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sfGnome

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Everything posted by sfGnome

  1. sfGnome
    The more I read things like these comments (and that letter), the luckier I realise I was. When I was looking for a school - knowing absolutely nothing about the process - I purposely chose a one-person school where the owner/CFI/instructor/dishwasher was well experienced from ATPL down. Ok, with hindsight there were the occasional shortcomings, but because it was always the same plane and the same instructor, I got consistency. It wasn't until after I got my license that I started to discover the variations between CFIs while doing checkflights at other locations. At least by then I had some modicum of confidence and could accept the different styles and different content, but if I'd had to cope with that in the early days when your brain feels like it's gunna explode; nup, I'm not sure I would have made it.
  2. sfGnome
    Clouds broke up a little this morning. Aha, thinks I! I might just duck up to the strip and get a few circuits in... Brief look at the weather station put paid to that idea. Winds 20ktG25kt directly across the strip. Too much for this little black duck.
  3. sfGnome
    Thanks Steve. Much appreciated.
  4. sfGnome
    I redirect one of the air vents across the unit, and I haven't (touch wood) had a failure since doing that, despite the full sun of a low wing.
  5. sfGnome
    Steve, do you have any photos? I'd love to see what you've done, but it's a bit far to drop in at the moment. :)
  6. sfGnome
    I'm both a bit deaf and have a fat head (sigh) so my zulus have been a godsend. I can hear so much more clearly than with ordinary headsets, and they're as comfortable as, even after hours of use.
  7. sfGnome
    Fantastic Ian. Much appreciated. It's like reading with my glasses on again - same meaning, but much less struggle!
  8. sfGnome
    Like so many first time pax - grinning from ear to ear, and with the microphone down around around his adam's apple! How'd you hear anything he said?
  9. sfGnome
    The Swift's a nice enough looking plane with it's skin on, but it looks like a flying bedstead when it's naked!
  10. sfGnome
    I've been doing a fair bit of failed-engine practice over the last month (PLB in for service, so limited to the local area. Done lots of other exercise too...). Anyhow, two things I discovered. Shooting glide approaches from anywhere to the strip (on very quiet days so I wasn't disturbing circuit traffic), it's the last 300 ft that really tell you whether it was successful or not. It's a dirty feeling when you find yourself too low to make it when everything seemed hunky-dory. Also, come in from the dead side if there is no one else about. You're not always going to get left hand circuits in an emergency landing. Go a (known) decent distance away from the strip at a (known) fair height (say 5 miles at 4000' AGL). Glide towards the strip being really careful to maintain best glide. Note where you end up. Now go back and do it again from the same point, but glide 10 knots slower and see where you end up. Yep, we all "know" what will happen, but when you (or, at least, I) actually see it happening, it concentrates the mind somewhat.
  11. sfGnome
    I walked into town and back a couple of evenings rather than wait for the bus (ok, so I'm impatient, but I also like walking). Pretty easy, and really beautiful at night with the country sky overhead.
  12. sfGnome
    Love the rego! Is that your shot in the RA -vs- GA arguments??
  13. sfGnome
    Wind speed is supposed to peak here tonight. I'm sure I tied it down well. I mean, I think I tied it down ok. Please - I hope I tied it down well enough...
  14. sfGnome
    Actually, I should admit that I write real-time embedded control software for a living. Some years ago, I worked for a company that put remote control alarm systems in (very expensive) vehicles where the operators at the monitoring centre could shut off the engine when the police instructed them it was safe to. Unfortunately, the software was of dubious quality (actually, it was total crap) and occasionally it would just shut off the engine without warning. I'm told that it was pretty exciting to be pushing hard around a fast sweeping bend and to suddenly lose the motor... Having said all that, it is possible to write good, safe control software, but it costs a *lot* of money. (Oops. Is this thread drifting again?? )
  15. sfGnome
    Interesting document history. Tecnam published it in October last year. Users who are registered on Tecnam's site received it shortly afterwards. EASA (and hence CASA) published it on 22nd Jan (three months later) and it's effective date in their version is 5th Feb. And do you know what the compliance time is? Within 10 flying hours or 30 days, which ever is the shorter. It takes them 3 months to tell you something that has to be done within a month...
  16. sfGnome
    Oh, ye of little faitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitfaitBlueScreen
  17. sfGnome
    Exotic? Nah. They just look like Australia. Exotic would be, umm, say, Irish?
  18. sfGnome
    I go down there each year to ride pushbikes up stupidly steep mountains (but my eyes always seem to be on the sky... ). Lovely place to live!
  19. sfGnome
    Always track up, regardless of whether it is paper or GPS or tea leaves. However, I called that 'other' because of the gps choice.
  20. sfGnome
    Ok, so what did the pilot do wrong - apart from not put it down on all that open land when it was obvious that it wasn't climbing?
  21. sfGnome
    Beauty! make sure that you tell us all about it as you do. I'd love to see fair dinkum Electrics flying around (possibly with me inside one of 'em one day).
  22. sfGnome
    Thanks Kaz. Don't think I'll be trying it at A025. In fact, don't think I'll be trying it at all if the weather is ordinary, but am looking forward to it immensely.
  23. sfGnome
    Thanks Alf. Are the East Sale steps (R358) commonly activated?
  24. sfGnome
    Hi Ho! In the process of planning Sydney to Bairnsdale and back, with two major requirements; one refuelling stop on the way (beloved not too keen on landing, so must keep them to a minimum), and Keep out of tiger country (I aim to get old, not bold). It's going to be week days, so I can't run through Nowra airspace, so figuring on (roughly) Goulburn, Polo Flat (landing), Orbost & Bairnsdale if there's no cloud issues so I can get up to 6500 across the Monaro. Alternatively, if the clouds say otherwise, drop down from Braidwood to Moruya and follow the coast, stopping at Moruya or Merimbula. This leaves Mittagong/Braidwood as the highest part of the trip with ground level at 2500. Assuming that all makes sense (please tell me if there are any holes in it), I want an inland option as well in case the coastal weather is crook. Albury to the Hunter valley is no problem. Question is, what's the best (safest) way from Bairnsdale to the Albury area. It all looks pretty rough and inhospitable to me. Is there an option, or is it the coast or nothing?
  25. sfGnome
    Well, apologies if the owners are reading, but I had a bit of a giggle few months ago when, in the space of one flight, I heard Melbourne centre having a conversation with Golf Golf Golf, and then not too much later having to wrap their tongues around Whiskey Whiskey Whiskey. Then again, maybe it doesn't take too much to amuse me...
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