onetrack

Danny - A good instrument repair company should be able to fit a new face to your ASI that reads in knots.

Alternatively, buy a new ASI that is calibrated in knots, and sell your new, unused ASI that reads in MPH on eBay, and make your auction/classified offer available to buyers worldwide, and ship it to an overseas buyer.

.....arrived looking like aircraft from the Air Zimbabwe fleet. However, once the boys from Lou's Smash & Carbon Fibre Bogging Repairs Pty Ltd turned up with drums and drums of bog and hundreds of litres of Supercheap acrylic enamel, and set to work, the transformation was simply amazing! 

"I can't believe what a difference a bit of a sand back, a few kgs of fibreglass bog, a few dozen cans of etch primer and spray filler, and a coat of Supercheap acrylic enamel can do to a POS of an A350!", exclaimed the airport manager. This 'show-and-shine' will have the effect of boosting tourism to Tassie more than anything we've done in the last 40 years!"

However, there was a dark side to the repairs by Lou's Smash & Carbon Fibre Bogging Repairs Pty Ltd. Lou only guaranteed his workmanship when it was carried out under his direct supervision in his workshop. As no A350 could ever fit in his 150 sq m workshop, his guarantee was worthless - but the aircraft owners were only going to find that out, when........

If you make a number of wrong decisions when in control of an aircraft, resulting in a crash, then one has to consider whether the pilot has adequate competency, and needs more training.

You have already listed around three "poor decisions", or "mistakes" on the pilots behalf, in your clear and precise description of the crash sequence.

I may be considered a little harsh in my summation here, but IMO, the Arion pilot lacks adequate competency.

The fact that he kept pulling back on the stick when he was almost stalled, is a classic error that has killed many people, and shows panic, or a lack of understanding, assuming a superior position over competent aircraft control.

Interestingly, the bloke in the blog below is building a Cozy, and he changed from the specified aluminium for the firewall, to stainless steel - without giving the reasons.

If I was building an aircraft, I think I would be inclined to favour stainless steel over aluminium for the firewall sheeting.

http://cozy1537.blogspot.com/2018/06/chapter-15-firewall-cutting-and-fitting.html

Skippy, while I would basically agree with your principle of maintenance to a high standard as a primary fire prevention move, the Swiss cheese principle says that you double that up with good firewall design, to further cover the 0.001% chance of an inflight fire.

......the W.A. sand is not at all suitable for the Bass Strait runway, and proper sand will have to be imported from the Middle East. At that news, the share price of the sand miners in Saudi Arabia shot up, while the W.A. sand miners share prices tanked. 

"This is not in Australia's best interests!", thundered Mark McGowan. "We already import enough oil from the Middle East, now we're going to import their sand! - when we already have oodles of sand here!"

Meantimes, there were rumblings that many of Turbine Earthmoving Ltd's operators were merely out-of-work commercial pilots, taking plant operator jobs on the side with no advanced training.

"I can't see any problem!", said Turbo as he fronted the media, over the growing rumours of unqualified plant operators in his earthmoving operations.

"If it's good enough for old truckies like myself and bull to be driving aircraft, why shouldn't ex-Qantas Captains be driving Cat D10's? There's less buttons and knobs for them to fiddle with, and even though the ground speeds are a bit slower - overall, the feel and handling of the Cat is the same as your average high-cycle-time A320, and.......

Red, Flightrite is correct, it's a CH-47D. The CH-46 is a lighter version, powered by GE T58 turboshaft engines, the CH47 is a heavier lift version powered by the Lycoming T55 turboshaft engine.

....the stage was set for an invasion. As the word spread around Tasmania and the Tasmanians started to sharpen wooden stakes to use as spears, and carve realistic-looking wooden guns (out of Tassie Oak, of course) - little did the Tasmanians understand that they were dealing with a State where both the SAS, and Australia's Collins-class submarines, were based - at Swanbourne and HMAS Stirling, respectively.

Mark McGowan called up his old Navy boss, and also spoke to the SAS C.O. - and within hours, the full complement of Australia's currently-serviceable Collins-class submarine force (all 2 of them) were loaded up with the full complement of the Swanbourne SAS detachment, and they set sail for Tasmania, arriving 16 days later, after several in-trip repairs (the Collins-class never were noted for speed or reliability) - and upon arrival on the West Coast of Tasmania, the entire SAS detachment melted into the Tassie West Coast rainforest.

The Island was under the control of W.A. within 2 days, as the token Tasmanian resistance totally collapsed, and the carved firearms had little deterrent effect on the Afghanistan-hardened SAS troops.

The OIC of the invading SAS force took over the Tasmanian Parliament, and announced that the Tasmanian Parliament had just been dissolved under orders from Mark McGowan, and all Tasmanians would now be subject to W.A. laws and regulations.

Bull recoiled in horror, this was the stuff of nightmares - he'd be obliged to wear a mask now, and the likelihood of major Tassie lockdowns loomed large on the horizon.

He wasn't going to wear this, his ancestry was pure Port Arthur convict ancestry, and he was used to telling authorities where to shove their.........

A 2009 Arion, Jabiru 3300 powered, with TBI. Changed hands in April 2019. Good to see no major injury to pilot, and the Arion cockpit design appears to be crashworthy.

https://www.planesales.com.au/details/Listing/Single-Engine-Propeller/4650/2009-Arion-Lightning-Aircraft

.....the Cyprus MAC (the Cypriot equivalent of the AUF) has a longer and more unpronounceable list of names, such as Charalambous, Ioannou, Georgiou, Loucaides, and Constantinou.

These names of course, lead to the all-important name-shortening in familiar surroundings - becoming Char, Yo, Geo, Lou and Con whenever there's a group of MAC flyers gathered (which isn't very often, because they tend to stay on the ground a lot, in case they get mistaken for invading Greek Air Force aircraft, by trigger-happy Turkish Cypriots).

This situation naturally, has led to a number of MAC members (when they do occasionally get airborne), setting speed and distance records, encouraged by Turkish Cypriot AA fire, and this creates a.....

Don't forget some WATER! How many pilots who carried out successful forced landings, have perished, for a simple lack of a few litres of water!

Modern communications are a huge help, but you do not have that 100% guarantee of communication, unless you have a PLB, and it works as expected - or you're able to activate it!

... the one that wasn't looked forward to quite as much, was the one in Darwin called Sand-Fly. However, as with all the Fly-Ins, there were hard cases at every event. By far the leading hardcase was a flier known as "Colonel" R. Cook (with the Colonel being an honorary title, and the "R" reportedly standing for "Ratbag") - a gent known for his total dislike of any aviation rules, regulations, and formal training procedures.

To say he was an aviation outlaw was an understatement. He made the Wild West look tame. But when he arrived at the Darwin SandFly in a ragged-looking Thruster, covered in oil leak stains, and with wing skins flapping like........

A problem with fitting fire extinguishers to RA-Aus aircraft, is that even small fire extinguishers aren't light. Also, if you're planning on using a dry powder extinguisher, you have the potential problem of a strong airstream blowing the powder away from the seat of the fire.

.......various other unique additives - none of which, of course, were even remotely related to aviation lubricants. However, OT pointed out that there was another alternative - from Onetrak Oil Refining & Perfection Product Blending Corporation (OORPPBC), which was based just outside Kwinana, W.A., and which Corporation utilised discarded technology, knowledge and plant and equipment, from the recently-closed Kwinana BP Refinery - as well as the obsolete piping and tanks from said refinery, of course.

But the trade secrets behind the super-refined aviation lubricants with their special additives, from OORPPBC was reputed to be a long-handed-down, family secret - even more secret than the recipe for Coca-Cola.

It was this total secrecy that kept OORPPBC at the forefront of lubrication product technology, and which made their products highly sought-after worldwide - even to the extent of NASA putting in orders for the OORPPBC Lunar Orbiter grease.

Naturally, thanks to OOPPPBC's secrecy, it wasn't even widely known that OORPPBC produced lubricant products designed for outer space - but when this knowledge was disseminated during hushed conversations in the likes of aviation halls of fame, it was soon realised that here was a product that was out of this world, and one which would be.........

If you're concerned about oil or fuel spray hitting a hot exhaust, the simple solution is an exhaust shielding arrangement - and ensuring that pipes and hoses are routed well away from hot areas.

........sorry about the errant rockets - can you send me some of the fish we killed?" The Tassie Premier was outraged when he heard of the rocket being fired towards the Tasmanian fishing grounds - and even more outraged that Diktator Dan would even have the temerity to ask for the dynamited fish. He texted President Dan back, with a first line that read, "Listen here, you...........

....promptly spat out 3 litres of dried rat and possum turds - which didn't bother bull in the slightest, as he was made of tougher stuff than the average pilot - and also because, he only got really concerned when live rats and possums jumped out of the engine cowling, whenever he hit the starter. 

The ancient HKS 700E wheezed and coughed and spluttered as it wound over slowly, hissing fumes from leaking gaskets - and about then, bull realised it had been 9 mths since he'd last charged the battery.

He stopped cranking the engine and decided he'd better check the battery voltage with the $2 Chinese multimeter he kept on board. No voltmeter, amp meter or battery condition meter for him in his spartan instrument panel - No, Sirree! - only the barest basic level of instruments was all he needed, because bull was a "seat of the pants" flyer, and anything more than 2 instruments in the panel took his attention for far too long, and besides.........

....replied, "The only vermin on the loose in W.A. is Eastern Staters, with their rampant diseases! Everything else in W.A. is a Protected Species! And anyway, why would you want to carry a shotgun into W.A. from the Eastern States! We have plenty here already!"

Cappy drew himself up to full height to eyeball the Inspector eye-to-eye, and said, "I'll have you know this is not any ordinary shotgun! This is a family heirloom, handed down through the centuries! It belonged to my great, great, great grandfather, Squadron-Leader Cook of the RFC, who used it to shoot down those German Fokkers that he missed with his Sopwith machine gun!"

"Now you're talking!", beamed the Inspector, as Cappy hit a resounding note with him. "Those Germans have always been a pack of Fokkers, they've caused both World Wars, and if we don't watch out, they'll be.........

You'll be struggling to find any paint that will stick to stainless steel.

....if found, please return to my owner, who is an elderly gent with greying hair who has large pockets that are currently empty". However, many NES'ers missed the vital signal of the duck in Marks pocket.

This duck was no ordinary duck, only West Aussies knew that "this little ol' black duck" was pure codespeak to identify other West Australians in a crowd and to separate the Eastern States disease-carriers from the West Australians, who were completely disease-free. The duck in Marks pocket also symbolised the "wood ducks" of the East Coast, who could be conned as easily as the........

.....known to spread faster than any other previously-known virus variant. On that basis, Marks troops struggled to contain the outbreak, which spread rapidly through the parliamentarians, and the public service - as well as the general public. 

"We need a root and branch cleanout here!", said Mark in his best Navy lawyer officer voice. "I want everyone on Parade at 7:00AM, and I don't want anyone avoiding Parade by visiting the RAP with complaints about sore throats or loss of sense of smell, or other nonsense. Just front up at 7:00AM sharp, and be prepared to.........

Who else but the Rooskies, in the 1960's, of course! Known as the Beriev Be-12 Chayka ("Seagull") or "Mail" in military circles, it's an anti-submarine patrol craft.

Amazingly, despite being designed in the late 50's/early 60's, it's still flying today.

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/aircraft/types/type-details/beriev-be-12-mail.htm

.... not the first time he was ejected into the world as a result of an ejaculation. But while Turbo was furtively trying to infiltrate the W.A. Parliament building, another unrelated event was unfolding which would greatly impact on Turbo's eventual gains. That event was the lawsuit of Clive Palmers where he claimed that the W.A. Govt, and Mark in particular, had robbed him of enormous mineral wealth, all in the name of.......

.... that little episode is only a small part of Turbo's colourful jail confinement and military firearm ownership history - which events, of course, led to him forming his military forces.

The problem was, once he'd formed up a military force, he didn't know what to do with them, until Cappy suggested invading W.A. - and that then led to the W.A. Turbine Military invasion fiasco, and the associated beer fiasco, where the Turbine military forces almost revolted when they ran short of VB.

"These are but small annoyances in the larger order of things", said Turbo as he gave his Channel 9 interview upon his return from W.A., whereupon he was trying to breezily explain away, how he came to be forcefully ejected from W.A., by Mark's COVID forces - mostly because, not only was he a Victorian leper - but also because he couldn't provide a valid vaccination certificate, that met W.A. entry requirements.

But of course, he also failed to mention in the interview, that the thought of being confined in a W.A. Quarantine Hotel for 14 days (at his expense, too!) gave him the heebie-jeebies, and brought him out in a cold sweat, as the threat of being confined to just one room, vividly brought back dreadful memories of his time in Barwon prison, and the time he had to..........

......lazy, unsupervised Turbine Mining employees doing doughnuts and rollbacks in the company Landcruisers when they were supposed to be working. But when even the unbreakable Toyotas started to break down in huge numbers, and orders came through for many new ones - Turbo started to smell a rat (not Cappy, he normally doesn't smell that bad).

"I need someone to head West and find out what's going on over there!" thundered Turbo as he paced the main office. "It looks like the local Aboriginals have invaded the workforce, judging by the level of requests for new Landcruisers!"

"Speaking of Aboriginals, Mr Turbo", said the receptionist timidly. "There's a deputation of noisy Aboriginals in the front foyer, demanding to see the CEO and yelling obscenities involving 'stolen land' and 'Aboriginal land claims', and I believe you need to address them as a matter of urgency!"

Turbo blanched. This was something he hadn't factored in. He'd already paid the local Elders 6 new Landcruisers to cover the mining royalties due to the Aboriginals, and they'd signed off on the leases (well, as far he could make out, they had - the signatures weren't really all that clear) - and he thought any Aboriginal grievances would be muted to a whisper, once they got to ride around in them new 'Cruisers. But no, there was this.......

......Cappy, as he trudged back East with his tired troops. "But we're going North, not East, that's why there's so many sandhills! - we're following the coastline like the early Dutch navigators", said Cappy's Sgt Major.

"I knew I should've got a decent British compass instead of this Chinese one, that I found in the local hock shop for $15!", exclaimed Cappy. "But anyway, the workout through the sandhills will do you blokes good, it's what those tough SAS boys do - and besides, I've got a......