Soggy Natfly....

[Relfy]

Brent, did you check your CM detector when you saw this plane, not that I'm saying you didn't see a plane...

 

 

[markendee]

Jg3

 

John,

 

Was looking forward to catching up with you, Bill and Hans this Easter. Kept watching the skies for you.

 

Someone told me there were Savvies stuck in Casino so thought it may be you. (I know Hans has a 701)

 

Good to hear you are all OK not so good you had to miss out.

 

Mark D

 

 

[brilin_air]

Hi Linda, it was me waving :wave:at the Yarrawonga fuel point.

Hey Ken!

 

You should have come over for a chat! We were going to go onto Echuca for the stop, but Brian sort of couldn't hold on that long.

 

It was lucky we did leave when we did, we could hear on the chat channel that the cloud was getting worse as the morning went on.

 

-Linda

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Yes, i saw some strange sight's.. people taking off with lightening flashing less then 5 seconds away.. But useing an ipod AH and google map.... my god.... And this guy actually told people he did it??.... With all those RAA and casa people there, and that didn't phase him???... Imagine what these people get up to when they are alone....

 

pooor poor form mate..whoever you are...thumb_downthumb_downthumb_down:hittinghead::hittinghead:

 

 

[eastmeg2]

We had a close encounter with a third kind at Forbes on the way home. It appeared to be a glider, but I have no idea what it was exactly.Any suggestions? This is the best I can describe it as. It appeared to be side-by-side seating, a very long wing and what could only be described as a pod underneath. It was coming straight towards us so this was the only angle we saw of it.

Hi Brent,

 

I landed at Forbes yesterday and saw what you're talking about and I've seen it up close on the ground and taken photo's before. It's a 3-axis self launching rigid-wing hang glider. Will send you a photo or two when I get on my other PC tomorrow. I only saw the one at Forbes from 100m away but I'm pretty sure it was the same machine.

 

Cheers,

 

Glen

 

 

[Guest Ken deVos]

Hey Ken! You should have come over for a chat! We were going to go onto Echuca for the stop, but Brian sort of couldn't hold on that long.

 

It was lucky we did leave when we did, we could hear on the chat channel that the cloud was getting worse as the morning went on.

 

-Linda

Hi Linda

 

We had just fueled up when you arrived so I hung around the fuel point for a possible chat, thinking that you may be heading over. Ha ha, I should have realised the J160 would not need any fuel.

 

Did you fill up at Narromine? A bit rich at $1.91 per litre and now only cash or credit card AND PIN.

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Brent,

 

Here's the photo I promised.:star:

 

Cheers,

 

Glen

 

 

 

[Yenn]

Thanks everyone. The rain has at last arrived, it started about 11am here, nice and steady. For some reason I seldom get all the rain that is reported by the media, but it has hardly been sunny Qld.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Interesting Eastmeg. Based on your photo it must have been REALLY close when we passed it as I remember it (and my passenger who just looked at that pick) being a LOT bigger than that. At first I would have said that your pic wasn't it, however it was at Forbed and it does have huge wing tips so it would seem that this was the machine in question. I can't help but think the pod underneath was actually a lot bigger but I was a little tired so maybe!

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Ken - as for using PIN's, get used to it because within the next year ALL credit cards will require a pin to be used!

 

I liked the way the bowser displayed your amount remaining on the screen when your card was inserted (when using eftpos). I was the second richest on the field apparently. That would have been third richest if Captain was there on Friday :-)

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Hi Brent,

 

It sounds as you you got a much closer look at Forbes than I did as I watched it take off from the Aeroclub clubhouse verandah. I don't think it was the same individual machine as in my photo, but was the same overall design and had a more completely enclosed white pod.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Yep, suspect I saw the one with the enclosed white pod. Was almost certain that the pod was white or atleast had white on it.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

... but wait for it ... he was using the artificial horizon on his i phone while in IMC and a google earth map on his phone for navigation !! ... The mind boggles ... It's no wonder we get bad press at times ..

I just downloaded and fiddled with the iPhone Artificial Horizon application.

 

If what you say is true this pilot should be reprimanded.

 

Even if in the GA world he was instrument rated the iPhone uses an accelerometer and not a Gyro so it would be of little or no value. Very dangerous indeed.

 

I was also disappointed when an RA-Aus aircraft flew into the field I was stopped at on the way home. He asked about fuel and I said there was fuel 20 mins flight further down the line and he could use my Carnet card. He declined the offer and proceeded to head into a head-wind to a major metropolitan field in Melbourne with a calculated 10 litres to spare. The field wasn't just one in the middle of nowhere with paddocks all around, it was Essendon. The 10 litres in his 912 wouldn't have equalled the mandatory reserve requirements and with a fresh headwind developing he was leaving himself with few options.

 

 

[Skyhog]

Hi Brent.Look here.Swift'Light-PAS

 

This would be the machine as I saw them at Forbes on Thursday.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Yep thanks Skyhog, that's it for sure. Like I said must have been close as it looked very large. He was a brave man to be up at the time, there was an aggressive shower over Forbes at the time (pic enclosed - Forbes is under this shower) and he was coming around behind the shower to land again I assume.

 

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Here are some shots of one i saw fly in Italy This version has a wheeled cockpit pod that simply bolts in. it has a konig radial and folding prop.

 

ozzie

 

 

 

 

 

[brilin_air]

Ken, yes we did get some fuel at Narromine, and it was a bit dear compared to other places, but we try and support local where we can as it might just keep them going for when we need them later. If we had of realised that you were on the forums we would have stopped for a quick chat as we like to meet as many people here as we can. Maybe we could get recreational flying stickers to put on our planes so that we could all recognise we all belong to the same club? Hope to catch up with you sometime in the near future and share a story or two.

 

Brian & Linda

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Does anyone know anything about the Jab that returned to the field on sunday morning around 10..??..I heard him on the radio as i was taxiing, had high oil temp and other probs... We watched him doing some pretty tight S turns on final for 04 to get the height off.. He touched down and rolled off the strip to the left...

 

Havn't heard anything since...

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Sorry for harping on but I should also mention the Cirrus SR22 that took off into the thunderstorm with lightning within a km or two on Friday. Very average piloting given the persons on board and the reason why they were at Narromine in the first place.

 

 

[turboplanner]

So who takes responsibility for this event?

 

 

[Guest brentc]

What do you mean exactly TP? as in do RA-Aus take responsibility for the event? Is your question regarding liability?

 

 

[djpacro]

mention the Cirrus SR22 that took off into the thunderstorm with lightning

I guess that was the one that a Virgin airliner was asking me about, when I was in the Parkes circuit, whether it had arrived.

[turboplanner]

Brentc

 

Reports seem to be coming in of flying behaviour at Natfly which would be more appropriate in a wild west show, ranging from an crash at night before the event, to flying in non VMC conditions - potentially fatal actions.

 

I'm sure professional students and pilots who have family nervous about the safety of recreational flying will be disappointed at the very least to hear of this poor behaviour.

 

The public at large is also hearing about it through the storis posted here, and word of mouth as people return and voice their disgust.

 

The fact that all of this was taking place in the presence of the full Board of RAA is also bemusing.

 

There would appear to have been a number of opportunities at Natfly for a fatal accident, and if the allegations that demonstrations were taking place in IMC, opportunities for visitors to be killed.

 

the pilots involved may ultimately have their Pilot Certificates suspended, and could have left families without bread winners - that's one level of responsibility.

 

However, this was an organised Event, and the question for all responsible people is who was in charge? who was supposed to step in when things were getting out of control?

 

At the moment the damage is limited to adverse publicity.

 

But an out of control situation can quickly lead to insurers deciding to walk away, and then there'll be no Natfly.

 

An Insurance claim will do the same.

 

The above applies to the Promoter or Manager of the Event.

 

To be fair to the RAA, if it was not the promoter, we have to be sure the Board members and employees knew about the bad behaviour, however I would expect some very fast and positive reaction from them, including statements on this thread within the next week or so, and if this doesn't happen, six of them are up for re-election next month and you can throw them out and get people who will manage a situation like this, which can only be doing us harm.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

Seems to me that the disciplinary process within RAA doesnt occur with fanfare and drums banging........but it definately does occur. Im aware of previous poor airmanship displays at Narromine where the long arm etc was applied

 

Andy

 

 

[turboplanner]

That may be so Andy, but right now RAA has a public relations crisis, is in the fish bowl, and needs to take some immediate and public action to reassure the public who may be living under flight paths or thinking of going for a flight, or about to make a decision on new weight limits.