JG3

Does anyone know how high the CTAF airspace extends above an uncontrolled airfield?? I understood that is is 3000' AGL, but I don't know where or if it's written.... The reason I ask is that I often hear aircraft overflying my home field at Kilcoy (alt 400') and announcing that they are approaching and overflying at 3500', direction, intentions, etc, etc.... An aircraft at that altitude is of no interest to me at circuit or approach altitude. But a radio transmission from that altitude carries widely, to Tyagera, NSW and way north of Gympie, and so ties up MULTICOM radio time for a wide area that also has no interest in the content. Seems to me that when flying x-country at 3000' AGL or above we would be best to not clutter the airwaves with such 'overflying' broadcasts......

[quote=Of greater benefit (in my opinion) is that the vortex generators improve the aileron authority deeper into the slow flight regime. I am interested in experimenting with vortex generators only affixed to the outboard section of the wings so as to enhance the low speed authority of the ailerons while leaving the inboard section of wing to stall at it's normal angle of attack. It seems likely that others may already have experimented with this idea and I am wondering if any information is available? I am especially curious if a second row of vortex generators closer to the ailerons has been experimented with and if it has proved to be beneficial or not? Thank you. Yes, VGs only in front of the ailerons has been tried many times and is effective in increasing aileron authority at lower speeds. Jabiru 200 series have particularly noticed this. There is unlikely any benefit placing a second row of VGs farther back near the aileron, due to the thickening boundary layer at that point. The vortexes once generated by the VGs at the front of the wing are very persistent and stream right back to the trailing edge.

The flaperons were set incorrectly, with some downward droop. When he got the ICP jig to set them properly, all came good.

Woman: Do you drink beer? Man: Yes. Woman: How many beers a day? Man: Usually about three. Woman: How much do you pay per beer? Man: $5.00 which includes a tip (this is where it gets scary!) Woman: And how long have you been drinking? Man: About 20 years, I suppose. Woman: So a beer costs $5 and you have three beers a day which puts your spending each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400 correct? Man: Correct. Woman: If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inflation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000 correct? Man: Correct. Woman: Do you know that if you didn't drink so much beer, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought an airplane? Man: Do you drink beer? Woman: No. Man: Where is your airplane?

Good point on family commitments at Easter..... Also, Easter moves around a lot. So choose a weekend in that time of year based on the the best weather history. But focus it like the old Narromine Fly-Ins. No emphasis on the wide public, but make a special effort to appeal to those interested in getting involved in our sport, and want to spend their time browsing the flightline up close and talking to aircraft owners and maybe going for a ride or two to experience our world. That's a treasured memory that I have of the old Narromine, feeling like I've helped someone into our sport, and I'm sure that there are some flying now whom I've encouraged at those good old fly-ins. That's a far more effective way to ensure the future health of our sport..... Compromises trying to please too wide an audience seldom work well for anyone..... Let those who just want entertainment go to the airshows, but leave us the airspace and freedom to visit with other flyers and prospective flyers and take them for a ride whenever it feels right.......

What a good idea! Easter is when the traditional Narromine Fly-In used to be held, and that was very popular, with 200+ aircraft flying in. Narromine is still the best venue, with very convenient facilities for camping or soft accommodation, and locals who welcome such an event and have experience how to host it.

Moruya is the most secure airport I've ever visited. Double electric fence plus a light beam! And Twice required to show ASIC card up close for detail.....

I have a spare pin you can have. PM me and I'll send it to you. JG

I'm so glad that I experienced 11 years of the old Narromine flyins. The greatest memories! We spent the whole days wandering around the aircraft, kicking tyres, visiting with other flyers, learning from their real life experiences with those aircraft, and swapping rides. It all worked so well..... Low cost and minimal organization and NO AIRSHOW..... Let's remember that those old Narromine flyins weren't in decline they were still thriving, until they were suddenly transferred (some would say stolen) to Temora. The format changed and the advertising was, "...come and hear the Spitfire and watch the airshow...", but then it quickly declined and failed..... Changing the venue back to Narromine isn't the solution, the format is the problem..... I don't know if it's possible to resurrect the old style informal flyins at Narromine. Once momentum is lost due to all those disruptions, it might be hard to recover. But sure does seem worth a try. Minimum cost so minimum risk, but sure needs a different approach than present..... Once again I'm very thankful that I had the chance to enjoy those early Narromine Fly-Ins......

I've had excellent experiences with trailerable aircraft in the USA, as shown in my website stolspeed.com. I've also done lots of Xcountry travelling in fixed wing aircraft, but having to camp under the wing in bad weather and having no transport from airfields into town is a nuisance. Towing an ultralight in a trailer with a camper van gives a comfortable bed and wheels to get around. But very few of such aircraft and trailer rigs around. One of the best would be the Kestrels, designed and built in Brisbane, with a long history of safe flying. I once flew such a Kestral from SE Qld to Horsham Vic, and it went well. Now I note that there's a Kestrel with an excellent trailer for sale in the classifieds. I've seen that particular aircraft flying many times years ago and know it's well looked after. Kestrel Recreational Aircraft Cat 95-10 | Recreational Flying I'd grab it myself except that I've just finished building my own design and trailer to do the same sort of travel around flying. JG

This cable, especially designed for the 912 dual carb engines works really well, and carbs stay in balance long time. Top quality construction and really easy installation. I've used one for years and several other 912 owners have also found them to be excellent, three more owners at our airfield are installing them right now. Only have one throttle knob in the cockpit, but the pax can reach across if needed. McFarlane Aviation McFarlane Aviation - Rotax Throttle Controls - Panel Mount You need the six foot model to reach the far carb properly.

Like Narromine used to be.......

I'm already in direct contact with Fernando, trying to figure what's happening here. Never heard of similar results in any of the many conversions done.... JG

Well stated, my feelings exactly. I went to 11 early Narromine fly-ins, even when in a 50 kt ultralight that took two days to get there. I don't want to go to such an airshow that's being advertised, so definitely won't be going either......

Yeah, trifocals are a bit of a nuisance. Takes awhile to get used to them, but it will happen. Many of us have adapted quite well, and now no problem. I've been flying with tri-focals for 20+ years now and don't notice them. But I am talking about true tri-focals, with the three sections, not the gradually changing multifocals which I couldn't get used to.... Some manage to get used to them, but I couldn't find any advantage. For my flying glasses I request my optometrist to set the dividing line between the distance and middle range so that I can view the distance over the panel and the instruments in the mid range without tilting my head. I request reading distance to be set just right for maps on my lap. Works really well. I have had prescription sunnies for flying, but now find clip-on sunnies more convenient than swapping. And can change easily from really dark shades in bright glare to orange tint for hazy conditions. Doesn't need to cost anywhere near $1000. Just choose a pair with slim ear pieces so they fit best under the earpads. By all means stay away from surgery except for a bad cataract, which will give brilliant results, but you'd still need the tri-focals cause that new lens can't focus....... JG

This is the Windyty forecast for Birdsville at 2000ft tomorrow morning 5am. Looks like a lively ride......

Both belong to the station, and are definitely off bounds, vigorously defended..... I know of a couple of flyers who landed on the highway, and even then she came driving over immediately to abuse them, thinking that they might have used her airstrip....

I found this clip-on funnel at a King Kong Discount store. It works just great, don't have to hold a funnel with one hand and pour with the other. The inventor deserves an award.

I didn't keep track of total fuel usage, but at 17-18 litres/hr at 80 kts for 56 hrs that would be about 1000 litres. I started with about 170 litres of 95 mogas, then carted 20 jerry cans (20x22=440), so about 610 would have been mogas and the rest avgas. A lot of work to cart all that mogas.... I still don't know important it is to avoid avgas, but on a long trip to the Pilbara when I had used a lot of avgas, I did once get a bad mag check and found the first plug that I removed completely covered in lead deposit, couldn't even see the points. All the rest of the plugs had the cavity between the insulator and the shell completely full of lead..... So since then I've made more effort to avoid 100LL (the LL doesn't really stand for low lead, but actually Lotta Lead), and always carry spare new plugs if I'm going to have to run on avgas..... 80 kts is my preferred cruise for speed/economy compromise. Best economy cruise is of course nearer to the best glide speed, which is more like 60kts, so a bit tedious..... This is the fuel cart that I made up from an old golf clubs cart. Weighs 2.5kg. When towing the weight centers right over the wheels and is really easy to tow. Breaks down for easy stowage in the aircraft. These wheels are 200mm diameter and roll really well even over rough dirt. 100mm would be the absolute minimum.

Must remember that you should always be within gliding distance of the runway, so an ultralight with it's typical glide ratio from 500' is going to be much closer to the runway than a faster aircraft at 1000', so no chance of being run over from behind, and in a position such that it's right in line of sight from the aircraft at 1000' who should be watching in that direction for ground traffic and picking his point to turn base. The only point of conflict on a common flight path would be on final, which is going to be very short for the ultralight, so excellent visibility from base leg for the ultralight looking out the longer final for the faster oncoming aircraft, and excellent visibility for the faster aircraft looking in from base and final to his proposed touchdown point. That ultralight circuit makes for excellent separation.

I always follow roads if they aren't too much out of the way. Even if the road loops out from the straight line track, the extra distance isn't very much at all, well worth following it. Some say, "If you're following the road might as well be driving it." But not true at all. Driving the road you only see the white lines, the oncoming trucks and the doddering caravan in front, barely time to glance at the continuous bush along the way. From 2000ft the whole perspective is just as good along the road as it is along the direct Xcountry, but it sure is comforting to know that continuous runway is down there.... Some places like Arnhem Land there's no road to follow, and real dense tiger country, so just have to carry on if you want to go there. More altitude gives more options, but over that gulf savannah country it still doesn't give any better options, and the scenery becomes really blah at high altitude.... Of course I'm constantly scanning to watch for opportunities for landing sites and assessing how I would approach them to get it right....

Good idea. I'll get some photos next time I'm at the airfield.

I've just added a lot more detail about stopover sites and fuel stops, and an interactive map to zoom in on details. JG

A blog with the story and photos is at 2017 Flight to Arhem Land and Centre