Wanted Test Pilot

[skippydiesel]

First flight immanent, need slim (tight cockpit) pilot, with recent/extensive tail wheel experience, Rotax 9 engine, CS prop,  Dynon panel, RAA Cert and willing to fly out of Camden NSW. 

I anticipate aircraft will be ready to go any time after this Saturday (05/11/22) after, hopefully, successful CASA approved W&B

 

Name & phone number 

 

I will follow up all recommendations.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

best wishes skippy and congratulations.

The only test pilot I have ever seen though crashed the sonex. He was a recently-retired Quantas check captain who himself flew a sonex in real life.

He lost power at 300 ft and attempted a 270 degree turn, landing so heavily that the uc crumpled and the sonex caught fire.

Here is what they should have done first....  they should have tied the plane to a tree and worked the engine harder. Yes, the day previous, they had done high-speed taxi runs but these clearly were not enough.

I'm sure this will not happen to you though, so best wishes again...

 

,,

[FlyBoy1960]

Test pilot for what ?  I am sure you will get a little bit more interest if you mention the type of aircraft ?

 

[onetrack]

What part of an RA-Aus aircraft is strong enough around the tail area to be able to tie the aircraft to a tree? I would imagine this rates as an entirely unacceptable proposal.

 

I've read of a young Chinese pilot taking off in an overloaded, shot-up, patched-up Dakota, along a bombed-out runway in Burma, with the tail tied to a tree via a rope, and the rope chopped with axes by Allied soldiers, in a mercy mission evacuating European women and children from the advancing Japanese in early 1942 - but war conditions are something totally different to everyday civilian operations.

[facthunter]

I doubt the thrust exceeds 200 LBS  It's a fairly often done  procedure. A tailwheel plane should be a bit stronger. 2 people can hold back a Tiger Moth. (130 HP)  Nev

Edited November 3, 2022 by facthunter

[440032]

Well I'd like to congratulate Skip for deciding to find a test pilot. The reasons don't matter really, it's great thing to decide to get someone in who might be in a better position for success.

Bravo I say.

(and yes, I did test fly my own tailwheel plane years ago.)

[skippydiesel]

10 hours ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

Test pilot for what ?  I am sure you will get a little bit more interest if you mention the type of aircraft ?

 

Sonex Legacy (A) - Not sure that this is all that relevant, as it would seem that pilots with good tail wheel experience do not often have an RAA Cert.

[skippydiesel]

Thanks for all the best wishes/support - pity that no one recommended a potentially suitable pilot

[Steve L]

13 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

best wishes skippy and congratulations.

The only test pilot I have ever seen though crashed the sonex. He was a recently-retired Quantas check captain who himself flew a sonex in real life.

He lost power at 300 ft and attempted a 270 degree turn, landing so heavily that the uc crumpled and the sonex caught fire.

Spot on Bruce, after that incident I wonder if he’s still test flying. Also sad for the owner of the Sonex who lives in the UK and built the plane here. 
 

A similar incident happened to Maj ( may he Rest In Peace ) as he wasn’t so lucky.

 

steve 

 

[Steve L]

I’m sure it will be fine Skip. 

[spacesailor]

I tried to get a ' test pilot ' for my Hummelbird as I had about ten to fifteen hours of tuition on a Foxbat.

Totaly different from the dhort coupled HB, that hadn,t been flown before. 

Needless to say I was unsuccessful. 

spacesailor

[RossK]

Only help I can offer would be to suggest you contact the SAAA

SAAA

From their website;

Our FSAs operate in accordance with SAAA’s Flight Safety & Training Manual – in summary our FSAs provide a mix of on ground support around planning, training and test flying, and also support in the air as test pilots, safety pilots, mentoring flight trainers and instructors. 

 

[440032]

Has Skip contact RAAus for help from his organisation? Surely the OPS manager or team would be able to give some good advice.

[facthunter]

No harm in trying. They have recommendations on how it is to be done and documented..   SAAA have a greater variety of planes that turn up and have gone into it much more that RAAus would need to.within  the framework of VH CASA and VH exp CASA.. Nev

[Yenn]

I am nowhere near the area for you. Whoever does the test flying would spend a lot of time going over the plane with a fine tooth comb and checking out the engine and fuel flow. The Rotax with a CS prop is unusual, I wonder how many pilots are conversant with it.

I did a test flight a few years ago in a plane unusual to me. It had several little quirks, such as all the switches being down for on and a difficult to reach fuel tap. I was not happy and just ferried it 15 miles and I don't think it has been flown since. It certainly taught me a bit about test flying.

[FlyBoy1960]

5 minutes ago, Yenn said:

The Rotax with a CS prop is unusual, I wonder how many pilots are conversant with it.

You are kidding ?   There are probably more 4-stroke Rotax powered planes flying with IFA and CS prop's than fixed, especially in the past 15 years.

[Garfly]

This recent Flight Chops vid throws some interesting light on, among other things, the art of test flying.

It also demonstrates how cross-checking (high) Oil temps against (normal) CHTs - on false assumptions - can dangerously mislead.

Incredibly, the team had two red-line oil temp emergencies in the same series of tests; one a false alarm and one all too true.

 

 

[peter]

if I am thinking of the correct incident at gawler, it was a Onex, not a Sonex, it had significantly modified controls to suit a disability, there was a real question of the pitot placement giving erroneous readings of airspeed, Sonex do not recommend extended ground testing of the aerovee, the test pilot was not from Qantas, has flown regularly since, is a far better pilot than I will ever be, and has done at least one other test flight that I am aware of since.

I had a local aerobatic pilot test fly my plane, he had never flown a similar type before, flew it perfectly, greased a three point landing first time. My nerves were bad enough watching him, I am glad I didn’t do the first flight. It gave me great confidence for the subsequent testing.

[spacesailor]

That was my main reason Not to fly my Hummel Bird .

There was one instance were a Hummel  Bird pilot ,either died from the stress ,or the subsequent crash .

The controls are course & the aircraft very agile . So induced oscillations are easily to get into .

spacesailor

[jackc]

On 3/11/2022 at 12:03 PM, onetrack said:

What part of an RA-Aus aircraft is strong enough around the tail area to be able to tie the aircraft to a tree? I would imagine this rates as an entirely unacceptable proposal.

 

I've read of a young Chinese pilot taking off in an overloaded, shot-up, patched-up Dakota, along a bombed-out runway in Burma, with the tail tied to a tree via a rope, and the rope chopped with axes by Allied soldiers, in a mercy mission evacuating European women and children from the advancing Japanese in early 1942 - but war conditions are something totally different to everyday civilian operations.

Only way to test a Thruster with a 582, works for me with a snatch strap secured to a Landcruiser bullbar  🙂 

[kgwilson]

Have you downloaded and read the FAA Amateur built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook FAA AC 90-89. This is a question I'd ask any potential test pilot. This has the most comprehensive test flight information available. RAA put one out but it pales in comparison to this. I followed this guide and successfully test flew my own amateur built aircraft. It was always my plan to do everything and following well documented and proven procedures is the way to go.

[Old Koreelah]

On 03/11/2022 at 1:03 PM, onetrack said:

What part of an RA-Aus aircraft is strong enough around the tail area to be able to tie the aircraft to a tree?

I’ve often used a Bunnings Aerospace ratchet strap to anchor my tailwheel to a post. Testing the engine system under full power is sure safer on the ground.

 

I seriously doubt the puny and gentle pull of Jab 2.2 prop would harm the structure I built. (In a separate test, a mate had no difficulty holding the tailplane while I hit max revs.)

[facthunter]

It's only a fairly meagre thrust you are opposing. If that pulls the tail off I would not be thinking of flying it. The excess strength of the tree is immaterial. The bumper of a 4WD is portable and adequate..That's the way it's been done as long as I can remember. If you weight the tail and use chocks that would be OK but I've known things like an Electra to jump the chocks.. Nev

[kgwilson]

I can hold my aircraft on the Matco disc brakes at full power on bitumen but it will skid on grass. I wouldn't do it for any sustained period though, firstly because of possible overheating and secondly because my calf muscles would get too tired.

[Cosmick]

On 3/11/2022 at 5:43 PM, Steve L said:

Spot on Bruce, after that incident I wonder if he’s still test flying. Also sad for the owner of the Sonex who lives in the UK and built the plane here. 
 

A similar incident happened to Maj ( may he Rest In Peace ) as he wasn’t so lucky.

 

steve 

 

Also Wayne Fischer of drifter fame. Dangerous jobs I wouldn’t do it.