DenisPC9

Well the wheel has turned full circle.The lad first sat in a Hornet as a 9 year old at a Tindal Open Day.

 

Roll forward 15 years and he's now qualified to fly them. First posting.....75 Squadron at, you guessed it, Tindal.

 

Can't believe how the past seven years have flashed by. Defence Force Recruiting...Flight Screening...ADFA...BFTS...2FTS...79 Squadron...76 Squadron...2 OCU...it's taken some effort. But has it been worth it? 'Ken Oath! (apparently)

An interesting side fact approx 60% ever make and that % hasn't changed much since WWI. Many years ago I spent nearly a decade in PNG and we used to get both the RAAF and PNGDF through Mend in the Southern Highlands. On one of these missions the PNGDF Psych came along as I had a fairly long chat to her in the Clive Steel Club (RAE and RAEME were doing the Aust Aid bit in the District/Province) and surprisingly approx 60% of the PNG nationals got their Wings.

Its a case of Australia has been there and done that.

Man who taxied plane to Newman pub faces charges

He took the wings off. But the cops still got him.

One of these was operated by a company which made a film using one of those really big Cine-Max cameras. It came into Camden for servicing a few years ago.Seen from a distance, the Aircam is reminiscent of a 1920s Handley-Page airliner.

 

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This link leads to side and plan elevations: Scheme Designers - Custom designed aircraft paint schemes for all types of aircraft

 

OME

If you want to see a Drifter on Steriods, check out this Pterodactyl ;-)

http://www.worldaircraftco.com/surveyor/

Even if the military degraded the GPS it would not effect us private/recreational pilots because we only need enough accuracy to get us to a waypoint or destination. In the days when GPS was 'degraded' 300 meters was the best we got, that's a long time ago. Today so much relies on GPS that if the 'they' pulled the big switch then they would be cutting their own throats and be facing an infinite number of pizzed off people. having said all that, I like my paper map and compass.

The US with its system

Europe with its incoming system

Russia with its incoming system

And I wouldn'd mind betting the Chinese are working on their own system

Short of a Space event, they all wont go offline simultaneously, there is lots of ego driving these things.

Had a little Sunday afternoon fly with the kids today. It was a bit bumpy with gusty winds and a few isolated stormy clouds but was really enjoyable. Mum took a pic of the little fella but missed out on the little princess as she got to go first today.[ATTACH=full]38964[/ATTACH]

The gumboots on the Co-Pilot are a giveaway :-P

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I love the photo of Mt Beerwah with the cloud beard.

I thought it was a ski ramp. Then I thought "Hmph, Qld Govt has got this Climate Change arse up" Then remembered that Can-do was done.

From my experience property developers and real estate agents will lie, cheat and steal to make money. Airports are always soft targets because they generate a lot of high intensity noise and don't make a lot of money, if any. Its impossible to find large tracts of vacant land close to the population.

Another one I heard, was a newbie to the Sqn was posted on the phone to deal with the public and 1 fellow rang up complaining about the low flying aircraft scaring his turkeys, who aren't the brightest of birds, they would all rush around and huddle in the corners, crushing each other.

Apparently Newbie told him that the RAAF had the ideal solution. To which Turkey Farmer eagerly asked to be informed.

Newbie told him to build round sheds, they didn't have corners.

After that, experienced staff manned the phones.

It is a 55 reg factory built strutty. I was looking at it some years back to buy a share (never did bought my own...). Located at Jacobs Well - Heck Field. Just need to keep en eye on aircraft kept there because of proximity to the coast but with proper care no issues. What are they asking?A better shot at

http://www.gcsfc.org.au in the gallery

 

Expensive club to be a member of but understandable given the location and issues which mean they keep a pretty tight ship.

That's a worn out WELCOME sign. Get's pretty cold there in winter doesn't it? Nev

But more often than not in Winter, its balmy like this "Chilly Morn 24Jul11"

Is the strip open?

Here's an update. Located 13km out of town, signposted (on the road ;-)) but not that well in town. I went out there this morning and its recently been mown, so recently, that you can see the tyre tracks. So I will retract my "corrugated iron roof" statement.

I checked the Tenterfield Shire Council Website, as they supposedly own the strip and there's nothing there. Searching various combos of the word aerodrome/airport/airfield drew a blank. But this doesn't surprise because whilst some parts of the place are almost up to date, most of it is somewhere back there in the past, especially mentally ;-)

Here is http://ourairports.com/airports/YTFD/pilot-info.html

Pix "YTFD 5Sep15" was taken from just up the road. I imagine on a day like today it would be quite scenic to fly into. With the Valleys and greenery.

Pix "YTFD Welcome 5Sep15" is a bit of faded glory. That's what greets visitors after disembarking ;-)

Pix "YTFD Pax facilities 5Sep15" and Main (and only) Taxiway

Pix "YTFD Past dreams 5Sep15" was probably the sight that met Gareth. Had he wandered around he would have come across

Pix "YTFD Past nightmare 5Sep15" in the scrub behind one of the "hangars"

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Welcome. Would be great fun to learn in the drifter!

It is and despite what I have written, quite enjoyable. The scenery of the Darling Downs is incredible. There is lots of clear airspace and not too much traffic, in fact just about none. So I can concentrate on the basics and gradually introduce myself to the other complexities that make up and also occupy "up there". Although there is always the ever present "threat" of low level Fast Jets tracking east or west to and from RAAF Amberley or Helos low levelling around the place from Army Oakey, in the northwest.

As well, in the future there is the challenge of the Brisbane Rim to fly along and hop over.

Thanks Gents. I think I have the right mental approach its just the aerial attitude I have to work on

I have had a look at the local strip about 12 months ago and after seeing and working around many PNG Strips and a fair number of RAAF ones, I am severely underwhelmed. Although I do realise that ~1 movement a month or less doesn't really justify 60" of reinforced concrete. I will have another look over the next weeks or so but from memory it resembles a corrugated iron roof.

I believe there is only 1 aircraft using the strip. Although I recckon that 60% of the Council would qualify a Balloonists, the amount of hot air that emanates from them is astounding.

I have just removed the chocks and have barely got past the "Clear Prop" stage ;-)

I did quite a bit flying around PNG in the 1970s as a pax and chartering lots of aircraft in the Highlands, then was the IT bod at 2FTS at RAAF Pearce 2001-2004 and running their Flight Scheduling and Training Database. I have been aloft in the PC9s, hence the suffix to my name. So, being retired, I decided that I would try my hand at formalising lots of little bits that I have seen and done and see if it was as effortless as all those people with 100s, and 1,000s of hours in their logs.

I have started at Lone Eagle, at Clifton on the Darling Downs. So far I have got up ~4 hours and am getting the hang of "Straight and Level". I quickly worked out that the "effortless" bit required quite a bit of "effort" to become so.

I am scaring myself in a Drifter and probably frightening the crap out of my FI. But he keeps asking me back, so I hope its more of the potential than personality ;-)

I have just finished building my own house out of Insulated Concrete Formwork (bloody large Lego blocks) and people keep asking my "What will you do now that the house is done to stop you getting bored?" Being retired, time is not of the essence.