Tomo

Now thats an interesting comment that in the context of a 5100 needs more debate. On my 6cyl jab, Im told to cruise with RPM at 2850. to cruise with much lower RPM which is underutilising the available power causes damage to the engine Im told through Jabiru and will result in a shorter operating life.

If you have a big tractor, say 300hp, doing the job that a 100hp can do. yes it will probably be a lot more economical, but it wouldn't be doing any work. ie there's not much load so its practically 'just running'. and what that does is glaze up the piston bores, and therefore wears the engine out a lot faster... Same with idling your car, you shouldn't idle your car for to long, particularly if it's a diesel...

So the morel to the story is: Engines like working, not just running:big_grin:

My instructor can do hang glider towing endorsements...which I'm thinking wouldn't be a bad thing to do down the track.

He uses the Dragonfly I'm pretty sure, amazing little aircraft, can fly at walking speed, land and take off in very little distance...

Sorry Tomo, I have a flying buddy going with me.I am fighting offers off with a stick at the moment!

 

Harthy

By the way. I have done my first lesson in Bob's Drifter, it was a lot different to what I'd imagined (in the good way)...and I think it is a awesome little acft...:thumb_up: Don't worry I still will be hiring your Jab in the future....:big_grin:

I will be training on Tuesdays most of the time, early in the morning for a bit.

Anyway better not get off the thread subject...

Yeah I reckon... He's looking at sending the VLJ over seas I think...he's got projects starting up over there.

He's taking me for a spin next time he does a day trip somewhere, can't wait...:thumb_up:

I was just at his shed today actually, and had a tour around the place, very nice set up...:thumb_up:

I'm not sure about a Rod, but Matt is the owner and pilot...

I think it's a great Idea...I'd be in for one around the SE Qld area...

All you coasty-ites should come out and go for a cruise out west a bit...you know make a destination like Longreach, and then just land at all the interesting spots on the way and coming back...camp under the wing style maybe...;)

Peter,I am also putting my aircraft on dispaly for the three days, and taking in all of the benifits.

 

There is bit of mucking around to get registered and so forth, and with it only being six weeks away now, I am getting very excited about the hole trip.

 

I have been over and over the arrival and departure procedures and one thing that is very apparent is don't speak until spoken to. So much so that the Barwon West tower initially only want aircraft to respond with a wiggle of the wings.

 

There is alot to organise but I think my biggest hurdle was getting permission to leave my wife and kids for 6 or 7 days. So at the moment I am busy with out complaint doing alot of those little jobs that never get done around the house.

 

I am flying down from Dalby in south east QLD, so we will be looking to stay somewhere along the way. At the moment we are lookig at getting to Echuca, and then flying in on Thursday morning to Avalon. We also will probably depart on Monday morning.

 

Anyway Peter I hope I can catch up with you down there.

 

Harthy

:thumb_up:

Check this out...http://www.metacafe.com/watch/5930/skycutter/

Thanks Maj...:thumb_up: I will always keep that in the back of my mind

Using the radio was daunting for me, more so than the flying itself. .

Thanks a lot guys:thumb_up:

Nice one Matt...Great pictures...:thumb_up:

Well as the heading implies, I've done my first lesson, In the Drifter at Dalby this morning... Started with on the ground briefing for about a half hour, then out to the Drifter for a run through on it. Had to wait about ten minutes because it suddenly decided to rain on us, that soon cleared up, and away we went.

I had to do all the radio calls straight from the start, such as:

Dalby traffic

Drifter two zero eight

taxiing to runway zero four

Dalby

And so began my first lesson. We back tracked down runway zero four (me on the radio again), did our pre-take off checks and run ups. And away we went with a bit of a cross wind to the right, we where in the air in about 20 meters or there abouts, heading Nor-east. I was then told to trim ourselves to our climb... Leveling off at about 3000ft. We then went through each control individually, showing the first and second effects of them. Then came the coordinated turns, 'got to keep that nose up a bit more! He then had me doing descents using the trim, with the engine at an idle, and with power...

And so thats how my hour soon disappeared into thin air, and it wasn't long before we had to head back to Dalby...(Radioed) Joined the circuit, and handed over to Bob who did a beaut crosswind landing:thumb_up:

All in all, I found out that the Drifter is a awesome little machine:thumb_up::thumb_up:, and I can't wait for next Tuesday to do a few more hours...

Cheers BC, Just out of curiosity what is the first factor of the VNE on the Jabiru? Alot of planes start with vibration.

:hittinghead:

Nice trip report from a very proud Dad....:thumb_up:

You can't trust anything these days can you...

Tomo, and what sort of rockey ship did you say he flys. I work at Townsville and often see a TBM come in and leave the same day.

by the way, he's a company called Bettabuilt, he builds huge acft hangers and other complexes all over the place...he's building a big shed in Townsville at the moment, although i think it's nearly finished.

I was telling my Granddad that I'll be starting my flight training next week, and the first thing he said is, 'Don't fly those ultralight aircraft will you, there to dangerous'.

So I just politely went with the flow and didn't dare tell him I would probably be doing it in a Drifter....;)

I think it will be along time before people see the safe side of the RAA...but I guess all we can do is act safely, and keep the safety records up...and try to convince people that not every aircraft they hear that's crashed is an ultralight....

:big_grin:

12g negative...Gee, I can taste lunch just thinking about it...

Very nicely rebuilt...

Thanks Doug.

Time to spare? ;) Go by air!! Sounds like lots of fun though.

That's what you get when cruising at 260kts at 25,000ft I s'pose...

:thumb_up::thumb_up::thumb_up: Good on ya Ian Well Done, I hope theres more years to come:thumb_up::thumb_up::thumb_up:

Temora have got a thing on there website for him....here tis' Thomas Moon

Cheers,

How very sad... I've seen his videos at Temora, and he certainly was a good pilot...he had a nice aircraft to...

Does anyone know the particulars of what happened? The news article mentioned that it happened about half way down the airstrip, was he taking off or just doing some low level aerobatics? I'd be interested in knowing what caused it...

"Crashes involving ultralights have claimed 10 lives in the past 16 months in Queensland."

Ain't that great...:thumb_up: there was like 10 lives lost in car crashes in something like 2 weeks, not long ago...

Don't you just love the safety of being in an aircraft...:thumb_up::thumb_up:

Has this thing actually flown? The performance figures seem rather ... optimistic.