StringPuller

G'day John, I hope you're well and still pick'in and strumming away. Hi, Fred. I guess we had a good run for a long time with the RAAF. Robyn and I still get up but its an early start for us. Weve been caught up there when they've become active and they were very friendly and guided us back home, so its all good. Im glad Andy is over your way, I don't know the man but Ive only ever heard good things about him from the people that have met him. Robyn and I flew at Cowra last weekend with Hutcho and the kids from his Breakaway program. Good weather, great kids, fun time. Wont be long before the Spartan ppc buggy lands here. Cant wait to get my bum in one and try it. My mate Trevor has 4 heading this way, 2 doubles and 2 single seaters all converted to hand controls for Australia. Hooroo, Kevin SaVell

It had to happen. I just found out that we can no longer fly PPC in the controlled air space in the Hawkesbury area when they're active. I don't know all the facts yet I was just told by Hutcho yesterday that the RAAF ruling had changed. The RAAF become active at 8am 7 days a week so we're sweet to fly before that time. Sure going to miss getting up there when it suited me. Hooroo, Kevin SaVell

I found this photo a while ago on a USA forum. I think the joker that owned it was trying to get it registered street legal. Not sure if he ever succeeded?

I maintain 2 PPC's one with a Bolly prop(tuff edge) and one with an IVO prop (stainless tape edge). Aerochute Australia has the stainless edge tape and they do a great mail order, next day most of the time. If you've never fitted them before its worth talking to them to do it right the first time. Hope this helps you out. Aerochute International Pty. Ltd. 12 Acheson Place North Coburg, Victoria Australia 3058 Tel: +61 3 9354 2612 Fax: +61 3 9354 2795 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aerochute.com.au

G'day Kev, thanks for making that clearing. Im all for fitting the missile covers the way you have. Like I said Ive seen them fitted your way and can see the advantages of it. Its a quick tap to kill the engine and it looks like the covers puts minimum stress on the toggles plus they look really cool. I think if Aerochute (Conte's) did a poll on how often an ignition switch was turned off by mistake in their standard position they'd re think the whole switch and its position again. Ive got mine on the head plate and that's where they're staying, but Im 19 rego so its my choice. I guess there's no where that's 100% perfect so we'd better learn not to bump them. I think I hear Santa better hit the sack. Merry Christmas.

Aerochute Kev you might over read this question that was put in a note above this re your missile switch covers. Just so it clear, with your missile covers do you have them so the missile covers are up(when ON) and its one easy push on them to turn them OFF? Or are your covers guarding the switches on the ON position and Missile covers must be lifted to shut down the engine? Merry Christmas to everyone. Fly safe.

G'day Kev, It makes sense that the original switches would be of better quality than the old ones and the ones Ive replaced them with. Since Ive fitted the same as my old ones I'll run them and see how they go. First sign of trouble they're gone. Just so it clear, with your missile covers do you have them so the missile covers are up(when ON) and its one easy push on them to turn them OFF? Or are your covers guarding the switches on the ON position and Missile covers must be lifted to shut down the engine? All the missile covers Ive seen fitted are in the easy slap to turn OFF which looks a worry to me because it doesnt take much effort to bring the covers down and turn OFF the engine.

Thanks for your input av8vfr. You had me scratching my head wondering how the hell you knew the amp of the switches I put in and then it dawned on me DOH! I should have posted one more photo and then you would have had the whole picture. On the bottom of the old switches it reads 3A125VAC on the bottoms of the new ones it reads 2A-250V and 4A-125V I did remover both screws on both new sets and loctite the screws in. I'll look into those missile switch covers, thanks. Thanks heaps for your input.

Im telling this tale in the hope that it helps someone else out. My old ex Aerochute (19 rego) had been through the wars before Id got it. It had been a training aircraft(32 rego) for a lot of years and Im guessing its had more props and damaged stuff changed on it than most machines. Im not sure if the ignition switches were the originals or not on it when I got it? What happened was it started to play up a bit on starting.It use to come to life after 3 pulls but that went to 5 then to 7. In frustration on starting Id check the kill switches by flicking them off and on between pulls give the fuel ball a squeeze again and even off and on the chokes again checking everything was okay, it would fire up I'd smile and all was forgiven. Id always just think it was going to fire on that pull and never put it down to faulty kill switches. The real trouble started at Cowra (Hutcho's hanger). After a fly I flicked the switches off on landing only to have my engine cough and fart on me and by flicking them on and off a second time the engine spluttered and died. Once home and armed with a new set of switches I dismantled the small switch box to find that the switches are held together by 2 very small screws in each switch body. On both switches one of the small screws had vibrated out leaving the switch only just working. I'll post pics because a pics worth a thousand words and Im long winded enough lol. Like I said Im not sure if the faulty switches were originals or changed before my time? Either way its worth a look at your own on that windy or rainy day. Im now back to a three or less pulls to start, Yaaaa! PS, who ever soldered in the old switches needs to leave the soldering to someone else. Seeing this nasty mess makes me think even more that they aren't the originals?

Wow, thanks everyone for the welcome. This is a great site and I hope to see the Powered Parachute section grow. Tomo, you need to get your butt into one of these things. Some of the best fun you'll ever have is playing in a PPC. I call it no thinking flying. Im not having a poke at you but its great for the lighter guys. Ive been reading old threads re weight belts. My hanger is a covered in trailer my airfield can be any block of land that's kind of level(cow free preferred). My set up time can be 15min and that's including warm up and even leaving a few minutes up my sleeve. You don't have to ask me twice to hear how much I love flying PPC's. Simple and safe, no frills flying. G'day GraemeM, no point in telling you how good these little things are lol. Thanks again Admin for your help on here.

G'day, When I got my old aerochute (yes 32 rego) it had just been worked on by the Conte's (aerochute factory) and at the time its kill switches were on the head plate to the side. They never told the previous owner to place them back to the original position but like others have said being 32 rego its best to check with the manufacturer on any changes made. There are pros and cons with moving your switches. Having used them in the standard position and on the head plate I like having them on the left hand side high and reachable to the pull start and chokes. Easy to shut down during warm up should something go pear shape. Ive never bumped them up there or had a passenger knock them to the off position in flight. When I first got my old bucket of bolts the hard part was getting use to where to find them on landing. Being trained and use to having them on the right and low that's the first place Id go looking when trying to shut down in a hurry on landing. It didn't take long to master where to find them and now I wouldn't want them anywhere else. No risk of hitting the throttle by stepping over or reaching across the front of the machine to shutdown after warm up. The other side of the coin is when I jump in Robyn's standard aerochute Im now looking up for the kill switches on landing lol. Hope this helps and gives you something to think about, Kevin.

G'day y'all, I joined this site back in 2009, it got lost in my favourites file due to lack of use. I also joined another aussie site which was more suited to powered parachutes. Things ran well there for a while but over time its been taken over and politics seems to have strangled it for me. It seems to me admin on that site has its own agenda and has let it fall into ruin. Back to this site: I had trouble remembering my old password to this unused site and seeing as Id changed my email address and hadn't up dated my new email address into this site I was up the creek with out a paddle. I contacted one of the admin on this site by email explaining my troubles and I received a phone call from him and he straightened everything out giving me a new password (thanks Ian Baker). Im still in a little shock thinking a total stranger could be so kind as to contact me and go to the trouble of helping me out. I guess I'll just put it down to good old aussie kindness. As I spoke to Ian he told me how 5 guys mediate this site that have a wide range of skills and knowledge when it comes to flying. I think that's a great thing and Im sure this site will keep a true coarse. Regards to all, Kevin SaVell.

Hi guys, Im not to sure how to describe myself other than Im an Aussie and I live and fly in the Hawkesbury, NSW. I fly but I don't class myself as a pilot. I have an aircraft but I find it hard to call it that. I love my sport and wouldn't trade it for anything, I fly powered parachutes. The machine I have is an aussie made Aerochute. Its a great little thing that has given me so much joy. Hooroo, Kevin.