real life use of general aviation for this newsgroup

A long time ago (about 1980?) someone told me a special rating was
needed to fly over the outback, that my USA Private SEL Instruments
wasn't good enough. Did he have it backwards? It sounds like the rating
needed for flying in uncontrolled airspace there is easier to get than
one that might be used for controlled.

I would guess a bit less than hour a week could keep you pretty sharp
for VFR flights, but if it was 3 hours once a month it might be a
different story. One of my flying friends is pretty good at telling if
I've not been at the controls for three or four weeks, and if he flies
with me after I've just returned from a 10 or 15 hour flying time trip
he claims I'm almost as good as a real pilot like him. All's fair,
because we fly safety and check pilot for each other, and the game is
to put the pilot being tested head down under the hood, try to
disorient him, then say "the airplane is yours."


On Jan 26, 3:30 pm, "d&tm" wrote:
"Tony" wrote in ooglegroups.com...





I've checked my log book, and it looks like almost all of my flights
are XC of one sort or another. That is, the airplane is pretty much
used the way I use my car. It's a convenient way to make a trip that's
a few hundred to a thousand miles long. Not all of the trips are
necessary (just as not all of the car trips I make are necessary,
either). Very few flight legs terminate at the same airport as where
the flight started.

If you're a fairly experienced pilot -- say 300 plus hours -- what is
your usage profile like?

My sense, and it could be very wrong, is that we use GA as a tool:
there's no doubt we like flying, and probably like me you're happy to
be flying, but you have other things to do when you land. For instance,
a typical non-business flight for me to Nantucket Island (off Cape
Cod, MA, USA) and that brings back memories of cobblestone streets and
flowers in gardens behind fences, rather than the CAVU conditions of
the flight. It might bring back different memories if required an
approach to minimums in fog, but that would be the exception.

I expect glider pilots will have a different take -- as best I can
tell, that tribe makes no excuses, they fly for the sole pleasure of
flying.Perhaps we are the poor cousins but down under a lot of us PPLs are what we
call weekend warriors, who might go out every other week for a 1 hour
joyflight from the same airport. with hopefully a couple of x country trips
every year. Many of you US posters would probably doubt we can keep up the
necessary skills with maybe 40 hours per year but you need to bear in mind
much lower traffic density, generally good weather and a fairly open
terain. I have an outside controlled airspace license which lets me fly
anywhere in the country apart from the controlled airpace around the major
centers ( which still have smaller outside controlled airspace fields so it
is not much of a restriction at all). I dont have to worry too much about
ATC procedures... just being sure to stay out of the controlled airpsace. I
just love the freedom of flying .. the journey is unimportant.
terry.- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -

"Tony" wrote in message
ups.com...
A long time ago (about 1980?) someone told me a special rating was
needed to fly over the outback, that my USA Private SEL Instruments
wasn't good enough. Did he have it backwards? It sounds like the rating
needed for flying in uncontrolled airspace there is easier to get than
one that might be used for controlled.

Tony, no special rating is required to fly in the outback, although
certainly there are some special procedures to follow like mandatory ELB
requirements in designated remote areas. The outside controlled airspace
license is basically identical to the normal PPL with the exception that you
are not tested on controlled airspace procedures and thus you do not have
the priviledge of entering them. A key part of the training and testing is
obviously the ability to know where these areas are. Crossing into
controlled airspace is an automatic failure on the test. If you have a need
to use controlled airspace you can simply do this training seperately , get
tested on it and have your PPL endorsed.
I have not flown into the real Aussie outback myself but I plan to in the
next couple of years. Probably the best way to do this is on organised
tours. There is at least one outfit here where you can tag along in your
own plane with a group of very experienced outback pilots , with
accomodation, meals tours etc organised. They typically last 10 to 12 days
with 3 to 4 hours of flying each day. I have read some great trip reports
from these tours.

terry

"d&tm" wrote

I have not flown into the real Aussie outback myself but I plan to in the
next couple of years. Probably the best way to do this is on organised
tours. There is at least one outfit here where you can tag along in your
own plane with a group of very experienced outback pilots , with
accomodation, meals tours etc organised. They typically last 10 to 12
days
with 3 to 4 hours of flying each day. I have read some great trip reports
from these tours.

As I recall, one of our own flying couples (don't remember who, now) went on
one of those things. They loved it, I remember.

The problem is, that soon thereafter, some new regulations were put into
place, that would make such an outing nearly impossible.

Something like needing to stay a certain amount of time before using the
privilege of transferred certificate? Someone will jump in with the
details. I don't remember enough to search on it.
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
news

"d&tm" wrote

I have not flown into the real Aussie outback myself but I plan to in
the
next couple of years. Probably the best way to do this is on organised
tours. There is at least one outfit here where you can tag along in
your
own plane with a group of very experienced outback pilots , with
accomodation, meals tours etc organised. They typically last 10 to 12
days
with 3 to 4 hours of flying each day. I have read some great trip
reports
from these tours.

As I recall, one of our own flying couples (don't remember who, now) went
on
one of those things. They loved it, I remember.

The problem is, that soon thereafter, some new regulations were put into
place, that would make such an outing nearly impossible.

Something like needing to stay a certain amount of time before using the
privilege of transferred certificate? Someone will jump in with the
details. I don't remember enough to search on it.
--
Jim
Just checked the requirements on the CASA site ( Civil aviation safety
authority). There are 2 different processes. if you want to fly more than 3
months you require a special pilot license. Less than 3 months there is a
less cumbersome process called a Certificate of Validation. For all the
details just go to the CASA site and search for foreign license.
http://casa.gov.au/fcl/overbr.htm#validation
Knowing CASA you would probably want to start getting things in train 6
months before coming over.
terry

In article ,
"Morgans" wrote:
As I recall, one of our own flying couples (don't remember who, now) went on
one of those things. They loved it, I remember.

Ron & Margie Natalie, two years ago

"Tony" wrote:

If you're a fairly experienced pilot -- say 300 plus hours -- what is
your usage profile like?


~120 hrs/yr

80% IFR cross country for business, personal travel and Angel Flight.

10% training & practice.

10% goofing around.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

On 1/26/2007 6:25:37 PM, "Dan Luke" wrote:

~120 hrs/yr

80% IFR cross country for business, personal travel and Angel Flight.

10% training & practice.

10% goofing around.

And how many NASA forms? I have two in about 1,100 hours.

--
Peter

"Peter R." wrote:


And how many NASA forms? I have two in about 1,100 hours.


None...yet.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

On 1/27/2007 7:24:31 AM, "Dan Luke" wrote:

"Peter R." wrote:


And how many NASA forms? I have two in about 1,100 hours.


None...yet.

Well, to be fair I should point out that one of them was my attempt to report
two airports separated by about 40nm having their AWOS's on the same
frequency, which made it difficult when flying IFR to the farther airport as
the first overpowered the second until 20nm out from the second.

--
Peter

"Tony" wrote in message
oups.com...

I expect glider pilots will have a different take -- as best I can
tell, that tribe makes no excuses, they fly for the sole pleasure of
flying.

That is exactly right. As transportation, a glider is just slightly more
practical than a hot air balloon.

I come from the glider world, but now mostly fly airplanes...just for the
sole pleasure of flying. Expense wise, taking a rental airplane on a long
x-country is a non-starter, so most of my x-country time consists of breakfast
runs.

Vaughn