winsor68

I part owned a Long-Eze that I helped build in the UK in the eighties. Why on earth are you so keen? The Rutan canards are interesting, anachronistic and, now,very dated technology. They are very cramped, and need to be parked on their noses or loaded with ballast in the pilot seat to stop them tipping back onto the prop. The performance is lively and they don't like grass strips. Their short field performance is parlous whatever claims Rutan made, and the landing attitude needed to achieve a sensible approach speed is so high that the threashold is often invisible. There luggage capacity is minimal, and they glide like a bunch of keys - engine out landing practice was vey stimulating. Ditching is likely to be completely unsurvivable as the very long low undercarriage will angle the aircraft vertically into the water. I did about 30 miserable hours in ours until I pulled out and sold my share. I went back to Cessna's, then a Jabiru, and now an Evektor Sporstar. Lots of others to choose from out there - so do a few hours in the Varieze before comitting! Good luck!

There are some good reads here... http://v2.ez.org/articles.htm

So true Tornado... the battery fire I described about was a Nicad fire... and they don't have the fierce reputation of Lipos to explode and burn. If you had lipos in the traditional position of batteries and they caught fire... I reckon from the amount of heat and flame the little ones put out you would be charcoal in 5 seconds flat...

Oh cxxp! You've ruined it for me... I've never known an ugly aeroplane... until now.

Oh... and I forgot to mention... the only model aircraft I have ever witnessed catch on fire many years ago was my then recently repaired Electra Cub... it took off... got to about 15 feet and started surging and then the motor stopped... landed it and then found ourselves scrambling to get the wing off because the batteries and what passed for a speed control were on fire!

And a whole different raft of safety concerns unheard of with Infernal Combustion Engines!

I started flying RC Gliders for a hobby when I was 18 and had a lot of fun flying electric RC models too... back then there was very little available off the shelf that was much good so we rolled our own... nothing fancy, just the basic end of the scale... had a lot of great fun with buggy motors and basic Nicads in RC planes... They were never overpowered and could take a few circuits to clear the scrub around the flying field!!! Electric motors and batteries have come a looooooong loooooong way since those days... 20+years ago... wow!

Anyhow.... back to safety concerns and electric motors... if you reckon getting tangled up with a prop on a Combustion engine is bad news... try it with an electric! They don't stop until the power is turned off and have a kick like a bull! Its going to take a whole new level of propeller safety.

Dumb question time. PPG == Powered ParaGlider? PPC ==??

I love em, I love em, I love em!!! Thank the great flying Gods for Burt Rutan and his amazing designs. Don't know much about them besides what I have read... there is plenty of info on line.

There are pluses and negatives....

The pluses... very little vibration... less weight required in this area of the airframe...

The negatives... Short circuits...

But... I reckon within 3 years off the shelf here in Australia is not unreasonable for our local aircraft manufacturing industry...

That is nail on the head Tomo... We change Governments... but same public service remains...

Apparently there is only one in Australia...

As Maj pointed out... his carbon footprint is actually quite low in comparison to what it could be if he drove... and he gets better fuel economy.... I see 1000's and 1000's of people each week who commute from as far as NZ to work in this region...

I have done the tour of Maj Millard's work place... he has got to be the luckiest Ra-Aus pilot in the country. He gets to play with Beavers all week at an amazing airfield... and he flys his Lightwing to work!!!

It amazes me there aren't more younguns getting into this... Its cheaper than Motorcycles.

I have just over 40 hours in my log book. I was thinking more of the safety aspect of a medical emergency in flight in a light sport aircraft. The Sav has a center stick and 4 point harness... It requires some extra thought from a passenger brief situation...

What does the fine print say on joining the public forum?

I finally have my Ra-Aus Pax certificate... and in September I will have the opportunity to take my Father flying... It was always his wish to teach us to fly... but due to life getting in the way it never was... It took me until I was 42 to become the first of his two sons to gain his wings...

That is my dad on the right... he would have been in his twenties then... he was a GFA CFI for many, many years and flew this Mucha at a few Nationals.

The problem is that Dad has been gravely ill for the last 2 years... I will not go in to the grizzly details except to say that I didn't know you could live after having your stomach removed so that he is still with us is a miracle in my opinion... He doesn't have any energy and has bouts of dizziness and has been prone to collapsing in the last 8 months since his operation and is in pretty rough shape.

Sadly it was always his dream to retire to a life of aviation... He did do some flying after retirement but never got back into it... I guess you can't recapture your youth.

That's Dad trying out an old favorite from the front seat a few years ago...

My question is.... and I hope you have followed me this far with my ramblings... What are your thoughts on taking someone with serious health issues flying? My family is saying that he may be a bit past it... and are concerned that he may collapse in the air... what would you do? Should I sneak my Dad out when he is here and take him flying?

From the Youtube channel of MrMazz1970

At 5.25 you can see a bird passing this PPG flyer.....This is posted from the Youtube Channel of imasuper0308

Thanks for our responses. RA-AUS have got back to me regarding the weights, and it certainly seems doable, but a recent W&B will be a must before purchase.If you know of any coming up for sale let me know. Finders fee :)

 

That's a beautiful aircraft Windsor Family. In Mackay Hey, I'm up there a tonne for work I'll keep an eye out for her in the sky.

 

What a great source of information! thanks again.

Good luck!

Are there rag-wing and metal wing C140's?

So... In laymens terms what happened on the flight? Did the Pilots input the wrong info or was the info from Tiger's Nav Ops wrong? Paperwork errors?

They are a lovely aircraft...

Well done Tomo.

Well done!

This recently certified fixed wing Ra pilot is still very interested in PPC's... Any info would be good.. perhaps here the discussions won't get high jacked by the Frogs...! lol

Well given that Quilpie is about 1300 km west of Brisbane, I'd say it's a fair call to call it western Queensland!:biggrin: Zenonie

Where was that taken Relfy? That is beautiful rough bush country.