What`s Happening???

[farri]

From the Drifter, yesterday afternoon... Farmer burning off what`s left on the paddock after harvesting.

 

 

 

Franco.

 

 

[farri]

Something went terribly wrong with my post and I`m trying to correct it! will try again later.

 

 

[Blue Drifter]

Only day this week worth getting out flying for.

 

[Garfly]

Hey Frank,  is this all about you in your younger days?

 

 

 

 

[bexrbetter]

No post for 3 weeks, you ok Franko?

 

 

[farri]

15 hours ago, Garfly said:

 

Hey Frank,  is this all about you in your younger days?

 

G`Day Garry, you brought back some great memories, thank you!... I was working a thermal with the Whistling Kites the other day, never seen so many above me, by the time I realised what a great photo it would make and went for my camera they started to disperse...Frank. (Franco)   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insert other media.url

 

 

[farri]

No post for 3 weeks, you ok Franko?

 

G`Day Mark, I didn`t think anyone on here would miss me! I`m as good as I`m ever going to be from here on, I`m still flying the Drifter, being me and sharing it with others!!! Hope all`s well with you and yours, also! hope to be able to take you Drifter flying with me some day.

 

One of our regular family get-togethers, here at home, a couple of weekends ago and of course! there`s always someone who wants to fly and I`m happy to take them...Brookly, our 6-year-old Great-Grand-Daughter (her sixth flight with me)! Christy, our youngest Grand-Daughter and Keah, our first Grand-Daughter-In-Law.

 

Little story about Keah…. Keah is the wife of Matthew Cheetham our eldest Grand-Son! When I first met Keah she was terrified of flying, so much so that she would be physically sick when she had to get into an aircraft so she found it almost impossible to even take a holiday somewhere she`d have to fly to! after seeing me taking others up in the Drifter and spending some time with me so I could explain a few principals of flight, she decided it was time to have a go in the Drifter with me... Fast forward... Keah now has to fly regularly as part of her employment, doesn`t get sick anymore and is keen to go Drifter flying with me....A truly remarkable woman, in so many ways.

 

In between my last post on here and this one, I`ve taken up a guy from Canada and two guys from Tasmania....The Drifter lives on!!!

 

 

Franco.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

G`Day Mark, I didn`t think anyone on here would miss me! 

 

 

 

Who? We miss the Drifter Mate.

 

 

 

 

 two guys from Tasmania....

 

 

 

Bloody illegal immigrants, hope you flew them back!

 

 

[Litespeed]

Glad to know your still doing the services to aviation that you are famous for.

 

My son and brother were in Cairns looking at yachts this week.

 

Son went for a parachute jump. Damn fool who jumps from operating aircraft and pays for the pleasure.

 

I love him but he needs re-education.

 

Next time when local will contact you in advance to join the drifter brigade.

 

Keep up the smile patrols

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Thanks Farri I enjoy all,of your posts.

 

 

[farri]

The only reason I need to go flying is that I want too and so I do! I also enjoy taking photos when I fly and sharing them with others on face book and on here, so here are some I took on this afternoons flight.

 

 

Franco.  

 

 

[facthunter]

Paradise Airlines. Franco's the prop.. Nev

 

 

[SSCBD]

Hi Frank, you are a G.O.A.T  (Greatest Of All Time) for the ultra light community in north QLD and spreading the fun.  Pure inspiration for all the Old Bastards still flying.

 

 

[farri]

Thanks guys, I sincerely appreciate your positive remarks.

 

It was hard! but I decided to have a flying free weekend, so this afternoon I took my Grand-Daughter Alison, her husband Sam Theurillat and their three children (my Great-Grand-Children) Brooklyn, Isla and Deacon, for a run down the Mulgrave river to Russell Heads.

 

Alison was four years old when she started flying with me in the Drifter and she has flown with me numerous times since... Big Sam has flown with me several times... Brooklyn was four years old when I introduced her to Drifter and she has flown 6 times with me... Isla is yet to get excited about flying... Deacon is only three years old but already he wants to fly with me.

 

  

 

Franco.

 

 

[facthunter]

You are a floating Bain marie for the crocs in that boat., Nev

 

 

[farri]

Hi Frank, you are a G.O.A.T  (Greatest Of All Time) for the ultra light community in north QLD and spreading the fun.  Pure inspiration for all the Old Bastards still flying.

 

Gees SSCBD! flattery will get you everywhere!!! 

 

For those who don`t know!... I started flying Ultralights back in the eighties, in the early days of the A.U.F, now R.A.A., by scratch building a copy of a Chinook WT 2 then teaching myself to fly it, off our property, here at Deeral… I Joined the fledgling, Far North Queensland Ultralight Association and was elected President at the next election... As President, I made the members see that if we were going to be any sort of an Ultralight club, we needed an aircraft and somewhere to fly from! I had the land and I would make it available to club, so we purchased Drifter 25-0182 from Austflight Aviation.

 

Now we had land and an aircraft, but the guy (F.N.Q.U.A. club member) who was going to be our instructor, chickened out, when he realised what he would need to do to be able to instruct legally, so now we had an aircraft and land, but no instructor! I gave it two minutes consideration, then said I would become the instructor for the F.N.Q.U.A....As I recall it, this is where SSCBD came into my life.

 

The A.U.F. sent SSCBD (I had never heard of him) to North Queensland to check out this bunch of radicles! it turned out that SSCBD was an A.U.F. C.F.I. so I did what was needed to be done to become a legal A.U.F instructor... F.N.Q.U.A. was on it`s way!!!!

 

In those days, an A.U.F flight training facility could be established as long as it had A.U.F approval and an A.U.F. C.F.I to take responsibility for it`s operation and periodical surveillance...In North Queensland, SSCBD, took on the legal responsibility of being A.U.F. C.F.I to Bill Stark and Pat McGrath (both at Wood Stock), Carlo Prette, (Innisfail, Mundoo, Aerodrome) and myself at home here at Deeral.

 

 SSCBD is a true legend of the Ultralight movement and the A.U.F., without him, the many guy`s who obtained an A.U.F. pilot certificate, may never have experienced the joy of Ultralight flying and I may never have had the privilege of instructing and the pleasure of sharing flight in 25-0182 with the many hundreds of passengers I`ve taken flying over the years! I will be forever grateful.

 

Franco,

 

Ps, Take care! I hope to see you up here some day...

 

 

[farri]

By the way! Just a side note to my post above, SSCBD, was C.F.I. for the four of us until we all got to A.U.F. C.F.I. level ourselves, then we all went on to established our own A.U.F. flight training facilities.

 

Back then, the A.U.F. hadn`t yet been given authority to approve C.F.I.`s and flight training facilities so the four of us had to be approved by The C.A.S.A. of the time and from memory, I think it was the C.A.A.! and as they say, "The rest is history!"

 

Franco. 

 

 

[farri]

Is this young lady enjoying the flight or what?... 

 

This afternoon I had the pleasure of taking this beautiful young lady for her third flight in the Drifter, with me! Indyana, had her first flight with me at 14 years of age and that was 4 years ago! she`s not from our area so can only fly when she is up here... That`s Michael her Grand-Father! So far, I`ve taken up Michael`s wife, their daughter and several other family members... I must be doing something right, they keep coming back when ever they are in our area.

 

 

 

Franco,

 

 

[SSCBD]

Hi Frank, its about time you got the old push victor lawn mower out and did the grass. A few snakes or crocs could be hiding around.

 

 

[Yenn]

What a great resume Farri. Pat Mc Grath did a flight review for me years ago, sadly he has now left us. I am just wondering who SSCBD is .

 

Lives near Mc Master field I would guess.

 

 

[facthunter]

Make History until you are history. By the way It's a VICTA.   Nev

 

 

[farri]

Hi Frank, its about time you got the old push victor lawn mower out and did the grass. A few snakes or crocs could be hiding around.

 

Yeah! You`re right! We had our youngest daughters 50th birthday party this last Saturday, so I ran around mowing all over the place and completely forgot that piece but it`s mostly grass seed and I like to leave it as long as possible for the Finches! anyway! that`s my excuse and I`m sticking to it. 

 

Franco. 

 

 

[farri]

What a great resume Farri. Pat Mc Grath did a flight review for me years ago, sadly he has now left us. I am just wondering who SSCBD is .

 

Lives near Mc Master field I would guess.

 

Hi Yen! Pat McGrath started off instructing with a Thruster! The Drifter wasn`t yet on the scene up here so Pat and SSCBD came up here, from Townsville, to our property, with the Thruster and they took quite a few of the Far North Queensland Ultralight Association members for a T.I.F and their first flight in an Ultralight.

 

My lips are sealed to the identity of SSCBD... By left us, do mean, passed-away?

 

 By the way It's a VICTA.   Nev

 

Well done! you get the Cigar! ....….... Yep! the push mower is in fact a VICTA , the ride on is a Toro zero-turn and the tractor and slasher does the heavier stuff. 

 

Franco.

 

 

[farri]

Sunset from the Drifter this afternoon! 

 

   

 

Franco.

 

 

[facthunter]

You get great views from the office when you fly a plane. Nev