Maintaining circuit height: tolerance for RA licence?

[turboplanner]

Don't take any notice of us Duncan, just relax and enjoy your flying.

 

 

[Ultralights]

i notice there is no mention of personal limitations, yes the GA rules say +-100Ft is an acceptable tolerance for PPl and +-20 for CPL, and even though there is no mention of tolerances with RAAus, i still teach to keep it within +-100.

 

Personally i get annoyed when i cant keep it within 20ft, sometimes in turbulence it just isnt possible, but +-100 is usually pretty easy in turb.

 

when it comes to flight tests, i tell my students the legal requirement for PPL is +-100ft, but i will be really impressed and give a distinction if you can keep it within CPL limits of 20ft. even though its a RAAus flight test.

 

same goes for landings, i wil give a metre or 2 tolerance from the centreline, but will be impressed when you can get it consistently on the line. not to mention aiming points. i like to get students to pick an aiming point on long final, eg, 2nd line marking past the numbers, and see if they can touchdown exactly on that point, give or take a few metres.

 

obviously i get into this with students about to complete their flight tests, and i am happy to see many ex students aim to keep up with these tolerances, not because its required, but its a personally set limit and helps to constantly keep skill levels up.

 

 

[farri]

I don't fly at airports in my Lazair because it flys slow at around 35/40mph Ozzie

Ozzie,sorry off topic but how about a photo of your Lazair,please.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

here is one. sorry i don't have any of it in the air

 

 

 

[poteroo]

Ultralights,

 

Yes, the same tolerance of +/- 100 ft is what I'd suggest is fair and reasonable for RAAus PC level - but better than that for instructor aspirants.

 

The worry that I have about quoting absolute numbers as competency 'limits' is - that pilots are going to have their head-in-the-cockpit, chasing the altimeter....when they should have their eyes outside. I believe it's more important to be situationally aware than +/- a few feet in altitude - especially when you consider the variation in altimeter accuracy, and that a small parallax error of 1hPa means 30 ft out.

 

I'd prefer a heads outside, checking back to the runway, avoiding convergence or divergence, checking the windsock, the weather and the traffic approach - for practical safety reasons.

 

It occurs to me that by specifying too many measurable competency criteria, we're going to end up with a bunch of neurotic 'clockwatchers' instead of well rounded pilots who have better SA.

 

happy days,

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

two tiny tachs are about it for the engines and the 7" lcd is for the inflight entertainment system.:thumb_up:

 

 

 

[motzartmerv]

The CASA VFR flight guide quotes cct height for helo's at 800 feet...whats the go??

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

that's what i have been asking for the last couple of years. it' like the left hand don't know what the right is doing.

 

i had pointed this out to the Raa when they published circuit procedures (CASA issued version)for Narromine last year and was just brushed aside. Never had a reply from CASA when i pointed out that it was dangerous to mix the two at 500ft. but they did move rotary wing to 800ft later. but the other mob haven't picked it up. i can't work them out and i ain't flying at an airport because of it.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Poor duncan he asked a simple question and we hijacked another thread again.

 

Duncan just try and work to improve wour skills. with each circuit.

 

remember there can be discrepencies from time to time and aircraft to aircraft due to slight errors in setting QNH and errors of non TSO'ed altimeters. that have not been recently checked. and bad maths remember all hieghts in the circuit are AGL.

 

IT is always best if there is a conflict between aircraft is to change heading not altitude for the reasons your instructor gave.

 

 

[farri]

here is one. sorry i don't have any of it in the air

Thanks Ozzie,I`d love to have a fly of it,great to see someone is still interested in real grass roots flying.

 

Can one moter keep it in the air.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

not with the 100cc pioneer but the Rotax 185 can hold their own on one and if you are light it can climb.got to remember they are designed as a powered glider. some of the canadians have re engined with redrive solos and they can cruise at their VNE

 

if i lose one i just use the other to extend the 14 to 1 glide and then shut down for landing. bit of a pain to land with the engines running it floats and floats . with the narrow gear losing one on take off is a real fast diversion. there are a few good vids on you tube of them flying.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

thats cool ozz.. where are you hangared??.. maitland??.. i come up there quite often, would love to catchup and have a look.. what a cool looking machine...:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

here is another photo that gives a better veiw of the wing plan. this was at somersby but it was not the place to fly it from. it now lives at home in it's trailer. about 30 minutes to put it together. 38ft span 143sqft, weighed in at 73kg when inspected. burns 4lthr flat chat. bit slow for cross country but great for thermalling or ridge soaring. or accompany my step grandson trail bikeing. we don't go out in public to often but if RNAC have their show this year i'll do a static setup with it.

 

no it's not in production the design is 30 yrs old this month. you can pick a series 3 up in Canada/USA in mint condition for under 5 grand.

 

Ozzie

 

 

 

[Tracktop]

mmmm

 

pic doesn't open - looks like Ian has a little problem

 

tried opening some others and they react the same.

 

Just have to wait until he gets time to fix it

 

Ray

 

 

[Admin]

mmmmpic doesn't open - looks like Ian has a little problem

tried opening some others and they react the same.

 

Just have to wait until he gets time to fix it

 

Ray

Which one are you trying to open?

Ozzie's attachment works for me.

 

We have lost the attachments for the last few days due to a corruption that happened on the most recent attachments

 

 

[farri]

if i lose one i just use the other to extend the 14 to 1 glide and then shut down for landing. bit of a pain to land with the engines running it floats and floats .

I`ve flown the Wheeler Scout and the Condor but they don`t glide very well,I love gliding also and get up high within gliding distance of my strip and shut down and turn the Drifter into a glider,unfortunately it only has an 8:1 glide ratio but it still takes a while to get back on the ground and I love it. :thumb_up:

 

Thanks again,Ozzie.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Farrie over 20 series ones came into the country in '81, one two seater that i know of went to Kerrie Packer and several series 3 came in via private people.

 

i have only found 7 of the series 1 plus my two the rest are out there somewhere.

 

 

[Tracktop]

Which one are you trying to open?Ozzie's attachment works for me.

 

We have lost the attachments for the last few days due to a corruption that happened on the most recent attachments

Hi

 

works OK now for me :thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

this is the best model the Elite. fully podded twin cyl KFM engines.

 

Similar to the 'SS' a model used by several police forces.

 

 

[farri]

Great,but I`d prefer the open model better visability,possibly less drag.

 

Apology to Duncan Bayne for taking your post off topic.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.