Unqualified Flight instructor

[Phil Perry]

Had a rather interesting request today,. . .

 

An old friend, ( Mike - the -Trike ). . .ex-Trike instructor ( 12 years experience ) had purchased a Rans S6 microlight aircraft. This aircraft is a two seat, side by side standard layout aeroplane, high wing, fabric covered ( dacron ) having a wing fold system, with conventional flight controls and equipped with full dual controls, powered by a Rotax 582 oil injected 2 stroke powerplant and a two blade Warp Drive carbon fibre composite ground adjustable pitch propeller. It has a "Square box" type fuselage design, aluminium tube contruction, and weighs in at under 450Kgs MAUW. I do not know if these things are available in Australia,. . .hence the detailed description. ( can't find a generic photo at the moment. . .)

 

I have around 100 hours on type in the book, but had not flown one for around 12 months, having ferried one a fairly long way for another owner. Since which, due to family and business circumstances, my medical had expired,. . . .which meant that I was an experienced Passenger. I made this clear to Mike, and he said that, since I had taught him to fly 20 years ago,. he would trust me to sit with him whilst he tried to fly his new purchase, and since he had already taken a three axis conversion course, his insurance company had ckeared him to fly it.

 

He had recently undergone heart bypass surgery, and was fitted with a defibrilator unit in his chest, BUT cleared to fly by the Avmed people.

 

Problem.

 

He had taken his three axis conversion course on a different type of machine,. . .a Cyclone AX 2000, . . .which is difficult to explain in words,. . . . It is a machine which originated as a very ealry "Weedhopper" design, having no ailerons, instead using "Tip Dragger" controls for yaw, and a very powerful rudder. This evolved into an aircraft with slightly swept back wings, with added ailerons, . . .which didn't seem to do anything at all, so that turns were accomplished using the rudder only, the bank being a secondary effect.

 

The difficulty I was going to have was that, 1) He was nervous about three axis aircraft anyway,. . . .I tride to fly with him ten years ago, and he tried to grab the controls when I sideslipped the aircraft, as he thought that I was going to crash it sideways into the runway. ( not trying to make the bloke look like an idiot here,. . .but this is what happened )

 

The Rans S6 flies pretty much light a light version of a Cessna 150/152. ie, rudder /aileron coordination is important. Also, it is extremely light in pitch, and the pitch trim control, a wheel between the seats, is geared incorrectly, so that many turns are required to achieve the desired result. ( the PITCH trim in an AX2000 is a cosmetic and doesn't actually do anything noticeable at all. . . )

 

The Rans is fitted with three stage flaps,. . . (which the AX2000 isn't ) so we have a completely different aeroplane for him to get familiar with. We started with me doing the takeoff ( right seat ) and then handing over control to him. . . . . he found difficulty in flying straingt and level, as there was a small amount of turbulence, and had not got used to the position of the nose on the horizon in various attitudes. . . .we flew around doing upper air work for around two hours, and he was getting more and more agitated, as this particular type is a bit of a bugger to get used to anyway, . . .and it was basically well outside his comfort zon.

 

We packed it in after two landing attempts as we had a thirty degree gusty crosswind on the strip and he has asked me to come and fly with him again next Saturday and Sunday. /. . .NOW,. . .I really don't mind doing this, . . .and I'm not getting paid for it, BUT am getting my bum into the air for free,. . .but I really wish he would go and find a current LICENSED instructor to carry on with the training, because, I am thinking that it is going to take the bloke at least ten hours of intensive, just to get him comfortable with it, and after spending ten grand, he isn't really going to give up. He tells me that he cannot find an instructor wi thin a fifty mile radius to get some training. . . .so what to do. . . . .? He is licensed,. . .the aircraft is insured for him as P1,. . . . He can't fly it,. . .If I suggest he flies it alone, he will undoubtedly crack it up on the first landing attempt. . . . .I dunno. . . . . I can get my medical back no problem,. . .but the F/I rating went a long time back,. . . what would YOU blokes do in similar circumstances ?. . .keep taking the free flying ? ? ? ?

 

Any ideas ( ! )

 

 

[fly_tornado]

sounds like a matter of when not if

 

 

[facthunter]

They ( Rans S6) are available in Australia and I wonder if even Capt. Marvel would fly it in the conditions you did. If we are building skills and confidence (when warranted) do it in calmer conditions.. Nev

 

 

[kaz3g]

I think you are taking a considerable risk doing this, both personally and legally.

 

Kaz

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Are you sure he has been cleared by the avmed people or is he just telling you this. ? Needing a pacemaker can't be allowable, surely, and needing a AICD ( ie: defibrillator) is the worst end of the cardiac health spectrum.

 

When they go off (as in defibrillate) the person gets a wacking jolt that can be /is enough to make a person flail arms or drop to ground.

 

I must admit I am not a avmed doc ( but I am involved in putting in AICDs and testing them - when they go off when testing them - the result is so wacking and painful I give the patients a general anaesthetic.

 

Oh and by the way if they defibrillate while you are touching the patient you can get a shock as well.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Thank you for your kind advice on this Gents. It IS appreciated. Just a couple of things, firstly, I would be more than astonished if the person concerned was being economical with the truth with regard to his authority to fly with the aforementioned medical condition . . . If this was not the case then the flight we had, as one of you has pointed out, would be illegal, since I have no current medical, and could act as nothing other than an experienced observer. I HAVE seen the insurance documents, the aircraft and occupants are very well covered ( assuming the flight is legal ! )

 

Secondly, I have already emailed CAA FCL /Avmed with full details of the flight, and had alrerady decided not to carry out any further "Experienced Observer" ( ! ) duties until I have been assured that everything is confirmed as being kosher and above board.

 

I have today put him in touch with a flying instructor whom I know, to continue his type familiarization so that it may be legally LOGGED as training, mainly for insurance purposes, as they would have a absolute field day if he cracked it up and made a claim with only a couple of hours on type ! ! The instructor says he has some experience on the Rans, but that it was more than ten years ago. . . he has shown some recluctance because of this. Also, he lives over 100 NM away from where the aircraft is based, so some patience on the part of the pilot is going to be needed.

 

I will not argue in any way with your comments regarding fitness to fly following this type of major surgery,. . . nor any ramifications regarding my own part in it, . . .I will wait to see what Avmed have to say. They are pretty good and very fair, . . . .

 

I'll let you know the result, as it might be interesting from a comparitive point of view . . .

 

Thanks all. . .

 

Phil

 

 

[facthunter]

It can be a bit of a quandary when a legal instructor (WITH LOTS OF TIME ON TYPE) isn't easy to find always. I believe an instructor or any pilot for that matter, with a wide variety of types experience can cope with different things provided it is all analysed in the mind beforehand and any "weird" aspects covered practically and mentally. You can have 100's of hours instructing on certain types and have never taken them to their limits, if that is the way you operate, and not be on top of it. Nev

 

 

[Phil Perry]

It can be a bit of a quandary when a legal instructor (WITH LOTS OF TIME ON TYPE) isn't easy to find always. I believe an instructor or any pilot for that matter, with a wide variety of types experience can cope with different things provided it is all analysed in the mind beforehand and any "weird" aspects covered practically and mentally. You can have 100's of hours instructing on certain types and have never taken them to their limits, if that is the way you operate, and not be on top of it. Nev

The aircraft my friend has purchased is fifteen years old, . . .and there are none of these ( to my knowledge) used by flying schools in the UK. Since moost were kit built. They are a nice, rag and tube aeroplane, easy to repair, and not inherently difficult to fly. . .assuming some prior experience of similar types, as you pointed out Nev. The difficulty he has is that most flying instructors hereabouts, wish to remain within their own comfort zone, and only fly their own chosen steeds. Lately, these are mainly EV97 Eurostar, and Ikarus C-42. . .there ARE schools who use older aircraft like the later Thrusters, but these are very few and far between and the A22 Foxbat, cannot be used for training as it isn't factory built. . . . Our CFI refuses to teach in anything other than his Eurostar, so it can be a little difficult for someone like my friend Mike to get hold of someone who is willing to teach in the owner's aircraft at all, especially if it's an earlier type Microlight / Ultralight. . . . shame really.

 

 

[facthunter]

Bit of a common problem existing and likely to become worse, I would think. Here non CPLs can sometimes do conversions. Commonsense should prevail . Teaching skills don't belong to everyone though and some of the most knowledgeable people cannot get it across. Some very experienced pilots have no wish to instruct, citing lack of patience etc. I enjoy it . Nev.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Bit of a common problem existing and likely to become worse, I would think. Here non CPLs can sometimes do conversions. Commonsense should prevail . Teaching skills don't belong to everyone though and some of the most knowledgeable people cannot get it across. Some very experienced pilots have no wish to instruct, citing lack of patience etc. I enjoy it . Nev.

The non commercial PPL Buddy system has been available in the UK for many years Nev, but only for someone who has a full license him/herself, and the Buddy PPL can show evidence of currency in the same type of aircraft. Usually limited to Cessna / Piper crossover, or indeed any type swap as long as it has very similar control and landing gear config.

 

We don't have an insurance issue with this,. . .but when someone has carried out a complete control system variation course a very long time ago, it becomes a little more demanding, which is why I am not really willing to continue along that road in this particular case. ( I will have my medical restored by next weekend incidentally, but have no burning wish to return to instructing. . . too old ! ) Phil ( I'd rather just make snide comments like, was that a landing ? or were you shot down ! ! ! ! !

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Horror of Horrors. . . . .

 

I just got refused a medical cert by my doctor. . . .

 

My old family GP has retired, ( I didn't know this, as I very rarely go there, but have played golf a few times. . . waste of a good walk that is. . . and taken him flying on dozens of occasions,. . . )

 

The new Bangladeshi practice owner ( nothing against Bangladeshis,. . . LOVE their curries. . . ) said that my BP was a "Little on the high side of normal. . ." and he wouldn't sign it until I'd got it down a bit.

 

( I'm sixty four and a half, with no cardiac problems and have held a class 1 and later 2 medical consistently in the UK since 1983. . . ) I refused Pills, . . don't like a chemical crutch. . .so he said I've got to go and lose some more weight. . . then go back and see him again in four weeks. Geez,. . .I lost 30 Lbs ( dunno what that is in kilopascals )in three months at the local "Weightwatchers" down the road , where I was the ONLY MALE. . . . I figured that if i WAS nice to the fat ladies, that,. . .when they got THIN. . .they would be my. . . ."Friend ? "

 

Oh well,. . .no more biscuits,, cakes,. . .pork pies,. . .McDonalds bacon & egg muffins with 2 hash browns, . . .Burger King aberdeen Angus steakburgers,. . .sausage and tomato sandwiches,. . .cheese, ham and onion toasties,. . .Baltis with fried rice and keema Naan,. . . Chinkies with crispy shredded duck and pancakes ( love Hoi Sin Suce ) prawn crackers,. . . meaty spring rolls and dim sum,. . . .and ALSO reduce my intake of Barossa Valley product ? ? ? ? ? GEEEZ. . . is life worth living without all that ? ? ? ? ?

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Only sixty four and a half? Geez, I thought you were an old bloke!

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Only sixty four and a half? Geez, I thought you were an old bloke!

Well,. . . to be honest,. . .my Birthday is June 2nd,. . . . when I was 3 yrs old, and Her Britannic MAjesty Queen Elizabeth the second was corronatified,. .everyone had tables out in the streets, blocking all the roads, which wasn't really a problem my Dad said, as nobody owned a car back then. . .but I THOUGHT it was MY birthday party.! ( I WILL of course be posting my Birthday present wish list for all my forum friends, so that I don't get the same gift from everyone,. . . .ie, a replacement wine bottle corkscrew, and a copy of that excellent small book, ( not available in the UK,) entitled. . . . " 101 USES FOR A DEAD CAT. . ."

 

So I'm really 64 and thee quarters plus. . . . and ( apparently) I get some kind of state pension then,. . . .I think, at the moment, it's around £113.00 PW,. . .but since I lived in the Big Red Country down under for 11 years,. . .I won't have enough national insurance stamps to qualify for the full pension . . . . so I may still have to go out and work, as the private one isn't that brilliant either ! ! !

 

But thank you for your kind thoughts PM. . . . .

 

 

[Guest john]

Phil, do you realise that you now have less days ahead of you than behind you & therefore you had better get your house in order while you are still on this planet, because this is not a dress rehearsel, its the real mccoy:cheers:

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Phil, do you realise that you now have less days ahead of you than behind you & therefore you had better get your house in order while you are still on this planet, because this is not a dress rehearsel, its the real mccoy:cheers:

Dont be daft John. . . .they told me that when I was in the American Civil War. . . .!

 

 

[Guest john]

Phil, If you were in the American Civil War, then by my calculations, you are telling LARGE PORKIES about your age, however if I am wrong & you are not telling PORKIES about your age, then in all probability we may have crossed paths when you were residing downunder in this fair Country & flying out of Melbourne particularly at Berwick which was strictly under the control of Colonel Hatfield, who use to always talk with a plum in his throat like a Pommie & talk a lot of Bullshxt.

 

On my next invitation to see our Queen (which will be never) I will look you up if you are still on this planet as your days like mine are now numbered.

 

 

[facthunter]

Your Bangladeshi doctor gives you a bit of curry. (Good Gen)." If I have to go without all that stuff I might a s well be dead" Heard that B4.. The choice is yours.. Walk at a brisk pace and you will be amazed at the result for you cardio vascular. improvement. As long as your joints are good. Knees etc

 

Women will throw themselves at you because there is a shortage of men at your advancing age, as many of them haven't met your new doctor, and will pay the price.

 

You have been posing as an old codger for too long. You could live to 90 young fella. Just think positive. Nev

 

 

[old man emu]

Did he take your BP with a new fangled electronic BP meter or a good old mercury filled sphygmomanometer? One of the GPs I go to for skin cancers is of the old school - Edinburgh and uses the mercury one. When he takes my blood pressure, it is always lower than when taken by a doctor using an electronic one. The old school doctor reckons the new ones always over read. As a matter of fact, I went to a cardiologist for a stress test and my blood pressure was taken with a mercury sphyg. It gave the same low reading as my GP's one.

 

OME

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Did he take your BP with a new fangled electronic BP meter or a good old mercury filled sphygmomanometer? One of the GPs I go to for skin cancers is of the old school - Edinburgh and uses the mercury one. When he takes my blood pressure, it is always lower than when taken by a doctor using an electronic one. The old school doctor reckons the new ones always over read. As a matter of fact, I went to a cardiologist for a stress test and my blood pressure was taken with a mercury sphyg. It gave the same low reading as my GP's one.OME

Not got a lot of faith in his fancy electronic kit actually OME,. . . . the first reading was 160 over ninety five ,. . .(?) he rebooted it a couple of times, this part took around fifteen minutes ! . . . He didn't tell me what the final reading was, but " A little on the high side of normal" doesn't sound too bad really.. .! Not only this, but I'd just run up four flights of stairs as I was late for the appointment, I should have sat in a dark room and watched some tropical fish for an hour perhaps ? ? ? ! ( AND NEV. . . Note* "Ran up the stairs. . . ." ! )

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Phil, If you were in the American Civil War, then by my calculations, you are telling LARGE PORKIES about your age, however if I am wrong & you are not telling PORKIES about your age, then in all probability we may have crossed paths when you were residing downunder in this fair Country & flying out of Melbourne particularly at Berwick which was strictly under the control of Colonel Hatfield, who use to always talk with a plum in his throat like a Pommie & talk a lot of Bullshxt.On my next invitation to see our Queen (which will be never) I will look you up if you are still on this planet as your days like mine are now numbered.

I never thought Keith spouted Bull$whatever John,. . . . . but Elsa always refused point blank to give me the recipie for her home made burgers. . . .Geeez they were beautiful ! ! ! If you were there at the same time as me, then I apologise for not saying "Hi John,. . .see you on the interweb forums after the millennium. . ." I wonder if you noticed that utterly superb sign board at the main gate which I designed and made for the antique aeroplane association, who were based at Casey Airfield ? There were no computerised vinyl stickers around back then, so I had to write it with a signwriting brush, but I cut the three "A" letters out of an early scotchcal gold product, then made a cardboard template. Holding the template around a half inch off the surface as a part mask,. . ., I then used an airbrush to place a misty shadow under all the letttering that was painted thereon, and it looked the dog's danglies. . . . .never got paid though,. . .can't remember why ! ! At that time I was co director of a small sign company in Surrey Hills. . . . ah,. . .memories.

 

Yes, I remember that Keith was a retired Leutenant Colonel in the Army Air Corps. . . what country I have no Idea, but after I crashed his Tiger Moth ( VH-TIG) into a ditch due to pure stupidity whilst taxying in a crosswind without a wingman, . . . the bar$tard wouldn't let me fly his precious Leopard Moth. . . . ( Can't think why . . .? ? ? )

 

***Edited to add***

 

But he DID allow me to fly a battered old white Auster, er,. . .might have been a JiN, with split flaps and a bench seat in the back. . . . VH-ARX I think. . . if it can still be traced,. . .did many happy hours in that , it was good, as you could slide the side windows back, rather like an early mini car,. . .and throw your cigarette ends out of the window. . . . .( Not in the bushfire season of course. . .! ) I actually saw a photograph of that aircraft on the front cover of the Auster CLub magazine, from some time in the early eighties,. . .it was living somewhere down east, in Gippsland possibly and repainted in resplendent airline colours,. . .can't remember what airline. . . . .

 

***Constant re-editing***

 

I just remembered why I didn't get paid for the sign board,. . the AAA let me fly their Demoiselle, which was a cross between a VERY early Wright Brothers creation,. and a VERY early Microlight,. . .had a wooden skid under the front, and it hadn't been flown for a while. . . it was,. . . . . interesting. . . .but I couldn't get over the feeling that I was being used as an expendable crash test dummy. . . .

 

Phil

 

 

[Guest john]

Phil, as an alternative suggestion to lower your blood pressure reading next time you go to the Quacks, instead of running up a flight of stairs, try walking up the stairs slowly, sit down in the Quacks waiting room for 30 minutes & either read one of his porno magazines, or take your own porno magazine to read & leave it in the Quacks surgery afterwards.

 

I know of an old Ag Pilot that use to go to his Quacks to get his aviation medical renewed, & he had problems with the "Family Jewels" down below when asked by the nurse to supply a sample for the Quack. So as an alternative he use to get his fellow Pilot friend to pxss in a small bottle the day before he went to the Quacks & when the nurse asked him for a sample he used to go into the surgeries WC & empty his friends contents of the bottle into the Quacks container & both the nurse & the Quack were unaware of what had taken place.

 

The last I heard of him after he retired from Ag Flying, he was selling mud packs for health purposes to Indians to improve their complexion.

 

Not got a lot of faith in his fancy electronic kit actually OME,. . . . the first reading was 160 over ninety five ,. . .(?) he rebooted it a couple of times, this part took around fifteen minutes ! . . . He didn't tell me what the final reading was, but " A little on the high side of normal" doesn't sound too bad really.. .! Not only this, but I'd just run up four flights of stairs as I was late for the appointment, I should have sat in a dark room and watched some tropical fish for an hour perhaps ? ? ? ! ( AND NEV. . . Note* "Ran up the stairs. . . ." ! )

ns