AUSFLY 2012

[old man emu]

8.45am:

 

The first warming cup of coffee. Slight breeze that's a bit cool, but the sky is 8/8 blue. I've linked up with Ian and Scotty (Bubbleboy).

 

At the moment we are waiting for a replicar P51 to tke off. Nice engine sound anda pretty plane.

 

Time to start walking around for a sticky beak.

 

OME

 

 

[old man emu]

11:00am

 

I've had a walk around the trade displays. I spoke to Paul Tyler of Light Aero Aust who has the fuselage of his "T2 Sundowner" on display. This is a 2-seat tamdem all wood and fabric plane, to be powered by a Great Planes 2180cc 76HP VW conversion. Gross 1050lbs; MTW 570; Cruise 85 Kts; stall 30 Kts. Endurance 3.5 hrs + 1/2 hr reserve. Good luch, Paul!

 

Spoke to Ross Gosby of Avia Cam. He produces dash panels etc using CNC cutting. He can also cut wing ribs by CNC, a method I have spoken of before.

 

The OZRunways boys are here. I'm going to their seminar at 2:30. The app is already downloaded onto my iPad.

 

Just having a cuppa before I head out again. I'm a bit dissapointed at not beinag able to get out the aircraft parking area. I feel like an orphan with his nose presses up against a lolly shop window. All those treats and I can't get at them.

 

OME

 

 

[Guernsey]

It must be something to do with your ' sticky beak '

 

Alan.

 

 

[old man emu]

1:00pm - Lunchtime!

 

Still breezy here. A Douglas Avenger has just arrived. Real planes have round engines!

 

I found out that I can get into the parking area, so I'll take a wander around there before the OzRunways seminar.

 

Attended a Jabiru engine service seminar. There's a new Shell oil coming out which is supposed to provide better lubrication.

 

OME

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Attended a Jabiru engine service seminar. There's a new Shell oil coming out which is supposed to provide better lubrication.

OME

for those of us who couldn't get there, maybe you could post more info when available.

 

 

[Roy Wales]

A couple of us from Tumut are planning on being there tomorrow. As a newby to the world of RA-Aus and the Tumut Aero Club, tomorrow will be my first flight (filling a seat) in a Jabiru J170. I am yet to commence training. Looking forward to experiencing my first Ausfly!

 

 

[old man emu]

for those of us who couldn't get there, maybe you could post more info when available.

Will do when I get home to my PC.

Went to the preliminary OzRunways presentation in the afternoon. The seminar on practical use of the app is at 8:30am tomorrow. I haven't had a look at the competition, but so far OzRunways looks like the way to go for pilots like the most of us.

 

I left soon after the seminar, shortly into the "Air Show". Someone must have been hammered by the provider of the public liability insurance because nothing happened within easy view of the crowd. The big disappointment was the the way the big radial of the Avenger starting up right in front of the crowd drowned out the sound of the big block Cleveland V8 in he 3/4 scale P51 as it did its flying display.

 

I managed to do a walk up and down the tie-down lines and had a look at he aircraft that had arrived. Too bad that there were hardly any owners there to discuss their planes. Also, why would you bring an unusual plane to a fly-in and then cover the canopy so people couldn't get a look inside? Brickbats to the owner of the Storch!

 

I'll go tomorrow, if only to attend the OzRunways seminar. I most post some advertising flyers on planes, so if Bill Posters is prosecuted, he's innocent!

 

OME

 

 

[old man emu]

8:05am Saturday.

 

Cuppa tea in the flying club. Again 8/8 blue. 5C no wind.

 

Just waiting for the OzRunways seminar.

 

OME

 

 

[.Evan.]

Thanks for the updates, OME! Have a good day today.

 

 

[old man emu]

I attended the OzRunways seminar and was very impressed with the amount of detail that one can draw from its various sub-routines. I went back to the exhibiters' hall but was unable to talk to the people offering other similar material. I know that I shouldn't say what my preference is without having reviewed the others, but I'm thinking about opening up the wallet for OzRunways.

 

I went outside and had a talk to Dexter who was showing off his ATEC Zephyr. We didn't talk about the plane though. Just catchiong up and putting faces to names. Then I went over and had a look at the Zenair CH750. What attracted me to this was the sign hanging from the engine cowl that the kit was $25,000 landed and off the wharf here on the East Coast.

 

I was given an in-depth over view of the aircraft. Then I was shown the DIY documentation and some kits parts. I was very impressed with the way the kit was prepared and the assembly documentation. The chap showing me the plane was up-front about the build. After having a look at the assembly instructions and plans. I came away thinking that if you were happy to accept the airplane's performance, you could be doing your maiden flight within 6 months of opening the first packet of parts. I reckon it would be a good partnership build as, although there's a lot of work a person could do alone, there is always the need for an extra pair of hands to assemble major units.

 

The fellow made a good point about suitable engines. The plane will take a Rotax 912 (series). Now there are lots of these around flying schools with about 500 hours left to run before overhaul. If the flying schools fly them full life, they are just left with a boat anchor, but if they can sell an engine with 500 hours left, then they have a deposit for a new engine. Since the average recreational pilot wouldn't fly much more than 50 hours per year, then you could get about 10 years' flying for under $10000. Also, with 500 hours before overhaul, the engine will have be debugged and should be unlikely to need major maintenance before its time runs out.

 

I was going to watch the air show, but the programme had too many long gaps between performances, and these were done too far away from where the crowd was gathered. I reckon that if you wanted a good closeup view, you should have left the airport and gone a K or two along the road towards Trangie and watched from the airport boundary.

 

Will I go next time? Dunno. I'm a bit shy of paying $500 for a display site. Perhaps I might link up with Ian and share the costs. This airshow also made me doubt whether I'd like to go to Oshkosh. That sounds heretical, doesn't it?

 

OME