Hi from Canada

[Mike Green]

I'm a Pom who's lived in Toronto, Canada for many years. Learned to fly in 1973, rented Cessnas for some years then let it drop. Three years ago I started again from scratch, resumed renting but found it inconvenient. For years I had daydreamed about building something, most recently a Sonex, but finally admitted that I work too slowly and would probably turn my toes up before completing the thing. I looked at various types to buy before discovering Tecnams. There are only 18 in total in Canada, but I found three used ones on the market - two Echos and an Echo Super, which is the one I bought eight months ago. I've spent 70 enjoyable hours in it so far. It has pretty good performance, likes auto fuel, is factory-designed and built but is classed "advanced ultralight" which means that I am permitted to maintain it - so I'll be posting a few questions to you Tecnam guys.

 

 

[Relfy]

Hey Mike, welcome to the site. There's a lot of others in here who fly the Tecnams and rave about them. Great to see you getting stuck into some flying! We'd love to see some trip reports of your adventures up that way. I've heard the scenery is pretty good up there... :thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Welcome Mike, ask away, there is always someone on here who will know the answer. I've flown the Eaglet (I think it was), it was a delightful thing to fly.

 

 

[Thalass]

Hi! My wife is from Sudbury, Ontario, so it's nice to see some people from the area on here haha.

 

I'm wondering, do you have a Canadian PPL, or are you still flying on your English one? I've been wondering if I get my Australian RA pilot license if it'll transfer, or if I'd have to go all the way and get a PPL for it to be recognised.

 

Anyway, welcome!

 

 

[Mike Green]

Thanks for the welcome, lads. Around this time each year I begin to think that I should have migrated South instead of West. My wife and I visited Oz for the second time this year('09), spending all of April with friends and family in Launceston, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

 

Sudbury is about 350 km from Toronto as the fly crows so is not exactly in the area, although if you're in Perth I guess you'd claim ANY reachable community as a neighbour. My relatives are in Kalamunda.

 

I learned to fly in Canada. Don't have a British licence, so don't know about transferability. When I lived in the UK it seemed as though the ordinary person didn't do exotic things such as flying aeroplanes or playing golf. Golf has changed, but flying seems terribly expensive and suffers from too little uncontrolled airspace and too much weather. Many Brits go to the States to train more cheaply and quickly (weather again) so there must be a lot of credit given for a foreign licence, but the new recreational/sport pilot type permits might vary more. I'm sure you could find out via the internet.

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Hey Mike, next time you are heading to Launceston come round and say Gday.

 

Qwerty

 

 

[bushcaddy105]

Gooday Mike from a South Australian BushCaddy flyer. Kit came from about 30 km west of Montreal, not all that far from you. We visited your part of the world back in June, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting some of the local flyers as we travelled. I would love to experience your winter flying, eg on skis, and would also appreciate more opportunity to use floats than we've got here. You live in a flyer's paradise!

 

 

[Riley]

Greetings Thalass

 

The mention of your wife's Sudbury origins brought back recollections of Inco's sulphurous smoke stacks, acid bleached countryside and a regional economy grid-locked between two mining companies and the rabid trade unions. I grew up there but jumped ship in the mid 50's, ended up in WA about ten years later and it's happily been my base point ever since. Tell me, does the wife still get all 'clucky' and long for the freezing cold and the belly-button deep ice & snow at this time each year? My coconut mentality precludes me "... dreaming of a White Xmas". Bring on the warm weather and another can of Carlton mid-strength! (Qwerty - if you had been to Queenstown on the west coast about 30 years ago - you've been to Sudbury!) Healthy New Year to y'all. cheers Riley

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Queenstown hasn't changed, I'm actually trying to get organised to fly down there now to see a mate. Flying in that neck of the world requires some care, the Wx is trecherous to say the least.

 

 

[Thalass]

Riley: Yes she does! She's only been here for three years, and she doesn't like the heat much. I say a cold xmas is unnatural!

 

I heard that NASA went to Sudbury to practice for the moon landings, it was so dead from the acid rain back then. It's improved now, though you can still tell the difference between Sudbury area and the other bush areas. The trees area all the same age, and the acidic soil means there are a bajillion blueberry plants around the town.

 

Heaps of lakes, too, which is why I want an amphibian! haha