Does anyone from S.A. know Geoff Kemp ?

[Phil Perry]

Old friend Geoff ( or Jeff. . . never got the spelling ) Kemp helped us to build our hangar AND our X'Air about six years ago. He worked for ROH Wheels, and flew ultralights out of a strip somewhere to the North of Adelaide.

 

He suffered a serious cardiovascular problem whilst posted here in the UK by his Company, and regrettably we never got the chance to exchange addresses when he returned home to Australia after a major operation. I wonder if anyone knows if he is still around ??

 

Thanks.

 

Phil

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hi there Phil, I don't know of the gentleman you seek but others may. This forum has wide coverage. I notice you'r in the UK, I just finished reading 'Propellerhead' by Antony Woodward. What a great read, and I feel I know your scene a little better now. The man actually managed to glorify the Thruster for chris sake !....don't suppose you've ever run into him ?...............Cheers for now,... look us up if your ever down this way and want to do some flying..............Maj...

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Thanks Maj,. . . .

 

Nice of you to respond, I'll keep looking. The guy I'm searching for was soooooo helpful to us when we built the X'Air, he even helped us weld up the hangar doors, and when I found that the Boulton & Paul restoration society were getting rid of some aircraft quality aluminium sheets, I shot down there and bought the lot, so that we could use them as a covering for the doors ! Geoff ( Jeff ? ) helped me to drill half a million holes and rivet the darned sheets to the steel box section to make the doors. Terrific bloke, and I'm sure he was the same at his own airfield, but I can't remember where he said it was in SA, but it was not that far to the Northside of Adelaide. My only deep regret is that when first introduced to him, I thought he said that his name was "Dennis" and the daft bat never corrected me, I called the poor bloke Dennis for two years. ! ! !

 

I don't know the area that well I'm afraid, I used to fly into Parafield occasionally, but did not do a lot of flying in S.A., mine was mainly Vic, Qld, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

 

These "lighties" that you fly were not around, as I left Australia in 1983, and only had a chance to try hang gliding at that time. I gather that you now have two completely separate regimes for Ultralights and G.A. . . . I'll have to read more posts to get a feel of the difference.

 

I have a JAR European PPL, but I'm allowed to fly our Microlight ( up to 450 Kg MAUW ) on a grandfather rights rating. Mind you, getting old now, and funds are shrinking, so might well adopt the British NPPL licence, which allows flight in Microlights, and any other GA Aircraft up to 2000 Kgs with " Non complex systems " so I wouldn't be able to retract the dunlops on the Piper Arrow, nor use the constant speed prop control ( !!! ) I dropped my twin, float, multi and I/R many years ago, as it was just too darned expensive in the UK to keep them up for weekend flying.nnn( And NOBODY would rent me a DAK anyhow ! ! ! )

 

Thanks again

 

Phil

 

 

[Phil Perry]

OOps, sorry about the NNNN , I was forgetting, I'm not in the Aust Flight service training school on the AFTN anymore ( ! ) We used to end flight plan transmit messages like that. . . .

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Phil, If you do want to do some quality flying, the Ultralights (your microlights) is the way to go. I got my PPL with NVFR in California and tooled around in C172s and Worriers for a bit , but the UL I currently cruise all over the country in, takes more skill to fly correctly, burns a tenth the fuel, and I can actually afford to operate it, and still lead a normal life !...Yes the Ultralight scene and GA scene still exist here separatly, however any GA training organization that wants to stay in business now also cross-trains in ULs, and the separation line is becoming quite blurred as we have many GA and ex-GA pilots in our ranks now. I will make some enquiries about your friend with people I know in SA..................................Cheers for now....Seasons greetings..........................................Maj...

 

 

[Phil Perry]

OK Maj, thanks for the comments. I dunno about a tenth of the fuel though, my Mainair GeminiFlash 2 flexwing ( Rotax 503 single carb, points ignition ) uses around twekve to thirteen litres per hour solo, and a good deal more dueal, but I guess that if I updated to electronic ignition, two plugs per cylinder and twin carbs, then perhaps the consumption might go down a bit. . . . ! My Brother Ray and I bought it in 1992, and I've done around 850 hours in the thing, bit slow . . .it flies at around 50 hands off, but you can PULL it a bit and get 60 if in a hurry. I like the way I can partially stall it and get in to very short fields, by using the "Flash 2 sideslip" technique ( misnomer I know) of stalling it in stages along final approach to achieve the exact touch down point required . . . .anyway. I digress, Lovely aircraft these ultramicrolights!!