What`s Happening???

[facthunter]

That's why little planes have always been called "bugsmashers". Nev

 

 

[farri]

Mustn't have many bugs where you live....in spring, especially after rain, the whole of the leading edges of my airframe is covered in smashed grasshoppers.

Regardless of the time of year, rain or no rain, during daylight, nothing to be of concern! it`s after dark they come out to play.......

 

 

[kevb]

Once again I love the pics Frank, I'm trying to follow your lead and am taking as many people up in the Drifter as I can to try and keep the type of flying that the drifter offers alive. The amount of interest that people show in the aircraft is great and I take every opportunity to offer a flight. It was your posts, as well as others on this forum, that got the Drifter bug fired back up in me when I started looking to buy an aircraft to fly. So please keep posting, put's a smile on my dial every time.

 

 

[farri]

It was your posts, as well as others on this forum, that got the Drifter bug fired back up in me when I started looking to buy an aircraft to fly. So please keep posting, put's a smile on my dial every time.

Goodonya Kev and thank you! it`s guys like you who keep me motivated to keep posting!.... I do, what I do!....Been doing it for a very long time....Can`t recall how many people I`ve taken up but it`s one hell of a lot,excluding those I instructed.

 

When I retired from instructing, a few years ago, I made way for a guy I`d taken flying when he was in his mid teens! He caught the flying bug,eventually became a Trike pilot and instructor, also 3 axis instructor, got his own Drifter and started his own school, unfortunately, it failed.

 

After me,there`s been a couple of guys, in the Cairns area, tried to establish an AUF/RA`Aus flying school, with the Drifter but failed.....My opinion! overheads (expenses) too high and too much bullsh!t in the regulations, but it is it what it is and I put too much time and effort into it in the early days to want to do it all over again....Shame!!!

 

Frank (Franco)

 

 

[kevb]

Thats interesting Frank,

 

I was thinking of using the drifter for training up here because of the interest level is so high, I was only going to do it as a part time operation on weekends mainly to offer tail wheel and 2 stroke endorsements. Might have to put a bit more thought into it I think.

 

 

[farri]

Thats interesting Frank,I was thinking of using the drifter for training up here.

Kev, A bit more info that might help you....I was able to make it all happen for myself and the Far North Queensland Ultralight Association, because I had the land and made it available to the FNQUA, free of charge...Once I had obtained my AUF CFI rating, I instructed for the club and was paid by the club for the time I was in the seat of the Drifter!...Eventually, the club decided they only wanted to be a social club, so I bought the Drifter from the club, had my own school approved and continued to instruct, off our property, until I retired from instructing.

 

The cost of training needs to be at a rate that it is attractive to all those who would like to learn!...If you create a good reputation, students will turn up...You need to determine exactly what it is you would like to get out of it!...To me the $$$ were just to keep the wheels turning.

 

I`m happy to try and answer any questions you have.

 

Frank.

 

 

[kevb]

Thanks Frank,

 

I would to pick your brain at some stage with regards to this, Im working out all of the costings at the moment with view to keeping the costs as low as possible, as long as it pays for itself at this stage I would be happy.

 

 

[farri]

They just keep coming...This is Jonas...Jonas is from Switzerland, backpacking around the world and this was his first time flight in an Ultralight!...After the flight Jonas said and I quote, " Just Stunning! Beautiful! Best thing I`ve done in Australia."

 

 

 

Frank.

 

 

[farri]

What`s Happening??? Well, this is what happened today here at Deeral.....Jonas, the Swiss backpacker I recently took flying, has had his Passport stolen, so he has to stay in Australia until everything is sorted out, in the mean time, he is staying with some friends of ours, here at Deeral so today I decided to take him out and do some snorkeling with him, around high Island.

 

 

Some of the Coral we snorkeled over, around High Island.

 

 

Jonas, had never had the chance to drive a boat so I showed him what to do and let him drive us home...Great day for both of us.

 

 

Franco.

 

 

[Methusala]

We had the good fortune to take our daughter and a friend snorkelling with the seals at Montague Island this past weekend. We had a great time with Narooma Charters ($60 for 4 hours). Not the Reef but the water was crystal clear and a good temperature and the sea was full of aquatic creatures. Absolutely will do that again

 

 

[farri]

No flying today due to heavy rain....Yesterday was the perfect day to do some boating so I decided to take Jonas out to the Frankland Islands to do some snorkeling, bush walking and rock climbing ... Truly great day.

 

 

Frank

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[farri]

From Left, Ryan, Jonas, Delia and Nico, backpacking Australia...... Unfortunately, the weather didn`t want to play the game today and only Delia, got to fly, hopefully, Ryan, Jonas and Nico will get a fly tomorrow...Jonas has flown twice with me.

 

 

Delia is from Spain! It was her first flight in an Ultralight!...Photo says it all!

 

 

Frank.

 

 

[farri]

Last Sunday, I did two flights in the Drifter, one in morning and one in the afternoon, that I hope I never have to do again! I searched the coastline where a friend and fellow spear fisherman, Warren Hughs, aged 35, went missing while spear fishing.

 

Warren went missing on Saturday and I was only informed, by my son Michael, around 8pm that night! Michael and I immediately launched his boat and searched the coastline until 2 am Sunday morning, where we knew Warren had gone spearing,but found nothing, however, we did see the eyes of a very large Crocodile, in the area.

 

A rescue helicopter had searched the area before me, but like me, didn`t find anything! Around 7am Monday, another helicopter search was carried out and the body of Warren was found lying on the bottom of the ocean, 200 mts south of his boat and where he`d gone into the water! A crock had taken him by the head.

 

I took this photo while searching...Warrens boat is the silver one just out from the rocks, the other two are Police boats.

 

 

The red mark on the GE photo is the position where Warren went into the water.

 

 

R.I.P. Warren.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Cosmick]

Sad to lose a good friend Frank. Condolences to family and friends.

 

 

[CLAYT]

Sorry you have lost a mate Frank and no doubt a hard time for all involved. Regards Clayt.

 

 

[farri]

I`ve just been informed, that a Crock in the area where Warren was taken,has been shot by the authorities!

 

Frank.

 

 

[biggles]

Thanks for that report Frank. People sometimes become complacent of risk. If there any positives in this, it should be to serve as a warning to others ..... Bob

 

 

[farri]

Thanks for that report Frank. People sometimes become complacent of risk. If there any positives in this, it should be to serve as a warning to others ..... Bob

Bob, I sincerely hope so, but knowing what I know, I doubt the message will get through to everyone who chooses to spearfish...I did it for years, knowing of the dangers and it didn`t stop me...Over the years, I`d been spearfishing with Warren several times.

 

Frank.

 

 

[farri]

This is presumed to be the Crocodile that attacked Warren and has been shot...It is a male, over 4 mts in length...I took the photo this morning.

 

 

Frank.

 

 

[Admin]

Hey Frank, my daughter is doing a paper on capital puishmemt, I am not sure whether to show her your post "

 

This is presumed to be the Crocodile that attacked Warren and has been shot."

 

 

[farri]

This is presumed to be the Crocodile that attacked Warren and has been shot."

Hi Ian, My post is correct.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Admin]

Frank, I just that it was funny saying "presumed" and then shot...my daughter has been telling me the differences in the Australian judicial system where you are presumed innocent until proven guilty and the Asian system where you are guilty until proved innocent....there was nothing negative about your post, I jst thought it was funny given my daughter's discussion

 

 

[farri]

Frank, I just that it was funny saying "presumed" and then shot.

Ian, I got that! I wasn`t suggesting otherwise! exactly why I said "presumed"..... To my knowledge, there was no real evidence and the Croc is 9 kilometers from where Warren was taken.

 

Might do some good to let your daughter see my post.

 

Frank.

 

 

[biggles]

Yeah Frank , knowing the area, I also wondered how the "guilty" croc, presumably shot where Warren was taken, got to be where you saw it ...... strange! Anyway the public will be happy that .. " they got that killer croc "....Bob

 

 

[farri]

Bob, I should have said, " The Croc was shot about 9 kilometers, from where Warren was taken"...It was well up the inlet, where the Mulgrave and Russell rivers meet...They didn`t retrieve it when they shot it! it came to the surface as it swelled with gas...Us locals,don`t believe they got the right Croc! There`s been a Croc that size, up in the area where they shot it, for a long time.

 

 

Frank.