TomJ

Last thing I want to do is add to any speculation at this time, so please take this as an innocent question from which I can learn and nothing more... I completed my 3-axis Microlight pilot licence a few years ago in the UK. A standard part of training for that was in cross-country navigation, and I needed to successfully complete 2 cross-country navigation flights. This was part of the *basic* licence requirements. And of course, navigation training had a heavy component in flight route planning including identifying all potential obstacles (antennae, power lines etc). But I notice that cross-country navigation seems to be an "add-on" for RAAus. Does the *basic* RAAus include the sort of flight path planning that the BMAA in the UK includes? Not implying this has anything to do with this particular incident.

Exactly what I found when looking for a small(ish) 4WD to buy now that I've moved back to Oz (and like to go camping and surfing). All smaller "4WDs" are actually AWD, do not have low range, do not have lockable diff. With one exception: the 4WDs made by Suzuki, which is why I bought a Grand Vitara. On a more general note, putting my academic hat on, I have been using the example of car advertising for some time now as a demonstration of how the publicity world has moved from fact & features based advertising to emotion-led advertising. This is on the back of a huge body of research showing that emotions trump "rational" cognition in many everyday decisions. That's also why cars are all curvy, with worse visibility due to smaller rear windows, than was previously the case - looks trump function at least to an extent. Even when we think we're thinking rationally, often it's a post hoc story to rationalise an emotional decision. I don't know enough about recreational or general aviation to know if it's the same story there, but I know enough about human decision making to be pretty sure it would be.

First solo was 2 years ago. I was flying out of a little airfield called Chiltern Park in southern England, training in a C42 Ikarus. We had flown a short distance south to Popham Airfield for a few landings and takeoffs, then back to Chiltern Park for some circuits. My instructor got me to park and got out and said to do the same thing again by myself (well, there was a bit more of a briefing). Off I went, did two circuits from the 420m grass runway 33. Parked up with the biggest grin ever. But my second solo a week later stands out: I was taxiing back to hold ready for another takeoff when a bunch of trucks followed by walking people with flags appeared in the field just to the RHS of the runway. Radioed in to ask what the deal was. Was told to proceed with takeoff - they were only hunters and they probably wouldn't shoot at the plane

Not experienced, having only recently passed my NPPL(M) in the UK, flying a C42. But this was drilled into me by my instructor. During my test when the examiner called engine failure, I indeed found myself too long (under 1st stage flaps). Did my best to sideslip with 2nd stage flaps, but would probably have not been able to stop before hitting the fence at the end of the field (estimating of course - we didn't actually land). I was upset with myself because I'd been nailing the forced landing approaches for a long time before the test. But after the end of the test, the examiner said that he liked how I kept working the situation, scrubbed a lot of height with the slip, and said we would have hit the fence but slowly, and that was much better than coming up short. I passed. Following his advice, I am never going to stop practicing forced landings.

Haha. No, Tom Johnstone is my name and singing is not my game! I did my flying out of Chiltern Park, a small airfield south of Oxford near the Thames, and just below the Benson approach. Made for some nice close ups (but not too close!!) of Chinooks. The NPPL(m) in the U.K. involved navigation and some flights to other airfields, so I had the experience of landing on the 2000m old RAF runway at Kemble, as well as the over a forest for a steep downhill grass landing pleasure of Popham. Flying the C42 was a pleasure. The CTSW was much trickier for me - more twitchy and would float endlessly if you carried a bit too much speed on landing. Though that might have been down to lack of time on it.

Hello everyone. I just arrived in Melbourne after 25 years away (grew up in Perth). Most recently I was in the southeast of England, where late last year I got my NPPL(M) licence flying a C42 Ikarus. Unfortunately, since then I've only done sporadic flying, with some differences training and a long distance trip to Germany in a Flight Designs CTSW. So looking forward to getting into the air, freeing myself of what will no doubt be quite a lot of rust (I notice at 51 that the rust sets in earlier than when I was 25 :), and getting myself an Australian licence/certificate. And meeting some of you at the airfield. Right now I'm looking at Lilydale, Coldstream, Tooradin and Tyabb, since I'm in Elwood. Any I've missed (figured not Moorabin as I'd spend too much time on the ground)?