Any Other Pilots Here?  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: KG7AMV
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 04:51:25 am
content: I am a Commercial pilot I Ferry Single Engine and Light Twin Aircraft Mainly USA over the Big Pond to Australia & Asia!This Bird was Delivered to Gold Coast and is Flying Around Australia!Total 263 Gallons of Additional Fuel!

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 07:54:21 am
content: I'm not, but I was on the phone to a friend who is a pilot yesterday.An aeroplane would make for an interesting Teardown Tuesday.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 07:57:37 am
content: Only of sleek sexy aircraft. BTW, howdoyou manage to stay awake during those oh-so-boring straight and level bits?

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 08:14:26 am
content: My daughter pilots regional domestic for Air NZ, Q300's 50 seater, twin turbo-prop.Plane like the OP will at least have an auto pilot, maybe a FMS too.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_management_system

author: KG7AMV
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 08:22:47 am
content: Red Bull or Monster keeps me awake!

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 08:41:48 am
content: I'm not a pilot - but have several friends that do the whole "rent a plane for a day/weekend" kind of thing. Single engine, and do a hop or two to a vacation spot. It's so fun. Man, those rental planes are scary. The last one I was in, I was sitting in the passenger seat, and the door didn't lock/click close(would open if you pressed on it), and the seat belt wouldn't stay clasped (found that out 1/2 way there). Oh well. Not much you can do.At one point I looked into being an ATC, but the cost of school vs salary was way out of whack. Seems like interesting work - but not for the peanuts they pay.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:24:47 am
content: Quote from: KG7AMV on April 28, 2015, 04:51:25 amUmm, silly question, but how do you get one of those piddy things across the Pacific pond?

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:28:09 am
content: Islands.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:35:13 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 28, 2015, 09:24:47 amYa should watch the movie dramatization "Mercy mission - The rescue of flight 771"Two guys set out to fly two Cessna 188 cropdusters from California to Sydney and get so lost a AirNZ passenger jet goes looking for them.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_188_Pacific_rescue

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:41:44 am
content: Quote from: george graves on April 28, 2015, 08:41:48 amI woke up one day and thought I'd fly a plane, so went to the local airport and hired a Cessna 152 (two seat box with wings) and a pilot and flew down to Wollongong airport and back. Flying back along the coast next to the cliffs we were a few hundred feet of the water and my door flew open! (those "locks" are a simple catch). The paper maps we had started flying out the door, and I just managed to catch one in time whilst the pilot took control back from me and tried to stabalise as I tried to close the door. But no good, main map lost,and I was then informed that it was the first time he had ever flown in Sydney after coming from Melbourne. I then had to proceed to navigate our way back assuring him that we were flying over Bondi beach and he should probably chuck a left.Flew through controlled space at Sydney airport and got a hounding on the radio.Controller at Bankstown was not impressed either that he had no clue about landing protocol or frequencies there.Fun trip.But once I realised how much work and commitment it was to get a license, it just wasn't worth it.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:45:13 am
content: Quote from: KG7AMV on April 28, 2015, 04:51:25 amDo FPV pilots count?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:56:27 am
content: Quote from: george graves on April 28, 2015, 09:28:09 amThat's what I though, but figured they wouldn't have the fuel for some legs of that either. But just saw the extra tanks in the photo above, that explains it.

author: Jeroen3
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 10:03:13 am
content: Why would you fly such "small" plane across the pond?To transport the plane itself?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 10:27:20 am
content: Quote from: Jeroen3 on April 28, 2015, 10:03:13 amLikely cheaper to do that than hire an Antonov transport and ship in pieces if it doesn't fit.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 12:11:27 pm
content: Quote from: KG7AMV on April 28, 2015, 08:22:47 amFor a whileAh, the joys of entering a spin at 1000ft AGL. Deliberately.Or watching sheep as they whizz past at the same altitude.Or having deep meaningful mutual glances with birds of prey.Or being irked because a plane has just landed where you were going to land, or realising that the sky wants nothing to do with you ATM.Or the sensation of climbing at 10kts while in a +2.5G turn - with another plane 300ft away at the same altitude.Or being able to say to a friend just about to get up and go, "hope you have pleasantsurprises".

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 12:17:54 pm
content: Private Pilot (SEL) here, just a basic pilot, take off, burn holes in the sky, land. Wash, lather, rinse, repeat.As well as a maintainer.I've often wondered how much custom avionics I could build for myself if I ever bought a plane.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 12:46:47 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 28, 2015, 09:24:47 amRip out the pax seating and replace them with ferry tanks.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 01:00:27 pm
content: I have a PPL and have a PA28 nearly as old as me based at Fairoaks (EGTF) a few miles south west of London. Mostly just pootling about, and I try to get up once a week to maintain currency. The weather here in Blighty is hardly conducive for planning much in advance, but as I work for myself from home if it's a sunny day and I'm in the mood I'll go up for a spin.The airspace around here is pretty full on, I am based within the Heathrow CTR Control zone so your radio has to be pretty good if you want to transit north, and when you do you're scarily close to the big boys above you on final.

author: IO390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 03:14:18 pm
content: How do you even squeeze past the tank? PA46 cabin is small enough already.I know a chap who owns a Jetprop and he ferried it from AZ-Thailand. He's just completed his second trip visiting home in it, 5 days and 30 hrs flying time from Thailand, really impressive plane.I fly a lot with my dad (doing my PPL) who has has a TB20 GT. Fun hobbyAgain regarding the Matrix, I've never really seen much point in it compared to the Malibu/Mirage. The pressurisation doesn't exactly cost much in terms of maintenance, probably nothing compared to the cost of replacing all those cracked cylinders.

author: MarkL
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 03:24:48 pm
content: I have a SEL PPL but I haven't been up for at least ten years. I spent most of my time in low-wing Piper Archers (PA28).I've always been amazed at the age of the avionics technology in these small planes.I got interested in flying when I was visiting Alaska. A plane is a common way to get around there because there are essentially no roads outside of the few cities (towns?). The hotel concierge convinced me not to pay for a "flight-seeing" tour, but go to the local airfield and take a 2-hour flight lesson. I was hooked!Got my PPL in 6 months after I got back.

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 03:30:29 pm
content: I'm a private pilot, but not current and really have no plans to take it back up. My father was a professional pilot for his entire life. When he passed, I sold off my plane, then his. I basically grew up at the airport hanging out with dad. I like flying, but I probably won't be taking it back up (unless I suddenly can afford a Carbon Cub).

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 03:38:05 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 28, 2015, 09:24:47 amGood navigation skills, travel tanks, and big balls. Because if you do it long enough, you will be ferrying a glider.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 03:43:59 pm
content: Quote from: Skimask on April 28, 2015, 12:17:54 pmThere's a limit to what you're allowed to do here in the Old Dart on avionics unless you're trained up and appropriately CAA licensed. Certainly anything for IFR is off limits. You can have your work checked out by a certified tech.When I bought my PA28, the radios needed some attention, that was easy enough, both COMs were off frequency, needed a couple of trimmers twiddled. (I do a lot of non-avionic RF so have plenty of kit). One of the radios has a very mechanical frequency input with rotary switches that also needed a lot of attention. The NAVs also needed work, they were a little off bearing. For that I wrote a VOR/LOC/ILS baseband simulator to a soundcard and hooked it up to an RF signal generator modulation input. Worked a treat. I also fixed the ADF receiver, that was just oxidised contacts on the wafer switches for frequency input.I had less luck with the DME which consists of a head unit for display and a box that sits at the back. For DME you need a bit more than basic RF test equipment. It operates up around 1GHz and generates around 100W of RF in pulses. The age of it means that the final is a valve/tube (I can't remember now but the pre-driver might be a valve too). This is mixed in with some RTL logic to run a PLL which shows its age! I bought a replacement box in the end which promptly broke too a couple of weeks later.The problem is that refitting my old bird with new avionics would cost about the same as buying a new second hand plane, so I figure it's better value to sell this one and buy another with newer avionics.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 04:55:24 pm
content: Taking them apart is no fun, but putting that collection of shelves ( around 40m of shelving , 5 racks high, and with a skeleton in the middle of the floor that might be an airframe) back into a working aircraft is fun, especially as my job was instrumentation, and all my wiring was just plastic bags over connectors and zip tied broomsticks holding it off the frame for the fitters to work. My job started after the windows were half in, as I needed 2 out to get the panel back in. At least then I had most of a floor to stand on. I broke pipes that had not been undone since the manufacturer put them in, as i wanted to paint the back of that panel, it had some nasty corrosion on it.BTW, if you are offered a test flight in a helicopter, go for it. Perhaps not an Alouette, as there you are a good part of the test load, and the autorotation test will make any roller coaster look tame afterwards. Just remember to sign the insurance forms.....Super Frelon was different, sitting in the door with the feet dangling outside, holding on the strap while the pilots got over their frustration at sitting at full power with zero collective for an hour doing a compass swing, with me in the middle relaying the intercom readings ( magnetic headphone is bad) then finally doing the standby compass while the tractor is playing round and round with the chopper and the cooking guy in the middle with the theodolite and compass. Interesting looking down at the sky and up at the sea, with the shore off to the one side while they were doing aerobatics in a 16 ton chopper.

author: JackP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 04:59:04 pm
content: Starting my PPL at 14 here in the Old Dart - got ten hours logged thus far on a few 152s, flying out of Cranfield (nice 6000+Ft runway with full ATC coverage). On circuits at the moment, trying to nail the landings, but winds get a bit high here! I understand about the trainer/hire planes condition though - on my trial flight out of somewhere else, my door came open mid-flight and the engine promptly stopped on touch down (its only now I realise the instructor was a bit harsh with the mixture. You should try doing stalls with a stall warner operating at 5kt below stall speed! Got two years to kill until my first solo unfortunately, but hopefully I can nail landings, complete PFDs and steep turns and start nav before my 16th! It always amazes me that they send up solo-ers without any idea about practised forced landings!Dad works at Gulfstream (used to work at Monarch) so I have been interested in aviation from a young age, and would love to get a job working as a hangar boy!

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 05:23:16 pm
content: When they send you up for your first solo it's generally and a lovely day, no crosswind and there's special lube in the donkey that stops it from conking out.I did a lot of my IMC training at Cranfield: never landed, but did loads of approaches.You're lucky. I did my PPL a couple of years ago, it took me 25 hours to go solo and 75 total to get my ticket over a 5 month period. I was 48. It taught me a lot, not just about flying, but about myself. I thought, how hard can this be? Isn't it just like learning to drive but with a few more knobs and levers? To some extent it is, but it's also psychologically quite demanding at certain stages of flight, your mind is running at full capacity and there is no option just to "go outside" and take a breather. I can see why women make better pilots, they are much better at multitasking, and you need to be able to do that as well as play back a large number of recipes on demand.

author: IO390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 05:40:42 pm
content: Quote from: JackP on April 28, 2015, 04:59:04 pmIf you want to do your PPL in the most hassle-free way, forget the flying and stop doing it right now. Do your exams, someone like you will learn very quickly and will be ready to solo in no time. But although no exams are required, no one in their right mind would let a student go solo without having them at least do the air law exam, so now you have to spend a few weeks sorting out one exam, in which time you're out of practice and need more lessons.Get all the exams done, then you have 2 years to do your flying without having the burden there.@Howardlong having good avionics in a capable tourer is brilliant. My father (FAA cpl/ir) goes all round EU in his TB20 which is kitted out accordingly. PA28s are great for general flying, but the shorter legs are somewhat restrictive. IFR around europe really allows you to use your PPL properly. Flying over the alps is spectacular, as is being able to go to Croatia in 5 hours for the weekend

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 06:23:49 pm
content: Quote from: LabSpokane on April 28, 2015, 03:38:05 pmJest not! Fromhttp://www.aviationbanter.com/showpost.php?s=0dc5e9cce10d6c93dc3e2698019a5782&p=902210&postcount=6"I also remember a story in Soaring about the Russia team (three LAK 12's) getting towed to a contest by one AN-76 across several hundred miles of open ocean!"

author: JackP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 06:42:18 pm
content: I know about the air law exam, I was just commenting from my perhaps skewed perspective. In terms of exams, I would love to do them now, get the hassle over before I start GCSEs and then A-levels, but they only last two years IIRC, in which time you have to have passed your QXC and checkride (AKA. 17+ years of age).

author: IO390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 06:58:32 pm
content: Quote from: JackP on April 28, 2015, 06:42:18 pmYes, they expire after two years. 14 is a tricky age to start lessons because, as you say, you have 3 years before you can have the PPL. If you were to carry on with lessons then you'd be able to fly to PPL standard long before you could have the PPL, so one could either give it a break now and pick it up later or just carry on flying for fun, if the money is available. Perhaps try to find someone who flies and cost share with them? Or take up gliding maybe, that's another option.

author: JackP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 07:08:05 pm
content: Yes, I know (now!). I am very fortunate that my family is in a position to afford this... expensive hobby (which is likely to lead to more though). I do feel a bit funny about the costs involved in this, and I always feel that I can't convey my gratitude enough. However, I know my Dad has a great time talking with the pilots in the flight lounge, and I think he is starting to think about taking back up the hobby (he did ten hours years ago, but the company went bust and apparently he never could land!). Our plan for now is to slow down the lessons to about one a month (hopefully a balance between minimum expenditure and keeping me current) now that I have completed the basics, which leaves about 16 hours before I can solo. While a bit annoying, experience is never a bad thing IMHO and I know the rules are there for a reason (well, sometimes. CAA ~= Campaign Against Aviation?!). I fly two seaters atm, so cost sharing isn't an option (a 172 is only £10 more an hour, but the whole dynamics are different and I struggle enough holding off the 152 after the roll out!).

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 07:40:00 pm
content: I have a PPL but for Helicopters not planes, although a friend who owns one is trying to persuade me to 'upgrade' to a fixed wing licence too.Have to admit, anything over a few thousand feet makes navigation tricky, I can't read the road signs

author: JackP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 07:52:05 pm
content: My Uncle went the other way - he has a frozen fixed-wing ATPL from the military, but now flies helicopters for the Police in Devon!

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 08:28:02 pm
content: I am a fixed wing MEL Pilot with Instruments. Not commercial, although I have coordinated air-air and air to ground photography. I have designed and built custom stabilized mounts for cameras on B-17, B-25, TBM Avengers, SBD Dauntless, Helicopters, King-Airs, etc. Checked out on 172, 182, 210 Cessnas, Piper Arrow, Seminole, Meridian Turbo Prop, Mooneys', Cirrus SR-22, Diamond DA-42 twin, and a few experimentals.Everything I do is merely a way to get back in the sky again. If I had unlimited money, I would fly anything and everything every day. Aviation is financially heavy and will consume every dollar you have faster than you can say 'Cleared for take-off...' I have to sell a TON of circuit boards to be able to fly - which is why I got a pick and place machine.Next up - helicopters.

author: at2marty
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 08:40:47 pm
content: Not a pilot, but spent some time in the U.S. Navy as an aircraft maintainer (Avionics Technician). Not only did I work on comm/nav equipment, but also sensors (RADAR, ESM, Acoustics). After that I worked for several years as a maintenance technician for U.S. Navy flight simulators and tactics trainers. From there I went on to develop, design and test upgrades to several different military aircraft flight simulators and tactical trainers.Here is a shot of the cockpit of a Navy P-3 on approach to MCAS Kanaoe Bay, Hawaii. Notice the rainbow colored throttle levers.

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:09:12 pm
content: Quote from: jc101 on April 28, 2015, 07:40:00 pmMy father handed me the charts for my first cross country navigational exercise in this order:- AAA road map- Sectional

author: atferrari
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 09:44:24 pm
content: Quote from: steve30 on April 28, 2015, 07:54:21 amNot joking myself, yesterday I also met at the cafferteria, a friend who is pilot for people that could require his services anytime along the year. Too much pending of their calls.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 10:02:56 pm
content: I've all my BGA glider certificates and am currently working towards my Part-FCL PPL if that counts in the slightest.

author: John Coloccia
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 10:09:11 pm
content: I was pretty active some years ago, but I stopped flying. Finances and time...it's WAY more expensive to fly in New England than out in California, and the weather sucks for flying. Just to give an idea, I used to rent a 7KCAB for $75 wet, and I could basically go flying anytime I wanted. It wasn't unusual to sneak out at lunch and do an hour of aerobatics a couple of times a week. We were building an airplane for a while, but I sold the project when I moved back east. It's just as well. I'm not into flying from point A to point B, really. I just liked doing aerobatics mainly, and occasionally I'd take the wife on a longer trip, or for a $100 hamburger.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 10:58:33 pm
content: Quote from: JackP on April 28, 2015, 07:08:05 pmWell I would hazard a guess there are many of us like that. That is a key difference between learning to drive a car and flying an aeroplane. Parking a car may take a bit of left a bit right a bit, but you can do it in your own time.As I am sure you're figuring out, no landing is ever the same as any other. It is a skill to apply the right amount of power as well as appropriate yoke and rudder adjustments. It must really mess up with the mind of your average MBA who wants to proceduralise everything in a script. There are key things to aim for, and a general recipe, but you must keep tasting the food and add the right amount of seasoning at the right time, and know when to chuck it out, go around, and try again.I've done about 350 landings in my brief pilot career, and had one unplanned go around and one unplanned RTO (rejected take off). The go around was when I was stuck behind a microlight at Barton who wouldn't get a move on vacating, and the RTO was on Saturday, and was due to pilot error after I had not set the aircraft up properly during a touch and go: after your PPL you don't do many touch and go's. The most important thing is to know when something is not right and act accordingly, it's a lot easier to stop when you're on the ground!

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2015, 11:15:17 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on April 28, 2015, 10:58:33 pmYou got that right. I'm not a pilot but I have the upmost respect for those who are highly skilled. Like the guy below who 11 years ago dropped me and 2 friends on the Ruth Glacier in Alaska for a mountaineering trip. You can't tell from the photos because the skies cleared after the landing but he set us on the glacier in what was basically a white out. I was looking out the window the whole time and had no idea we were near the ground when we "touched" down.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 12:52:28 am
content: Having a pilot license would be cool but I doubt it is very cost effective versus just buying a ticket and go somewhere. I did 'steer' a single engine 4 seater airplane once. Being behind the throttle & stick of a jet fighter is still on my bucket list. No grazy aerobatics; just some turns will suffice O0

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 01:17:29 am
content: Having a pilots license is the worst possible way to save money. If you are a budget traveler - jump on the bus with 200 hundred people sharing that cost. I had a 2004 Cessna 182T - nearly $400k. Add to that, insurance, fuel, hangar, annual inspections, nav updates etc. That is for a 4 seat single engine airplane that tops out at about 170mph. I have spent at least $25k on training and currency flights. Touch and go's, IFR practice, etc adds up.Step up to six seats and you are in $1mil territory for a new bird. Wanna go fast? Turbo props start at $2mil for a single engine 6 seater that can do around 300mph. on top of the purchase price, you will be burning 50+ gallons per hour of jet fuel at fast cruise. Around $250+/hr just for fuel in the USA.Private aviation at any level is pure luxury for sure. In my Skylane (182) I could generally beat someone to destinations <500 miles because I could walk out of my house, file a flight plan and check weather on the way to the little airport 10 min away. The FBO would pull the plane and fuel it up before I got there. I would be airborne before I could even get parked at the commercial airport. Although my flight time is a lot longer, I would land take off a land at small airports very close to the final destination and have a rental car pull right up to the plane. I sign the paperwork and off I go - on my schedule. On a single day, I had face to face meetings in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and San Antonio before going home to Houston. Try that on a commercial airline schedule.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 02:14:55 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on April 29, 2015, 01:17:29 amAnyone can do that, just hire a plane and pilot for the day.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 02:33:14 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 29, 2015, 02:14:55 amNo question - just not on a commercial flight system referred to by nctnico. Super awesome and convenient at great cost - whether you or someone else is pushing the buttons.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 02:52:01 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on April 29, 2015, 01:17:29 amIt even gets crazier at the super elite level. My sister in law comes from a family with a private jet. My nephews had never flown on a commercial flight until recently. My brother and his family flew up to visit us in our small town several years ago and the pilots stayed in a hotel for several days just waiting to pilot them back in the jet. I have no idea how much that 4 day trip cost her family but $10s of thousands I'm sure. They've stopped traveling that way unless it's a trip with her family and I'm glad. Hard to explain to my boys why their cousins get to travel that way.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 03:20:26 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on April 29, 2015, 02:33:14 amBut surely way less cost than owning your own plane and/or getting and maintaining a license and hiring your own plane to fly?

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 03:25:57 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 29, 2015, 03:20:26 amDefinitely - the whole buying a plane and flying it idea is purely for fun.Like I said,Quote from: rx8pilot on April 29, 2015, 01:17:29 am

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 02:27:36 pm
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on April 29, 2015, 03:25:57 amAll true. Same applies to boats, and some thing else, what's the line? If it floats, flies or ****s, rent it.

author: John Coloccia
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2015, 03:06:33 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 29, 2015, 03:20:26 amIt really depends. For example, when I was out west, I seriously considered living over the mountains, and commuting into work with an airplane. It depends on the plane, the area, and a lot of other things. It wouldn't have cost much over simply driving, especially if it's a plane you build yourself and you can do all of the maintenance on it yourself.You can still buy a nice plane for $20,000 or $30,000 that will cruise along at 100MPH, sipping about 6 or 7 gallons an hour. Yes, you'll have to rebuild the engine every 2000 hours, and it will cost $15,000, but that's 200,000 miles. There's not a whole lot else that goes wrong with simple planes like this, especially planes like Citabrias, which is my plane of choice. Simple....fabric covered...built like a tank. If you're in the right area, with the right kind of weather, it can actually be pretty practical.When I lived in the high desert of California, it would take FOREVER to drive anywhere because you have to get over the mountains. Occasionally, I'd just grab a plane if there was somewhere I wanted to go. Obviously, it was more expensive renting than if I had owned, but it was just so convenient to turn hours and hours of driving, fighting traffic, etc into a quick 1 hour flight.

author: jobog
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 04:12:48 am
content: I have almost 2,000 hours in jet fighters but I gave up flying when I got out of the Air Force in 1977. Just not the same putzing around at 100 knots instead of mach 1 or higher. Plus the cost is not worth it. While I was stationed in Florida I could rent a 172 from the base aero club for $9.00/hr wet and fly the family, wife and 2 small kids, back home to Indiana for a week with the only requirement that you paid for a minimum of one hour per day. That wasn't a problem since it took about 11 hours to get there. Sure beat 2 days in the car for the same trip. I sure miss it though.

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 04:56:13 am
content: You need an Extra 300L doing a roll rate of 400 deg/sec and 9+G's without a G-suit. That bird will keep even an F-16 pilot busy.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 05:12:54 am
content: I used to call myself a student pilot a decade or more ago, I did a handful of solo hours in a RANS S6 and then time, and various problematic circumstance got in the way. Due T1 Diabetes I was effectively limited by legislation at the time to what in NZ we call microlight class - which in the US is closer to light sport aircraft except we can also have adjustable props, retracts etc - eg the Titan T51 Mustang replicas can be Microlight class here, so actually not much of a limitation recreationally speaking.I could have started flying again long ago, time and money could be found, but truth be told, even microlights are too expensive to operate for this skinflint, I can't justify spending a hundred bucks plus an hour on something with so little point, not to mention the 1/2 hour on the road each way to the strip, mucking about on the ground, the obligatory hangar chat with other people on the field...That said, if somebody should happen to start doing gyrocopter training with a modern enclosed machine in my area, I would be sorely tempted to twist the doctors arm to give me a fresh medical.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 06:12:05 am
content: Which person is the real skilled pilot?A 787 pilot where everything is automatic?Or the FPV pilot in this video?

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 06:27:14 am
content: Quote from: Psi on April 30, 2015, 06:12:05 amDepends on what happens when a turbine disc cuts loose and blows a hole in the wing. The successful one is the one who gets it down in one piece with minimal extra damage.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 06:33:46 am
content: Quote from: Psi on April 30, 2015, 06:12:05 amI wonder how many crashes the FPV guy took to be that good?Edit: by the way, even a 787 can't take off by itself.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 08:02:19 am
content: Quote from: Psi on April 30, 2015, 06:12:05 amWhy not do it for real? Don't forget they don't have an engine.BTW, everything by balleka is worth watching, and his other plane is a 747.UK cost: ~£25/hour, including instruction.

author: KG7AMV
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 08:04:34 am
content: QuoteUSA to China in this one.We remove the interior and install auxiliary fuel tanks in the cabin. California, Hawaii, Tarawa, Guam, Philippines, China!

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 04:47:09 pm
content: I worked on these....https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mirage+f1A lot of old friends there from featherfoot farm.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 05:52:52 pm
content: Quote from: John Coloccia on April 29, 2015, 03:06:33 pmThis reminds me of one of my (not so long a ago) former bosses. His neighbour in France has a self build airplane which he used to travel through the country. At one time he had engine problems so he send his son with the bus and flew the plane home... If you have time on your hands you can do things like that.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 08:34:45 pm
content: The other problem is weather, particularly here in the UK. It's unwise to plan a trip more than a day or so in advance unless you have a contingency plan.You can mitigate by having a fully IFR equipped plane with anti icing boots etc, but it's not a cheap option both in terms of initial cost and ongoing maintenance. And if you can't get on top, it's also pretty boring flying in cloud, there's not much scenery.I'm off to see my folks tomorrow, flight time is 45 minutes. Plus 40 minutes to get to the airfield, half an hour to plan, ten minutes to check over the aircraft and get it refuelled, and ten minutes taxiing. That's 2hr15mins, I can drive it in 2 hours.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 08:47:42 pm
content: Here in SA flying is still an option, seeing as you can fit the UK in one province. In the USA flying is very common, seeing as South Africa will fit into Texas with room left over for all the Texans to have a few acres each still.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 08:59:44 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on April 30, 2015, 08:47:42 pmIndeed, I rented a 172 for a couple of days from one of the schools at Grand Central near Joburg last May, great weather, but you know you're at 5,000', the performance of the aircraft isn't great so you do need that nice long strip. Leaning the mixture on the ground due to altitude was new to me. Coming back in on approach it needed plenty of power too. But it was also about 40% cheaper to rent than the UK too, and the skies are a lot emptier than here around London.

author: KG7AMV
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 12:15:11 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on April 30, 2015, 08:47:42 pmSeanB, In the past i used to deliver aircraft to a dealer in Port Alfred, South AfricaHere is a photo of me at the dealer in Port Alfred!

author: jobog
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 01:43:33 am
content: Quote from: rx8pilot on April 30, 2015, 04:56:13 amThe closest I'm going to come to an Extra 300 is if I buy a model to go with the rest of my RC planes. RC is the only flying I'm doing these days. Very obvious with my models is that my current reaction time would make me dangerous in a jet.For just outright fun flying nothing I flew was more enjoyable than the T-38. Small, fast, and extremely maneuverable. There was a warning to never do full side stick rolls. I don't recall the deg/sec but it would wind you up in an instant. 7+G's with a G-suit was more than enough for me.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 07:59:27 am
content: Quote from: jobog on May 01, 2015, 01:43:33 amFor adrenaline, you might like to try flying gliders - but adrenaline isn't necessary.All gliders will do +3.5,-0.5G, and some will do +9,-6G. No G suit! Normal flying involves +2.5,0G.Ground-hugging0-1500ft in 35s.Deliberately enter spins at 1000ft AGL before going soloLoose formation flying with many other a/cTypical cost ~£25/hourBut the roll-rateismuch slower!

author: firehopper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 11:36:07 am
content: I only fly rc airplanes. never flown a full size. I've ridden in a few, just never flown one

author: IO390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 04:36:24 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on April 30, 2015, 08:59:44 pmLeaning on the ground is actually not a bad idea anywhere, helps stop the plugs fouling at low power.Anyway, we had a bit of a scare today. Flying to Prague, at FL160 in solid IMC and the engine just about stopped. The plane isn't turbonormalised so out indicated airspeed was only about 100kts, plus we were heavy, so the speed dropped very quickly. Disconnected the autopilot immediately and descended, with the EDM700 helpfully displaying 'BAD PRBLM". Pulled the alternate air and the power came back up, but the EGT probes for cyl 1 and 2 gave funny readings to the EDM which chose to block them, so for a while it looked like 1 and 2 had stopped producing power, which was worrying. Checked the CHT which was normal so clearly all was well. Reset the EDM on the ground and the EGT readings came back so it had just blocked them instead of showing possibly false readings.Anyway, was a bit exciting. OAT was -14C which is usually too cold for icing, but evidently we got water behind the air filter which then froze. Remember your alternate air guys!

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 05:15:58 pm
content: IO390,Glad you're OK. Generally it's good practice to pull the alt. air / carb heat on periodically during a long flight and watch the RPMs or manifold pressure as applicable - even if you don't think there's a possibility of icing. I learned to fly in the wet, so this was standard practice.We used to have guys from California come up north to fly-ins in very rainy areas who had no idea if their carb heat even worked. They have never tested it on runup since they felt there was no need for it flying in the desert.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 08:21:58 pm
content: For all those who fly cattle class, you should listen to this podcast.http://betty.libsyn.com/She is always interesting, and there are some gems in the older podcasts.http://betty.libsyn.com/top_guns_blonde_moments_

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 09:28:13 pm
content: I took my folks up today for their first spin for a $100 slice of cake. They have just turned 80, and are not in bad condition, but they are 80. Getting them into and out of a PA28 was an exercise in logistics in itself, although their second flight on the way back was about an order of magnitude easier in that respect, they knew what to expect.Quite unbelievably, my mother, a perennial old fashioned kinda person from a time past, particularly enjoyed it it appears - she has a story to give her mates at the octogenarian tea parties she frequents.The old man quite enjoyed it too. He's ex-RAF but just National Service in the 50s, no practical flying experience. We got into talking about managing power on decent, and how you aim for an airspeed, and somewhat counterintuitively adjust throttle for altitude, and pitch for speed, although after a while it appears to blend into one: you know what the runway should look like, and adjust accordingly.I was surprised, I suppose I've been so used to the risk averse culture that so pervades our lives these days that I wasn't quite expecting such a positive response.

author: IO390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2015, 09:43:33 pm
content: Quote from: LabSpokane on May 01, 2015, 05:15:58 pmThe engine (TB20 GT) is an IO540 so no carb heat to worry about, obviously in carb aircraft then its another matter to consider.Usually in icing conditions we leave the prop TKS on, the excess fluid flying off the blades sprinkles the front of the aircraft and clears the windshield and the air filter, but we didn't have it on as we assumed it was too cold for ice. Either way it seems the ice built up behind the air filter as the alt air door was a little sticky, if that had blocked up fully then we'd have had no power until 6kft or so when the ice melted. Flat terrain and plenty of airfields close by so could be a lot worse, but still not ideal. So moving the alt air door every few mins is not a bad idea at all. Some like to leave it open but the issue with this is that if it gets blocked up then you lose your backup option.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 12:58:07 pm
content: Flew this one years ago in the US. Attracted a fair bit of attention.

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 02:12:06 pm
content: Quote from: IO390 on May 01, 2015, 09:43:33 pmThe real drag about flying in Europe is that any non-airfield landing is classified as a accident. Here in the US, you can land on a road if need be, fix your plane, and the police will generally just block traffic so that you can take off and leave. My father followed highways for this reason.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 02:28:40 pm
content: One for SeanB:

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 09:10:51 pm
content: Quote from: LabSpokane on May 02, 2015, 02:12:06 pmWhat on earth makes you think that? Gliders do it all the time.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 09:13:24 pm
content: Quote from: Wytnucls on May 02, 2015, 12:58:07 pmFlew in a DC3 from Gloucester to Cambridge at ~3500ft about 5 years ago. Great fun.No possible anymore due, IIRC, to stricter avoinics requirements.

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 09:59:15 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 02, 2015, 09:10:51 pmAccording to an Italian pilot I chatted with, the regs are different for powered AC on the continent. It all has to do with landing in an area that is not officially designated as an airfield.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 11:03:15 pm
content: Quote from: LabSpokane on May 02, 2015, 09:59:15 pmEASA probably has something to say about that! There are standardised rules across Europe, although there is a little room for "interpretation".

author: IO390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 11:11:14 pm
content: Well we are on N reg for maintenance reasons, but to be honest how forced landings are handled is the least of our worries in terms of differences. EASA is a total waste of time/space.