Replacement poll on RAA weight and CTA

[skippydiesel]

That's for sure. I'm not sure how many planes have anything over the 45 min fuel reserve with just 15L of fuel.

Hi - I plan at 14L/hr @ 100 knot econo cruise. With "one up" my actual is under 13 L/hr. So my 45 min reserve is 10.5 L (I use 11 L to be sure) without a power reduction. My main + reserve tanks will hold 87 L usable. Duration 6 hrs or 5.25 with reserve. I also carry two 20 L bladders on away trips.

 

The bladders are usually used for transporting ULP from the servo to my aircraft but at a pinch can be filled & strapped into my passenger seat for a total of 127 L (got to land to transfer) for a potential total duration of 9 hrs.

 

 

[spacesailor]

HummelBird

 

Four litres per hour = three litres reserve!, easy out of 18 ltr small tank fill, over-fill is 25 litres.

 

In the states they say 61 mpg.

 

The more fuel you carry, the faster the HummelBird flies, as the fuel-tank is ahead of the CG/pilot.

 

spacesailor

 

 

 

[Nick Sieczkowski]

The more fuel you carry, the faster the HummelBird flies, as the fuel-tank is ahead of the CG/pilot

Sorry for the thread drift, but wouldn't a forward cg decrease speed due to the increased load the tail plane must produce?

 

 

[spacesailor]

It always fall"s out of the sky faster with more weight, Sailplanes carry water ballast to gain penetration, & speed.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Roscoe]

I understand that the GA route has different and tedious medical requirements, and I wouldn't doubt for a second you are probably as fit as most of the pilots to fly in CTA. However if we want to get into a discussion about the effectiveness or lack thereof for avmed then I think we will need another thread. However the reality is even if casa was to grant RAA access to CTA it won't be on a drivers licence medical as exists now, it would require something more along the lines of what is needed for the RAMPC for the RPL. So the reality is it won't really open up CTA to anyone that doesn't already have the access. Frankly I disagree with the medical standards changing between CTA and OCTA, however the reality is casa won't budge on that one.

Ian do you have facts to support your last paragraph?

 

 

[ian00798]

Perhaps the fact that even though it has been attempted several times nothing has changed? Perhaps you could produce the evidence that casa would be willing to be flexible on that one? I suspect 90% of the aviation community would be shocked if casa relaxed medical standards given the fact that if anything they are strengthening them at the moment.

 

 

[coljones]

Perhaps the fact that even though it has been attempted several times nothing has changed? Perhaps you could produce the evidence that casa would be willing to be flexible on that one? I suspect 90% of the aviation community would be shocked if casa relaxed medical standards given the fact that if anything they are strengthening them at the moment.

Are you suggesting that glider pilots and parachutists are now under threat?

Given the current pushback from AOPA and RAA I would be confident that 90% of pilots would be very happy if CASA came to the party with a far lighter touch in medicals.

 

 

[Roscoe]

Perhaps the fact that even though it has been attempted several times nothing has changed? Perhaps you could produce the evidence that casa would be willing to be flexible on that one? I suspect 90% of the aviation community would be shocked if casa relaxed medical standards given the fact that if anything they are strengthening them at the moment.

Ian, I see no evidence of STRENGTHENING. I understand that their is a discussion paper out where they are looking at options and submissions from AOPA and RAA plus seeking info on current standards in the USA, NZ and U.K.

 

 

[ben87r]

Ian, I see no evidence of STRENGTHENING. I understand that their is a discussion paper out where they are looking at options and submissions from AOPA and RAA plus seeking info on current standards in the USA, NZ and U.K.

CVD pilots may disagree.

 

 

[ian00798]

Exactly what Ben said

 

 

[ian00798]

Are you suggesting that glider pilots and parachutists are now under threat?Given the current pushback from AOPA and RAA I would be confident that 90% of pilots would be very happy if CASA came to the party with a far lighter touch in medicals.

90% of pilots, including me would indeed be happy if casa relaxed the standards. However, casa don't base their policy on what makes pilots happy, and I suspect they pay very little attention to AOPA and RAA.

 

Ian, I see no evidence of STRENGTHENING. I understand that their is a discussion paper out where they are looking at options and submissions from AOPA and RAA plus seeking info on current standards in the USA, NZ and U.K.

There is a big difference between looking at submissions and actually relaxing standards. Considering submissions makes it appear to industry that casa is contemplating relaxing standards. Then they change the regulations on CVD pilots, introduce a RAMPC that is an absolute joke and god only knows what they have in mind next.

 

 

[Roscoe]

Exactly what Ben said

What is a CVD Pilot.?

 

 

[ben87r]

Colour vision defective. Colour blind for us non medics.

 

 

[Roscoe]

Gentlemen, I really think we need to look at the facts and not get stirred up on personal opinions.

 

If CVD means COLOUR DEFECTIVE then you should be aware that CVD Pilots can operate at night, have COMMAND inst ratings and fly night VFR.

 

I don't see what CVD has to do with this discussion

 

 

[ben87r]

Gentlemen, I really think we need to look at the facts and not get stirred up on personal opinions.If CVD means COLOUR DEFECTIVE then you should be aware that CVD Pilots can operate at night, have COMMAND inst ratings and fly night VFR.

I don't see what CVD has to do with this discussion

We are looking at the facts Roscoe. There have been numerous changes over the last few years and this isn't the place to go into it.

 

 

[ian00798]

We were using it to demonstrate the fact that rather than relaxing medical standards, casa has done the opposite

 

 

[ben87r]

It isn't just that tho, it's the new further reaching medical system, the request for metadata, the RPL Med, the response or lack of to mental health concerns, I could go on but basically they have SHOWN no sign of more sensible medical standards. If the medical system was, rational, sensible reasonable and actual had the interest of both the pilot and safety standards I doubt anyone would have an issue with obtaining one and would eliminate one advantage of RA.

 

 

[coljones]

It isn't just that tho, it's the new further reaching medical system, the request for metadata, the RPL Med, the response or lack of to mental health concerns, I could go on but basically they have SHOWN no sign of more sensible medical standards. If the medical system was, rational, sensible reasonable and actual had the interest of both the pilot and safety standards I doubt anyone would have an issue with obtaining one and would eliminate one advantage of RA.

maybe you should be supporting the push for change rather than rolling over to the denizens of AvMed.

[coljones]

We are looking at the facts Roscoe. There have been numerous changes over the last few years and this isn't the place to go into it.

I can't think of a better place to go into it!! If the situation is hung out to dry here then there is the possibility that one of our members might have a sensible discussion with CASA and AvMed when next they are having a quiet beer.

It seems that you and Ian you are in support of change but you keep muddying the waters with your naysaying - other than the current law, can you see any reason why a properly RAA qualified and endorsed pilot with a medical fitness to hold a drivers licence can't/shouldn't fly into controlled airspace?

 

 

[ben87r]

I more so meant that most of what I have to say would be in regards to a C1 and not so relevant for this site, also it has been done to death on the other site.

 

I for sure support sensible medical changes and have done lots to show support.

 

Posting on a forum doesn't achieve al lot.

 

 

[ian00798]

We are very much in support of change, however we have both had enough experience with casa to know that they don't base their decision on what is reasonable and common sense. For example, for 30 years we were letting pilots with colour blindness fly as commercial pilots in Australia. Then with no supporting evidence casa decided that was too risky. It's evidence backing up our assertion that casa won't relax its medical standards to a reasonable level. I absolutely believe that for a small aircraft a drivers licence medical is sufficient for operating in CTA. However good luck convincing casa of that. I certainly wouldn't hold my breath.

 

 

[coljones]

We are very much in support of change, however we have both had enough experience with casa to know that they don't base their decision on what is reasonable and common sense. For example, for 30 years we were letting pilots with colour blindness fly as commercial pilots in Australia. Then with no supporting evidence casa decided that was too risky. It's evidence backing up our assertion that casa won't relax its medical standards to a reasonable level. I absolutely believe that for a small aircraft a drivers licence medical is sufficient for operating in CTA. However good luck convincing casa of that. I certainly wouldn't hold my breath.

Thanks Ben and Ian, you had me worried for a while. Your explicit support is most welcome - intransigence by CASA is not!. Cheers

 

 

[Roscoe]

We are very much in support of change, however we have both had enough experience with casa to know that they don't base their decision on what is reasonable and common sense. For example, for 30 years we were letting pilots with colour blindness fly as commercial pilots in Australia. Then with no supporting evidence casa decided that was too risky. It's evidence backing up our assertion that casa won't relax its medical standards to a reasonable level. I absolutely believe that for a small aircraft a drivers licence medical is sufficient for operating in CTA. However good luck convincing casa of that. I certainly wouldn't hold my breath.

Just for the record, CVD Pilots were not permitted to operate at night until the late 70s early eighties i can't remember the exact dates.

Then came along Dr Pape, himself a CVD Pilot, who lobbied hard on behalf of the hundreds of CVD Pilots, and the restriction was overturned thus allowing CVD Pilots virtually unrestricted operations, however the highest license one could gain was CPL. So no Airline prospect.

 

 

[ian00798]

Well it still gave them the prospect of being able to be a first officer in an airline and many made a career out of that. However for absolutely no sane reason casa has now made it so new class one applicants with CVD can only operate day VFR, which realistically means no hope of an aviation career. This makes no sense and just shows a regulator that isn't conducting evidence based decisions. However this is also now getting well outside the scope of this thread so I think it's a good time to stop going down that way.

 

 

[ben87r]

We have had CVD ATPL for a significant amount of time.