kaz3g

Well Marty, it's a funny thing you should say that because I was looking for some sage words to pass on for all those less than intrepid flyers who abuse tricycle undercarriages. It seems they are a shy lot because there aren't many of them that will admit to things gone wrong and why. However... The interesting thing about the tricycle U/C is that it was designed so as to allow pilots with lesser skill sets to survive their otherwise crappy landings. It did this by locating the c of g ahead of the mains and propping up the nose on a third wheel. The further forward the nose wheel, the more the aircraft will remain stable IF LANDED CORRECTLY AND IN A STRAIGHT AHEAD CONDITION. Of course, the further ahead it is the longer the moment arm when you stand on the pedals and the Girlings cause the tyres to cease turning while you slide to what may be an unfortunate crash stop with your nose planted in the altimeter. You can place a lot of strain on that bit of duralumin tube doing this. Landing with too much uncorrected drift or under heavy braking, or on the nosewheel first may cause the aircraft to swerve; it may depart the runway rapidly; or it may even tip over thereby reducing the effective radius of the propellor. Whatever the result, it will certainly be entertaining. There are some amongst us who have witnessed such gyrations from our armchairs strategically located outside the aeroclub bar where we score each pathetic attempt by the students to impress us. Landing heavily on the nosewheel is almost guaranteed to make the aircraft porpoise which, in turn, can result in buckled firewalls or http://www.aviationchatter.com/2011/10/stunning-nose-gear-collapse-caught-on-video/ It's the sort of activity that you really ought tell someone about lest some other poor hapless sod have his weakened appendage fall off at a critical moment. The primary cause of these humorous diversions is, once again, the inability of the pilot to REALLY land his tricycle aeroplane as though it were a taildragger...that is, tail a little low, stalled and on the mains first. Kaz Lest any student, ab initio or with high hours in his/her logbook take offence, I hasten to point out this is my attempt at humour and is not directed at anyone on this list most particularly myself.

Ian, at my age I have to practice more than most because I forget everything so quickly...you're just a young whippersnapper now but you'll be old one day, too. Yes, I'm planning on being there but don't think I'll camp...oh, maybe. Must be your shout! Kaz

Hi Geoff Just keep your feet dancing on the pedals...little light jabs each way as you roll out on landing to keep it straight down the runway. The 140 is a lovely little aeroplane and I know you will have a ball getting to know its quirks. One of my mates recently refurbished a 120 but I think he must have done it as a mantel display because he spends all his time in the USA instead of back here flying it! Let's know how it goes, please. Kaz

Hi Craig We used to rent a C150 or C172 from Tropicair for mustering in the late 70s. I had Cobra Station which no longer exists. Cobra, Wallburg, Pingandi, Mt James and. Couple of others were all resumed by the Crown at the end of the big drought in the early 80s. They were restocked and their waters closed down. The Cobra Homestead was originally the Bangemall Pub serving the gold mines there. Built in the late 1800s from mud and wattle slabs it later had cement floors pored inside the walls and cement render inside and out. A galvanised roof was put on over the slabs and fastened with windmill rods to stop it blowing off during a cyclone. It operates today as a tourist venture. Lots of Aboriginal rock carvings, the old mines and the original homestead which was about 5 miles up the road from the pub. A number of old graves going back more than 100 years, too. met Augustus, the biggest rock in the world was in the middle of the run and I lobbied the then Lands Dept to declare it a National Park. Cobra was set up to take cattle off its neighbours and I gather the old fella that settled it did that very well :-) Ernes Potts had been an overseer on Mt Augustus Station next door but took up the selection with his wife, Madeiline. He died quite young and Madeiline then married another stockman from Mt Augustus, Ben Wilson who carried on the tradition. Rob Bozanich bought it from Madeiline after Ben died and I bought it from Rob. It was bloody hot, bloody dry and bloody isolated, but I loved it and miss it still. A lovely old Aboriginal stock,an from Mt Phillip next door came and spoke to me when I sold up. He said to me: "You're goin"? I said: "Yes" (and I was pretty emotional). He said, with his hand on his heart: "You might leave this country 'ere, but it'll NEVER leave you" I can still see in my mind's eye, the station tracks, the mills and yards, the creeks (and the unmarked graves along them), the oh so wild cattle, and the amazing clearness with which you could see 50 miles across the flats from the big jump up that is the backbone of the Bangemall Range leading all the way to the Mount. I hope my ashes will be scattered there when I die. Kaz

I pinched this from a very old post on another site but thought you might enjoy a little bit of tongue-in-cheek...Kaz How to groundloop your taildragger Thought as many here fly "conventional gear" aircraft, you would enjoy this wonderful essay, written by 3 time unlimited aerobatic champion Lloyd Beaule: HOW TO GROUNDLOOP YOUR TAILDRAGGER INTRODUCTION Judging by how frequently it is performed, the Groundloop is indeed a popular maneuver. The Groundloop is an extreme low-level figure that is highly aerobatic in nature, which may be executed in many exciting variations. It is customarily performed as the last figure in a sequence, but I have seen the Groundloop attempted as a preliminary or warm-up maneuver. It is rarely scored, however, because it is most often performed out of the Judges line-of-sight. Also, the Ground loop is categorized as a surprise maneuver, and therefore nobody is really prepared when it is executed. In fact, the figure is not considered genuine unless Judges, spectators and the pilot-in-command are all surprised! The many interesting and dynamic variations do not have a Degree of Difficulty or “K” attached, but rather are rated on the International HC* scale. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE The Groundloop is one of the earliest recorded aerobatic figures. It was performed on virtually all taildraggers, dating back to Aviation’s infancy. The maneuver really came into its own during the Golden Era of the Groundloop, which was when the cross-wind landing was invented. Previous to this, circular landing fields were the norm, and the pilot simply eye-balled the windsock, and landed into the wind. However, it was soon discovered that a short, straight landing strip could be plowed out, and now there would be lots of room for hangers, clubhouse, and an expansive cocktail lounge. Once everyone saw how much fun this new land-use concept generated, it was adopted internationally. The daily Groundloop displays were an instant hit, and helped cast the new idea in tarmac. ANALYSIS Most Groundloops are weathercocking related phenomena. This means that at least one main wheel must be touching the earth, and a wind is blowing. Traditionally, the maneuver is started in a crosswind; during the landing roll-out the tail is allowed to be blown down-wind. At this point there are a variety of options that can be exercised depending on your inputs, and the maneuvers can take off in almost any direction, and finish in a variety of attitudes. Groundloops that occur under calm conditions are more rare, and require vigorous control inputs, so you really have to work at it to get a decent one. Groundloops can be generated anywhere from 5 MPH to flying speed. When executed at high speed, the figure covers more territory and generally spawns the most interesting variations. *HOLY COW High-wing taildraggers probably Groundloop the best because the upwind wing is more exposed to the breeze. The high-wing also enjoys a longer arm to really accelerate things once the maneuver starts. If the airplane is designed with the wheels forming a small triangle (short-coupled), and in the hands of the right pilot, this could be a Groundlooping champion. ESSENTIAL BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE Avoid the study of the following subjects: a) Cross-wind Landings and Take-off B) ground handling in winds Avoid seeking instruction on these subjects, for it will greatly reduce your chances of producing a truly World-Class Groundloop. Also, you might want to have a good line ready in case someone raises one of these subjects in conversation: “Cross-wind Landings? Hell, wasn’t that about lesson 5 on your Private License? I’m way beyond that!” PREPARATION To be successful, we must prepare both pilot and aircraft. PILOT To perform good Groundloops, the best preparation is no preparation. AIRCRAFT The aircraft can be prepared in a variety of ways to ensure consistently good Groundloops. First of all, the main wheels should be shimmed to a toe-in condition. If the wheels are adjusted to track straight ahead or are shimmed slightly tow-out, the tracking will be too stable to assist your attempts at groundlooping. Keep the tire pressures different from one another. If you know the direction of the cross-wind, reduce the pressure on the up-wind tire before going flying. And remember, it isn’t necessary to change the tires until you can see the second ply of fabric showing; a blow-out can be the start of a dazzling Groundloop. Avoid the hassle of taking off those troublesome wheel-pants by putting a drop of Loc-tite on the screws. Now you have a good excuse not to inspect the brakes. So, when the brake fails on one side or the caliper pinches through a rusted disc, you will enjoy a splendid Groundloop. At the back end, you can start by loosening the fitting that holds the tail-wheel spring to the fuselage. Just back the nuts off a few turns. Also back off the nut that attaches the tail-wheel casting to the spring. Now, slack off the steering springs a couple of links so the chain sags. And while you’re at is, cut that lock wire that some conscientious Engineer installed in case the chains break. From time to time they break on landing and produce a thrilling, and rakish Krameresque lurch. Fantastic! These simple mods will produce a delightfully loose rear-end that feels like it’s on ball-bearings. The little tail-wheel tire is best left alone; over time it becomes worn into an interesting cone-shape by the effects of slipstream, P-factor and gyroscopic effect. These left-turning forces create more wear on the starboard side of the tire, and soon you have a beautifully unstable little demon back there to really help you out. Install the push-to-talk switch in a remote area of the cockpit. When the tower talks to you on the roll-out, you can look down into the cockpit to locate the button, and when you look up, you may be treated to the wonderful green-and-blue kaleidoscope of rotation about the vertical axis. TECHNIQUE (HOW-TO) Once the pilot and aircraft are prepared, it’s a little like shooting fish is a barrel; there’s really nothing to it. There are several things you can do to get the Groundloop going, but really the best thing to do is nothing. Just let it happen. If you are landing or fast-taxiing in a cross-wind and you want a Groundloop … you guessed it – do nothing. Taxi with abandon. As a pilot, you are a free-spirited individual, and this can be best displayed by a carefree jaunt down the taxiway. Just let go of the stick and use the hands-free time to organize your maps and sequence cards. If the tail-wheel comes off the ground, you’re going a little fast. Maybe you’ll want to use the time to put on your seatbelt, polish the inside of the canopy, re-tie your shoelaces or perhaps light up a smoke. Taildragger have the right-of-way, so you won’t have to stop suddenly. When cleared for take-off, start bringing the power up as you swing out on to the runway. Of course you’ll want to shove the stick forward quickly to get that tail up (you can’t get it up too soon). If the plane will fly at 50, hold it on until 65. This technique spreads out the landing gear and brushes off some rubber, but everybody does it and it looks cool. If you get rolling quickly, any cross-wind won’t matter. Now rotate as you imagine you would in a 767. Haul straight back with controls neutral, and blaze off into the blue. On the approach, keep it low and fast. If the airplane lands at 50, cross the fence at 100. It’s best not to have a planned touchdown point because that can interfere with the free-spirited nature of the flying event. Start fanning the rudders through 500 feet, and keep it going until you’ve cleared the runway. The fanning technique is to let the airplane know who’s boss. Get the plane down to the runway as soon as possible, and force it to land with plenty of forward stick. The fast-landing method is good for all weather conditions, especially quartering tailwinds. Once the plane is firmly on the ground, let go of the stick, but keep fanning the rudder to cool the tail-wheel assembly. Taxi in as you taxi ed out VARIATIONS 1. 45-Degree Overland Express This one is best done at about 40 MPH. The airplane is allowed to weathercock slightly, the upwind wing and wheel are allowed to rise about 30 degrees and the plane swings into the wind. At 45 degrees off the runway heading, sharp downwind brake, full aft stick and aileron into the wind are added to stop the Groundloop. The plane is now headed off overland. This is useful for taking a shor-cut to the washrooms after a long flight. 2. 90-Degree Quick Turns with Prop Curl. Use the same technique as above, except at about 20 MPH. When you stomp on the downwind brake, also shove the stick forward. Even though you are traveling slower, the gyroscopic effect of shoving the stick forward will give you that extra 45 degrees of rotation. The tail will rise briskly. As soon as the prop touches the runway, pull hard back on the stick and apply both brakes. This was how the original Q-Tip Propeller was invented. If you’ve done it right, you’ll probably have a much more efficient prop. The Prop Curly can also be done straight ahead. Taxi at about 10 MPH while tucking in your shirt or cleaning your sunglasses. Keep your hands off the stick and slam on the brakes. Voila! Also try this while maneuvering the tail-wheel over an obstacle. For a more dramatic Curl, hold the stick forward and add a burst of power. 3. Pitts Special Twin Arcs. Start the Groundloop from the roll-out at about 25 MPH. Remove all cross-wind inputs and allow the airplane to weathercock. Move the stick forward to at least neutral to lighten the tail-wheel and reduce its directional control. The little biplane will rise up on the downwind wheel and begin a concise pirouette. The downwind wing-tip will hit the runway and begin scribing an arc of red butyrate, dacron and plywood. Without hesitation, slam in full upwind aileron, as if to attempt to lift the lower wing. The downwind aileron will shoot down and subscribe a beautiful red arc parallel to that made by the wing-tip. Pull the stick full back, push full downwind brake with full rudder and a burst of power to erect the plane. These little red arcs are very artistic and will attract a good crowd in the evening following the day’s flying. 4. 180-Degree Pirouette with Back-Track This one is best attempted in a light high-wind with narrow bungee landing gear. A Cub will do. The maneuver works best in a quartering tail-wind. This figure looks difficult, but is really pretty simple. It works best if the pilot does not interfere. Get the weathercocking started in the usual manner. Move aileron out-of-wind and push the stick forward to get weight off the tail. 20 MPH is fine. As the up-wind wing rises, the center of gravity swings as a pendulum toward the lower wing. About the time the down-going wing smacks the runway, the center of gravity will have swung to the outside of the downwind wheel. Apply this brake hard. Now it’s as if you had two upwind wheels because the center of gravity has migrated outside via centrifugal force. So now it wouldn’t matter which brake you applied, the effect would be to increase the rotation of the Groundloop. The wing-tip smacks off the tarmac, the brake accelerates the rotation and the plane has completed a full 180-degree turn, and is now rolling backwards down the runway in the breeze. This is very effective if you forgot something back at the hanger, like your lunch or you glasses; just add a little power and fast-taxi back to the button. 5. Groundloop with Bunt This is certainly one of the more dramatic figures in the Groundloop family. You’ll want to be traveling a little faster to get this one. Say 35 MPH. The figure should start slowly, then get faster and tighter as rotation sets in. A dry runway is necessary, and a quartering tail-wind from the left is best. Once rotation starts, shove in full down-wind stick and full-forward elevator. This will really tighten up the rotation. Now add full brakes and full power. The tail will shoot upwards and the airplane will do a kind of shoulder roll right on to its back! This is really low-level inverted, and you should ensure that your belts are very tight. This figure should be reserved for the last flight of the day. CONCLUSION The Groundloop has been around for almost a century and I’m sure it will be with us forever. And to keep it alive, all we have to do is be a little complacent, a little ****-sure and a little in a hurry. Most important, one needs a thorough misunderstanding of weathercocking, cross-wind take-offs, landings and ground-handling. Sounds pretty easy to me.

Who did you do your PPL with in Carnarvon, please? I'm pondering whether to fly my own across from Victoria mid year or whether to rent in WA and fly out to my old station homestead for a visit. Thanks Kaz

Tell that to the Short-tailed Shearwaters that fly 10,000 kms from the Bering Sea to southern Victoria each year. Kaz

Phone the operator, Goondiwindi Regional Council. type Unlicensed elevation 980ft permission Courtesy call 07 4652 0200 rwys 09/27 grass 1000m frequencies FIA BN 126.8 procedures 3% slope down to W. Fence with markers at 09 threshold. Strip soft after continual rain. Beware trees, fences & powerlines. Park near windsock. Dry weather strip only. windsock S side at 27 threshold Kaz

I made the same presumption...probably just foolish but the report did say the gear didn't extend. If anyone hears what type it was I'd be grateful. Kaz

What type, please? Kaz

From Wikipedia... Unpressurized four seat kit-plane, powered by a 350 hp (261 kW) Continental TSIO-550 engine[1][3] As of June 2014, the NTSB Aviation Accident Database records 20 crashes involving 18 fatalities across all IV variants.[7] On February 3, 2012, Steve Appleton, CEO of Micron Technology, Inc., was killed while attempting an emergency landing in a Lancair IV-PT turboprop at the Boise Airport in Boise, Idaho, moments after takeoff. He had aborted a take off a few minutes earlier.[8][9] On Saturday, January 30, 2016, Arlene Salac of the Federal Aviation Administration said in an emailed statement that a Lancair 4 aircraft crashed at 2:35 p.m. at the Albany, Georgia airport. Three people died.[10]

A wooden propellor was removed from Auster OLZ at Coldstream during the night approximately 2 weeks ago. The aircraft was parked in an open fronted hangar nearly 1 km off the road and has a Gipsy engine. If anyone hears or sees anything that may lead to the owner and his propellor being reacquainted, please contact Lilydale CIB or Yarra Valley Flight Training at Coldstream Airport. Kaz

Allegedly 3 experienced pilots on board...the ATSB report will hopefully reveal what happened here so we who also fly can all understand how the aircraft ended up in the water. Very sad event for their families and RVAC friends. RIP. Kaz

It's a PA 28 235 Kaz

It's legal to tape record your conversation with someone else, with or without their permission or knowledge in Victoria and it is admissible. You must be a party to the conversation. It's not the same in some other States where you do commit an offence. Kaz

Haven't seen the clock. Must be stacked under all the stuff we stole from that other club. There will be a few of us flying to Renmark for Easter if any of your guys are interested in a trip. God knows what we might find there! Kaz

It will be on again, Keith, barring unforeseen disasters or Kev sleeping in When is the next Echuca banquet? I've just started flying again after a bit of a personal hiccup before Christmas and would be good to check out how much of our stuff your mob has pinched! I don't think we have purloined anything of yours at all recently so will have to fix that, too. Kaz

I guess it has been a long time, Turbs... I got my artic endorsement in the early 70's on a C1800 with a wooden pole jinker and 60 litre oil drums mounted over the jinker back axle. The last really big rig I drove was our mailman's Volvo with 3 trailers and that would have been about 1978. It seems like just the other day, too <sigh> kaz

They must have been City truckies going through Euroa past my bedroom window when the Hume ran straight through the town. Kaz (I have a heavy combination licence and the road trains that carted our cattle may possibly not have had such effective braking capability that other assistance, especially that gained by just a flick of the Jake switch, to supplement that brought into play by brake pedal and hand piece, would be ignored).

I dunno Turbs. He was way over the double lines even well before the bend and had a bit of speed on before trying to "straighten" it. He did seem to pull up pretty quickly even though there didn't appear to be any gear changes or Jake. The first car was almost hidden in the glare of the high beam from the second one. Clearly, however, the principal responsibility rests with the mustering team. The meat will probably be bruised! Kaz

The various VFG's provide detailed information about each of the former GAAP airports plus othe Class D like Albury...have a look at the generic Class D info. https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/g/files/net351/f/_assets/main/pilots/download/melbourne.pdf The Albury tower likes to know what is going on because of the density of traffic coming there in both C and D, and because it's vision is severely limited by the GDR. It's open to any Class D tower to require you to request a clearance and for them to issue instructions re entry and joining. Although there is no strict requirement to use approach points, they are the most sensible places at which to make your entry known to the controller. Kaz

Almost certain to have been a road train in that locale but I thought he seemed to be right on them before I could hear the air come on. No exhaust brake either. Kaz

I've lived and worked on a station where we used fixed wing aircraft for mustering, but my sympathy is with the cattle. The musterers were at it too late and both the pilot and the horsemen were at heightened risk because of the poor light. And the lack of any form of traffic warning or control. The truckie should have realised what was going on when he saw the aeroplane cross the road at low level at least twice in a short time frame and should have stopped or at least drastically slowed. And the car driver on high beam should have been....! Kaz

Dick Smith the person has had nothing to do with Dick Smith the company for decades. Kaz