Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
  • 1
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 97
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1713218
@stevelup said,


Have you seen a typical light aircraft close up?


How about :-flown in Auster pleasure-flight in late 1950's Aeronca Chief
Yep, I'm a competent Armstrong -starter :wink: Rans s6 Cessna s;- 152 ,172
Quik Flexwing.

The suggestion that all the reams of paperwork and resultant expense are applied to shoddy design and execution does not bear scrutiny. Formula 1 cars are also built ultra-light,but they have strength and engineering-integrity. One could also argue they have superior crash-resistance to the average light aircraft.

Personal impressions.
Aeronca...tough, stood the test of time. Spamcans took full advantage of materials and technical advances from war. Again, tough as old boots,weight and strength where it mattered.
Rans...built down to a weight and it showed. like a F1 -car, not built for longevity (small wear-margins)
Quik. Surprisingly strongly built,capable of over 100 mph. (manufacturer P&M gone bust,partly due to regulatory cost-burden making them too dear.I suspect) :P
User avatar
By stevelup
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1713285
The state of maintenance of the aircraft is pure conjecture. It -was- in that state when it went to the first maintenance company who refused to deal with it.

For all we know, all those issues have been rectified by the subsequent maintenance org. After all, someone presumably issued it with an annual.
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1713316
"previously so riddled with defects" -Person who broke his leg a year ago , was previously a cripple...Journalistic hyperbole.

"last summer he said it had lots of problems"
Last summer was a poor potato harvest,- doesn't mean this one won't be better.- more hype.

"Would cost up to 20 K to fix" - We didn't want to get involved in that big a job, so priced ourselves out of the market

"Nearly took the plane on but didn't because there were so many problems"
- We would have been overwhelmed with such a major job.

"recalled his reaction "Christ, this is awful" "
- I don't know where to start, but it'll be a good earner for someone well- versed on type.. :twisted:
User avatar
By tomshep
#1713635
I didn't think so either. This looks like a sensationalist non story used to fill column inches without a shred of critical appraisal of the facts, truth or likelihood of accuracy.
Just the sort of thing the Daily Mail does so well.

Surprised not to see a headline stating; "Poison gas plummet endangers rare fish."

In any topic regarding flying, I have found over the years that the vast majority of people start telling me how it is and how it works, almost always from a position of complete ignorance. They don't want to know better. They want the qualified person in front of them to recognise their non existent expertise in the subject.

It is a complex subject, frequently counter intuitive to ignorami but that is how the paper likes them.
By PaulB
#1713642
tomshep wrote:In any topic regarding flying, I have found over the years that the vast majority of people start telling me how it is and how it works, almost always from a position of complete ignorance.


... and it's not just flying where the popular (and sometimes the "quality") press get it wrong.
kanga liked this
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1713661
PaulB wrote:
tomshep wrote:In any topic regarding flying, I have found over the years that the vast majority of people start telling me how it is and how it works, almost always from a position of complete ignorance.


... and it's not just flying where the popular (and sometimes the "quality") press get it wrong.


I don't bother to read most of it any more. Since they get wrong anything I know about, I assume they get wrong things I don't know about as well. I therefore seek information elsewhere with a few exceptions where I'll give the benefit of the doubt or just check a bit..
seanxair, ChrisT, Stu B and 1 others liked this
User avatar
By Gertie
#1713671
johnm wrote:Since they get wrong anything I know about, I assume they get wrong things I don't know about as well.

Depends on the individual journo. If you know that a particular journo always quotes you accurately, you can reasonably assume that s/he quotes other people accurately as well. (It helps if you're in a business, such as politics, where you get to meet them regularly.)
kanga, 2Donkeys, PaulB liked this
  • 1
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 97