Soloed today

[danny_galaga]

Or more accurately, re-soloed. First time was 20 years ago in a Piper Warrior, about 22 hours. Life got in the way so here I am giving it a more concerted effort. This time in the more nimble Tecnam Golf, and 6.6 hours

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Well done you!

 

 

[WayneL]

I bet it felt as good as it was 20 years back.

 

Good onya Dan.

 

Wayne

 

 

[phantomphixer]

Congratulations! May you continue to enjoy your flying for ever.

 

 

[Dwilly]

That’s marvellous

 

 

[danny_galaga]

It is rather remiss of me not to give thanks to Dave and the guys at Airsports in Boonah. Great outfit

 

 

[boleropilot]

Well done Dan - if you're game, there's an empty back seat in my Drifter for ya (still being refurbished at the other end of the 'field at Boonah)

 

Hey Wayne - you back in the air yet ?????

 

BP

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Or more accurately, re-soloed. First time was 20 years ago in a Piper Warrior, about 22 hours. Life got in the way so here I am giving it a more concerted effort. This time in the more nimble Tecnam Golf, and 6.6 hours

You are back in the elite club, live the dream -:)

 

 

[MartyG]

Well done Danny, I have just completed my GA to RaAus conversion With Dave at Airsport Qld after a 28 year break, The second solo was just as awesome as the first but not as nervous this time lol. Congrats m8

 

 

[danny_galaga]

Well done Dan - if you're game, there's an empty back seat in my Drifter for ya (still being refurbished at the other end of the 'field at Boonah)

Did it happen to be on the airsports hanger a few months ago? I’ll give it a go so long as it’s the crack of dawn and no wind!

 

 

[boleropilot]

No m8 mine is 0455 - my aircraft is the one Anthony (Ant's Airplanes) used to model the Drifter for FSX (Flight Simulator Ten) - if you look at the website screenshots, the bearded pilot in the red helmet is me!

 

Over the past decade or so I've written over a hundred flightsim articles for Oz GA magazines - might talk to Dave Briffa about doing a flightsim session in the hangar one evening...

 

Anthony also produced Boonah and Roadvale airfields (freeware) for FSX and the on-screen result is fabulous - it's even got moving skippys on the airfield - visual aspects of surrounding mountains etc. is superb.

 

BP

 

 

[GeoffRV7]

Great stuff Danny! I'm heading there myself - went solo in 2005 and now and back at it, going around in circles (circuits) again...

 

I reckon I've got about 5 hours to go - got to nail EVERY landing, refresh on engine failures, flapless landings, crosswinds etc.

 

Every good landing though, I'm buzzing. Doing it all in an RV7 so is a 'little' more twitchy than the C150...

 

 

[Markproa]

Well done Danny, I have just completed my GA to RaAus conversion With Dave at Airsport Qld after a 28 year break, The second solo was just as awesome as the first but not as nervous this time lol. Congrats m8

So how did that work? Didn't you have to get your GA licence current before doing the conversion? I'm in the same boat, 20 years since I flew but itching to get back into it.

Mark

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Great stuff Danny! I'm heading there myself - went solo in 2005 and now and back at it, going around in circles (circuits) again...I reckon I've got about 5 hours to go - got to nail EVERY landing, refresh on engine failures, flapless landings, crosswinds etc.Every good landing though, I'm buzzing. Doing it all in an RV7 so is a 'little' more twitchy than the C150...

No challenge in that girly version RV

 

 

[danny_galaga]

So how did that work? Didn't you have to get your GA licence current before doing the conversion? I'm in the same boat, 20 years since I flew but itching to get back into it.Mark

Nope. The minimum to convert (to solo again at least anyway) is five hours. In that time the instructor will be assessing your competency which I felt was sorely missing when I started! But it didn't take too long to get back into the swing of things.

 

 

[GeoffRV7]

No challenge in that girly version RV

Yeah, I guess so - compared to your F15....

 

 

[danny_galaga]

So I disappointed my instructor a little last flight by being totally unprepared for the lesson, which was learning the area for an area solo. One of the things I let us down with was the pre flight brief. I'd never really paid attention to him saying it, so eager was I to get in the air! So right now I'm having trouble thinking what I should be saying. I know the gist of it- if the engine fails after take off before the middle windsock then I will land straight ahead, but what else? below a certain height I will land in the fields and I will not attempt to turn around. I can't remember right now what that height would be! 1000ft agl?

 

How do you guys articulate the brief?

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Don't be too hard on yourself, most over think this scenario anyway. It's all about priorities, trim for glide, min airspeed on touchdown land straight ahead avoiding major obstacles where possible. Avoid trying to trouble shoot when below 500'. Turn backs should be not be considered unless under very favourable conditions. Keep at it, we've all been there:plane:

 

 

[Blueadventures]

So I disappointed my instructor a little last flight by being totally unprepared for the lesson, which was learning the area for an area solo. One of the things I let us down with was the pre flight brief. I'd never really paid attention to him saying it, so eager was I to get in the air! So right now I'm having trouble thinking what I should be saying. I know the gist of it- if the engine fails after take off before the middle windsock then I will land straight ahead, but what else? below a certain height I will land in the fields and I will not attempt to turn around. I can't remember right now what that height would be! 1000ft agl?How do you guys articulate the brief?

This is my prompt / aide wording reminderTo be said every time before entering the runway. "ON TAKEOFF, I AM GOING TO LOSE THE ENGINE. WHEN I DO, I WILL SAY THERE IT IS, PUSH STICK FORWARD – Speed is KING."

 

When I have a problem on the runway I will close the throttle, apply the brakes and switch off.

 

When I have an engine failure below 500 feet AGL (insert height sum including your airfield alt; if 175 feet then its 675 ft) I will land the aircraft straight ahead within 30 degrees of the nose. [say to myself when passed above 500 feet AGL]

 

When I have an engine failure above 500 AGL (insert height sum including your airfield) feet I will turn downwind and land on opposite runway.

 

Tell passenger to keep feet back away from rudder pedals.

 

Turning base to final: Airspeed! & Ball in the centre!

 

Trim or add to suit. Its just a merge of what I've been taught in power and gliding experience. Hope it is useful and not meant be be any form of instruction by myself.

 

Cheers

 

 

[danny_galaga]

So as I have mentioned before, I was GFPT last time around. So once I do my area solo for my RA-Aus I will be (roughly) back to where I was in GA. SO I am looking at my big box of Aviation Theory Centre books from about 2005 and feeling a bit bewildered. Once I have area soloed I am wondering if there is a more concise book for me to study to help me get the nav endorsement? Like maybe this?

 

RA Aus Cross Country (Book Only)

 

 

[MartyG]

So I disappointed my instructor a little last flight by being totally unprepared for the lesson, which was learning the area for an area solo. One of the things I let us down with was the pre flight brief. I'd never really paid attention to him saying it, so eager was I to get in the air! So right now I'm having trouble thinking what I should be saying. I know the gist of it- if the engine fails after take off before the middle windsock then I will land straight ahead, but what else? below a certain height I will land in the fields and I will not attempt to turn around. I can't remember right now what that height would be! 1000ft agl?How do you guys articulate the brief?

Hey Danny I also fly out of Boonah and converted from GA to Ra-Aus with Dave so the following may sound familiar."I we have an engine failure PRIOR to the mid-field windsock I will close the throttle, lower the nose and land in the remaining runway"

 

"If we have an engine failure AFTER the midfield windsock and are below 800ft AGL I will NOT attempt a turn back to the airfield and will lower the nose and land in a suitable paddock 30 degrees either side of the runway heading"

 

Run it passed Dave to confirm but its what i use and he didnt yell at me lol. cheers Marty

 

 

[danny_galaga]

Yeah thanks. I decided to swallow my pride and just asked Dave! Hehe. I know he would rather I ask than not. Story of my life. Never pipe up when I need to!

 

So is that 7433 you are standing on in your avatar?

 

 

[MartyG]

Yeah thanks. I decided to swallow my pride and just asked Dave! Hehe. I know he would rather I ask than not. Story of my life. Never pipe up when I need to!So is that 7433 you are standing on in your avatar?

Yep thats 7433, Took her for an hour trip around the southern training area today. Awesome Aircraft, great fun to fly. cheers

[danny_galaga]

So the next thing is joining the circuit. In Darwin there was no flying overhead. With a smaller airfield like Boonah there is. We did some more practice in the northern training area on Saturday and damned if I could think what the radio call should be after the inbound call! It's something like "Boonah traffic Tecnam 7433 overhead at 2000 Boonah". But do I need to give any more info than that at that point? In this case we were overflying runway 22 and then circle around to the dead side to descend and join crosswind. Trying to cast my mind back to what we did then. I'm thinking you need to make a call like "Boonah traffic tecnam 7433 joining crosswind runway 22 boonah"

 

 

[MartyG]

So the next thing is joining the circuit. In Darwin there was no flying overhead. With a smaller airfield like Boonah there is. We did some more practice in the northern training area on Saturday and damned if I could think what the radio call should be after the inbound call! It's something like "Boonah traffic Tecnam 7433 overhead at 2000 Boonah". But do I need to give any more info than that at that point? In this case we were overflying runway 22 and then circle around to the dead side to descend and join crosswind. Trying to cast my mind back to what we did then. I'm thinking you need to make a call like "Boonah traffic tecnam 7433 joining crosswind runway 22 boonah"

Danny once I,m overhead or close to it and have determined which runway is the active my radio call is " Boonah Traffic Tecnam 7433 is overhead at 2000ft looking to join crosswind for runway 22 Boonah" Then let down on dead side as you did and your join call is spot on. Next time your overhead in the Northern training area be sure to wave, I live in Kalbar just off the main street. Cheers.