Cheap Flying

[Sean]

If you want cheap and reliable flying this maybe just the thing for you. Check out the ANYTHING FOR SALE section in the forum - SupaPup Syndicate Caboolture. For more details contact me on 0422965796 or [email protected]

 

Sean.

 

 

[Guest Yoshi]

Hi Guys

 

As I see it the only limiting factor on cheap flying is our own EGO'S. Think about it

 

Just my 2c worth

 

Cheers

 

Darren

 

 

[farri]

What Has Changed?

 

Skybum,

 

Don`t know about GA training,only did a couple of hours and found out it was more fun to fly from my own back yard,whenever I wanted to.

 

Speakig of recreational aviation only, I think I can shed some light on what`s changed in the time taken to learn to fly.

 

Have a look at the syllabus of training,it just keeps getting biger,as more people want all the privilages of GA with flight into controled airspace and controled airspace becoming more congested, the requirements for the pilot to meet increase however there`s no less requirements for those who only wish to fly outside of controled airspace,where it all started in the first place.

 

I agree with you that it doesn`t matter where we came from,only where we are going so we need to look after everyone, not keep making it harder,flying the aircraft is the easiest thing to do for most people, it`s all the other , in some cases, nonsense, that makes it hard.

 

What about the DOLLAR , as running costs increase schools are going to try and improve their income either by gaining more students, and students are limited, or keeping the ones they`ve got going longer,I think ,unfortunatly, it`s mostly become about the DOLLAR,these days.

 

Frank.

 

 

[farri]

Cheap And Reliable.

 

Sean,

 

I don`t think we can get cheap and reliable,cheap is usually inferior.:yuk:

 

Frank.

 

 

[Sean]

Hi Frank.

 

Hope you are well.

 

The aircraft certainly isn't inferior so how about I replace the word "cheap" with words like "very cost effective"?

 

And seeing costs are divided by two because it is a syndicate, it really is "value for money". Plus, the aircraft has proven to be very reliable so it's the best of both worlds.

 

Sean.:thumb_up:

 

 

[farri]

Hi Sean,

 

I am well thank you and I hope you are well also.

 

"Very cost effective",better.

 

I came down to Caboolture a few years ago to test fly a Sky Dart for a student of mine who then became the proud owner.

 

I was very impressed with the amount of hangers and Ultralight,(Recreational) aircraft housed there,there were quite a variety of aircraft,is it still the same.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank. :thumb_up:

 

 

[farri]

Wanabigaplane,

 

You`ve got a damn good one now.

 

Frank

 

 

[Sean]

Frank.

 

Yes, Caboolture is very popular with recreational type aircraft. It is idealy located with beaches/ocean/Islands/mounains & valleys all a stone throw away. We are very lucky indeed.

 

Whereabouts are you?

 

Sean.

 

 

[vk3auu]

Someone said earlier that "I believe that comes about because of lack of exposure of inexpensive planes, giving the impression that they have all gone away, & very few ads & articles about rag & tube."

 

This is one of the disadvantages of having the annual fly-in at Narromine. You need to be very dedicated to fly your Trusty Thruster there from one of the eastern states capitals if you are going to do it by yourself. A couple of years ago, I accompanied a mate who was flying a Quicksilver GT400. I carried some of his spare gear and extra fuel. It took us a couple of days which was no problem as we are both retired. He took off before me and arrived later. There needs to be more of this type of thing happening, to get more exposure of some of the Rag & Tube aircraft there.

 

The fast glass owners in general are the ones who are still working. You need to be in order to be able to afford them. They probably don't have the time to accompany a slower mate in a cheaper, slower craft. Please give it some thought for next year.

 

David

 

 

[farri]

Sean,

 

Do you know if there is a guy who flies from Caboolture,called,Dene Harmon.

 

He did some flying here years ago,I`d like to catch up if I could.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

 

 

[Downunder]

I,ve been looking at kits for a few years now. Initally I was keen on the rag & tube aircraft like the X-air.

 

However, looking at the (imported) metal kits available, it becomes clear that for a few thousand dollars more, you can obtain much greater performance and very importantly for me, maintain good value in such a higher performance aircraft.

 

I'm not knocking those that love their drifters and such but performance for dollars spent and resale value for dollars spent is important to me.

 

As such I think the Rag and tube aircraft are over priced.

 

By the way, I'm purely a 4 stroke man.

 

Regards,

 

R J Mitchell

 

 

[Sean]

Sean,Do you know if there is a guy who flies from Caboolture,called,Dene Harmon.

 

He did some flying here years ago,I`d like to catch up if I could.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

Hi.

 

No I don't that name but I will ask around for you.

 

Sean.

 

 

[farri]

Thanks Sean.

 

Frank. :thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Rufus]

G'day, Downunder,

 

I also prefer a four stroke motor.

 

My Tbird II Rag & Tube plane is powered by a 100 h.p. 912, which is possibilly the most popular choice for hundreds of Tbird II's flying in the U.S.A.

 

But how are we to know this when our recreational aviation magazines rarely mention what's happening with rag & tube.

 

I am pleased to see an article in the latest R.A.aus magazine about the joys of flying rag & tube. Much more fun he say's than flying the 170+kt. twins & Mooneys he used to fly as a living. A man after me own heart!!

 

It was also good to see in the May edition of Kitplanes, the article "Unbreaking the bank, build & fly one of these eight kitbuilt Light Sport-legal planes for less than $40,000. The next two pages went on to list another 79 aircraft kits for the home builder.

 

Why don't the our local mags seek permission to run these stories??

 

Any way, of the soap box, we've got a long weekend coming up, time to enjoy ourselves, as only a pilot can.

 

Roger:wave:

 

 

[sain]

Arn't the majority of articles in our rag written either by members or as commercials (right next to the full page colour ad - so subtle!)? Didn't they put out a call for articles a few months back?

 

If you want more articles on Rag and Tube flying, i'd suggest you write some. They may even pay you for it.

 

Personally I'd love to read them, but have little experience in rag and tube aircraft (unless you count Gazelles).

 

I think Rag and Tubes are alive and well, with plenty of examples being currently marketed - x-airs, quicksilvers, skyrangers, fishers, some rans, aeropups and superpups, bantams and (stretching the "tube" definition a bit) arn't the morgan aeroworks super diamonds and cheetahs fabric covered too? Many of these aircraft represent relatively cheap options to fly, compared to the $100k+ plastic fantastics.

 

Apologies if I've missed your favourite rag and tube.

 

 

[bushpilot]

However, with cheaper versions of the plastic fantastics now coming in under $60K, the price gap is closing... making it more difficult (I think) for some of the top end R & Ts to compete...

 

 

[spacesage]

Rag and Tube is not realising its potential.

 

I think if you want to promote Rag and Tube flying, I think you should promote the "Real Flying" aspect of it. It should be promoted as its own form of flying.

 

An old adage in business is "When times are tough, advertise"

 

This means a coordinated approach by trike, exposed cockpit types or "Rag and Tube" operators to promote the romantic and classic aspect of this type of flying. Making the point (quite rightly) that it is very different flying to the heavier plastic\metal\compostie types.

 

I dont think it is necessarily a legislation or licencing issue.

 

e.g. warbirds licencing is not necessarily that much different to normal GA. But attracts premium rates at the operator level because of the romantic side of it.

 

In reality you are flying very old aircraft usually with performance in the "not so exhilarating" class. Wirraways, Nanchangs, Chipmunks, Austers, Cubs, etc make up the bulk of the warbirds in Australia. Also a cool name like "WarBirds" helps.

 

Its all in the advertising and how its marketed to the General Public, if you want it to succeed you have to advertise to the widest market possible to give it the best chance.

 

Look at the positives.

 

Cheap to run

 

Exhilirating

 

Short field \ small strip peformance

 

Slow speeds (safer)

 

View is unbeatable

 

Cheap to become endorsed.

 

Legislation governance is easy.

 

Eco-Friendly (thats a big one)

 

We have the best climate \ landscape for safe fying in Australia. We have a thriving tourist industry. This should be an opprtunity.

 

Its all about perception, if you can change the publics perception that this is not dangerous, its not an extreme sport. Then you could make some coin and not have to rely on the training dollar to survive.

 

 

[Guest Decca]

You just have to watch the Thruster demo video posted elsewhere in the forums in the last 24hrs to see how relevant that video still is today. And relevant to what Spacesage has posted above.

 

Regards, Decca.

 

 

[rick-p]

Guys,

 

Once again I can see the paranoid machinations of a few driving the direction of big brother.

 

You guys are hell bent on giving people ideas that we really don't want them to have.

 

Why can't we happy with our lot?

 

I enjoy flying the low and slow and then slipping into the fast and furious for a blast to fields afar.

 

We are the luckiest pilots in the world as there is no where else on the planet earth that can we do what we do with the freedom we have to do it with.

 

Please don't spoil it by jumping at shadows as evolution is important, we are evolving into something anybody with a budget either small or big can participate in.

 

History has proven that interference for the best part usually gives us something that we don't want.

 

I would give my eye teeth to have my old Auster J1N registered RAA and you couldn't get more rag and tube than it.

 

The RAA people in my book do a great job for the best part, some of them giving up their time and freedom for nothing more than the joy of flying.

 

At a guess most are pilots, correct?

 

Then ask yourself this why would they want to cruel it for themselves?

 

Recreational flying is what you want to make of it and still can be cheap flying and will if one wants remain cheap flying, live the dream don't shoot the messenger!

 

That's my two bob's worth and as I understand it we still live in a democracy so I can say what I feel (within reason).

 

Rick-p:hittinghead:

 

 

[Guest sypkens]

Rick-p

 

Mate what a marvelous post. Cannot agree more with all your points.

 

Jan

 

 

[Sean]

Hi Frank.

 

I have asked around about Dene but no luck so far.

 

I am thinking of going to Goodwin fly in, are you?

 

Sean.

 

 

[farri]

Sean,Thank you,Dene may be flying out of Redcliff or he may have left the area.

 

I won`t be able to get to the flyin.

 

Cheers

 

Frank.

 

 

[Aerochute Kev]

This is the first time i have joined a thread so hope it goes to the right place!!!

 

My aircraft cost under $20000 new, I keep it in the shed next to the house and if i am working the paddocks and just happen to notice its a great day for a fly, i can be airborn in about 20 mins.

 

My aircraft may only fly at around 30 kts but just being able to take off whenever i like, just because i can, is pretty hard to beat. I can even take my wife, daughter or a friend.

 

I may not travel very far but i can always put it on the back of the ute and take it somewhere else just for a change. No runways required. Low, slow and great scenery.

 

Running costs on a 503?? not alot, fuel about 15l per hr solo.

 

This is the type of flying I wanted and at the moment have no wish to move into fixed wing.

 

I want my flying to be pure fun, I found it with the Aerochute.

 

Flying can be cheap (relatively), uncomplicated and fun with RAAus.

 

Kev :thumb_up:

 

 

[Arnaud]

My apologies...

 

Terribly sorry to barge in...but it is the only way I found to talk to the Clear Prop Shop Manager.

 

It is the second time I'm trying to purchase an item from the shop and after approx. one hour of trying to get there I had to give up.

 

I am still OK with flying but I'm getting too old for this e-commerce !

 

Arnaud

 

 

[Admin]

Terribly sorry to barge in...but it is the only way I found to talk to the Clear Prop Shop Manager.It is the second time I'm trying to purchase an item from the shop and after approx. one hour of trying to get there I had to give up.

I am still OK with flying but I'm getting too old for this e-commerce !

 

Arnaud

You and me both Arnaud

I really need to redo the entire software for the shop as other people also have trouble with it at times - on the to do list but the shop is really only a support mechanism to keep this site free and with me needing to spend so much time here I don't get time for anything else - even flying anymore - what exactly were you after and I can do it manually - and thanks!