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Get ahold of Rod Schram {not sure if spelling is right} He does a lot for Skyraider and Kitfox,builds cowls, wingtips etc.Randy

Just bought a Easy Raider !

need ridge runner cowling and Fox stol tips

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have the SP lic. It would have been much harder to get a private ticket. Also, it's nice to take someone else with. But I think the fact remains, that ULs have taken a big hit. Jim

There's a ton I wrote here, but I deleted it.  We'll have to just disagree.

I think that the LS rating is a good thing.

I think that the 'fat' 103 thing was not.

I know of 4 sport pilots in my immediate area. Three of us were flying ultralights, one of which was a gyrocopter. I was able to take the written, oral, and flight tests because I was already a licensed UL pilot. I actually was the second Sport pilot in Mn. The other three guys trained with a CFI that had a champ and got their tickets that way. I don't know of any other guys in northern Mn that are SPs but there may be some. I think we all would have been happy if the FAA would have relaxed some of the part 103 rules (especially weight) but such was not the case. I think we had lots of fun when we were flying our ultralights, like one of my flying buddys says, now we just fly in bigger circles. And for more money I might add! Jim Chuk

My Dad fell into that group. Larry in the beginning depending on what you were flying and your location, it was VERY difficult to get a SP license. My Dad had to go all the way from Central Idaho to Salt Lake City to get his checkride and that was AFTER him having to train with a guy who he had 50 times more experience than. The whole process cost him a fortune. He had been flying his 2 place Powered Parachute for over 10 years as a certified instructor under the instructional use only exemption and overnight he became illegal to fly anymore without his SP ticket. He went through the hassle to get it but after he couldn't give instruction anymore he hung it up and quit flying too. It was sad as to see.

I agree that SP benefited a lot of folks but the vast majority it seems were all guys who were previously flying big fast airplanes and had 100 grand to blow on an LSA. All the guys flying two place quicksilvers, autogyros, PPC's, and other true homebuilts (the guys who really make a small airport a pleasant place to hang out) seem to have dwindled while the RV12, Rans, Skycatcher, etc (the guys who need a glass cockpit, leather interior, and autopilots) types have thrived.

That shop was huge and full of all kinds of stuff. Your dad was a hoot. Really enjoyed meeting him. I didn't get into Pierce like I hoped. The guys I were meeting were not far out of Orfino. I called your Pops when I came into town but he was out of town for the week so I didn't get to visit him. Neat area.

Vance

Aircraft spruce sells a heat muff that goes around the 503 muffler. Has anyone installed this to heat the cabin?

Thanks

Vance

Wow, those are strong words. How many of these Avid setups with the oil tank mounted like this have you seen or heard of that have failed?

This is the first time I've heard of a failure as you describe and I know of at least a handfull of 912 Avids that are setup like this and some have several thousand hours on them with no problems.

The motor will starve for oil and will fail. The lines are too long for the oil pump to keep up.

The one I personally know ran this setup for a while before finally loosing the motor due to oil starvation. Luckily he was on the ground at the time.

"Many of these folks were just too plane (sic) lazy to take the step and become certified."

That certainly was the case at our airport. Too lazy or scared or just didn't want all of the work that goes along with regulation. I sure don't blame some of them though. There really is a lot of excess crap to slog through to stay truly "legal" in every respect.

Ed,

Where is the kit located?  Got any pics of the components and work to date?

The motor will starve for oil and will fail. The lines are too long for the oil pump to keep up.

The one I personally know ran this setup for a while before finally loosing the motor due to oil starvation. Luckily he was on the ground at the time.

Also keep in mind that since the LS became available our country's economy has gone down the schmidt chute thanks to the abominable lack of leadership in the White House. This has more than a little to do with slowdowns at our little airports.

I'm sorry to hear of the fat ultralight crowd to scared or whatever to follow up and regain legality. They were in violation before why not take the opportunity to step into the light and enjoy 'legal' flying. Many of these folks were just too plane (sic) lazy to take the step and become certified. I know several like that too. It's a shame, really. Part 103 was and IMO still is dying. I don't see much of a future other than a very few diehard enthusiasts. LS didn't start that process, but it probably is hastening the demise.

My airport has been very fortunate to have a very active LS instructor and community surrounding our EAA Chapter. It's what is keeping our airport afloat.

***************

Bryce, the tank is mounted under the baggage compartment.

I have to agree with Joey and the Barry White music😜! That's some Mile High Club music. Speakin' of which, anybody ever got' em' some in an Avid while flying? You might be able to do something on the ground, but I think it would be impossible in the air!

Hey Chris,

Where do they put the oil tank? Seems the baggage area would be great from a weight and balance standpoint. Thanks, Bryce

When I started flying, in my area there were a LOT of fat ultralights and a LOT of people flying them. The airport was full of activity and there was someone to fly with almost any time of the year. The airport was very alive and vibrant. When the SP rule was passed only a couple of the folks flying the fat ultralights went on to get their SP cert. The rest stopped flying. Since the small experimental/fat ultralight activity was the most visible and active groupe on the airport, the airport personality has changed dramatically. There is much less going on. I think it is sad. I don't know what to blame it on other than overregulation.

+1 to that, Ed.

The cholesterol numbers have been abandoned here - more of a reliance on genetic risk factors - but guess the military cant change as fast as civilian docs.  Stay off of Statins if at all possible - they are bad news!

EDMO

Some of us old codgers wouldn't be flying without the SP rating - After I turned 50 I had a doctor fail me on my medical because "I had never been deferred" because of a heart murmer I had since I was 7 years old - took me a year to get reinstated - passed two more physicals after that - wont do medical anymore!

EDMO

I HAVE, A FUSELAGE, amateur-built, which is 48 inches wide at elbows, and the lower longerons are 17 feet long - This was built by SkyPirate, and you might contact him for more info.

This fuselage is 95% welded, but needs a few more welds in cockpit area - most is OK, but some surface rust starting in cockpit area.

I will try to post photo, but may have to try again if anyone interested.

Located about 25 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri down I-55.

Send me a PM if interested.

Maybe this is more of a Magnum?

EDMO

Another one of Oshkosh Wisconsin's finest, the ATV.

 

You loose some weight over there playing in the sandbox?

Not to toot my own horn but...... In the past 6 months I've ran 450 miles including a half marthon. I recently ran 1.5 miles for my annual official fitness test in 9 minutes 9 seconds. I made fitness a huge priority while being here. With nothing else to do except work and sleep and no junk food or fast food in site, there was really no excuse to not get my ass back in shape. My real goal was to see if diet and exercise alone will be enough to get my cholesterol and blood pressure in check. I'm only 33 and have always been in decent shape but I've been struggling with the numbers the past few years. Having a Class I Physical I DO NOT want to deal with the paperwork and headache of taking medication. I have it on both sides of my family. I will not be in any better shape ever than I am right now and if it's still no good when I have my blood work done next week then I guess I'll take the meds and eat what I want.

I can name off a couple dozen guys in my EAA chapter alone that Sport Pilot brought into aviation.  They didn't want to fly 'unsafe' ultralights and couldn't afford Private Pilot and the associated certified spam cans.  

Sorry, Mark I don't buy that SP knocked more people out of aviation than it brought in.  It brought me back into flying.

That looks a little beefer than the 114/5/6's we had to play with