Jabiru7252

When my strobe failed, I replaced it with a strobe light from a home alarm system. Worked a treat.

Yes, getting the lock out and back into the door is a real head-bonk. Both my doors (triple lock) have had the springs replaced. It's bad design as the spring rubs on the innards and eventually wears. As for teh cost of that throttle cable, like most aircraft parts, a blatant rippoff.

Pull the old lock to bits and I'll bet the problem is a broken spring, obtainable from Bunnings.

The difference between a spin and a spiral dive is HUGE. A spin is a stalled condition and spiral will see your ASI go off the scale. I did both in Tomahawks in the early eighties. Hated them both. That plane was spinning, the spin stopped then the plane simply dived into the ocean. Maybe the pilot was showing off and lost it as he had two teenagers on board and some old farts need to show off.

It was a probably a bit lumpy for a first solo - but I'm no instructor.

My understanding is that the 'spammers' are just 'bots' - that is, software that's doing the dirty work. God help us when they turn their attention to our cars, medical equipment and robot girl friends.

Maybe it was aliens - didn't an aircraft disappear without trace over Bass straight 40 years ago or more? I think the pilot reported strange lights before he disappeared. 🛸

When I was flying I ALWAYS had the beacon where it could be grabbed quickly and I briefed my passenger on how to use it. I ALWAYS flew as high as possible over water (usually between Wallaroo and Cowell in South Australia) and always let ATC know my intentions. But that's just me, I know of pilots who fly above 100% cloud cover and navigate by GPS alone. I know pilots who fly over water at low altitudes (due cloud) and have bugger all time to get out a mayday, trigger the beacon, brief passengers when the engine stops. They are out there with their 'she'll be right attitudes' and when they come to grief, too many take some poor soul with them. Alas, as I got older I got stupider (is that a word?) so I no longer fly.

When I was working I was involved in many trials and when something went wrong, you hoped the hell it wasn't your fault. Imagine being the person who wrote the code or wired a switch and got it wrong. Their head is probably on a pole in the company car park right now.

Beacon? - isn't that mandatory? And over-water reporting procedures? An 'experienced' pilot with perhaps a 'laissez-faire' attitude?

Yes - Oshkosh by Gosh. I was there for three days back in 1990.

I have dragged my Jab out of the hangar at sunrise in friggin cold weather. Used choke until it fired then no choke, keep the revs up a little (1100rpm) until the engine is warmed up. I suggest you talk to Jabiru.

In many countries, the first people at the scene of a crash, be it a plane, train or bus crash a LOOTERS.

I wonder if passengers went crazy and got into punch ups during flights back then like they do nowadays. Probably not as back then only 'cultured, educated' folks could afford to fly. These days any bogan in bare feet and a smelly singlet can fly. 😞

Further to my rant on the high prices of radio, attached is a picture of a transceiver that would be around $2500 (AUD). It's NOT an aircraft radio. Covers all the HF bands, VHF and UHF and does AM, FM, SSB etc. I know some non-radio nerds wouldn't be familiar with the gobblegook but the point is an air-band radio that only does air-band and only AM and nowhere near 100 watts output would cost the same. Just isn't right.