Does your aircraft fit your flying style?

[alf jessup]

There is a Bristel at Old Station, looks nice, but I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner. Are the related to the Piper Sport?Alf. 1 knots per minute is not 60 Knots it is just a mares nest of notted up rope. A knot is either something you make with rope or string or 1 nautical mile per hour. I suppose 1 knot per minute could be an acceleration rate also.

Correct Yenn

 

1nm per minute

 

Big long tiring working week just gone so was obviously in brain f@rt mode when writing

 

 

[rollerball]

ha ha I like the bit about ''you need more than one aircraft'' as I have 3 at the moment - but more by accident than design as I'll explain in a moment.

 

Like many I started back in the day on Cessna 150s and after flying several single types and briefly owning my own Piper Tripacer Caribbean became a member of a group owning a Cherokee 180. That was back in the 80s and I was fortunate to be able to use it occasionally to fly between Biggin Hill and Rochester in the UK and Zurich where the company I then worked for had its head office. And the best bit was that they paid me the then BA Club Class air fare, which I was entitled to, when I did so, so I could head off for a meeting taking my then wife with me and then take a couple days holiday afterwards before heading back. Great fun and as the aircraft had 2 VORs, a wing leveller and mode C it was pretty much ideal for the job.

 

That came to an end in the mid-80s recessions that bedevilled the UK at the time and the aircraft was sold, following which my flying exploits more or less tailed off. Until around 2007 that is, when said then wife decided that she wanted to seek pastures new, which allowed my thoughts to return to ideas of flying.

 

But times - and my needs - had changed. With family grown up and approaching retirement, I had very little, if any, need to fly at high speed, 4 up over long distances, so returning to the scene I jumped instead into microlights. Rag and tube was for me the way to go and I added a microlight rating to my by now lapsed UK lifetime PPLA in an elderly Cyclone AX3 - Rotax 503 50hp, endurance approx 1 1/2 hours at a cruising speed of 50mph. Lovely - just what I needed to get the juices flowing again.

 

In fact I bought the aircraft as a 'scrapper' from my instructor after she'd removed its engine and most of its instruments to fit to a newer AX3 that she already had and renovated it and restored it back to flying condition before spending 2 or 3 happy years flying low and slow over the countryside of southern England which were marred only by one gust related landing prang that made me restore it yet again to even better condition than before. But that's part and parcel of flying microlights, isn't it.

 

Then in 2012 I made the decision to move to France. People thought that I'd trailer my AX3 down to the Dordogne but I said 'No way' and flew it down over 2 days of the then Easter weekend in appalling vis. But what an adventure that I'd never have missed for anything. I had to leave it parked up for a few weeks while my dog was sorted out to travel and my move was finalised and for reasons I won't go into then had to move it to another airfield.

 

The first chance I had was the day after a storm and not having the experience then that I do now I didn't know that the sloping runways can drain here leaving the lower end still soaked and wet even though the top is almost bone dry. So tried to take off, just failed to gain enough airspeed and ended up in the canopy of the trees at the runway end.

 

Luckily only my pride and the aircraft were damaged leaving me and my passenger the task of descending 10 metres like monkeys out of the treetop back down to ground level. Fortunately my insurance paid out and as they were in England, allowed me to keep the wreckage, which we recovered by chopping down the tree trunks that had been supporting it. This was actually a great opportunity because the engine and the aircraft apart from its wings and upper fuselage were undamaged.

 

But I'd learnt my lesson. My next aircraft, which I still have, was an X-Air. With no doors (so lighter), a 582 Rotax blue top and an almost unbreakable undercarriage, this was my aircraft of choice in which I enjoyed many happy hours in the skies over the Dordogne and Western France, including a 6 day tour from the Landes to the Mourbihan with a pal, cooking on a single burner stove and sleeping in our tents next to our aircraft. What a fantastic and unforgettable way to see the French Atlantic beaches and meet such an amazing bunch of people as are the French ULM community.

 

But again time and tides move on. The West Coast tour opened my eyes to the fantastic potential that France has to offer pilots but it's a big country. Also, with the passage of the years I've developed a hankering to be able to pop back over the Channel from time to time to see much-loved friends and family without having to bust a gut and as a result, last year I acquired my Rotax 912S powered Savannah MXP740. This has proven to be ideal for my needs with a cruising speed of 140/150 kmh, an endurance of 4 hours+ with reserve and a fantastic short field performance. It has the slatted wing and with a fair wind, I'll be able to do the VG conversion some time, which should make it even better, but I'm not too fussed for now.

 

So in a way I'm almost back where I started, but this time with just 2 seats rather than 4, but it's not the end of the story. A year or so back I came across a damaged French AX3 Weedhopper which I acquired for not a lot of money. It had suffered a hard landing but was otherwise in good shape and was being sold without engine and instruments.

 

You can probably see where this is going. After several months work combining the two damaged aircraft, I'm now also the owner of a splendid little 503 powered AX3. It's been ready to fly for a few months now and as I'm typing this sitting in hospital after emergency surgery, I can't wait. A bit more low and slow seems quite appealing at the moment ;)

 

 

[IBob]

Bloody hell my cuppa went cold half way thru that war& peace

Well, I enjoyed the context, also the man's appetite.

Without that this is just another random list of aircraft?

 

 

[Yuri Gagarin]

Bloody hell my cuppa went cold half way thru that war& peace

You must be a ex Airbus pilot, all you seem to do is push buttons........ most of the time the wrong ones.

 

 

[Bernie Knight]

The photos below detail;

 

The Steen Skybolt with the Lycombing 360. I repainted a bit of it and decided to go Shell livery as a bit if fun.

 

The Iskra jet at Essendon prior to its heading to Lethbridge.

 

The Skybolt with the canopy open and the Antonov behind it. We were doing radio checks prior to a flight.

 

The Antonov sitting at Lethbridge prior to a joy flight. The Eastern Boc Warbirds run regular joy flights for up to nine people out of Lethbridge. It's well worth a visit to our hangar.

 

The old guy sitting in the Iskra jet. I'm positive they won't let me play in this.

 

The last three photos are the RV8 I'm playing with now. Burns 33lph at 24/2400 and this returns six hours endurance at 165knts, with an hour reserve. If pulled back to 19/1900 it returns over ten hour endurance at 125knts. It's has plenty if room, great fuel capacity and luggage storage.

 

 

 

For someone like me that has limited ability any aircraft suits my style of flying - I think I just adapt. However the Vans RV8 is a good fit so far for me.

 

I started my flying in the C172 and then moved through a mix of Rec Aus aircraft. The Tecnam P92, Pioneer Alphi low wing... I spent a few hours in a Decathalon for my CSU endorsement and tail wheel experiences...fun .

 

The Steen Skybolt was my next purchase but after finding it a bit cramped - and it's bigger than the Pitts S2 - I moved to the Vans RV8.

 

I'm just getting my head around the Vans as its very fast and has a good mix of glass and LED instruments as seen in the above Photos. even a Tru - Track auto pilot etc etc...

 

With a hangar that has an Antonov bi plane and an Iskra jet I'm getting the opportunity to have a play with some interesting aircraft. Not sure if I will get my hands on the Iskra jet as I think its beyond this old guy. We also have a Yak 18T in the hangar to play in.

 

Drop in one Saturday for the Geelong Sports Aviators BBQ lunch and check out the hangars. YLED just 15nm north west of Geelong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IBob]

Nice.....and that old Volkswagen would make a nice donor for a classic homebuilt, too........

 

 

[Yuri Gagarin]

Christ get a life! Where's yr SOH? What is it with thread police on here? I guess it's a control thingy!Best place for an angry man like you is the ignore list!

Oop's I forgot to add a smiley face to the end of my last post, apparently that makes it ok to insult someone.

 

ps.

 

 

[facthunter]

That old Volkswagen is a Porsche. God! Is nothing sacred. Nev

 

 

[IBob]

That old Volkswagen is a Porsche. God! Is nothing sacred. Nev

Just stirrin', Nev......which I shall continue to do by assuring you there was nothing remotely sacred about those particular models....

 

 

[facthunter]

They belong to an era. There are few older cars I would actually like to own. They aren't really fun to drive. That particular model has wired edge mudguards. A somewhat classy aspect of panelwork, not that common. Nev

 

 

[facthunter]

That's how you tell the men from the boys. By the size and cost of their toys. Nev

 

 

[IBob]

They belong to an era. There are few older cars I would actually like to own. They aren't really fun to drive. That particular model has wired edge mudguards. A somewhat classy aspect of panelwork, not that common. Nev

I used to get a lift in one to work. It sounded like a VW and it went like a VW, but I do recall the owner then thought it was the duck's nuts too...each to their own.

I also used to get a lift in one of these, another relatively useless car, but a helluva lot more fun: it had a turning circle so bad it needed both lanes to turn out at a T junction, and the owner used to get in massive arguments with tailed back traffic at commute time while he waited for the traffic to clear enough to get the hulk round the corner.....)

 

 

 

[Bernie Knight]

Capt Wally

 

Not all mine. But the best of both worlds, as you get to fly them and not buy, insure them ..

 

Guys just a glorified Volkswagen, ....but hell it would go hard in an aircraft with its cam, twin webers, aluminium heads and side winder Porsche exhaust

 

 

[Bernie Knight]

Lethbridge Airpark owner and developer Gary with me in the Antonov hangar.

 

The Iskra jet is in there now with the Skybolt, a Lance and a One Design. The Yak 18T will be in there shortly when the Lance leaves. Maybe room for the RV8 but I think it will be up on a hoist/lift..

 

 

 

 

[Bernie Knight]

Ibob

 

We are big car fans also....

 

My other Volkswagen is a 911 Carrera S.

 

The aluminium bodied car above my wife's car is a '65 Shelby Cobra. It's got an aluminium Shelby 468 big block - now that would make a plane climb..

 

Have the hoists at my home, hence my thinking of having the RV8 up on a hoist - maybe with the One Design below. ..

 

 

[facthunter]

It's a slightly improved head with the exhaust valves operated with an angled rocker. (356) type or something. An industrial motor version of it was available new quite cheaply that was superior to the "ordinary" VW and looked exactly the same as the one in the car. The Porsche gearbox was similar but far better than the VW also and used in a lot of formula junior and Tasman formula mid engined open wheelers. Nev

 

 

[facthunter]

Oh look at the numberplate..... 356 888. You've got it bad Bernie. Looks nice though. Nev

 

 

[Methusala]

I've had the luck to drive my brother's cars starting with a re-engined Mini Cooper(1275S) through '71 XU-1 (not comfortable but Hell fast). Then various 944's, a 964 (911x4 wheel drive Carrera) and, lately, a Cayman in Switzerland. These Porsches feel solid as though built from one block of steel. Billsteins all round feel as though the harder you push them the better they like it. Never driven a 356 though. Don

 

 

[IBob]

I've had the luck to drive my brother's cars starting with a re-engined Mini Cooper(1275S) through '71 XU-1 (not comfortable but Hell fast). Then various 944's, a 964 (911x4 wheel drive Carrera) and, lately, a Cayman in Switzerland. These Porsches feel solid as though built from one block of steel. Billsteins all round feel as though the harder you push them the better they like it. Never driven a 356 though. Don

Yep, never owned one but got to drive a 911 in the 70s, couldn't figure out why all the rest of the traffic seemed to be going backwards, turned out I was going about twice as fast as I thought I was. Great car.........)

 

 

[Bernie Knight]

 

Yes 888 plates and now the RV8 the Chinese and Euro Asians want my plates.

 

All registered to a Post Box.. stops them turning up at my door..

 

 

[Bernie Knight]

 

Hoist coming down to ground. I move the car out below and lower the hoist to get the 356 or Cobra down, a bit inconvenient, but keeps everything in my garage at home...

 

 

[djpacro]

The Steen Skybolt was my next purchase but after finding it a bit cramped - and it's bigger than the Pitts S2 .......

I spent some time with Lamar Steen - he told me that Curtis Pitts caught him under an S-2 with a tape measure - Curtis told him not to bother and gave him a set of S-2 plans. Lamar scaled it up to suit his own very large frame. I got to know Curtis pretty well some years after that, top guy.

 

Drop in one Saturday for the Geelong Sports Aviators BBQ lunch and check out the hangars. YLED just 15nm north west of Geelong.

May do, on a day when the weather is not good enough for aerobatics and I want to go flying anyway.

[farri]

Do others feel content with 60kt aircraft and resist the urge to go faster and sportier? Don

Absolutely! I started flying Ultralights in the mid, late eighties, by scratch building my rag and tube and learning to fly it...For me, flying is not about going from point A to B, as fast as possible, nor is it about having the latest L.S.A., with all that goes with it, it`s about being able to go flying as I wish, with an AC that will do what I want it to do and at a cost that I can afford to do it with.

 

I`ve flown numerous Ultralights, over the years, some faster and fancier, than others! I Instructed with my current Austflight W.B. Drifter, for 12 years! It has served me and many others, extremely well and I will keep it going and flying it for as long as I can.

 

Frank.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

While on cars, I took this at home yesterday before leaving for Historic Winton. Had a great weekend.

[facthunter]

Should have gone. Had a coupla tickets but got snowed under with Chores. The weather today wouldn't have been too good. I must make it next year. Been around it a few times on older (vintage) machines (Bikes) Nev