skippydiesel

Sport Pilot ISSUE 112 Aside from the the regular homilies delivered by our long suffering RAA staff (always worth a brows) it seems the main contributor to SP is the editor. The SP editor has now reported on his thirds trans Australia trip. The latest self promotion uses approximately 13% of the available SP space (front back covers & advertising included) and delivers less than 1% quality reporting : AIRCRAFT The RV 7 used, is not RAA registered. Possibly could be under the latest regulations but unlikly. Even if RAA registered, is NOT representative of the majority of RAA aircraft, being far more powerful, Faster, Greater Range, Avgas guzzling and likly higher load capacity. The pilot of an aircraft of this type, is very unlikly to encounter the sort of trip challenges most RAA pilots/aircraft would encounter. PILOT Mr Heath is a GA licensed pilot - as we all know this confers entry to controlled airspace (CTA). As yet ,RAA pilots are not so privileged, thus limiting their (rout & landing) options when traveling. Mr Heaths budget (fuel/accommodation/food/etc) would seem to be quit lavish, again not likly to be representative of many RAA pilots. Trip Budget It may be a perc of the job that Mr Heaths travel activities (journalistic research?) are tax deductable, in whole or part. May also be covered by in whole or part by SP? (RAA?). I find Mr Heaths travel stories entertaining, if a tad gushy!. I also find that they have little relevance to what I or my RAA pilot friends might aspire to - something as simple as 95/98 RON ULP availabity is not addressed,. Three trans Australian trips (published in consecutive SP's) of little relevance to RAA pilots, is truly excessive Who is approving these irrelevant jaunts? Who is funding them? Why are we getting travelogues that have little relevance to the sort of flying RAA pilots might aspire to? "TECH TALK" "THE BORE, THE STROKE, AND THE GLORY....." Yea Gads! If it was just Mr heath showing his ignorance I would not be concerned however SP is supposed to be representing RAA & it pilots. This article, in keeping with previous "fluff" from Mr Heath BORDERS ON MISLEADING, CERTAINLY DOES LITTLE TO INFORME, the reader. How long are we going to be subjected to this SP editors incompetence?😈

Survey was all about moving to digital - nothing about quality editorial content.😈

Very interesting. I suspect , many of the phantom roads you are referring to, are actually surveyed and likly appear on Council maps/plans. The big question is; when Google shows what looks to be a nice runway is it true/false?? 😈

It was at Goulburn a few years back - ugly as sin!😈

Thanks for that. DH built many stunning (looks & performance) aircraft. I have flown in a Herron several times. The Drover was a best forgotten modification - so ugly even a mother would reject it. 😈

What an offer! Now all I have to do is shake my dose of CV19 & find a suitable weather window.😈

Calm Aluminium 28 Saggart Field Rd, Minto NSW 2566 Phone: (02) 9603 6486 https://www.calm-aluminium.com.au/ 😈

Just a comment on the dipole antenna I only have experince of one such installation - in my composite ATEC Zephyr. It worked, just! I replaced it with a conventional antenna /ground plain and the performance of the transceiver improved 100%. A proper electronics person may be able to explain/speculate why. 😈

More to the point - Do you have your airstrip operational ? - If this brain dead pilot can get to WA, I may, if landing permission granted, drop in😈

I don't doubt that many infections will effect the brain - some short term, some permanent, some terminal - Other than taking what precautions & treatments that are available and we wish to take - what do you suggest??? The reality is" life" also effects the brain - I am told that we "peek" at about 25 years and its down hill from there. The internet is a wonderful tool but like all tools can be misused. I council against Dr Google - most of use are not qualified to interpret/understand the information that may be there. TRUE STORY; A friend had a pain in her lower abdomen. Turned to Dr Google and acted as she interpreted the advice therein. Two weeks later rushed to ICU, very close to death. Lucky for her, an emergency operation to remove a section of her gut was successful and she lived. Could so easily have gone the other way. 😈

Planedriver, I am sorry to hear of the troubles that have beset you and your friends. On the matter of immunisation - it is clear you know nothing of the body's response to infection or how many vaccinations work. I am very far from an expert however I do know that the efficacy of vaccinations variose tremendously with the disease being mitigated eg Tetanus vaccine is good for about 10 years (should still have a booster if bad cut and or contamination of wound) Polio vaccine - for life (boosters should be given to people at high risk eg health workers working with infected patients). Rabies 3-5 years. Yellow Fever - life long Measles - most of life. Typhoid -3 years. etc etc. I speculate that the length of time that a vaccine/immunisation remains effective depends on the rate at which the dieses is able to evolve. Coronavirus is a rapidly evolving virus - The fact 6-12 month that booster shots are required, is to try & combat/keep up with the changes. I congratulate you on reaching 82 years of age. Many of us (especially men) will "drop off the twig" long before such a milestone. While 82 years must infer much life experince, it would seem wisdom has escaped you. Your argument against vaccination lacks logic, is full of speculation, hearsay and circumstantial judgement. You advocate "...extensive research yourself" on the face of it reasonable advise , provided you accept the findings of the scientist who actually know what they are talking about. The exception to the rule argument, does not make sense & never will - "At 82, i'm pretty fit and still working just about full time...............I have not had one Covid jab" Lucky for you! Blessed with a superior immune system. Unfortunately millions, not so blessed, have suffered & died due to CV19 - many more have survived due to immunisation. It is unfortunate that a small number of vaccine recipients will have a severe adverse reaction (more than feeling a bit off). This is as much a factor of their individual biology, as is your clearly excellent system. That you appear not to need to be immunised against CV19 (& what else)- should not undermine the benefit, to untold millions around the Globe, who have benefited from vaccination programs. 😈

Would the strip be in the corner of Lorraine Road? 😈

Thank OT - Been there a couple of times already. Grandchildren - walking petri dishes of infection. Brain well & truly misplaced! On another note ; Do you have a contact number for Augusta Aero Club? 😈

Never said you were an antivaxxer, but then again....????? Without facts you have nothing other than faith - if this be where you are at Go God My Friend - I will stick with science and those who speak for it.😈

Hi BM, Its way way to easy to blame your problem on the last vaccine you had - overwhelmingly these claims are found to be without foundation. For the relatively few who did have an adverse reaction - I agree , they should be supported, if there have been out of pocket expenses, its a lifelong or even long duration medical issue. If they just felt a tad unwell - to bad! "......senior state/federal government medical officers with medical qualifications made statements based on what pharma companies told them that have now proved to be false." You know this for a fact? Big pharma is just about equally ethically bankrupt as our career politicians - that what happens when market economics, are applied to health care - Governments no longer invest in R&D. You, along with every other shortsighted/ self intersted voter, have kept a whole series of Governments in power who have systematically defunded our R&D industry. recently there have been some small signs of hope, unfortunately about 30 years of R&D has been lost in the meantime - no wonder we had to look to Yank Big Pharma for a miracle cure. "Rabbiting on about anti-vaxxers while having no plan for next time is just plain stupid." Be careful with the personal attacks - Our Gov, in common with most, has a dieses outbreak plan. Unfortunatly when modern medicine delivers generations without an outbreak, funds are whittled away, plans are not updated, systems allowed to degrade - just human nature. Mind you the Anti Vaxxers are doing their very best to create a good environment for the next disease outbreak - how many lives will be lost to their stupidity? Anti Vaxxers are anti science, anti society. Their actions (not just with CV19) put all of us at risk, especially children, older people and the immunocompromised. To me they are "pariahs"! In Au we have an additional self imposed handicap, with any disease/pest outbreak - States have way to much influence. Any problem of this nature should always be a Federal Responsibility. These issues do not respect State boundary's, therefor must be Federally run/coordinated. Politics must not be allowed to have any influence (Yeah! I know this naive but when you see the NSW Premier failing to implement a timely lock down, in wealth North Sydney, just because thats where all here $$$/friends come from, you just have to wonder how many lives were lost by this crass political action) 😈

There is a big problem with Captain Hoods approach; I would trust him to do the pre-flight walk around and any other pilot duty. I would not trust him to make authoritative comments on any medical matter, especially in the field of Virology. While he is a powerful persuasive narrator, he is just not qualified to to speak on the subject he is advocating. His logic can be reversed ; Passenger seeing an emergency situation, takes Captain Hood to task over the decisions he is making to save the aircraft.........................................????? I agree without any reservation - The Australian Government(s) are no where near as transparent as a democracy should be. As a result I and many others believe them to be ethically bankrupt. Unfortunatly they are all we have and we must accept their management when urgency demands. CV19 was (possibly still is?) a pandemic - URGENT situaton. I am sure that corners were cut - you cant do a risk assessment when the building is collapsing around you. AstraZeneca is no longer used. I am sure it injured many, it likly saved many more. This is called a cost benefit analysis. The reality is, any sensible person will take whatever seems to be the safest rout at the time. Anti Vaxxers are not sensible people. Worse they put the greater population at risk by their actions & their hysterical fact free proselytising. FACT - Almost anything you put into your body, can cause an adverse reaction, even unto death. Some know their risk - they have an allergic reaction to ????. Most of us do not know, so take a risk every time we eat/drink/take a tablet (of any kind) or have a medical procedure and yet we do it WHY? Simply because the majority have not adverse reaction - the numbers are on our side. It is highly likly that Captain Hood has reached his advanced age, through the intervention/application of science. Now that he has only a few years left he questions the very system that got him to where he is. I am a great believer in individual expression and determination BUT not at the risk to the greater population - this is what Anti Vaxxers are doing. If I were in power; I would legislate against Anti Vaxxers being involved with all health & child care, would strictly limit their movements in a pandemic. If parents unwilling to vaccinate their children - remove the children from their irresponsible lack of care.😈

OzRunways Planning Question As stated above - have developed a whole of trip plan in OzRunways. The questions; Is it better to break up the plan into one day segments? OR Leave as is? Whatever your answer please add rational - Thanks 😈

As soon as there is a reasonable weather window AND I have shaken off my COVID infection.😈

I suspect (no real insight) that the initial cost of putting power lines underground, would be offset by lower in service costs & higher reliability (no wind or fire)😈

Anyone intersted in "Flying in Company" for whole or part, trans Australia ????

So using OzRunways I have drafted a plan. The draft is likly to be subject to many adjustments before settling on the final Plan. I started by just putting in the start (definite point of departure) The Oaks, NSW and the proposed termination, Serpentine, WA. I then moved the magenta line to variose airfields, at a very rough 1-3 hr flight interval Note: Many of these airfields will be fly over or fuel stop only. This is what I have now; The Oaks -Griffith- Mildura-Renmark-Port Pirie-Streaky Bay-Ceduna-Coorabie-Nullarbour Motel-Border Village-Mundrabilla Hills-Madura-Cocklebiddy-Joh Eyre Motel-Myrup--Katanning- Ravensthorpe-Albany-Manjimup-Augusta- Margaret River- Busselton- Bunbury-Serpentine Flyboys suggestion will be incorporated one way or another - I would ask pilots with knowledge of the variose locations to ; Comment Fuel (ULP) /Accommodation/ Points of interest Contact phone numbers for Clubs After I finalise "The Plan", I will work on the return trip - if doable, via an inland rout. The Oaks field currently waterlogged (taxi with 100mm tail wheel problematic) Long range forecast not looking so great - Gives me time to recover from COVID 😈

Hi Chrsq, Sir you encapsulation all the characteristics I hope to find our Forum members. Your generous offer is being added to my summary of this Thread. 😈

Excuses! Excuses! Doesn't seem to worry a whole range of small (population) countries that are exporting to the World. Australia has never got over being fed through the umbilicus of a larger power - First the British now The Yanks. Even the Kiwis seem to have a more positive attitude, making the most of their limited resources. Our one and only talent seems to be to shoot ourselves in the industrial foot. Our investment in the future wellbeing (education/health/R&D) of the nation is pitiful. You can thanks the the Coalition for most of the failure but then Labour fails to make meaningful corrections. "A pox on both their houses" 😈

No offence intended my Friend - Could your attitude come from flying a GA aircraft (Piper Cub)? When I trained in GA, your advice/comments, is exactly what I did. I was usually flying a Cessna 172. Compared with what I fly now (a Sonex Legacy) an absolute pussy cat of stability (whats your Piper like?). I could set up a 172 in Straight-&- Level and aside from the occasional small adjustment for fuel burn, it would continue, hands & feet off, on the set (non autopilot) heading & Alt seemingly indefinitely - not so a Sonex. A 172 can be easily set up to do a nice steady 500ft descent/climb, hands & feet off - no way can this be done in a Sonex - feet & hands are buss at all times. Sonex are designed as an aerobatic aircraft (Neutrally Stable) will depart S&L within seconds of removing your hand from the stick OR reaching across the cockpit to change a map/etc. Combine this with an astonishing rate of descent/climb - you don't want to be writing essays. Many RA level aircraft will have similar flight characteristics. 😈

As a single pilot, within the 10Nm broadcast area, managing my aircraft descent, engine condition, etc there is no way I could make a " ....list of traffic and their details." My focus is on, what I perceive to be the most important, incoming information - aircraft position & intention. From this I try to locate the aircraft that have the potential for conflict. Call sign/Make & model are secondary to this process. If needs be I will make a Traffic and or an aircraft: aircraft call. Pilots need to understand that the first order of business is safety of your aircraft, followed by other aircraft, followed by communication. (Aviate, Navigate, Communicate) Communication in the Non Controlled environment; Its great if you can be totally professional (phraseology/list/etc) BUT far more important is making contact in clear unambiguous language ie don't get hung up on trying to be professional, when something as simple as "The Oaks High wing turning late Base 36 - Are you intending to turn Final?" might prevent you turning in-front of a very nervous student.😈