Keith

Jack, Thanks - I'll get someone to wiggle the rudder while I check the pedals. They are fixed/not adjustable, so I don't think the AD applies, but I'll check all the same. Cheers, Keith

When I do the pre-flight checks for the 170, I'm in the habit of pushing down on the tail to lift the nose-wheel free of the ground, and moving the rudder to check the nose wheel steering linkage. During the last check I noticed a tendency (sometimes) for the rudder to not move as far left as it does right - almost as though it's catching on something. Any advice on what to look for in trying to track down the cause? (Cables, centering springs, something else?) Thanks, Keith

Ben, I did get the 495, but via Ian rather than Jabiru. Clear Prop kindly mailed it to Jabiru and they installed it. I have had other Garmin GPSs, so the familiarity of the interface was a bonus. The screen is good, the database pretty good, and it seems as bug-free as the other Garmins I've owned. The only annoyance is the panel mount, which I think is a bit fiddly to insert and extract the GPS from. I went for steam guages (ie traditional analog) instruments in the panel. I considered putting in the engine management option, however other local pilots have experienced long turn-arounds when glass cockpit units have failed - so I decided to keep it simple. The only change I had made to the standard panel was to put in an ICOM radio, with a slot below it for a matching transponder - when I get around to putting one in. (I think the standard units supplied by Jabiru are good, and I've heard the service is excellent, however the ICOMs have larger, clearer displays which I prefer.) Other options I took up were a keyed ignition and tail strobe. So far I'm very happy with the purchase - I think it's about right for me with my training history and (low) level of experience. A big plus is the presence of some experienced pilots with similar Jabirus in the area that I can go to for advice. I've had no real problems with the plane so far, only that she has a foible of flying about half a ball out to the right (which comes with the territory, I'm told). That may become a bit of an annoyance on longer flights, so I'll have to get around to sorting it out one day. I found there were some thoughtful, helpful discussions in these fora when I was trying to make up my mind about buying a Jabiru, and deciding between the models. In particular, MozartMerv has described his experience with the shorter-winged 160 during summer, while others have commented on the 170s propensity for excessive float on landing. (I reckon Donkey is correct about how to handle the latter, but if you're going to do a lot of short-field work then you should look into this further.) Another piece of advice was to treat the nose wheel like it's made out of glass ie keep the weight off it on takeoff and landing as much as possible - it helps no end with the steering. Cheers, K

G'day Ben, I bought a 170 earlier this year after having learnt in a ULD. I contemplated both the 120 and the 230, which both came highly recommended. I went for the 170 because: a) it had the handling characteristics closest to what I learnt in (I understand this is a common bias!) b) compared to the 120 it has a lower stall speed plus more fuel in wet wings, both which seemed to me to offer an increased safety margin (but this is open to debate) c) compared to the 230 it has the 4 cylinder engine which has 2 fewer cylinders for a novice like me to worry about, is a bit cheaper to run, and a bit cheaper to buy. I'm very happy with the 170. I am still in the process of getting to know it, but the process is a real pleasure. The initial challenge was on handover at Bundy where the standard technique was demonstrated as landing with full flaps - even in gusty (for me) x-winds. I found the plane's big wings a bit of a handful under these conditions, so now (after consulting my CFI) my SOP is to use 1 stage of flap in x-wind landings. This makes it feel a lot safer and more controllable to me, however once I get a bit more experience it may be that my envelope for using full flaps will expand. (Note: other threads in this formum talk about the 170 having too much float on landing with anything less than full flaps. I think with proper speed control over the fence it's manageable.) So the 170 was the way I went, and it has turned out well so far. That's not to say that I wouldn't have been equally as happy with a 120 or 230 - I haven't had the time or experience to really properly assess the alternatives. Other non-Jabiru aircraft I find very compelling (on paper) were the Cheetah from Morgan Aeroworks, and the Flysynthesis Storch, but there just weren't enough people up my way with direct experiece of them to go to for advice. So many aircaft, so little time! Anyway Ben, good luck with the decision process. K

Good to hear that you still had fun despite the lack of caffine Scott. The turning circle you can get on the UL-D in the low level work is pretty good, isn't it? I reckon you could just about fly the perimeter of a quarter acre block! Cheers, Keith

Just wondering ... does the 120 have a panel mounted or under-seat throttle? Any updates from those lucky owners - eg any rough edge or quirks after flying them a little? Cheers, Keith

Enjoy the coffee mate - and watch out for rotor coming off the hill on approach. Will have to have another couple of goes at the 160 before shooting my mouth off as an inexperienced flyer ... but those longer wings of the UL-D in humid, hot conditions of the north look like a good idea. Catch you up there sometime for a yarn! Keith

Hi Scott and welcome. Like you and Mathew I trained on Ron's UL-D. It's a great little plane, and the location is hard to beat. I'm trying to get some experience in other aircraft to see what to do next. I went for a fly in a J160 yesterday around the Camden area with MozartMerv - great fun, but a completely different kettle of fish to FNQ! Say G'day to Ron, Keith

No worries ... thanks to Neil for the piccies. Looks like my kind of kit to have a go at (no previous experience!) ... have been crunching the numbers to see if it fits the budget ... get all excited, then I watch the news and think I should watch my wallet instead ... How much do you reckon I should figure for buying and installing a 2.2 Jab motor?

Pictures of Stoch Kit from StorchyNeil G'day HDPilot, Hopefully I'm attaching the pictures that Neil sent over ... if not, apologies for my ineptitude ... Keith

Sounds promising Neil, as that seems to knock a few thousand off the price... do you know if the fuselage in the kit comes in a single piece, or is it a glue together job? Cheers, Keith

The Storch does look like a nice plane, looking at buying a kit too ... any advice on how a Jabiru engine in one would rate compared to the Rotax? (eg is the airflow under the Storch cowling OK for a Jab motor?)

As my mates on the ground don't fit any of the categories listed that would let them use the VHF frequencies legally, I reckon I might try the UHF/CB handheld as suggested - or tell them to camp under a telstra mobile tower and get them on the mobile! Thanks for the great feedback (no pun intended). Cheers, Keith

Hi folks, I was thinking of doing a trip out to Oak Park Station west of Townsville during the race meeting they have there - possibly as part of my nav training. I believe that the nearest strip is at Werrington (Latitude19.31667º S 19º 19" 0' S Longitude144.0833º E 144º 04" 59.98'). Is anyone familiar with the strip, or have any contact information to who owns it? (I think it might be Russell Yarraman?) Cheers, Keith

Hi, I'm in the process of doing my cross-country training, and I've got a question about whether you can/should use the VHF to talk to people on the ground about non-flying matters - and if so, how? For example, if I'm going to be flying over an area in the bush where some mates are camping (and they have a handheld VHF), and I want to ask how they are going, what's the protocol? I've read that 123.45MHz is a "chat" frequency for non-operational air-to-air comms, but not sure if this is appropriate for air-to-ground. Cheers, Keith

Hi Mathew - yes, good 'ol Jabiru 16. I've heard a bit about your progress, and it sounds like you've got the flying coming together very nicely indeed. I've got about 9 hours up so far, and am planning to put in another block of time after Easter. Probably catch you at the aerodrome one of these days (if it isn't closed down and sold off by the council!). Keen to hear how your navexs are going. I've got a way to go before I leave the local area, but am wondering if I should invest in an aviation GPS unit. Probably not needed for navigation around the coast and tablelands? Cheers, Keith

Good onya Sean, and good luck with that cross-country. Not sure how I'll go on my Nav training, as I have a pretty poor sense of direction. But getting home should be easier - there always seems to be a fat rain cloud sitting over Innisfail, so I'll just head for that. Cheers, Keith

Thanks blueshed, Spriteah and Captain. Still absorbing the lessons from that first solo. I think the interesting psychological thing is being surprised at being surprised. I mean that although I expected that flight to be different (less weight in the aircraft, no-one to ask for an on-site second opinion, etc), and had prepared myself mentally for it, there were still a couple of very predictable things that caught me out: Instructor hops out - I take a deep breath, pre-take-off checks, did my radio call, and started the roll, kept it all straight and clean - all going well, I thought. But then the Jabiru just leaps into the air like a rocket and some part of my brain is saying "It hasn't handled like this before - what have you done wrong!". Eyeballs get distracted by the rate-of-climb indicator ... start fiddling with the trim ... get behind on the post-take-off check list ... almost forget to retract flaps (got them up at 80kts - no harm done, apparently). So brain then says "You almost stuffed that one up - better pay more attention to those other checklists". Right, turning downwind call ... checklist: "My harness locked and secure ... your harness locked and sec-"... "hang on" says brain: "there's noone else here - christ, you're in this crate by yourself!" ... eyeballs decide to move on, but get momentarily hung-up on the engine-start checklist instead ... brain rallies, tries to get a grip ... stutters out turning base call ... And then it all comes together again and I fly a tidy approach and grease it in for a satisfying landing. All part of learning I guess! Anyway, have since done another half hour solo, and you're right, it does get easier. Or at least the old brain is less startled about the whole affair - but seems to be enjoying it just as much or even more! Cheers, Keith

G'day folks, Keith here. Just managed my first solo in a Jabiru UL-D yesterday - bloody fantastic. I had a previous attempt at learning to fly 10 years ago at Bankstown on C-152, but it never clicked. This time I've done my training up in Innisfail, North Queensland. Less traffic, a smart aircraft, (and an excellent instructor) has made it easier for me to learn and get my confidence up. So I'm pretty happy. Anyway, look forward to learning from y'all. Cheers, Keith