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Visited the brand new Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte in July 2024 where the plane Cactus 1549 is. It's largely intact, just remarkable. Why is it in Charlotte? That was its destination. It finally got there. The museum was designed by Australian company Freeman Ryan Design - honestly, it's a world class museum and exhibits. They have a video playing of the timeline from birdstrike to touchdown, lots of exhibits, luggage, shoes, tickets, the Captain's hat, cockpit checklists. Also there's a F14 Tomcat there just as you enter, and so much more. Charlotte is a nice place to visit.

VOSTOK for me. Manual winding.

We need to know exactly what battery is installed. If some other than standard Odyssey battery is installed, you're on your own. As someone who does regular super cold weather starts, (2200 engine) effortlessly, with the recommended Odyssey PC625 battery..... I'd use nothing else, despite battery spec promises. I also get ten years out an Odyssey before I change it, and it's still starting just fine every time, summer and winter. Ten years is my limit, not the plane's limit. Winter plug gap = true, there is such a setting and from experience, it does make a difference. 0.020" is indeed the figure in the manual. NGK D9EA plugs, (we assume) Coil gap check = true, check it. I found a cardboard manilla folder piece is the exact thickness. (digital micrometer used) THICK OIL = could be problematic. I've only ever used 15W multigrade oil, all year round. CHOKE full on, throttle full closed = true. (assume choke is fully opening.)

I do recall that programming my tacho originally was a royal PITA. Get it wrong and yep, it won't work properly, if at all. I was looking at the instructions sheet again the other day and it's fiddly with a few rabbit holes and traps. Instructions were written by an expert, not a novice user. I think if it comes that I too need a new one, I'd just buy it and try it before firing the parts cannon at it too. But I'd probably get an electronics whiz friend to maybe take a look at repairing my existing one. My display flickers - that's all I have going on. I too almost suspect a dry solder joint. Mine flickers in flight, I need to watch it on ground (or air) with the engine off.

Some generic VDO info I found in a manual that the new part number sent me to: SingleViu (I guess - the overseas VDO instrument "brand" or product line) is approved for all standard sensors and signal types. – Inductive sensor – Magnetic pick-up (standard orig Jabiru?) – Hall effect sensors – Alternator – Ignition – Generator encoder

Well that's a kick in the klacker. The VDO stated replacement tach does analogue signal and I guess it's CANBUS. I would have thought the original RPM sensor was analogue - just ping ping ping as your tach tabs fly by the simple sensor. Sounds rather odd the new tach won't.

Following this with interest, my tacho is starting to do the funky chicken dance in the digital display after 20 years. Tell-tale that it's gunna totally crap out I think. I need to watch it with engine off. My orig part no. is 333035011 - $181.50 trade price from Bursons in 2001. no longer available Replaced by A2C3832990030 which can now take CANBUS signals as well as analogue. PHWOARRRRR $845 at REPCO or $676 via auto club price. PHWOARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR "tellem they're dreamin" $413 at automotive superstore online. $470 at VDO sales $395 at Howard VDO Australia: Quality Gauges & Senders from Howard Instruments

Dianne sure does, and does great work. Custom anything you want.

America is not even ready for it. It is widely not known that many Lycomings are factory certified to run on unleaded automotive fuel that meets their nominated specifications. Lycoming Service Instruction 1070AB and there are significant provisos. Automotive ground transportation fuels available direct to consumers (e.g. “pump gas”) usually do not have labels with sufficient information to identify compliance with the requirements in Table 2. IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SERVICE INSTRUCTION, THE AUTOMOTIVE FUEL MUST AGREE WITH ALL SPECIFICATIONS IN TABLE 2. AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE THAT IS NOT IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS IN TABLE 2 IS NOT TO BE USED. WHEN USING THE AUTOMOTIVE FUELS IDENTIFIED IN TABLE 2, LYCOMING OIL ADDITIVE P/N LW-16702, OR AN EQUIVALENT FINISHED PRODUCT SUCH AS AEROSHELL 15W-50, MUST BE USED. Presumably they tested that exact grade of fuel and approved it. The problem is the user (us) cannot be assured any auto fuel purchased is that exact same grade. It won't be, certainly not here in DownUnderstan. I did try look into what spec our auto fuel is, but I soon lost the will to live. Interesting that some older aircraft have an auto fuel STC. Amazing that a piece of paper can fool a leaded engine into happily running unleaded, though probably with a couple of provisos there too. Some breathtaking info: 1 gram of TEL contains 640.6 milligrams of lead. AVGAS 100LL contains less than 0.56grams/litre of TEL. 0.56 grams of TEL contains 0.358 grams of lead. 0.72kg of avgas (1lt) contains 0.358 grams of lead, or 0.05%

I have a low oil pressure sensor for cockpit red light, right there.

One of my RC models has 4 wheels. No steering, but I can steer it around reasonably. It's weird but it works.

Great, thank you, case closed.

Okay, that's a good start thanks.

Quick question..... Does anyone know when - about what year - the RAAus 19- amateur-built registrations first began being issued? (don't need to know anything else, no history, no nuthin....) Thanks.

Footnote for Baz - There has been no such thing as a general aviation (VH-aircraft) Student Licence for many many years, CASA did away with it. Doesn't exist. Odd but true. Student pilots are just student pilots these days. They are authorised for solo flights via some other means than having a student licence now.

My source tells me his source, who was on the scene, said there were 4 police cars, 4 or 5 CFA trucks, and numerous SES vehicles. The story is that the pilot was not happy with his approach and tried a go around. Glad they got out okay, that's really all that matters. The fence is believed to be making a full recovery with no ongoing concerns. (Just thought I'd repost that here.)

The Class 5 review implementation might get you back in PM. CASA Working Group recommends changes to Class 5 - Australian Flying But "believe it when you see it" applies.

Why does the Colonel have such a tiny body and legs? (Once you've seen it, you will never UNsee it.)

RAAus thingummyjigs are indeed aircraft: Civil Aviation Act 3 Interpretation: aircraft means any machine or craft that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air, other than the reactions of the air against the earth’s surface.

A parachuting airfield (was it Nagambie-Wirate?) used to charge "a slab" landing fee - it was listed in ERSA. How would AVDATA collect that? And how many cans is their commission? TIGER (Singapore) maybe 3, FOSTERS maybe you get a refund and a Get Well Soon card?

US MOSAIC - for Australia? Yes I've seen the recent CASA press reports about it, and more. Given that CASA has been pissing around with Part 43 maintenance regs since well before July 1997 that I have found - that's 29 years ago - and it's not here yet, all gone deathly quiet, anyone who thinks CASA will bring in MOSAIC rules to free-up LSA here any time soon is dreaming.

A few posts back - Peter's aeroplane (WARBIRD?? Oh, yes, I suppose so..... but the only real "action" his has seen was a bit of nasty crosswind one day) has never been on the VH reg, it's an LSA, and could go to the VH reg as the same LSA next week if he wanted to, maintained by the same LAME, and we could then go anywhere in Aust in it. (P has a CASA licence too.) RAAus is not always a one way trip. Several amateur-builts have either come back to VH or just went over to VH (never were there before).

Page 128 of the Budget 2026-27 book 2. "Following consultation": (HA! Consultation - They borrow your watch, tell you what the time is, and then keep your watch.) Annual VH aircraft registrations to be introduced to improve regulatory compliance and safety outcomes. Existing fees and charges to be streamlined to improve administration and reflect regulatory costs. ("streamlined" - to charge you more, quicker than ever before?)

Kia ora. Goodyear tire chart I think your wheels are 6.5 inch dia - Chipmunk yes You are probably better off getting new common size wheels and tyres and brakes, depends on what your axles are, they were probably custom made off the plans with minor variations to suit the wheels found at that time. Anything modern probably won't fit your axles. Jodel axles - are welded to the leg? Perhaps your existing wheel centres could be cut out and grafted in to a more common size steel wheel and keep your current brakes (if you have any) Haere ra.

BEWARE OF UNINTENDED MISINFORMATION ON HERE FOLKS. "If you wish to maintain your own aircraft, whether you built it or not, you do the SAAA MPC Course, qualify and take your certificate to CASA, who will give you a certificate to maintain your own aircraft, under their requirements." Sorry Burnie - you obviously don't know how it all works. I'm sure your info was well intentioned though, but it's not accurate. CASA Instrument 18/22 (in part) allows builder of a VH registered amateur built experimental aircraft the entitlement to maintain the aircraft they built, if they do a course of training on regulatory matters, such as the SAAA MPC. SAAA MPC certificate is not in itself an approval to do anything, it's just a certificate of course completion. CASA gives nobody personally a certificate to do anything. It's not true. Also, amateur-built experimental aircraft must obtain an Experimental Certificate, not just CASA registration, pilot must have a CASA pilot licence and a CASA medical - such as Class 5. Switching an RAAus plane to VH-EXP is not a five minute job and there are a lot of other factors at play, lots of ducks to be put into lines before pulling the trigger on any of it.