Paul Willett

Good luck to anyone considering applying and starting a career as an ATC. There is certainly a need for new people at the moment - none of us are getting any younger. Make sure that if you organise a tour you arrange it to 'sit in' with the controller on a busy Enroute or Approach sector as well. Sometimes the 'PR' tour is not what you are looking for as either an aviator, or a prospective ATC.

Mazda is on the money here. Good that you were listening on the 'appropriate' frequency, and good that you had TXPDR ON as well as with ALT selected (This is really important - no ALT = no Mode C, and lots of nuisance alerts on TCAS with overflying aircraft in Class C, as well as providing the controller with no situational awareness in the vertical sense) ATC will not, normally, provide an unannounced traffic alert like that - the most likely reason is that the controller noticed you - hard to do with the number of aircraft around the BN area in Class G at times, and that he/she deemed an alert was neccessary under a duty of care provision - but it was not required under an Air Traffic Services provision. Nothing stops you howeverm requesting it - i.e. a RAS/RIS - Radar Advisory Service/Radar Information service. Workload permitting the controller will identify you, and provide you with a snapshot traffic, position or navigation advisory, and if you request, an ongoing Radar Information Service. Obviously you must be TXPDR equipped, Radar Identified, and you must remain on the VHF ATC frequency until such time as Radar Services are Terminated and you are instructed Frequency change approved. If you leave the frequency without this, ATC willl declare a 'phase' on you, and this may initiate a SAR operation to 'find' you! RAS/RIS costs you nothing directly - use it. (or lose it - the BN RAS Frequencies are often combined with CG APP, not only if it gets quiet, but also due to staffing issues.)

I just got back from NY and for a change went via ICN (Seoul in Korea) breaking the journey each way with an overnight. Flew with Asiana and even though the flight is a couple of hours more than via LAX/SFO we were refreshed, no jet lag, and didnt have to put up with any of that QF bull$hit. Not only that it was about $500 cheaper for each of us, even including the stopover costs. There are a million ways to go - the US have cheaper fares outbound that AU so you should find something suitable. Weather depends on where you want to go. Avoid Summer anywhere north of about Coffs Harbour, Avoid Winter anywhere south of the Gold Coast. Winter is beautiful Brisbane North to the Tropics, although it is the windiest time around SE QLD if you are considering flying. I will let other speak for the southern climes.

My next project, maybe some time off, is an amphibian - today I came across this article: http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/ICON_A5_amphibianLSA_VernRaburn_Rollout_198097-1.html

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/06/cellphones-cant.html

Thanks for the good wishes. The plan is to go - if we go - for 3 years, and during that time put some pennies aside for the amphibian that I dream about upon returning to Oz. However, I too know of some who went for just 'a couple of years' and haven't come back! Life is an adventure after all!

Well, lets just say, I have sold the Tecnam, sold the Hangar and sold my house at Woody Point near Redcliffe Airport. I have an EK ticket booked for a 'visit' to somewhere sandy in September. What happens after that..... who knows. Also heard a rumour that there is a concerted campaign about to start to ramp up the recruitment overseas in the next couple of months. Interesting times - it seems the media and the government have no idea what is going on with respect to this. Now if only we could get a decent contract offer from home....

Do I really look that stressed? Unfortunately it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better - have a look at our association website : http://www.civilair.asn.au

Have just returned from some time in the US where I (along with evryeone else it seems) was using the new IMac 24". Wow. It is basically a Desktop using Advanced Notebook Technology. No Box, no cables, an OS that doesnt crash. I use my computers for work, not so much gaming - mostly Internet, and I found adapting to Safari easy. As it happens my monitor on my PC is about to give up the ghost - the perfect excuse to become a Mac convert. A little pricey I suppose, but since Vista and the amount of bloatware and crashes, along with the constant huge updates, I consider it will be worth it. Out of interest about 80% of the notebooks I saw in Canada & the US in Internet Cafes were Macs. This must say something.

Ballparking it in my head, using the FCST wind as all headwind because it is close enough - and conservative, 75nm * 38KT GS *15l=29.6l 45nm * 33KT GS *15l=20.4l =50 l Burn +(15% VR [if you apply it]= say 8l) +FR of 30 minutes = 8l +Assume no climb fuel differences + Taxi = neglibible + Assume no WX/Hold RQMNTS =66l required (but if you dont carry a variable reserve and you interpolate the winds a bit you might be ok with 60l)

Phew! Thank heavens I went with the 2002 AUIII Falcon! (And am still driving it!) I think Bruce has one of these aircraft ready to put together at Redcliffe - will be nice to see it when it is in flying condition soon.

Arguing that economic benefit to RPT outweighs Airmanship, Safety and most importantly the Rules of the Air as described in AIP is not only a slippery slope, it is simply wrong - legally, as well as practically. Making a downwind landing in to a non-radio CTAF aerodrome - wonder what is says in their company ops manual about that? Don't be bullied by the size of the aircraft if you are in the right - but if you wish to help out do so.

The LAME working on it found a residue, which was causing the short - assumption on my part about it being INOX - but you are quite right about the qualities of INOX. Whatever it was no problems whatsoever since it was cleaned and refitted.

I think Homer Simpson had some input in to the ergonomics - I counted at least 10 cupholders - jumbo size! An interesting thread going amongst SY ATC - due to the 'quick' turnaround times to get the A388 back to SIN, and the problems with cooling the brakes down after landing, the aircraft is rolling through to the end of the longer runways - wont take 07/25 when duty runway apparently. Add the extra miles required for wake turbulence (10NM for a light following), and when there are a few of these operating the runway capacity drops considerably - way below the point where we are now in terms of pax/hour or upload/hour. Hopefully these are teething problems. If not, those not operating these things will be screaming loudly.

So that I was comfortable keeping the jackets on I bought good quality ones as used by the Helicopter Resuce and Police Services - they sit flat in a valise over the shoulders and clip around the waist. And the inflation tags can be placed under a velcro flap out of the way of any potential cockpit snags. Often wear the jacket on a 2 hour leg in the summer and it is not really a problem. Even though not legally required, whenever flying to YSHR I always wear the jacket, as well as transitting YBTL or YBCS. The engine always sound so much smoother when the jacket is on!