moy71

i think i am with you on this one too. :)

I disagree. one example i encountered recently was during circuit training. hearing the radio broadcast when someone is on what leg is very helpful to me. For example if I hear a base leg call and I am on the downwind alarm bells will be ringing inside my head to be on an extra lookout. I must stress the fact that the radio is NOT my only means of precaution. A good lookout is the other.

how is this policed?

I have a brand new headset with gel foam and passive noise reduction which is still unused. Unfortunately my flying school insisted that I use their own so I have yet to try it inside a cockpit environment. My point is to check with your school first before buying as they may prefer that you use their own. BTW, if anyone is interested, my Pilot Avionics 12.8 headset is for sale (as new) !

PM Sent

I too happen to think it is a handsome looking plane!

Hmm, 2100 RPM on mine (Jab 2.2 engine) at base / final. Will try 1800 RPM too and see how that flies...

Didn't know about this.... will definitely have to drop by later in the year when our family plans the next holiday. Thanks for this info! any website I can read through? cheers.

Apparently only NZ will accept the RAAUS licence. The rest (USA, Europe, etc) will not.

On the Jabiru LSA55, at the start of base-leg I aim for around 400 - 500ft/min descent. This rate of descent together with the approach speed of around 65 kts (1stage flaps) gives me a nice glide without too much adjustments on final. Over the fence at around 60kts and landings are quite straight forward. Of course this is in calm conditions only. This leads me to my question: what is the comparative descent rate and speed for your plane? Am curious to find out other aircraft but in particularly the Skyranger. Cheers

can i ask what colour an ASIC card for Ra-aus pilots are issued with? i have a red one which i use for work at sydney airport. i can use this too right?

the more i think about it, the 912 appears to be the way to go with its "long-life".

well if you average around 3 hours per week flying, that comes to around 156 hours per year. that being the case, after 2 years your 300 hours are up and you are obliged to buy a new engine? that's around $9k every two years ?! that being the case, no wonder some people end up buying the Rotax 912 as it is rated at 1500 hrs (or roughly 9.6 years) before the need to be replaced. so what's the price of a 912 these days? $20K ?? my gosh, my plan to buy a 2nd hand engine has just become more difficult :(

here's the complete list of schools for you: http://www.raa.asn.au/docs/ops/ftf_list.pdf good luck!

Hi folks. Just finished reading the rotax website, specifically the 582 2stroke where it mentions the recommended Time Between Overhaul is 300hrs. Just so I understand correctly, at the 300 hr mark I am obligated to put it in for service similar to having my car serviced right? Well after serviced by Rotax techs, does the 582 get another 300 hrs? and then the service cycle repeats? If so, at what point is the 582 engine thrown away? or does it? And lastly the Rotax 912 is rated at 1500. Same principle except 1500 instead of 300 hours? Thanks for the clarification. PS... how much (ballpark) are the overhauls cost these days?

Thank you Watto. Will be sure to check that out.

Will be visiting the Gold Coast in August with the family. At this stage we will be driving from Sydney. Whilst there, are there any remotely RA-Aus related things that I can check out? Would love to fly a different aircraft if possible. Aircraft museums nearby? Thank you.

Hello all, If I may have your input on the following as well please.... a) Rotax engines 503/582 (TBO) recommendation is 300 hrs. How much approximately do these cost? b) yearly Registration costs? c) Maintenance costs? d) hangar fees/rent? e) insurance? f) any other costs I should consider?

Showed my wife a photo of Thruster and X-Air. Her reaction: "oh my....I won't fly in one of those. it looks like a windmill " I think my plan is doomed :( To date, I have only taken her up on a Jabiru LSA which she quite enjoyed. I think I have to somehow convince her that the rag-and-tube type aircraft are just as safe as the composites.

PM Sent.

Hmmm, Gazelle....to be honest I have not considered this particular plane but now lightbulbs are lighting up in my head... what an eye opener....and "traditional" shape of an aircraft to boot ! thank you, will research on this too.

Guys, please help me out here.... Last night, I casually told my wife how fun it would be to fly without having to book the local club's aircraft, and not relying on someone's else's schedules. Such casual talk from me, as on previous occasions for the past couple of years would normally elicit a reply that is along the lines of : "keep dreaming" or "sure, if we win Lotto" or my personal favourite "sure, when we retire.." (never mind that it is 30 years away...). Well the stars/planets/moon and all the other heavenly bodies I can think of must have aligned because last night her reply was one I have never heard before: "tha'ts nice, how much is it?" Never mind that I perfectly timed my casual comment about the plane whilst her favourite tv show was on (did i not read somewhere that distraction can be effectively used against your enemy?). Obviously money is an issue which is why I have set myself a budget of around $20-$25k. I also realise that this will only buy me a 2nd hand plane. My choice at the moment is an X-Air as it is a nosewheel type, 2-seats, and a reasonable cost. I'd prefer the Skyranger but something tells me it will cost more than $30k. So all this leads me to ask all you out there: a) Rotax engines 503/582 (TBO) recommendation is 300 hrs. How much approximately do these cost? b) yearly Registration costs? c) Maintenance costs? d) hangar fees/rent? e) insurance? f) any other costs I should consider? Please feel free to suggest any other aircraft within my budget as well. Thank you.

Makes even more sense. What a great forum this site is :)

Will practice more landings on the hard surface this weekend. So far all the replies have been unanimous: stick back right through until the nose drops. Thank you everyone, I will update this thread with the results on my next bitumen landing. Will also video it for those interested as well. cheers.

Wow, this fits exactly what I experienced.