Double amputee Solo in RAF 2000

[gyroo]

Mark just to correct you on the accident in the USA with 13 year old. The pilot did NOT have a passenger endorsement.

[MadMuz]

My comments were all based on the information being a "stock" RAF, which I have flown in as a passenger.... once.... to me "stock" means a tiny single fin, narrow beam axel and no HS. I have never flown in an RAF with a stock tail and stabilator.... and I am afraid I wouldn"t want to

[t-bird]

Mark just to correct you on the accident in the USA with 13 year old. The pilot did NOT have a passenger endorsement.

[Brian]

Quote " readers have gained an impression that I hold the view that the RAF 2000 design is a relic of the past and should be relegated to the past, then you"re absolutely right. The RAF 2000 design, in my humble opinion, is the least worthy of all 2 seat designs on the Australian register, and I look forward to the remaining 6 quietly fading away, hopefully with no further casualties." Mark ReganIt amazes me why as well

[birdy]

Training is intense, pilots do about 50 hours before they go soloBloodyell, 50 hours.Sounds like a very good reason to NOT get one.

[gyroo]

Hello all,I"ve been quietly reading but not posting, lest I be accused of hijacking a thread with my long discursive posts.A double amputee soloing so well is impressive and should be applauded. He could do that in no better place, with Upington (I think) being the longest runway on the African continent. The instructors are reportedly all highly competent and dedicated, and ab-initio students reportedly can"t expect being given a license much under 50 hours.BUT - why aviate in an obsolete design with a history of PPO incidents; a design permanently subject to very severe operational restrictions in the UK; and a design that has had an oddball partial band-aid "fix" (the mast-mounted stabilator) that obscures and masks its poor handling characteristics?

[t-bird]

I don"t know if it changed but you needed 15 hours solo time and 5 hours nav.You can easily add 20 hours to that number for a license.

[eigyro]

Interesting, and probably a good idea.Any idea of average hours to license ?

[t-bird]

Training is intense, pilots do about 50 hours before they go solo.

[eigyro]

What is commonly referred to as a "STOCK" RAF2000 does not have either a stabiliser or stabilator.The South African RAF2000s all seem to have a stabilator fitted, which, thus far, seems to be an improvementon the original "stock" machine.I would not labour this point except that the original post seemed to suggest that this was a true "stock" machine, which it isn"t,and that sufficient training was the fix, which it isn"t.If there is a difference to the SA accident rate from the previous deplorable carnage, and it appears there is, then the difference is almostcertainly down to the stabilator.

[MadMuz]

That"s great Tbird, again, congrats to the new pilot, he did an awesome jobwell done

[t-bird]

Hi MurrayRaf have the lowest fatality rates of all the gyro types in South Africa. Only one in ten years and the coroner have ruled the pilot have suffered a massive heart attack. All RAF’s STOCK STANDARD. The training is of the highest level with two instructors that clocked up over 2000 hours training. The video of the solo and most of the training are conducted at Upington international airport, that is renowned for turbulent conditions and with maximum temperatures of more than 40 degrees recorded

[Brian]

A stock RAF? Wow, no wonder he was stabbing at the stick..... very well done indeed.... a bit irresponsible on behalf of whoever owns the machine? now now

[MadMuz]

A stock RAF? Wow, no wonder he was stabbing at the stick..... very well done indeed.... a bit irresponsible on behalf of whoever owns the machine?

[t-bird]

No horizontal stab in the tail only the stock standard stabilator on the mast.