Patrick Normoyle Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 SkyDancer, nice red drifter by the way. As per your question, AIP requires the wind as a mean observed to be reported and if there is significant crosswind then it is reported as the max as that would be the most significant, so if a runway is typically used by light GA or RPT then we would include any crosswind over 8kts, 10 and 12 for Jets and Military. Pilots want to know the average conditions and then anything else exceptional, crosswind or downwind. Jets get a report of actual current conditions with their landing clearance as this is their most critical area, they are literally hanging on the wind in a configuration that has maximum drag and a very high inertia, ofter we will give them a mid field wind if it is significantly different to the threshold. My drifter / Fisher MK1 is in SA and flying happily away from Aldinga. I hope you win the argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 haha.. you weren't kidding when you said they made a strip, nice work mate.. yer its a preety good town, plenty of friendly people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyDancer Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Pat, thanks for that and YES, I was correct. Next time I pass through ADL I must visit Aldinga, never been and heard good things about it. As for the red drifter, I wish it was mine. A friend of mine owns it in the US, Iike Country Kid, I am still looking for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 their a machine in hight demand hey skydancer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyDancer Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 At least for you and me countrykid ;) When did you first come across them? I'd buy one tomorrow if I could find the right one and find a place to keep her. Besides the Oakes about 60 mins from Sydney there are not a lot of private airstrips where I could keep one. Most of the aerodromes here want to charge extraordinary fees just to keep it there. I have a similar problem to you, I don't know of many if any Drifters in Sydney, but at least the Drifter capitl (se qld) is only a 60 min flight from here. I did my 2 stroke endo a few months ago on the Drifter and I'd have to say in my 20 years of flying, it is one of the most exciting machines I've ever flown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 i cam across one about 3 years ago when i was 14 (to my parents disgust *coming across RA not cadets*) joined air force cadets, flew a few Cessna's and a chipmunk, the chipmunk was awsome the Cessna i can only relate to a barn with a brick floor and barn doors for wings.... they are a very um BORING air craft, the chief cadet officer (CUO) had a farther rolling in cash and aviation (5 gyros and a drifter) this bloke had commandeered the drifter of his dad and that's where it began.. went up a few times with him, decided this sort of flying is better than GA, went up again with him at the roto craft nationals and found out wongan hills is awsome flying country!!.... i applied for the RA-Aus GYFTS scholarship but because i dont have the money to start my training its hard to have a good relation with a CFI and therefore impossible to get a scholarship ..... so i have to sit back and admire the beauty of these air craft and wait... and wait.... and wait. and with uni looming its going to be a while im lucky in the respect i live on a farm, plenty of room and plenty of sheds.. and free of charge :clap:but farming being the way it is... i dont have the $$$ and im not going to sponge of my parents because they need the $$$ too, i too would buy one tomorrow but i just don't have the funds. so life goes on.... will see what sorta money i get over summer and go from there... already sold my motor bike and dune buggie to get my car so i have nothing left to pay for lessons... and read above ^ for the rest.... thats a bugger mate, makes things hard living in the big smoke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 As you well know Country Kid, Persistence ALWAYS pays off and I can definitely feel it in my water that you will reach your goal. PS My water is never wrong.. Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 Cheers mate i will do my best, im yet to see what next year brings, might make it my new years resolution: Learn to fly and buy a plane... i have being eying off this one: http://www.australianflying.com.au/classifieds/for-sale-drifter-light-sport-aircraft its deer as buggery but exactly what im after.... no idea if its still for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly_tornado Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Once you start working, $22K wont seem like much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 haha i have a 4 year degree in motorsport engineering to do before i start working :(.... have a part time job tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XP503 Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 That drifter is overpriced and has been used for training at sunbury for over ten years. It has wing tanks and a 618 which are both cause for trouble. MY ADVICE, get to know people and the scene BEFORE you buy. As many have said Wayne fisher is the guy to talk to but yea.....not much of a talker and VERY busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 yer, probably got a good point there, will keep an eye out bot other than that i might let sleeping dogs lie for a few months... the guy to talk to but not much of a talker.....this just gets trickyer haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly_tornado Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Your core problem is you have no money and no prospect of getting any in the short term. Perhaps focus on that problem? Once you start flying you will spend it pretty fast. look what fun you could have with a tornado http://titanaircraft.com/other_articles.php?article=building_a_titan&page=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 i would say your probably right there mate.. ambition is greater than funds (dont think they will ever be equal)... they look like great but probly more $$ than a drifer? yer i spend it pretty fast before flying.... oh well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly_tornado Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Building a tornado would be awesome experience. they have some innovative technology Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 TEX!!!! is that just to spite me mate? thats a beauty.... great plane, love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 One of these weekends I'll head over Tex, might try and bring Selwyn along too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 TEX!!!! is that just to spite me mate? thats a beauty.... great plane, love it Motivate not spite! Flies great! My first SB flight was in this when I test flew it and loving it more and more each time I get in the air .... Still got plenty of tinkering to do to get it 'just right'... a few gremlins too with some components I want to replace, but loving the hands on experience with my own AC. I need to weigh it... but it is already light for a SB... getting lighter Saved 3kg on a decent battery and that also allowed me to forget about rear weights for CG (so a real saving in weight of nearly 5kg), in fact it feels like a little more in the front would still be fine. The ASI appears accurate and shows stall at less than 35kts. Very slippery compared to the WB I have flown in the past... the only disadvantage I can see so far is landing distance (for REAL short landings) which I think I will get down safely with more experience and skill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 One of these weekends I'll head over Tex, might try and bring Selwyn along too! Just finishing exams so will be heading out that way REAL soon and much more often over the next few months!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Tex that thing looks the goods mate, pretty much exactly what i would be after.... whats the cruise and fuel compared to a WB? if you dont mind me asking how much did it set you back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Dunno! Only had it about 3-4 weeks...so only local flying and circuits for me so far... expecting 65kts, planning 20l hoping for 16l or better with smart flying... As for cost, it was a very fair price based on airframe hours (2200) but mainly on the skins (good) and engine, a Silvertop nearing OH or replacement times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 :yikes:sounds the goods tex, looks like a worthy plane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maj Millard Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 The SB came out of the factory at about double the price of the WB. I've cruised a lot in company with a SB, and there's not much extra speed in them vs the CB...a knot or three at most, certainly not worth twice the price !.I've flown both and prefer the CB, they are identical otherwise except the SB has the elevator trim set-up, and a fuel shut off (remote). A factory ferry pilot once told me that he had ferried both types through rough turbulance and he preferred the WB as the wing is more solid. The strut on the SB attaches to the wing about a foot further inboard than the outer cable on the WB. The outer wing tip does waggle a bit on the SB, but is solid as a rock on the CB. Both have the triple-sleeved front and rear wing-spars by the way, and they are both way overbuilt for trainer purposes. The only Service bulliten I remember was to check for boom cracking where it exits the fuselage, and was applicable to the upright 582 instalation with the steel engine-mount frame. Cracks were found on a couple of high-time trainers that had done many hard landings. Obviously keeping an eye on the wing cable swages on the CB is always a good idea, but with normal regular inspection and protection they should be fine, and of course they are way bigger than they need to be. The small brace-cable up on the Aframe is also a must and makes for a stronger Aframe. This was fitted to most factory produced aircraft. Some years back I had my 582 CB at the Old Station fly-in. She only had about 400 hrs on her, and the engine really performed strongly. I flew rides all day long. Wayne Fisher came over with the (rather large) photographer from 'Australian Flying magazine', and Wayne asked if he could borrow my plane to take the photo guy up for some shots. Wow; Wayne Fisher wants to fly my Drifter !. They did the shoot and I was really interested in what Wayne though of my plane after they landed. When I asked him his only comment was 'it's pushy, real pushy' !!...I took that as being good !.....I did many, many happy hours in my CB and it never let me down once, I only sold it so I could afford my current ride the Lightwing, they are simply both great flying aircraft. The smaller and lighter 503 maxair Drifters are also a delight to fly..............................................Maj... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country kid Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 thats awsome maj, the idea of getting one grows on me every day, its hard to weigh it up because i have always had a preference for the SB, probably just the look of them. over the actual performance, wither way i think the prospect for me is a few years away.. training in my own aircraft is something i want to do but its on V the other... learn and have nothing to fly, or put learning of to have something to fly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now