Drifter makes emergency landing on Surfers Paradise beach

[facthunter]

It would be hard to land the drifter in soft sand without bending the U/C leg as the left one was there.. High value for a WB drifter. I wonder where they pulled that figure from?. All you 'plane owners are plutocrats. Won't be flying it till the engine is fixed !!! That's profound.. With a bit of a sea breeze your forward speed would be minimal. That's the beauty of that kind of plane. In a "kind" climate what could be better? Nev

 

 

[BLA82]

$50k Light Sport Aircraft? That’s one expensive drifter lol. Anyways it’s great to see a good outcome with no injuries.

 

 

[Cosmick]

A nose wheel wouldn't have faired so well in the soft sand.

 

 

[tillmanr]

Early ABC tv news announced it as a glider. Accurate in one sense.

 

 

[w3stie]

So until he gets that engine running again he won't be allowed to take off. And that's official!

I can think of worse places to be stranded!

 

 

[David Isaac]

On the news David (Waterford) said he was at 500ft, Class C LL is 1500ft between Porpoise Point and just north of Burleigh Heads, so he was clear of the Gold Coast CTR. I've met him at Heck Field quite a few times, he's a diligent type.

 

The requirement for them to be on the wings went out quite a while ago, perhaps 3 years ago? Now they just have to be on each side, it's not mandatory for them to be on the fin/rudder.

Thanks for that. Shows you how quickly you get out of touch with reality. He should be fine then as long as the CASA a.. hole factor doesn’t kick in.

 

 

[facthunter]

I don't really know why they got rid of the BIG letters /numbers. Makes it easier to identify errant pilots. Aren't pilots still flying, criminals WE haven't caught yet? Nev

 

 

[facthunter]

True, unless you could arrange for it to have zero groundspeed. Nev

 

 

[nomadpete]

Is there a procedure for the aircraft to take off from the beach (once CASA have been reassured that the motor is functioning)? What I mean is, aren't there rules that prohibit operation from the beach? Or must the A/C be derigged and trailered out?

 

 

[turboplanner]

Is there a procedure for the aircraft to take off from the beach (once CASA have been reassured that the motor is functioning)? What I mean is, aren't there rules that prohibit operation from the beach? Or must the A/C be derigged and trailered out?

A 24 hour National and Internationl Icon???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

 

[Geoff13]

Is there a procedure for the aircraft to take off from the beach (once CASA have been reassured that the motor is functioning)? What I mean is, aren't there rules that prohibit operation from the beach? Or must the A/C be derigged and trailered out?

Much easier to get forgiven than to get approval.

 

The more obvious question is unless it was an obvious easily fixable fault is who would want to be repairing and then testing an engine on a crowded beach.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Much easier to get forgiven than to get approval.The more obvious question is unless it was an obvious easily fixable fault is who would want to be repairing and then testing an engine on a crowded beach.

Simple answer, you fix it, static test run it and wait til 0500hrs the next morning when there is no one on the beach and bugger off. Completely safe and justifiable methodology.

 

 

[kgwilson]

so what happened about the requirement to have them on the wings and the rudder fin?

The current requirement as per the tech manual is to have the rego numbers on both sides of the fuselage between the wings and tail or on both sides of the vertical tail surfaces with a minimum height of 150mm or if 150mm not possible an application to reduce the size is required. There is also a form to enable change from the old location (under wings) to the new fuselage sides only. The photos don't show the rego so it must have been obscured by the empenage & I'd say somewhat smaller that 150mm

 

 

[Callahan]

Well, you guys have it tough down there with all your rules & regs. Not really bragging but I've been flying two illegal "ultralights" for 30 years or however long its been since they changed the B.S. from ultralights to Light Sport Aircraft. (Ca-(ca-ching...cash register).

 

Friend of mine crashed his illegal ultralight (2-place Kolb) on a Florida beach, hit a woman walking, broke her collar bone, almost cut his foot off with the prop, totaled his a/c.....our FAA, Federal Aviation Admin. didn't even bother to attend the festivities.

 

I'm 68. Not really an outlaw. Just still in the ultralight frame of mind. Why change? My new video, Drifter Flying Part II will be out on YouTube in a few days. Will post a link soon. Four music videos, a few girls & a wild 2 minute slo-mo loop. Something went POP as I was pulling out. We can't figure out what caused it. I did another one to see if I could figure it out. No luck. Weird.

 

 

[Ace747]

He did a splendid job! I've flown a drifter several times along that route, and there is nowhere to land but the beach. How he missed hitting anyone on the beach is indeed a credit to him. Well done sir.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Well, you guys have it tough down there with all your rules & regs. Not really bragging but I've been flying two illegal "ultralights" for 30 years or however long its been since they changed the B.S. from ultralights to Light Sport Aircraft. (Ca-(ca-ching...cash register).Friend of mine crashed his illegal ultralight (2-place Kolb) on a Florida beach, hit a woman walking, broke her collar bone, almost cut his foot off with the prop, totaled his a/c.....our FAA, Federal Aviation Admin. didn't even bother to attend the festivities.

 

I'm 68. Not really an outlaw. Just still in the ultralight frame of mind. Why change? My new video, Drifter Flying Part II will be out on YouTube in a few days. Will post a link soon. Four music videos, a few girls & a wild 2 minute slo-mo loop. Something went POP as I was pulling out. We can't figure out what caused it. I did another one to see if I could figure it out. No luck. Weird.

Australians love snitching

 

 

[NinjaNate]

Simple answer, you fix it, static test run it and wait til 0500hrs the next morning when there is no one on the beach and bugger off. Completely safe and justifiable methodology.

Good plan except that it's surfers/broadbeach... at 5am it's packed with morning joggers/walkers

 

 

[Callahan]

Aussies love snitching?

 

Well, you guys tried your best & lost many of your best in Vietnam. So if any of you want to snitch, you go right ahead.

 

Plus I'm too old to give a crap. If you guys are anything like South Africans you're a fantastic bunch...and I think you are!

 

Happy New Year from Florida in what was the good ol' USA now the Socialist States of America.

 

Australians love snitching

[bexrbetter]

Aussies love snitching?Plus I'm too old to give a crap. If you guys are anything like South Africans you're a fantastic bunch...and I think you are!

There's plenty of Australians who hold 'Aussie' values.

 

South Africans are great, many values and character traits similar to our own.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Aussies love snitching?Well, you guys tried your best & lost many of your best in Vietnam. So if any of you want to snitch, you go right ahead.

Plus I'm too old to give a crap. If you guys are anything like South Africans you're a fantastic bunch...and I think you are!

 

Happy New Year from Florida in what was the good ol' USA now the Socialist States of America.[ATTACH=full]53195[/ATTACH]

We don't really Callahan; don't worry about FT, she's........different.

 

And thanks for your service.

 

 

[M61A1]

We're a "diverse" bunch.....most people will refuse to talk to an authority about import stuff, like kids being harmed, but then they cant wait to get someone in trouble by whinging about minor issues. Tall poppy syndrome is bad here, and if you have a plane, you must be rich.

 

 

[Callahan]

Thanks for the tip Turbo but I kinda' figured that! :)

 

Some renegades like me are alive & well there I'm sure. It's all about money over here. Now they want me to register my drone! Sure will, right after I finish registering my ass.

 

We don't really Callahan; don't worry about FT, she's........different.And thanks for your service.

[Callahan]

Oh yes M61.....why I'm rich too! I have a 22 year old Trike and an '87 Drifter. Total worth about $15k. Maybe.[ATTACH=full]53198[/ATTACH]"Tall Poppy Syndrome eh?"

 

Yeah....we got that too. In abundance unfortunately.

 

deleted...mod

[w3stie]

"Oh yes M61.....why I'm rich too! I have a 22 year old Trike and an '87 Drifter. Total worth about $15k. Maybe."

 

 

I truly don't think the $ value matters. We are a privileged generation to be able to fly at any price, and to have the freedom to do so without too much interference from the authorities. To me, you are a rich man Callahan :)

 

 

[M61A1]

to have the freedom to do so without too much interference from the authorities

Where do you live?......I want to live there. It sure doesn't sound like where I live.