A V 8 or...

[Boofhead]

Helloo aviators.

 

Boofhead from the ACT here.

 

I'm pleased to make your collective virtual acquaintances. Enough about you though, lets talk about me !

 

I'm 40 years old and am just starting my flying career and have decided that recreational aviation is the go !

 

My Dad has always been an avid aviation enthusiast and learnt to fly in tiger moths and chipmunks. I think his first flight though was an aerobatic joyride in an RAAF Vampire back when he was in the Air training core as a kid (for which he paid 1 large sick-bag's worth). As Dad's passion was aircraft I was dragged along (very willingly) to airshows all over the world as a boy. Also I remember spending a fair bit of time in the passenger seats of warriors and Cessnas at Canberra airport, back when you didn't have to be an airline or a shopping centre to be there.

 

My youth was very well mis-spent riding motorcycles and jumping out of planes. I completed well over 300 free fall skydives (It's quite hard not to complete a skydive... one way or another), with a good bunch of people out at Collector when we used to have a club there back in the late 80's and early 90's.

 

I've spent many hours sitting on the floor of Cessna 182s with 4 other jumpers & heavy parachutes waiting for what seemed like an eternity to get to jump height. I've jumped from Nomads, Twin Otters and DC3's as well, which I used to love as we would take a running jump out of the huge cargo door and would try to "Hang" in that massive prop-wash like a ski-jumper.

 

I gave up jumping about 10-15 years ago, as I found I got sick of the egos and the ergos' (No really, you get a very sore back after a while) not to mention the expense. I had always wanted to take up flying but a family and demanding career in IT have meant it was lower in the priority list. I've also recently given up on the motorbikes after a badly broken collarbone riding dirt bikes. I did the rounds in public hospitals with mis-diagnosis and subsequent re-braking and plate and screw installation. I now proudly wear titanium shoulder-bling and I won't doing that again if I have anything to do with it.

 

So, much to my Dads delight I've decided to get sensible and finally start flying which I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. Last weekend I went to Polo flats and had my TIF which all went very well, as my instructor assures me I am a legend, and an Ace and should be flying for Qantas.

 

After Easter I'll be starting to work towards my license with regular flying, so up until that point the skies will be relatively safe.

 

Cheers

 

Boof

 

 

[Tomo]

G'day Boof (I feel bad adding the Head bit... ) A huge welcome from me, it seems you have a skill in writing.... :thumb_up: (I just get carried away, that's my problem, no skill in me what so ever :ah_oh: )

 

I plan to jump out of an aircraft one day, just for the heck of it. Though my Dad and a lot of others wonder why you would jump out of a perfectly good machine... but I guess that's part of the deal. ;)

 

RAA is a great way to get in the air at a reasonable costage. You'd love the Drifter! :thumb_up: It's got fabric wings... you'd be used to that. And the air, good fun!

 

It's good to hear your an ace, I've been looking everywhere for one of them... (pretty lame I know)

 

Ok, nuff about you.... I fly up here in the glorious state (yep, you guessed it - Qld) Got me ticket (gees it's nearly been a yr!) in April I think last year for RAA, learnt in the Drifter, then upgraded to the Jabiru, did me nav's in the Jab... Now I fly what ever I can get my little hands onto. :thumb_up: (Diesel fitter by trade... Mobile Mechy)

 

I'm flying down to Temora next week for the National flyin, or NATFLY. Looking forward to it tremendously, should be good.

 

Ok, tea is ready, so I'll stop annoying you.... :black_eye:

 

Ps. Keep us up to scratch on your progress!

 

 

[Boofhead]

G'day Boof (I feel bad adding the Head bit... ) A huge welcome from me, it seems you have a skill in writing.... :thumb_up: (I just get carried away, that's my problem, no skill in me what so ever :ah_oh: )I plan to jump out of an aircraft one day, just for the heck of it. Though my Dad and a lot of others wonder why you would jump out of a perfectly good machine... but I guess that's part of the deal. ;)

Thank you.

Well that's easily solved Tomo, as most of the jump-ships I have been in are not perfectly good machines, they are generally beaten up worn out old antiques, and jumping from them is a much safer option than landing in them.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

G'day Boof, Glad to see you finally made it. I felt I knew you straight away, as I also have spent many hours on the floor of 182s climbing to jump height. I also did some jumps years ago at Captains Flat, I think it was. COLD !!.........I can remember as we got to a few thou, you could see the large fountain to the NW in lake Burley Griffin. Welcome to Rec flying...it's the way to go, and we look foward to hearing about your progress....Cheers......Maj..

 

 

[Boofhead]

Well thanks Maj. I'd erased the memory of the balmy temperature of Canberra winters from my mind over the summer so thanks for reminding me (I'd have been reminded in a couple of months from now though anyway).

 

It's all coming back to me now; -16 climbing high above Tumut in a Nomad with no cargo door. BRRRRRRRRRRRR. I will be warm forever by comparison.

 

Do Jabirus have heaters ?

 

Now where's my blanket...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

We jumped a Cherokee 6 at Canberra. I dropped a couple of students at around 3500 and then up to 8 grand for some serious stuff. With the open door, by Six I was ice, and I had left one glove behind on the ground !. What do you do ?... jump with none, or leave the one on ?. I went with one on, and figured I'd have at least one operating hand if I needed it. After 35 seconds of freefall at 120mph in the middle of winter, the ungloved hand was frozen and in a bad way when I landed. I walked around with it between my legs for about half an hour just to stop it aching. I grew up here in the North so tend to be thin blooded...it hurt !!