Neil_S

Hi Motz, If you can't make Bacchus for some reason then Penfield (Sunbury) is where I fly from, it's about 40 minutes drive from where I live in Hoppers. Drop me a reply and I can fill you in and probably pick you up from there if you need. Cheers Neil

Hi Brendon, I live at Hoppers and fly out of Penfield (Sunbury) - it's about a 40 minute drive. I did my training there and now have part ownership of a Gazelle hangared there. Drop me a reply if you would like to come out and look around. Always good to have a few options to consider.... Cheers Neil

Hi Winsor, Congratulations to the pair of you! :clap2: Excellent news. Hope you have a brilliant time. Cheers Neil

Ross! Hope you enjoy the site - lots of good stuff here. Cheers Neil

Hi Paul, I co-own a Gazelle with a friend, and had the following question. It would be great if you could assist. The edge of some of the fabric on top of the wing of the Gazelle is just starting to lift. It is only a bit at the moment (about a quarter of an inch or so - on top of a rib next to the tank), but obviously the longer we leave it the more it will lift off. I was wondering what you would recommend as the best way to stick it back down again? Is there some particular glue we should use, or some other technique to fix it back down? If it would be better I can send you some photos if you care to let me have your email address. Thanks! Neil

Ooops - typo there , Chird65, Penfield (Sunbury) is YPEF....but I will let you off as you fly a Gazelle Cheers Neil

Hi Tim & . I am sure you will find lots of useful info on these forums and this site. If you are central Vic which airfield do you fly from? Cheers Neil

Good on 'im!! I hope they show a clip of him making that first flight as inspiration to others....

Well done, Tomo!! Great stuff, and lovely plane too, I'm not really green with envy at all...... Cheers Neil

Hi Winsor, My mum, who lives in the UK, has a propellor from a BE2A/B in her lounge! My gran on my dad's side bought it from Camden market many decades ago with the intention of drilling holes in the blades, putting in pegs, and using it as a hat stand - but thankfully she never got round to it! Round the hub it says 70 HP Renault, which was the engine in the BE2A and B. Makes a good talking point! More info on BE2s at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_B.E.2 BTW were you aware that Andrew Willox, who edits the Friends of the RAAF Museum magazine, is building a replica BE2A (non-flying) which he hopes will be completed in 2013 in time for the Point Cook centenary? You should plan to come over and see it!! Cheers Neil

Tally Ho, Biggles! Bandits at 6 o'clock!

.....Or maybe in the mental haze they just THINK they're cashed up

Hi Tomo, "Low wings are much more user friendly for ditching than high wing aircraft I would imagine." Hmmmm - I am not sure I would agree. I am assuming that in an RA plane with fixed undercarriage there is a big likelihood it will flip on touching the water. In the Gazelle I would have opened the door(s) just before touching, and if it did flip then I would like to think the air in the wings would provide some buoyancy and allow the upturned fuselage to remain at least partially above water. But even if it didn't it should still be reasonably easy to get out of the open door under water and find the surface. Also in a forced landing on land I would also get the doors open just before touchdown, and if the plane flipped it would be much easier to get out with the fuselage upmost and wings on the ground than if the same happened in a low-wing plane. Some low wing planes have a canopy that opens by moving it upwards - if the plane is inverted and resting on the canopy I imagine it may be very difficult to open the canopy, as you would effectively have to push the whole weight of the plane upwards - something that may be impossible if you are injured in any way. I hope I never have to find out if the above is true, but from an academic viewpoint sitting in front of my PC it makes some sense. Corrections & discussion welcome!! Neil

Hi Tomo, Good post! Reminds me not only to think about such scenarios regularly, but also to practice forced landings on a regular basis too..... I also recall a link on one of the threads on this site a while back that showed an FAA guy doing a talk on surviving forced landings, and he said that you could "land" in a VERY short distance under control - the aircraft would be bent, and you would likely be bruised, but the seat belts are designed to absorb very high G forces, so effectively you should fly the plane into the ground, avoiding low level turns if at all possible, and just above stall speed. He also gave some maths for calculating "real" stall speed, as the one quoted in the POH is always at MTOW, and if there's just one person, with less than full fuel, then it would be lower than the book figure.... Cheers Neil

Hi Tomo, Great pix! Wish I had been there..... Cheers Neil

Hey Winsor, Just where/how do you find these gems?? Love it! Neil

Hey Winsor, Great video - very interesting. Cheers Neil

Hi Winsor, Really interesting video! Thanks for posting. Cheers Neil

Hi Spin, And verily I say unto you they maketh a multitude of sense! Amen. Neil

Hi Ozzie, Brilliant photos! Thanks for sharing the link....:big_grin: Cheers Neil

Appalling news - all of them... Sympathies to the families & friends of all involved.....

Hi Frank - thanks for sharing, I found it fascinating. Wonder where to next with the technology? Cheers Neil

Hey Mike - top stuff, mate! Well done Let us know how the rest goes..... Cheers Neil

Hi Evan, I found the same, so now when I have 2 up I add a small touch of power just to arrest that final bit of descent and the landing is smoother (no flaps in the Gazelle). Close it right down when the mains have touched. Cheers Neil

Hi Sam, to this site and the forums - hopefully you will find some useful info here. Cheers Neil