Jerry_Atrick

They do, but you will find their rental charge quite a bit more expensive than the EGLK company I linked to above.

Like the Cherokee six, I don't plan on the extra costs to carry two seats, but the 210 flies faster than a TB20 with less fuel - so has to be worth looking at... I have also thought about a 182 as well; they are going for about $360/hour wet bit that is worth the extra 40 kts over a PA28/C172 @ c. $260/hr. I am not wedded to starting the trip from Melbourne; My family are based there; I am happy to start and end from around Adelaide through to Redcliffe and anywhere in between - depending on the aircraft..

I wont necessarily avoid Ryanscare if they fly my route and offer a competitive fare. I have flown EasyJet and TUI as well, and they are pretty much the same. They used to call them bucket shop airlines (and this included chartered aircraft as well) as it was like being loaded into a bucket and thrown to one's destination. Has been a model since I arrived in the UK. And collectively, their safety record seems to be in good shape - no worse than the supposed full-service airlines (which, by the way, I have been looking at fliughts to Cyprus and even BA now charge for checked in luggage - and a whack more than the bucket-shops...)

I think they also went wrong on the idea. Renting aircraft is not like renitng cars. I have been looking into firing up something similar in Europe, especially since the Single European Rules of the Air, and the logistics and economics just don't stand up to any real assessment. First, there simply isn't tthe critical mass of pilots who need to rent; Second, the ability to even utilise a planned rental has a much higher risk of not materialising due to weather or servicabiity than a car. Third, like Turbi says, even if you are insured to fly, it is easier for an unfamiliar area to take an instructor to ensure one remains legal and safe; forth - if a multi-office car rental firm ends up with too many cars in one location, they just load them onto a truck - it;s a relatively painless and cheap exercise - can't simply reposition planes that are left at other locations as they renter has had to hop on a plane due to delays in being able to get fly themselves back; and so on. ANy repositionng would either be at the renter's expense, making it uncompetitively expensive or simply eat whatever profit one eeks out... So far, this sort of renting model seems to work better: https://www.eglk.co.uk/

I have flown Ryanscare once - to Dublin - and it was actually OK. We actually went to Dublin, rather than Cork airport. Yes, Ryanscare had a policy of taking people to destinations that were hardly in the same country, let alone the same city as advertised, but Luton has been considered one of the London airports at least as long as I have been here ('96), and longer. London airports include Stansted and Gatwick - both hardly that close to London. Ryanscare's revenue model is not the airfares - it is the extras (such as luggage), and the retailing they do in the air. It is darned expensive, and for some reason, people need to have a £1 drop of soft drink and £3 heated chips (of which there are about 10 chips included).. In addition, they had installed gambling machines where the seat-back monitors should be and that has apparently been a roaring success for them. Also duty free (oddly, even within the EU) is a big hit with them I hear. I have also heard that the pilots have to pay for their own type rating and refresher training - I would believe the first but not necessarily the second. And O'Leary - love him or hate him - is a master of public relations; he turns every complaint into an opportunity to state that there is a reason they are the cheapest.. And those that complain still flock back... So he is (or was) doing something right.

Hi Aldo, Many thanks for taking the time out to plan a flight and provide advice. I was estimating about 10 hours flying time (hoping to get an Archer for the trip - prefer to have the extra 20 horses under the cowl than a PA28); Also happy with a 172, but would prefer the Reims Rocket variety for the same reason and they are very few in between. There is a Cherokee 6 (300HP) that I can lay my hands on, but the school that owns it is quoting 130kts cruise and the extra cost to carry an extra 2 empty seats is not worth it. The benefit, though, would be that it has been beaten up less than those used for ab initio or at least Nav flight training... Interesting to know that a EFB requires a backup - either paper or another EFB. We don't technically require one over here, however, I almost always have a paper map marked up and I update progress on it as I go. Maybe time to get another tablet (prob go Samsung this time - I am not really an Apple fan). 7500' sounds about right over the ranges. I would love to have that lattitude here (well, in the South East of England bird cage, the highest is around 5,500 ceiling and even over thr channel, the airspace is so fragmented, it is not worth going over 6,000', VFR anyway). Cheers, J

Of course, I could simply buy the requisite VTCs and WACs and do it as I did it 25 years ago! I sort of know the way, anyway... and I would always check NOTAMs and weather, regardless of what the flight planning software told me.

What I like about skydemon is, I can develop my flught plan on my latop/desktop with a bigger screen and mouse/keyboard and then save ti the cloud to be downloaded to my ipad/phone later. I find this very convenient compared to using an ipad for the whole thing and means I can zoom into the map but still have a decent amount of it displayed, along with NOTAM updates, etc. I think command software will let me do it, although its charting and features, particularly graphical representations, look remedial.. still working through it..

Many of us like to bimble; many of us like to tour; some of us like to do aeros; some of uls like to do club comps (unf. something not part of the UK scene). And some of us will take on extra training while some of us will conduct that training. So, what are your flying plans for 2020? I'll start: Training Once the TB20 comes back from the paint shop (it has been in for three months; 2 months longer than planned and is still yet to come out), I will do a little refresher training. I haven't flown much for the last couple of years and this is a bit of a step up. My examiner is almost as good as my second instructor/first examiner in Aus. The training will mainly freshen up the navigation bit as well as radio navaids and emergency procedures. As the a/c is N Reg (USA), I need to either get the piggy back FAA licence (61.75), however, the cost of doing that in the UK is almost the same as training over there for the conversion to a stand alone FAA licence. Have to make my mind up within 2 weeks or I will miss out (in my shareoplane, anyway) on some planned touring. Intend to do the UK IMC/EASA IR (Restricted) rating as a lead in to the Competency Based IR (rather than virtually doing the ATPL theory syllabus before getting an EASA IR). WIll also rekindle myself with some aeros (again, courtesy of one of my most inspiring instructors from Aus - he knows who he is). Touring - Europe - Weekend planned from London to Liverpool - 4 Days planned from London to Glenforsa (Scottish Islands) - 6 Days planned from London - Canakkale (Turkey) for Anzac Memorial at Gallipoli (which is why I have about 2 weeks to determine which route to get an FAA licence) Touring - Australia Birdsville Races - Sep.. Have the application in for the Aussie piggie back licence and ASIC.. Intend to rent a plane (prob a PA28 ) from somewhere around Melb. But, I intend a two week sojourn.. Haven't planned the route yet (unf, Skydemon stopped supporting Aussie maps, and Oz Runways only works on phones/tablets - looking at Command Software, but they don't seem to do a trial - will contact them). But the route will be most direct (taking into tiger country), most likely form YMMB with an obligatory stop in YTOC. After the races, head East towards either the Gold Coast or Ballina depoending on airspace and then south.. Intend to do Sydney from the air and then follow the coast to Melb, avoiding MIL airspace as required..

That is terrible and tragic - condolences to their family and friends. And thoughts to the 17 year old - no doubt scarred for life; He (or she) may have been careless, showing off or something esle; at that age - often with a less than fully developed frontal cortex, their (and we may say, our) perception of risk is a lot different to someone more mature.

Looking at that last picture, maybe need to cross post to the tiedowns thread ?

I have been overseas for 23 years and I have exactly the same sentiment...

Almost there... Note the missing horizontal stabiliser.

Carby fitted PA28s seem to be notorious for over-priming resulting in fires. The PA28 I occasionally rent is a tatty old school rental but the engine is still shiny new thanks to an over-primed engine resulting in a fire which did enough damage forward of the firewall for the insurance company to put a new engine in it. At Southend (pronounced by the locals as Sarrrrf-end), an Archer II came to grief because of a fire from over-priming. No one was injured in the incruance scam.. er claim... ?

Is it based at Jandakot, Northam or somewhere else? Is it more or less tatty or does it look like a major job to get airborne again, or does it look beyind repair? There is an old Seminole at an airfiueld here which is obviously beyond repair and has been for a long time, but someone is still paying the parking.. Will visit the a/c tomorrow to retrieve an ipad and take some more photos of my beasty babe,.

Tempo grounded about to get its new coat of paint. Have flown it a few times - takes a little getting used to. When it is back in the air, will get my examiner to come up to critique my style

There is another bloke going aorund the world in a C182... Other (non-competing) forum write up here: https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=112140 His website is here: https://katamarino.co.uk/ He is currently in Maitland, NSW... Inspirational stuff. I am planning my first real big trip in the TB20 (beyond France and Germany) - Blackbushe (EGLK) to Canakkale (LTBH) for Anzac Day Service 2020 with an Aussie mate. About 10.5 - 11 hours flying each way... taking 5 dayss out to do it... Inspired by the above...

I am not sure of the exact licence the radio operators have, but they have to do some training and pass a test. It is of a much lower standard than ATC. ot Aerordroe FLight Information Offiver.

Sibson is for all intents and purposes and uncontrolled aerodrome. The "tower" has not ATC or flight information service. It has an air/ground radio service, whch simply passes on information about the airfield - e.g. wind, runway currently being used (i.e. they don't stipulate which runway to use, either). My home airfield also as an a/g radio - and more often than not, it is not manned. Crazy when you think about it as there is also an active parachuting operation there...

Although Syndicates aren't that common in Aus, they are very common here and they generally work well. In the same vain that one hears horror stories of syndicates, one also hears horror stories of the wrong plane purchased. Of course, with your own plane, you get to use it when and where you want; assuming it is serviceable. But it will cost a lot more and for many, it will be sitting around for long periods doing nothing - something Lycs don't like doing. I have been in two syndicates - both 8 people (that sort of seems the natural limit to me). The current syndicate is very active so some forward planning of when you want to fly and getting your booking in is the order of the day. The previous syndicate - a PA28 Warrior II, was much less active and one could often book the day of desired flying even in glorious sunshine (at the time, not so frequent occurences). I wish I hadn't sold that share. As for which plane - I have a few hours in both PA28s and C172s and I think it depends on what you are after and how much you have to spend. There is plenty of good advice already, but one should add is either way, prepare to shell out for a decent pre-purchase inspection.. Even if there are abnormal issues, it won't mean don't buy, but it will at least give you some bargaining power as to price to take into account abnormal maintenance items should there be any. That can save more than the pre-purchase. Other than that, try before you buy - and do your research. There are plenty of schools/clubs that will hire you either (or both) and some others to boot. Buying them is hard enough - selling them is harder (unless you have a pristine, low hour example). So make sure you buy the one you prefer. I learned on PA28s (Warrior/Archer) as well as C15x and C172s... I like them both (but, then, I like both Holdens and Aussie Fords). In the C17x, I don't like the electric flaps, though and apparently if you don't park them on flat lad, the tanks cross feed and if there is enough fuel, the excess will sill out through the overflow. The low wing of the PA28 will give you nice ground effect - a bummer sometimes when you come in a little too fast as you float down the runway... Either way, enjoy. It's greast fun and for getting around longer distances, no better way...

I would laud, ratther than condemn them. Yes - they have broken some laws which are designed to protect the public; But it looks like there weren't any unsuspecting members of the publix in harms way should it got pear-shaped. Yes, they have risked themselves, but a) it looks like they have done quite a bit of testing and we all complain about how CASA over-engineers safety regs; and b) it surely is a person's choice if they take a higher risk activity. If the fella plummeted to his death, it wouldn't be as if he was unaware of the risk.. Sometimes we should let people have a bit of fun... people aren't stupid...

Ahhh Red.. Now you're speaking my languages....

Phew! Otherwise, he could have been referring to a part of your anatomy!

ha ha ha ha.. I had a Russian born girlfirend when I was 16 (I obviously haven't drunk enough - I can remember that far back).. And I am sure that is how her family pronounced my rather poor rendition - it was how I pronounced it...and her family (all from St. P'burgh) obviously were very polite... Mind you, when I tried my Russian in the Czech Republic, I was met with a stony, deafining silence coupled with stern looks.. For correcting me.. Spas yeee bah! ;-)

@willedoo - someone would think you are pro-rouski! Cag di la.. and all than (pardon the spelling).. I have to say, water-borne a/c don't often do ti for me... But I have to say, I quite like that thing... Once we're out of the EU and the £ = the rouble, I should be able to get one ;-)