FLYER Club Member
Sun May 15, 2016 5:38 am
#1455357
Several rectifications have been done to the RV9A and so it was necessary to test the aeroplane again and then do a proving flight.
The wiring harness supplied by AS had many many errors in it and so the avionics failed to work properly... "If you want a job done properly..."
The whole wiring harness has been replaced and now everything works as it should.
Garmin replaced the original G430W in which the GPS software was absent = didn't work. Joy of joy, this time they supplied the database that includes Thailand... The North America one was rather useless to us before.
First flight this trip (6th May) was over San Kamphaeng Hot Springs to check the aeroplane out; Stall 51KIAS clean/47KIAS flaps down.
9th May, airborne again I asked Chiang Mai Approach for a practice ILS approach, if they could fit me in (VTCC is a busy place these days), "Turn right 150, climb to 3,500 feet, vectors to the ILS" came the reply.
The G430W approach coupled to the Advanced PFD screen worked perfectly and we were spot on.
"After go around turn right 090 and contact approach 129.6"... The approach controller offered me a second ILS, but I'd done one so I asked to go to Doi Saket, then over Mae Kuang Dam where the water level is perilously low, with Lanna being in a severe drought.
Route:
10th May Ban Thi - Nok to Udon Thani VTUD
11th May Udon Thani - Khon Kaen -Nakhon Phanom
There's a school at Nakhon Phanom VTUW with DA40 tdi and DA42 aircraft. They also have an Extra 300, but it was grounded while the propeller is out for overhaul.
12th May Nakhon Phanom to Ubon Ratchathani VTUU.
We flew along the Mekong, circled Wat Phra That Phanom (I'm a fan of Tai Oratai who shot a video here), gave Savannaket VLSK (Laos) a courtesy call in passing, then flew down to Sirindhorn Lake before turning back to Ubon.
13th May Ubon Ratchathani - Nakhon Ratchasima.
Bangkok Air Centre operate a satellite base here.
Both schools I visited were friendly and very helpful.
That night there was a lot of rain, sometimes heavy, and so the following morning was clear. I checked the Metars and TAFs on the ADDS website; all was confirmed good for the long flight back to Nok.
14th May Nakhon Ratchasima - Home
We routed in the clear air passing Chaiyaphum to overfly Petchabun where an Antonov turboprop has been abandoned. Entering Northern Thailand there was smoke in the air again to restrict visibility as the pyromaniac Thai farmers create bad karma for their future lives by hurting their fellow beings.
This was the longest leg, 2 hours 23 minutes in the air.
The RV9A performed well, but typical of this type the CHTs rose worryingly high on climbout, and the brakes are all but useless!
We'll rough up the brake pads a bit.
All the problems are the same as in the RV9A I tested in Canada.
I have updated the website with this:
http://www.mpaviation.com/2016.htm
But I'm not so happy with it, it's a lot of work, and I had to remove content from the site to load it.
The server is limited and doesn't have enough space for my site.
I either move it, or do some dramatic deletions.
The wiring harness supplied by AS had many many errors in it and so the avionics failed to work properly... "If you want a job done properly..."
The whole wiring harness has been replaced and now everything works as it should.
Garmin replaced the original G430W in which the GPS software was absent = didn't work. Joy of joy, this time they supplied the database that includes Thailand... The North America one was rather useless to us before.
First flight this trip (6th May) was over San Kamphaeng Hot Springs to check the aeroplane out; Stall 51KIAS clean/47KIAS flaps down.
9th May, airborne again I asked Chiang Mai Approach for a practice ILS approach, if they could fit me in (VTCC is a busy place these days), "Turn right 150, climb to 3,500 feet, vectors to the ILS" came the reply.
The G430W approach coupled to the Advanced PFD screen worked perfectly and we were spot on.
"After go around turn right 090 and contact approach 129.6"... The approach controller offered me a second ILS, but I'd done one so I asked to go to Doi Saket, then over Mae Kuang Dam where the water level is perilously low, with Lanna being in a severe drought.
Route:
10th May Ban Thi - Nok to Udon Thani VTUD
11th May Udon Thani - Khon Kaen -Nakhon Phanom
There's a school at Nakhon Phanom VTUW with DA40 tdi and DA42 aircraft. They also have an Extra 300, but it was grounded while the propeller is out for overhaul.
12th May Nakhon Phanom to Ubon Ratchathani VTUU.
We flew along the Mekong, circled Wat Phra That Phanom (I'm a fan of Tai Oratai who shot a video here), gave Savannaket VLSK (Laos) a courtesy call in passing, then flew down to Sirindhorn Lake before turning back to Ubon.
13th May Ubon Ratchathani - Nakhon Ratchasima.
Bangkok Air Centre operate a satellite base here.
Both schools I visited were friendly and very helpful.
That night there was a lot of rain, sometimes heavy, and so the following morning was clear. I checked the Metars and TAFs on the ADDS website; all was confirmed good for the long flight back to Nok.
14th May Nakhon Ratchasima - Home
We routed in the clear air passing Chaiyaphum to overfly Petchabun where an Antonov turboprop has been abandoned. Entering Northern Thailand there was smoke in the air again to restrict visibility as the pyromaniac Thai farmers create bad karma for their future lives by hurting their fellow beings.
This was the longest leg, 2 hours 23 minutes in the air.
The RV9A performed well, but typical of this type the CHTs rose worryingly high on climbout, and the brakes are all but useless!
We'll rough up the brake pads a bit.
All the problems are the same as in the RV9A I tested in Canada.
I have updated the website with this:
http://www.mpaviation.com/2016.htm
But I'm not so happy with it, it's a lot of work, and I had to remove content from the site to load it.
The server is limited and doesn't have enough space for my site.
I either move it, or do some dramatic deletions.
MichaelP
Wandering the World
Wandering the World