The Zebedee List

A complete 105 leaves the List this month along with plenty of ‘bits & pieces’ as pilots gear up to a return to flying. Your scribe ‘christened’ 2021 on 31st March with 25 minutes solo. Good to be airborne again!

More small items are new to this issue – a Cameron pilot restraint, an Aircotec Alibi, a set of sandbags for anyone ‘going gas’ and a refurbished Rego manifold with new hoses and a Form One. A second manifold will be available shortly with a choice of Rego or Tema fittings and a choice of three overall lengths. Also ‘new’ this time are a pair of Worthington Rego slaves with QSOs, just back from PPT – see the Tanks section.

Andre Van Wyk has reduced the price of his little one man (Annexe 1) basket in Thailand. Apologies that his email address has been published wrongly for some months – corrected this issue.

Zebedee has had several requests for 60L cylinders in recent times, which continue to be in short supply. Also a request for a serviceable Thunder (or T&C) 40” x 40” basket – a good time to advertise should you be selling either ….

We continue to watch the Covid situation in mainland Europe with regard to visiting meets this year. If Metz does happen and we are allowed to cross the Channel once more then the usual ‘Brit invasion’ will certainly be much smaller than usual – not only due to Covid and the likelihood of test & isolation on return but the likely expense/hassle with trailers, carnets, green cards etc.

Having reluctantly accepted that having to get a BPL is inevitable, the latest whammy is the change on how to book your annual medical (Class 1/2/LAPL) – requiring advance registration (and payment) with the CAA through a ‘portal’ (ugh!) instead of a simple call to your AME to make an appointment. Why do our authorities have to make things so complicated and assume we are – or want to be so tech savvy. A fixed wing pilot friend who has been through the process reports the portal as frustrating, with time lags, no drop down menus and that his AME found the procedure just as cumbersome – and very time consuming ….!