skydog

Asses ears is a great spot to stay. Nice spot for an overnighter or even drop in for fun. Big wide long grass strip. You can get the lat & long off the web by typing in asses ears. lots of backpackers stay here, has a swimming pool. Kingston SE is a great place to fly in & stay too. Strip is just about 1 km walk from town and the best pubs at 35 bucks a night accomodation and fresh fish & chips! Dennis Borchardt builds his lightnings there and is a very nice man to chat with.

Can you use the Milawa strip Donkey?

Sounds like a good idea Lee, enjoy it.

cost to fly Some early posts in this thread talked about learning to fly at 20 bucks an hour. I had a look at my old original log bookwhere I started flying dual in a C172 in 1974 for 11 dollars dual!!!!! Just amazing. Will we still feel the same in another 30+ years time? Will we be flying much at all or just in those electric planes at 500` minute climb at 60 Kts???

Thats hilarious that Norwegian site! Love the schematics.

can you fly to Honduras El Salvador? Mike Those countries are beautiful, I have been to Honduras & El Salvador, not too far from you. The distances between are not far in comparison to Australia. As a PPL can you freely fly between these countries and Belize? What is the political situation considering the drug running etc going on? [ no I am not looking to fly drugs around there!]

Hmmnn bummer. Looks like Tyabb Mbn or LaTrobe then Lee.

Yeah I did meet him. He was in his dying days as a jumper and I was a newbie into relative work and photography rather than accuracy. Claude Gillard the father of Australian Skydiving has a very good website about Labertouche I recommend you take a visit at. Labertouche Drop Zone History Sure to be lots of names you will remember there Major.

The PPL exam and knowledge required is about twenty times harder than RA , BAK, exams I reckon and so it should be too. Weather for one, instruments, etc but the hardest to learn and remember was the stuff like working out pressure heights for taking off from elevated airfields and CAO AIP knowledge. You have to know the correct answer because you get multiple choice answers to tick where two or three are very similar in fact downright convincing , misleading, tricky. I opted to pay for schooling with a chief instructor 3hrs a week over 6 weeks whilst I studied. This helped me enormously, I dont think I would have passed without that assistance as I was stressed with a high work load at the time , travelling a lot etc. I think it is good to have this knowledge as it does make you a more aware pilot in lots of ways. Yes you have to pass a bi-annual medical too which motivates me to eat well and keep reasonably fit &bhealthy. Not a bad thing.

Ra to ga Lee I trained in RA at Pt Cook at Oasis who also trained in GA so I went on with the same school and instructor actually. You can do that at Tooradin and it will many save hours depending on how fast you get the hang of of the GA plane. AS others have said you have to sit the exams and this changes all the time, you know human factors exam is in now for example so yes you sit the GA BAK exam which wasnt that hard really even for an old bugger like me then the on line exam for the PPL. The hours would be less if you have your XC 'endorsement" hours flown in RA already.. Would have been cheaper if I had done it that way.

I`m a old jumper too Mr Millard. LABERTOUCHE 1978- PAKENHAM-ETC

Bug bit, like a virus. I was born , as a baby at a very young age about 7 NM from an airforce base. Now I am showing my age but the constant flow of aircraft over the house such as Vampire jets, Bristol freighters, the odd Sunderland flying boat, etc just absolutely intrigued me and I always dreamed of flying these wonderful cutting edge examples of mans ingenuity. The raw power and the very distinct sound of a Vampire jet still gets me excited all these years later. Whenever the family drove close by the airforce base I always asked the old man to to a drive by of the base just so I could see what was happening and what what flying which often was not much at all. Then they had an airshow and that blew my tiny little yet to be formed mind, {maybe still yet to be formed properly}. At the age of 12, I took up competitive club cycling and the weekend race circuit was around this same airbase. Parachutusts landed most weekends, under round canopies in those days and I started dreaming about skydiving landing in the back yard at home and being a legend in my own lunchbox at school which kicked of another "flying" desire only to be satiated 12 years later. However before that on March 29th in 1974, I had my first flying lesson in a C172 (Charlie Sierra Yankee) and went solo right on 6 hrs. Unfortunately after about 18 hrs I ran out of money and discovered wine women and song which started my downfall to the pitiful wreck I now am having regretted that ever since as I believe inhindsight I would have ended up flying commercially. Afew years later again money & circumstances led me to Skydiving which took my heart and mind and wallet for about 15 years after that and I have never regreted a bit of that except for the money I spent ( I could have been a millionaire by now I reckon) This kept me right in touch with all sorts of aviation aircraft of course and I had the priviledge of jumping out of DC-3`s, Hughes helicopters, hot air balloons,Tri-pacers, Cessnas, 185, 206, 207, 172, 402, the Spanish CASA, Nomad, and Pilatus. Whilst organsing skydive operations for a Mangalore airshow I went to SAAA meetings for 3 months prior and met crazy home builders I mean what stupid idiot would build a plane, fly it and not even jump out of it? Phil Heffernan took me for a fly in the fabulous and amazing Vari-eze and again my desire to fly was re-ignited dreaming of one day owning my very own 'eze' and cruising alongside Fokker friendships etc.!!!! What an amazing guy that Burt Rutan has turned out to be. It was not until much later , OK at the age of 50 that some weird middle aged crisis thingy happened so not having enough money to buy a red sports car I decided to get my flying license and started flying Ultra-lights at Pt Cook in a Gazelle and Jabs. I was back into it, and Pt Cook was a great place to fly with the mix of Trikes, UL, GA, military , airforce museum aircraft and the great Mustang filling the sky and my swelling heart. 6 years later and quite a few years after going solo in 1974 I am now a proud part owner of a great flying machine pictured to your left. Not quite a vari-eze but just as fast and a bit more comfortable on my older body. Flying has been a long but most rewarding interest to have and the driver of my working life and day-dreamer mind. Love it.

Wow Simply amazing images. Makes you feel very wary!

G`Day Lincoln Pt Cook is nicely situated under a 2500` CTA step but only 30 mins drive to the city. Issue may be fuel getting the nozzle from a shell truck into the small fuel hole of a Jab. Ph shell on 0400 570 728 or 9394 9999 to check this out. If you arrive from due North over Melton you should have no CTA issues just keep at 2500`no higher and do not drift left as that is a 1500`CTA step any way that is all clear on the VTC chart and no big deal if you can read a map and have a compass. There are just 2 training opns that is RMIT for GA and a Trike opn. There is a flying club (Pt Cook) with bar if anyone is there, the Tigermoth and Yakalov joyflights operate from there. Mustang joyflights at Pt Cook also but best to book for that. Unfortunately you can not fly in without prior permission as it is still a military airbase therefore permission has to be obtained 24hrs in advance.Contact AD OPR, Rehbein AOS P/L , Ph 03 9395 1937. Your reason for landing is to visit the air museum and do a joyflight OK! Ask about an overnight tie down somewhere. Landing fees do apply but I do not know how much as I trained there but I guess around the 18 dollar mark. DEFINITELY Read the ERSA if you can get hold of a copy or look it up on airservices australia to read all the requirements . You do Need to understand the circuit proceedures RH CCTS apply for all military and museum ACFT , other ACFT do LH but RH on RWY`s 04,08 & 35. Museum aircraft fly displays on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and you can not land or take off at those times. (1315 > 1345 AEST).The Mustang might be flying? You must use the VFR approach points clearly marked on the maps being, Werribee Sth, Altona Sth, Werribee racecourse. It operates as a CTAF-R so apart from the above just a normal field, just watch out for there may be a Pilatus airforce PC16 trainer, maybe herc, parachuting opns (definitely check your NOTAMS B4 arrival) . Trikes, GA, etc A great place actually and the AirForce museum is a must see (free entry).Try and time it for the 1315 flight display time. You will have to call for a Werribee taxi as it is off the HWY about 5 KM but as I said not so far from the city or you can take the taxi to Laverton train station for a cheaper option. There are 6 runways so no probs re XW just make sure you are doing the correct circuit and oh yes military and museum flights do contra circuits, best to give them right of way It all sounds pretty busy compared to a country strip but its sounds much more complicated than it really is. If that is too much then I would land at Sunbury (Penfield) where Rod Birrell operates an UL trng opnPh # is 9744 1305.. There are landing fees but cheap. Overnight park fees, but cheap. It is a nice big grass cross strips field under the 2500` step (tip dont go above 2400`) as it is directly NW and close to Tullamarine and they will bust you for sure if you stray. There are special circuit requirements, I think it is RH on RWY 18. Rod can email you a strip map and a briefing I am sure. Getting to Melbourne is a bit more difficult again a Sunbury Taxi to Sunbury train station might be the go as it is about a 45 > 50 minute taxi ride to the city plus pick up fee so may cost about 90 bucks. Hope you enjoy the flight

great site eh Its a great site huh. Takes a while to nav around though.

Travis Look up the members Keith Page or Tangocharlie 123 on this website in the members list They are building terriers and could give you lots of advice I am sure. A lot of planes will have 600 NM range all you need is a plane with tanks and fuel for 4-1/2 hours at 100 knts. Sounds like you need an all rounder and the SaAvannah might just do that list of jobs but yes it is a bit slow. Something like a piper cub or Tripacer might be a good option to buy outright rather than build.100 KTS and put them down anywhere plus fly slow enough for mustering. Cessna 150? Grumman AA1B? Storch old 172? Good fun looking and working out what to fly though Cheers.

Lynn, If you were in the fly past last year I would have seen you as I visited Oshkosh for the second time. Just love that place and will be back again for sure. Well done with your flying determination. I have an RV6A but if lose my GA license will continue on in an ultralight or LSA I am sure. Cheers.

Thanks for that. Having a bad back myself I can sympathise withthose comments.

Tomo, I had a "go" of the controls of a drifter and it was a handfull. Great plane though huh!

Adrian I ended up buying a Vans RV6A. The yellow & blue plane in the picture. I have flown JABS,the J230 120 etc, Gazelle, Cessna`s 150, 172, 180, Piper Warriors, Beech Sundowner, etc and took my time because your ideas change, just like what is happenning now with your wifes suggesitons. Dont rush in. The RV uses the same 160HP engine as a C172 but cruises at 150kts at height. Uses 29 litres per hr doing that and lands nice & slow at 48kts. Seats two because that is the most common load. If I have more passengers I hire a C172. You can buy one second hand for about 100,000 or build one.

Took me 5 years Yep, took me 5 years to get what I think is the right plane. No need to rush and with this economic climate prices will only go lower me-thinks. Go fly the planes you are tossing up.

Camper version? Keith Is yours the camper version. A good choice if yes especially at Narrowmine this year, some flooded tents I hear!

Any further info? Any more on this one guys??

Down turn Well done Lynn, hope I am healthy enough to still be flying at 72 years old.! Hows the economic downturn affected flying in the US of A Lynn? Lots of light planes on the market here in OZ. Do you make it to Oshkosh? Is Michigan far from there? Cheers

Is 8 hrs enough? I think 8 hours is a good rule but I have had ocaission after a "big" night out where even after 8 hrs I shouldnt have been flying and subsequently now only fly when I feel 100%. Seems like CASA have to justify the testing they are now doing to air crew, pilots and others in the industry with "educationals". Cant be a bad thing as some people do unknowingly mix medications that have consequences for some..