Riley

"You're a better man than I am Gungha Din!" Well done Mike.

Blue Sky Aviation. Started giving tuition at York Town airstrip (not the sky-diving strip) with a couple of Gazelles then moved to Beverley for a few years with a Lightwing added to the fleet. Ultimately moved to Narrogin where they were operating a Jab in conjunction with the Narrogin Flying Club. The school closed sometime last year when the CFI decided to give up fighting with RAA and upgraded his qualifications to ATPL. Cheers

The seller's rep got back to me today and confirmed that all but 20 of the 1120hrs TT were flying school hours with a school that I actually did my AUF certificate with. Even tho it's close to home I guess I'll sit this one out. Not that I'd be tempted to buy an aircraft off ebay anyway (or a new wife) ((or a good dog)), Cheers Riley

Yeah Maj, I've also been watching them both. Have twice since Sat requested more info from the vendor on the 912GR but no response as yet. Seems a bit curious but maybe they don't get close to a computer too often. Not really interested in the 2 str in SA, but hope to have a L/wing taildragger taking the place of the two thrusters currently in my hangar sometime in the not-too-distant future. Who's got one? cheers

As far as I know, the Australian aviation masses still await release of an investigation report following the double fatality in WA two years ago when an Evektor fell out of the sky. It will be very interesting to compare and cross reference all three of the reports once to hand.

Greetings Thalass The mention of your wife's Sudbury origins brought back recollections of Inco's sulphurous smoke stacks, acid bleached countryside and a regional economy grid-locked between two mining companies and the rabid trade unions. I grew up there but jumped ship in the mid 50's, ended up in WA about ten years later and it's happily been my base point ever since. Tell me, does the wife still get all 'clucky' and long for the freezing cold and the belly-button deep ice & snow at this time each year? My coconut mentality precludes me "... dreaming of a White Xmas". Bring on the warm weather and another can of Carlton mid-strength! (Qwerty - if you had been to Queenstown on the west coast about 30 years ago - you've been to Sudbury!) Healthy New Year to y'all. cheers Riley

So.... there's fuel up a girl's shorts????

Thanks Gents for the replies & pics. I'm leaning pretty heavily towards a GR912 upgrade from my rag & tube machinery but until I quit something, I can only just afford the hole that the heliview windows fit into. Knowing that the cook will shoot me if I try the "I bought this because I'm gonna get rid of something else" (reckons she's been caught twice before), I'm presently restricted to collecting info and contact details for a purchase in the hopefully-not-too-distant future. Cheers Riley

Am curious if the Lightwing 'heliview' version is factory/kit built or is it an option available as an aftermarket upgrade to an existing aircraft? Any info (availibility, fitting requirements, approx costing etc etc) would be very helpful in my deliberations. Tks in anticipation.

Merv, you're seriously sick!! (but I XXXXed myself laughing at the mental image of your invention). With or without the jam toasted cat, all the best wishes to you and family for a pleasing Christmas.

Thanks for the kickback Ozzie. Does anyone have any current contact details for Cohen? I can't raise anything on him on Google. Cheers, Riley

Recently had an Aero Composite Sky Dart III follow me home with virtually no history apart from a log book with a sole entry that covers the supposed 370 hrs. Googling has brought no satisfaction regarding a contact for an ops manual or manufacturer's specs for this 95-10 machine. Therefore, I'd be most grateful if someone on these forums could point me in the right direction to access such information, or perhaps arrange (at my cost) to copy and forward any of their own documentation and/or specifications etc. Thanks in anticipation. Riley

Although expected, I'm truly saddened by the confirmation of Tony's demise. We spent a good many hours on the phone and internet during (and since) my Thruster restoration and I feel derelict in that only once in seven years did I make the occasion to share a noggin with he and Kay in their home in Toogoolawah. Tony was without peer in his knowledge and ability to 'put things right' in the Thruster spectrum and, tho always uncompromising, was a willing source of advice and assistance to anyone in need. He will be irreplaceable, he will be missed, but more than anything, he will be remembered. Fair skies and brisk tailwinds old son. Kay, our thoughts are with you.

batesey: I reckon I've perved every Champ thats been advertised on Barnstormers for the past 18 months. I agree there have been what seem to be super good deals offered but can't bite until I'm physically on site and able to view the goodies. Will continue to log contact details of accessible ones though just in case. Thanks for your input. DJP: What you suggest makes damn good sense. I'll broaden my horizons to include the 7ECA. All The Rest of Rec Flying Members: ....If you can't find me an Aeronca 7AC, find me a Citabria 7ECA! Cheers All, Bob

Hey Maj Tks for your input but I'm hoping the Aeronca you remember being advertised a few years back was Rob Glenn's quite speccy 'Chief' at Parkes (which co-incidently, is again on the market). Because it wasn't a tandem I pulled my horns in. Damn, I'd hate to think that a Champ was offered and that I slept thru the game. Mind you, until the new regs looked like becoming reality my attention wasn't cluttered up with lustful thoughts of owning a bit of useful nostalgia (love my old Thruster but anything's gotta be an upgrade!) Cheers.

Gentlemen (& Ladies) With much heavy breathing over the past couple of years and in anticipation of the 'soon-to-be announced' revised weight limits for RAA eligible aircraft, I've got the old-man-hots for an Aeronca Champ 7AC (did GA training in one on skiis during a Canadian winter in 1959). I'm going back to Can/US and including Oshkosh for an extended period this year and intend to shake every available bush very hard in the hopes that a suitable 7AC falls into my dillybag for return to OZ. It occurs to me that, prior to departure it would make sense to first rattle the bushes at home to see what chance there might be of an RAA-eligible Champ already here and perhaps sculling around looking for a new home. So, anybody out there either have a Champ they might be planning to quit or know of one that I might be able to co-erce their owner into relocating? Any and all leads no matter how trivial would be very welcome and much appreciated. Cheers Riley

Dirty old perverts!

Bullcreek Visit? Yeah....but...if... Because RAAF only releases airspace to us on the weekends, I literally live at Bindoon every Sat & Sun so, if a gathering at Bullcreek can happen anytime during the week, I'd be a definite starter. Cheers, Riley

Have the CASA Flight Safety Australia webpage on my bookmarks so In get it and read it bi-monthly.

Flightsuit Exhaust Damage Perhaps an un-intended but very welcome 'heads up' from Bill's post is that it points out the downside of wearing flying apparel made of synthetic fabrics. If momentary contact with a hot exhaust component can melt it, one has to think about how quick that same flying suit (and it's occupant) would combust if accelerated by spilled fuel and open flame in an accident. I believe a member on these forums within the past twelve months hi-lited the common sense and self preservation aspects of wearing natural fibre or nomex-type flying gear. At the very least, a mixture of melted plastic and skin tissue ain't pretty.

If your wife reads emails, I'll betcha you ain't gonna suffer from altitude sickness at home for a while

Gentlemen Never mind being either pedantic or full of christian charity, common sense and self preservation for everyone in the air, anywhere, dictates that we first agree and abide with Orion's post and, having done that, perhaps follow closely behind with Motzartmerv's approach. In the final crunch - there is no workable compromise to not following the rules that everyone else is (hopefully) following.

Youngmic Due to a change of ISP, I've been offline for a week and have only just now gained access to your post of 13th Feb. Like yourself and everyone else on these forums, I'll be happy as Larry if the ultimate report on the WA crash can specifically identify the reasons (broken crank/gearbox or whatever) for the loss of the machine and two good men. In the interim, your response to my concerns is accepted with thanks. cheers riley

WA Sportstar double fatality 2007. Gentlemen In a post a couple of days back Youngmic unequivocally stated that the two deaths in the WA Sportstar crash in Dec 2007 were a direct result of a R912 gearbox/crankshaft breakage. As both of the deceased were my personal friends and fellow club members, I have been monitoring this tragedy with a great amount of concern. Since posting my original query to Youngmic's statement, over the past two days I have checked with both the RAA representative for WA and immediate next-of-kin of the deceased regarding the status of an accident report. As of close of business today neither the RAA nor the respective families have either released or had access to any report which, as yet, identifies gearbox/crankshaft failure (or any other area) as the root cause of the crash. In these forums we go to great lengths to hold the media's feet to the fire for erroneous reporting. It appears, in this instance, we are doing it to ourselves. As such, in fairness to the families, RA Aus, (and, I guess, Rotax) it seems Youngmic needs to front up and either fish or cut bait. If left unsubstantiated (or not retracted) this allegation has the potential to reduce Rec Flying forums to the level of Pprune. I'm not stirring just for the sake of stirring but I ask again of the poster "Do you have access to an offical report which identifies the circumstances leading up to the the crash in the Julimar Forrest or is your evaluation just a hunch?" Either way you need to respond. Standing by.

2008 WA Sportstar Fatal Crash YoungMic You asked for comments on your linking the Sting/Sportstar crashes to a failed gearbox/broken crankshaft on the R912 engines. As far as I'm aware, the investigation report on the WA loss of lives/machinery in Dec 08 hasn't yet been made public. Therefore I gotta ask .. is your 'freewheeling propellor hypothetical' just that or is there a factual report available which identifies a broken gearbox/crank as the cause of the WA accident? It is only fair that statements made in the public domain which allude to a specific failure must either be substantiated or withdrawn. Over to you.