skippydiesel

More like a touch-and-go than a full on landing. Having said that I can't help but admire the skill of the pilot, while also being disgusted at the undoubtable high cost of such a meaningless challenge/achievement.😈

I don't doubt your concern or the possibility that your local area has a particular issue/problem however the Au wide statistics do not back you up. As for my "safe bubble" - Bubble suggests lack of awareness/complacency - not true. Just not so easily influenced by alarmist language, however heart felt. Brendan - It is my impression, that your writen language has, in resent times, become overly combative to the point of personal attacks eg what would you know of where I live now or my personal history. Best not to go down the personal observation track, without in depth knowledge of the person (me).😈

I think his point was easily understood - IF the USA had a social safety net, similar to most other advanced nations, the illicit drug problem would likly be much less than it is. While abusing your body with drugs (legal & illegal) can afflict every strata of society, there is no doubt it disproportionally impacts the poor. Speculation: The USA has the most advanced, intrenched, culturally condoned & promoted violence in the western World - I very much doubt that anywhere in Australia can be compared. The murder of just one person, in Au, hits the national news. The USA has a murder somewhere every few minutes From Google; Australia's homicide rate roughly 0.85-9.9 per 100,000 people USA homicide rate 6.8 per 100,000 people and has been declining for some time. UK 8.6 homicides recorded per million 😈

Isn't the required ultra cool storage/tank, one of the problems with using hydrogen as a vehicle fuel? 😈

Well produced propaganda/sales video - no mention of wet/cold weather opps. The reality is this is just a nice looking low performance aircraft, that will cost someone a heap to keep free of corrosion /looking good. Its cruise & stall are nothing to write home about. Many in this class will easily out perform it, but probably not look as cooooool. Most pilots like the look of a single seater (usually with a canopy) but few purchase. Why? Simple, a second seat confers versatility, the occasional passenger, somewhere to put your inflight stuff. I am not against the Spirit, its an aircraft and for the most part I support aircraft. It just doesn't tick my boxes. I am sure it will be popular amongst those who want to fly in nice balmy weather, low so that people can admire and charge for all the photo opportunities where the "pilot" sits in the cockpit with a retro look leather flying cap on. I would admire a similar looking, genuine vintage, aircraft that someone lovingly refurbished but this ??????😈

Blueadventures, Curious - The exhaust springs shown, second photo above, are they Rotax issue?😈

Looks good Rodgerc. I would be concerned about ; The ability of the concertina not to fatigue in the "valleys" My ability to detect fatigue cracking in those "valley" should it occur. The stuff I have purchased was suggested by Thruster88 (above) . I am hoping that it will do the job very well. The claimed dimensions(ID) and heat tolerance are a perfect fit. The smooth, flexible wall should perform well and any deterioration show up quite readily. If it does as I hope, the minimum amount I purchased, should provide plenty of replacement material (if required) & last for several 100hr service intervals. 😈

Quit the character. Entertaining comentry. Did I miss the pre-flight ignition checks?? Unsecured heavy looking items behind the pilot??? 😈

Very pleased (so far). Purchased another Bluetooth adapter, from Clear Prop (Ian). Despite no instructions ( I read up on similar devices, found on The Net) got it going, on the ground. Started by checking that it transmits music from my iPad - Then switched over to AvTraffic. Sitting on the ground I had warnings for traffic, within the circuit area and up to 3000ft. In the next day or two, will try it at altitude. For what I want (simple connect with AvTaffic /iPad), its a tad over complex, in that there are multiple controls, I guess to facilitate music & possible phone. If it does the job, it will be left set to go and I wont be fiddling with it.😈

Ozrunways or similar APP, will give you a "track" & heading. Even in turbulence ,its easy to follow the track (magenta line), even if you diverge a bit, from time to time. No down side, as with autopilot (George). George may disconnect in turbulence, then there are concerns about system failure (how long before you notice you are far of track), loss of control feel, cost, etc I have "toyed" with the idea of fitting a George - I would need both altitude & heading control - so far resisted making my simple aircraft more complex.😈

Speculation; The fire in the Viva refereeing has been reported as being in the "Mogas" section. As an earlier respondent mentioned the term Mogas, is used in refineries, to describe that section of the system dealing with petrol (rather than diesel/Aviation kerosene & similar). I suggest that what comes out of the Mogas system will be further processed into various grades of ULP & AvGas. So there is likly to be an impact (??) on ULP & AvGas supply/cost 😈

I hope your prospecting went well Moneybox. In my limited experince, Rotax 9 carburetor engines have two air inlet system, that can be used; Simple, no ducting, air supplied from within engine bay, through individual carburettor conical shaped filters. Rotax or other airbox, supplying cool air from outside engine bay to both carby's. Air filtered at some point in the ducting. The airbox will usually be mounted separate from the carby's so there will be flexible connections to duct air from airbox to carby's Note: The carburettors are connected to the inlet manifold via "rubber" vibration isolators. If you should somehow restrict the action of the isolators, the carburettors will spill fuel, through the float bowl vent and possibly cause accelerated wear of internal components. The simple, no duct air filters, allow for the carburettors to move ie no impact on the rubber vibration isolaters. In the Rotax airbox, the box is mounted on the Ring Mount and flexible ducting connects it to the carburettors. The flexible ducting minimises the chance of interfering with carburettor movement. The initial problem with my custom airbox was that it was mounted on the carburettors themselves, almost completely negating the action of the rubber vibration isolators - fuel was being ejected from the float chamber vents. My first solution was to dispensed with the air box & fit the simple conical filters. The fuel spillage stopped BUT my engine was now breathing hot air (+10C above ambient) from the engine bay. I really wanted to use the airbox but how to mount it so as to allow the carby vibration isolators to perform as designed? I don't have a Rotax ring mounting system to mount/connect to. Make/install a firewall mount but I really didnt want to take my aircraft out of the air/back to the workshop if I could avoid it. The solution seems to be to mount the airbox on the engine itself. This would remove the weight/movement restriction on the carby's AND at the same time have the airbox move with the engine, a definite plus. However a second issue arises, the space between carby's & firewall is such that the airbox outlets and carby inlets are only about 15 mm apart (very close). Flexible ducting depends, to some degree, on the length/distance of the unsupported section to allow movement ie the shorter the distance the less movement can occur. This means that whatever flexible ducting between the two, that is used, will need to be very flexibly, so as not to restrict the movement of the carby's. The origional thick walled "rubber" hose/duct was way to stiff. Metal concertina duct may work for a while but I suspect that fatigue cracks would rapidly form, allowing unfiltered air to enter the system. Variose other suggestions ie using modifies rubber concertina suspension / steering rod covers, were considered SCAT tube seemed to be the solution however the coiled wire stiffener impeded the flexibility of the duct over such a short distance (15mm) - solution, remove the wire. Removing the wire needs to be done with considerable care, as there is a tendency to damage/rip the flexible silicon wall. The result is a soft, lightweight flexible tube that works very well. BUT I wanted a solution that did not involve damaging the SCAT and possibly reducing its service life in the process. I have found/purchased some soft, thin walled (2mm) silicon ducting (no wire). It looks like it will do the job, although heavier and possibly slightly less flexible than the modified SCAT. I am in no hurry to try the new stuff as the SCAT is doing the job for the moment😈

Hi Jack Jones, Thanks for your thoughts. I have a quantity of aluminium concertina duct (a Gates product to use as cold air "blast" tubing) that is pretty much what you describe. I feel that it may not stand up to constant movement/vibration all that well, so haven't gone down this track with the carby/airbox ducting. I have purchased a thin walled silicon tube/duct on lsBay (made in China) that claims several times the heat tolerance required and likly has the characteristics I have articulated. As the de wired SCAT is doing a good job at the moment, I will not be trying the silicon duct for some time - will report back when I do.😈

Sorry cant help you on the hourly rate. Sydney Recreational Flying Club, information & contact details https://www.srfc.org.au/ Phone: 0425251939 Don't be put off by the rough track into the field, just drive very slowly. 😈

Thats strange - my local RAA flying school/club has 3 Foxbat's - all with conventional (analogue) instruments. They seem to have an unending stream of students.😈

I rarely take photos - way too busy. Not much of a story- Son & young family on round Australia journey. Son & Daughter- in- law needed some documents from home. My excuse to fly up to Rocky, to do non cost effective, delivery. I tented for two nights, beside family caravan. Had wonderful food & quality time with Granddaughters. Who can ask for more? Both Sonex & my longest trip to date. Little aircraft "packed to the rafters" with camping gear, change of cloths, fuel bladders etc. Rotax just purred along. On way up, did a go round at Armidale due to strong gusting cross wind - changed to grass X strip - no prob. Again on return to The Oaks - too fast on approach, likly due to fatigue impairing judgement. It was along trip in such a small aircraft - If I hadnt been "on a mission" & concerned about weather window, might have been better to have camped a night each way. If it didn't happen - Fatigue must be in my imagination.😈

Got back from The Oaks - Hedlow (North of Rockhampton) late yesterday arvo. Hobbs 7.3 hrs each way (little more on way back due to head winds) Was going to go via Chinchilla but lovely lady, from flying school, persuaded me to go via Dalby. Wonderful people in Dalby - Loan of ute into town for fuel. No charge but put fuel in ute, as token of my appreciation. ERSA/Dalby somewhat wonting in airfield data. Hedlow - Great spot. About 45 minutes by road), north of Rocky. Accommodation & camping. Not cheap at $10/landing + $15 for aircraft parking over night. My thanks to Steve of Rockhampton (RAA) Flight Training (Hedlow), for advise on navigating Rocky airspace.😈

What makes you think that? Student/Low time pilot looking for pointers, does not necessarily indicate that they are just relying on an EFB. As for the $2 compass - don't forget how seafarers navigated before, what we would recognise, as a compass was invented. Panic is the enemy when your nave systems "go walk about". A bit of common sense goes along way. When all else fails, your relationship to large geographic features (may be non existent in Central AU far out to sea) should give strong clues as to flight direction and then there is the friendly voice of ATC .😈

".......what you do when the EFB fails." No panic! Why? Because you have been keeping a running record of your heading. Why do you keep a record of your heading? Because it may differ from your planned (EFB) heading and you need to know this, if you loose your EFB. You will know what altitude you are flying at and the heading should remain as was, until either EFB comes back or you reach a known point (airfield) On any trip away, from an area that I am familiar with, I have paper maps/plan to fall back on. These days I just screen shoot/print my EFB plan onto paper.😈

In my limited experience - Tractors and other powered farm equipment (header etc) have governed engines. The operator sets the rpm depending on the work to be done. For the most part the engine remains at or close to the set rpm (varying loads eg soil conditions may influence this). In short there is not much, if any change in rpm, for corners, etc. Brakes are principally used as a turning aid - not for slowing. Slowing, if required, is achieved through engine braking and /or an implement reaming in work. For the most part tractors do not go up & down through the gears (hydrostatic transmission may do this). The work gear is selected and remains (some tractors incorporate torque converters to allow for part ratio changes "on the fly"). Most tractors can move off, in every work gear ie gear changes are not usually done when moving. You may wish to rethink your agricultural example😈

With particular reference to - "(or farm appliance)" Would you care to expand this comment??😈

Okay no problem - From aged memory, I recall this matter being discussed, in significant detail - Conclusion - There is no problem with refreshing "stale" fuel. There is a lot of hysteria/urban myth about fuel deterioraton. Moneybox has demonstrated its a reasonable strategy & I support him in this. As stated, some judgement is advised. Use a little bit of common sense- Its not unusual for RAA aircraft to not be used for several weeks at a time (weather / domestic demands / work commitments / etc) Are you going to drain the tanks when this happens?? It depends (how much time has passed / type of fuel). Drain or add a significant dose of fresh (shandy). I have been clear all along - this is not a long term (6 months?) storage strategy. In my case, I have refreshed my "stale" 98 RON, with fresh 98, after about 8 weeks - noticed no impact on starting or performance. I know of a Rotax 912ULS powered aircraft, on my field, that is being run on AvGas at the moment. Its only flown about twice, since the beginning of this year - starts first time and flies normally If in doubt, use the "stale" fuel it in your mower/etc😈

It has been known, for some considerable time, that "stale" fuel can be revived, to near fresh condition, by adding fresh. I don't know what time span or condition, constitutes "stale" - may be a subjective assessment by pilot but it is certainly a viable option. Nor do I know of a formula for the mix, however would not like to go much below 50:50. Perhaps length of storage, storage type (open to atmosphere/sealed container/temperature/etc) and stored fuel type (AvGas, 90-98 RON) may all come into the shandy ratio. The reviving of "stale" fuel has been mentioned many times in this Forum and at least once in this Thread and as Moneybox can attest - worked for him😈

Why not?😈

Its kind of ironic that EV's are being charged by diesel powered generators.😈