JG3

Spent a lot of time on this for working alone processs.SPOT is a good service BUT its a subscripton to US based company, plenty can go wrong

EPIRB is direct service to AMSA and by far the most reliable location system.

 

Need to use the GPS system models for best results

 

IOs etc systems and Spot are great backups but EPIRB is the backbone of SAR systems

 

How about using A SARTIME, free, simple and you can log whatever track you have planned. Can alter over radio on flight or mobile.

The advantage of carrying a SPOT as well as an EPIRB is that there is provision in the SPOT for three levels of urgency. I have mine set up with the lowest level message as "All OK" for marking my position when all is well but I just want to notify of my present position to selected friends. The second level message is "Stranded but uninjured" for when I have landed out and damaged the gear such that I can't take off again. That message only goes to selected persons who I trust to organize local assistance. The third level message is "Injured need urgent assistance". That message goes to the selected friends as well as to SPOT headquarters who organize formal emergency response. I sure like to have those options so don't have to trigger the EPIRB and call in the cavalry for a non-injured stranding. There is also an option, at extra subscription cost, to automatically leave a 'breadcrumb' track of positions every few minutes.

 

SPOT does work in OZ. A fella at our airfield accidentally pushed the emergency button when he just wanted to send the OK message to his wife. Within an hour the police arrived!

 

SPOT uses a different satellite system than the EPIRB so not the same coverage, but it's good to have both options.

 

JG

 

 

Hi I wanted to ask if there are any pilots who fly out of caboolture, And if so do you think most pilots use the fly neighborly Rule in that area . meaning heading feet odds evens and so on.

Don't count on it..... Busy airspace on weekends..... Keep your eyes open and use your radio.....

 

JG

 

 

Narromine Phoenix Easter Fly-In

 

The Narromine Fly-Ins of old were the best by far that I have ever attended, so sure would like to see them grow again... A lot of fond memories of times at Narromine.....

 

Narromine is such a great place, and has an excellent local supportive atmosphere...... Midway between Brisbane and Melbourne, so is the preferred overnight stop when we fly that route..... Convenient accommodation right at the field, and a short walk to the pubs in town unless the aero club is open...

 

Sure hoping that enough flyers will turn up to make it a growing success once again.....

 

I was really looking forward to going this year to help support that effort, but serious family matters have taken priority... And unfortunately two mates from SE Qld who were also planning to go have encountered family and medical priorities.... Bummer......

 

JG

 

 

I stayed at Cooberpedy on the way to the Rock.Plenty of accomodation at reasonable prices,

Give yourself a bit of time to have a look around, worth it IMHO.

 

Just in case you are not aware, Ayes Rock requires payment etc. prior.

 

Enjoy your trip

 

PHIL.

Does Coober Pedy have a taxi now?? Didn't when I was there last time, long way to town. Interesting underground motels. Famous pizza restaurant.

 

Curtain Springs is an ideal base for the 'Rock'. Right price, friendly atmosphere, not so upmarket as Uluru, near enough but not too near...

 

JG

 

 

Many that go there stay there and not because they like it. Nev

I remember reading a tourist guide about the 'Lake', saying that an aircraft got stuck there in the 60's, and is now "...a small salt-encrusted island.." Anyone tempted to try a landing out there needs to remember that image. I once watched a STOL aircraft try a touch and go on the surface, but broke through and started making deep tracks as the mud got hold. Fortunately he had enough power 100hp Rotax and a good high lift wing (Zenith 701) and a light load, but just barely managed to pull free......... It was a very close call, and a very tense time, with probably just as much of a mess in his shorts as the mud below....

Actually, I have landed out in the middle of Lake Eyre in a Beaver ultralight many years ago. But that was only after first walking out 4 hours under a full moon, and identifying a solid hard salt pan and marking it with my GPS. That spot was just as hard a concrete, as I found when I slept out there the rest of the night without a mattress.... Had to skirt around lots of soft muddy spots that looked just the same from the air but would have been traps for the unwary. Flew out the next morning and landed on that absolutely smooth surface, Waa-Hoo!

 

JG

 

 

...or is it "to much structure pushing the flyers out"...spacesailor

Exactly!

 

JG

 

 

Great, but is solar a realistic alternative for aircraft?

The Wright Flyer wasn't a realistic product at the time of it's first flight..... Standby to watch developments....

 

 

we ship over a billion tonnes of minerals a year. A year

Oh dear, that might put the earth out of balance and into a wobble.......

 

 

I agree Ultralights ... I think 40,000 people a year / yr visit the old mouldy 747 at Longreach ... Try telling the folk up there what a waste of time it's acquisition was .

The 747 at Longreach didn't look mouldy the last time I saw it several years ago. Maybe exterior paint will suffer in the tropical sun, but it's a really interesting display to get up close to and inside. I found that crawling around inside and getting a close look at all the control cables and wiring and complexity was really interesting. More so than the museum which is just like any other museum with 'no-touch' objects on display....

 

JG

 

 

Narromine council lost interest.Temora offered more

Valuable few organisers lived at Temora

 

Interesting fact Narrromine lost the Lowy air museum too, was slated to be there but council uselessness prevailed.

 

Need to put out more than a tender if you want people to value what you have on offer

But the fact is that the Fly-Ins at Narromine were very successful and popular, 200+ aircraft attending.

 

When it moved to Temora it declined until failing completely.....

 

 

This is a bit of an eye-opener[/url] for anyone that does have one in their region and could be flying downwind of it one day.

I deliberately flown downwind of turbines in the USA, and it was only a few bumps of turbulence crossing the wake.

 

JG

So, anyone else planning on Narromine at Easter??

 

JG

 

 

[quote=

 

(Moruya is an interesting airfield as regards to security.

 

JG

 

Correction. That should have been Merimbula....

 

JG

 

 

This raises an issue that I've been wondering about.... Who has the authority to insist upon checking your ASIC card?? I suppose the airport manager for one, and maybe a security guard assigned to the airfield, but who else?? The only time that I was thoroughly checked was at Moruya, NSW. I had the card hanging from a lanyard around my neck, and the manager approached me an showed his ID and requested to have a closer look. I held it out so he could get a good look but didn't let it go. He checked that the photo matched and carefully checked the expiry date, no problems. But if the fuel man or someone else wants to be the policeman, seems to me he should have to first show an ID issued by the airfield management....

 

But whatever you do don't hand over your ASIC or your pilot's certificate. Let them have a look but don't let go....

 

(Moruya is an interesting airfield as regards to security. It's surrounded by both a double electric fence and an infra-red light beam, I've never seen that security anywhere else..... I wonder what it is that needs such protection?? I was camped there and did note that after dark there were a lot of light twins coming and going..... Probably just couriers, but a conspiracy freak could make a story out of it.....)

 

JG

 

 

The original axle wasn't good design - not enough meat where needed, and machining stress risers at just the wrong places... When it fails it breaks completely and drops the nose fork on the ground, causing a prop strike and if enough speed possibly digging in and flipping the aircraft on its back.... The through bolt bends but holds it all together.

 

 

You can really see it on this real time wind graphic.

 

Click anywhere to see temp and wind speed.

 

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/overlay=temp/orthographic=-225.63,-24.46,790

 

 

Fly-In to Narromine Aerodrome

 

Start:Thu 02 Apr 2015

 

End:Sun 05 Apr 2015

 

Description:Fly-In to Narromine Aerodrome at Easter 2015 Dates are April 2 to April 5.

 

Nav and observation exercise, accommodation options include on-field camping, caravan park, local accommodation, farm stay or billets, entertainment, meals, tours to local sights, etc. Other attractions to be advised.

 

Organised by Flying Sub-committee of Narromine Aero Club and supported by Narromine Shire.

 

I'm definitely going to be there. Hoping we can bring back some of the good times that we used to have at Narromine.

 

JG

 

 

So, who else is interested in going to Narromine??? Those of us who went in the early days remember those as the best fly-ins ever! Then it went downhill as it got more organized and commercial. I reckon we could do it again, just needs keen fliers to show up. They've always been welcoming, and all we need is already there, without a big deal organization and sponsorship....

 

JG

 

 

JG I seem to remember another thread with names of those going but I haven't had any luck finding it yet

Yeh, I did a search as well but couldn't find it......

 

 

There was mention awhile ago of a Narromine Homecoming Fly-In planned for Easter.....

 

I'd be keen to go. How many others??

 

JG

 

 

I'll be there to support it.

 

 

Is this the same Kestrel company? (Kestrel Hawk).id=4317

No, this is the sort of Kestrel we are talking about. http://www.raa.asn.au/market/ad.php?

 

 

I notice that there are a couple of Kestrel single-seaters complete with trailers for sale in the RAAus Marketplace. The Kestrels originated in SE Qld and may not be so well known elsewhere. They're excellent little aircraft, that fly well, and have a good history here. I once flew one on a delivery trip from SE Qld to Victoria, and it flew well.

 

Particular interest is that they are well-designed to fold quickly, and fit into light, easily towed trailers. I know how great that is from my travels in the USA with an ultralight in a trailer. So it's easy to move to a new airfield for a change of scenery, and bring your hangar with you. Or go on x-country adventure trips with the aircraft on tow in it's own secure trailer. It sure feels good not to need to find and pay for hangar space at an airfield....

 

I don't have any direct connection with either of these aircraft, but just want to alert others of this opportunity to find real proven trailable aircraft. And at very low prices, for complete rigs ready to go anywhere.

 

 

In case you haven't done it before: You have to first save the picture you want to show online somewhere (like here: http://www.recreationalflying.com/media/ ). Then you can add it from your media. If saved elsewhere online; when open and you are viewing the picture online, right click on it - save the image URLs link - put that link in the image URL in your post hope that helps and is correct.

Brilliant, thanks!

 

 

I had dreamed of doing my traditional early morning New Years flight over the Trinity Site, in New Mexico, where the first atomic bomb was exploded. But I couldn't get my visa extended, so had to do the flight in October. Can't fly right over the site because it's inside the restricted White Sands Missile Test Area. So this photo is from the very edge of that restricted area.

 

The rest of the story of this adventure trip is at http://jgflyingroadtrip2014.blogspot.com.au/

 

JG