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dsam

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Everything posted by dsam

  1. dsam
    Metalman, it's interesting to hear your comments. I haven't flown the taildrager version (2k) and certainly not the bush tyres. All short-coupled tailwheel aircraft will bite the unwary. As for the adverse yaw, I can't say I've noticed it to be a problem, although as I started my piloting life flying gliders, I've never been afflicted with lazy feet - perhaps that's why I haven't had an issue - regardless of flaps. Note that more recent versions of Eurofox (like mine) have a taller vertical stabiliser fin, so they are more directionally stable... perhaps that has made all the difference?? As for wing flex... again, haven't noticed it as an issue. Factory wing-loading tests have shown it is structurally strong in all the sandbag loading & certification tests I've seen photos of. There's nothing negative in my opinion.... again, perhaps I'm too biased??
  2. dsam
    I have no experience of the Kitfox or Skyfox, but I support Maj's comments about the Eurofox. Mine is built like a Swiss watch IMO. All structural tubing is sealed against corrosion, with meticulous construction and workmanship. It is available as a trike or tail dragger. It can be used to tow gliders up to 750 Kg. It has impeccable manners in the air, and with a Rotax 912ULS, 110 Knot TAS cruise is always on offer. Full length hanging composite flaperons slow it down to 36 knots for excellent STOL operation. When you are done having fun, fold the wings back and tuck it into a trailer for storage & transport. Mine has a 10" Dynon driving the autopilot which is handy for the longer nav legs. 85 litres useable fuel gives a total range around 570 nautical miles or 5.7 hours endurance. Of course I am biased because I have one, but I am convinced the Eurofox offers all I could hope for in this category of aircraft.
  3. dsam
    Page 160 of the Dynon 13.0.x PDF user-guide shows the map menu / map mode: Track Up setting FYI. Happy flying :-)
  4. dsam
    So the good news is that nearby terrain colouration (yellow then red), still appears as an overlay layer on top of the OzRunways hybrid VTC/VNC/WAC map. Not much need to toggle to the Dynon default terrain map display IMO. Still a happy pilot :-)
  5. dsam
    So the good news is that nearby terrain colouration (yellow then red), still appears as an overlay layer on top of the OzRunways hybrid VTC/VNC/WAC map. Not much need to toggle to the Dynon default terrain map display IMO. Still a happy pilot :-)
  6. dsam
    I saw their Eurofox flying there a couple months ago, but I've been away overseas since that time. I have my own 3k (trike config. Eurofox) there too, kept in a trailer. It only "comes out to play" once every 2-3 weeks for a x-country visit, so it doesn't remain local too much.
  7. dsam
    I saw their Eurofox flying there a couple months ago, but I've been away overseas since that time. I have my own 3k (trike config. Eurofox) there too, kept in a trailer. It only "comes out to play" once every 2-3 weeks for a x-country visit, so it doesn't remain local too much.
  8. dsam
    Jep... Yup! :-)
  9. dsam
    Jep... Yup! :-)
  10. dsam
    I'm guessing they dropped the price due to it being much closer to the November map cycle. I haven't got the fms subscription, so can't advise about this. I will actually go flying tomorrow, so will see how it operates & looks amongst nearby terrain.
  11. dsam
    I'm guessing they dropped the price due to it being much closer to the November map cycle. I haven't got the fms subscription, so can't advise about this. I will actually go flying tomorrow, so will see how it operates & looks amongst nearby terrain.
  12. dsam
    Ok it's all working. This morning I updated the Dynon firmware to 13.0.3, downloaded the hybrid map and key file from OzRunways (now only $9.00 by the way) and voila! BTW, don't forget that the Dynon system must have the correct "tail number" ie. no dashes or leading/separating spaces in your rego (eg. 241111 or VHXYZ). The two OzRunways files need to be in the root-directory of your USB stick, and that USB needs to remain connected to the Dynon system at system start-up for it all to work. When flying it is a simple matter to toggle between the Dynon generic terrain map, and the OzRunways hybrid map. I'm a happy guy :-)
  13. dsam
    K-man is right to point out the "fly neighbourly" area. When I did it, there was a lot of helicopter activity shuttling sightseers, so don't forget to communicate on 127.1 and fly the FN recommended altitudes to maintain separation. Don't forget your camera - it's beautiful along there!
  14. dsam
    This will be a wonderful improvement for me, I suspect. However, Dynon's generic maps currently display with high-terrain "warning colourations" where nearby terrain is above my current altitude. I wonder whether high-terrain "warning coloration" will be included in future iterations from OzRunways? Or can one quickly switch maps between Dynon generic, and OzRunways/Airservices Australia? Rowan, any info on this?
  15. dsam
    Thanks for the responses, everyone. Seems like there is no compelling reason to learn another user interface. I agree about OzRunways being more intuitive, and I have always found the developers helpful and promptly responsive with any questions I've put to them. Looks like "the grass isn't necessarily greener" on the other side. All users seem to benefit from the competition between the developers of both apps. Happy & safe flying everyone. Dave
  16. dsam
    On vacation in Anchorage Alaska. Was a passenger in a Beaver, flight-seeing Denali (Mt. McKinley). Spectacular views! North America's highest peak, and we had the best possible weather, too. An experience to savour!
  17. dsam
    The recent versions of OzRunways supply good winds aloft info too, so perhaps it is more in the IFR capabilities?? Or perhaps it is just a "Holden vs Ford" sort of advocacy??
  18. dsam
    I have been a happy OzRunways user for a couple years now and know it very well. As an RA-Aus pilot I've found it brilliant for my needs whenever I fly, and particularly for the longer cross country trips (esp. exporting a GPX flight plan to my Dynon autopilot via USB). However, I know a few GA IFR pilots that swear by AvPlan (but don't use OzRunways). I have quickly browsed the AvPlan interface, but find it less intuitive, so I never made much effort to learn it in-depth, as I have with OzRunways. Question: should I make the effort to learn AvPlan & consider using this software instead? Are there significant advantages with AvPlan, or is it simply better suited to IFR or GA? It seemed in the early development years that they incrementally leapfrogged one-another on features, but I suspect they have stabilised this with roughly equivalent capability in recent months. I don't want to inflame passionate users of one or the other into blind advocacy posts here. Instead, I was just hoping for a couple responses from "power users" who are very familiar with both apps. If there are good reasons to change to AvPlan, I would make the effort to learn that interface too. Otherwise I will happily stick with the OzRunways app that I know so well. Dave
  19. dsam
    As a Eurofox owner I find viewing such videos reassuring, knowing how well they recover from a spin. I must say from personal experience that this aircraft has no nasty or surprising characteristics. Stalls, and stalls in turns (with or without flaperons extended) remain gentle, predictable, and quickly recoverable. Everything remains well "telegraphed" to the pilot, and controllability is ample at even the slowest speeds. In fact it is hard for me to imagine being so hamfisted at the controls to ever find myself in a spin I didn't try hard to achieve. The fact that the flaperons are "hanging" below the chord, and operate differentially mean there is minimal adverse yaw, but ample authority. Inherent safe and thoughtful design that suits me very well, I must say.
  20. dsam
    It's certainly not my intention to spoil things for YMEN aviators. Indeed, I'm hoping to provide input to the state planning minister in support of a respectful planning overlay for aviation purposes in our area - with allied benefit to residential homeowners as well. I'm hoping he is risk-averse to having aircraft wreckage strewn amongst the Austin & Repat hospital sites - not something I like to think about.
  21. dsam
    Sadly, it is worse than that. It is much taller, due to the elevated terrain of its base. Worse still, there is a hospital psych unit immediately under the site. The balconies would be overlooking a patient's inner courtyard - many children and adolescents are treated there. A professor from this psych unit was one of the objectors at the council meeting on this. To me, it seems the developer has no soul or conscience, watching their lack of reaction to his plight.
  22. dsam
    Turbs, Council does have a planning overlay, allowing a structure up to 28 metres AGL on that site (not 80 metres like the developer wants). Essendon has published a PANS-OPS Critical Surfaces overlay too. I'm not sure they agree with each other, however. Must do more homework on this.... however CASA should be able to resolve any inconsistencies, and rule according to safety in this case - well... I can hope so anyway ;-)
  23. dsam
    Turbs, there were 212 objections from residents, and I made sure that the CASA argument was one of them (and yes, it got to them in time, before council handed down its formal rejection). I don't think the council planning staff fully understood the aviation implications very well when they drafted their formal rejection in the council meeting, so Council didn't specifically mention it on the night of their decision - but then they only had the CASA argument some 12 hours beforehand. To their credit, they've informed me that they are now following up the CASA angle directly with the regulator. I am almost certain that the developer will go to VCAT. Banyule will mount their own legal team - I won't plan to take any formal role, however I will offer advice (for what it is worth), and lobby state and federal ministers beforehand wherever I feel it can help. I've formed a local resident's action group over this issue, and they will lobby similarly. That's where many of the 212 objections came from in the first place. I will encourage Council to use CASA feedback to inform & constrain the local planning overlays, since there are other nearby property sites that might also be subject to predatory developers with "high" ambitions that need to be nipped in the bud. Thanks everyone for your responses so far. Cheers, Dave
  24. dsam
    Excellent info KRviator! Thanks for that. It may not be the gazump I was hoping for, but it is all grist for the legal mill to come. FYI, the terrain base at the hilltop site is 327 feet AMSL with the structure top up around 630 feet AMSL. I will digest the references you've given me and use this to whatever advantage I can make of it. Cheers, Dave
  25. dsam
    I'm hoping that the strong and independent authority of CASA takes the decision making completely out of the hands of Local & State governments (and therefore VCAT). Even the Federal Government wouldn't contravene a safety directive of CASA. That way, VCAT might only be able to rule on what colour paint is used on a mandated 4-storey building ;-) However if the CASA ruling should go soft on this, I'm looking for real-world experiences to mitigate the overall height of the building during VCAT negotiations. Again, to my original questions... typical clearances, track errors, etc. Thanks for the responses so far.
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