Birdseye

Thanks gents for posting some great shots.

Went up and bashed the circuit yesterday. Once again Jandakot not particularly busy, but it wasn't the best of times to be in the circuit. Mild crosswind and gusting to 23 kts or so, with the dunes short of 24L doing their bit to stir things up. Once again the lack of inertia with a VL aircraft made its presence known in the landing phase. The positive 'kick off drift and plant' of the Cherokee just isn't an option and work is needed right down to the touchdown. Must do more with the footrests in the gusty conditions, as I was allowing too much adverse yaw on the corrections. Broke out a good sweat in the hour and it was verging on hard work! Good fun and the conditions just ensure that you remain focused.

Not sure about the compliments. When I left the aeroplane yesterday I said to the hostie, "nice rack". Well, if looks could kill.

Inability to concentrate is a classic symptom of dehydration, as has already been suggested. I'm guessing you didn't cross too many time zones and you were operating in daylight, so other fatigue issues can probably be discarded. The critical point is that you were sufficiently alert to put on the throttle and go around. How to increase alertness, apart from simple steps like good hydration is a hard one, but a stretch and a mental trigger to sharpen up is a good start. I always used to focus when it was time for FREDA i.e. airfield approach. When I was cricket umpiring hydration was also extremely critical, but a wriggle of the toes and a conscious effort to be alert as the bowler closed in on his run up helped me. Unlike your average Hyundai operator and the road safety fools, driving and flying should be considered skills that can always be improved. You have always to be ahead of the aircraft or you may die. Develop habits or other control measures that will assist you to focus on being just that bit ahead of the aircraft, and ensure your body can pay the cheques that your brain writes.

Aren't 'Klingons' those guys always hanging around for a free flight, but can't get their hands out of their pockets?

This dialogue has been around for a while. It shows the complex nature of the English language very well, my apologies for the accent.

To be pedantic, "you can break an aircraft's windscreen", as it is the windscreen belonging to that aircraft. I also blame the Americans and and the Americanization of the Australian media. Half the idiots on newspapers can't spell or understand basic grammar.

About as likely as a pork chop BBQ in a Sydney synagogue.

It must have turned into supper and breakfast! I think this is what you had in mind, although with this one the lower aircraft wasn't full of bombs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Mayo_Composite

They are all off getting their RPLs

A former work colleague many years ago told me a story that he swore was true. His wife was tasked to take the train up to Birmingham and bring back the boss' new Jag. Roads were much quieter in those days and she had a quick trip down. Too quick according to the boss. He checked over the car and found it a bit warm and a near empty fuel tank. The answer came out when she claimed not to have exceeded fifty the whole way home. It transpired she had never driven a car with a rev counter before............

For those that don't read pork n'cheese, the upper aircraft was manned and the lower one was packed full of explosives. The fighter seperated at the appropriate point and went home, leaving the drone to do its thing.

Not in the ADR world, no.

I suggest you get in touch with the makers of the cordless EQ-1 headset. You could have lots of options and I've found them both more comfortable and with better noise cancellation than the Bose. Linky: http://www.microlight.com.au/innovations_index.htm

You could always install a chaff dispenser. Set it to fire off every minute or so and they would be sure to see you :-)

Well after a visit to look over the Sportstar a week or so ago, I went for a first ride today. A big plus that the BoM advance forecast of 39C and sunny was crap and the day turned out around low thirties, overcast with light winds and smooth air. Who could ask for more when trying a new ride for the first time? Not only that, but WA's busiest airfield was more like a morgue than a honeypot. First impressions on taxying out were reminiscent of the Foxbat; same firm rudder. However, without the doughnut golf buggy tyres and variable ground surfaces it wasn't at all bad. Then again on similar surfaces the Foxbat may have felt the same. Instantly the low wing visibility made me feel more comfortable, probably due to my earlier power and later glider flying. Had the sun been blazing down, I might have liked the Foxbat more, but the neat sunshade was available in the Sportstar if required. All the engine management stuff, run up etc. was quite natural. l liked the fuel selector which was reminiscent of the Cherokee. Still some venting issues to consider in its operation, but nice and easy to hand. Panel was close to the trad six pack which I loved and lay out was clear and switches/controls were easy to hand. I'm by no means a luddite and in fact many class me a a techno and lover of gadgets, but I don't easily relate to the low end glass screens that seem to be the vogue. I've used high end EFIS/HSI setups and like those, but these pretty terrain projections etc. really do turn me off due to their ability to distract. Just Too much encouragement to young players to look inside the cockpit. TCAS is great, but not for VFR flyers to rely upon. The flying? Well I enjoyed the conventionally placed stick and other controls. The electric trim responded quickly and I didn't spend so much time waiting for it to catch up. The down side? It happened quicker than expected, but I don't see that as an issue. Otherwise the aeroplane was nicely balanced, easy to trim and gave good performance on its 912 ULS motor. Once practicing steeper turns the low wing massaged my comfort zone; a clear view into the turn gave me confidence that a high wing doesn't. Just personal preference? Maybe, but its something I felt many years ago switching between a Beagle Pup (say ahhhhhh, a lovely plane in fact much like the Sportstar) and a C150. Forward visibility was rather better, to the point where I had to check myself from drifting up due to the angle presented by the panel. On climb out only a small nudge was needed to check for a clear path ahead. So, how does somebody write something like this without upsetting somebody? Maybe not compare directly, just focus on the strengths of each? It would be nice to try a broader range of modern LSA aircraft, but with the incredible range that's just not practicable. My summary is that both the Foxbat and Sportstar are great aeroplanes, with small differences in their purpose and hence varied attraction to pilots. The Foxbat will get you down on a proverbial fag paper and nobody should ever fear a forced landing in one. Its a little unconventional in areas, that some, including myself may have a problem with. Most will I'm sure be more than happy. The Sportstar is another well built aeroplane, that will perform at the low end close to the Foxbat, possibly without the pin point short field performance. It suits more what I intend to use the aeroplane for and is better for no more than that. 10/10 for both!

I haven't seen many in the West, but similar reflectors were commonly put at the mast head of sailing boats in Europe.

In addition, check the voltage of the battery with a decent multimeter off load, preferably disconnected. If its down at 12v after a flight then chances are its stuffed.

You should not resist, especially when boring thuds seek to divert from the original purpose of the thread post. This forum is overrun with small minded nerds with axes to grind.

Although only having recently entered the ultralight fold, what has become evident to me is that many promote the ultralight as being a cheap path to GA. If it is seen as a category to merely 'pass through' then it doesn't bode well for the future. The President's article perhaps rightly points out the potential conflict between RAA certification and the RPL. However, I certainly gained the impression that the original AUF was established to promote the operation of very light aircraft in a recreational environment, not to provide a lower grade of PPL or a path to obtaining one.

Went back again and found the side menu. No thanks.

I can't get 'What's New' or the 'Whats' new (24 hours)'. So a down vote from me. Didn't even notice the side menu.

The blurb on Amazon sums it up: The SL-800 is the first headset from SkyLite and has being popular among pilots around the world for over 7 years. Not only its attractive blue color has made it a pilot favorite, First headset, although been popular for 7 years? Pretty in blue?