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pylon500

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Everything posted by pylon500

  1. pylon500
    Have just returned to Taree from a weekend of relatives and late nights (no news), to find this. I've only met Ross a couple of times, but after knowing each other here at Rec'flying, the first time was like meeting an old mate. A kindred spirit for flying and seaplane maintenance, and fellow Lightwing aficionado. Now, totally gutted, a hollow feeling within, and yet.. In three and a half thousand hours, and ninety odd ultralights, yes, I've had problems and I'm guilty of turning back at least a couple of times. It's that split second decision you have to make, and even with years of telling yourself and your students 'don't turn back', you know you can describe that point from where you can turn back, and even demonstrate it! BUT, it only takes a few minor parameter changes to lead you into the wrong decision. I look back on my turn backs, and always think, WHY? As mentioned before, I don't think Ross would want any of us to step away from flying after this, but instead look closer at our currency, planning and environment (airstrip surrounds and the like), and keep practicing, not just complacently joy riding. RIP Ross, and condolences to family.
  2. pylon500
    SAABSKI?
  3. pylon500
    All depends on the helicopter, if it was that big bugger in the background, I'm surprised it didn't blow away a few hangars as well!
  4. pylon500
    I'd be wary of balloons... Regularly used to go for dunny rolls, then figured maybe balloons would go down slower, typical dunny roll goes down around 600fpm! (until unravelled) Tossed out a balloon one time, it bounced of the wing twice, could swear it came through the prop arc once, but finally I hit it with the prop, AND IT DAMN NEAR STOPPED THE ENGINE! This was in my old 503 powered Cricket. Hint; Don't streamer cut using super soft multi ply toilet paper, it doesn't break, it just sticks to everything!
  5. pylon500
    Well I'll be buged, bugded, bugled, buggered! Yah lerns som'tin every day. Thanks for that...
  6. pylon500
    Well I'll be buged, bugded, bugled, buggered! Yah lerns som'tin every day. Thanks for that...
  7. pylon500
    Once the medically unfit ex-GA pilots convince RAAus / CASA to go to 750kg, and we start registering all the ancient corrosion clunkers with their dinosaur engines, the Ultralight, Recreational, Small GA aircraft will have all the problems, costs and governmental interference that the former GA pilots were trying to get away from. Naturally the next thing they will want will be controlled airspace, night VMC and IFR. Might as well create a commercial endorsement and start carrying a paying passenger (or two after not too long) The only good thing is that it will leave an opening to restart an Ultralight movement. ps, anyone know how to get that 'strike through' to work?
  8. pylon500
    Once the medically unfit ex-GA pilots convince RAAus / CASA to go to 750kg, and we start registering all the ancient corrosion clunkers with their dinosaur engines, the Ultralight, Recreational, Small GA aircraft will have all the problems, costs and governmental interference that the former GA pilots were trying to get away from. Naturally the next thing they will want will be controlled airspace, night VMC and IFR. Might as well create a commercial endorsement and start carrying a paying passenger (or two after not too long) The only good thing is that it will leave an opening to restart an Ultralight movement. ps, anyone know how to get that 'strike through' to work?
  9. pylon500
    Interesting, even complete strangers know the name of your dog, at least they call his name every time he gets out....
  10. pylon500
    Interesting observations; •Unlike most crashed/crashing choppers, this one avoided doing the chicken dance for quite a while, just spinning stably on the ground, •The fuel system, rotor head and transmission seemed to take some abuse and keep going, •The first camera man seemed to sense something even while the pilot was still trying to land, as you can see him get behind a wall and even start heading further away just before the tail rotor strike, •It looks like the pilot got thrown out just after impact (and killed by the rotating chopper), and the passenger was either incapacitated or did not know how to shut down the engine, •Unlike most chopper impacts, the tailboom stayed attached for a long time, it's separation finally bringing the crisis to an end. The above video shows how far the wreckage travelled before finally stopping.
  11. pylon500
    No, it's the all new TRON Zodiac
  12. pylon500
    Without actually trolling all the rule changes from the early eighties, I would say that for every Kilo extra (above our original 'ultralight' status) that we ask for, it adds another 'hoop' to the training, certifying, building, operating rules from what we had back then. On the other hand, if we are going to divorce ourselves from ultralights and actually become 'sporting and recreational pilots/builders, where's our aerobatic ratings, rotary wing, multi engine and mini gas turbines?
  13. pylon500
    Very sad indeed. Was flying at Gloucester that weekend, and weather not good at all, had to leave plane and drive home. Guess we'll have to wait to find out what happened as it seems unlikely for a twin jet helicopter with modern GPS and autopilot to succumb to weather...?
  14. pylon500
    Definitely hopes this works out OK, I know the pilot having worked on his first helicopter here in Australia, an Aerospatiale Gazelle. He had a photographic exhibition up here at Taree about two years ago.
  15. pylon500
    Bit hard to quantify 'fun'... Most of the things I call fun, have to be done when no-one is looking Most people that fly (and can land) a Pitts would give it an 11!, but until you are capable of this type of flying ability/experience, most average pilots are concentrating too hard to give a Pitts a high fun factor. From a sales point of view, maybe people could rate an ease of flying, or most relaxing to fly, rating on their plane. Of course then you have to avoid getting into the 'too easy' category, whereupon the aircraft just becomes boring. Not sure how to set up charts, but will try from things I've flown; Aircraft____Fun___Relax/Easy__Boring___Frustrating Lightwing____8_______5_______3_______1 Gazelle______7_______9_______9_______3 Foxbat ______9_______9_______4_______1 J230 _______6_______7_______5_______8 Drifter ______8_______6_______3_______1 GT400/500___7_______8_______6_______2 Piper Cub ____8_______7_______5_______6 Savanah______7_______8_______7______3 I'm not going to comment on all 90 odd types I've flown, just the more common ones. Edit; site wont support multiple spaces...
  16. pylon500
    I'm a bit confused...? The local flying club is going to become the 'regional' local flying club? The airfield used to have a reasonable parachuting community, and there are discussions to start a parachuting community? I wonder if the local council knew it was promoting the airport in the media?
  17. pylon500
    Yep, reading too fast, missed the capitalisation... "THIRD BASE!!!"
  18. pylon500
    ? See #28 and 32....
  19. pylon500
    Do you know something about the spars I don't? The stub sticking out of the fuselage IS the spar. This aircraft follows a lot of the Jim Bede designs having tube spars in the wing panels, which slide over a heavy tube spar carry through in the fuselage. The little Grummans (Yankee Trainer, Cheetah, Tiger, etc) use the same system, mainly because they were derived from the BD-1
  20. pylon500
    Wonder if he gave hand signals? Guess he only turned left...
  21. pylon500
    While I'm still positive that is fuel venting from the tips, the fact that the inboard tip started venting first, was a bit of a head scratcher? Can only assume that, in the act of stalling and dropping that wing, enough fuel fell to the tip to start a syphon action before any real centrifugal force had built up? Could also be that he just had an unbalanced fuel load.
  22. pylon500
    I'm surprised when I find counter discussions on topics that are so blatantly obvious... The aeroplane may not be Rolling around it's axis, but it is YAWING around it's centre of gravity. This is applying a centrifugal force at all four extremities, that gains intensity as you move away from the centre in the four directions. The aircraft probably has wet wing tanks along most of their span, add that to a reasonable amount of dihedral, and it is possible to have fuel sitting in the root area (keeping the engine running), as well as fuel travelling towards the tips and exiting via the vents. The three points they are testing/making here are; 1. largish fuel load in a spin not having a serious affect on yawing momentum, which would delay recovery, 2. With four passengers on board, the aircraft is possibly closer to it's rearward CofG, which would delay recovery, 3. The four occupants are reasonably spread fore and aft which can also add to the yawing moment, as well as giving a tendency for the spin to go flat, which could put the aircraft into a deep stall situation, often very hard to recover from. Looks like the high aspect wings and long tail moment have added to the overall stability of the plane. ps, Yes, it's fuel......
  23. pylon500
    Depending on how you interpret "went on to build", from a historical point of view, it actually happened the other way around. A quote from a Kitfox company release says; The company had its roots in the 1980s, when Dan Denney (the “idea and marketing guy”) teamed up with Dean Wilson (the “designer and airplane guy”) at Light Aero (later called Avid Aircraft), in Boise (later, nearby Caldwell), Idaho. Under circumstances mercifully lost to history, Denney left Light Aero and started his own company, Denney Aerocraft, making what was originally a near-clone of the Avid Flyer, introduced as the “Kitfox.” This can be read at; http://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/images/pdf/ultraflight_mag_article.pdf
  24. pylon500
    Might be interesting to point out that the ORIGINAL aircraft was the AVID FLYER.... Yes, for the detail junkies, this is a MkII 'Speedwing'.
  25. pylon500
    The wing looks to have been intact at impact, and not very fast. No good picture of the overall wreckage spread, but I feel it is all fairly localised, adding to the slow impact thought. The wreckage spread could indicate a spinning (stalled) impact, with centrifugal forces spreading the wreckage. Extremities and heavy items would travel the farthest, nose, tail, engines. Interesting clue is the broken off (but attached) fin. Could this be a repeat of the American Airlines Airbus crash, where the pilots overloaded the fin, breaking it off, whereupon the aircraft spun into the ground.....?
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