Haiti

This would be the car that was so solid the police Allegros had long
fluorescent areas on the sills saying "don't jack" because if you did the
windscreen popped out?!

 

BURN THE HERETIC

 

Didn't the very first Allegros get recalled for more substantial rear
subframe mounts to be fitted. Something about losing the whole rear
subframe if lightly jumped over a bridge or level crossing.

 

Lozzo wrote:

Overtightening of the rear hub nuts could cause wheel loss.

 

ISTR seeing an original promo film for the Allegro, in which the cars
were airborne. The TV commentary (not the film commentary) said that all
the cars broke up on landing.

 

An acquaintance of mine was heavily into diving until the nitrogen got him.
Fucked him to the point where he's in a wheelchair and has been for years. A
nice bloke too and a fucking amazing builder of scale helicopters, most of
them these days being turbine powered monsters.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Good enough then. I wasn't sure because I know you can get a commercial
licence without an IMC rating. A bit like these helicopter pilots who manage
to find the ground before they really wanted to.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

To clarify some terminology :-
An IMC rating is a short "get you home" training course for PPL holders
which teaches a PPL how to safely land using instuments after
UNINTENTIONALY entering instument weather. It does not authorise flying
under IFR (instrument flight rules) other than recovering from
unintentioal entry into IMC (instrument meteorological conditions).
An IMC rating applies only to PPL holders.

A CPL (commercial pilots licence) qualifies the holder to fly an
aircaft which requires a crew of 2 or more subject to an appropriate
type rating. The training requires more technical content as well as
multicrew training. In practice a CPL is of little use without
an instrument rating in europe due to our weather.

An Instument Rating qualifies a pilot to fly under IFR and to
intentionally enter IMC conditions. The training is not easy and the
currency rules require regular retesting. Most CPL holders qualify
for an instument rating while building their hours as a PPL in
order to qualify as a CPL.

 

Oh yeah. Another problem we were having on that dive is there was
quite a strong current and it was swinging the deco line and tanks
towards the surface and we actively had to swim the tanks downwards to
keep them at 10m. Bends doesn't sound like fun to me. Mind you,
neither do big bitey sharks

 

Yeah same here in Oz. Our flight data refers to last light which you
are not allowed to go past on your flight plan. I have pushed it a
couple of times though. One coming into a Primary Control Zone at a
fairly major airport under tower control. I'd been pushing to get
there by last light and technically missed it. But the guy in the
tower was good and said something like "Just got in in time didn't
you?" and called the local aero club dude so I could hangar the
aircraft. That was easy though. The airport was lit up like a xmas
tree. Major jet runway 10 times as wide as the Cherokee I was in.

Another time was landing on Flinders Island in Bass Strait ( wild bit
of water/weather south of the main continent) after leaving Melbourne
and had gone a fair bit over last light. Was hoping to get back to
Tasmania, but had delays and didn't want the hassle of staying in
Melbourne. Was talking to Melbourne control and actually told them I
had landed even though I was still in the air and 15 minutes away from
landing. Naughty me. The airstrip had lights and I was able to turn
them on with a radio blip on a certain frequency as it was an unmanned
strip.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Kevin Gleeson

The USA has that system. A quick PTT on the Unicom frequency turns the
lights on, then you can do it again to raise the intensity.

Great idea.

 

So that system doesn't run in the UK? Or only at certain strips?

It's not at all our strips, just the medium sized ones that can't
justify I manned tower all the time.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Kevin Gleeson

No. The UK is mostly PPR (Prior Permission Required) and most small
strips are not available after daylight.

The places that are tend to have high landing fees, or won't accept GA
at all.

Product of being a small island, I'm afraid.

 

And Tasmania isn't?

Mind you it only looks small compared to the mainland. It is actually
the size of Ireland. But we just have 500,000 people on it which I
guess makes the difference . . .

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Kevin Gleeson

Ah. Only 500,000 NIMBYs. Bliss... :^)

 

Another difference is that we have a UK-only compromise known as an
IMC rating which allows a PPL limited instrument priviledges to get
onto the ground when our wonderful weather does its thing.
Basically the IMC rating allows you to call IFR when the weather
catches you out and land at the nearest ILS equipped field.

It can be a life saver but it does tend to piss off the ATC guys
when they get the pleasure of handling a slow light aircraft in
their busy and mainly jet pattern.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

You might want to check latest developments before pontificating further
about the (soon to be ex-) IMC.

Hint: a Google for "JAA" and "IMC" might clue you in.

Your PPL isn't current, is it?

 

I am fully aware of the ongoing JAA negotiations and the last ditch
efforts to save the IMC rating. I believe it should be saved but we
are talking about Euro politics here and it does not look good.

Not a PPL, my CPL and Instument rating are indeed not current and
there is little prospect of renewal without a change to both the
medical rules and my financial situation. There is some prospect
of the JAA rule changes allowing me to get a full medical or I could
drop down to NPPL and microlights with a little effort and a few
more available pennies.

In the meanwhile I am content to fettle my SOBs as is the tradition
for old gimmers on a pension.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

Ah, not an ATPL then? Still frozen, are you?

 

Yeah - we get IFR training for PPL, but simply as an emergency thing
if you get caught out.

I trained at a Primary airport. Amongst jet pattern. Not a busy one
like Heathrow or anything like that, but the main jet port for freight
into Tasmania, and jets departing every 20 mins or so all day and
night. Jet wash is fun in a Cherokee Archer II Even more fun in an
Aeronca Citabria. The things are so light that landing on a jet runway
even 5 minutes after a passenger jet gave some rather interesting
landings.