kgwilson

Well, maybe nothing has happened. The discussion all seems to be related to hearsay or "I was told" etc. He may well be on leave or something.

 

 

The build log of this aircraft is in the Morgan Aeroworks Forum. Ross and Joshua built and logged the builds of their Cheetahs in the thread Building "Cowboy Up", a Cheetah Kit It's a shame it has become unloved. The quality of the build was excellent. There are several other threads from Ross (aka Slaribartfast) in the Morgan Forums. He was a very keen pilot for a long time.

 

 

That's good news KGW: well done to the entire team. I hope that the Clarence Council still slings some funds your way as a thank you for taking this over!(My son lives in SG, a relatively short walk from the aerodrome. Next time I am there I would love to catch up)

No CVC charges us rates. They have been broke for years & are very inefficient but still managed to get the state to approve an 8% increase year on year for 3 years. We did however get them to clean out the drain that runs through the aerodrome. It hadn't been done for many years & when we took over the lease wrote & pointed out it was an easement that they were responsible for & some months later they actually came and cleaned it out. Let me know when you are here and we can go for a flight around the area.

 

 

It is a ridiculous storm in a teacup. AOPA used the slogan for umpteen years & did nothing. RAA decided to register it then on 17 August when some people started to get upset, wrote a letter to AOPA which seems to have been ignored by all and sundry as they continue to get more wound up about it.

 

This is a copy of the open letter to Ben Morgan by Michael Linke posted on facebook as stated in post #6

 

"On 17 August (followed by your public statement on 20 August) you expressed concern over RAAus registering the phrase “Freedom to Fly”. On 17 August, we wrote to you and said that we had registered the phrase as a public effort to make sure that it can be widely used in the public sphere by all non-profit organisations engaged in the aviation space, as it has been used liberally in the past by so many.

 

 

 

We agree with that principle and welcome expressing the value and meaning of this phrase in our industry. It may be used openly and without limit by any non-profit aviation organisation. As previously conveyed we encourage AOPA to use the phrase freely. RAAus will do so too, and supports others who seek the freedom to fly to do the same - freely, openly and without restriction.

 

 

 

In due course our registration will expire. We have no present plan to seek re-registration as our wish is to have this phrase used clearly for the benefit of Australian aviation as a whole.

 

Regards

 

 

 

Michael Linke"

 

 

It clearly states the phrase could be freely used by any non-profit aviation organisation so what is all the rubbish being bandied about that AOPA would be charged a fee to use it. I fail to see what the issue is though I don't understand their (RAAs) need to register the phrase in the first place, but after this statement why all the fuss and threats of legal action etc. Total BS IMHO.

 

 

Our Aerodrome (YSGR) was council operated and poorly maintained. We (owners of hangars) lobbied Council and got the Crown Lease transferred to us. It is now very well maintained & we recently resealed the 1000 metre strip. It costs around 30k to operate for a year which includes a sinking fund reserve to go towards runway resealing etc. All the labour required for mowing, fencing, equipment maintenance & other upkeep is by volunteers. A $5.00 landing fee ($10.00 for GA) is a very small contribution towards this cost. Some people still whinge about it though or just don't put anything in the honesty box.

 

 

It just goes to show that aviation politics, state and federal politics are all the same. Absolutely pathetic! Full of factions, infighting, bullying and points scoring only for the benefit of themselves.

 

 

Great read and photos. Thank you. Your comment about not making a good WW2 pilot by not seeing an aircraft would not wash with those who were there. An account from one of the "few" Tom Neil in his 70th anniversary speech noted that for the most part he flew and saw nothing. He survived but lost 5 aircraft.

 

 

It is a shame the same sense of camaraderie and loyalty do not occur today.

 

 

The 2 most common clear plastic sheeting used use in aircraft windscreens are polycarbonate & acrylic. Polycarbonate is much stronger but has slightly poorer transparency and deteriorates over time by yellowing. Polycarbonate scratches more easily than acrylic and is hard to fix whereas acrylic scratches can quite easily be removed. Strength is hardly an issue so I'd go with Acrylic every time as I can easily polish out scratches. I only use acrylic cleaners and polish on my canopy or mild soap & water. Never use ammonia or glass cleaners on acrylic. There are a number of brands of Acrylic. Plexiglas, Acrylite and Perspex are just 3 of them

 

 

Certainly not the tablet manufacturer. They are made to a price & mostly the sensors are sh!t. Even iphone sensors are sh!t although they cost infinitely more than anything else. That's how Apple is worth more than a trillion dollars.

 

 

One might ask 'What stupid laws and regulations do we enforce that can drive people to such desperate and crazy actions".

Nothing to do with laws or regulations, just a person who had lost the plot & was off his nut.

 

 

Just in case you don't visit the events Forum and you have nothing to do this Sunday, why not plan to fly to South Grafton (YSGR) for our annual Wings and Wheels. The weather is looking great and 08/26 has a centre 8 metre wide sealed strip of 1000 metres in length with north and south grass runways. Total length is 1200 metres.

 

 

There was some debate on a thread here a few years ago & the consensus was that BP 95 was the best. Our local BP no longer sells 95 & has replaced it with an ethanol blend that is 94 RON. I used to use BP 95 but now use 98 (not BP). I always top up with some fresh if I have not flown for a couple of weeks. 98 will keep for quite a while in sealed jerry cans but deteriorates quite quickly when stored in a vented petrol tank as the light aromatic components evaporate off first.

 

 

And the drought just keeps going on. Just 0.2% of NSW is not under drought conditions now. We are getting our airfield cut for hay. It is super dry and brown & probably doesn't have much nutritional value but we are giving it away, it is being baled for free and transported free to somewhere out west in the hope that ours and others will keep stock alive till it rains. What these poor farmers should have done or could have done is completely irrelevant now. Most are crippled with debt & have little hope. We just need to try, show some compassion & help where we can.

 

 

At an entry price as low as $879.00 US that would be about $1800.00 AUD with exchange rate GST & margins.

 

 

I saw some footage of it in the STOL comp at Oshkosh. Pretty impressive, but it still looks like a praying mantis.

 

 

There didn't look to be much wind if any but as rollerball said at that place I'd always land up the hill. The upslope at the other end is way to short to consider landing there. The problem began from the decision to land that way, then to come over the trees high and put the nose down picking up speed so he had no hope of getting the wheels down with reduced speed before the drop off. That is when the power should have been applied for a new approach made in the opposite direction.

 

 

Check out this radar image and the rapid fire controllers. One of the guys must be an auctioneer.

 

 

 

The live feeds are great especially the ATC and Radar. Some great commentary. How they manage it all is amazing

 

 

Heaps of fire sleeve available on ebay.

 

 

I don't think it is any better though it has a glossier cover but mine also only arrived last Thursday so that is not a plus. Also our Wings and Wheels at South Grafton which is scheduled for 12th of August was not listed in the upcoming events even though Brian had a 2 page spread on it in the June edition. Time will tell if there is an improvement but the cheapest option is not always the best.

 

 

I did quite a bit of research on aluminium corrosion protection as I used to own an aluminium fabrication business and the powder coating company I used chromated the aluminium prior to powder coating. This is a chemical conversion process and stops aluminium from oxidising and changes the colour to a goldish hue. It is very effective but highly toxic as is alodine which was used in the aircraft industry extensively.

 

I used a product called PreKote which is applied with a scotchbrite pad. It is non toxic and has a very pleasant aroma but you are advised to wear rubber gloves gloves when applying it. When it is applied it foams up just like a detergent. After application you must apply primer paint within 24 hours. After application the test to see if it has worked as there is no colour change is to pour water over the area and if it does not web, i.e. the water film clings to the surface uniformly it is ready for priming. I have attached the Prekote MSDS and application procedure pdf files.

 

I bought 1 US gallon which at the time (2014) cost around $90.00 & I still have more than a litre left.

 

prekote_msds_sds.pdf

 

prekote_aircraft_application_procedures.pdf

 

prekote_msds_sds.pdf

 

prekote_aircraft_application_procedures.pdf

 

prekote_msds_sds.pdf

prekote_aircraft_application_procedures.pdf

Get a Spot tracker. Smaller, lighter, far more versatile with in addition to being a PLB is a check in device, I'm lost but OK, come & get me and a tracking device. Uses 4 x AAA lithium batteries. Costs about $200.00 but there is an annual fee.

 

 

The problem with a name-and-shame page and an honesty box is how do you know that nothing was put in?Short of the box being empty before and after you risk naming and shaming when there is no shame to be given out.

And exactly the same as you in the airfield I used in the UK was funded by hangar/club member fees and landing fees on an honesty box when the canteen was closed. its a fact of life that there are people who do not act fairly and so long as they are the minority its more of an aggravation than a real problem

We do get the odd $5 or $10 deposited anonymously but most people use the envelopes supplied & put their name, date, rego & $ amount in the specified places. I clear the box every time I am there which is at least 3 times a week & when other aerodrome users tell me that certain aircraft were there on a particular day it is easy to determine if they have paid or not. If just cash is found in the box I'd give them the benefit of doubt.

 

 

Our aerodrome is maintained by all of us that own hangars. That costs each owner $500.00 a year and there is a $200.00 usage fee for aircraft owners and all the labour for mowing, fence repairs drainage & other maintenance etc is from volunteers . Then we have people fly in and do not pay the measly $5.00 landing fee ($10.00 GA) but use the toilets and often the Aero clubhouse if it is open. Payment is by an an honesty box. At least for GA we can find out who but not for RA. I'd like to be able to send the bill to RA-Aus for them to pay or pass on. That will never happen. To be fair these non payers are the minority. Perhaps there should be a page somewhere where I can state 24-xxxx landed here to day & didn't pay.