Ben Longden

For those who refuse to believe I drove down the main street of Bagdad, twice.. and not get shot at, I 'earby submits me proof..... Oh..... Bagdad, Tassie.... Seriously, a beautiful place. Ben

As a few of the vic members know, Echuca Aero Club held a small airshow last weekend, with profits going towards charities including Angel Flight. I could not get there.. but as I live under the circuit.... I could not help myself. Attached are a coupla snaps.. Ben

Quote Adam; As they always say the key to a good landing is a good approach! Thats what Nathan, Tristo, Sue and our CFI Matt keep telling me.... I think ive managed it once.. by sheer fluke... with Matt on board... Ben

The astonishing thing in this is that according to ABC news, CASA is quoted as saying that digital phones do NOT interfere with (RPT) electronic navigation systems. Ive written a number of times to CASA and Qantas to outline the basis for the phone ban, and so far have never received a reply, other than a recept of the letter. On the downside, I would hate to be sitting on a flight from Melb to Perf next to a "merchant banker" talking loudly on the phone.. the last refuge would be gone! ;) Ben

Well said Mike. Ben

Well done Ian.. The cardboard cubby is a classic! Ben

ABC News. An American airliner canceled a flight set to leave from Las Vegas to Detroit after the captain swore on a mobile phone in a bathroom, then at one of the passengers on the plane. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, Ian Gregor, said the incident happened on a Northwest Airlines Flight on Friday. "He used what was described to me as rude language," Mr Gregor said. "At some point during the boarding process, he left the cockpit, went into the front lavatory, locked the door and continued his conversation. "Passengers who were boarding the aircraft could hear his end of the conversation through the lavatory door." When the captain emerged from the bathroom, one of the 180 passengers confronted him about his behavior, reportedly prompting more swearing from the pilot. Local police questioned the captain, whose name was not released, and determined there was no cause to conduct a sobriety test. But Northwest canceled the flight and flew the pilot back to his base in Detroit. The airline said it expected to get the last of the delayed passengers to their destinations by Sunday. "Northwest is conducting a review of the matter and has apologised to its customers for the inconvenience," the company said in a statement. "Northwest has provided impacted customers with meals and hotels. In recognition of the inconvenience, they will receive compensation from Northwest Airlines." - Reuters

Did that once in the Tecnam... ended up making a go-around as the bloody thing did not want to touch down..! Ben

I thought at first he was studying MY landings... but then I read the latest comment that said he had jammed control surfaces.... Ben

What a classic! Gone, but never forgotten... rest in peace Tony. Ben

Jeez, Tristo! Don't let Air Shepp instructor Nathan Muller see that one, or he WILL be out there with the Shotty when we take too long on our solo flights.. Ben

A great decision Ian, I took the day off from editing video to have a day with the family, and it was the best I have had off in a while. The forum will be safe in the hands you have entrusted it to. I guess the RAA will be bringing your concerns to light during the debrief for Natfly, and its up to them to address the issues for the betterment of aviation itself. The ball is in their court now, and I applaud your decision to have family time. Ben

Bugger.... I'm glad the crew are OK, but wonder what the issue was for them. The Melb Age and the Sun said it was a Cessna 152, but the prize of the week has to go to the copywriters at the Hun for their headline; Birdie on the 12th a surprise Ben

YIKES!!! Hope he is ok and did'nt lose any bits..... Ben

And here I am.... working over Easter, when I really wanted to be up at NatFly.... Pelorus32, (Mike) ... bring me back something!! Ben

Death plane came in too fast Mark Forbes, Jakarta April 7, 2007 Melb Age A GARUDA Boeing 737 was travelling at 410 km/h, nearly double normal landing speed, when it slammed into Yogyakarta Airport's runway last month, bursting into flames and killing 21 people, according to the crash investigators' report. The confidential report points to pilot error as the cause of the crash. Aviation experts confirmed speed and flap warnings would have been sounding in the cockpit and the pilot should have aborted the landing. The preliminary report of Indonesia's Transport Safety Committee also reveals that: ■Yogyakarta's runway does not meet international safety standards, with its safety run-off only a quarter the recommended length. ■The Boeing's pilots reported a fault in the reverse thrust of one of the plane's engines shortly before take-off. ■Cockpit data recordings revealed no mechanical problems before the landing. ■Weather conditions were calm, contradicting the pilot's claims of a massive downdraft. ■There is no evidence of the pilots arguing in the cockpit before the crash. ■Fire trucks and rescue vehicles were unable to reach the crash site quickly and were improperly equipped. Indonesian Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa has attempted to block the release of the "preliminary factual aircraft accident report", but The Age has obtained a full copy from sources in Jakarta. It contains all the technical details of the crash, but makes no final analysis. It is clear that, having ruled out mechanical faults, investigators are focusing on pilot error and possible charges against Captain Marwoto Komar and co-pilot Gagam Rohman. Psychiatrists have been brought in to analyse why Captain Komar ignored equipment warnings and continued the landing. The report also raises the prospect that the inadequate safety run-off at Yogyakarta Airport and the failure of emergency services to respond quickly could have contributed to the crash and the number of fatalities. Under international safety specifications, the safety run-off at the runway's end should ideally extend for 240 metres, with a minimum requirement of 90 metres. Yogyakarta's safety area is only 60 metres. After bouncing more than a third of the way along the runway, the Boeing 737 did not have the space to stop. It overran the safety area, ploughed across the airport fence and an access road, and slid to a halt in a paddy field 210 metres away. The 737's right wing was torn off crossing the road, severing fuel lines that started a fire. With front exits destroyed, most of the 21 who died were trapped near the front of the plane and perished in an "intense, fuel-fed, post-impact fire". One hundred and nineteen passengers and crew survived. The airport rescue and fire fighting service was "unable to gain immediate access to the accident site" as it was outside the airport perimeter and there was no access road. "The equipment used for the application of water/foam was not suitable to reach the wreckage," the report states. According to cockpit recordings and radio transmissions, conditions were calm and clear for landing. With the plane approaching at much faster than normal speed, its flaps were not in the landing position, investigators found. They were only extended five degrees when normally they would be at 30. It is believed investigators found no indication of flap malfunction. Aviation consultant Gerry Soejatman told The Age the plane was coming in "way too fast". Recorded warnings of "low gear, low flaps" would have been broadcast in the cockpit. Normal procedure would be to abort the landing. It is believed the co-pilot suggested a "go-around" seconds before the crash. The report reveals that, before leaving Jakarta, the pilot told ground engineers that the left engine thrust-reverser fault light on the cockpit instruments had illuminated. "The engineers reset the thrust reverser in the engine accessories unit and the fault light extinguished." The plane was then classified airworthy. The report states that the "investigation is continuing and will include further examination and analysis of the aircraft and the flight and voice recorders".

Pretty much.... Dad always taught me to navigate using the sun and stars, as well as with map and compass. Seems a lot simpler and less complicated to me, but then having a GPS as a backup to confirm your maths is a positive idea. Ben

April 5, 2007 - 11:28AM The Global Positioning System (GPS), increasingly vital technology for activities including navigating cars and planes, bank financial transfers and more, may be threatened by powerful radio bursts from the sun, a panel of scientists in the US warned today. "Our increasingly technologically dependent society is becoming increasingly vulnerable to space weather," David L. Johnson, director of the US National Weather Service, said at a briefing. GPS receivers have become widely used in recent years, using satellite signals to navigate planes, ships and automobiles, and in the use of mobile phones, mining, surveying and many commercial applications. Indeed, banks use the system to synchronise money transfers, "so space weather can affect all of us, right down to our wallet," said Anthea J. Coster, an atmospheric scientist at the Haystack Observatory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The cause for their concern, Johnson said, was an unexpected solar radio burst on December 6 that affected virtually every GPS receiver on the lighted half of Earth. Some receivers had a reduction in accuracy while others lost the ability to determine position, he said. Solar activity rises and falls in 11-year cycles with the next peak expected in 2011. If that increasing level of activity produces more such radio bursts the GPS system could be seriously affected, the researchers said. And protecting the system is no simple task, added Paul M. Kintner Jr., a professor of electrical engineering at Cornell University, who monitored the December event. There are two possible ways to shield the system, he said, both very expensive. Either alter all GPS antennas to screen out solar signals or replace all the GPS satellites with ones that broadcast a stronger signal. That is why it is essential to learn more about the sun's behaviour quickly in an effort to find ways to predict such events, the researchers said. In addition to the GPS system, the December solar flare affected satellites and induced unexpected currents in the electrical grid, Johnson said. "The effects were more profound than we expected and more widespread than we expected," added Kintner. Dale E. Gary, chairman of the physics department of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, said the burst produced 10 times more radio noise than any burst previously recorded. The difference between that burst and normal solar radio emissions "was like the difference between the noise level of a normal conversation and the noise level in the front row of a rock concert," he said. "This is a wake-up call" to improve technology, commented Anthony J. Mannucci, group supervisor at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Patricia H. Doherty, co-director of the Institute for Scientific Research at Boston College, said the burst affected but did not shut down the Federal Aviation Administration's Wide Area Augmentation System, which uses GPS signals to help in navigation. Most WAAS ground stations maintained contact with enough satellites to continue working, although their accuracy was somewhat affected, she said. The stations have to maintain contact with at least four satellites to work, but they usually monitor at least 10 to increase their accuracy, she said. Most were able to meet the minimum, she said. The briefing came at a Space Weather Enterprise Forum convened by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to discuss the effects of solar activity. Because of its increasing importance, Johnson said, the Weather Service's Space Environment Centre was converted from a mainly research centre in 2005 to an operational centre reporting on solar activity and its impacts. AP I guess this is another reason why wee need to learn the map, ruler and compass stuff backwards....:;)2: Ben

Ten out of ten for that Tristo, I havent laughed like that for ages... Ben

While working in the lab late one night, My eyes beheld an errie sight.. A monster from the screen arose... Someone landed at a closed airport and didnt bother reading the notams beforehand. This is from the ATSB weekly summary; Ben

At least we now have a warning system... The Bureau are expecting to have the system able to give wave height data in a few months.. but still, any warning is better than none. My sis in Newcastle certainly appreciated it as she was nowhere near a radio or TV.. or PC. Ben

Must be me, but I swore I posted a story from Todays Melb Age (1.4.07) saying just the opposite. I cant seem to find it. (and I do have my glasses..) The story said investigators thought they heard the word "go around" said, and that there was no arguements in flight, but plenty afterwards. However, SBS news replayed a NINE interview with the chief investigator who stated the pilots argued. Ben

"Greedy" be danged... oil companies are the living definition of the word Greed, followed closely by any federal govt because of the taxes they harvest.. There is a big difference between responsible corporate profits for shareholders and extortionate greed, which is always seen prior to public holidays and weekends. Ben

Australian Flying and the RAA mag... I would love to buy all the mags in the newsagent, but I need the $$ for the lessons... ;) Ben

Got a couple....