Re: [Aus-soaring] Intermediate/short term goals

2013-03-17 Thread Matthew Gage
Comparing some flights from a recent comp, A glider that flew direct saw 4 knot average climbs and averaged 40:1 A glider of the same type deviated a lot, saw 6 knot climbs and achieved 50:1 The glider that deviated could fly an additional 26km and still be ahead. That's a deviation of about

Re: [Aus-soaring] Flight recorders/planning software

2013-03-10 Thread Matthew Gage
SeeYou works fine using darwine which is free On 10/03/2013, at 22:15 , Mike Borgelt mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com wrote: At 07:46 PM 10/03/2013, you wrote: Are there any that work on Macs and record engine use? Seeyou, fly with CE, don't. Graham There may be some software done by

Re: [Aus-soaring] Flight recorders/planning software

2013-03-10 Thread Matthew Gage
On 11/03/2013, at 12:25 , Mike Borgelt mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com wrote: Why screw around wasting your time with Apple OS? 'Cos it's enabled be to bill well over $16,000 per year more for the last 5 years than if I still used windows. Cheap is not always the most cost effective.

Re: [Aus-soaring] Murray Evans formula

2013-03-07 Thread Matthew Gage
It's worth looking at how sailing tried handicapping 20 years ago, as they went through a similar process. I was heavily involved both as a competitor and as someone trying to make the system work. Some bright individuals came up with the idea of handicapping based on a polar so that the wind

Re: [Aus-soaring] Taxying after Landing (Thanks)

2013-03-06 Thread Matthew Gage
Unfortunately, when you have 40 gliders landing within 5 minutes on a strip that can accommodate 3 abreast, there is no way this is possible or safe if everyone just lands straight ahead. Everyone MUST land long, and those on the edges MUST taxi off. I've flown 2 comps this summer. at the

Re: [Aus-soaring] AIRBUS has abandoned its plans to use lithium-ion batteries for its new A350 airplanes

2013-02-25 Thread Matthew Gage
However, there isn't much point at the moment The weight saving is small for the same capacity, but the cost difference is huge. As an example, a 10Ah LiFePO4 battery in the standard size most of use weighs 1.92kg. An equivalent 9Ah SLA weighs 2.55kg On 25/02/2013, at 21:33 , Matthew

Re: [Aus-soaring] Foka incident

2011-05-16 Thread Matthew Gage
Tom, I was trying to find a way to say that simply - you saved me the trouble. However, looking at the MOSP, I don't see a requirement for a signature for an Independent Inspection 6.2 DAILY INSPECTION Before each days' operation and after each rigging all sailplanes must receive a Daily

Re: [Aus-soaring] Foka incident

2011-05-15 Thread Matthew Gage
Rolf, in this I agree with Mike - there is no way that a duplicate control check (or even DI) would have found the problem. Sadly, such a person would have spent months in court defending themselves, costing them many thousands with no prospect of any insurance helping them. In practice, the

Re: [Aus-soaring] Music while flying?

2011-04-14 Thread Matthew Gage
Fully agree flying has to be fun, and different people enjoy different things. Personally, I don't enjoy aerobatics at all, and any instructor who insists on doing them with me on a check flight is going to get an ear full, along with the CFI ! I don't particularly enjoy aimless wandering about

Re: [Aus-soaring] Where to sit on tow?

2011-04-13 Thread Matthew Gage
On 13/04/2011, at 18:28 , stephenk wrote: A tug upset from too low would mean the tug pilot had a lot of forward stick and at release would pitch down. Scary but controllable. I have never heard of an upset like this (I imagine it could happen, just doesn't seem to). I am also guessing

Re: [Aus-soaring] Paint advice

2011-04-10 Thread Matthew Gage
Tom, A trip to an automotive supplier would be better than the hardware store ! Remove all of the old paint. Get a GRP filler at act as the undercoat and to smooth the surface. Some are black and may be good enough as the finish with sanding and a polish. Use an auto polyurethane or acrylic

Re: [Aus-soaring] AIP

2011-03-23 Thread Matthew Gage
Brilliant - this is only available if you are running Internet Explorer. So those of us with a Mac have no access to the AIP on-line. On 24/03/2011, at 10:09 , Mike Borgelt wrote: Nope, all I get is file not found Mike At 09:03 AM 24/03/2011, you wrote: Mike Each of those

Re: [Aus-soaring] AIP

2011-03-23 Thread Matthew Gage
I have firefox, and it doesn't work either. On 24/03/2011, at 11:13 , Jim Staniforth wrote: Firefox works, and is available for mac. Jim From: Matthew Gage m...@knightschallenge.com To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net Sent: Wed

Re: [Aus-soaring] Australian Grand Prix - Lake Keepit

2011-03-22 Thread Matthew Gage
And before someone whinges yet again about other potentially better systems, I suggest that if they want this, they put up the cash to pay for them On 23/03/2011, at 14:46 , Ross McLean wrote: It depends a lot on how the Spot is mounted in the glider. Ideally they need to be flat with a good

Re: [Aus-soaring] New frontier: XC wave along the Great DividingRange

2011-03-17 Thread Matthew Gage
It may be possible to find some sat pics that show the location and extent of wave in different conditions - I've seen several that show wave well for the UK, including wave propagating more than 1500km downwind - the source being the Pyrenees, with the occasional smaller range helping keep it

Re: [Aus-soaring] Darling Downs weather forecast for 5 - 6 March 2011

2011-03-03 Thread Matthew Gage
Tom, Not sure on the rules because the link from the OLC site is broken and I can't find them directly on the GFA site, but it looks like the DCE only takes flights that are IGC-valid and not those that are OLC-valid. Given that many flights aren't logged to the OLC at all, and some clubs are

Re: [Aus-soaring] Ipad

2011-02-07 Thread Matthew Gage
Exactly. The current generation of PNAs (about 5 screen) are about right - this is from experience of using 3 iPaq, 3.5 iPaq, 5 PNA (driving only) and 6.5 purpose made gliding instrument. The 6.5 was actually too big - it took too much space in the panel. The 3 screens are too small. The 3.5

Re: [Aus-soaring] Markings

2011-01-02 Thread Matthew Gage
I believe that GFA AN84 is an agreed set of differences / exemptions from the existing part 45. The proposed new part 45 as mentioned by Wombat actually includes all of these and goes further - removing the need for under wing markings and halving the minimum height of the vertical markings.

Re: [Aus-soaring] New Website - Can't Find anything !!!

2010-10-21 Thread Matthew Gage
Grant, The big problem with having members do it for nothing is that you are then dependant of the said member to maintain it - Something that Tim did, but others may not - over the years, I've had a lot of business from sports organisations where the volunteer has stopped volunteering - the

Re: [Aus-soaring] New Website - Can't Find anything !!!

2010-10-20 Thread Matthew Gage
Dave, it's even worse for us using a mac - we can't access ANYTHING on the new web site - none of the links work (if you can work out what the menu is meant to be because it looks a mess). However, we can access the old one for now, but it hasn't been updated since the new one went live. I was

Re: [Aus-soaring] Super Motor Falke and towing

2010-09-29 Thread Matthew Gage
Don't count on the Falke being any better. I had one tow behind a Rotax Falke some years ago in the UK. Performance was very similar to what Dave described. We barely cleared the airfield boundary fence (850m from launch point) in a K13. Conditions weren't perfect as we were at max weight for

Re: [Aus-soaring] Digital WAC charts

2010-09-20 Thread Matthew Gage
Probably as you can get them free from http://mapconnect.ga.gov.au/MapConnect/ Absolutely awful site to do this from, but you can get a custom map to cover the area you want (with a lot of trial and error) and the size you want - A4, A3, A1, A0 On 20/09/2010, at 18:57 , Ben Jones wrote:

Re: [Aus-soaring] Digital WAC charts

2010-09-20 Thread Matthew Gage
I should have added: Use a size bigger than you want as they take up a huge space with a legend. See http://mapconnect.ga.gov.au/Output/1912_A4148285532795483023_1M_A4.pdf for a map I created. On 20/09/2010, at 18:57 , Ben Jones wrote: Disregard, my last digital map package WAS purchased

Re: [Aus-soaring] Digital WAC charts

2010-09-20 Thread Matthew Gage
Agree, and there are other things wrong with them as well - only in landscape when I often want to print an area in portrait (lots of N/S flying, little E/W) However, I suspect that Maptrax decided there was no market left for them with the government giving digital maps away free, even if the

Re: [Aus-soaring] UK airspace incursion

2010-08-25 Thread Matthew Gage
That's because the UK military don't have their own dedicated airspace - they use class G along with everyone else, with controllers alerting them to radar returns - which can and do see gliders, even wood and fabric. I heard another story (again from sutton bank), 2 friends were in wave at

Re: [Aus-soaring] US of A Glider Exemption

2010-07-04 Thread Matthew Gage
Having watched that a few times, I'm not certain Flarm would have helped - it doesn't defend against pure stupidity or someone with a death wish. The lead gliders only option would have been to level his wings on hearing an alarm and ascertaining where the threat was, and that may not have been

Re: [Aus-soaring] solar emergency lighting?

2010-06-21 Thread Matthew Gage
My experience with emergency exit lighting (admittedly overseas working in a theatre) is that they run from rechargeable batteries, as they don't have to last long in the event of a power failure, the battery will be small capacity. Probably the same sort of sealed lead acid batteries that we

Re: [Aus-soaring] dongles and NSW coverage - Temora

2010-06-20 Thread Matthew Gage
Optus works, but you have to move about until you find a spot with reception at the airfield. You probably need an external antenna to work well. You can probably forget about inside the club house! On 21/06/2010, at 9:45 , Mike Cleaver wrote: Pam and others Have to correct you there -

Re: [Aus-soaring] iPAD

2010-06-04 Thread Matthew Gage
Robert, This doesn't create a problem with the devices - you can do this with more than just an iPhone - most new devices that you may consider using for nav (phones, pdas, etc) will contain this as part of the base chip. The problem is with how we want to control or police it. I suggest that

Re: [Aus-soaring] Ops in vicinity CAAP 166-1(0) and CAAP-2(0), straw poll, correct cct entry for itinerant power a/c

2010-06-02 Thread Matthew Gage
Although the use of radio is not mandated everywhere, the way CAAP 166-2 is worded, it is foolish not to have one - not from a technical air law perspective, but from a criminal law perspective should you be unfortunate to be involved in an accident where a death occurs. Having the use of

Re: [Aus-soaring] Skynch and launch coord over VHF

2010-05-27 Thread Matthew Gage
I'm interested you mention the BGA. Several UK airfields don't have the winch in view of the launch point - the only option is radio. many use CB as the amount of launch traffic would drown out the 2 gliding frequencies - 4 times the number of gliders as we have and all in radio range on each

Re: [Aus-soaring] BGA accidents

2010-03-31 Thread Matthew Gage
On 31/03/2010, at 13:17 , gavin wrigley wrote: Worthwhile reading. Of interestthe BGA 'Basic' instructor rating requires a very serious effort to attain. If reccommended, the candidate has to pay a substantial fee and then attend (at least) three days of theory and practical

Re: [Aus-soaring] Vintage Sailplane Video

2009-06-13 Thread Matthew Gage
File converted to MP4 (using H.264 video and AAC audio encoding) - http://www.4shared.com/file/111682609/98321b38/Vintage_Gliding_Video.html There may still be problems as I can't get this to convert to AVI format from either the original or the MP4, but at least internally, it is a single

Re: [Aus-soaring] Making retrieves easier??

2009-03-08 Thread Matthew Gage
Until this takes you the other side of a river with no crossing for 50k just because the glider was closer to that road than the one you needed to be on ! Best is to use Google Maps before you go and use the satellite view to find access, etc - every site I have flown from the last 3

Re: [Aus-soaring] FLARM for winpilot

2009-02-13 Thread Matthew Gage
Pin 3 (next to the 2 +ve power pins) gives NMEA output which is what you need. I've not tested with v10 yet though, but have run Winpilot from the flarm for a couple of years. Matt On 13/02/2009, at 22:10 , james crowhurst wrote: Anyone, I have recently updated to winpilot v10 and have

Re: [Aus-soaring] Aus-soaring Digest, Vol 61, Issue 47

2008-10-22 Thread Matthew Gage
Not forgetting the only way to make flying completely safe is to ban it completely Training that doesn't demonstrate how to avoid and if all else fails to recover from situations that kill many would be lacking. The idea being that the instructor through greater experience will prevent

Re: [Aus-soaring] Targetting Groups for retention, and my own recriutment, retention story

2008-10-16 Thread Matthew Gage
I don't think there is anything wrong with either group - it just helps to know which someone is in so the training and experience is tailored for what they are after ! The best way of getting people for the long term is 1st making sure they know what is in store for them - having someone

Re: [Aus-soaring] AEF Charges - $20 to GFA

2008-10-15 Thread Matthew Gage
Not surprised - when compared to the cost of a joy flight in a cessna, or a balloon flight, most clubs AEF rates are way way too cheap - even if only for a 10 minute flight. For most people after a joy flight, 10 mins is actually enough and the shock of a winch launch really will mean that

Re: [Aus-soaring] AEF Charges - $20 to GFA

2008-10-15 Thread Matthew Gage
Terry, no idea on the break down, and frankly I don't care. I know that there is a proportion of insurance to cover me as an instructor against a personal claim from the passenger (or their estate if I do a good enough job of messing up). This is insurance that a) I doubt I could actually

Re: [Aus-soaring] Low level releases, ridge flying and instructing.

2008-09-13 Thread Matthew Gage
Nah, He either saw it done or heard it in the evening after it happened (all except the launch failure - it was done following a low speed beat up) - I know Jim was either on the field or would have been by evening - I did watch the stunt, waiting for for the inevitable carbon

Re: [Aus-soaring] Independent operator requirements

2008-09-09 Thread Matthew Gage
On 09/09/2008, at 20:18 , Tim Shirley wrote: Hi Jeff, Writing something on P55 of the instructors manual (or even P54) makes it neither less silly nor more safe. I'm still smiling :) This is not for me a question of what happens in basic training. The fundamental problem is the idea in

Re: [Aus-soaring] Gell Cell Battery alternatives?

2008-06-28 Thread Matthew Gage
You can also look at the 18Ah batteries - yes they are heavier than 2 x 7Ah, but this is 18Ah at 900ma, rather than 2 lots of 7Ah at 350ma - this means that even with the full load that Mike indicates (I am drawing about 950ma), I will very rarely if ever go below 50% - I was killing a 7Ah

Re: [Aus-soaring] Forward slips?

2008-06-13 Thread Matthew Gage
On 13/06/2008, at 17:55 , Mike Borgelt wrote: At 04:04 PM 13/06/2008, you wrote: Practising sideslips can be a good idea in case one's airbrakes are jammed for whatever reason. There are many anecdotes of people forgetting to remove the tape from airbrakes after leaving them taped up

Re: [Aus-soaring] Start procedures

2008-06-02 Thread Matthew Gage
Well the organisers of a particular comp could just comply with pilots wishes by setting the maximum start height at the base of airspace - which is exactly what the kiwis did for their nationals this year. At most sites, we aren't going to get there ever ! And Ross, Jim was referring to

Re: [Aus-soaring] CASA motto

2008-05-19 Thread Matthew Gage
No, olde English would be CAA, which as everyone should know stands for Campaign Against Aviation - that well known british government funded organisation dedicated to keeping aircraft on the ground. So CASA probably means Campaign Against (Safe / Sport / Serious / Sensible / Soaring)

Re: [Aus-soaring] RE pawnee engine option

2008-05-12 Thread Matthew Gage
I think the argument went something like: 1. Oil is getting more expensive 2. We can make ethanol from corn, etc cheaper than we can refine gasoline from oil 3. Value of ethanol is higher than raw value of corm for food 4. lets produce lots of Ethanol and make a bigger profit than refining

Re: [Aus-soaring] diesel pricing

2008-05-12 Thread Matthew Gage
Given that 30-40% of the difference is due to refining costs - it does cost more to refine ultra-low sulphur diesel, and the tax is the same, 60-70% of that price difference has got to be be profit. I expect as demand for diesel increases, the difference will reduce. We pay about 9% more

Re: [Aus-soaring] RE pawnee engine option

2008-05-11 Thread Matthew Gage
I frequently came across that logic in my last job. Would you be willing to spend $500k on software for an independently proven saving of $5m over 3 years - it is staggering how many companies aren't. In this case, although the engine price would clearly be less for the LS1, this is a tiny

Re: [Aus-soaring] -ASG29 handicaps

2008-03-18 Thread Matthew Gage
They tried something very similar in sailing in the late 80's early 90's - it was a very expensive failure for very similar reasons. They also tried multi-number handicaps for different conditions - again this failed as unless you get a uniform day, they are even worse than what we have now

Re: [Aus-soaring] Oxygen Systems

2008-01-22 Thread Matthew Gage
Been using the MH system for 18 months. I personally take off with canula on, and system set to activate from 5,000'. It uses next to nothing below 10,000', but it really makes a difference having that small puff - it drove home the effects of hypoxia for me, and showed that I am badly

Re: [Aus-soaring] Doppler radar

2008-01-09 Thread Matthew Gage
I think this rule covers it (taken from current nationals rules): 31.6 The use of other forms of communication during flight, including but not limited to mobile phones, CB or HF radios, or any VHF frequency not allocated by the Organisers, is prohibited. Policing is another mater !

Re: [Aus-soaring] Competition Rules and Legal Responsibilities

2007-12-21 Thread Matthew Gage
wrote: Ok - so where do you draw the line? A VCA is a VCA be it 1 metre or 10km; and who within the GFA has the delegations to grant exemptions to the Regs? SDF From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ] On Behalf Of Matthew Gage Sent: Saturday, 22 December 2007 2:11 PM

Re: [Aus-soaring] Climate change.

2007-12-03 Thread Matthew Gage
A slightly different perspective. I will let the scientists argue this out until one side or the other shows they are right. I'm not qualified to try and decide for myself. However, looking at the Titanic (bear with me !) The engineers claimed the ship was unsinkable, so believing this, the

Re: [Aus-soaring] Climate change.

2007-12-03 Thread Matthew Gage
On 04/12/2007, at 11:23 AM, Mark Newton wrote: I get the feeling that most personal changes that normal people undertake to mitigate climate change are completely useless (does it really matter in the end if you buy a car with 10% less emissions than a Commodore, or if you turn two

Re: [Aus-soaring] Deal or No Deal, TV Advertising

2007-11-28 Thread Matthew Gage
On 29/11/2007, at 6:01 AM, DMcD wrote: There's no comparison guys! Soaring with eagles in a sailplane is like watching it on TV compared with being out in the open. The only similarity I can come up with involves the act of sexual congress and rubber products and I am not going to sully

Re: [Aus-soaring] Soaring with eagles

2007-11-28 Thread Matthew Gage
On 29/11/2007, at 11:41 AM, Phil wrote: On another note. Here in SA if you see an eagle it almost certainly is in the best thermal around and nearly impossible to outclimb them. I've flown at Kingaroy in QLD the last 2 Octobers for the nationals and found that more than 1/2 the eagles I

Re: [Aus-soaring] Family Tow Car

2007-09-10 Thread Matthew Gage
Interesting attitude. This is like saying because I drive a 1960s US 8l V8 that gets about 25l/100k, I should pay less tax to make up for my expensive choice of car. Europe has moved to a tax system based on emissions - the less fuel burnt, the fewer emissions in general, hence diesels

Re: [Aus-soaring] Family Tow Car

2007-09-09 Thread Matthew Gage
Nah, it's to make pushing easier when it breaks down. On 10/09/2007, at 13:21 , Dave wrote: WRX Comes with an ironing board mounted on the boot too. Rumour has it that this type of spoiler is a substitute for having an I am a wonker sticker on the bumper bar

Re: [Aus-soaring] Fw: DG Flugzeugbau - Newsletter No. 107

2007-08-30 Thread Matthew Gage
Probably in the opposite way to turning right ! The draw bar is fixed relative to the fin, but not the dolly wheel, so there is no chance of it hitting the fin unless something breaks. On 31/08/2007, at 10:05 , Graeme Thompson wrote: Tom, #5 is interesting , BUT, how does the tow vehicle

Re: [Aus-soaring] E: More competition results

2007-07-15 Thread Matthew Gage
Given that so many have the same time (13:50) and this is the latest start time listed - did they have a gate close time, and anyone after that scores as starting at that time ? On 16/07/2007, at 13:37 , nandrews wrote: Good results for the Aussies! Did you see the start times for open?

Re: [Aus-soaring] 1.00 a/c reins

2007-07-12 Thread Matthew Gage
They are the Italian handicaps - i think that should be enough explanation. But, I could say the same of some of the handicaps in use here ! As to the Astir - Are you confusing the Speed Astir ? This is definitely not the same as the Astir CS or 77 - it is a flapped machine similar in

Re: [Aus-soaring] OLC

2007-07-03 Thread Matthew Gage
But you miss the point completely here Dave. This is NOT an imposition on the Narromine Members ! Narromine during cup week has about 2 members actually flying. The rest who are present are GIVING their time to ensure that all the visitors (60+ of them), who pay NOTHING to use the

Re: [Aus-soaring] Promoting Gliding

2007-06-20 Thread Matthew Gage
And what would be achieved from such a venture ? Many more people turning up for an AEF and not joining a club ? More joining, but the same problem existing of only a fraction staying beyond a year ? Ah, we would feel good that the sport finally got the attention we believe it deserves.

Re: [Aus-soaring] BGA Stats

2007-06-20 Thread Matthew Gage
And for those wondering, the Bronze is the same as the C here, and the cross country endorsement requires a 1 hour soaring flight, a 2 hour soaring flight, demonstrated ability to pick and at least approach into paddocks and demonstrated ability to plan a x/c flight and navigate without a

Re: [Aus-soaring] Parachute repacking

2007-05-24 Thread Matthew Gage
Agree to a point. But they would of course be happy if the out of date chute was left in the clubhouse. I would personally fly with a parachute that had not been packed for a year rather than fly without one at all. Your example is based on flying or not flying. Only when parachute

Re: [Aus-soaring] Parachute repacking

2007-05-23 Thread Matthew Gage
Normal comp requirements are for it to be repacked in accordance with manufactures instructions, or 6 months, which ever is earlier. Personally, i would prefer to wear a parachute beyond its repack date than not wear one at all. On 24/05/2007, at 14:15 , John Giddy wrote: Robinson, Peter

Re: [Aus-soaring] accident rate for gliders in Australia

2007-04-25 Thread Matthew Gage
Exactly why a rigid downwind check is not a good idea, but training to have the glider in the correct configuration for phase of flight is. In an ideal world, the 2 coincide. When they don't, expect trouble. I wonder how many wheel up incidents are preceded by no downwind leg ? On

Re: [Aus-soaring] accident rate for gliders in Australia

2007-04-23 Thread Matthew Gage
Interesting point. Getting in the habit of flying the glider in the correct configuration and at the correct speed for the current situation is more important than rattling through a check list, particularly when most people have nothing to do with 2 actions in many training gliders.

Re: [Aus-soaring] accident rate for gliders in Australia

2007-04-19 Thread Matthew Gage
Slight correction for you. The BGA DO investigate ALL accidents and incidents AND publish a report on all of them in their magazine. The ATSB call in those that look of interest to them, or are likely to be asked about by politicians - these have a more complete write up - mostly because

Re: glider feel - was Re: [Aus-soaring] Pipcher K-4?

2007-04-17 Thread Matthew Gage
My personal view is that the Cirrus has fantastic feel from the elevator - you are feeling the airflow over the elevator, not artificial forces imposed by a trim system - as is the case with the Skylark 4, which I rate as the most unpleasant glider I have flown for feel. Try flying 2 knots

Re: [Aus-soaring] Tost wheel brakes

2007-03-28 Thread Matthew Gage
Neither certification or design are the issue at all here ! Training is. A glider certified with a wheel brake needs it working to be serviceable. This is explicitly stated in operating regs in several other countries as well. As others are saying, the airbrake lever is probably the best

Re: [Aus-soaring] Zeiss Skypol

2007-03-14 Thread Matthew Gage
I think any option that uses a quality manufacturer for the complete lens package will be good. Having now had 12 months using Oakley¹s, I would definitely get them again. I use the M-Frame, with a VR28 lens. My initial thought was that I would also need a darker lens (the M-Frame has

Re: [Aus-soaring] Horse-drawn Zeppelin dealer in Australia?

2007-03-01 Thread Matthew Gage
I believe that strong sh*t would be gorilla ;) Usual vintage groups would settle for the less strong Dope ! On 1/3/07 5:26 PM, Ben Loxton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I think you lot have been smoking some strong sh*t at your Vintage rallies..i mean WTF?? :-) Ben On 01/03/2007, at

Re: [Aus-soaring] .Flarm antenna

2007-02-01 Thread Matthew Gage
Mike, TCAS is actually incapable of causing an accident. Pilots do that ! However, incorrect use of TCAS can cause an accident. TCAS requires BOTH pilots to do what TCAS directs for the desired outcome to be provided. If ONE does something different, then an accident can (AND HAS) occur. I'm

Re: [Aus-soaring] Hydration - unloading

2007-02-01 Thread Matthew Gage
Try using a bag first, and practice a lot before flying ! Get a bigger (and thicker) bag than you think ­ I use large ziplock freezer bags, but don¹t zip them ­ twist the top after filling, and throw downwards through the window. First try sitting in the bath ­ helps with the psychological

Re: [Aus-soaring] Horsham Week / VIC State Comps

2007-01-29 Thread Matthew Gage
Try Sailing Triathlon Motor Sport For starters, and only because these are the only other sports I have competed in at at least a regional level (as in State). On 30/1/07 1:46 PM, David Lawley [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Nick said: ³Any location for a competition can specify local rules

Re: [Aus-soaring] Sports rules in general - was Horsham Week / VIC State Comps

2007-01-29 Thread Matthew Gage
Dave, It depends on the sport. The rules I faced in Triathlon varied specifically in respect to ³drafting² when cycling (and swimming). Although at the time the International and National rules permitted it, most regional comps (in the UK) banned it. This actually make a huge difference to the

Re: [Aus-soaring] Video of power aircraft having a mid airwith a glider tow rope

2007-01-21 Thread Matthew Gage
Stop whinging, and look at satellite broadband instead- e.g. http://www.clearnetworks.com.au/satellite.html There are others available as well. On 22/1/07 1:49 PM, Christopher Mc Donnell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Gee! I hate it when these sort of links are given. Here at home I can only get

RE: [Aus-soaring] Kookaburra GRZ Test Flight!

2006-11-15 Thread Matthew Gage
And use the time to really learn how to navigate without the GPS. Helps when: GPS signal is bad You select the wrong way point (makes retrieves interesting when you are given a distance from the field and on track from XXX when really they were on track from YYY !) -Original

RE: [Aus-soaring] Zeiss lenses for sunglasses

2006-08-16 Thread Matthew Gage
Not sure on Zeiss, but I was able to get real Oakley prescription lenses from the HCF sunglass shopon George Street. It took a lot of searching to find anyone who would get the lenses I wanted as opposed to substituting theirs with a poor quality tint. I actually had to phone Oakley to see

RE: [Aus-soaring] Fw: CASA and medical fee

2006-07-17 Thread Matthew Gage
Just make sure that the GP has known them for at least 3 years, otherwise use the DAME. The whole argument in favour of using a GP is that they have the best possible knowledge of the persons overall health. This can only be built up over time. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL

RE: [Aus-soaring] WC team

2006-06-05 Thread Matthew Gage
I don't think any comp is different (in any sport) ! Unless you go there to have fun, you stand no chance of winning. It doesn't matter what sport, or what level it is. My experience of comps in 4 different sports (including several world championships), at youth, junior and senior levels is

RE: [Aus-soaring] FW: Safety issue in the car when it's raining-please read this! [Switch Cruise Control OFF]

2006-05-05 Thread Matthew Gage
This does depend on the car being driven. I have had cars that pick up speed in the following ways: 1. Gearbox 2. Diff 3. Front (non-driven wheel) 4. Front (driven wheel) In the case of no. 3, it IS feasible that if cruise control was fitted and active, an aquaplaning front wheel would cause

RE: [Aus-soaring] GPS Navigator with PDA

2006-04-12 Thread Matthew Gage
The advantage of the Sensis map is that full road details are provided (for where it covers), so sensible directions can be given. I can remember these things telling me to turn onto a major road where there was no junction, and being told to go the wrong way down a 1 way road - something that is

RE: [Aus-soaring] Queensland Easter Competition and FLARM

2006-03-29 Thread Matthew Gage
I can't comment on the display when thermalling. In practice, I totally ignore Flarm in a gaggle - I'm too busy looking out the window, and I tend to turn the volume down so as to not be distracted by the rare alarm - However, the algorithm is so good that it doesn't trigger an alarm unless

RE: [Aus-soaring] Queensland Easter Competition and FLARM

2006-03-27 Thread Matthew Gage
Lets look at this differently, Will a Radio save your life - NO Will a parachute save your life - Possibly, but don't you want to avoid needing to use it ? Will perfect lookout prevent a mid-air - NO We have 2 items that cost far more that for a life saving perspective are either useless, or

RE: [Aus-soaring] Queensland Easter Competition and FLARM

2006-03-27 Thread Matthew Gage
Comments in-line. Sadly, it looks like those (myself included) pro Flarm being mandatory for Competitions have articulated their arguments weakly - The 2 comps I did this year were very close to voting to make it mandatory anyway. Those who are arguing against have not flown with this. I

RE: [Aus-soaring] Queensland Easter Competition and FLARM

2006-03-26 Thread Matthew Gage
Simon, Just to counter, For a comp, I already MUST carry (wear) a Parachute, A Logger (GPS trace is only acceptable as a backup) anda Radio. I also need to pay to enter, pay for tows and for accommodation. For this years Club Class Nationals, I spent well over $2,000 on the comp. Could

RE: [Aus-soaring] RE: Near misses

2006-02-21 Thread Matthew Gage
The definition of a near miss is also a problem. I am quite happy to share a thermal with several (many ?) others, providing I can see them. We are very close (within 50-100 metres). Others are not happy to be within 2-3k of another aircraft in ANY airspace - as Graeme can attest to following a

RE: [Aus-soaring] Soaring training

2006-02-17 Thread Matthew Gage
I don't think he did - but I think you might be ! If we condition ab-initios to think that going solo is the main priority, when they get there, there is a good chance many will say "well I've done that, now for the next challenge" - the "fun" hasn't really begun yet, so we don't have them

RE: [Aus-soaring] FLARM mandatory update news.

2006-02-17 Thread Matthew Gage
1st, Nigel made it very clear to those at both Keepit and Benalla that this existed. This means that time-bomb is not quite the right word for it. Mandatory Update is. 2nd and far more importantly, in the interests of safety, it is better for a unit to not work at all than give an indication that

RE: [Aus-soaring] Soaring training

2006-02-13 Thread Matthew Gage
I think the reasons are many. First, a quick note on what my initial goals were. I had spent many years competing sailing at an international level. I stopped because I had stopped enjoying it and couldn't see any way I could do better than I had already within my financial situation. I went

RE: [Aus-soaring] daylight display screens

2006-01-31 Thread Matthew Gage
Alternatively, run an inverter from a large (80-100Ah) car battery, and have this on permeant solar panel charge. This can then feed the standard power supply. You could also use a 24v supply and used a cheap regulator to bypass the standard laptop supply - most need 16-18 volts. As long as you

RE: [Aus-soaring] Aerokurier

2006-01-03 Thread Matthew Gage
Re medicals. This is not a reduction in standards at all. It is acceptance of the UK CAA system for the NPPL which implemented a revised BGA system for gliding (which the BGA now use as well), which in turn was based on statistical evidence of accidents that were attributed to medical causes.

RE: [Aus-soaring] numbers

2005-12-15 Thread Matthew Gage
I think you're missing the point. Only by working on making sure you attract and retain members at your club can things improve overall. We have too many clubs that are simply not viable today. I can't put a minimum membership number on it though. These small clubs need to look at their options

RE: [Aus-soaring] Air-sickness

2005-11-29 Thread Matthew Gage
Having suffered from bad motion sickness for years, both racing sailing boats offshore and flying, I have tried many remedies: Ginger - helps a bit. Pressure pads - useless Scopoderm patches - fantastic on the boat, but expensive and you waste them flying - they last 3 days, but don't wear them

RE: [Aus-soaring] A boring day - a good story.

2005-11-03 Thread Matthew Gage
Good to hear. My ex-syndicate partner in the UK was a paraplegic, who after an evening out organised by some group, decided to learn. He designed and helped install hand controls to a blanic (I think), and having gone solo bought into an open cirrus and modified that, finishing up with the

RE: [Aus-soaring] EW Logger and USB-Serial Adapters

2005-10-24 Thread Matthew Gage
Yes, but I borrowed it, and can't remember who from or the make/model. I have 3, 2 don't work at all, although are fine with a Garmin, the 3rd works to change the date and declaration, but won't download a trace. EW will sell you one that they say they have tested. It might be worth calling them

RE: [Aus-soaring] UK Accident Report

2005-09-14 Thread Matthew Gage
It's best to read the actual report. http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/august_2005/ask13_glider__fwn.cfm From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian WadeSent: Thursday, 15 September 2005 07:22To: CGC List; DDSC members CHAT; [EMAIL

RE: [Aus-soaring] Off topic - speedo accuracy

2005-05-16 Thread Matthew Gage
I suggest also recording the age (and tread depth) of the tyres. The difference between a new and worn out tyre for a typical car can be as much as 3% in diameter, and hence distance per revolution, and hence in speedo reading. Older tyres give more optimistic readings. For a 4WD, the difference

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