jackc

Brendan, Sadly, they have always given me a hard time over anything relating to aircraft. I’ll see what happens over this W&B business, but they are going to have to come up with a feasible answer, not me. Because this may force them into doing something and saving other members grief along the way. I pay my membership for a reason and I expect them to be organised and deal with all aspects of recreational aviation since they make the rules. If they can’t get their act together, that’s not my fault.

Well, I would have thought by CASA pulling RAAus W&B authority, it leaves a segment of Aviation unable to comply with regulations? I wonder IF CASA have poo po’d RAAus training manual to gain CASA approval? Someone is in neglect here, in fixing this problem? I have a solution, change to VH Experimental, fix W&B problem, do RPL with an independant operator under CASA Part 149, NO flying school needed, do Class 5 Medical and fly away happy 😃

It appears that CASA revoked RAAus people from doing W&B? Now only a CASA AP can do them? Unless someone knows different? However SAAA APs sanctioned by CASA to do them, for VH Experimental aircraft owned by members, I would simply pay SAAA to hire the scales, by way of deposit, which is returned when scales are sent back. Part of the member benefit from SAAA, by going VH Experimental, away from RAAus?

RAAus need to put in place a regime where W&B can be done on RAA registered aircraft by negotiation, within independent parties to carry out the function. And not to mention easy access to have it done , considering members are scattered all over Australia. Since there is no friendship between SAAA and RAAus, I don’t see any collaboration occurring there, in any way. Older history will dictate, that.

They are so short sighted, they said the aircraft cannot be used for training, but obviously they have not looked me up to see my 24 reg Jabiru 230D. Well, it looks like VH rego for this aircraft. SAAA have APs do do W&B for VH Experimental. I think a stack of Members should call a Special General Meeting, and ditch the hierarchy, and start again?

Well, I knew it was gonna happen. I got the dreaded email from.RAAus, asking for a W&B, their reasoning was the previous owner back in 2015 received a request to provide weight and balance, they don’t have that. The aircraft was registered in 1999 so it would appear records have been lost and they have no record of the original weight balance and since that time the records have been digitised and the paper records no doubt shredded. So on the phone I asked today why the W&B They said I will need to provide that, to get the registration transferred and I said well that’s interesting because CASA has removed RAAus authority to do W&B checks so therefore there is no easy method of getting a W&B any more because RAAus have not put anything in place, However it looks I must go to CASA authorised W&B person and pay them significant money to get the job done? Next, I was asked about the colour of the skins, it had changed since initial initial registration because they were replaced in 2023. So they want copy of logbook page detailing that as well. Then they asked when the nose wheel was changed? There was no pic of this? I asked about MTOW increase to 490kg, they said to show factory evidence. So I have done that. It looks to me they have incomplete records? So, when someone does a rego transfer, they go through everything with a fine tooth comb? I told them at this time, not feasible to do W&B as it stands. So, I could well end up unregistered? 🤢

Thanks for the offer, Brendan. You could send it to me as a PDF if you like and I can get it printed out thank you very much. Well, my machine has a serial number of 492, so I’m wondering where that fits in the scheme of things?

Well, this change should have been published to all X-Air owners? But it seems RAAus wait until someone does a Rego transfer, THEN the new owner gets the bad news? IF RAAus try and blame CASA, that won’t work? Because IF RAAus try to blame CASA for this, CASA would ask for an immediate AD? Notification go out to all owners ASAP? That has not happened? I would allege that some ‘skirt’ in RAAus has decided to make changes for reasons best known to themselves? Anyway, I will make phone calls tomorrow, and see what happens 🤩

Well, nothing ventured…..nothing gained, so I will ask for 490kg MTOW, and I should not be refused? IF I am? Then I will do, what I need to do……🤩

Therefore, there should be a documented reason? But I really have to wonder as they caved in, to your request? I really have also wonder where your original 544kg came from, as I have not seen that MTOW documented anywhere I looked? Jared IS in charge of Tech? I figured he would have made that decision alone, for reasons known to him? People further up the tree would need to justify their direction?

The new CASA approved SAAA Maintainers Course was run at the SAAA FlyIn at Narromine, early October. CASA were present and approved the course. But it gone to CASA Legal, and the Legislative Instrument to cover all this, is estimated first quarter 2026. And SAAA have opened bookings to sit the course, they have been swamped.

Evidence of the Certificates for greater than 490kg are probably long gone. I did not build my aircraft, so I think I am in for grief? BUT if the crunch comes to the crunch……I can go VH Experimental Rego, do an RPL with a CASA Part 149 Independent Operator, NO Flying School needed. Fly away happy as a Member of SAAA, no rego fees needed. THEN do the new SAAA Maintainers Course, take that certificate to CASA who then issue their authority to maintain my own aircraft I did NOT build, under the new system. CASA are changing the rules 🤩

I think the ‘skirts’ at RAAus might spit their dummy on that plan 🤩

Be interesting how the RAAus ‘playbook’ works? Under what ruling, they initially derated your 544kg MTOW but then agreed to raise it to 490kg, to appease you? The engine options originally started at the 503? Went as high as 912? in other markets? Test Specs suggest it’s a rather rugged aircraft? Maybe a call to Jared Smith, RAAus Tech Guru is in order, to find out how the ‘playbook’ works?

I will see what happens? May send the Tech Dept a request for increase? Then see what happens? Can only ask? I will go from there 👍

Well, it’s a 2 seat aircraft? If others have had MTOW adjusted upward and it must have been engineering checked to do this? I do have other options? But RAAus, MAY demand a Weight and Balance IF an increase in MTOW is requested? To scare people off? THAT needs to be done by a CASA W&B person, at great cost?

Well, I will wait and see, maybe I should ask for higher MTOW based on precedents being set? OR I have other options I have already investigated? Or just ignore my MTOW within reason, if I have to…….simply fly the machine, and be happy 😃

So RAAus just change things at whim? I suspect they are even rated higher in other countries? Who is gonna weigh me at takeoff anyway, it’s just a number well under what others are rated at?

450 KG

Condition Report in with Rego transfer to RAAus, paid money, up to 10 days to process paper work reply from them? I just wonder what grief will come from this process? Probably throw a weight and balance order on me? Sorry for negative thinking 🧐 Got an extra charge on rego, because of time unpaid? Total for rego and transfer $504

I looked at doing it that way but, using a proper tensioning tool could be a problem, so I used Panduit Cable Ties being a recognised good brand?

X-Air update, in acquiring my machine, I have gone over it with a fine tooth comb because it ain’t a $300 Rusty Corolla 🤩 One of the things I decider to do was replace ALL the Crescent Batten ends, 20 of them p/n 120179 due to some broken etc. the last person who worked on them did secure them with cable ties, but it was an average job. I did them a different way and it worked well 👌

I think we have now reached a point that when you look at taking a policy from an insurance company you get their PDS which is very intricately worded, you take that to a lawyer and ask him what am I really not covered for here because the last thing anybody wants to do is to make an insurance claim because these days the whole thing becomes a nightmare, regardless. It’s like reading the warranty statement in a new car handbook and I discovered that when I bought a new Mahindra Ute, the supposed it many year warranty only covered certain things for three months and all this sort of rubbish. In other words I told the dealer the warranty was not worth the paper was written on. I tend to think that many insurance policies are similar………..

RAA insurance public liability is only good for $1 million. Some Councils now require $20 million to use their airfields, on which you generally pay landing fees. So I have to ask, has anyone been asked to provide their insurance policy to gain permission to land at a council owned airstrip? It’s a wonder Avdata are not involved in some of this, them keeping this Insurance information on their database, so when you ask for permission to land somewhere, the Council can search your details to either approve or deny your rights to land at a particular airport?

Too many Maintenance Releases to look after, not to mention hundred hourlys. What are the rules are for flying Brooms ‘on condition’ ? No controlled Air Space, Brooms are not good IF they get tangled up in 737 engines 🤩