Buffelsfontein

[Bayliner]

"What is the punnishment for flying without a license? also why can you never take your daughter again?? is that a CAA requirement? or family?"

From what I understand flying without a valid licence can potentially carry a jail sentence. I am an engineer and not a a lawyer so I stand to be corrected. This is something I don't want to think about right now.

My daughter's Mother made me promise never to take her up again. CAA's main concern is transgression of rules and regulations worsened by the fact that I had taken a passenger aboard without a valid license.

[AndyG]

Hey Bayliner,

We all appreciate the postings but maybe wait for the outcome of the enquiry. It is all emotive at the moment and I appreciate that. Goffel is a wise man and you will go forward from here.

Cheers,

Andy

[RV4ker (RIP)]

Just seen this threat....

Not much to add, just still

GLAD all OK.

[John Boucher]

Glenn... listen to guys that fly just about everyday like Gert Coetzee - baby steps here! JetRanger has given you food for thought... and many more - Take it day by day, get the hours under the belt, gain experience and with that the correct confidence - prove to yourself and those around you that you ARE a safe pilot and capable of entrusting your daughters life in your hands up there let alone your own!

Prove the fact that you are a safe and capable pilot to your missus and I am sure the promise will be retracted - remember, anyone of us can merely cross a street and be run over by some idiot in a Toy Motor Gorilla and you didn't get training for that!

I just wish to add 2 additional thoughts here.... the personal legal liability one has should you be in an accident such as this one and you possibly injured or killed a bystander is astronomical - besides being open for prosecution, you open yourself & your estate to some serious civil law suites!

Secondly... the damaged aircraft should be repaired by an AP. How does he enter the repairs in the logbook without any reference to an accident/incident. Comes the time you sell the aircraft, the unsuspecting purchaser has absolutely no idea that he/she is buying an aircraft with a history which he is fully entitled to know enabling him/her to make an informed choice should the transaction proceed!

[Bayliner]

Hi John. Many thanks for the advise. I will take it. I intend taking the trike to my new instructor in Saldanha and to keep it there until I have written the exams and have done some additional training.

At this stage The only repairs I am carrying out myself is to the cracked fairing. I have ordered parts from Italy and will certainly get an AP guy in (hopefully my Instructor). The aircraft is not too damaged. The only parts needing replacing are the leading edges and the Pylon. I have stripped the wing down and sent the fabric for repairs. It has a tear about 300mm long. I am also replacing the battens with new original parts. My intention is to have an AP repair the trike but I would like to help, you know to learn. I already know every bolt and nut in the wing backwards but will not take the chance to assemble it alone. I am also taking advantage of doing other things that is required as per the manual at 300 hours. My aircraft has 271 hours on the hobbs at the moment. I am prepared to have you or Chris monitor the progress should you be interested. I don't know if you are still up the Garden route or back in the Mother City.

To be honest with you I am aware of the personal liability. I don't know what got into my head to do this. Maybe waiting for the previous instructor to get his school legal which to my knowledge is still not done resulting in my aircraft standing in the hanger for about a year after I bought it without ever being flown. Yes I used to start it religiously and sit in it and dream on. I guess I became impatient. The correct thing would have been for me to source another Instructor and to just have continued with him. Still I am not making excuses as there is and should rather be none.

I remember when I first started training. I was still overseas and came back to SA on holiday. I flew something like 20 hours in about two weeks including going solo. This was way back early in 2008. I had done about 5 hours around about July 2007 but the weather was not good and I had to get back to my work in Kenya. Since then my training became sporadic with my next flying only happening early in 2009 and then only for about 2 hours before the school was closed down by RAASA I think. Possibly Grumpy can attest to this as he was in one or two of my theory classes. He still had a mop on top of his head . Grumps, remember when we did the radio course (I have a radio licence) and we had some lectures and I think a mock exam on navigation. Talking about Grumpy, I recall him having passed the exams and still not flying until he actually had the licence in his hand. The way it should be done.

The above paragraph is for those that are interested as I also enjoy reading on this forum about others and their experiences.

[John Boucher]

Food for thought....

The Authority to Fly of an aircraft lapses immediately if it is involved in an accident - especially if there has been damage that renders the aircraft unflyable. The aircraft is then subjected to the repairs by an AP who then issues the airworthiness & application for the new ATF....

Maybe Goffel can re-affirm this!

[Morph]

yes the ATF expires if the aircraft is involved in an accident that causes severe structural damage to the aircraft.

However if you end up in the veld with an engine out due to fuel starvation and there is no damage or injuries, then not.

I suppose it's just to ensure the aircraft remains airworthy

[RV4ker (RIP)]

If you plonk it in the feld, can you refuel and fly it out? i was always under impression had to be Com jockey who flies it out? maybe only TCA?

[Morph]

part 24.02.6(d) (1) An Authority to Fly and a Proving Flight Authority shall be valid
until – the aircraft is involved in an incident or accident that results in major
damage to its primary structure.

[Morph]

If you plonk it in the feld, can you refuel and fly it out? i was always under impression had to be Com jockey who flies it out? maybe only TCA?

There are no commercial ratings (yet) for Microlights and LSA. We land often intentionally on tracks and stuff and take off again so I don't see the difference

[Ranger]

We land often intentionally on tracks and stuff and take off again so I don't see the difference

Just in case someone gets their nickers in a knot the tracks and stuff Morph is refering to are tracks and stuff on farms with prior permission from the land owner. Since the rules and regs have become more controlled we are doing this less frequently as well. What do the rules say?

[Gyronaut]

I agree with Ranger,
We do this?? Us?? Never...
At least not EVER without prior approval from the land owner and NEVER on a public road of course!

[Goffel]

Hi.
Just to let everyone know that I have both reports....thanks.

Please everyone, should you have a mis-hap, no matter how trivial it is, let CAA know.......dont let us find out from a third party as by the time it gets to the powers of what, the whole incident has been bent out of proportion.

I think everyone here has learned a lesson from this incident......thankfully there were no injuries, just bent ego's.

Thanks,
Goffel....

[AndyG]

I certainly think that a lot of mindsets regarding CAA will change over this. Hats off to Goffel for the way that he has handled this.

[Gyronaut]

Hats off to Goffel for the way that he has handled this.

Hear-hear!