farri

And I`m here! Frank.

Frank

Hello John, Frank.

It`s what I`ve always been about right from the start, way back when and for me it will continue to be for as long as I continue flying! I see it as a privilege and an honour that guys like you want to fly with me... Thank you, Don! Much appreciated. Frank

Then a while back, here in Aus. there was the AUF CFI ( name withheld ) who buzzed his estranged partner's house, in an attempt to terrorise her! he was convicted and did jail time over it! I received a couple of Emails from the guy, while he was in jail, trying to convince me he was innocent of the charges.

and I thought you mightn`t post so I better put you up there for all to see !!! Cheers.

Hey Wayne! You weren`t there when I started writing my post! What a coincidence! Great photos and a pleasure taking you up.

I`m writing this because I`m so impressed with the effort Wayne Langley and his wife, Sharon, went to, to come and meet my wife Frances and Myself, have a look at our plants and gardens and for Wayne to have a fly with me. I got to know Wayne, as Rusty Gear, on facebook but had never met him in person! My wife Frances and I are keen gardeners and I post photos of our plants, flowers, and people I take flying, on facebook! Wayne being both a keen pilot and Plants` and Flowers` enthusiast views my photos and we often have a chat online! on Thursday of last week, I got this message from Wayne! Hello Frank, my wife Sharon and I are spending the next 4 nights on board the Pacific Eden out of Cairns. Will be back in Cairns Tuesday and are due to fly back to Brissy at 3:35pm so we have a few hours to amuse ourselves. Would love to visit you and Fran if possible. If I can hire a car and get away by 9am but we would have to leave about 1 pm to get back for check-in etc. Just a thought, if you free. Kind Regards, Wayne Langley ( Rusty Gear) I replied and told Wayne they would be welcome and gave him directions to our place. Franco. Ps, Following a week of 20+ kts of wind, yesterday was a perfect flying day! Today the wind got back up around that again so I sent Wayne a message telling him he was meant to have the flight with me, yesterday! His reply! " I ordered it that way, Frank "

Too Late!!!

The view from 3000 feet, this afternoon! Franco.

Paul Lindamood Admin · 6 February PLACE YOUR PIN on the official WUFI 2018 map here > > >2018 WUFI Worldwide Ultralight & Open Air Fly-In map# The 4th annual WORLD ULTRALIGHT and open air FLY-IN is for any light flying machine, ppg, rotorcraft, paramotor or homebuilt. We fly from all around the world on the same day, in the same big sky - October 6, 2018. Then you submit a photo to prove you were airborn, and you'll receive a certificate authenticating you as an official 2018 WUFI World Aeronaut! Frank.

This afternoon I got a surprise visit from our son Michael! " Dad, I`m going to High Island to chase some Mackerel, want to come?" Well! I went flying on 4 days last week so I reckoned it was time to give flying a break and go Mackerel fishing with my son... "Yep, I`m coming." This is what happened! This was the first one and it was around 15 kg! We ended up with 4 around the same size and Yes! I did catch one. Time to start heading home! Franco.

I`ve been desperate on more than one occasion, when I was farming Sugar Cane, due to too much rain! When my wife Frances and I went into partnership with my parents and purchased this property,45 years ago, there had been 5 years of what was called a drought, in this part of the country, unfortunately, that year the drought ended and down came an enormous amount of rain for most of the harvesting season! Fran spent a lot of it, on a tractor, towing me in our harvester, in an attempt to get the crop off! When I was at my lowest I would think of all the farmers doing it really tough in the really harsh drought regions and I would kick myself in the ass and keep going! Those first few years put us behind for the next 25, we stuck it out and we`re reaping the rewards now. Ten years ago Fran and I were in a financial position to simply stop farming and remain on the property so, at 60 years of age, I stopped farming, we now have a lot of land that could be used for growing stock feed but the cost and the logistics of getting it to the farmers in drought, is immense! "But that's not enough to help me as I pull the trigger fast, As the pain for me at least has left me at last" These couple of lines in the poem above saddened me! I know what it feels like! It is never the answer for those left behind. Frank.

Without knowing the model, the history, and the condition of the engine, it`s impossible to comment accurately and compare the Rotax 503 to the 582, not only that! you need to know the aircraft ( single or twin seat ) and performance expected from the aircraft. 503 versus 582. 503: Is it single carb, single ignition or dual carb, dual ignition, new or used, if used how many hrs has it done, what type of gearbox and prop is it driving? The 503 is fan, air-cooled, it has fewer working parts than the 582, grey or blue head, oil injected or not, therefore, fewer things to go wrong. 582: is it grey or blue head, oil injected, new or used; if used, how many hrs has it done; what type of gearbox and prop is it driving? The 582 is water cooled, therefore, it requires a radiator and all the things that go with that, also, Rotax now recommend that the Crankshaft be replaced every 300 hrs. Hopefully! I`ve outlined some of the questions that, need to be answered, to be able to make an informed decision. I`m on my second 503 and I went through four grey head 582, purchased new, when I was instructing...I`m currently running the 503 DCDI, purchased new, with the E-type box turning a 60-inch ground adjustable, 3 blades, Ivo prop, on the certified twin seat Austflight Drifter! from memory, the engine has done close to 500 hrs and so far it hasn`t missed a beat but I`ve fitted new rings and gaskets twice and all the parts in the carbies, once. At the moment, parts for the 503 are still available from Bert Flood Imports, Pty Ltd. Franco.

Here`s something different! A couple of days ago Antony Roth, a Deeral local and very talented writer-illustrator, created these illustrations of me and the local area I regularly fly over! he then posted them on my facebook page and told me he wanted a glimpse into what Drifter flying was like so I told him for that he would need to come flying with me and this afternoon he did. Frank. Ps, I think the illustrations are great! Pps, I`ve also taken Antony`s father, Kurt, flying!

G`Day Barcy, Wire or Strut braced?

Gees BP! That`s is sad news...All the very best to you. Frank.

Well, they`re still drawn to a flight in the Drifter!... Today I got a phone call from my brother-in-law, saying a friend of his was up here from down south, he would like to go for a fly and would I take him, absolutely, I said. Back on the ground, I asked Ben what he thought of our flight...I quote! " Best flight I`ve ever had and I`ve had plenty". Frank. Ps, Just checked my facebook page and this is what Ben has posted there. Great experience - what a way to go - thank you once again Frank - I thoroughly enjoyed the flight. Cheers Ben.

Clint and Hi from Deeral, North Queensland! I`ve been flying from my property here at Deeral since the mid-eighties, I was flying this afternoon! I`d also like to see some photos of your Ultralights. Frank.

Don`t know if this one is still available! ‎Jordan Slarke‎ to Drifter Aircraft Appreciation Society 5 June · tagAdd topics · Late model wire braced, big pod 582 Drifter, been parked for a few years but has new skins fitted ( under tarp in hanger), new tyres, new seat covers, new paint. Ailerons, horizontal stabiliser and elevator and need to be fitted, windscreen was painted over so that will need replacing (simple and cheap). Engine will need refurbishing, was running when parked, and is turned over regularly. Basically a sound machine that needs a clean up and completing. It owes about 12k but I would settle for around $8500. Frank.

G`Day Jack .I started flying Ultralights` back in the mid-eighties, by scratch building a copy of the WT2 Chinook then having to learn to fly it! I was the builder, instructor, student and test pilot all in one! I quickly learned about how much there was to learn! ... Never stop learning!!! Frank.

G`Day Sam, ... I also have a long history of recreational aviation! Frank.

Fatality statistics Any Help? Frank.

This afternoon I had a visit from a guy I know, who holds an RAA pilot Certificate and owns his own aircraft! He is refurbishing a Drifter for his Daughter, who trained in an LSA and also holds a pilot certificate! After a good chat with them over a cup of coffee, I offered to take the young lady flying as she hadn`t been up in a Drifter, she accepted and I introduced her to the world of Drifter flying, she even got to see a big Crock on a sandbar in the Mulgrave River, unfortunately, she didn`t want her photo taken. I also had the pleasure of taking up Bret Robinson, skipper of the vessel, Frankland Islander! The boat is moored in the Mulgrave River, along Ross road, here at Deeral and Bret regularly takes tourists out to the Frankland Islands but this was his first flight in an Ultralight aircraft. Frank.