For all recreational aviators

[mAgNeToDrOp]

Well said mate...

 

 

[Guest drizzt1978]

Thats a seriously great letter, Thank You so Much for finding the words; I struggled to say nicely!!!!

 

 

[dazza 38]

Same Here Matt, excellent letter. Well done

 

 

[Yenn]

The article was obviously very poor. It didn't explain what really happened, but became a bit of a stupid rant. My personal opinion is thet RAAus is good for the aviation industry, because it keeps people flying. I gave up for a few years because I couldn't afford to keep current.

 

As far as training goes it appears to me that a lot of RAAus pilots lack knowledge of the theory of flying and also lack knowledge of the paper work and legal requirements, but that does not make them less safe in the air. I have heard a lot of criticism of RAAus pilots for bad radio procedures, but it is not uncommon to hear those same critics, mangling their own transmissions, sometimes to the point of omitting essential info. There is also a lot of unhappiness in the GA camp, because they think RAAus is getting something they want and believe is their right.

 

If the GA fraternity want the same rights as RAAus, they have the ability to get it with SAAA, but I doubt that it will happen.

 

 

[Vev]

G'day Matt,

 

Very well said and written ...

 

In my mind, there was never a monument built to a critic.

 

Lets all hope your letter strikes a cord of unification for all that want to fly.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

[sseeker]

Well written Matt! Has anyone received a response from the magazine yet?

 

-Andrew

 

 

[Tomo]

Extremely well thought out there Matt... :thumb_up:

 

And Sseeker, I haven't heard anything.

 

 

[GraemeK]

Just to follow on from my earlier post - this is a serious GA magazine, right? And we all follow the South African Jim Davis with his commentaries on flight safety, stuff ups etc? And we hang on his every word, right, because he's the expert?

 

Well, how about this drivel?

 

Blocked static vents would initially cause the ASI, VSI and altimeter to under-read. I have no idea how much these errors would be. Theoretically the ASI should not have indicated any airspeed so they would have aborted the takeoff.

Well James, let a humble RA-Aus pilot help you. To make it easy for you, I will assume the atmospheric pressure has not changed since the "mud-bugs" infested the vents - I'm sure even the newest PPL will be able to tell you how much the readings will change if the pressure moves higher or lower after the vent is blocked.

 

Firstly, the ASI will indicate normal airspeed!! So they will take off blissfully unaware of any problem! So much for your critical analysis there!! (Of course, as they climb, the static pressure will remain constant instead of decreasing, so the ASI will progressively read low).

 

Secondly, the VSI will not just "under-read" - it will read precisely zero! We know precisely what the error is!

 

Thirdly, the altimeter will indeed read incorrectly (either under or over, depending) - and we know exactly by how much Jim! It will stay constant!! So, when we are at 1000' it will under-read by 1000' and so on!

 

So, we don't have to invoke your new theory about the compressibility of air in the static tube (much as you might have hoped this new insight might have earned you a Nobel Prize in Physics) - it's very simple, basic, PPL BAK stuff! No mysteries here!

 

This really is pathetic stuff for a mag that professes to be there to educate and inform pilots. At my RA-Aus school, if Mr Davis served up this drivel he would be failed on the spot. And deservedly so - this is dangerous advice!

 

 

[Tomo]

Aircraft have been known to crash with a blocked static...... (not small stuff though)

 

I believe he was talking more in the line of large aircraft?

 

 

[Admin]

Just forget about this rag and subscribe to The Pacific Flyer - that's what I did

 

 

[XP503]

GraemeK I actually thoroughly enjoy reading Jim Davis articles, I am not too concerned if he is wrong about the static vents, but the point he is making is still valid.

 

I have written unhappy letters to the editor and to Doug about that article but I will still buy the magazine I think it is one of the best and always enjoy reading it, especially Jim Davis' articles.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

just recieved my May issue of EAA's Sport Aviation. As usual great reading.

 

 

[GraemeK]

GraemeK I actually thoroughly enjoy reading Jim Davis articles

Yep David, so did I (they were one of the highlights of the mag) - but now I know I have to think more carefully about his analysis ......

 

 

[Tomo]

GraemeK, You got me interested in what he wrote now... anyway you can show us?

 

 

[hihosland]

go to post nbr 1

 

 

[Spin]

Gee, why the falling out of love with Australian Flying, I dredged up some of the old photo comp threads that they sponsored and praise was fulsome. Incidently from what I have seen lately, the standard of entries has risen dramatically in the last year or so, well done.

 

I'll continue buying the mag, mainly because my interests extend beyond RA Aus alone, but it won't be for the Jim Davis articles I'm afraid. Entertaining, but a little light on technical precision, not to mention that a lot of them look awfully familiar from when I lived in SA and read local mags. If we're going to import expertise I'd rather it were of the calibre of Brian Lecomber and others who have contributed to Pilot (UK) over the years.

 

 

[Tomo]

go to post nbr 1

Thanks Hiho, but I actually meant what Jim Davis wrote -

 

 

[alf jessup]

Geez Doug,

 

How come at my airfield it's always the ga trained pilot flying in that hasn't looked at his ersa that does his circut in the wrong direction or does the flyby down the centre of the runway at 500 ft with a tear drop turn past the end of the runway then lands or the cessna from moorabbin that makes no inbound calls at a aerodrome near me then enters circut without a call and then flys his final 20ft underneath a trike who has made all appropriate calls and is on final about 60 ft up and then doesnt even realise what he had done wrong (mind you they were not good speakers of english), yep if that is what they teach you no wonder every one is deserting the hi cost aviation sector.

 

Have a look in your own nest before crapping in ours.

 

Recreationonal training is as good as the person that is teaching it as is yours.

 

Cheers

 

One of these untrained flyers

 

 

[alf jessup]

Oh by the way all to you ga pilot licence holders out there i'm not intending to bag you all out i am just trying to say we are not all perfect and Mr Nan narrow mind needs to open his eyes and get off his pedestal and maybe get contact lenses so he doesnt have to look down his nose over his glasses at us mere mortals who fly other aircraft that dont have VH on the side or wings.

 

Alf

 

 

[GraemeK]

GraemeK, You got me interested in what he wrote now... anyway you can show us?

Tomo, it's on Page 70 of the May-June Australian Flying (same issue as Nancarrow's piece).

 

Don't want to labour the point, but my point was his statements were completely incorrect - looks like he was confusing pitot blockage with static port blockage - as we know, two quite different things!

 

Here's the quote:

 

The final link in the chain is something of a mystery to me. Blocked static vents would initially cause the ASI, VSI and altimeter to under-read. I have no idea how much these errors would be. Theoretically the ASI should not have indicated any airspeed so they would have aborted the takeoff.

No mystery, methinks!

 

Reckon I'll leave it at that, unfortunately in my old age I'm at grave risk of becoming a grumpy old man!! :gerg:

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

My annual subsribtion renewal arrived yesterday. I sent it back with a note saying I would no longer be renewing due to the the authors biased and inaccurate article. So there.

 

Phil.

 

 

[Guest eland2705]

Jim Davis - he drew Garfield didn't he?

 

If'n ya don't laugh, you'd cry!

 

 

[Spin]

Jim Davis - he drew Garfield didn't he? If'n ya don't laugh, you'd cry!

 

 

[Guest The Bushman]

Raa v Ga or GA v RAA

 

I live and fly out west RAA club close to a GA club at the local Airport and after comments like You have a certificate and I have a licence we as a club have deceided to stay away from this upperty group We fly,they just talk about the good old day < yet they are comming over to RAA in there droves cost is slowing getting to them sooner the better

 

James :mulie::mulie:

 

 

[monty]

G'day james,

 

I fly in western Qld and I get the comments that it isn't a real plane it's only a toy because I CHOOSE to fly a Drifter.Rag and Tube not a real plane? Small mind syndrome so they can feel important as a pilot.

 

Monty