farri

If it`s possible in the USA, it`s possible in Australia, not saying it would be legal, though!!!!! Nothing ventured, nothing gained however.... It`s guys like those who take things to the next level... Franco.

From the Drifter, at 5,000 feet amsl this afternoon! No! it wasn`t after last light! it was 5.40...………. Franco.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/340779700091177/

Goodonya Michael... Brilliant!!! I did a fair bit of flying in the Zenith CH 750 when it was based here, I`d love to fly yours...Cheers and all the best with it.

G`Day Anthony, ! There was a guy flying one from Mundoo aerodrome, south of Innisfail, don`t know if he still does though! ..... I`ve been flying from my property here at Deeral since the mid-eighties and I still fly regularly, if you`re ever in the Cairns area come in and say G`Day! you might even get a fly with me in the Drifter... Cheers.

The guy on the left is Don Burnell, a good mate of mine! Don and I go right back to the late mid eighties, early days of the AUF, when both of us were members of the 'Far North Queensland Ultralight Association'...Don originally flew gliders, wanted to have a go at the Drifter with me, was hooked, and went on to obtained his AUF pilot certificate when I was instructing... Don flew my Drifter in those days, sometimes taking his Gliding mate, Kevin Sedgeman , ( Kevin was a Gliding CFI ) in the back seat with him, up to the Atherton Tablelands. Don has late stage four Prostate Cancer and may not have many more flying days left! due to his health he hadn`t flow for a number of years so todays flight was extra special for both of us! I took him out over High Island and when we got back he was quite emotional telling me he felt he was in heaven while we were up there! he also told me when the final day comes, he wants me to scatter his ashes, from the Drifter, over my strip here! I told him it will be a privilege. Leo is a good mate of Don`s and this was his first Ultralight flight! I took Leo out over High Island also! he was extremely impressed with the flight and the Drifter. Franco. Ps, Don gave me permission to write about his Cancer.

In that case sandman, here`s mine to help the page along! Franco.

The Drifter looks great, sandman!!! it looks like you don`t need to mow the grass often and you have plenty of runway in any direction! Our area has had around 3,500 m/m of rain so far this year and plenty more to come! this is what it looks like here at Deeral.

"It can also speed to a major blaze and return rapidly for refuelling. Last week, the plane was deployed to help Tasmania cope with its dozens of bushfires, reloading with water at Hobart airport".

From the Drifter! at 4000 feet amsl, this afternoon!!! Franco.

How can I say no, when beautiful young ladies like Michelle keep turning up, wanting me to take them Drifter flying??? Michelle is from Germany and over here for a holiday with her boyfriend, Lucas Steinkenper, also from Germany! this was her first flight in an Ultralight... Lucas is the Great Nephew of my next door neighbor and he has flown with me several times in the past when he`s been over here, staying with my neighbor. Franco, Ps, I have Michelle`s permission to post this photo here!

This is Bob Murfitt! Bob and his wife are from South Australia and caravanning around the country! Bob was staying in one of our local caravan parks, found out about me, came here and asked if I would take him flying, I said of course I would and so we did!... Last Friday was Bob`s last day in our area before heading further North so I took him a bit further afield, around our area! all up we did several flights together and he got to have a feel of the Drifter. Whenever I take someone new flying, once back on the ground, I ask them, "what did you think of the flight"? I mostly get, " Unreal"..."Loved It"...one guy said, 'It`s the real deal", but I`ve never had this one before! when I asked Bob what he thought of yesterdays flight, he said and I quote, " Frank, you`ve taken me closer to heaven than anyone else"... I took that as a great compliment! Bob told me he had always been interested in flying but had never had the chance to learn and that a while back, a mate had taken him flying in his Trike so I spent a fair amount of time with him explaining some of the principals of flight and also the dangers! I also told him that he isn`t to old to learn (he`s my age) so I sincerely hope he does. Franco.

I took these photos from the Drifter this afternoon! In the photo on the left, the white dot on the right at the top end of the fire, is my Drifter shed... I went Croc spotting on the weekend! Took this photo from my Tinnie Franco.

Absolutely! Always lungs full...…..?

The bigger question is! "how do you put a bomb under the apathetic members" and "who`s interests` should RA-Aus be working to maintain and/or improve"? I`ve been flying since the early days of the AUF, I`m RA-Aus member 000993 and current! I fly regularly from my property and paid RA-Aus $ 250 a couple of days ago for the privilege... My interests and I dare say many others like me are completely different to those who are pushing for aircraft weight increases and flight from public aerodromes and into CTA, so to cut it short!...Who`s interests should RA-Aus be working on??? Franco ( Frank Arri ) Ps, Anyone, please! convince me I should bother to vote for the current board or anyone else who put their hand up for election!!!

From The Drifter, this afternoon!!!

Oh Dear!!!.How embarrassing...…..Very sorry …..Not knowing the details, I Read the report but overlooked the date...Ah well...Thank you, Jason!...More careful next time...Cheers everyone...Franco.

I don`t know anymore than what is reported here! https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/man-walks-away-after-plane-crash-landing-in-ingham/news-story/f49df181e707289baf752c93e062165c

Must be time you come back, then, Bernie!!! If you do, come and say G`Day, might be able to go Drifter flying together... Cheers... Franco.

Yes it is!

Looking down on Babinda, this afternoon!

Hi Jack, You impress me greatly! I sincerely hope you and your mate achieve your dream...All the very best to both of you! Franco.

A guy I instructed way back when went on to become a commercial Helicopter pilot and instructor...This day he had a guy on board with him in his R22 Helicopter, something went wrong, he lost control and they fell onto the top of a fairly big tree then fell to the ground! result! R22 wiped out, both guys, moderate injuries! Had it not been for the tree, breaking their fall, it may have been a totally different outcome. Many years ago I read an article on surviving an in-flight engine failure in an Ultralight aircraft if you were over timbered land! It stated that you should pick the biggest, busiest, tree and fly straight into the middle of it, it also stated that you should carry a long rope for getting down from the tree.......Not for me, thank you!!! I`ll continue to fly within gliding distance of a suitable landing area! It has served me well in the past! Franco.

No need to worry Bob, I`m not much of feed for them! and in any case, a Croc can`t hurt you unless it bites you! ....Seriously though! as you can see in the photo ( Rhonda took the photo ) the Croc is trying to get away from us as fast as it can! A real possibility though is that a Croc sitting up on a high bank can launch it`s-self into the river when startled and you could end up with it in the boat if you`re too close to the bank. A few months ago I was Croc spotting with one of my neighbors, in his tinnie! we were going up a gully about twice the width of the tinnie and a Croc we were expecting to see further ahead in the lagoon, unexpectedly launched off a bank above us and only a couple of meters from the nose of the tinnie! That one could have landed in the boat had it waited another 15 seconds............... The only predictable thing about Crocodiles is they are unpredictable!!!!!!!!! Franco.

Well! For me! Flying just doesn`t get any better than this! Today started off with fairly marginal flying condition and these guys had to come from Palm Cove, one of the beaches north of Cairns! Andrew had to catch a plane out of Cairns at 6 pm to fly back home! It did look like the weather was going to improve so I told them if they were prepared to take the chance that it would, they could come down...The weather did improve and this is what happened... Bob is from Ireland!... It was a first-time Ultralight flight, for all of them and I reckon the photos say it all...Oh! Bob got to see a big Croc, lying on a sandbar in the Mulgrave River. Franco