Old Koreelah

When I was a kid I went up for a fly with, fortunately an instructor in a Chipmunk.He said "You can have a fly if you like" and I immediately pulled it into a 90 degree turn, and saw the sky, the ground, the sky, huge forces, half blacked out. Didn't know which way was up and still wouldn't without training.

Facthunter could probably tell you the skills required to get out of that, but 90% of our regulars would dig a big hole in the ground.

Yep, all possible, but it sounds like the penalty could be equally applied when a pilot allows a gentle "hands on" at altitude. That surely carries far less risk than having a moron on our busy roads.

 

 

Who decides these penalties? The fines seem outrageously large compared to, for example, penalties for dangerous driving- where stuffing up is much more likely to result in in death and injury.

 

 

True, but it pays to be careful with assumptions, the medical profession are pretty well represented amongst the ranks of depression sufferers too - in part (as related by a friend) because everyone always looks to them for answers, for a decision, for a miracle. More than that, bear in mind that those same people who are being castigated for being uncaring etc, may themselves be struggling inside, outwardly coping but with reserves reaching empty.

Well said Bats. Your observations apply to many professions; quite often it's the most dedicated who fall by the wayside (fail to live up to their own too-high standards?) while those who can compartmentalise their feelings cruise thru.

 

 

Hi all, I suffer from OCD ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) ...

Howdy Debs; you only have a mild case. I know people with CDO: the letters must be in AffaBetiC Lorder!

Congrats on your flying progress!

 

 

Most just say snap out of it mate...

True, Nev. I can understand (and share) most peoples' desire to not become enmeshed in someone else's mess, but real mates would at least show some empathy. Isolation can be a death sentence.

Anti-depressant drugs are like government subsidies; they might help in the short term, but prevent the natural healing process. After some profoundly difficult experiences with medication, I'll do almost anything to avoid drugs. Even after suffering two enormous kicks in the guts when I was down, I have crawled back up out of the black hole without medication.

 

What saved me?

 

A good woman who stayed with me.

 

Getting involved in something I loved, meeting new people. (My aeroplane saved my life)

 

Travelling far and finding a new workplace where I was valued.

 

Found new (real) friends.

 

 

The Black Dog is a cruel beast. With most people it has been my painful experience that sharing even a smidgeon of the experience of depression is a guarantee of isolation- which makes recovery that much harder.

 

 

It's the job-destroying aspect of the CASA behavior which should get the attention of their political masters. If China can have a helpful bureaucracy, why can't we do better? In my experience it is not only CASA, most of our bureaucracies are the enemy of people trying to set up a business.If I were in power, I would have an ombudsman who heard complaints against bureaucrats. If they were guilty of "unhelpful behavior" then they AND their line manager would get the sack.

If I do drugs, thieve from people and generally become a drain on society, the authorities might appoint a case manager to guide me back to better behaviour.

If I want to invest my life savings into a new home or business I am alone in negotiating the numerous hurdles of bureaucracy. Why can't I be granted a "case manager" to guide me thru so I can get make a positive contribution to my community?

 

I put this suggestion to a local government person recently and got howled down.

 

Too many don't realise it's their job to help people to make good things happen- not get in the way.

 

 

Sounds like the captain has to be a quite competent mathematician/business manager as well as a pilot.

 

 

Its true Lyle. Diesel ok, no hisseys. Flight tests ok so warbirds over Wanaka in a couple of days. All as you say. Chas

Good to hear, Chas. Your diesel Jodel needs its own thread. One issue I am interested in is how you cope with fuel wax during temp changes.

 

 

...so any commercial flight to Hobart must carry enough fuel to return to the big island?

 

 

No alternates in Tas?

 

 

I still have my 1st computer a " Sinclair zx81" did a quick run-through & put it back in the box.spacesailor

I still have all my computers-and they all still work! Macs.

 

 

I know the odds are incredibly low, but I worry about lithium battery fires while charging my devices, and a battery pack just adds to that risk. I have a "toss them overboard" plan in case it happens.

 

 

...all valid points, but he should have remembered the old classic:

 

don't be surprised when the engine stops- be surprised that it doesn't!

 

 

I use a cheap Belkin cig. lighter adapter, but I always switch off the system before cranking the engine.

 

 

Without a moving liquid iron core the moon has no magnetic field.

 

The movie Apollo 13 gives a hint about how much mathematics is involved in space travel. Those pioneers must have had training in engineering, ballistics and mathematics far beyond what top pilots need today.

 

 

Our lack of fuel reserves and refineries might be our undoing. It's all very well to sign free trade deals, but we have lost most of our basic strategic industries.

 

 

Hi,You do realize there's more ships sunk do to the "lodestone" compass than anything else.

For the weight of the compass you can have multiple backup GPS gadgets, the men who went to the moon had two HP 41 calculators in their pockets, and they didn't miss their target.

 

spacesailor

Perhaps true, Spacey, but I'd still rather have a "stone axe" compass than a plethora of useless gadgets when the satellite system fails.

 

 

...I suppose it's useful to learn nav in the style of the pioneers - and ded reckoning can be a lot of fun - but in any case, soon you won't be forced to tangle with that troublesome lodestone. (Except to stay legal until the laws finally catch up.)

Even though my compass can be up to 30 degrees out, I don't foresee the day they'll be left out of aircraft.

 

When-not if- electronics Nav systems fail, you'll be thankful for that lodestone.

 

 

OK, if that mercury thermometer was placed between the bottom of the head and the top fin of the barrel, it would be getting a considerable boost of heat from the barrel. There is a very considerable 'hot-spot' right at the top of the barrel, where the majority of combustion is concentrated...

You're probably right about that, Oscar. When I took my readings the Al. heads were rapidly cooling, particularly on the top edges where the probes are located. I found it 18C hotter underneath the head close to the steel barrel, which would have been cooling down at a much slower rate. This realisation probably vindicates the MGL monitoring system, but prudence tells me to allow for some parts of the alloy heads getting hotter than the Guage reading.

 

...Calibration testing of the CAE thermocouples back to MGL Stratomaster Infinity instruments ( with don't operate through an RDAC with ambient compensation) in a proper installation ( engine test cell, I think you have seen it?) showed a very close tolerance. It is important for accurate reporting that the cold junction is not subject to elevated ambient temp. or the gauge will under-read - the early Jab cht installations were really, really bad for that.

My junctions are sealed inside the BRS compartment, so that probably moderates temps.

After that test I enlarged the cooling air exits by 37%. The next flight showed a reduction in climb-out temps, but not as much as I'd hoped. The next step is get the oil cooler's hot air out of the system. Tomorrow I plan to shamelessly copy your oil cooler duct design.

 

 

Old K our local jab engine runner was talking to me the other day (must have been a real low moment for him:sad:) and was saying that his jab guru down Cessnock way says 140C should be max...I would certainly be aiming for the lower figure.

The numbers I got from CAMit and Jabiru were not that high, SD, but I agree on caution.

Last week after ground-running my engine I found that I shouldn't rely too much on my new guage.

 

Admittedly the heads were in cool-down mode, but my MGL guage (shielded sensors between plugs) showed 18C less than what a laboratory Mercury thermometer read under the head. This presumably means that the heads can get hotter than even a good digital temp monitoring system tells you.

 

To be on the safe side, I plan to keep it under 140C.

 

 

...Sadly it seems that the vast majority of Ultralights ( and enthusiasts ) are on the other side of the continent ...

The upside is you'll be less likely to run into one of those pesky ultralights!

Welcome Troy!

 

 

Indonesia has been a participant in Operation Pitch Black over the top end. Their Sukhois are impressive and when on the ground they keep them right away from prying eyes. Many Australians suffer from inertia; believing that our small Air Force has better equipment than the neighbours...

 

 

Yep, the guvmint should doo summit about it!

 

 

The only difference between northern and southern hemisphere compass is a little dob of solder to keep the pointer disk level.

...you mean I don't have to stand on my head to read it?