DavidG4

My son is about to buy a dudek reaction 31 and parajet from a well known auction site. Or hes seriously thinking about it. He's a beginner at ppg but a jolly good pg pilot. I said I would talk to Simon first but I'm not him... What are peoples thoughts? David Ps not been on much.got made redundant and still havent found work.

After a lifetime of commercial and private aviation I have worked out why we are always learning. Basically, a pilot needs to know three things - how to take off, how to cruise and how to land. Simple. The trouble is pilots are a bit dim really (the only other animal I know who spends all day just looking out the window is a cat, not known for being bright sparks) so they can only ever retain TWO of the three things they need to know. Some days I can fly well and land well but my take offs are "whoa!!! what's happening??". Other days it's a creamy smooth take off and a good flight ending with a smackdown and some days its the bit in the middle that confuses me. Consequently, on every flight I learn one new thing (bringing the total back to three) but by the time I go flying next time I have forgotten one of the other two things because the new thing has pushed it out. So every day is a learning day!!!! Just kidding of course...

Are they washing up gloves on your hands??? Once a boy scout always a boy scout...always ready for the unexpected

Neither yet. Just stay as you are I think - even us amateurs haven't got a clue but its a good bee in the bonnet for some. Whatever happens, amateurs or PPG pilots, we actually have zero clout when it comes to these things so be like the Buddah, go calmly to a pizza shop and ask to be made one with everything...

Just a heads up guys and gals...2m / 144 MHz is being proposed as a new aeronautical band in a 'land-grab' proposal from the French. At the last sitting the proposal was 'unopposed' in any significant manner by anyone. Obviously we as amateurs are up in arms - but if you're considering using it you ought to be aware. 144 and 1240 MHz on WRC-19 Special Focus pageThe RSGB WRC-19 Special Focus page has been updated with information concerning the background for WRC-19 and the latest on concerns regarding WRC-23 proposals for 144 and 1240 MHz bands RSGB WRC-19 Special Focus page https://rsgb.org/main/news/special-focus/wrc-19/

Anymore news on this? But speculation perhaps, but circumstances?

Well thats fair enough. I know from experience what you mean

Why is the school pushing what you regard as a wing that's too sluggish for you? Not being funny but are you correctly reading your own competence vs confidence? Or do they just have a job lot of stings to sell?

I might be corrected but 10G20 sounds pretty rough to me

...or any engine for that matter. I sold my old main air Blade a few years back and the first flight was EFATO!! Oops. second flight, third flight, fourth flight...all EFATO. Something badly wrong yet when I flew it it was always sweet as a nut. Ya can never tell.

How often to anglers catch fish? Golfers get a good score? Any UK flying is fraught with weather issues...its a waiting game for long months some times. But...when you finally get the flying day it's all worth it. IF you spend the 8k on flying, you will sometimes fly. If you dont you will always be a groundling. The choice is yours of course. Frankly the BIGGEST cause of not flying in my experience is driving time to the field, whether full on powered flight, model flight, gliding, pg or ppg. If the car journey is a ballsache you will find yourself making excuses why yiu can't go. If you spend the cash and get into flying (anything), find a location within an hours drive...(I know some drive longer, but plot the graph) and then to hell with the weather.

Yes, of course. Like the feathers on a shuttlecock! The nose has it then...Anyone remember the copper in 'The Bill' who had a massive conk? Reg Hollis the character, Jeff Stewart the actor. Great big rudder!!

Threw mine at BFR too...scared the hell out of me. As for actually "flying" it...as my old PG instructor used to tell me "its for saving your life, not your legs". Don't do it.

Does efficacy depend on the size of one's nose and ears??

There are two techniques for crosswind landings...wingdown and crabbing. Crabbing is by far the easier. Crab to the flair then kick off the crab just before touchdown. The aeroplane will fly exactly as you're used to all the way down. The other way is wing down...you fly a straight approach but One wing down (the into wind wing) so that the plane is always slipping sideways but into wind so that the track over the ground is straight. In this technique you do not cross aileron and rudder. This approach requires you to level the wings at some point but will allow you to touch One wheel first. This approach means the aeroplane is never really level all the way down so its never quite 'normal' and thus may be more difficult. I'd use the crab. Your sideslipping technique, using crossed rudder and ailerons, is wrong because thats not what a sideslip is for. Sideslipping is a way of increasing sink rate in an aeroplane with no flaps, it is not a method for dealing with a crosswind. It has the disadvantage in a crosswind of having crossed controls AND increased sink rate which, at the flair when you kick it off, dramatically reduces...so you float, and if you float in a strong crosswind you will float sideways. Definitely try to use a crab or wingdown technique for cross wind landings and keep the sideslipping for shortfield and for fun...which is certainly is. Edit...just a thought. Not all flapped aircraft are actually cleared for sideslipping. It puts quite a force on the fin and can blanket the controls. Caveat emptor