical joke? Cheers, Lexman.

Howdy everyone. I've finally persuaded the wife to let me pursue my dream of becoming a pilot and owning my own plane. I have heaps of questions that I'm currently researching. First of all: High-wing or low-wing, which should I learn on? It appears to me that most schools use high-wing, is this because they are more learner-friendly or is this due to something else altogether less reasoned (like cost)? Second: I'm a DIY fanatic and hence intend to build my plane. I love the look of the Morgan Aeroworks Sierra and also the Arion Aircraft Lightning. Any comments on these two options? Or would a STOL such as the Zenith CH750 be more appropriate as a first plane? I'll leave it at just the two questions to start with. Cheers, Lexman.