hi, I'm Debbie.

[Marty_d]

Bad run Debbie. Hang in there! At least it sounds like your clapping problem has sorted itself, that's a bonus.

 

 

[Guest debra stewart]

yeah, thankyou, but I still worry. It seems that the plane I knew so well has had so may things done to it that it is unfamiliar now and I am having to learn a whole host of new idiosyncrasies, at least that is what I'm hoping these are. It is virtually brand new now so surely it cant be anything serious, There's not a thing that hasn't been done.Still a worry. That's all I've done for 4 years is worry. I suppose its par for the course. If I were a mechanic it might be a bit easier but even though I'm pretty good at diagnostics, I cant do much else when it comes to actually fixing the problem. Oil changes etc that's my limit.

 

Anyway, onward and upward. I've got a new instructor now whos going to get this upper air work done and dusted and hopefully soon I'll have my licence. I'm scared though. Its taken me 4 years to overcome all my original paralysing fears and be confident and competent in the plane and I'm worried now that I'll regress and fail.

 

Never a dull moment is there?

 

Be good guys, love Debb

 

 

[Callahan]

You can tell when a female joins! Guys trip all over their tongues to reply. Godzilla got more replies than I did when I joined! And he ate Tokyo!

 

Deborah....I have a Phd in....unmentionables & I still can't figure this site out so don't feel bad. It's been 30 years now since I first joined!

 

Look, do me a favor. And yourself too (maybe). Go to YouTube and type in "Drifter Flying by William Catalina." I'm trying to get 1,000 hits before the end of its 4 months on air. It's pretty good.

 

Thanks & welcome aboard! It's a great site with some people much smarter than me willing to lend a hand to dummies like me!

 

Callahan

 

I am a proud Skyfox Gazelle owner and have been flying for nearly 3 years. I am finding it hard to navigate this site so I may be slow and make mistakes. Apart from that I am eager to meet likeminded gazelle enthusiast's.I hope I am doing this all OK.

That's about it for a start.

[Guest debra stewart]

You can tell when a female joins! Guys trip all over their tongues to reply. Godzilla got more replies than I did when I joined! And he ate Tokyo!Deborah....I have a Phd in....unmentionables & I still can't figure this site out so don't feel bad. It's been 30 years now since I first joined!

 

Look, do me a favor. And yourself too (maybe). Go to YouTube and type in "Drifter Flying by William Catalina." I'm trying to get 1,000 hits before the end of its 4 months on air. It's pretty good.

 

Thanks & welcome aboard! It's a great site with some people much smarter than me willing to lend a hand to dummies like me!

 

Callahan

hiya, I've been on this site for a while now, I just took some time off, for many reasons, but mainly, funnily enough, planes !!!! Anyway, everything hopefully is back to normal again although I'll never feel like it is, so I'm hoping to get a bit of a good run for a while.

 

Yes we all go through it and I feel such empathy for anyone going through a similar situation, or having gone through a rough patch. Flying is supposed to be fun but gee

 

it can test the best of us at times and really stretch the friendship. I love my plane though and if I could be as forgiving as 'Scout' then I'd be a bloody good person.

 

So guys when all is said and done, we do it because we love it and its our choice, yes have a whinge ( of course) but in the end, all we can do is buckle down get whatever the problem is, fixed/ done and start again. Whats the alternative, give up? I think not, love Debb

 

 

[Love to fly]

Hi there,

 

Love my plane. Love to fly. I have always found people really helpful when putting planes in and out of hangars. I wouldn't let this stop you finishing your license. Perhaps you could take friends flying on the basis that they help you get the plane put, and put it away again?

 

Cheers, D'

 

 

[DrZoos]

Deb a few others will chip in, but props are done up very tight, they don't settle in..... if they are out, they stay out...

 

 

[Nightmare]

Hi Deb, your plane is the 3rd Gazelle that has required a gearbox change, that I know of, within the last year. It seems to be way too common a problem.

 

 

[Rotorwork]

Sadly Debbie has passed away after a short battle with cancer on 26th August 2018.

 

A memorial gathering will be held at Cranbourne Airfield at a date to be announced.

 

Fly high Debb

 

Blue Skies forever

 

Sympathy to family and friends

 

Regards RW

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

That's really sad, sorry to hear. Deb was always such a cheerful person.

 

Condolences to family and friends.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Very sorry to hear that. Debbie was a very genuine contributor here.

 

 

[Camel]

Sad news !

 

 

[Callahan]

Sadly Debbie has passed away after a short battle with cancer on 26th August 2018.A memorial gathering will be held at Cranbourne Airfield at a date to be announced.

Fly high Debb

 

Blue Skies forever

 

Sympathy to family and friends

 

Regards RW

Seems like Cancer is taking an ever increasing toll on females. I lost a love of my life a few years back & two weeks ago lost a great pilot friend to Cancer. My older brother has it now. My prayerful thoughts to the family. Bill Catalina

 

 

[gareth lacey]

Very sad to hear that Deb has passed ,she never gave up on her passion to fly ,just re-read some of her posts , condolences to her family and friends

 

Gareth

 

 

[billwoodmason]

Very sad news to hear Deb has passed away, she obviously had a great passion to fly. Her posts on here will be sadly missed. Vale Deb.

 

 

[Neil_S]

Very sad news. Deb was a great contributor on this site, and clearly loved flying, and her Gazelle.

 

Not alone into the sunset but into the company of friends who have gone before.....

 

 

[Nightmare]

Sad to hear about the passing of Deb. My sincerest condolences to all her family and friends.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I think I'll just repost this, shows what kind of a Gal she was ...

 

Gazelle a 'sight for sore eyes'

 

LAUNCESTON woman Debbie Stewart was speechless as she watched her new, bright yellow baby drop out of a clear, blue sky yesterday to land safely at the Cranbourne Airfield.

 

``I felt sick, just sick _ I've waited years to get it, it's a month since the day I bought it and it's taken a week for Robert (Sharman) to bring it home,'' Ms Stewart said.

 

``I haven't slept for days, I'm so excited.''

 

The arrival of the Australian-made, two seater Skyfox Gazelle, weighing in at 520 kilograms, was the culmination of a long journey for Ms Stewart.

 

She started flying lessons about eight years ago but gave up after her instructor was killed in a tragic accident.

 

``This year, though, I realised that I still very much wanted to learn to fly and wanted my own plane to do it,'' she said.

 

That's where her new instructor, Tasmanian Aero Club chief flying instructor Robert Sharman, became part of the story.

 

Ms Stewart had searched Australia-wide for a suitable plane in her price range and found it in Western Australia.

 

``It was found in an old farm shed and done up by Peter Boley who lives at Karridale, near Margaret River,'' she said.

 

She couldn't fly the plane to its new home.

 

``I'm still learning,'' she said.

 

So Mr Sharman did _ all the way down the West Australian coast, across the Nullabor to Murray Bridge in South Australia, to Apollo Bay in Victoria and across Bass Strait to Northern Tasmania.

 

Flying about six hours a day, covering about 900 kilometres a day, the journey took him five days.

 

It was a tight fit for the pilot with no room for the new owner.

 

After Mr Sharman loaded his flying gear, fuel and overnight bag, there was just enough room for him to fold his long legs into the pilot's seat.

 

``The weather was perfect, it was an easy trip and I had a tail wind across Bass Strait home,'' Mr Sharman said.

 

He saw a pod of about 50 whales at the head of the Great Australian Bight and taxied into the closest road house and up to the petrol bowser to refuel across the Nullabor.

 

Ms Stewart hopes to be in the air as the pilot of her new plane by Christmas.

 

She is nearly 60 and believes that she is one of the oldest Tasmanian women learning to fly.

 

She plans to be one of the oldest to soon hold a pilot's licence.

 

 

 

[planedriver]

That's so bloody sad, and she past the same day as she made her last post on here. Such was her passion for flying her much loved Gazelle.

 

Unfortunately I got on the wrong side of her with a stupid comment which was taken the wrong way it was intended in the early days, and I regret that, but unfortunately I can't change the past.

 

Rest in peace Debbie, you will be missed by so many.

 

Planey.

 

 

[eightyknots]

It is sad!

 

 

[Blueadventures]

That's so bloody sad, and she past the same day as she made her last post on here. Such was her passion for flying her much loved Gazelle.Unfortunately I got on the wrong side of her with a stupid comment which was taken the wrong way it was intended in the early days, and I regret that, but unfortunately I can't change the past.

Rest in peace Debbie, you will be missed by so many.

 

Planey.

Hi Planey

I'm sure Deb knew that your comments were as a pilot mate; in that spirit, and that you assist fellow aviators through the forum. Cheers

 

 

[eightyknots]

That's so bloody sad, and she past the same day as she made her last post on here. Such was her passion for flying her much loved Gazelle.Unfortunately I got on the wrong side of her with a stupid comment which was taken the wrong way it was intended in the early days, and I regret that, but unfortunately I can't change the past.

Rest in peace Debbie, you will be missed by so many.

 

Planey.

Don't be too hard on yourself, Planey!

 

 

[planedriver]

Thank Guys.

 

I was prepared to drive down to Taz to help the lady to construct a winch to get her pride and joy into her hangar over the hump outside.

 

I have all the gear needed to construct something to make life easier for her. And after 50 yrs plus with automatic gates and automatic hangar doors it would have to have been easy to construct something motorised to operate at the touch of a button.

 

I would really have liked to be able to help her.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I think Debbie's aircraft is being sold - saw this on Gumtree today.

 

Skyfox Gazelle Light Sport Aircraft Plane | Miscellaneous Goods | Gumtree Australia West Tamar - Rosevears | 1194968504

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Thank you for letting us know Rotorwork.

 

I really can't recall if I commented on this thread earlier on. . I certainly Read it. . . 

 

I feel like I've been kicked in the guts. . .I really do, and now iv'e got some grit in both eyes and no mistake..

 

R.I.P.  Debbie mate.

 

Us Big boys DO weep occasionally don't we lads. .