Tell us about your last flight

[facthunter]

Do they have night flying at Cowra?  Nev

[red750]

A winglet eclipse.

[Flightrite]

12 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

On the way home from Japan in an Qantas A330 last night. Waited till the moon set behind the winglet at 4am est. Phone did a good job to get the shot. Might have to fly the thruster tomorrow. 

 

Now your photo brings back memories👍Over the Tasman a few years ago, Eastbound.

Edited April 23 by Flightrite

[RFguy]

Today was goign to be a skill  build / challenge Short field TO practice in Xwind.

Cowra departure, 2pm flight. PA28, 20 gallons on board and me. OAT 24. windy up high.

Short field TO practice with pure X wind at Young. Young (YYNG) is known for its swirling challenging winds. 

It's something I need to work on, only done a couple in the past year.

Flaps 25 , get it up to full smoke and let the brakes go.

TO roll, into wind at Cowra, gusting to 10 kts on the nose . Woops ! she wants to fly at 35 to 40 knots (instead of the usual 65) . lifts off unexpectidly  with big roll wobble -    I  hold it in ground affect until it accelerates then off we go. lesson #1 refreshed.

It's thermal bumpy down low,  windy mountain bumpy up high. Not much fun.  NOT a 'never flown before ' passenger day/  .... I nav myself  the 31nm   down to Young on the VNC , go into circuit, bumpy, 10 kts pure crosswind on AWIS, not much for the PA28 but holding off the drift feels like about 15 kts on final. Ditch full flap (40).. I want to land a bit airspeed faster with a bit less drag so the decay is not as quick...., so   back to flaps 25 . I hold the approach nicely stabilized.  uneventful landing bit fast not all that pretty but OK...but needs work...would get about 5/10 from judges on the fence .....  backtrack for the departure. 

maybe some trim change for this TO. .... Normal 0 flaps TO, generally trim a fair way back. I usualy set the trim so   It will fly off when its ready, consistently and well behaved.  IE it just flys off, hands off around the TOSS (60-70 kts  weight dependent ) when its good and ready.

But this time, after being caught a bit unaware, trim the nose down a bit more. Short field TO...   a bit of left roll in  with the X wind.  bit gusty. But this time I am ready for a bit of excitment when its time to fly....... again it jumps off the ground before I am really on top of it,  woh boy  !

If I had not anticipated to unruley behaviour, then I could have  put a windtip on the ground ......careful with that roll you have in - needs to be moderated and be ready for the leap off the ground ...  and replaced with some rudder  to hold centreline on departure a bit earlier

Land back at Cowra, perfect greaser into 5 kts down the runway.

 

Takeaways  :The flaps 25 TO is more like a leap off the ground rather than a nice steady rotation and liftoff.  That probably reflects my incorrect pitch / trim  input during the TO roll . TO with pure crosswind with LOTS of lift dialed in , (with  lift off speed about 40% below usual)  in needs LOTS of attention. The roll (wing a bit down into the wind) needs to come out early and rudder in as soon as the aircraft is flying ....and held close to the ground in ground effect under we reach TOSS (65-70 kts) .

 

Edited April 24 by RFguy

[turboplanner]

9 minutes ago, RFguy said:

Today was goign to be a skill  build / challenge Short field TO practice in Xwind.

Cowra departure, 2pm flight. PA28

Which P28 model?

[RFguy]

Archer, 180hp, non-tapered constant chord wing.

[turboplanner]

37 minutes ago, RFguy said:

Archer, 180hp, non-tapered constant chord wing.

Piper Archer, 180 hp, non-tapered constant chord wing is a PA-28-180

(PA-28-181 - the 1 denotes taper)

 

The PA-28 family is a big one and they fly differently: https://www.pilotmall.com/blogs/news/piper-archer-the-reliable-family-flyer#:~:text=The family of aircraft which,and PA-28-160 Cherokee

 

[IHC150]

Been out enjoying this fantastic flying weather. 😃 Only downside around NE Vic and Southern Riverina is all the smoke from farmers burning off in their paddocks or fuel reduction burning in the bush. All necessary stuff but a bit of a pain some days when visibility is reduced. Anyhow, still getting some quality time in. Here's a video from last Friday when the young fulla and I flew up to Porepunkah for an fun day together. PS - yes he out fished me! 🥲 

https://youtu.be/gOzmMPj8OZc?si=SIyGDPpa3ZiaMcDW

 

[kiwiaviator]

Blue skies and light winds in central NZ during the weekend made for great flying conditions. I loaded the dog and camping gear into my J230 and we headed across Cook Strait to the largest island in the Marlborough Sounds. There is a 700m all weather strip there on public land. The Gopro footage shows 4 minutes of overflying the strip, joining right base, a curved approach over the lagoon and landing https://youtu.be/cqxe-e4-tjY?si=aPP9t_dKOQlucCI-

A FlightRadar screenshot also attached for those interested in the route (approx 1 hr from NZMS my home field)

 

[Flightrite]

Beautiful island/s NZ👍 Wellington however sure is a challenging drome on a windy day!

[planedriver]

8 hours ago, kiwiaviator said:

Blue skies and light winds in central NZ during the weekend made for great flying conditions. I loaded the dog and camping gear into my J230 and we headed across Cook Strait to the largest island in the Marlborough Sounds. There is a 700m all weather strip there on public land. The Gopro footage shows 4 minutes of overflying the strip, joining right base, a curved approach over the lagoon and landing https://youtu.be/cqxe-e4-tjY?si=aPP9t_dKOQlucCI-

A FlightRadar screenshot also attached for those interested in the route (approx 1 hr from NZMS my home field)

 

kei te hae ahau  (for Aussie's, i'm envious)

[facthunter]

The "shaky Islands Land of the wrong white crowd and tricky winds"  .Makes better pilots. Nev

[planedriver]

Whether wrong, or long, white clouds, they'd have to learn to adjust to their conditions which i'm sure would be a challenge to some. So you'd be spot on again Nev.

What you might think is a wheel wobble on landing may just be the Island shaking it's fist again, but it's always prudent to check.

Edited May 7 by planedriver

[RFguy]

Went flying yesterday, while only 10 kts on the ground from the east , much more once  in the air , needed 10 degrees to hold off the drift .....  Got to destination , a known bumpy AD to shoot a few Xwinds  ,AWIS said 11 kts and pure Xwind... this AD is in a shallow valley..... and I was so shaken up  on final on both passes due to very uncomfortable turbulence I found had no appetite for putting the plane down once over the threshold.  Did two.    So I went back home. and listened to another airplane go into the same AD and  go-around twice and then choose the opposite direction..... I guess they got down.

 

landing in same Xwind component  but at Cowra approaches are smooth if when windy and landing in same Xwind like it was a non event....perfect nice 10 deg flap flare and landing. was demonstration  grade !

 

This was a specific flavour of turbulence I have encountered rarely

There really are different flavours of turbulence, aren't there.... Some more uncomfortable than others.

 

Clearly, more work required more often.

and I was quite surprised to be so shaken up in the circuit that it severely affected my appetite for landing. It's not scary. the airplane is not going to break and the airplane is not goign to get tossed upsidedown. It's just very uncomfortable, creating adrelaline, anxietry etc etc ***Does a human body get better with this when it's of a certain flavour ???????   .  anxiety levels were still running after back landing at CWR.

Edited May 7 by RFguy

[facthunter]

It's adrenalin. Normal stress reaction. It wakes you up. Learn the causes of turbulence and be alert for it.. It CAN toss you upside down and do all manner of things..  Nev

[RFguy]

Hi Nev, thanks for the comments . I got tossed in the jabiru  90deg to the ground once,  that wasnt fun.  

Some people would say what do you put yourself through it ?

 

Well, I beleive all good pilots are compelled to confront their demons.  It's no fun though.

 

And Young  with its rising ground around the AD and hills is full of demons. If my adrelaline hadnt been so high, I would have had another go from the other direction, different hills affect the other end.  But I'd need ot be on my game when climbing out through the demons at the other end.

 

 

[facthunter]

There's recommended techniques for the most SAFE ways to maintain control and not stress the Plane in rough Air.. The way weather is changing in flight turbulence will become a bigger concern to Aviators. . Watch out for dust devils without the dust. .   Nev

[pmccarthy]

Fosterville gold mine, the richest in Australia. Passed over on the way up to Pyramid Hill today.

[BrendAn]

On 08/05/2024 at 12:59 PM, facthunter said:

There's recommended techniques for the most SAFE ways to maintain control and not stress the Plane in rough Air.. The way weather is changing in flight turbulence will become a bigger concern to Aviators. . Watch out for dust devils without the dust. .   Nev

so explain to me why, when i read aircrafts specs they recommend a higher maneuvering speed at max weight and a lower speed for lighter weight. i thought an airframe would get stressed more in turbulence if it was carrying more weight. 

[Garfly]

36 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

so explain to me why, when i read aircrafts specs they recommend a higher maneuvering speed at max weight and a lower speed for lighter weight. i thought an airframe would get stressed more in turbulence if it was carrying more weight. 

On that topic I found these useful:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3M4k6ChQL4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeRU9leiS5k

 

Edited May 16 by Garfly

[BrendAn]

On 16/05/2024 at 9:43 PM, Garfly said:

On that topic I found these useful:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3M4k6ChQL4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeRU9leiS5k

 

really good explanations. thank you.

[Blueadventures]

Nice flight from Palmyra (YPYA) down to the Central Queensland Gliding Club (YMMD) for the weekend. Winter is on the way as 6 degrees in mornings. Good clear skies. Davo put on great feeds for all.

Edited May 20 by Blueadventures

[ClintonB]

Does this count, wasn't at the controls, but was at the pointy end of an A380 for the best commercial flight I have ever been on.

We treated ourselves to business class for a holiday SWMBO won to the Maldives, second part was in A330 which was just as nice.

Coolest part though was the twin otter seaplane ride to the island, 40 mins of the best views at 3000ft. Wife didn't like the noise and smells but I was in aviation nirvana 😀

[ClintonB]

Couldn't load the video of take-off,

But some of the views.

[RFguy]

Cowra to Port Macquarie, ( 8 June  ) PA28-180. 1 on board. heading up to see some mates and ham radio field day.

 

Never done this route and I have no experience as PIC over to the coast beyond Rylstone.

I called up a few locals and got some tips.

The GAF was full to the brim with MOD TURB, OVC, DZ, SHSN, BKN ST etc etc   FZLVL 5000

Every other long flight I've done the GAF has been empty.

Plan was to head up to Rystone cross  the gap there, to scone, around north of Barrington and direct to PMQ

Got airborne at noonish, fog, low cloud.

Took off with no cloud overhead.  Went up to have a look .

Uh oh, 10 minutes in .... 7500. this really isnt good.

This is about to be a problem.

Time to dive under that cloud  before it becomes a problem. down we go  .  ceiling 4500. ground ~ 2000.

This cloud is not just a bit thick, it's dense and dark.

 

fly along around 1000-1500 above terrain  avoiding forested areas where I cant land since at 1500' ,with engine fail,  a little over a minute and I am on the ground.

20+  kts tailwind .. bumpy. slowed down to 95-100kts indicated. still 130 with tail wind 🙂

 

get to Rystone, never flown up here.... bit of training activity going on. head east for a short time then.

oh oh (again) . looks like I will have 500' between extremely rugged terrain  and the cloud. this looks hazardous.

My survival is  unlikely if I go in there and have any problem at all.

I see a way through this as I can see a a settled valley to the north over a ridge and that valley leads into the hunter valley. looks good. but it will be another one of those engine idle  dives to ensure I have plenty of margin around the cloud.

 

I have a quick chat with the locals on CTAF for their suggestions. they concur .

 

 

 

Turn left left backwards, back track a bit and head north over the a  narrow ridge (which I could descend into farmload either side if trouble ) with 500' in hand on cloud  base.....

and into the cleared basin on the other side(that's the first northern change in the track above )

this ridgeline is tangental to path, so there is absolutely minimum time getting over it. plenty of engine fail options.

 

Fly along  the Bylong Valley Way (and railway from coast to Ulan Coal) ...  pick my way around treed areas.

Now into the top of the hunter valley .... Not bad via- ceiling 4000, ground ~ 2000'  . bumpy.  15 kts tail. very bumpy.  still < 100 kts IAS , bumpy

Get to Scone ,  still heading north east....... having a good look, contemplate my direct track north of Barrington Tops....

 

No F**king way am I going up there  ! geezus it looks bad. So, next diversion......

 

turn right toward Singleton, down the new england highway,,,,,slow right down to 90 kts  to give myself some time to figure this out before I hit CTA , no answer on freqs in OZ runways for WIlly Delivery, so look up all the freqs in the ERSA ......  frantically thumb through the ERSA reading up  Williamtown procedures and frequencies . all sorted.

 

After listening to ATIS, I get a class C  clearance from Singleton to Stroud Road ,intersecting  partially up the inland VFR route (railway) . Very nice people at Willy Centre.  get a height change to get over the bumps a bit. Nice being watching and cared for in Class C, people shouldnt be scared of it.

Then, let off the Class C leash into the valley route. bumpy 2500. get out the top end at Gloucester , cloud clears  like magic and nice almost , and then sort of direct to Port from there. tailwind almost gone.

Descend into Port midfield X wind 21, into a busy circuit, 4 other planes. no probs. nice touchdown.

 

RETURN, Monday noon.

 

There was LESS overall moisture, cloud ceiling about 5000 and OVC,  just not as thick, more like ST than  ST CU

But the wind.

Took off out of Port into 25 kts at 5000. bumpy as hell. wing rollers and uncomfortable turb.

Decide go back same way I came up, almost.... it works.

Get into Inland route valley. Oh the turb is awful. This valley flying with a wind across the valley is terrible .

this is just the pits.

This is not fun. slow to ~ 100 kts  (95kts ground since wind is currently off my right wing to the west)

Get a Class C clearance at Stroud Road again, head to Muswellbrook. nice people again on Willy centre.

Now WTF? !  HSI going  to 500-750 fpm, up.. Oh now down -500 fpm, and again

Mountain Wave !

oh this is NOT FUN. still flying slow at 95-102 kts  (80 ground) . 1 hour of this.

 

Brisbane Centre is full of RPT aircraft trying different altitudes to get away from the turb , LOL

 

interesting, a chunk of misty air would go past and simultaneous I'd get a big jolt and roll.  not fun.

Just south of  scone. lots of training going on.

Head to back to Bylong, bumpy.... on Bylong Valley Way,  cloud getting lower, thicker as I get to the pitch point.

Wind a bit better though, I think I'm somehow protection here instead of out in the big hunter valley with rollers coming off the mountains to the west, unimpeded.

 

Over that ridgeline at top of Bylong Valley with not much in hand on ceiling (I'll swap a bit of mist for 10 seconds for another 500' thanks) .

and pick my way around the forested areas (flying 1500' AGL) to Cowra. Get west of Bathurst, cloud changes suddenly from OVC to FEW .

do a straight-in at Cowra, nobody around. nice landing after 190 minutes of hard work. Pipers are easy to fly and land.

fark. that was hard work.

I'm pretty tired. Not sure if 3 hours of hard work is more desirable than 7 hours of tedious holiday weekend driving .

 

lots learned. As usual , safe flying is about good decision making.  (and early decision making)

Edited June 11 by RFguy