G’day Luke,

Been occupied with other matters so haven’t been able to keep up with the debate.

Birds: It is equally valid to maintain your flight path as it is to take avoiding action. Birds haven’t read the regs. You can’t accurately predict what they might do. But most of them won’t keep flying straight into a hazard like an aeroplane. I’ve hit ‘em on many occasions, the last one which bent six fan blades of a CFM 56 engine 90 degrees to the plane of rotation after V1. S**t happens. A mate o’ mine was killed after hitting three pelicans in an F-111. Took ‘em at 450 knots in a low level bombing run on the range and they went through the windshield. He wasn’t close to stalling as he hit the ground inverted after pulling the handle. They know that because the cockpit had started to separate.

I believe, me myself, that you can only take all the reasonable precautions, but there is no way you can account for every situation. Expect the unexpected.

Stall practice – go ahead and do it if that’s your bent. But stick to the rules. As for circuit speeds, and that appears to be the core of this debate, should not be flown outside ( meaning below), those factors set in the regs. That means 1.4 Vsi for manoeuvring, and 1.3 Vso for approach. Now, the Lancair POH states speeds associated with these and other manoeuvres. Even Lancair have stated in the POH that the Flap down approach speed is 86.89762 KIAS.

Whatever your views, these debates keep the mind focussed on the issues, and always benefit participants.

Cheers

Dom Crain

VH-CZJ