Swish Projects

I think we leave the chickens and ducks out of this.

If you are in the market for a great amphibian then please let me know. I am bringing Aventura sea planes into Australia now. Sea-plane.com

Hi Spanna, I am the Zenith distributor in Aus/NZ. As I understand it, the aircraft must be an approved LSA. This means an ASTM LSA Approved model, built by a factory-approved facility in accordance with the ASTM LSA Standard. The facility is indeed 'self-certified', but it's not really a quick or inexpensive process. In the case of Zenith Aitcraft, we only have two of our six main products LSA Certified - the CH650B, and the CH750STOL. If I were to build these to be registeted LSA, they must be built EXACTLY as per the approved specs. Same engines, instruments etc. It would cost me around $150 000 to become compliant (send every worker to the US for three months training). I can bring in LSA from the US, and you will have no problems putting them on the line here. If the aircraft is for you or your 'fellow builders' to learn to fly in, then you can do that in an aircraft that you have built. If it is an investment or a tax deduction you are after, then you will need to buy a new LSA Certified aircraft, or a used one with impeccable paperwork. Message me if you like and once I understand your needs I can point you in the right direction.

Hi Bones. I used to fly trikes around Charters. I took off from the old strip at Mingella 2-up once and barely got airborne due to the extra 30kg of grass I collected off the runway. I was on my way from Townsville to Charlies for the Goldfield Ashes. Fun times. CONFLICT OF INTEREST TIME!! I am the Australian Zenair distributor, so it would be entirely remiss of me not to roll in out of the sun on this conversation. I don't know much about the Lightwing product, but I am guessing that you do. Please be sure to have a look at www.zenair.com and compare to our range of aircraft. We have 110kt low wing 2 & 4 seaters available in either tricycle or taildragger and high-wing cross country machines or STOL in 2, 3 and 4 seaters. Any engine you like (pretty much) and any instrument combo you like. Reading between the lines (old bastard), our high wing aircraft are very, very easy to get in and out of. The gullwing doors swing up to allow clear access to the seat. The centre-stick column means that you're not threading your legs around a control column between your knees or pushing a yoke around. OK, Zenair distributor duties fulfilled. Take care Bones and have fun with whatever you decide. Fishy.

You are correct. The peolpe I work with are all very clever. Brains and aptitude are not enough. A preparedness to fight back when the hood falls is what I was referring to. A clever deer in the headlights is no good to anyone.

Hello everyone. I am a 20 Year ATC, and have experienced the dread that is felt during a loss of situational awareness. It is a horrible feeling when you mix up a radar ident or an extra track appears in your jurisdiction - and you have no idea who the hell that is. Is it a new aircraft that's busted your airspace, or is it someone you forgot about? Sometimes it is pilots changing their callsigns during a flight (spending the last 10 flights in a particular C172, then jumping into another one for the first time). It is a terrible feeling and one that EVERY ATC will eventually need to contend with. Stop departures, establish identification, maintain separation and pass traffic. Then report it and hope for kind treatment. Recognising that even the best of us will get into this situation, I am personally reluctant to recommend a trainee for a final check until I have seen how they cope when their best laid plans have fallen into a steaming heap. Anyone with a half a brain can do ATC if they have the right training and all is going to plan. Not everyone can dust themselves off, re-organise a herd of cats and establish a safe situation. Until I see that a trainee can do that, and will do it again when they are working without direct supervision, then I prefer to see training go on a bit longer. In this case, the check may well have been a relevant factor. The big problem with being under check or training, is that you are the slave to two masters. You have your job to do, but then you need to also think about how the Check Controller wants you to do that job. It is like thinking in a second language - everything needs to be considered twice, and it's tiring. It is even worse if you are getting little 'tips from the Super-Coach' while you are trying to work. Nothing you ever do seems good enough. Managing interaction with a trainee or candidate is a very difficult thing to do properly - one I am still working on after many years. Without knowing enough information about what happened here, it calls out to me that something strange is going on when the check was allowed to continue after the first 'incident'. In today's workplace environment, and reading between the lines a little, I speculate that the writing was already on the wall for this particular candidate. The pressure of this check was amplified by the fact that their job was on the line, and the check controller felt they needed to collect ample evidence to support their assessment as 'not suitable'. I can certainly relate to both sides of that fence. We all just do our best, support our colleagues, report our learning experiences and call out for help when we need it.

Hi Marty, I just found your post and wanted to say hello. I have recently assumed the Zenith Aircraft Australian distributor role. I would be happy to contact some of our clients in your area to arrange an inspection of a Zenith low-wing design. I have also looked long and hard at Sonex (I was a Zenith client before a distributor). It is fair to say the are similar in many respects. The new B models are a great improvement on the previous offering. The extra room, fuel and panel space brings the Sonex up to where the Zeniths have been for decades. Most differences now are cosmetic or not worth squabbling over. Some differences, however, should sway your purchase decision. Sonex is aerobatic. Zeniths are not. Pilots do perform aeros in Zenith designs, but they were not built with this in mind. Zeniths have a local rep (me ), a long history and a load of support. Our engine choices are the best in the industry and we supply tough aircraft that look great. Let me price some options for you, and you could be building in a week. I actually have a CH650 tail kit and plans here that you can get a start on. Bye for now, James. 0407767386

I am building a Zenith CH750STOL. My solution is to tap a dry-break fuel fitting into two steel jetty cans, and attach a permanently plumbed fuel line with it's own small 12V pump after 90 minutes of flight. The fuel line is connected directly to a wing tank. What I like about this set up is that I have the jerrys when I land, it is simple and I am not double-handling the fuel. I take my 2 x empty cans to the servo, fill them and then just lift them into their brackets behind the seat. When one is pumped empty, I gave it another hour or so and then remove the dry-break hose and attach it to the second can, turn on the pump and fill the wing tank again.

Thanks Rick. And congratulations to you too on you 650 project. I would love to be able to operate a 650 from my place, but my dodgy little strip needs a 750STOL. I jumped into the Distributor role to fill the need and can say that it was a great decision. The people at Zenair are great and my contacts with prospectice, new and existing clients have all been very positive. Helping people into a Zenair is great too. These kits are such an easy product to promote. Another really positive aspect of my transition into the distributor role in Australia, is that I have had several meetings with my predecessor, Mr Allan Barton. My experience with Allan has been great. Allan has given generously of his time, experience and contacts. I was hoping to get a bit of help navigating the foreign currency maze, and instead received hours and hours of great help on every aspect of the business. The transition from Allan to myself has been very smooth and Allan is pleased that I am picking up where he left off. To answer your question about after-sales support - please do contact me and I will do the best I can to help you out. Like most builders, I am learning every day too. I confess I am not nearly as knowlegable as I would like to be on the details of each assembly or even kit-building, but like everyone else on this forum, we will work together to get a great result. In short, I am good at getting the stuff you need. Not yet the best bloke for any detailed technical experience. Thank for getting in touch and keep us all informed on your progress. Bye for now, James.

Hi Everyone, I recently rebooted Zenair's Australian representation. My first month in the role has been a great success, with a few sales going through and my Facebook and web pages developing (slowly). My personal build is a CH750STOL, and it is progressing really well. It is true what they say - I am 90% finished, and still have 90% to go. With luck I will be committing Aviation by December (I will not commit to an actual year). I will be at Narromine in October, and at SAAA stand at Avalon in 2019 too, so please come up and say hello. If you can't wait that long to buy a dozen Zenair kits off me (& who could blame you?), then just drop me a line. [email protected] Take it easy aviators. James.

Hi Everyone, I recently rebooted Zenair's Australian representation. My first month in the role has been a great success, with a few sales going through and my Facebook and web pages developing (slowly). My personal build is a CH750STOL, and it is progressing really well. It is true what they say - I am 90% finished, and still have 90% to go. With luck I will be committing Aviation by December (I will not commit to an actual year). I will be at Narromine in October, and at SAAA stand at Avalon in 2019 too, so please come up and say hello. If you can't wait that long to buy a dozen Zenair kits off me (& who could blame you?), then just drop me a line. [email protected] Take it easy aviators. James.