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To report or not report? A while back a fairly noisy aircraft heading south flew over home here! when it got a few klm past I was absolutely sure in my mind that I heard the engine stop. Due to it`s direction and altitude, I reckoned it would come down somewhere around Babinda so I phoned the Babinda police and told the lady who answered that I thought an aircraft had, had an engine failure and could possibly come down in that area! She very sarcastically told me that they would keep an eye out for it. It turned out no aircraft came down and I felt a bit of a dill but I was satisfied I`d done what I thought was the right thing at the time. This also happened a few years ago. It was around midnight and I`d just got to bed when I heard a vehicle go past the house and go down to the Drifter shed then come back and stop at the house! by this time I`d got up to see what was going on and it was a police car! a big cop came to the door and asked if I`d just been flying and I told him that I hadn`t and that in any case, it wasn`t legal for Ultralights to fly at night! he told me that two paramedics in an ambulance were driving north to Cairns and at around 11 pm they reported seeing what they thought was an aircraft`s light, come down in our area About an hour after the cop left, a helicopter with a huge search light below it, that lit the area almost like day, turned up and flew a search pattern from Babinda to Deeral until the sun rose...No aircraft had gone down. Franco.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2018-12-13/all-electric-r44-sets-flight-record?fbclid=IwAR2HeibyBvqrASkcBiEczXREUrFJhvVv89m2Zf3p-JfIWn1vV6QLysU-McE

WOW! Absolutely Brilliant!!!

The very bottom line! I don`t want to give flying away, won`t be long I`ll need a refurbishment, if electric is possible and affordable, at this stage, it`s the way I`d like to go...82 kg battery would pretty much restrict the Drifter to single seat but I could live with that... 30 minutes flight time? well! it`s only got to get me up there,I know my way home... cost? don`t want to go back to a Rotax 582 so if the cost of "electric" is reasonable and acceptable to me, then that`s what it will be...Here`s hoping! Legal Requirements? Well! that`s another story. Franco, Ps, I`ve been accepted into the "Ultra-Electric, do it yourself electric Ultralight conversion", facebook group!

Yeah! But I want to be able do what I do in the Drifter and it`s twin seat! I can`t see either of those two "toys" being able to do what I want, I do agree though, they would be great fun, but ultimately, at what cost... I don`t have a money tree! Thank you very much for the link, I wasn`t aware of it! I will join. Franco.

Nah! Not at all!!! As long as the rider/pilot is flying it in the middle of nowhere, without a soul in sight, he should be OK as long as he`s wearing a helmet with a face guard! No?... ..Oh! and he doesn`t crash it....

When Electric Aircraft were first mentioned on here, I was skeptical and didn`t think it would happen in my lifetime! Now I`m beginning to get excited that I may be able to go electric on the Drifter in the not too distant future! Here`s hoping!!! I would stay up there forever if I could but realistically! I`ll be happy with one hour and a bit to spare! at this stage, I`ll even settle for half an hour!!! Franco.

" Hoversurf, say that the product is ready for sale." I find it amazing that anyone would build something like that and offer it for sale without adequate guards around the propellers! Absolutely crazy!!! Regulations? Well, if there are none, I`m sure some will be drawn up! Franco.

I was looking for any information I could find on an Electric engine/motor system that could suit the Drifter, found this and thought it was worth posting for others interested in Electric Aircraft... In no way am I promoting Electro.Aero.... Moderators remove, if this can be seen as Commercial Advertising! https://www.electro.aero/index.php/en/

Thank You Mike, I wasn`t aware of it!... Hopefully, there will be electric capable of powering the Drifter before I get to old to use it!!! ... Seriously though, I would go electric!.......Franco.

Guys, please bear with me! In an attempt to find the cause of the problem I`ve been having, I`ve made a couple of changes at my end and I`ve had to write the post again to see the result. Some great flying this morning with Jimmy and Andrew! I took Jimmy for his first flight two weeks ago but my camera was out of action so no photo then! Jimmy is 137 kg, we were still below MTOW and the Drifter handled it easily! He`s so impressed that he is considering becoming an Ultralight pilot and would lose weight to achieve it! I`ve offered to assist however I can so we`ll see what happens. This was Andrew`s first Ultralight flight! he only came along with Jimmy to see what this Ultralight flying was all about and take some video of Jimmy but after seeing me take Jimmy up and listening to what I had to say, he was sure he wanted to go up! the result? he got back a very happy excited man and now they`re both adamant they will be back and bring others with them. Franco, Ps, Keep it safe, keep it fun and there`s no end to people wanting to have a go! 

Some great flying this morning with Jimmy and Andrew! I took Jimmy for his first flight two weeks ago but my camera was out of action so no photo then! Jimmy is 137 kg, we were still below MTOW and the Drifter handled it easily! He`s so impressed that he is considering becoming an Ultralight pilot and would lose weight to achieve it! I`ve offered to assist however I can so we`ll see what happens. This was Andrew`s first Ultralight flight! he only came along with Jimmy to see what this Ultralight flying was all about and take some video of Jimmy but after seeing me take Jimmy up and listening to what I had to say, he was sure he wanted to go up! the result? he got back a very happy excited man and now they`re both adamant they will be back and bring others with them. Franco, Ps, Keep it safe, keep it fun and there`s no end of people wanting to have a go! PPS, I set the post up the way I want it but when I post it, it comes up different to the way I did it! I`ve tried to edit 4 times, with no success! is anyone else having similar problems? This is happening to me all too often, don`t know what the problem is!

Saw a price on it somewhere, not so long ago and I think it wasn`t too far under $100 K! Way far too expensive!!! I wouldn`t clean swap my Drifter for it... Franco.

Give me an electric setup for my Drifter, that can give me the same performance as my current Rotax 503 DCDI, at a cost roughly equivalent to the 503 and keep me in the air for a minimum of 1 hour and I will fit it at the next engine change... At the moment, it looks like my next engine may have to be a Hirth, 3202 2 cycle 55hp or the, 3203 2 cycle 65hp both engines are free to air or fan cooled! Franco.

Now that`s better, a start anyway! I was beginning to think everyone was intimidated by the PC police! .......Franco.

AS active as you choose to make it!!!!......Franco.

Gee Whiz! 109 views and not 1 Merry Christmas from you guys!!! .......Franco.

Drone`s fault??? The IDIOT flying it, where it could hit the aircraft! or, was the intention to hit the aircraft?

Well! we missed the wind we were supposed to get from Tropical Cyclone Owen, last night, but we got one hell of a thunderstorm, with a total of 210 mls of rain so this afternoon I couldn`t use the strip, down at the Drifter shed, due to water on the strip and had to come up to the one behind the house! got off and back on, just fine! Andrew`s first Ultralight flight! A couple of weeks ago, Andrew and his partner, Lynne purchased a house here on Ross Road and became locals so I reckon I`ll be taking Andrew flying again! Lynne has flown with me several times! Franco.

Found this little beauty on facebook! looks simple to build, without buckets of $$$ required. Buzz Shannon‎Magnificent Men & their Flying Machines Franco.

I`ve copied Emah`s post on facebook and pasted here! Emah is the lady who made-up the skins for Wayne Fisher... Franco. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1419567688295037/?multi_permalinks=2188752354709896%2C2188269558091509&notif_id=1544340299861269&notif_t=group_activity Emah Silberstein Hey guys, I’m advertising this for a friend. PM if interested and I’ll pass his contact details on: Wanted Buyer/Syndicate . Drifter Austflight manufacturer 25-0415 Wire Braced 582 Blue head 330hrs, Great stick and rudder Classic . Last 3 years extensive refurbishment, Usual instruments , ICOM Radio, G.A. plugs, intercom, Garmin 196C , Certified Bolly (3) props ,E.O. for Ceonite with 2 pack , Ailerons, Tail Feathers, recent Main Sails replaced, Strut wire bracing (8) with release cert , Fly s Well Registered Nov 2019 . Price $18,498.00 ono

At 7:07 into the video! "At about 3.50 LA Center offers the pilot an IFR clearance to Henderson" Apart from all the bad decisions the pilot made, LA Center offered a VFR pilot, who had lodged a VFR flight plan, an IFR clearance without knowing if the pilot if was IFR rated.

Not the first, won`t be the last!

As Carlo Prete was an AUF/RAA CFI operating his flying school from Mundoo (Innisfail) Aerodrome, since the very early days of the AUF, I thought it appropriate to notify those on this site who knew Carlo but may not be aware of his passing... I`ve copied from Carlo`s facebook site and pasted here... Franco. Carlo Prete 4 hrs · Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and well wishes Dad/Carlo Prete passed away yesterday, he is now resting in peace.