boingk

I like that the article is putting forth the view of it all being excessive. I believe it is, too. Hell, all the more reason for us to buy, maintain and fly our own planes. Cheers - Enoch

Yeah I got mine on offer, $15 under what they were asking. The way eBay works with that sort of thing is that sellers preset a range that will be accepted automatically, and any bids below that are rejected. The headset PTT is for use on very basic systems (ie no external PTT) or for convenience I believe. I treat it as a 'backup' system. You do not have to 'override' the system, just use the regular PTT as you always have. Very simple. Cheers - boingk

Ditto on the mag check at shutdown and a general look-over. The flightschool guys say its not neccessary but I treat their craft as I'd treat my own. Cheers - boingk

Sapphire - I currently fly things set up for stick-mounted PTT (C150 / Gazelle) but the headset PTT would be fine for regular use. It is on the righthand side and is easily accesible. The button itself is both large and easy to press. If you control the stick with your left hand and throttle with right then there are very few situations when you'd need to pick between radio and throttle modulation. If you're curious about the audio jack-in then it also works very well. It lets you have the tunes at an easy listening background level and no more (have tried both my phone and iPod with similar results). Traffic is easily heard above it at all regular radio volume settings. On the price, apparently the RRP is US$250, and the eBay store is the manufacturer direct for all stock including excess units and refurbed demo models. I am unsure whether you'd be able to pick one up cheaper than AU$180 equivalent instore. Cheers - Enoch EDIT: I reread your post... and think that you are asking 'do I have to use the headset PTT all the time?' If so then the answer is no, you can use the standard PTT button fitted in your aircraft.

Yeah the 04 runway is brilliant... dodged a few skydivers last time I was down there and enjoyed the entry/departure when I got it! Cheers - boingk

OME - Very nice mate! Hows she ride? Everyone else - Definitely understand the sentiments about SMIDSY (Sorry Mate I Didn't See You) incidents and general lacklustre driving of all kinds - I was a postie rider for a year and almost got killed on a daily basis. They might've had zero power and poor brakes but my God did they handle! Just as well, too. Heres my current pride and joy. Nowhere near as cool as the WLA but I still enjoy her: Cheers all - Enoch

Very nice writeup Louis, very nice indeed! I particularly like the electrical ingenuity... can only imagine how it felt to put them on and give the first call with them, knowing you had made them. For a low cost headset (non-ANR, 29dB PNR) I would personally recommend the Rugged Air RA-900, a set of which I've recently bought as my first headset. Its very comfortable, light and has minimal clamping pressure. The flight schools Clarks/Airtronics all made me want to throw them out the window somewhere between the 1 and 2 hour mark... the RA900's seem to be infinitely comfortable by that measure! They've got very nice padding and great noise reduction. As a plus they've got a full-flex boom, push-to-talk button and 3.5mm jack-in for music. Clarity is excellent, and did I mention they're comfortable?? Best part was that they were less than AU$180 after shipping direct from the states. Search for the seller 'ruggedradios' on eBay and you'll find them. Cheers - Enoch

Very true, Sapphire, but it is still a good indicator of engine stats. This is why many also have an engine oil temp sensor and exhaust gas temperature... in fact I believe these are mandatory for many (non-certified?) engines. The head temp is generally a good indicator of engine temperature as the head is the 'heart' of the engine, if you'll excuse the mixed metaphor. Overheating at the head will most likely also indicate a form of overheating elsewhere (blocked/inefficient cooling duct) or some other sort of problem such as preignition or oil starvation. Cheers - Enoch

Cooling 101: Aircooling is easy (no plumbing, radiator etc) but inferior. This is due to its generally higher weight (cooling ribs) and lower power (lower tolerances) Watercooling is more complex but generally provides engines with higher specific power. Both types need a suitable installation in order to work, with air being directed over the cooling surfaces (cylinders or radiator). Some airframes are not suitable to a particular installation, or offer a much more straightforward option for either type of engine. Ideally the aircraft designer will have a particular type or range of powerplants in mind when designing the aircraft. The above is a reasonably straightforward guide to engine cooling. Engines are also affected by the prop fitted, mixture range and ambient temperature. Generally an idle will not be sufficient to provide adequate cooling for an engine for any prolonged period of time, and a slightly faster speed can be used in some conditions to overcome this via increased airflow. High ambient temperatures can and will cause problems for aircooled engines held on ground for excessive lengths of time. As for cooling under all conditions... we're picking hairs. My car, for example, does not operate under ALL conditions... but for 99.9% of the conditions I will ever encounter it does just fine. I imagine the same for aeroplanes, with the added fact that by our study of weather conditions before takeoff we can take note of and avoid any possible trouble areas, thereby possibly circumventing any unwanted operational conditions. Being held on the flight line for prolonged periods of time is another issue and can be dealt with by a few means, notably more careful flight planning and advising the tower / traffic of any possible overheating condition to let them a) know about and b) possibly help with your situation. Aircooled engines do indeed need cooling air to be directed over the cylinders. Whether this is freeflowing air of air ducted from elswhere (most notably the front or underside of the cowling) is irrelevant so long as it is there. What some people are referring to as 'cylinder head' cooling is in no way accaptable, as in reality all it does is provide marginal cooling for the valvetrain. The actual head is buried away under the cover, valvetrain, and a substantial amount of metal. Valve-cover cooling is valuable, but in no way sufficient as the sole method to cool an engine. You want and *need* airflow over the cylinders themselves to provide adequate cooling, as well as the sump/oil reservoir and any oil-cooling radiators. Cheers all - Enoch

Congrats mate, its a grand feeling isn't it? My advice for first navs would be for places no further than 30~40NM away. After that then you can work your way up to longer trips with more legs or refuelling. Don't slack on navigation and really try to nail all your enroute markers. Radio towers, roads, small towns... pick them all consistently to keep tabs on where you are and you'll do well. My favourite short trips so far are Goulburn - Bathurst and Goulburn - Maruya via Braidwood. Love the scenery on each, especially the runway at Maruya! Cheers mate, keep us in the loop!

Nothing too dramatic here as I've only been flying for 60 hours, all of them this year on hired aircraft. Some of the worst were fuel readings being 20L out from what the gauge told me (always do physical checks!), oil being below minimum and oil being on the limit of change interval overtime (Owner: She'll be right mate... where you headed? ). Mostly, though, I just show up and fly without too much drama.

Nice video... although at 4:20 it explains that a tricycle gear aeroplane needs 'little to no rudder input for a safe landing', then promptly shows a C-150ish type plane landing in a crowsswind. I tell you what, if I'd have been advised of that 'fact' my first solo (10kt crosswinds) would have been a lot less satisfactory! Otherwise, spot on :D - boingk

It sure it a lot different - what I'm angling at was that they do give you a good theoretical perspective on things. Aside from that I would not rely on anything other than the real thing. On respect for aircraft, yeah definitely have that! Have had a few close calls with instructors piloting and although there was no damage there certainly could have been a less than optimal outcome had sub-par pilot skill or cocksureness come into play. Luckily both times the instructors knew exactly what to do to get us out of the situation. Cheers - boingk

Righteo mate, shoot me a message with your whereabouts and number and I'll try and get in touch tomorrow lunch time - hell might even be able to fly in! Cheers - boingk

Thanks for the recommendation mate, I might have to look more into it. I'm weighing up purchasing an aircraft in Perth and would be planning on flying it back over say a week or two after familiarisation over a day or two at its home field. Could simply stop in on the way back. As for Oberon -> Goulburn... its a short hop mate, go for it! If the SuperPup II in your infoblock has anything approaching a 'decent' engine in it, it'd be giving a nice 75kt+ cruise and you'd be here in no time. I've done the Bathurst run myself onece or twice and really enjoyed it, even in the flight school's old C150 Aerobat before it got a much needed carbie and magneto overhaul. We've gont some nice scenery down here within 10min of the base (lakes, windfarms, war memorial, Woodlawn mine) and two runways to choose from; 4000ft tarmac and 2000ft grass. You can also hop across to Crookwell or Braidwood which are both nearby and nice to fly from. Methusala - Sorry to hear about the incident but glad to hear the damage was minimal. While I'm here, you fly a Thruster right? What engine has she got and what is she like for cross country? May consider a Thruster if they cruise well, but am unfamiliar with the type as I've only flown C150 and Gazelle (soon to go on to C172). Cheers - boingk

Reasonable budget for first RA plane: 15K, which will get you Thrusters, Sapphires, J3-type stuff and other interesting things. 50 to 75kt cruise, most often two stroke. Insurance is taken care of in membership and annuals are negligible. Reasonable budget for GA plane: How much do you have! Apart from servicing costs and insurance, the general price of purchase is a lot more. Sure, you might be getting more plane... but how often do you really need three or four seats, let alone two? Costs run from 30k for a clapped out Piper Cherrokee to over 50k for a clapped out Cessna 172. Good stuff costs a lot more, and suitable a lot more to hangar, maintain and insure. If you're weighing up registering between VH Exp. and RA for something then personally I'd just go RA... especially as 24 register craft can be flown in CTA with certified engines & transponder. Comparison enough?

I fly from Goulburn, NSW (an hour north by car from Canberra) and have clocked up around 60 hours this year so far, mainly in a C150 Aerobat but lately in a SkyFox Gazelle, as I'm working on my RAA ticket. I only have two hours to go till I can get that, loving it so far. Regular trips for me so far are to Crookwell & Taralga (short hops), Bathurst, Maruya and Yass (longer flights). Have been into Wollongong once and enjoyed that as well. I gather you're out West, Tomo? - boingk

Thanks for the advice, guys, and the story Kaz! All up right now I don't think I can do my training for taildragger locally, but would certainly be up for it sometime in the future. I am reasonably familiar with the operation of a taildragger on takeoff and landing as I'm a bit of a nut for flight sims and also RC models. Thanks again - boingk

Nice one guys - mines a bit of a long story though.... As long as I can remember I've always loved flying and aviation. As a kid I built model aircraft from kits, made paper planes and was one day introduced to a rubber-powered kit that ended up looking something like a Cessna 150. Radio control was expensive and rare-ish back then so I didn't go any further. The years passed, I finished school, went through uni and then found myself without a job in my field due to national and world financial woes. I worked as a postie, and then as a bar manager and aircraft detailer (current). Along the way I kept up my passion for flight, but always had it as a sort of dream on the fringe of consciousness and entertained my love of motorcycles instead. One day while looking online for a bike part I stumbled upon a radio control plane with transmitter... for around $200 or so! WOW! Things had advanced since I'd been through highschool and uni, and I did a bit of digging around before purchasing a 2.4Ghz transmitter and a plane. Within a week I was flying aerobatics in a local field. That was 18 months ago, and I now indulge my passion for RC flight as often as possible, with many kits and scratchbuilds in the hangar. About 6 months ago I realised I wasn't going to get anywhere with the field I had a degree in anytime soon, as the labour govt. and job climate were (and still are) terrible. A bit more digging led me to calling the local field and etting up a trial introductory flight. I ended up flying 3 hours that day and commiting myelf to a CPL course! Today I'd about 60 hours up on that first encounter and have my GFPT, RA-Aus student licence (2 hours til full) and many enjoyable aviation experiences. My avatar is a staged photo of one of my radio controlled aeroplanes - an 800mm wingspan Curtiss P-40. The groomed strip its on is a local cricket pitch :D Basically, I'm a 'life long' aviation nut! Cheers - boingk

Hey guys just wondering whats needed for a taildragger certification in RA? I do not currently have one and would like to add it to the list of 'can dos'. Cheers - boingk

I have approaching 60 hours this year and in total, mostly in a GA-register C150 Aerobat. I've recently done an RA-Aus conversion and gained my student licence (not for bl00dy long!). I would say the advantages of GA are the restricted airspace, ability to utilise different aircraft with more seating and load capacity simply by hiring, and international recognition of licence. The disadvantages are cost of gaining licence and time spent gaining licence. Personally I am doing it to get a career, and am persuing the 200hr CPL course via my local training centre / airfield. I have been pre-emptively offered a job as RA-Aus instructor and would be inclined to take it provided I continue to fly (and pass tests!) at my current rate. Needless to say the GA licence is fairly important to me, but for personal (pleasure/point to point/you+sig. other) aviation I strongly believe that RAA is the way to go and I intend to buy a craft in the future. What it means to you may be a different story, too; I am living at home still at 23 y/o, having completed university, and am working two jobs to put myself through flight school. I work nights as a bar manager and the odd day as an aircraft detailer, thus leaving most days free for flying. I have a good credit rating and use it to full advantage in regards to flying hours, as well as having a 'wink & handshake' deal on the price with the local flying school due to my ability to fly weekdays when most people want to fly weekends. Anyway, good and bad points for a GA licence. Cheers - boingk

Good to hear the first flights went well and that you were able to take a pic or two, too! Very nice indeed. I'd love to have my own aircraft and am heavily considering the Rans S10 in the classifieds... I need something with dual control for my RA-Aus Instructor rating, tailwheel and future endeavors and particularly like the efficiency of the Rans designs. Very jealous of you at the moment, as I'm sure more than a few are. Loving it mate, hope you really enjoy her. All the best - boingk

I understand what you're getting at, but if you're really concerned about the weight a flight manual (need be no more than a few half-A4 sheets bound together with zipties and clear plastic front/back... 100g?) will have on your craft then you are really flying on the edge. I think the realistic option for most people is simply getting in better shape - and, no, I'm not having a go. Many people carry more bodyweight than they need to. I am a young guy, reasonably fit with stats of 6'2" and 90kg. I could stand to lose 3 - 5kg at most. Others will differ, but I would reason that most everyone reading this could probably lose a kilo or two in the quest for "better flight performance". This kind of talk is common amongst motorcycle riders, who will often spruik the latest performance enhancing whatevers as giving more power and being lighter than the items they replace. In reality, most realise that *they* are the limiting factor in the partnership. Cheers - boingk

I think that CASA is a decent organisation in kind but definitely in need of simplification and straightforwardness. One example would be of myself not being able to get a straight answer from them about more or less anything relating to training - CASA gives a different answer to what is written, which differs to people in service and the people training me... WTF?!?! Before getting into aviation I thought all that stuff was black and white straight down the line kinda stuff, much as getting a drivers licence is. They even managed to f*** up my medical, charging me for a Grade One and issuing a conflicting certificate which apparently is a Grade Two, even though confirming being to the standard of (and being paid for as) a Grade One. Again, WTF?!?! One solution may be to fire the living sh!t out of all the unecessary staff - check out state rail for example, with over 700 'unecessary' middle management jobs slashed in one foul swoop. Thats a lot of people to fire for apparently no ill effects. Makes you wonder what the f*** they were actually doing... Seems to me like it almost needs a restructure from the ground up. - boingk EDIT: Ramp checks? Have your paperwork in order and do not contravene any restrictions your licence, destination or aircraft may impose. Just like driving a car on a public road IMO. I have one small backpack with my logbook, certificates (and copies), ASIC card, maps, pens, instruments, sunnies and headset. Throw in a Aircraft Manual and you're set.

Way to go mate, must feel very good indeed :) - boingk