S.Drifter

I can't wait until drone's with up to 6 or more hours of duration are developed at an affordable price. I'd love to be able to muster either from the office or the cab of a ute parked out in the paddock. There is huge potential here.I can see no reason why you couldn't use it on your own place or do it on a commercial basis. It would be a lot cheaper than running an aircraft as is done now and not to mention safer.

No argument here. That type of operator is a very small minority and there are clowns in all walks of life not only in primary industries ripping off the system, but what pisses me off is being tarred with the same brush as them. If you aren't prepared to look after your animals and land you have no place in the industry.

Damn I'm one of the ones that bought the neighbor's out, do you mean if I sell out I may even be a multi millionaire who would have thought, but it still doesn't answer my question. What would be your long term plan be to stay on the land and stay viable? Other than chuck the towel in.

. What would be your long term plan be to stay on the land and stay viable through 3 or 4 years of dry times after a couple of marginal years following 4 dry ones?

Have a look at a new DRIFT. wristband remote has a screen, Pic quality is excellent. My old HD has been in all sorts of places around the world and hasn't missed a beat unlike a mates Go Pro. Quite streamlined, lens rotates through nearly 180 degrees and doesn't stand out like a pimple on a dick

No rain here yet, looks good on the radar up round Cloncurry so hoping it gets down this way. Geoff I am and I know everyone else out here are humbled by the generosity and support of you and others in the general public have given it is truly overwhelming especially when most are not doing it so easy. Thanks. The old saying about "empty vessels" was penned by a wise man.

I think a long bow has been drawn here. Not all livestock owners out here have that plan, in fact they would be in a very small minority and probably won't be here to see the next drought ( I hope not anyway ). In our case we destocked all cattle at the beginning of the dry (about 3 yrs ago)and bought our sheep numbers back to ewes only , under 2000. We usually run 500- 800 cattle and 5500 sheep. Even only running 2000dry sheep ( haven't joined for over 3 yrs ) it is not only the dry, we have been eaten out of house and home by macropods which have been in plague proportions for a number of years because of the resistance to sustainable harvesting of roo's. Mother nature has done it for us in the most inhumane way possible, by starvation. I would estimate over 5000 have died on my property alone. Nothing is more depressing than going on a water or feed run and near dead roo's trying to drag themselves up then collapsing again then having to put them down or pulling dead ones out of the water troughs because they've fallen in and haven't the strength to get up and drown.This is a death you would not wish on anybody or anything. I just ask one question . What would your drought plan be to still be viable after the drought breaks? Me I'd just buy my stuff from Woolies and pretend all is well and tell others how to do it

My deepest condolences to Wayne's Family. I have been away from civilizeation for a few days and have just found out this tragic news and I am still stunned. What a loss, he had forgotten more about Drifters than most of us will ever know. A humble man. I first met Wayne in the mid 90's when I was looking for advise on rebuilding a Maxair Drifter I had bought in bits and was given his number. I rang him and asked if he knew much about drifters and his reply was "a bit".After a couple of long conversations I loaded all my bits up and drove about 1300km down to Lismore only to find his "bit" of knowlege was a vast understasement. We have been friends ever since I have flown over 10,000 hrs his planes and did my biannual with him recently and could still make me sweat. After a few beers one night in 2000 we decided a 912 Drifter would probably make a good mustering plane Wayne did the designing and I did the building under his supervision and I am still impressed with the results. Wayne and I were planning on building a super drifter later this year but unfortunatly that will now never happen What a loss. Max

What is her address? I should be able to help her with some of the $11,000,000 my unknown Spanish uncle so generously left me in his will.

I have the oppitunity to travell to South America later this year and will spend some time in Chile and trying to find out if there are active ultralight clubs or industry there. Thanks

Is there a list of all JAB models made including specifications eg. fuel capacities,cabin widths and other physical and performance figures? I see one on this site but it has models and nothing else. Thanks

Interesting reading. I must say the 912 doesn't windmill when you switch it off, it just stops. I would just like to say one should be aware that you can flood a 503 in a heavy RH side- slip, doesn't seem to do it in a left hander and have never experienced it with the 912. I can gurantee it will concentrate the mind when you slip from 500'agl to tree top to bolck up stock and there's only enough there to to keep you level untill she clears her throat. How do I know this??

It's not necessary have the throttle springloaded to open, it's a very simple fix to have springload to close . Its already there from factory. Check balance every 100hrs, need to adjust every second blue moon .

I got sick of 160 to 260km a day chasing stock through thickly timbered and rocky terrain while mustering on a bike and having to do rebuilds on a regular basis and not getting clean musters.Not that I don't like riding bikes it's just that I can utilize my time much better. My current work bike is nearly 10 years old and I did its first top end rebuild last year a far cry from needing a new one every year or two . After 10,000 hours+ air time I still find it extremely rewarding working stock from the air.For me the more hours I do the more cautious I become and the learning never stops.