BrendAn Posted July 31 Posted July 31 20 hours ago, Moneybox said: I arrived home Monday after our annual prospecting trip. We found a bit, not as much as we'd like but it never is 🤑. It just has to cover my other interests like flying. Today we took to the air for a quick trip to Mount Magnet YMOG so that I could have a blood test to make sure everything is in order. While there I submitted my new passport application in case Mrs M gets the urge to head overseas somewhere. Img 9372.mp4 10.5 MB · 0 downloads We don't have much in the way of forest and ocean scenery but we do have a lot of big holes in the ground. Mrs M has a little problem with motion sickness so I'm trying to add a little sightseeing to our trips. We live in the desert but it has its own beauty if you take the time to look. These are some of the dry creeks entering into the dry Lake Austin. And then we got a surprise, a river with water. That just doesn't happen out here. It doesn't seem to come from anywhere and disappears as soon as it hits the lake. Overall it was a great flight and much more enjoyable than flying on my own. that skippers plane brings back memories. spent a lot of time sitting the back of those things. 3 1
Moneybox Posted August 1 Posted August 1 2 hours ago, skippydiesel said: Roasted cornflakes😈 Just have to watch you weight having a heavy breakfast... 1
BrendAn Posted August 1 Posted August 1 Another perfect winters day . Lucky I still have the use of the xair I sold. Nothing better than low and slow on a nice day. VID20260801121301.mp4 10 1
Moneybox Posted August 7 Posted August 7 Tomorrow I have to be at Doolgunna about 265km north of here. I hate setting an alarm but I've already made arrangements for a time to meet. Mrs M is packing the van because it's going to be a road trip. Up and back in a day, It'll be a big one so I won't be doing any work. I'll go back after the mud settles. 1
sfGnome Posted August 7 Posted August 7 I learned a good lesson, not in my latest flight, but the one before it. Something I knew “other people” did, but which I never thought I’d do… 🫤 I’ve heard of people looking at, and even touching, a gauge, but not actually registering what it was saying. Who’d do that? Me, it turns out. Working my way through the pre-flight checklist; Fuel switch on. Yep. I even remember touching it and checking it was in the right position. Couldn’t work out why the engine stopped (thankfully while I was still doing ground checks). I had actually, carefully, checked that it was off, not on. Oh, and of course I had to do that in front of the CFI who was setting up a student nearby. How embarrassment. 😵💫 4 1
Moneybox Posted August 7 Posted August 7 1 hour ago, sfGnome said: I learned a good lesson, not in my latest flight, but the one before it. Something I knew “other people” did, but which I never thought I’d do… 🫤 I’ve heard of people looking at, and even touching, a gauge, but not actually registering what it was saying. Who’d do that? Me, it turns out. Working my way through the pre-flight checklist; Fuel switch on. Yep. I even remember touching it and checking it was in the right position. Couldn’t work out why the engine stopped (thankfully while I was still doing ground checks). I had actually, carefully, checked that it was off, not on. Oh, and of course I had to do that in front of the CFI who was setting up a student nearby. How embarrassment. 😵💫 Are you referring to the fuel valve? Do you actually turn those things off? 2
sfGnome Posted August 8 Posted August 8 12 hours ago, Moneybox said: Are you referring to the fuel valve? Do you actually turn those things off? Some do, some don’t. My problem was that I expected the fuel valve to be in the right position, so I didn’t think about what I was checking. All I really did was check that the fuel valve existed. Don’t check for what you expect, check what’s there. A fellow I know told me that he once belly landed a plane because he didn’t realise that he’d been flying with the wheels down, so on final he carefully put them up… 2 1 2
facthunter Posted August 8 Posted August 8 THAT is strange. Usually the actuator goes Up for Up. If you leave the fuel selector ON on some Planes you are then relying on the float Needle to be sealing perfectly. Some Beechcraft have the Flap and Gear (little)) levers alongside each other, and some pilots like to retract the FLAPS, immediately after landing to Put more weight on the wheels for Braking. Nev
turboplanner Posted August 8 Posted August 8 14 hours ago, sfGnome said: I learned a good lesson, not in my latest flight, but the one before it. Something I knew “other people” did, but which I never thought I’d do… 🫤 I’ve heard of people looking at, and even touching, a gauge, but not actually registering what it was saying. Who’d do that? Me, it turns out. Working my way through the pre-flight checklist; Fuel switch on. Yep. I even remember touching it and checking it was in the right position. Couldn’t work out why the engine stopped (thankfully while I was still doing ground checks). I had actually, carefully, checked that it was off, not on. Oh, and of course I had to do that in front of the CFI who was setting up a student nearby. How embarrassment. 😵💫 We've all done that; the key is focusing on it for a few flights. 1
facthunter Posted August 8 Posted August 8 I HOPE we haven't ALL done that. It's something that often has very serious (even Fatal) consequences. It's A VITAL action.. There are things you Must be Certain of. Good on the Being truthful about it. and bringing it to Light. It will Help.others to think More about it. Most times the fuel lasts just long enough to get you airborne. Consider that you have to PROVE any fuel selection change. Nev
pmccarthy Posted August 8 Posted August 8 My passenger door comes open a gap at the front if I increase speed after forgetting to put up the flaps. It has happened twice. Each time, I stare at the door and think "what is wrong with that door?", then I remember what causes it. 2
facthunter Posted August 8 Posted August 8 More Low pressure on the top of the wing and acting further Back? Nev 1
Moneybox Posted August 9 Posted August 9 On 08/08/2026 at 8:45 AM, sfGnome said: Some do, some don’t. My problem was that I expected the fuel valve to be in the right position, so I didn’t think about what I was checking. All I really did was check that the fuel valve existed. Don’t check for what you expect, check what’s there. A fellow I know told me that he once belly landed a plane because he didn’t realise that he’d been flying with the wheels down, so on final he carefully put them up… Any idea how long it took to stop after the valve was turned off? The reason I want to know is that the Zenith has the fuel valve sitting in one position even though the label shows ON-OF-ON. It's turned to RH tank but when I bought it the guy said you just leave it there. I want to have control of where my fuel is being drawn from. The valve is very tight to turn but it can be rotated. I want to test it on the ground not when I'm in the air wishing I was on the ground. If I can turn the fuel off then run it out of fuel I'll know if each valve position works or not. I turned it to the off position but it was still running after about five minutes. 1
BrendAn Posted August 9 Posted August 9 (edited) I didn't fly yesterday but got to watch the xair take off. It was another magnificent winters day. Will fly next weekend weather permitting. VID20260808103652.mp4 We have 500 mts of airstrip, I reckon the xair uses about 100 Edited August 9 by BrendAn 4 1
Kiwi Posted August 9 Posted August 9 (edited) Moneybox. On my Rans S6S, the fuel filter used to be forward of the fuel cut off valve, it took ages to run out of fuel. Now the filter is before the fuel cut-off valve., it only takes 2 to 3 minutes to run the engine out of fuel. Edited August 9 by Kiwi 1 2
danny_galaga Posted August 9 Posted August 9 (edited) 2 hours ago, Moneybox said: Any idea how long it took to stop after the valve was turned off? The reason I want to know is that the Zenith has the fuel valve sitting in one position even though the label shows ON-OF-ON. It's turned to RH tank but when I bought it the guy said you just leave it there. I want to have control of where my fuel is being drawn from. The valve is very tight to turn but it can be rotated. I want to test it on the ground not when I'm in the air wishing I was on the ground. If I can turn the fuel off then run it out of fuel I'll know if each valve position works or not. I turned it to the off position but it was still running after about five minutes. Definitely worth knowing. Mine takes 90 seconds for the engine to stop. There's actually no reason to ever turn mine off, still you never know if someone's had a fiddle. Edited August 9 by danny_galaga 3
BrendAn Posted August 9 Posted August 9 (edited) 2 hours ago, Keith W said: Things you see its labour taking over farms for net zero rubbish. there are piss off samsung signs around Warragal. there are plans for a big battery site on some of australias best farmland. Edited August 9 by BrendAn
Moneybox Posted August 9 Posted August 9 I think I'll have to pull the covers off, seats out or whatever it takes to checkout the plumbing. I can't risk running out of fuel on climb out or any time after that... 2
sfGnome Posted August 9 Posted August 9 5 hours ago, Moneybox said: Any idea how long it took to stop after the valve was turned off? This was a Jab 160, and while I can’t tell you exactly how long it took, it wasn’t long. I hadn’t started to taxi to the run up area, so it couldn’t have been much more that 90 sec (or I was fritzing around more than I should have). 2
Moneybox Posted August 9 Posted August 9 I might be able to just work with the fuel hoses discnnected and electric pump running into a bucket. I just need to know what fuel valve position delivers fuel and where it's shutoff. 1
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