A clever gizmo

[Ebbie 2003]

Just found out about this rather clever gadget.

As I rent out my airplane I have always been curious about where it is especially if it's a little late getting back - that any flight to another airport is going to involve being over 100 km + of open water that 'curiosity' is compounded.

One of my renters has SPOT that sends a message and location if one presses a button every now and again - no message means there's a problem or that the button is not pressed - needs batteries etc. Was thinking of getting one then I learned about this new device a tiny tracker the size of a few stacked 50pence pieces - solar powered too; you can read about it on retriever.com - there is a crowd funding campaign for it too.

They are not cheap but I am certainly getting some for the planes here - peace of mind, safety and if my renters give the codes to their friends "they can fly along too" - have a weird notion of taking the feed in to Flight Simulator - should not be difficult - depending on it's refresh rate it could be fun.

Not too sure how it sends information - I have asked the company - but the "anywhere on earth" assertion suggests it's not cell towers; I will up date when they reply.

At resent I have a $25 GPS flight data recorder but can only download it physically - does make great Google Earth tracks and even the GPS altitude and ground speed info is useful - weird to see how ones perfect circuits are never quite the same - have been trying to do two identical ones in plan, it's not as easy as it sounds!

[JHO]

Very good!
What aircraft do you rent out and what is the requirement for an EASA PPL holder to fly it whilst in Barbados?

[Cusco]

If you go over to the Flyer Forum you will see this system in action real time tracking a couple of flyers in a 1966 PA28 making their way from Denmark to Oz.

They'd just landed at Kuala Lumpur last time I looked.

Cusco

[Ebbie 2003]

Just got this from the company

"Our Retrievor uses both A-GPS (Assisted buy cell network) and also Autonomous GPS. We have partnered with a VSat partner to provide real-time (bi-directional) tracking even when in remote locations. This information includes long/lat and altitude and is relayed back to our online server platform whereby users (with your login details) can follow you every move whether 10,000ft in the air of miles out at sea. They can access this via Smartphone, PC or Tablet."

So yes, it will track anywhere.

Would like to see the link to the test flight - not sure if it's the actual gadget that Retrievor are to make but their must be prototypes in testing.

What I like is the size and that it has a solar panel - my current data logger runs maybe 24 hours continuous but just putting it in the plane and in effect forgetting about it very good - the price is high but a big discount comes from the crowd funding - if enough people were interested I would get one of the trader packages - but since there are a handful of flying light aircraft here everyone would have to want several.

[Ebbie 2003]

JHO

Flying here with EASA/JAR or any ICAO licence is straightforward.

There are two types of aircraft here (ignoring the UK registered microlight) either N or 8P, 8P being Barbados registered.

Fundamentally you are looking at the two out of three rule - So Barbados Airspace, Barbados Licence, Barbados Airplane - you need to be two of those to be "legal".

You can fly 8P airplanes solo in Barbados airspace with any ICAO licence so trips around the island; two out of three - Airspace and Airplane.

You cannot fly an 8P to say St. Lucia - Barbados Airplane, St Lucia Airspace, UK licence

You can't fly an N registered airplane anywhere as all three are different.

If you want to fly 8P turn up and fly - there is usually a minimum 30 minute check out if you have time logged - the problem may be insurance requirement if you have no time on type.

So Coconut Airways (yes, like the song!) they have a PA38 (Tomahawk) on 8P and also a PA28R (Arrow) a complex also on 8P together with a PA28 (Archer II) on the US register, the microlight is UK registered but not rented solo. In addition likely to be on the line soon the Barbados Light Aeroplane club have a Cessna 152 on 8P.

Now clearly for most pilots with a PPL the Arrow is likely to be out for solo as unlikely to have time and who wants to do extended checkout for insurance (5 + hours).

The Tomahawk and the 152 are not exactly going to cut it if you want to take family or more than one passenger - but are perfect if you're on your own or with one other person.

If you want to go to another island solo that cannot happen with your licence - you can of course go with an instructor - but he'll be taking up a place and the best passenger seat at that!

If you want to fly the Archer you will need an FAA PPL - if you search for 'FAA piggy back license' on Google you'll find out how to do that - it is a little complicated but you don't need a separate US medical. Any ICAO licence holder can get one but for it to be valid your original ICAO licence must be valid, so medical and flight review current AND you MUST also have a current FAA flight review (there are FAA instructors in the UK that can do it, or there is one here who can do it) - certainly worth doing as no matter where one goes there always seems to be US airplanes for rent.

The cost US$1=B$2 - PA38 and C152 = B$280; Archer II = B$400; Arrow = B$450 so cheaper than the UK availability is generally very good - the Tomahawk and Archer get most use at present but there is never a day when the airplanes are booked solid (look on coconut-airways.com and you'll see what I mean) there are in effect only five active private pilot here (the word is active meaning - not a person who flys once a year to keep their licence!) this means that taking a four place plane away for days on end is not a big issue and the daily minimums are very low (put five hours on it in a week that sort of thing)

To declare an interest I own the Archer - it's not cosmetically good (soon to be refurb'd once the new Coconut Airways hand is up) but it has a low time engine, an altitude hold a/p (very good for long over water flights), IFR certified, jackets, a four man raft and a water proof GPS locator beacon - search for N75276 on youtube and there is a video that some guys who rented it earlier this year made - their first song is rather good too:)

[ChrisVJ]

SPOT sends a signal giving position every ten minutes if switched on. (At least mine does.) Also has an emergency button and also a regular message button which sends a pre recorded message (ie. Safely arrived way point,xxx) but it only does one message until re-recorded.

Local flying schjool here has been usong them for years now but recently uses something else similar. Haven't enquired why, (Maybe cheaper or more effective.)

There was a move here to allow SPOTs instead of emergency beacons as the new frequency beacons are rather expensive but it was turned down.

Should be used by hikers and ski tourers. It would make finding them a lot simpler. Maybe if you are in a club or group you could share one too, though it is not that expensive in flying terms.