flying dog

Ossie, That worked well didn't it. As I said, it is "confusing" how it is discribed and how others explain it. MASSIVE UPDATE: Last night while I had a few non-busy moments I got out mine AND the instructions. I sat there and found the part where they "explained" how to do wind calculations. Read, do, read, do, read..... HANG ON! THE INSTRUCTIONS DON'T MATCH WHAT THEY ARE DOING ON THE DIAGRAMS!! No wonder I am confused. I shall try to find time to scan the page and include it here so if other people are also confused maybe what I have discovered will help them as well. Though I am still interested in the TWO ways to use it.

This will take a couple of posts. Partly because I don't have the link here - now. (This is going to be badly formatted and stuff like that - I am really not running on all systems just now) I once asked someone and their answer was pretty well 100% correct: Use it how the instructions tell you. If you use it another way, you CAN/MAY get errors. This is true and effectivly irrifutable. But I'm me..... and I seem to like asking questions and trying things different ways. Ok, the back of the wiz wheel has the graph and the plastic disc. The premise is that it is used to create a triangle and resolve vectors of course, wind and drift. The first stupid thing is if the wind is 360 @ 30 (let's keep it simple and say Magnetic) you turn the wheel so 180 (or the reciprical heading) is at the top and draw a circle 30 units BELOW the centre circle. Then you turn the wheel so the course is at the top and you slide the wheel so the IAS is in the drawn circle. You then read your ground speed from the centre circle. You get drift from the angle/line on which the drawn circle appears. Yeah, badly explained. I am going from memory. INDULGE ME! Q1: Why complicate things by turning the wheel so the reciprical heading is at the top and putting the circle BELOW the centre one? Wouldn't it be simpler to put the heading at the top and put the circle ABOVE the centre one? It gets the same result! Q2: Think about this: The triangle is supposed to be a "vector diagram" of your IAS, wind speed/direction and your Ground Speed. Given your plane's IAS/TAS (what ever) is "fixed", why also complicate things by making that the DRAWN circle and draw the vectors around the centre circle which is your IAS? How the triangle is drawn as per instrucions, the ground speed is the centre circle and the IAS is drawn. Your plane is flying 360 with a wind of 360/20 With the wheel having 360 at the top, instead of putting the wind circle ABOVE the centre circle, sliding that circle down to your IAS and reading your ground speed from the centre circle, why not put the wind circle BELOW the centre circle. Then, you put the centre circle on the IAS, and read the G/S from the drawn circle. This way you don't have to keep sliding the disc every time you have a heading change. The link - which I shall post when I get home and remember to include - is a JAVA SCRIPT example of the two ways to use the wizz wheel. As per the instructions and the way I suggest. BOTH GIVE THE SAME ANSWER! To me, it begs the question why don't they promote this "other way" to new pilots as it is so much easier to get your head around and REDUCES THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING MISTAKES because you set the centre circle on your IAS and then only turn the wheel. The other way you have to keep adjusting/sliding the disc with every heading change and it is easy to forget. Granted the drift is reversed, but this is easily overcome on new wheels in that they simply stamp the oposite way. left is right and right is left for drift. It isn't that difficult. But my question is HOW does it work both ways? Ofcourse I need it in words I can understand. I know it is complicated and I need to "talk the talk" if I want to ask such questions, but ya gotta start somewhere.

Well, I have in the past and it kind of died. I would like to "talk" to Paul and ask if what I understand to be right is or not. I've asked other people in the past and not really got an answer to my question.

Update: Gnarly, Seems Clansman doesn't want people to look at his profile and I am forbidden from starting a conversation with him. So much for the nic-name. He seems to be more a loner than a clansman.

aj, Yeah, I've seen all the "tricks" on the iter-web. I am sure they are right and the maths can't be faulted. But I would (for some reason) like to talk to someone about it so I am 100% sure it is right and not an error in which I belive and may one day come back to bite me. Gnarly, Thanks much. Shall PM him and check.

Hi folks. I just got the March "Sport Pilot" mag. On about page 35 (or 7) there is an article on E6B by Paul Smith - I think. (There is a problem with the page numbers given in the index and where the actual article starts) He says he understands all that kind of stuff as he is uses it in his work. Terriffic! Just the person I want to talk to about it. Other people who understand maths look at the E6B and give up. Most pilots who use it don't understand the maths in HOW it works. So: I ran the mag and asked for help in either me getting in touch with him or leaving my details and he can get in touch with me. Reply: I don't know who he is or how to get in touch with him - this is THE PUBLISHER! ARGH! I would like to talk to him with some questions, but am now at a complete loss how to find him. Anyone?

No, just asking. Curious. Yeah, I know: That's more a cat thing, but.... :)

Yeah, I've been told by people who lived there, if you are driving along and run someone over - or think you have - DO NOT STOP AND GO BACK! Odds on it is fake and it is not going to be nice for you. Oh, how sad the world has become in these ways.

Howard, Yikes! Remind me not to drive in Mexico.

Thanks, now stupid question: URL? I shall try ITMT, but...... Found it. Alas the tracks stop to the west of Cambelltown. I think I found me, but I dis-appeared and so can't gather evidance/ence. Bugga!

Folks, I don't want to say too much at this point, but I was wondering if there is a way to look at old "Sydney radar" tracks for not too distant dates? With audio if possible. Anyone?

Yeah, thanks. Been there two years ago. But this time have some "fun time" at Queens town before the show as well. So it is going to be good fun. Oh and shall give more effort to get a fly in the Catalina this time as well!

Wanaka, Wanaka, Wanaka. T Minus 5 weeks, 3 days and counting. (or there abouts)

Brazil. 4 people on a helicopter. Sorry can't give more details, as it was only a 20 second video. But the helpicopter shook itself appart after/upon landing.

Ok, here's the question: There is this show called "Banged up abroad" which is where people get them selves into silly/sticky situations while overseas. Why anyone would do it, is beyond me, but it poses a question: What happens if you are overseas and someone threatens you to do something - like carry drugs - and if you don't they DO have enough information on you to make your life "difficult". I know it is a no brainer what to do, but WHO do you go to? Going to the local police they would probably laugh at you and lock you up. Anyway, I know nothing about what to do, the scenario is described. Thoughts/comments?

Good to see this is keeping itself alive. The replies have been interesting to say the least. Now, indulge me a bit more thought on the topic thus: We've covered the "event" and how to deal with it - kinda. Though mostly with number 1's rather than 2's. My next stumbling point is AFTER THE FACT! Ok, 1's will - maybe at worst - be a wet stain on the trousers. Easily explainable away as spilt water while flying. But sersiously, what about number 2's? Oh, and I don't mean the ones which are nice and dry. I'm talking about the ones like mud. Runny, wet and pretty well full on yucky! Yeah, ok, not a nice thing to think about/what ever. Hey, I am only asking. I feel by talking about it we can learn to "accept" how it would feel and, if by some bad luck, you are ever caught or see someone who has been caught out, know how to act so as to not make it any wore for the parties involved than it already is. But I can only try to imagine a plane landing and the pilot (or PAX) getting out with a somewhat obvious brown stain. Reguardless of the face they would have enduring the smell. And then ofcourse there is the problem of cleaning out the plane. Eeeeewwwwww.....

That's a good point and one I should have mentioned earlier. Ok, for glider pilots it is not as easy, but for plane pilots: If you are in this situation close to the end of the flight, don't think "I'll hold on until I land then go." If you are busting to go, abort the landing, get somewhere "safe" and do it. Don't try to empty the bladder WHILE landing. When it is that close and you are un-certain if you will make it, get out of the circuit area and deal with the problem away from other aircraft. Don't try it in the circuit or while landing. It isn't worth it.

I'm going to have nightmares about some of this you know.

Now there is a good (if not great) movie! Got the two DVDs.

Reading the glider link and article: I would hate to have a hairy appendage. Shaving around the "bottom" of it would be difficult enough, but have to shave the actual length as well. Yikes!

Interesting. Oh, the insiration came from watching "Top Gear" and they were saying how needing to "go potty" affects your ability to drive. Looking at some of the replies; my thoughts: 1 - Landing on an old road and "getting the business done". Fair enough, but what happens if you mess up the landing? What legal minefield have you entered? 2 - Flying within your limits. Granted. I don't want to seem to be advocating exceeding your limits. That can be very dangerous. 3 - Tieing knots.... Well, I'll be modest and say mine isn't long enough to do that. 4 -Guernsey Intersting. But again: I won't bite, though I am tempted. If you are flying "high" it also takes time to descend, and as you do, the air pressure increases on the bladder and this makes it worse if it is a number 1 you are wanting to do. Other things which were mentioned: Get your priorities right. I agree. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. Everything else after that. Facthunter, thanks for the honesty. Biggles, hope you are going good with resolving the problem. I guess what I really mean is how you "deal with" the sensation/fact of actaully having it happen to you, and the resultant smell until you land and clean up. I"ve had a couple of close calls with "number 1's". I think people are "conditioned" that when we sit on the dunny, releaving ourselves isn't a problem. But sitting in a car/plane/any seat other than a toilet it is difficult to feel ok as it happens. Sure it isn't something you want to "simulate" it so you "get used to it". Heaven forbid. I was just wondering what people would get their heads around the scenario.

OK, Bad title - kinda. But I don't know how better to attract people to the thread and (maybe) get some serious discussion going. Scenario: You are going on a Cross Country trip. You've planned it, weather good, fuel stops at good places. A couple of long legs between airports, but nothing to worry about. Now, to the question/problem: You are off, everything is good. About an hour into the flight and "in the middle of no-where" you need to go! I'm not talking about, rumble rumble. I may need to go in about 30 minutes. You need to go NOW! Say maybe 3 minutes at the outside. I know it is part of planning allowing for these kind of things, but "$hit happens" as it were. Sometimes you can't pick when this sort of thing is going to happen. So in a moment of curiossity, I was seriously wondering: What would you do? Obviously land and deal with the problem, but I mean at the actual time it happens. Yeah, ok, not nice to think about. But seriously, it can happen - though I don't think I would wish it on anyone. Thoughts?

Yenn, There are different types/styles of pumps. There are the centrifical ones, and then there are the ones like the one discribed as the "engine pump" where a cam lifts a diaphram so suck in fuel, and then the cam "retracts". There is a spring which is then used to return the diaphram to the normal position and so expelling the fuel at a given pressure. And then there are other types as well. I'm not into that so I shall stop there.

Ah. Appologies.

Yeah, well that doesn't work. Tried logging in with this username/password. Not allowed.