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Txp's

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russ(at)rkiphoto.com
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Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:32 pm Post subject: Txp's

I've read the recent comments about transponders --  and yes, they're  

expensive, and no, we don't want to be 'controlled' any more than   

necessary, and we don't particularly like talking to ATC  when we  

fly. BUT - txp's are designed to let us fly safely, with lessened  

danger of a midair, and go many places where you can't otherwise; and  

we can always turn them off if we feel we don't need them.

But they can also be used as a rudimentary means of comm. if the  

radio quits. There are codes that indicate you can transmit but not  

receive, and vice-versa; ATC may say  "If you can read me, Ident"   

and then follow up with yes-no-answerable questions. You can say a  

lot that way. And of course there's the emergency code, which will  

wake up every ATC  man within a hundred miles -- but at least you  

will get located quite accurately and very promptly. That alone is  

worth a lot if you ever need it.

In my limited experience they pack up now & then. I once was  

seriously chastised by ATC over Portland ME when my txp showed me at  

1300' ( a REAL no-no!) when I was actually over 4000'. After they  

bellowed awhile I told them  I knew there were no windows in the  

radar-room, but there WERE in the tower -- and why couldn't the tower  

personnel just look out the window and see that there was no aircraft  

at 1300', even  if they couldn't see me at 4000'? They still  

blustered & grumbled but at least took no action against me. I had no  

idea that my readout was actually reading out 1300', until they told me.

But txp's do let you fly safer & I'll get one, and an encoding  

altimeter too, if I can. And a BRS -- that's a luxurious bit of  

equipment I've never been able to have. Avoiding a serious crash is  

important to me, moreso than money.

FWIW

Russ Kinne

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pj.ladd(at)btinternet.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:19 am Post subject: Txp's

But txp's do let you fly safer & I'll get one, and an encoding  altimeter 

too, if I can. And a BRS ->>



Hi Russ,

..and an extra engine and a rubber dinghy and an ELT and a torch as big as 

a searchlight and a full immersion suit and a spare GPS and a spare radio 

and a spare Txponder in case the other one goes crook and some signal flags 

and a Verey pistol ( with spare cartridges).....



Pity I can only carry enough fuel to get to the end of the taxiway...



Cheers



Pat.

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russ(at)rkiphoto.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:27 am Post subject: Txp's

Hi Pat, long time no  talk

Your comments are well-founded & well-expressed; but I must make a  

comment or two. If only to keep our respective literary talents  

exercised & sharp!

I bought an ELT long before they were required; flying in remote  

areas I felt, and still do, that it could/would save my bacon. (Is  

that a Yankee-ism?) I carry wet-suit jackets for all aboard when  

flying over cold wide water. (Blue-whale studies, 20-40 mi from  

shore, altitude 500-1000', water temp. 3-7C & some at night) Legal  

PFD's (Personal Flotation Devices) would keep you afloat but you'd be  

dead in 10-15 min. Don't carry a spare GPS but they're only about 1/2  

lb -- might be a good idea. I carry a signal mirror (about 3 oz),  

flares maybe 1/2 pound, Have carried a 4-man Zodiac but to transport  

it, not to use it, so that doesn't count.

In northern Canada you are REQUIRED to carry a 24" axe, sleeping bag,  

tent, snare wire, fishing gear and enough food calories for XX days  

(not sure current regs) which I figured would be nicely taken care of  

by getting 17 cherry pies. You may carry a rifle too, despite  

Canada's hugely restrictive firearms laws. Obviously in non-remote  

areas these are not required & no one (usually) carries them.

In short, Pat, I carry what I think I'll need to keep me alive,  

considering the aircraft & location and duration of flight, weather &  

other stuff. If it costs a lot & weighs a lot, well that's the price  

of staying alive. Running around the patch you hardly need anything,  

but a GPS is good for checking  groundspeed. When you go further or  

longer you should begin to carry more gear. Just in case!

But not another engine -- the stats for engine-failures in twins  

scare me. Txp goes crook? not going to lose any sleep over that.

And I'll buy a BRS before I buy a txp anyway.

Hope your wx is better than it is here and the the MarkIII  

refurbishing is going well --

Fair winds,

Russ



do not archive

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pj.ladd(at)btinternet.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:17 am Post subject: Txp's

- the stats for engine-failures in twins  scare me.>>



Hiya Russ,

my hat comes off to all you guys who do REAL flying across hostile 

landscapes.  I felt reely tough when I bought a lifejacket  when planning to 

fly to France. WOW.. about 24 miles and you can see the other side when you 

leave this coast. It all depends to what you are accustomed I suppose. In 

the end we didn`t go to France because we couldn`t find a hotel within 

range. Sleeping under the wing is not on my itinerary these days



Stats for engine failure in  twins? .Is that real or an abberation in the 

figures? You have twice as many engines then you get twice as many failures?

Reminds me of the guy who always took a bomb with him when he flew by 

airline on the grounds that the chances of having two bombs on board where 

vanishingly small. Perhaps you can persuade Homeland Security to issue one 

person per flight with a bomb on the same basis.



Unfortunately my Kolb, when the engineer finally got round to a detailed 

examination, was found to have a twisted cage. This was not detectable until 

the wings were mounted and squared up so I am at the moment waiting for a 

new one, plus some Lexan and a few bits from Kolb USA. In the meantime the 

old cockpit is being stripped out ready for rebuild when the cage arrives. I 

reckon a couple of months minimum. The way things are going I reckon that if 

I can scrounge a ride from someone at Monument Valley that will be about the 

first flight since last July.



Great shame as we have had a number of cold clear windless days when the 

flying would have been great during the winter period. Already things are 

getting quite Springlike. Snowdrops are out, daffodils about ready to pop, 

beech trees are showing buds and birds are  chasing each other around the 

garden. Temp today is 10 degrees C. Pretty good for Feb.



Cheers



Pat

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