You don't need brakes to fly an aeroplane. Brakes are on the list of Non-Flight Essentials. I always wonder what will happen if one applies the brakes when airborne. I guess it will just as in the F-16introduce yaw L or R depending on which pedal the force is applied.
Using ducttape is one thing, look for all the missing safety wires and loose nuts and bolts. Notice the ''kroonsteentjes'' in the wiring harness
May 6, 2009 at 4:29 AM
[Image]Yesterday, I had a flight scheduled on my regular C-ISLA sportstar aeroplane. It turned out that it had a brake-defect and it was grounded. My instructor, Sebastien, was so kind to take me to a grass strip at King George. He gave me a flying lesson in a Rans S-6S COYOTE II home-built ultra light aeroplane. I raced his Dodge Hemi on my Suzuki from Boundary Bay airport to the grass strip. I finally had a use for the 6th gear on my bike.
The Rans S-6S is quite a difference from the sportstar. Sebastien calls the latter a Cadillac. It has leather seats, glass cockpit, gps, and all the comfort in the world. Now the Rans.... is different. I had a good laugh about the duct tape on it. I kid you not: there is duct tape on the end of the wing. Heh heh ...
Landing this plane on a little grass strip is a lot more difficult than landing a sportstar on a long and wide stretch of tarmac. But it was fun none the less. I did not perform very well, but it was nice to buzz the bald eagles. It's very easy to hit a bald eagle when flying in the Vancouver area. There were lots of them around, hanging around right above the airstrip.
"Flying a home-built aeroplane"
3 Comments -
Last month the FAA grounded a Canadian kit plane, the AMD Zodiac, after accidents in The Netherlands and the UK.
I don't know if they forgot to apply the mandatory duct tape or not...
May 5, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Wow... wings break off while in-flight. Sounds scary. I was not familiar with that plane type. It's a pretty looking plane nonetheless.
May 5, 2009 at 1:13 PM
You don't need brakes to fly an aeroplane. Brakes are on the list of Non-Flight Essentials. I always wonder what will happen if one applies the brakes when airborne.
I guess it will just as in the F-16introduce yaw L or R depending on which pedal the force is applied.
Using ducttape is one thing, look for all the missing safety wires and loose nuts and bolts.
Notice the ''kroonsteentjes'' in the wiring harness
May 6, 2009 at 4:29 AM