winsor68 Posted April 10, 2012 Posted April 10, 2012 Departure... Marian Airstrip just outside Mackay... Maj Millard and Mackay777 who provided invaluable service with fuelling.... Lined up ready for the first take off... I said to my wife "I reckon I should take my spare set of glasses in case I break a pair"... she said "Don't be silly you won't break them"... Well... Maj of course gave a very thorough cockpit briefing before takeoff with the warning "Be careful you don't bump the latch... the door is safe to open in flight but it has happened without warning once before"... At about this point of course after sitting my glasses in their case next to me between my door and my leg I had to bump the latch... and my glasses took their first and last skydive from 4500 feet!!! A minor safety incident and I was more worried about them hitting the airframe but all good... Luckily I only need them for close up reading so it wasn't too much of a burden... You can bet your life that only happens once and you learn your lesson!!!! First stop Springsure and what do we spy? A nice little Cessna in need of some TLC... Springsure. First beer of the adventure at Springsure Pub... Maj Millard was soon to discover that my snoring would wake the dead and it was decided that camping at Temora would be on opposite wingtips!!! The old bloke is called Don too... he was their within 2 minutes of us landing, lent us a few more drums to help with the one Jerry can we carried for refuelling and offered us a lift back to the airport in the morning... we didn't want to impose so walked but good old Don turned up again within minutes keen as mustard to help... We told him we would have a word with the owner of the C152 (Yes that is you FlyingVisla) to get it airworthy because Don as an ex 2 time Mooney owner is without a plane in his retirement and has his eye on your baby to borrow... I reckon he would be out there polishing her every day if you let him fly it... a truly keen aviator. He told us that in the good old days a couple of truckloads of the Safflower he used to grow carried enough profit to buy a Mooney of which he owned several over the years... Don is a real gentlemen. The whole country is green from the recent rains... Don't know if I should post this one... but I will. Standard trick for getting in and out of "Security" controlled airports (what a bloody joke that is!!!) ... take a photo. Lets hope no terrorists are watching (again what a bloody joke all this is!!!) Bourke... This is the main part of the Motel we stayed in. We actually stayed across the road... In a former Rectory!!! How ironic two old bastards like us spending the night in a Rectory!!! She is now referred to as the "Formerly" Virgin Mary and I reckon we will be spending our afterlives in hell after this post!!! There are over 300 rose bushes in Bourke the locals tell us... An amazing place with a real sense of history to it. This is where they used to roll the kegs into this old pub at Bourke. Maj tells me that the roads are this wide because they needed the room in the old days to turn a Bullock Train around... they were the 18 wheelers of their day. Captain Starlight was probably held in a cell in one of these old buildings... It is real bushranger country of old. "J. F.Archibald sent Lawson to Bourke at the Bulletin's expense. The memory of this time, with its drought and hardships, would colour his work for the rest of his life. Work inspired by this period includes 'The Bush Undertaker', 'The Union Buries its Dead' and the short story collection While the Billy Boils in 1896." I’ve followed all my tracks and ways,from old bark school to Leicester Square, I’ve been right back to boyhood’s days, and found no light or pleasure there. But every dream and every track—and there were many that I knew— They all lead on, or they lead back, to Bourke in Ninety-one, and two. No sign that green grass ever grew in scrubs that blazed beneath the sun; The plains were dust in Ninety-two, that baked to bricks in Ninety-one. On glaring iron-roofs of Bourke, the scorching, blinding sandstorms blew, And there was nothing beautiful in Ninety-one and Ninety-two. Henry Lawson Bourke was also the town that Nancy Bird-Walton started an aerial service as Australia's first female commercial pilot. 5
winsor68 Posted April 10, 2012 Author Posted April 10, 2012 The Darling River was flowing upstream as a result of all the recent rains. Departing Bourke... The Dish... Tomorrow I will post some aeroplane photos... the above photos were taken on the 2000 odd Nautical Mile trip from Marian to Temora. 101 out of 226 posted.... All photos taken on my HTC Desire phone. 5
Guest Howard Hughes Posted April 10, 2012 Posted April 10, 2012 Standard trick for getting in and out of "Security" controlled airports (what a bloody joke that is!!!) ... take a photo. Err, not sure but taking a photo airside at a securty controlled airport just may be illegal...I know, I know, I was just trying to add to the absurdness of it all! PS: Great thread and pictures by the way!
winsor68 Posted April 10, 2012 Author Posted April 10, 2012 Err, not sure but taking a photo airside at a securty controlled airport just may be illegal...I know, I know, I was just trying to add to the absurdness of it all!PS: Great thread and pictures by the way! Wasn't airside... just my hand and the camera were... lol I see airport personnel taking photos airside all the time... surely not illegal but I stand to be corrected. Like I say... the whole ASIC security thing is absurd and the biggest joke and fraud in Australian aviation history... I carried and wore my ASIC when required... I will not be renewing mine when it is no longer required for my employment and I recommend everyone to do the same... if we let these jokers get away with this BS we are fools. IMO. I will respect their rules when airports stop providing knives inside airport security areas to their passengers. (of course if site Admin is unhappy with me posting it there I will remove it... But I think we are doing ourselves and our country a great disservice by not stating the facts as they are) 3
biggles Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Wasn't airside... just my hand and the camera were... lolI see airport personnel taking photos airside all the time... surely not illegal but I stand to be corrected. Like I say... the whole ASIC security thing is absurd and the biggest joke and fraud in Australian aviation history... I carried and wore my ASIC when required... I will not be renewing mine when it is no longer required for my employment and I recommend everyone to do the same... if we let these jokers get away with this BS we are fools. IMO. I will respect their rules when airports stop providing knives inside airport security areas to their passengers. Win, I'm sure you will be a much wiser and enlightened man after spending many hours in close company with the 'legendary' Major ! Bob (of course if site Admin is unhappy with me posting it there I will remove it... But I think we are doing ourselves and our country a great disservice by not stating the facts as they are)
RKW Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 I used to fly that Cessna 152 of FlyingVisla's, back in 1980! Nice photos, Winsor.
winsor68 Posted April 11, 2012 Author Posted April 11, 2012 Finally... on the ground at Temora. tca The camp at Temora... I arranged with Ian to purchase a $14.95 tent but as he didn't arrive until the next day I spent the first night under the Tarps. If anyone is flying to Natfly I would recommend doing the same... the tents are basic but work a treat. And at that price I left the tent behind when we departed. First things first... Headed over to Quincy's hanger and offered my services for marshalling...these are the bikes we used. Quincy is a bloody good bloke and did a brilliant job organizing... Downtown Temora... they run buses into town but it is an easy 20 minute stroll so a great place to hold the flyin in my opinion. Fk9 with rotax 912s Fk9 with Mercedez Smart engine... brilliant little machine but limited by its inability to run Avgas. Gotta give credit to the dealer who was straight and forthcoming with this info about this limitation with the machine... Nice to see honest dealers (believe me they aren't all like this) Check out the flight time!!! It's a little sad when someone from Tasmania wins the longest distance flown by taking holidays and going on a tour... This sort of flight is more deserving of the award. This gave me a plane fat!!! Bloody love the Cassut. Not RA but would love to try something like this on one day. I was marshalling when he came in... I was a bit selfish and parked it just down from the Lightwing... Love, love, love it!!! 140knot cruise... 61knot stall... Smoking hot!!! Just the thing for X-country flying. Some of you may recognize these 2 scallywags... This was at the Chinese Restaurant in Temora which I highly recommend. $21 each and more than we could eat. Don't know why I included this... Just found this old art deco door fascinating... And this gate on our walk back to the airport after dinner... perhaps we were a little tipsy! Mr H going for a ride in the Lighwing with Maj Millard... Very nice bloke Mr H and bought us a couple of chairs to rest our weary bodies under the wing... Thanks mate. You can tell I like it right??? She only stayed the one night sadly... Ready for the display... everyone stand back! (except CASA lol) Here you go Guernsey... This thing has ALL the bells and whistles! One flash Gyro. This thing stood out in flight like a Dog's Testicles... had alternating flashing red beacons on the gear legs. Also had an enclosed canopy which you just swap depending on your mood... Big $$$ for one of these. I don't know what the pilot of the Gyro on the left was thinking but I witnessed him pull out and commence his takeoff twice causing aircraft on final to go around... Bad airmanship or something else??? Mind Boggling! Nice machine though. This was the most amazing piece of kit at the show... Neville White is a legend and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his work during the early years. Aircraft is a Cabaero Wasp belonging to the Holbrook Museum. The workmanship on this machine is as good if not better quality than anything I have ever seen on an aircraft... Amazing!!! The man himself... A living breathing walking legend. Neville White. Words fail me. This guy was the highlight of the event for me. Maj Millard wanted to take it flying... This is a new aircraft manufacturer getting started in Victoria... $10k or thereabout without engine... Looks good and just the sort of simple machine the sport needs to stay viable for those of us on average incomes. Thruster Tailplane with the improved rib profile... This is the Bantam that had an engine failure at departure. You can keep the Top Cub... this is much nicer. The S2 SportsCub. Inside the Temora Museum hangar. And the real deal Cub... lovely. Taken from the wall of the museum. Moruya Training Foxbat Maj Millard wanted to take this for a fly too... Unfortunately they bent a bolt while trailering her to the event. I would have liked to fly her too. Chris Conroy's Sparrow mock up... Apparently several flying... never taken of in a big way but Chris is another of the founders of our sport who we owe a great debt of gratitude to for his work. Maj Millard presenting his two stroke forum. Well attended and plenty of questions from the floor afterwards so we all parted a little wiser. This one is built backwards lol Beautiful workmanship and apparently flew down from Cairns. $90k fly away no more to pay... Sparvierro. Check out the reflections from this beautiful Sonex... Probably some of the most impressive aircraft photography I have done. Look at the lines... What is reflection and what isn't? Amazing. Saturday Night Awards Dinner... Neville White won the best 95.10 for his GT400 Quicksilver. It is the third time his name has been added to the shield. It truly was an honour to have Neville search us out when we arrived at the dinner and invite us to sit at their table where they had saved 2 seats... Truly, truly an honour to meet him. He is one in a Million. His piercing blue eyes and confident manner are forever burned into my minds eye. Amazing. Max Howland... the curator of the Holbrook Museum. We really need to get behind this and support it. Sounds like it is coming along nicely and will be something really special. ra Winner of best aircraft at the show. Very deserving. Rans S7 Courier. He is going to have to find room for this year now. We head for home... Chinchilla... and a sailplane comp going on. So.. there is it... Could have taken more but I was too busy enjoying the event. I still have video to edit and will add those as soon as that is done. So to sum up...An amazing experience. I learnt soooooooo much flying with Maj Millard. I am a better pilot for it and some of the little hurdles that came up added to that as if they had of happened when I was out on my own for my first big Nav I would have been stuffed. Maj Millard is a true legend and a brilliant aviator... He sxxts birdseed to steal one his phrases. I would fly with him again any day. 9
Kyle Communications Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Fantastic pics Don especially coming from a HTC.....sorry I hate them after the one I had...Iphones rule now.....That trip would certainly be a highlight for anyone Don thank your lucky stars as Maj has so much experience it would be hard NOT to learn stuff when flying with him Mark
eightyknots Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 I "like"-ed both of your big picture posts, Winsor but I want to say "thanks for sharing"!!
Tex Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Maj... you here? Any chance you can put up the documents or presentation or a discussion on here in a thread for us 2 banger pilots that couldn't make it! Maj Millard presenting his two stroke forum. Well attended and plenty of questions from the floor afterwards so we all parted a little wiser.
Neil_S Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Hi Don, Great pictures, and liked the comments with them. It was good to meet you too. Look forward to catching up again next year! Cheers Neil
ben87r Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Fantastic pics Don especially coming from a HTC.....sorry I hate them after the one I had...Iphones rule now X2
Tomo Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Awesome! Thanks Don!! Sorry I missed you on Monday, wouldn't have been by much though as I ended up taking some friends flying from Toowoomba and headed over Cecil, then out over their old place at Kuppun then onto Dalby etc... catchya next time!
pudestcon Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Hey Maj, I second what Tex said in post #10. Waddayareckon? Pud
winsor68 Posted April 11, 2012 Author Posted April 11, 2012 This is how you stay fit to fly on a long trip in a small aeroplane... Sorry Maj... Had to post it.... 3
brilin_air Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 Gee's Windsor that made me tired after the first one Brian
eightyknots Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 This is how you stay fit to fly on a long trip in a small aeroplane... Sorry Maj... Had to post it.... That's a major workout! 3
Guest davidh10 Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 Thanks for posting the pics, Don. Tells a good story.
nathan_c Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 Great photos, I wish I had have stayed at the chinchilla comps an extra few days and I could have seen you fly over!
Ballpoint 246niner Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 This is how you stay fit to fly on a long trip in a small aeroplane... Sorry Maj... Had to post it.... Is that what they call a "touch and grow"?.......
Doug Evans Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 Alsome pictures mate well done ,looks like ya had a great time !
skyfox99 Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 Very much enjoyed your post on Temora, thank you for sharing.
XAIRVTW Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 Excellent photos Guys looked like it was a great adventure for you. Cheers Tony
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