Fly in - Echuca 24-26 April 2009

[Captain]

Thanks Chaps

 

Thanks to Pete & Matt for your efforts on this.

 

As this is only a little over 2 months away it would be nice to know the outcome and we can start to solicit interest from the forum members to which Echuca is an easy journey, which has to be a heap of potential typists who will finally get to meet each other.

 

If I can assist with any aspect of your organising workload, let me know please Peter.

 

There are a heap of AAAA enthusiasts in Wagga Aero Club and I'll give them all a rev too in a couple of weeks.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Matt]

Morning everyone, just confirming (following the AAAA committee meeting last night) that camping will not be permitted on the airfield (airside or landside) as per the T&C's for the Echuca Airshow (link posted above). Hopefully that doesn't deter anyone from attending the event. There is a vast array of accommodation available in Echuca & Moama from camping sites in caravan parks to luxury resorts and everything in between.

 

I'm not sure what BigPete has in store with his cunning plan, but if it encourages more attendees to the event then I hope it comes through.

 

 

[Captain]

Matt

 

Thanks for your update. That certainly makes a difference to my plans, so let us hope that BP's CP will come up with something great ..... perhaps he will let us sleep in his hangar?

 

Regards & thanks Geoff

 

 

[Tomo]

..... perhaps he will let us sleep in his hangar?

And put his baby outside...:ah_oh:

 

You think you could handle that BP:crying:

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

What is the update big pete ?

 

 

[wanabigaplane]

Hey BigPete - do I bring my tent or not?

 

If you are arranging group accommodation I'm interested.

 

I've tentatively planned to attend, just haven't asked the weather gods yet.

 

Jack. :thumb_up: thumb_down

 

 

[wanabigaplane]

Uh-oh

 

Not looking good. Might still go to the hangar on the day and look out the window.

 

Jack. :thumb_up: :thumb_up: thumb_down thumb_down thumb_down

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Seen the forecast GFS?

 

[ATTACH]7830.vB[/ATTACH]

 

It's going to be as windy as a post-curry night.

 

Looks like I get to go help with the grape picking after all.

 

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

And cold - wherever you get a thickness of 540 or less (the heavy black line) it is cold with potential precipitation coming as sleet or higher as snow.

 

[ATTACH]7831.vB[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[BigPete]

Well - it's a bit damp here in Echuca. :big_grin: Some early birds arrived Thursday, about 20 aircraft. :thumb_up: Club rooms have never looked so good and the airport is spic and span.

 

The dust is well and truely settled and what will we do with 100kg of sausages and bacon. :yuk::confused: (and 800 liters of MOGAS)

 

We are all hoping the weather will improve and we can put on a good show Sunday. Bit hard if no one can fly in and it keeps raining (not that there's anything wrong with that) and the weather stops the airshow. (might make a few dollars pulling cars out of the mud) ;)

 

I'll keep you posted.

 

regards

 

:big_grin::big_grin:

 

 

[BigPete]

Well - no rain overnight. :thumb_up: 6 aircraft managed to arrive yesterday afternoon - might have been a bit of hedge hopping happening. ;)

 

Great BBQ meal in the clubrooms last night - quite a few have arrived by road. Very overcast outside and top of 19 deg expected. i_dunno

 

Tomorrow may just be good enough to put on a show.......:big_grin::big_grin:

 

regards

 

:big_grin::big_grin:

 

 

[Tomo]

I hope it gets better for you... Up here in SE QLD it's absolutely beautiful today, here is the weather forecasts for up here, Just to show you that sunny Qld is sunny Qld;)

 

 

[skydog]

abandoned my attempt

 

I was trying to get up (and back) today from Pt Cook but cloud down to 1200` at Kilmore gap. Since the gap is 1200` and I could not see Mt Macedon at all!!!!! I decided not to try besides NAIPS reporting winds on ground about 23kts gusting to 30. Severe turb warning below 5000` sort of sealed it for me unfortunately.

 

Biggest issue is getting back as the real crap weather is coming although lovely weather right now in Melbourne city itself , nice sunny breaks thru the BKN & SCT.

 

Enjoy the weekend.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Melbourne forecast for Sunday is for an average of 33 knots!

 

 

[BigPete]

Quite windy today, and hardly any rain :thumb_up: (until 6pm and then a real cloud burst). A few early birds got thru before things closed up a bit.

 

Roulettes flew in (nice formation guys), at 2 pm and landed ever so neatly one after the other. :thumb_up: Wirraway and Beechcraft arrived together followed by a neat run of the TQ (Three Quarter) Mustang and a Yak 52 trying to keep up. :big_grin:

 

Forecast for tomorrow looks better :confused: - we are down on airshow participating aircraft and the airshow routine is being rewritten as I type this. Might even get a run in the Jbiruoo.

 

A lot of very hard work has gone into this event. We may break even - it will depend on local spectator suport - we'll see how it goes.

 

regards

 

:big_grin::big_grin:

 

 

[Guest Decca]

Big P if I don't go it will be a roaring success. (Maybe I should stay home). If I do go it will wash out. But at least I could catch up with some great company. So far to drive, & I don't want to pin you down to make a decision for me, not after your last post anyway.

 

OK I've made a decision. The big red Falcon stays in the shed. Cancel flight plan. I'll have to catch up with you guys another day.

 

Hope you have a good day,

 

Big D.

 

 

[brilin_air]

Maybe the state and Federal governments could hire airshows as drought breakers, Avalon rain, Narromine rain, and now the Echuca airshow, rain, seems to be a pattern forming somehow :confused:

 

Brian

 

 

[Captain]

Peter

 

What ended up happening yesterday?

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[BigPete]

G'day Guys,

 

We did manage to put up some aircraft. :thumb_up:

 

We had a 25/30 knot cross wind (and gusting) (35-17) Grass strip was closed (05-23) :yuk:

 

Jim (Wickham I think) flew the pants of his Robinson R22. What a pilot, his routine was awsome. :ah_oh:

 

Murray (didn't get a surname) (ex RAAF Instructor) did an magnificent job in his CT4 - you'd think it was a calm day, the way he flew that lil' ol' Victa. :thumb_up:

 

The spitfire came straight from Temora, - refuelled at Deniliquin (into wind runway) and did a bang up job in formation with Judy Pay's Trogen. (that gal can Fly!!!!)

 

Beech 12 got into the air - beautiful sound and oh so shiny (I'm in love :heart: (again)) did some very nice passes and departed for home.

 

Yak 52's belonging to our very own Peter George and Rob Hosking :star: did some tight formation work, great sound (don't ya just love a radial) (the Russians are coming!!).

 

By 2pm the wind had picked up a bit more :black_eye: (understatement of the year) and the RAAF Roulettes closed the show. Jeez can these guys fly or what Just another day in the office to them. Tight, tight formations, and you could see each aircraft jinking around within its position - heart stopping stuff, and they made it look soooo easy. :thumb_up::thumb_up::thumb_up:

 

AS Ben would say - I dips me lid. (Ben was there, as busy as a one armed wallpaper hanger, on the end of a video camera, good to see you (briefly Ben).

 

Lots of great looking aircraft on the ground,:heart: (I spent most of my day on the bloody fuel truck :yuk: ) and plenty of things to see as well (hot rods, old engines etc etc).

 

The EAC (Echuca Aero Club) ladies did a brilliant catering job, serving up plenty of hot tasty (and healthy) food. Those that managed to fly in had a terrific time (note: need bigger club house). :confused:

 

We may just break even - a real shame when I think of the amount of work that went in behind the scenes. But - as they say - that's aviation for ya. i_dunno

 

regards

 

:big_grin::big_grin:

 

 

[Captain]

Thanks Peter,

 

Glad you were able to get some action, but sad that this Event was less than perfect, and hope the Club comes out of it OK.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Rotten luck Pete. I was crestfallen at not being able to attend. I did manage to pick up my crest and go grape picking. It hasn't been a great year for cool climate (and high altitude) grapes either. We only got about a tonne of pinot noir. Sunday saw flurries of snow and very strong gusts of wind, so the chardonnay and riesling is still on the vines. We retired to the house to watch videos by the fire.

 

How about organizing another event at Echuca Pete? Third time lucky. You'd better do it now while you're in practice.

 

 

[Kaz]

Hi everyone, we just got home from the weekend which started on Thursday for us - we knew the only way we'd make it was to leave on Thursday.

 

BigPete's post pretty much wrapped up the weekend - cold, wet and windy. A Couple of corrections to BigPete's post though...

 

Murray (didn't get a surname) (ex RAAF Instructor) did an magnificent job in his CT4 - you'd think it was a calm day, the way he flew that lil' ol' Victa. :thumb_up:

Murray Wallace is his name and is a good friend of ours and mentor of Matt's....not an ex-RAAF instructor though, was an Army helicopter pilot then a long and distinguished airline career.

 

The spitfire came straight from Temora, - refuelled at Deniliquin (into wind runway) and did a bang up job in formation with Judy Pay's Trogen. (that gal can Fly!!!!)

Actually it was Alan Arthur's Kittyhawk which flew to Deni on Saturday for an ANZAC day flypast then stayed there overnight in a hangar there due to (as BigPete mentioned) having an in-to wind runway.

 

Beech 12 got into the air - beautiful sound and oh so shiny (I'm in love :heart: (again)) did some very nice passes and departed for home.

Actually a Lockeed 12...and yes she is a beautiful machine.

 

A big thanks to the Echuca Aero Club for helping us (the Antique Aeroplane Association) put on a fantastic weekend for our national fly-in.

 

Oh...it's actually Matt here, just figured out I'm logged in as Kaz....anyhow we'll get around to a full post of our own in the next couple of days.

 

Cheers,

 

Matt (masquerading as Kaz )

 

 

[facthunter]

masquerade.

 

It's OK Matt, She is prettier than you. Nev,,,

 

 

[Kaz]

Not wrong there Nev ;)

 

 

[turboplanner]

BigPete, we understood what you meant.