Thx1137

A bit about my bag. 1. It is collapsible. IE. not hard sides. This is so when I take out my big stuff it takes up very little room. 2. Don't bother with lots of pockets. Carry your flight planning stuff in a pencil case. Then there is only one place to look for it! My pencil case is big enough to hold my whiz wheel, maps, weight and balance sheet (laminated), pens, pencils, spare headset battery, etc. My current bag was $5 at a cheap as chips type place and only has one pocket. The pocket has my sunglasses, small binoculars, PLB and a small camera in it. that fills that up. The main part of the bag has my cap, kneeboard, headset and ERSA and 500ml water bottle. My bag has a lot in it but everything is really easy to get to :-)

They can wrap a big wad of $100 bills! :-) A few options include: 1. Headset 2. GPS (I have a HP 312 with Oziexplorer and PocketFMS - the screen is a bit dmi in a sportstar though) 3. A PLB (espcially if you can't/dont want to borrow one and want to do some decent cross countries, not something you can "play with" though unless you want to time the rescue services:-)) Maybe all the above with a nice flight bag to carry it all :-) Steven.

The only thing, if not tried already, is turn the headset volume to low and up the radio and intercom volumes. I would have though that would help even it out. If you do than then part of the shutdown procedure would be to put the volumes back to normal lest is blows someones eardrums out! Do the Zulus have a stereo/mono switch? In the SportStar it should probably be set to mono. My headset didn't work well until I did that.

At least the big ones are easier to see. That is what got me about these guys. The eagles I spotted in plenty of time to do something if I felt the need. Not these guys. On take off would be particularly hairy. Not a lot of options if you see them heading towards you.

Doing a drain on a Sporty last week, the colour didn't look right but the smell was normal. I suspected it was because the fuel drain checker was brand new making the colour look lighter (not clear but a fair bit lighter) than what I am used to. I opted for a second drain (which was the same) and got a second opinion. We decided it was ok, it did play on my mind a little until I had departed the circuit. I don't like things not being 100% consistent! :-)

Man, that is great :-)

I was doing an hour of solo circuits in a J160 today when about half way though I saw a bunch of birds (small and dark coloured so sparrows I think). Man, they appeared out of nowhere fast. It took no more than three seconds before we had past each other They were flying in a haphazard way (different birds were going to different heights and headings) so it was hard to judge exactly where they were going to be. I was bracketed on at least three sides however I think they were getting out of my way (none came barrelling towards the windscreen) so I didn't try anything evasive. I have had two flights now where I saw eagles and they was majestic (although I swear that on the second occasion it curved towards me for a second before resuming its original flight path), these guys were just "*oh dear! where did you guys come from and where are you going!" Even though I don't think any got real close, that added a little excitement to the circuits and illustrated that sometimes there is not a lot of time to make decisions! :-) Steven. * I think I though something other than "oh dear" :-)

G'day Jodie, Ah. When you said feedback I thought you meant the high pitched squeal! I know of some high end ANR headset that have had that problem. My headset (non-zulu) varies between aircraft. On one of the older sportstars I get zero sidetone. I had to check that I was transmitting! On one of the newer ones it is really loud so I have to turn the headset volume down. others have been "just right". I haven't really played with it much to work out what is going on, I did try to remix the volumes a bit but it didn't seem to help at all. Steven.

It seems he was questioned about why he said "brace for impact" instead of "brace for water impact". He said: "I tend to think that I wish I'd had more time to more fully apprise the flight attendants of the situation that we faced. I probably spent some amount of time -- I would guess I had maybe four or five seconds to decide to make the announcement and what I should say and I chose my words carefully. My highest priority, at that moment, was to avoid passenger impact injury. I didn't know at that moment how successful I would be in trading air speed for sink rate to cushion the touchdown, so my immediate concern, my highest priority, had to be to avoid passenger injury at landing, so I chose the word impact and brace to indicate that they needed to brace themselves to avoid impact injury. I knew that the flight attendants would do their assessment prior to opening the doors and I wish I could've told them there was a water landing, but had I done that, they might've begun getting people to put on life vests and not being in the brace position at impact, so it was a balancing act for the situation that we faced and the time that we had available."

From Dick Smith's site Introduction I wonder what he thinks of CASAs rule making? :-) Proposed Civil Aviation Regulation Act Rule 1000(a). No pilot or pilots, or persons, or persons acting on the direction or suggestion or supervision of the pilot or pilots may try, or make attempt to try, to comprehend or understand any or all, in whole or in part, of the herein mentioned Civil Aviation Regulations, except as authorised by the Director or an agent appointed by the Director. Rule 1000(b). If the pilot or group of associated pilots become aware of, or realises, or detects, or discovers, or finds that he, or she, or they, are, or have been, beginning to understand the Civil Aviation Regulations, they must immediately within three (3) days notify in writing the Director. Rule 1000©. Upon receipt of the abovementioned notice of impending comprehension, the Director will immediately re-write the Civil Aviation Regulations in such a manner as to eliminate any further comprehension hazards. Rule 1000(d). The Director may, at his or her option, require the offending pilot, or pilots, to attend remedial instruction in the Civil Aviation Regulations until such time that the pilot, or pilots, are too confused to be capable of understanding anything.

He has a document that I think has some relevance at National Airspace System (NAS) Document. Search for the word GAAP. He also has a section called "Reviews of the "Ambidji GAAP Report"". they don't sound impressed! Here is a snippit from the first document, written in 2001. 2.1 Class D airspace Application Class D airspace will exist at non-radar controlled TMAs where a tower service is provided. GAAP aerodromes will be designated Class D aerodromes, and if necessary, a difference lodged with ICAO with respect to VMC minima. Design The control zone will be of minimum dimensions so as to protect IFR and visual circuit and approach procedures in accordance with the MOS. The CTR and associated Class D steps will capture the arrival and departure profile of high performance aircraft and extend to 4500 AMSL to abut overlying Class E airspace. The end state model will follow North American architecture. Procedures Class D procedures will be aligned to the FAA application. While VFR aircraft in Class D airspace are subject to an airways clearance (ICAO Annex 11, App. 4), the clearance may be implicit as is current practice at GAAP Zones and in US Class D airspace.[ii] 8 Benefits include simplicity and standardised training. GAAP currently applies non-ICAO VMC criteria.[/url] 9 On advice of intent to the Tower an implicit clearance is assumed by VFR aircraft unless the Tower directs otherwise. This is consistent with FAA practice.

Can you without breaking something or causing the aircraft to decreasing safety in either normal on abnormal flight modes? Dunno. however, the J160 POH says "Doors should only be opened for emergency fume evacuation" and "Opening of the doors in flight is approved in an emergency such as for smoke or fume evacuation.". It would be nice to know what the issues are with flying without a door or with the door open but I would want Jabiru to certify that it is allowed before doing it. Insurance companies love escape clauses!

Well, if they are on my runway I am not going to trust them to not take off while I am landing in front of them so legal or not I wouldn't do it!

HD is a definate for me. I have a Sony HDRSR12 which is not bad. I like the hard drive models, no mucking around with tapes or DVDs and has plenty of space for my use.

My list. Most of this stuff is small and light so leaving it behind wouldn't save much and keeping it all in one spot means I probably wont forget anything :-) The mapping stuff is in a pencil case sort of thing so it all stays together. The bigger items float around in a small bag just big enough for the ERSA, headset and pencil case. Sunglasses Hat Pens Pencils Dry marker Eraser Pencil Sharpener VTC and VNC ERSA (a copy of ERSA pages for airfields I am flying near live under my flight plan) Flight Computer and Scale Rule Water Phone Headset GPS Kneeboard Camera (no mucking around, point in the general direction and click :-)) PLB Weight/balance sheet (laminated)

That indecision when you know (think!?) your in the right is bad isn't it. We expect the other aircraft to do what it is supposed to and when we are low hour I think we tend to defer/trust the other aircraft more than we should! All of a sudden time runs out and we have to do something. Good work on the go around, the only other thing I might have done differently is request their intentions or made another mid-final call, if I didn't get a response straight away then there would be more seperation. It is hard to know though unless we are actually 'there' and it is much easier in hindsight :-) Steven.

I purchased a HP IPAQ 312 which is a PND. It is a superceeded model but it works brilliantly with OziExplorer and PocketFMS. Infinately more readable in sunlight than the Uniden Traxx430 which is unusable in the cockpit. Because it is superceeded they are going cheap too! It has an 800x480 screen so is pretty much double the resolution of the other PNDs.

For anyone else who decides to do something like this, get J160 hours after learning on a SportStar or similar. My third hour was not too bad. I did some more standard circuits, a full flap landing and a glide approach which were all ok. The last three circuits of the day were solo, it sure beats the complete bamboozlement I felt during the first hour! So, a little perseverance goes a long way because it would have been easy to say "forget it" after that first hour!

Hmm. it is obvious when I thought about it again. The prop is pushing through the parcel of air, not the conveyor belt so of course it takes off! and as mentioned, the wheels get a good work out :-) Oh well, I never claimed I was smart :-)

I had my second flight today. It was light-years better. Everything was really good until I got about 3 feet off the ground I would tend to balloon it or stop pointing straight down the runway. The landings were a bit firm, no bounce though. The last landing was actually passable although the rollout was rather ordinary. Rudder use was a lot better though on upwind my right leg would still get a little lazy. It was good to feel less like a fish out of water :-) Next week I expect to be able to do do all my landings pretty well so after that, that leaves whatever else is left. Some glide approaches, cross-winds, short-fields and stalls maybe? I dunno what is usually in the curriculum when learning a new aircraft! Steven.

Hmm. The coolest thing for me so far is seeing two black specks heading in my general direction. I said the the instructor "those aren't aircraft are they" and several seconds later a pair of what I think were eagles glided past. They were rather big and I actually felt a bit awstruck and a little kinship, they were quite majestic. They got within about 15 to 20 meters away to my right and almost level with the wheels. I think we were cruising at about 3500 feet. Steven.

Had the urge? Hell yeah! As a contractor I could just go out and have a fly however I then don't get paid, it would take nearly two hours just to get to the airfield from work. I haven't saved a cent in my life so work comes first. Sob :-( The weekends won't know what hit them over the next few months though :-)

Yeah. It was a real eye opener too. I think this was it

About 70kts from memory. No steep approaches. This is all pretty subjective of course. I certainly got a surprise when I dialed all the power off. I think there were two parts to this. 1. We were heavy. 2. I have trouble making fine throttle changes. So, instead of smoothly dialing off the last of the power, it was rather abrupt. I know if I were smoother I would not have had an "oh dear!" moment. :-) I don't think there is much to be concerned with as far as the aircraft goes. I know my approaches were really poor, when the instructor did them it was all nice and smooth both his control handling and the flight so it was me, not the machine.

hehe, thanks flyinghigh. Yes that is pretty much what I was told to do and after not doing it, saw the effects. It helps consolidate it :-) As for being ahead of the plane, I feel like I have left the carpark and now only a 100 meters behind the aircraft it so next session I hope to be in front :-) One of my SportStar instructors used to say that I had a death grip on the stick. I think I may have left finger imprints in the Jabiru! :-)