Ultralight History in Australia

[Ultralight NT]

Hi,

 

I'm currently researching the Ultralight History of Australia (specifically in the NT) and wonder if anyone has any suggestions on books/ texts to read please? 

 

I've recently acquired a copy of Frank Bailey's Understanding and Flying Ultralights. Any other suggestions are welcomed. 

 

Thanks.

 

 

[farri]

Hi, To you also! Suggestions? what exactly is it you are looking for and hoping to achieve?

 

Franco. 

 

 

[Thruster88]

Hi NT, not sure if you have seen this but it is a cracking film about the early days and the mighty Scout, the good old days may not return....

 

 

 

 

[farri]

Yep! Have seen it! Jack Stewart ( surname spelling may be wrong) a member of our local club, the F.N.Q.U.A owned one! I flew it a couple of times! wouldn`t want to these days.

 

 Jack flew it successfully! he would estimate the wind speed and direction by taking his hanky out of his pocket, holding it at shoulder height then letting it go, if it landed within a given distance, he`d go flying!  another guy who was a member of our club and an experienced Ultralight pilot, had a go at flying Jack`s Scout and crashed it into Lake Tinaroo, on the Atherton Tablelands, he was injured, hospitalised and extremely lucky to survive.

 

This happened in "the good old days" on my property! a very prominent A.U.F. C.F.I. who owned a couple of Scouts and was experienced in flying them, was trying to help a guy who had recently bought one but hadn`t tried flying it yet... C.F.I. took-off, climbed to 1,000 feet AGL, the Scout dropped the right wing and side-slipped all the way to the ground! the only reason he survived was that the AC landed with each wing either side of one of our drains, here on the property, so he was in the seat in the drain and would have drowned had I and a couple of other guys not got to him in time! he was very badly injured... I recall some called the Scout "The Widow Maker" .

 

Franco.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

 

I'm currently researching the Ultralight History of Australia (specifically in the NT) and wonder if anyone has any suggestions on books/ texts to read please? 

 

You could start with this:-

 

 

 

This is on this site under Resources - Tutorials.

 

I have early copies of some Ultralight publications such as Pacific Ultralights and the AUF newsletter / RAA magazines.  There's a lot out there, so it will depend on what specifically you want - aircraft design, people, governance, statistics?

 

Sue

 

 

[Ultralight NT]

Hi Farri, Thruster 88 and Flying Vizsla,

 

Thank you for replying! 

 

Thanks for the link to the Scout video, one of our guys flew one only a few months ago. They are certainly a steep learning curve, but amazing to see in the air again. 

 

Thanks for the link to the Resources section, I'll be sure to check that out ASAP. 

 

I'm currently writing a history of ultralights in the NT and noticed there isn't much written about the people, the clubs or aircraft and sadly the memories (and those who were there) of the early 'good old days' aren't recorded or well known throughout Australia (let alone the NT). I've managed to get my head around the changes in legislation and regulations, but I am a little lost as to where I can find out who, how, when and where AUF (Ra-Aus), ultralight clubs or ultralight communities started. I've a few years worth of RA-Aus magazines, some plans, advertisements and owners manuals from earlier ultralights, but if you know where might be located or can be accessed I'm certainly keen to hear. I now have some statistics on my local ultralight clubs, but if there are Australia wide ones available, again I'm keen to hear more. 

 

Flying Vizsla, are those earlier magazines/ newsletters digitally stored or are they hard copies please? 

 

Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Flying Vizsla, are those earlier magazines/ newsletters digitally stored or are they hard copies please? 

 

Both.  I was copying the AUF/RAA magazines as a project for RAA to put them up on their website.  I have a complete collection of hard copies from 1992/3 up to when the magazine went digital (and available on the RAA website), but I am still looking for hard copies earlier.  My digitising project goes in fits & starts and I have not touched it for about a year.  Fully searchable and tagged, high resolution.  RAA have offered to loan me their archived copies, but I am a bit reluctant to be entrusted with perhaps the only official copies in captivity.  I'm jinxed - the pre 1992 copies I have been promised have all disappeared in (a) spouse clean up, (b) deceased and dumped x 2, © freak flood, (d) frenzied silverfish / cockie attack, (e) "I'm sure they're here somewhere ...." If anyone wants to risk it, I am still looking for AUF mags/newsletters from inception to 1992.

 

The Pacific Ultralights and earlier magazines are all gathering dust in boxes under the house.  I could read through, scan and send whatever you are interested in.  If you could define that for me pls. 

 

We still have a Scout, but needs re-covering, Mr FV is too heavy to get it off the ground, but I still can, and a single seat Karasport.  We've just got too much to do, so many projects - who said retirement was boring?

 

 

[Ultralight NT]

FV, that does sound like a rather unfortunate track record with hard copy magazines! Thank you for digitising the ones you have. 

 

I believe I know of one other person who has some from of the AUF/ RAA magazines from the early days. But I'm not sure if their set is complete. I'll be sure to log back into RAA and check out which magazines are available online ? Once I've done that, if there are still any gaps in my information I'll be sure to let you know. 

 

Which mark is your Scout? I haven't seen a Karasport fly. Is yours in flying condition? Ultralight aircraft projects are brilliant (we certainly have a few on the go), but yes very time consuming. 

 

Thanks

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

 

I believe I know of one other person who has some from of the AUF/ RAA magazines from the early days. But I'm not sure if their set is complete. I'll be sure to log back into RAA and check out which magazines are available online ? Once I've done that, if there are still any gaps in my information I'll be sure to let you know. 

 

Which mark is your Scout? I haven't seen a Karasport fly. Is yours in flying condition? Ultralight aircraft projects are brilliant (we certainly have a few on the go), but yes very time consuming. 

 

Thanks

 

The magazine went digital from June 2011 - you can find them on the RAA site and issuu.com.  I have a complete set from late 1992, but patchy before that.  I would be grateful for any early copies I can borrow.  Be warned ... there will be floods, cyclones, magazine gobbling goannas, Marie Kondo moments of decluttering ahead for your AUF magazine owners.

 

Karasport is a single seat in flying condition.  It is a parasol, comes apart into a trailer.  There's some pictures on this forum discussing trailer-able planes.  The Scout isn't flying as it needs recovering, pixie motor, Mk I.

 

 

[facthunter]

What has become of the HOLBROOK Museum? Nev

 

 

[Ultralight NT]

Facthunter - I believe it is still open, a few of my mates went there a few months ago. 

 

FV - Thanks, and I will certainly let you know if we have any gaps in a friend's collection (once we start going through the magazines they have). Glad to hear the Karasport is flying and I'll be sure to look at the photos you mention. 

 

Thanks

 

 

[farri]

Hi Farri, Thank you for replying.

 

How far back do you want to go? If you havn`t already done so try contacting SSCBD on this forum, he goes further back with the A.U.F than I do... Except for the bottom one, here`s a couple of photos I took, way back! you can use them if you want.

 

Perry Harvey with his Scout at Mission Beach, North Queensland...Not sure, but I think it was, 1986.

 

Steve Ridley, with his Sky-Dart and me on the beach at Russell Heads, North Queensland,1986.

 

Kevin Wall and me, when I was instructing...Deeral, North Queensland.

 

Franco,

 

 

[Ultralight NT]

Hi Farri (Franco),

 

Apologies for the delayed reply. 

 

Brilliant photos! Thank you for sharing them. 

 

Some amazing stories you have regarding Scouts in the early days of ultralights. 

 

Thanks for suggesting contacting SSCBD. I'll try to do that. 

 

Thanks again. 

 

 

[Methusala]

 

 

 

[Ultralight NT]

Hi Methusala,

 

Thanks for the photos! They are brilliant and looks like a lot of fun was had. Do you still fly them? 

 

Dare I ask if the Thruster wheel is due to a hard landing?

 

Thanks. 

 

 

[Methusala]

Thanks for the photos! They are brilliant and looks like a lot of fun was had. Do you still fly them? 

 

Yes, Ultralight, I still love the Thruster. Wheel and gear damaged when a bolt broke on the tail spring and we hit a tyre marker on the edge of the strip. Don't use tyres at the edge of your strip.

 

 

[rickodesu]

Hi Flying vizsla, Are the Scout or the Karasport For Sale ? Thanks Richard.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Karasport is not for sale - it's his fun machine.  Although he did contemplate selling to an old early AUF flier, but as he didn't have a licence (you didn't need one back then) and he wasn't prepared to get his RAA Certificate, it ended up in a stalemate.

 

The Scout needs a lot of work, and is a handful to fly, and you have to be pretty light.  He can't believe anyone would want to buy one.

 

We have a Turbulent hanging up in the shed, but all the glue joints are suspect.

 

The son saw a part built Sonerai, so Dad bought it for him and he has never done anything with it (he doesn't fly) and now wants to get it out of his shed - again - a lot of work needed.

 

We have a Lightwing (GA model - short wing and harder to handle than the GR) which will be for sale soon, and hangar. 

 

Rationalising our fleet to what we can afford, fly and maintain and getting rid of the detritus of a life of collecting things.  I'll have a look through our early photos and put some up.

 

 

[Flying Binghi]

 

I'm currently researching the Ultralight History of Australia (specifically in the NT)...

 

 

I’ve got some early 80’s photos of U/L’s around MKT area. In box’s in deep storage at the moment.

 

From memory there’s a Bunyip, a Winton, a Scout, KM’s Drifter with her son flying, The club Drifter, And a few others.

 

The Bunyip I well remember as I nearly half a mid-air with it whilst taking a sequence of photos. Flying whilst looking through the view finder of me $10 camera I did not realise that things are ‘closer then they appear’. The sudden look of terror from the Bunyip driver made me look around the camera to see the Bunyip mere feet from me wingtip...

 

When I work out how to convert hard copy photos to electrons I’ll post them up. ...unless I get banned again in the meantime..?

 

 

 

 

.

[spacesailor]

Scan will be the go.

Just sit the photo face down, close the lid and press the scan button, easy, LoL.

spacesailor

[RossK]

Actually, scanning can be detrimental to old photos. The intense light from the scanner can kick off the residual deveolpement chemicals and over time the original photo will darken.

Best to take a photo of the orignal with a digital camera.

It's how museums do it.

[spacesailor]

Soounds good, unless you haven't a steady hand !..

spacesailor

[farri]

I’ve got some early 80’s photos of U/L’s around MKT area. In box’s in deep storage at the moment. When I work out how to convert hard copy photos to electrons I’ll post them up. ...unless I get banned again in the meantime..?

If you don`t have a scanner, you can take a photo of the photos, with a digital camera or phone.

 

Franco.

[Yenn]

Many years ago I did a lot of photography and once copied an old photo using silver film of the old type.

When I gave the copy to the owner of the original, he commented that he could see people sitting on the verandah. We looked at the original and with great difficulty we could see the people on it, but not easily. You can improve on the original image with copying by camera. At least you can with film, maybe not with digital.