Reminiscing! Ultralight Photos And Stories From The Early Days.

[facthunter]

Smart move to buy it when you could.  Nev

[jackc]

On 3/8/2024 at 2:30 AM, GA John said:

God I miss those 80's at Mangalore. A close group of us always flew up there together from Riddell, it was some of the best times in my life. I had my Dac mainly at Riddell but hangered it for 2 years at Holbrook. I wish I could turn back time I really do.

I have found a Dac in a shed……and there is a chance I may get to own it 👍

it’s unregistered and never has been……AND it never will be.  RAA can go jump…..I am turning my personal clock back over 40 years 👍👍

The factory flight training video is my friend 🤩🤩

[Thruster88]

7 hours ago, jackc said:

Well, my Thruster is in my shed about ready for me to install one of the last 582 crate engines out of Rotax. 

Wish I lived closer, would come and help. 

[facthunter]

How long has it SAT? Might be well to pre oil it a bit. Nev

[BrendAn]

12 hours ago, jackc said:

Well, my Thruster is in my shed about ready for me to install one of the last 582 crate engines out of Rotax. 

What's wrong with the engine in it

[jackc]

1 hour ago, BrendAn said:

What's wrong with the engine in it

Nothing, but I got attitude from an RAA staff member who phoned me, that they decided to remove training status from my aircraft. I said, be careful here, I could totally de register , and fly  it and dare them to catch me. And I would do it in a heartbeat.  But I did add, I have a new crate motor anyway……..silence on the other end.

RAA have slowly destroyed the concept of low budget enjoyable flying over the years, save a few decent people in the organisation, the rest of the whole show can get F as far as I am concerned……

I am planning to get more fun flying my own FAA FAR Part 103 aircraft in the U.S.  Can’t wait to get there, look out Oshkosh, here I come 🤩🤩

 

[BrendAn]

19 minutes ago, jackc said:

Nothing, but I got attitude from an RAA staff member who phoned me, that they decided to remove training status from my aircraft. I said, be careful here, I could totally de register , and fly  it and dare them to catch me. And I would do it in a heartbeat.  But I did add, I have a new crate motor anyway……..silence on the other end.

RAA have slowly destroyed the concept of low budget enjoyable flying over the years, save a few decent people in the organisation, the rest of the whole show can get F as far as I am concerned……

I am planning to get more fun flying my own FAA FAR Part 103 aircraft in the U.S.  Can’t wait to get there, look out Oshkosh, here I come 🤩🤩

 

I know of several planes  that have been pulled out of raaus reg and membership this year.  When they tried to reduce my xair from 544 kg to 450 I told them to cancel the reg, next day I get a call asking what would make me stay. I said a higher mtow. 450 made it a single seater with dual controls. We ended up agreeing on 490 kg which is fine. 20 years at 544 kg then all of a sudden they change it. This came about after casa reamed them over the mt beauty accident. They are going over every acr with a fine tooth comb and making changes they think are necessary. Back to your 582, I reckon that time out rule is crap. It should be on the engines condition.  

Edited August 4, 2024 by BrendAn

[jackc]

3 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

I know of several planes  that have been pulled out of raaus reg and membership this year.  When they tried to reduce my xair from 544 kg to 450 I told them to cancel the reg, next day I get a call asking what would make me stay. I said a higher mtow. 450 made it a single seater with dual controls. We ended up agreeing on 490 kg which is fine. 20 years at 544 kg then all of a sudden they change it. This came about after casa reamed them over the mt beauty accident. They are going over every acr with a fine tooth comb and making changes they think are necessary. Back to your 582, I reckon that time out rule is crap. It should be on the engines condition.  

My LAME says it’s OK, but since I have an engine zero time to drop in, we have another aircraft to drop my old engine into, and get it going. I am just sick of how  RAA has destroyed the original concept of ultralight flight, by their ego driven stand over tactics over the years.

[spacesailor]

Should I put my cent worth in ! .

" UFA REGISTERED 95-10-1103 " But Raa says the wings are too small .

spacesailor

[BrendAn]

8 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

Should I put my cent worth in ! .

" UFA REGISTERED 95-10-1103 " But Raa says the wings are too small .

spacesailor

How can they reject a hummelbird when there are so many of them flying all over the world.

[jackc]

48 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

How can they reject a hummelbird when there are so many of them flying all over the world.

I would take I somewhere remote and just fly the F thing.

Just thinking……I am in a position to buy a remote property, with very limited land access  where we keep our illegal aircraft and then stage clandestine fly weekends. 
That would F them 🤩🤩

[spacesailor]

With a big barn . 

It takes a much, Braver man than I , to test-fly an unproven/flown aircraft with my minimal hours ,

in a completely different aircraft . 

30 hours in an " A22 foxbat " , with it's 6.3 mtrs length

Short coupled  " Hummel bird " ,  with  4.06 mtrs , length.  and a very fast roll rate. 

spacesailor

 

[facthunter]

Since RAAus went for the "WE ARE THE NEW GA" theme and people pushing for Flight in CTA the real AUF style cheap Affordable and safe has been neglected. How many build their own?    IF you want all the other stuff GO GA. Nev 

[jackc]

32 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

With a big barn . 

It takes a much, Braver man than I , to test-fly an unproven/flown aircraft with my minimal hours ,

in a completely different aircraft . 

30 hours in an " A22 foxbat " , with it's 6.3 mtrs length

Short coupled  " Hummel bird " ,  with  4.06 mtrs , length.  and a very fast roll rate. 

spacesailor

 

Did you ever jump off a carport roof, using a beach umbrella as a Parachute?  I did, and I am still here 🤩 But I learnt to probably not ever try it again, without a far larger umbrella 👍👍

Nothing ventured……nothing gained 🤩

[facthunter]

Hasn't every young chap done that? Nev

[Garfly]

 

 

Lots of nostalgia available on the Chris Conroy YouTube channel:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ScottPerkins]

Would anyone recognize the plane in the background behind the Saphire back in the 1980s  ?

[Student Pilot]

Arthur gone pink?

[pylon500]

From what I can remember, I think it was called a Bunyip?

I don't think Col Winton had much to do with it (inspired maybe?), but he built a few things like this.

Had a 447 0n it.

The Sapphire however had a 503!

Could exceed VNE straight and level😱

The guy had a few ultralights, the Sapphire was technically his wife's...

It was my RAAF reserve time, on a trip to Townsville, so I think it was at Charters Towers🤔

[pylon500]

You wanna talk old ultralights...

[onetrack]

There are only two Bunyips recorded publically - on the pages below - but neither looks like the machine in Scott Perkins photo.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Ultralight_Industries_Bunyip

 

https://aeropedia.com.au/content/ultralight-aircraft-bunyip-and-wombat/

 

However, going through the photos on the Aeropedia site may yield success. Using "ultralight" as the search term bring up 9 pages of photos of some pretty odd aircraft.

I can honestly say I've never seen a machine like it, that solid single curved boom on the underside of the wings structures and the engine is certainly unique, and represents a great deal of innovation. 

 

Edited Saturday at 09:49 AM by onetrack

[pylon500]

Some other memory just snuck through and suggested that even if it wasn't its type, the little sunburst trike up at Townsville had the name 'Snoopy' painted on the fin...🤷‍♂️

And after some digging around on the top of the wardrobe, I found this in an old album.

Once again in Townsville (I think), at a small club airshow.

Wasn't hugely impressed (then), as I wasn't really a fan of all flying surfaces, especially all trailing, non balanced slabs with no profile.

But in hindsight, a very simple and minimal, but quite flyable aircraft.

(you can just make out 'Snoopy' on the fin/rudder in the shadow...)

[BrendAn]

On 23/05/2026 at 7:45 PM, onetrack said:

There are only two Bunyips recorded publically - on the pages below - but neither looks like the machine in Scott Perkins photo.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Ultralight_Industries_Bunyip

 

https://aeropedia.com.au/content/ultralight-aircraft-bunyip-and-wombat/

 

However, going through the photos on the Aeropedia site may yield success. Using "ultralight" as the search term bring up 9 pages of photos of some pretty odd aircraft.

I can honestly say I've never seen a machine like it, that solid single curved boom on the underside of the wings structures and the engine is certainly unique, and represents a great deal of innovation. 

 

a Bunyip sold on facebook last year in bendigo.   it was all set up on  a custom trailer. $2000.

better in a museum than the air though.

[FlyBoy1960]

Here is a better'er copy from AI

[onetrack]

No rego?? Is this from the days of wild west recreational aviation? 🙂