T510

A majority of the people I speak to are not happy with the way RAAus is running the recreational side of flying. Is there enough interest to get people pushing for it again? Surely with the right lobbying there would be a chance of getting it accepted by CASA.

Part 103 in America is run by the FAA, no reason CASA couldn't do the same thing. I don't see that we need another organisation, RAA certainly seems to have forgotten the rag and tube light weight aircraft that have no interest in flying in controlled airspace.

They quote a finished price of $34k USD ready to fly with a Polini on the website, seems pretty cheap to me. Quick build kit is $22k with a 100% finished airframe...

Is it up to RAA to decide if we get P103 type regs, isn't that on CASA to determine if it is appropriate? Will be interesting to see what the new CASA GA workplan outlines when it is released.

I wouldn't pay for Sportpilot if I had the choice. Boring articles written badly and incorrect technical information, it makes it hard work to read it at all.

Where are you watching it? Haven't been able to find it on any streaming services

I'm aiming to get all my endorsements through RAAaus (XC, passenger, formation, low level, utility, In flight adjustable prop, retracts) then I'll move to an RPL or potentially PPL. I already have my Irex theory and would like to complete the practical at some stage. I would really like to build my own plane and be able to take more than one passenger down the track so VH experimental will probably be the sweet spot for me.

That's good to know as there are not many offerings for tailwheel RAAus aircraft for hire. Keen to try out their Champ and the Sport Cub to compare it to the Legend Cub I have done all my training in. I wish I had started that young, my first solo was only last month at 49yo. My comment though was more in regard to flying VH aircraft to get an endorsement when you only have an RPC. I have really enjoyed the challenge of learning in a tailwheel aircraft and the challenges of crosswinds and the mechanical turbulence at Narromine and Dubbo in certain wind directions

Hope you are going to offer a tail dragger option

I have only flown tailwheel since I started doing my RPC and ended up travelling up to Wings out West from Victoria. Can't recommend them enough. Great instructors and the Legend Cubs are a pleasure to fly (not that I have anything to compare them to) When I spoke to RAAus about flying schools offering tailwheel training they said Wings out West was the only option, I couldn't find anyone in Victoria offering tailwheel training through RAAus and I called all the schools listed on the RAAus page. A few other schools that listed tailwheel training said they no longer had a tailwheel aircraft available due to lack of demand. Flying with Grace at Narromine offers tailwheel training in a Legend Cub and it's good to see Sport Aviation and Adelaide Biplanes have a couple of options too. I'll have to do some travelling and get some flights in other aircraft so I can have something to compare the Legend Cubs to. I'm keen to fly as many different aircraft as possible Pity RAAus didn't seem to know which other schools to recommend. With regards to the people offering training in a Decathlon out of Moorabbin, my understanding is I can't fly VH registered aircraft under my RPC and no flying in controlled airspace unless I convert to RPL. Is it possible to do endorsements in aircraft I can not fly solo?

I aim to learn something with every flight. At no time was I rushed, my instructors and I came up with a plan the night before, the weather conditions and forecasts where closely monitored and a decision was made. That decision was then re-evaluated on the morning of the flight and further discussed during the flight and the circuits conducted with my instructor. I have flown in conditions that where worse than the conditions I did my solo in, we have discussed at length the rarity of "perfect" conditions and the requirements for a competent pilot to be able to read the conditions and fly (or cancel the planned flight) as appropriate. We have also discussed the appropriate actions if conditions deteriorate once the flight has begun. My instructors are highly skilled and we brief before and after all flights. I rely on them and appreciate their skills and their ability to instruct.

Dropping 95kg from the back seat of a 100hp cub makes for a really short take off roll. Reached circuit height well before the end of the runway.

Did my solo Sunday morning, just managed to sneak it in before a change in the weather saw the winds pick up. Did 3 circuits with my instructor in variable winds that made runway choice a bit challenging but the direction settled down giving me enough time before the wind speeds picked up. Full credit to my instructor and I have fallen in love with flying Cubs. The challenge of learning to fly in tail draggers has been an awesome experience

I use CT14 in my ultrasonic cleaner, does a great job on pretty much anything I have put through it from engine internals to motorcycle crank cases.

One thing I have noticed with the Chinese auto manufacturers is the rapid improvement in quality. I regularly get hire cars for work and the first of the Chinese MG's where a pretty horrible experience with shocking NVH, build quality and in car controls. 6 years later and the improvement was impressive, no way would I buy one but they have come a long way in a short time.

My brother has a Tesla that he bought new. He intends to drive it till it's dead, partly cause of resale values and partly to see how well it actually lasts

Best of luck Rapture. Having dealt with Chinese manufactured products for a few years now it has become evident that they can produce some high quality products if you choose the right manufacturers. As Brendan pointed out most things we buy now have Chinese components in them regardless of country of origin. Can you share an indication of pricing?

Skippy, Battery tech isn't there yet. I'm sure it will get there but at this stage there isn't a light enough APU generator to produce the power required to top up the batteries to usefully extend the range.

20 minutes flight time on the Jetson with 100km/h top speed means it isn't much good for anything other than a quick blast around the block. At $100k usd that is a really expensive toy with very limited capabilities. Not going to get much mustering done in 20 minutes then you have to charge for an hour before you can fly again. Hot ambient temps and LiPo batteries aren't a great combination either

What happened to the old "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all" Each to their own...

It's a Reims / Cessna 337 TBG. Spectrum Aircraft replaced the two piston engines with a single rear mounted Pratt & Whitney PT-6 turbo prop, lengthened the cabin ahead of the wing and an extended cargo nose. Thanks to google for the answer

I spent a fair bit of time operating out of Woomera, both the main airport and Evetts field and from what I saw they didn't bury anything. There were piles of aircraft parts just dumped in the desert around the hangars. Even the remains of the Canberra at the end of the main runway had other aircraft parts dumped on top of it

Here are some scans of pics from my old mans collection, unfortunately there is no notes on the pics and dad has been gone over 20 years now so I am not sure where these pics were taken. It would have been the late 70s/early 80s. Dad's scout in the backyard Dad's Scout with his mate's green scout (Werner Becker I think) Scout transport vehicle and here are a bunch of unknown to me ultralights and a Volksplane

My father used to tell the story of going to a Military surplus auction with the intent of buying a Tiger Moth. He was put off the idea when he was told he had to take it on the day if he won the auction given he had never flown a plane before and he had no other way to transport it. The auctioneer told him they where really easy to fly and he shouldn't have a problem with it but dad wasn't convinced there was enough room to land it in the paddocks behind his parents house in Ascot Vale. He ended up with a Ferret armoured scout car instead.

Safety of the pilots and efficiency come into it too. Flying autonomously you can even spray at night. And if you do trowel one in its typically only an expense not a human life. Crop dusting is a great application for unmanned aircraft. Removes the high risk to pilots and flight paths are down low away from most manned aircraft activities. There are already companies out there converting manned aircraft into UAV's