KRviator

I figured this'd be the best place to put my updated nav log for anyone that's interested. I'd originally done this up as a static Excel page that required external calculations, but have since updated it to do the calculations for me, as well as adding things like W&B and a few automated warnings and such that can utilise the additional inputs. The basic idea is you plan on the left, fly from the right, and there should be no red boxes when you print it out. If you've done that, in theory, you'll have enough fuel to fly the plan, you won't be outside the CG or MTOW limits and you'll (hopefully), not get lost by screwing up the wind correction angle or introducing some other manual error. Orange boxes are used for inputs and the only spots that should be altered, grey for automatic calculations, whitespace (ETA/REV/Notes) for handwriting. This form is customised for my RV-9A, but the limits can be changed to suit almost any aircraft by updating the various values used in the W&B or fuel calculations. By the same token, CG is shown as an arm location, but could easily be shown as a percentage of available, to give an at-a-glance indication as to whether you're forward or aft of neutral so you can set the trim accordingly. I may well end up changing it for that reason... Here's a typical long-rage flight, two people, a bit of baggage and full fuel. The TOW & ZFW CG's are in limits, as is the MTOW, so they're all green. The CRZ END box up the top right shows how many minutes you have until you hit your fixed reserve on landing. Climb, cruise for 248 minutes, descend and land, and you should have your FR (only) left in the tanks. Fuel flow for all these calculations is hard-coded to 25LPH, typically what I get but you could introduce a variable if you wanted low-speed or high-speed cruise or something in between if you're really keen. Same for CLB/DES fuel. That's hard coded at 10.5L, which is what I've demonstrated I use to climb to 8,500 and descend from 8,500 - but that can be changed if you're keen. I've uploaded the Excel file here too, but as always with everything I put out there, verify it works for you before you try to fly with it - if you get lost, run out of fuel and crash and die, that's on you! 😝 If anyone want's help tweaking it to suit your CG/plane/fuel flow, let me know and I'll do what I can. Here's an example with a ridiculous loading and insufficient fuel. The MTOW box is red, as it's above 1,800Lbs and it's also thrown a warning in notes box - as have/is the TOWCG & ZFWCG's as well as an Insufficient Fuel warning. The total fuel box is also bright red to draw attention to the fuel being less than required. In both this instance, and the one above, the Margin boxes are red, as the fuel margin, that is, fuel above what is required, is less than 30mins. They will turn yellow for a 30-60 minute margin, and green above 60 minutes. This is a "feel good" feature, nothing more, but is meant to draw attention to the fact you're getting close to using all your available fuel and should keep an eye on things. And here's a more normal example. 2 POB, a bit of baggage, full fuel and a couple of hours airborne with a healthy 80 minute margin to the fixed reserve. Everything's green, no red & no warnings, nothing to worry about. NavLog.xlsx

Scintex have quite a few options, including ready-to-run hose reels and trigger nozzles. 1" 'pump discharge hose' (don't say ID/OD) is $15.50/m and suitable for ULP.

My RV is the same, I fly the approach almost full nose-up trim and when I to touch and goes, it has an aggressive nose-up tendency. It's not at all hard to counteract it while the trim is running but you do need to be prepared for it.

Well, Ian hasn't mandated the wearing of pants while posting, so I think we've got a bit of leeway there...😁

Bet that bloke with the Sierra & the Ferris wheel at Old Bar doesn't feel so alone anymore!😛

So if the SoE can be renewed for a seemingly endless period - are we really in a democracy anymore? Demonstrations in Sydney, Melbourne and to a lesser extent, Brisbane, suggest we are not. When you can be arrested for planning a protest, yet alone actually participating in one, we have serious problems with Governance in this Country. Protesting Government decisions is a fundamental human right, to which Australia is a signatory, yet how to you protest a lockdown when you're arrested for violating the very lockdown you're protesting? The worst part is it is not even an elected official who has ordered these lockdowns, rather it is an unelected public servant, with zero accountability who is making decisions with zero accountability for those decisions. We cannot vote someone else into that role next election - and in the case of the QLD CHO, she's been promoted to Governor of the state, despite openly admiotting richer people pose less of a risk than poorer people - that's her understanding of science...

Agreed, however, if he wasn't happy with the departure routing, he should not have accepted the takeoff clearance. IMHO, that's the time to say "Hang on, our cleared SID will put us through a cell, is an alternative routing available?" rather than launching and then creating a massive headache for all involved...Of course, in hindsight, there's a simple solution: "Shamrock 104Heavy, descend & maintain 1,000, orbit present position, right turns, advise when you can accept the Greki departure". 😈 Get's him low enough he's out of the way and puts the onus on the PIC to say when he considers it safe...

5 deaths, but 87 cases of severe clotting... I guess that's ok if you're not one of those 92 people...Given a relative had severe clotting and was on anticoagulants for it for the rest of their life to prevent a potential repeat. For a pilot, if you hold a Class 1, you can only fly Multi-Crew, so no more taking your family for a jolly on the weekend, or an evening sunset flight around Sydney. No ferrying a 182 or Chieftain by yourself, you'll always need a (rated) Coey... For my Cat 1 Rail Medical (virtually equivalent to a Class1), if the treatment is deemed stable, you can be issued a medical, having been deemed Fit for Duty, Subject to Review but typically only for a 12 month (not 5 year) period, but there's no guidance on what would actually be deemed stable - so I might lose my medical for a year or two until that occurs. I think I'll take my chances with Covid for the moment. Out here in regional NSW I'm more at risk of dying in the RV than catching Covid at present, and until that risk/reward balance significantly changes I can't see that mindset changing either.

Unless you're Aer Lingus and then you get to orbit off the departure end of the runway as a pi$$ed off New York ATC'er tries to manage the problem you've now caused!

So a bit more of a follow-up in my saga of dealing with dealers...I sent an email off to the listed contact about this Twin Comanche, and got a response along the lines of "I'm in quarantine at present, I'll get the answers to your questions and get back to you when I get out". Fair enough. That was on the 4th June. Nothing heard since. But here's the kicker... I sent an email to the broker about this Debonair on the 18th May asking for total fuel, a more recent W&B than one from 1962, wing bolt status and engine overhaul year - and never heard a peep from him with answers. But I've covered that previously... So I got the address from CAsA and wrote an old fashioned letter to the owner, with a brief spiel, those questions, and my phone number. Fast forward a week and I get a call from him, and we had a great chat over about 45 minutes, but he dropped a bombshell when he said the price on the ad is not what he is selling it for, the broker apparently dropped the price without the vendors authority and he won't sell below the original listed price of $124,000. As anyone can see, it is currently advertised at $115,000. The difference is a Dynon AP install (during a SkyView upgrade, not a stand-alone), or a GI275 to tell the existing autopilot where to go. And, given it is now only $35,000 less than another Twinkie that's listed in Bankstown and is veerrrryyyy nicely equipped (with a BEW to match, though), it is nowhere near as competitive anymore. So I wrote back to the broker asking essentially "I've talked to the owner, he says the price is $124, I've got the $$ ready to go if all checks out, but where does this $115 come into it?" and here's the response I got back "KRviator, You can deal directly with David. Sent from my iPhone". How's that for service, eh? I can tell you who I won't be engaging for any sales or ferry services, flamin' clown.🤬 I also have a potential lead on a Comanche up Monduran way, after posting a WTB ad on one of the FB buy/sell/swap groups earlier this month, so will follow that up in a couple days, as well as giving the RV a bath before I get some photos for her 'for sale' ad. And, on that note, and at the risk of exposing myself to ridicule & derision, here's the proposed text for the ad I'm going to put on PlaneSales when I get around to it. IF there's anything else I've missed that should be there, or that you would want to see in the ad, please throw it out there. I'd rather give all the information a buyer could want from the get-go than play email ping-pong like I've had to!

Beautiful work - but where's the wing spar going to go?!?

When you absolutely, positively want to win the Red Bull Flug-tag...

We live within spitting distance of the threshold of a Council runway, that is both lit and has an instrument approach to that threshold. Our home insurance I think it is with Allianz but would have to check, covers impact by aircraft, and also views our good-sized hangar as a typical workshed. They seem to view our property as a standard residential risk, notwithstanding the airport proximity or the fact we have private taxiway access to it.

Note, it doesn't say what frequency you must be monitoring, be it Area, a nearby CTAF, 123.45, 121.5, 122.7 (for possible gliders) or trying to get a nearby AWIS to broadcast the QNH so you're complying with the AIP. Definitely more than one way to remove the epidermis from a feline. The thing that troubles me about that is the RPT seemed to "expect" the survey job to get out of its' way. Captain Fourbars ain't paying for his fuel the way the survey operator is. Try that with me when I'm out and about and you'll get a not-so-polite reply. RPT does not equal right of way, though, I will try to help commercial operators out where I can, I object to them telling me to do so because they think they're better than everyone else by virtue of skippy on the tail. Damn good question - but one better directed at CASA - since they ae banking on GPS availability by allowing sole-means GNSS navigation for IFR in IMC with no backup!

Properly maintained, I'd have no problem flying a B35 Bonanza - a model that first took flight nearly 70 years ago! Same for their Brand C or P equivalents, too. The only downside to aging aircraft is lack of parts or manufacturer support for critical items and it'd be something like that that would stop an older aircraft flying, not because the fuselage fell apart. Maybe its' time for CAsA to consider something like the Transport Canada "Owner Maintenance" régime? But that's another topic! @skippydiesel LVA = Lachlan Valley Aviation, methinks...

Add to that the risk of a broker discounting potential purchasers as legitimate and either ignoring, or simply overlooking responding to them, as this thread shows. There's (potentially) two Bonanza's and a Debonair listed through brokers that could have been sold much earlier and for a higher price had the broker actually responded. The Deb is still listed over 3 months since I first made contact with the broker, however I am led to believe the Bo's did go but much later than my first enquiry to the respective brokers, and probably for a lower price given the extended time on the market. After my email seeking the W&B back in March, I waited several weeks and followed up with the Deb broker to ask where the details were, and the excuse was "the photos were still sitting in my outbox" - he didn't even check to see if they were sent! And you as the vendor are paying for this kind of service. As above, ISTR this particular aircraft was initially listed at $124K, was dropped to $119K and it is now $115K... So that's at least $9,000 this particular broker has cost the seller - and that's not counting his fees on top of that! I think a big problem with brokers and the "he's a tyrekicker" train of thought is the laziness brokers put in to their ads. Let's consider the Deb that's advertised on PlaneSales that I'm interested in, as a case study: What year was the engine overhauled, topped & had the bottom end done? What is the BEW & CG? Who manufactured the tip tanks? ISTR there were at least two, and both had different MTOW's & capacities... What is the MTOW with the tiptanks? What is the total fuel capacity? "Long Range with Tip Tanks" means sweet FA as the Deb's had optional in-wing LR main tanks, as well as the tips. "140Kts at 50LPH" - is this KIAS, KTAS, CAS or GS (Yes, I've seen that advertised...) and at what altitude & power setting?!? (Since found out it is KIAS @ 6,500 - otherwise I'd be thinking "Bugger me, that Deb has something wrong with it, it's sooooo slow" - given most cruise speeds are measured & described in KTAS) "PROP OVERHAULED 2017 1900 HOURS TO RUN" - What make and model is it? The Flottrop propellor listed on the CASA register, a Hartzell installed under an STC? McCauley? Will it have repetitive hub inspections required? "Dual Nav/Comm" - what make & model is it? Mode C Transponder - What make & model is it? GPS AirMap 2000? What about the Garmin GPS100 that's installed in the panel and (hopefully) interfaced to the CDI? When were the wing-bolts done? AIUI this is a kinda-really-important thing for Bo's & Debs, with 5 yearly inspections and mandatory replacement at 15 years. This isn't an overly comprehensive list of questions, but basic descriptive information for that particular aircraft that should be included in any description - if only to save a bunch of calls to the broker seeking that information that then reveals that Deb isn't actually suitable for the potential buyer. As a seller, it's stuff you can put in your PlaneSales ad rather than having the broker-vendor-buyer ping-pong chasing this kind of stuff.

Not yet. I still check the various websites a couple times a day though! Emailed those Q's from a page or two ago to Bunbury about their Twin-Co and waiting to hear back. The contact in the ad is a guest of hotel quarantine at present, and said she'd get back to me when she is released by her jailers. I also still like that Deb that's listed as well, being a single, Mogas-capable etc, and am trying to track down a FB account for the owner to email him directly with the questions the broker ignored. If anyone knows a David Addison from Ballarat, let him know to fire his broker!

It turns out it is not only aircraft brokers who don't seem to give a phlying phuck about potential customers. New car sales staff are the same. Well, some anyway... We wanted to buy a new Prado for the KRviatrix, and so the search began. One salesman from Singleton Toyota basically told us "I don't want to let you test drive the car here, because you could then go and buy it somewhere else!", but relented when he realized we would actually accept the wait (3-6 months) if we couldn't find a car in stock. Incidentally, this dealer also failed to send through the promised quote until we chased him up asking where it was, and was still $1,600 more expensive than the cheapest quote we got anyway. After spending the better part of an hour looking at a Prado at Gosford a couple weekends ago, the sales rep there promised to send through the relevant spec sheet via email as they didn't have any printed brochures for potential customers (WTF?!?) and a Toyota-specific form to confirm eligibility for fleet pricing. Reckon he did? Nope. A follow-up call to that dealer yesterday was met with the "That salesman is on an RDO today, but I'll send him a message and he'll contact you when he gets in tomorrow morning", which I followed up with my own email to him with a couple more specific questions. Think that has been replied to? Then there's the sales staff at Lismore Toyota, Lander Toyota and Ryde Toyota, all of whom have yet to have their sales staff return a call. Two different salesmen from Penrith Toyota basically said "I'm looking at the computer and there's no unallocated Prado's of that spec anywhere in NSW, there's one in Adelaide, and one in Hobart"...But of course, "we can order one in for you". I eventually found the vehicle I want in Canterbury - a 5 hour one-way trip - after the salesman there said "We just brought one out of storage this morning, hang on and I'll confirm it's what you want", and called back about 5 minutes later. We agreed on a price, he emailed the contract, I signed it, and they've been paid in full via Osko less than 2 hours after I called him. Probably the easiest sale he's ever made. I'll pick it up around 1500 tomorrow and be home in time for a late dinner. No less than 37 dealers were called, from as far north as Ballina, west to Dubbo and south to Sydney looking for this specific vehicle. Most were fairly open "No, we don't have one, and you're looking at at least a 2 month wait", a couple said "We don't have one in stock, but do have an unallocated one enroute, due 3/5/7 weeks" but a special few, 4 in total, promised to call back, either because all their sales staff were busy, or the sales rep was going to check availability, etc. Four out of 37, or more than 10% of those called couldn't be asred actually doing that! I'll never know if they had a vehicle in stock, nor will they ever know they could have sold one today simply by picking up the phone. As a sales rep, I would have thought it is almost your duty to follow up each and every potential lead to achieve a sale for your employer - and your bank balance. Guess I'm wrong about that - or my work ethic is higher than a car salesman...

The RVs have an even simpler one, a piece of standard fuel tubing. Bent to sit a bees d!ck off the bottom of the tank, a flared fitting on one end, squashed flat at the other, with a series of thin hacksaw cuts partway through it. I couldn't imagine anyone flying without something to catch the bigger contaminants before they reach (and/or) block the filter.

Reading it doesn't worry me. I, effectively, built a plane in my back shed. A plane that I have flown to 10,000', down Victor 1 at 500' and based it at what can be considered a marginal airstrip. That being said, I don't believe in risk aversion so much as risk management. When we flew Victor 1, we both had our life jackets on, I routinely fly wearing a tactical vest filled with survival goodies and a PLB in one of the pockets, and we fly in an RV-9, that - short of flying it into a cliff face - any crash landing should be survivable if not actually injury-free, so long as it is under control. Given that the next phase of our flying is likely to involve NVFR, it makes sense to consider something like a Twin-Co, a light twin it may be, but again, it should climb away (slowly) on 1 engine at our normal operating weights, it is powered by arguably the most reliable piston engine going, and it is by its' nature a twin, with a reasonable SE service ceiling, making NVFR flights safer. Flying isn't inherently unsafe, but failing to address those known, and 'known unknown' risks is what creates the hazards.

We are talking about the same CAR 208 are we? A CAO is drafted under authority of (IIRC) CAR 5, not 208... Nonetheless, RAAus, under authority granted by CAO 95.55, is exempt from any obligation to comply with CAR 208. Nowhere in CAO20.16.3 does it exclude RAAus, nor limit its' applicability to certificated aircraft only. It's quite clear that it applies to "Application: This section applies to all Australian registered aircraft."

Two places does not limit it to two occupants. That must be clearly understood. # of seats /= # of occupants. I suggest you re-read the relevant CAO's and tell us if they say "Single-Place" / "Two-Place" or "Two-Passenger". The devil is in the detail - and like an awful lot of people found to their detriment about my RAAus RV-9, what they think it says and what it actually says are not the same... The C172 is a "4 Place" aircraft, per the Type Certificate, however, you can legally carry 5 people in it in accordance with CAO20.16.3 - which also allows you to carry 2 adults + an infant in an RAAus aircraft, if you can stay within the W&B limitations.

Nothing wrong with 3 people in an RAAus bird if one is an infant or two are kids under 77Kg total. RAAus Ops manual says a passenger endorsement allows the carriage of "passengers" plural not "a passenger". CAO20.16.3 says it applies to "all Australian registered aircraft" and in turn, that a 2 seater can have 1 excess passenger. So Mum, Dad + Infant in an RAAus aircraft? Rare, but legal. Good on 'im for knowing the rules and getting his rugrat airtime.

Wholeheartedly agree! I'd rather lose the 5-10K extra I "might" get by using a broker but most of that would be lost in their fee anyway. I'd sooner get an email from a genuine potential buyer and be able to call them and answer their questions directly but more importantly accurately! Hell, I recently listed a LandCruiser for sale and uploaded 27 photos including one of the auxiliary electrical busses and accessories we installed! And that's just for a car! Looks like it's sold too, sight unseen to a bloke in WA who'll fly over, do the deal, and ship it home next week, he called, we had a half-hour chat, and he paid the deposit when he got off the phone. I can only wonder just how many people do call to enquire about something like THIS Bonza or This one that doesn't even have a photo. Really...? It'd be an interesting conversation should one of these muppets I've been trying to deal with make contact when I list the RV-9..."Well, you didn't reply to my emails or calls when I was a potential buyer, why should I believe you won't do the same to anyone else when they enquire about my plane??" Though one of the brokers, the one who'd been ignoring me since 03rd May finally replied last night "Oh, for some reason the emails weren't going through, but I've taken a deposit on -KMT"...Except he uses a Gmail account (another turn-off for me, you don't even use your business domain for brokerage emails?!?), so the chances of those emails not going through? Pretty bloody slim, methinks.... That's a great question, I'll definitely add it to things to ask the LAME with whatever I buy! 👍

Some good advice there. Especially with the internet there is a phenomenal amount of info out there for most aircraft, ranging from POH's to planning apps and forums discussing maintenance squawks and fixes. The tough bit about VH registered birds though is there ain't an awful lot you can do, outside Schedule 8, unless you can convince CAsA to approve a CAR42ZC authorisation. I sent a THIRD email to a broker today, basically saying 'if you don't want to give me the detail I've asked for, or if -KMT has been sold, at least let me know and I'll take it off my shortlist". Wonder if I'll get a reply to that one?? Still no answer from the other two brokers about the Bonza or Deb either. Idongeddit.🤷‍♂️ I'm going to flick an email to Bunbury about that TwinCo later this week, covering off the list in the previous post. A few more $$ to run, but could be the best candidate.