Ground transport for those remote strips?

[Marty_d]

I saw someone cruising around Hobart on one of these things a few weeks ago. Was discussing them with some work colleagues today and I had the thought that they'd be useful for cross country flying, where the town might be a few km away from the airstrip.

 

Compact enough to fit into most baggage compartments, gets you along at up to 35km/h, with a range of up to 80km.

 

This one is quite heavy at 17kg (and not particularly cheap) - but there's both lighter and cheaper ones on the market.

 

NEW: King Song 16S, 1200W Motor/840Wh Battery -

 

 

[rollerball]

Blimey, I'd have thought that anyone over the age of 20 riding one of those things deserves to end up in traction.

 

 

[Nobody]

I have thought about it but think that one of the folding electric scooters might be better. That way you can still push yourself back to the aircraft when the battery is flat....

 

 

[rankamateur]

I don't see the seat!

 

 

[Flying Binghi]

Looks like fun - Terrorise them walkers...

 

 

 

[pmccarthy]

How many of us could squat down repeatedly like that without letting something go?

 

 

[Marty_d]

I have thought about it but think that one of the folding electric scooters might be better. That way you can still push yourself back to the aircraft when the battery is flat....

These have a pull-out handle like your suitcase... stroll along towing it!

[Jaba-who]

Mm. Might be fun for a while. but after more than a few minutes of teeth rattling rough country road, crossing a few cattle grids and being sideswiped by a 50 m long road train I think I’d be wishing I had just called the local pub and promised them I’d eat a meal, have a few drinks and stay at their establishment over night if they’d just come and get me in their car or courtesy coach.

 

The concept of scooters, cycles etc is something I considered seriously for while when we were doing a lot of outback and regional flying over the last 15 or so years.

 

Looked at quite a few models and concepts.

 

But when I really seriously sat down and traded off all the pros and cons (of which there are lots) and alternative options (of which there are usually some ) we never bothered.

 

Major con against it all was safety. Very few roads in Australia between airports and towns are actually safe. Most are on the main highway coming into town and few have any room for a cyclist or two to avoid a truck or road train. You get covered in dust, showered with gravel sideswiped by cars who seem to treat objects smaller than themselves as targets to aim at rather than people etc.

 

you also have to consider that if you are staying overnight etc. you’ll need to carry bags. Hard to imagine carrying a nav bag and a clothes bag on one of those.

 

It surprising how many lifts, rides etc you can organise with a little ingenuity.

 

 

[spacesailor]

And I could see myself crossing a rut on a one wheeler, then picking myself up from the dirt, only to hit the next rotten rut & start that Bloooodi sequence all over again for the next ten Miles.

 

Small wheel's on the dirt are almost useless, as is a mono wheel (unicycle). I learnt the hard way, never did master the unicycle.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[fly_tornado]

electric scooters are a better option

 

Xiaomi M365 IP54 12.5kg Ultralight 30km Long Life Folding Electric Scooter Intelligent BMS Double Brake System 25 km/h Max. Load 100kg Two Wheels Electric Scooter

 

 

[truthinbeer]

What's wrong with a folding bike, with or without battery motion?

 

 

[Hargraves]

My knees are talking to me after a couple of hours of flying much less the tourture this fine device would put them to acting as shock absorbers on our tracks and roads. The problems encountered in our two seater touring can really only be overcome by your own reliable support vehicle towing your own enclosed aircraft transporter / accomidation trailer with an emergency / getabout lightweight moter scooter or bike. While hospitality and making friends when touring is one of the most wecome and enjoyable parts of the experience. Not having to rely on it at most places we want to visit is a much better and probably more appreciated way to go I think anyway. PS my trailers name is Recognense (as in on my own)

 

 

[planedriver]

I'd like to have a go on one, looks like fun, though I doubt the practicality of one getting from airstrip into town on fly-away's.

 

My son found an electric scooter on a council cleanup which I managed to repair, then took it for a ride late at night when no one could see me.

 

As I was flying along the footpaths ducking overhanging bushes, I thought to myself "bloody old fool, what are you doing? you'll end up like the kid with a new bike who said "look Mum no hands", next minute it was " look no teeth".

 

 

[Jaba-who]

What's wrong with a folding bike, with or without battery motion?

Same pros and cons as electric versions plus a few more.Depending on time of day. If you arrive at your destination in the middle of day you then have the con of forced exercise in the heat of the day. Some of the strips I’ve been to can be up to 10 km (admittedly most are closer but some are even further) out of town.

 

 

[Raytol]

Flying car seems more logical. Just put the wings away and drive into town!

 

 

[spacesailor]

HARGRAVES

 

" PS my trailers name is Recognense (as in on my own)" ?

 

It doesn't make sense to me.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[riverduk]

Hmmm, just wondering if the "King Song" would be classed in the same category as Segways and similar equipment, if so, unless things have changed in the past couple of years, they are actually illegal to use on public thoroughfares, footpaths, places, without, wait for it, the appropriate licensing and permits, even those little hoverboard thingy's that were all the go a couple of years ago are actually illegal in public places. A couple of years ago my wife and I looked into starting up Segway tours in our local area, it could be done, as it already is in other areas, but the amount of redtape involved plus some more than dubious intentions by the Segway importer at the time, to seriously rip us off, made us review the idea and shelve it. At the time though, the Vic Govt was looking into some trials of this sort of "Eco" tour in different areas of the state, but even so there would have been hoops to jump through I would imagine, besides, there's no where to put my fuel cans to take more fuel to my trike! Cheers, Ross

 

 

[Hargraves]

Hi spacesailer, its borrowed from "released on your own recognense" as in a magistrate to a discharged person, which I take to mean responsible for your self only.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Flying car seems more logical. Just put the wings away and drive into town!

Unfortunately not. It’s a bigger minefield.Say you Fly off to “far-go-minda. Land and drive into town. Have one rock fly up from passing car and crack your windscreen. You are grounded.

 

Park in the local pub car park and have a local back his Ute into your car-plane somewhere - grounded.

 

Reverse out of a parking spot and hit a bollard or sign - grounded.

 

The risks to the airworthiness are huge when you leave the safety of the sky and a runway.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

flying cars will never happen, too many idiots on the road

 

 

[Aerodavetoorbul]

Yes your arms would be very tired carying a couple of 20lt gerrycans!

 

 

[fly_tornado]

that's why I thought that Xiaomi scooter was good option 80kg pilot + 20lt of fuel is <100kg

 

 

[Marty_d]

flying cars will never happen, too many idiots on the road

Not only that, when you try to combine a car and a plane you get the worst of both worlds at the cost of more than both.

[Jaba-who]

Not only that, when you try to combine a car and a plane you get the worst of both worlds at the cost of more than both.

Yep. Exactly right.As far as costs go some of the ones in development that I have seen are in the range of $300K AUS. That’s the cost of a normal aircraft (of similar capabilities) plus a car bought paid for and left at every airport you are likely to use on any trip.

 

 

[Akromaster]

I’ve thought about and posted about this before but scrapped it because legally you’re not allowed to ride them on public roads. Similar to segways which is a real shame. Some of these monowheel ones have large wheels and are advertised as 10-13kg which would be ideal for the luggage compartment in most planes and good for country roads.

 

Ak